In relation to church planting, where should a new church meet? On this blog we have, in the past, learned the history of how Bethel Baptist Church in El Sobrante, CA was started by Jesus Christ; see part 1, part 2, part 3, and part 4 on that encouraging topic. Grace and Truth Baptist Church is a new church planting work in San Francisco that is seeking to follow the Lord and obey and practice all of Scripture. They currently do not have a building to meet, and the preacher there–a friend of mine for many years–had discussed the qustion with me, and asked us to pray for them, as they sought a place to meet. I asked the advice of a number of Baptist preachers, pastors, and missionaries / evangelists concerning the pluses and minuses of a variety of options concerning places to meet. With their permission, I have shared their responses below. Please feel free to comment on these responses and share any Biblical thoughts or practical experiences you have concerning them. (The response have been lightly edited for things like grammar and material that was not related to this question in this post was removed.) I asked the following question:
Church Planting Methodology:
Where Should A New Church-Plant Meet? The Question
… I am wondering if you have any thoughts on the meeting place for a new church plant’s meeting place. What are the advantages of renting a place in:
1.) A store front-type location, vs.
2.) A church building that is in use by a different congregation, vs.
3.) A home?
In terms of #2, do you have any thoughts on a church property that is by a weak Baptist religious organization, vs. some other religious organization (Presbyterian, Lutheran, Pentecostal, etc.) or even a cult meeting house (Seventh-Day Adventists that do not use their building on the Lord’s Day)?
I am wondering if a neo-evangelical or even modernistic Baptist congregation that allowed a separatist Baptist church-plant to use its facility could end up confusing visitors to the new separatist church plant. Certainly nobody would want people to end up joining a cult or becoming a Pentecostal by meeting in a church building of those religions, but perhaps the differences would be more obvious and that would be less likely than with a compromised Baptist congregation offering its meeting place (?) I am wondering if many people would not be willing to meet in a home (although Biblically there is nothing wrong with it).
So any Biblical exegesis, application of Biblical principles, or other Biblically-based ideas you have would be appreciated. Feel free to share this email with someone else if you think that that third party brother would have some good advice here. …
Church Planting Methodology:
Where Should A New Church-Plant Meet? Reply #1
Just my thoughts based on what I see in the Scriptures and what I have experienced. The place is not the main thing, but the assembly. Therefore, if you start assembling at your house that would be great, or another brother’s house, that is good. If you and the members decide to rent a facility, then, together as a church you can decide to do that and finance that as a church body (Amen). If you decide to rent a space (commercial space or have some type of agreement for a space with another “church” or religious entity – that too is fine (remember Solomon’s porch, synagogues, and the school of Tyrannus – were places that facilitated a temporary meeting place for the churches) – then rent it out as a church, do your best NOT to assume the payment of the rent alone BUT function as a church body (rent it together as a church). THEN, if and when the Lord would add to your assembly – a more suitable and stable place could be acquired (again, at that point you will move on to a building – as a church body, purchasing the building, etc). I see no problem using a SDA building, space, or hotel conference room, nursing home lobby, library hall, community hall, etc. Religious or not. It is the assembly that matters – not the meeting place, per se.
Where Should A New Church Plant Meet? Reply #2
Hi,
I wouldn’t like renting a false religion place when it wasn’t meeting. I would rather have the storefront. Meeting in the home, I would do that too.
Where Should A New Church Plant Meet? Reply #3
Meeting in SDA building wasn’t really my original plan. But I’m in a market that is high priced with very few options, and it has worked. We don’t really have any contact with the SDAs here. Most of them are from Africa, as we have a large group of refugees/immigrants in [town]. We use their building on Sunday and for the most part it has worked. The positives are that it is a place to meet that usually is inexpensive, with very little setup, and we put signage out on Sundays to limit confusion. We also put our hymn books and some Bibles in the pews and remove theirs in setting up. We are also careful to leave things better than we found them. So we haven’t worn out our welcome.
As far as negatives, for the most part they keep things kinda tidy but there is often some clean up or cleaning to do before Sunday morning. Also, the building here is rather old.
I think the biggest challenge is communicating to people where your church is. I say clearly that we rent the 7th Day Building on Sundays. Or if we do advertising I put the address and underneath “also the SDA Building.”
Also depending upon how strict your SDA group is they might ask you to not serve pork if you have a meal there.
We have a different building where we try to do special functions like special meetings. We will have a Good Friday fellowship at the other venue. It provides a neutral place for people to invite friends to hear the gospel. Just an idea. We also do a turducken feast in November. Last year it brought over 40 visitors to hear the gospel. My point you don’t have to be limited by a building. We still use multiple locations. It’s not easy but is what we have to work with.
In the summer we do a lot outdoors BBQ’s (it is amazing who will show up for an hotdog and hamburger and some friendship), outreach and midweek Bible Study/prayer meetings.
Unfortunately, people do like an identity with a building. So that in itself is a negative; curb appeal is a big help in church planting but not always possible.
Lastly I will say that a large number of Baptist churches in [our state in the USA] used an SDA building in the beginning. Some had good experience some not. I know of one where some of the SDA members started attending the Baptist church and realized the error that they were being taught hence they lost their welcome. That’s not a bad thing; I try to always have a plan B. I think that if something like that happens God will provide for the next step.
On a personal note we are praising the Lord here. We have almost finished paying off the parsonage and property we have, so we are getting close to having our own building as the Lord provides.
Where Should A New Church Plant Meet? Reply #4
Just prayed that God would guide and direct you in this matter.
I think each option you listed can have its pros and cons depending on the community and culture of the people you are trying to reach.
A store front can be more visible, but it can often give the vibes of rinky-dink. It could also be a bit more pricey.
A church building that is used by another group can give off the feeling of being “churchy,” but it can put off some people that don’t want to go in a church building. I know of a church planter in [a place] that is using a 7th Day Adventist building. You could ask his opinion on how it is working … However, at the end of the day a building is just a building.
A home can be a good place to hold a Bible study, but I think in today’s culture it could put a great many people off. Have you considered something more neutral such as a community center, school function room, or something similar?
Some practical things to consider when seeking a place to rent:
– location, location, location: easy access, parking, will some people be put off by the surrounding area?
– facilities in the building: kitchen, disabled access, parking
– how long will you be able to meet in that location
When I was looking for a place to rent, I prayed about it and then just started calling different facilities to see where the open door might be. We had a fairly easy decision, because our current location was the only available place to rent.
When I sought the Lord about where to plant a church, I also considered the need of the area. Was there a gospel preaching church in the community? If so, were they active in evangelism and discipleship?
Various thoughts: within the bounds of Scripture, Paul and Barnabas were sent out from an assembly where they were faithfully ministering. Acts 12. Paul adapted how he lived and ministered for the sake of the Gospel, 1 Cor 9:19-23. Paul immediately obeyed the Lord’s leading, Acts 16:10.
I trust God will make the way clear and plain for you.
Where Should A New Church Plant Meet? Reply #5
Good morning … I have done all 3 of these.
You have some considerations…
- if you are looking to save money…the home is best.
- If you are looking at most appealing for people to walk into off the street … another church building
- If you are looking to start from scratch … I prefer Jesus’ model.
Win people one by one … meet in the house of the key man … man of peace. This will be the person who is the common connection between the ones you are working with and the home will be no problem because they all know this man.
Then keep reaching key men and meeting in different homes with those in that connection group.
Finally combine the groups once you have people saved and committed to following Christ. Now you look for a meeting place.
By far I prefer Jesus’ method … although I realize this is not the American way.
Hope it makes some sense.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Church Planting Methodology: Questions About The Answers
I appreciate the Baptist brethren in Christ who took the time to share these answers with me. In relation to their responses, the following questions come up.
Are there issues about associations in relation to meeting in a place that pertains to a false religion? It is true that Solomon’s porch, synagogues, and the school of Tyrannus (mentioned in response #1) were not places associated with Christianity, but none of them were the Temple of Diana, either. Solomon’s porch and the synagogues were associated with the God of Israel, while the school of Tyrannus was not associated with a specific false religion. It looks like response #2 shares those concerns, in contrast to response #3, which is willing to meet in the building owned by a cult, the Seventh-Day Adventist “Church.”
Is there a difference between utilizing the meeting place of a cult (Seventh-Day Adventism, Mormonism, Oneness Pentecostalism) and the meeting place where there are disobedient brethren (non-separatist evangelicals)? How much difference does it make if the people in the false religion, or the disobedient brethren, are around (Sunday meeting) or not (Sabbath worshippers)? Does Paul preaching in synagogues after Christ had already established His church and turned away from Israel as His institution help answer this question?
How does the question of “curb appeal” factor in? Scripture does not teach that one has to have a building at all, but does meeting in a building rather than a home relate to loving one’s neighbor as oneself? How much of a factor is it that more people will be willing to visit in a church building than in a home? Is that even true? (Response #4 suggests it is not necessarily the case). How much of a factor is being “rinky-dink” (as response #4 brings up)?
Response #3 referred to the practices of a number of Baptist churches in that brother’s state. What lessons can be learned from Baptist history on this question? Response #3 also seemed to lean more towards a “go and invite to church” versus “Go ye into all the world and preach” (Mark 16:15) philosophy. How does the question of whether the assembly is a place geared to evangelize the lost, versus a place to edify and equip the saints so they can go into the world and preach to the lost (Ephesians 4:12), impact the question of a meeting place? How is the question of a meeting place affected if a church is seeking to grow by making disciples who can knock on doors and evangelize themselves, versus a church having an emphasis on inviting many children into the building by giving them candy and toys, and inviting targeted groups of adults into the building with various special events and give-aways?
The point in response #4 about building facilities, such as parking, a kitchen, and disabled access are important. I have no idea what laws and regulations relate to a church meeting in someone’s home. Does the home need to be ADA compliant and have wheelchair access (for example)? Does it need to have a certain number of fire extinguishers?
Response #4 also brought up the question of the surrounding area. How do factors such as the crime rate, or racial demographics, impact a meeting place’s location?
How much of a factor is how long one plans to meet, in God’s sovereign timing, at a particular place?
Response #5 was the most different, and, it seems, was advocating something where the method had the most significance. While responses #1-4 expressed a variety of levels of agreement and disagreement, in general the idea was that the location was not all that important (with the exception of some responses arguing that one should not meet in the building of a false religion). However, response #5 is arguing that a specific model is found in the ministry of the Lord Jesus. Who would want to do something other than what Christ did?
In relation to response #5, reference was made to Luke 10:6-7:
And if the son of peace be there, your peace shall rest upon it: if not, it shall turn to you again. And in the same house remain, eating and drinking such things as they give: for the labourer is worthy of his hire. Go not from house to house.
Does this verse prove that we should be looking for a key man in whose house a church plant should meet? The passage refers to Christ sending out 70 disciples to evangelize Israel. Were churches established in these places, and, if not, how does that affect the application of this passage? Are there dispensational factors here we need to consider? Does the pattern change from the Gospels into Acts and the Epistles? Do we see the evangelists in Acts looking for a “son of peace” in this way? In light of the broad use of the Biblical “son of” language, how much should we conclude from the “son of peace” language? Is there a difference between simply preaching to “every creature” (Mark 16:15) and focusing on reaching key men? Are they inclusive of each other or exclusive, and to what degree the one or the other? In a big city can we be seeking to reach “every creature,” yet meeting in a home not be an issue, because everyone coming to church knows the “son of peace”?
Church Planting Methodology: What Do You Think?
What do you think? How should church planting ministry be undertaken?
–TDR
Hello brother Ross,
I appreciate the post with its question and insight into other men’s thoughts. I’d like to share some thoughts I’ve had some of which are from my own study and some by the teaching and influence of other pastors I’ve spoken with about this subject. I’ve read through the book of Acts as well as the epistles with the intention of finding the answer to the question you posed. In a sense, I see two questions, one about church-planting philosophy and one about a meeting place.
It seems to me that the method employed in Acts was very similar to that of the 70 sent out by Christ. A man (Phillip) or a team of two or more men would go into a city and preach the gospel in a conspicuous place where they might find some who were searching for the truth (I say that because Paul would go to the synagogues, but seemingly he would look to find a place where he might garner an audience rather than just standing on a street corner. It seems that there was an intent to find an effective way to preach the message to as broad an audience as possible without compromising the message. Then as God used the message and men believed, they were baptized and formed into a church. It seems that many people go about this backwards where they say “We are planting a church in this city” before they know if there are believers in that city.
As far as a meeting place, first I’d say that I oppose the ideology that many Baptists have (even if they may not say it in so many words) that the bigger the building the more successful and appealing the church is. It may be appealing, but not for the reason that a church ought to be appealing. I believe too many take a sentimental approach to buildings with steeples and crosses and call them “churches” which damages the Biblical understanding of what the church is. I go out of my way to call the building our church meets in the “church building” or “church meeting house.” A friend of mine plans to call the building they’ve recently built THE MEETING-PLACE of Bible Believers Historic Baptist Church so that people know they know what the church is. I’d say there are no Biblical requirements on where a church meets as long as the meetinghouse is not a stumbling block to someone in the church.
To response 5, I find his thoughts interesting as it does seem to be a common practice not just by Christ’s disciples, but also the apostle Paul in Acts. If nothing else, it seems that more carefulness in methodology should be employed by those who desire to do things in a Biblical way rather than following the church planting manuals they give out in college.
Lastly, I would encourage every church plant to consider something that is strongly encouraged by the CLA, which is becoming a non-profit 501c3 corporation. Doing so unnecessarily and voluntarily puts a church under the states laws. I believe in obeying the laws of the state in accordance with the words of Christ when they do not cause disobedience to God. However, incorporating a church is not required by law and if it were required would be breaking the 1st amendment. No one has to take my word for this, I’m just encouraging churches to study out what the laws of incorporation are and ask if doing so is the will of God.
I’m open for critique on any of the thoughts here because I still don’t feel that I have come to the place where I’m fully certain of God’s mind on this topic, however, it does seem that many men just do what they learned in college without considering what the Bible teaches (ex. “Look how many people you can preach to if you give them free hot dogs”).
Someone sent me a message stating that the ADA does not apply to churches, synagogues, etc. He said that under President Clinton when the bill was passed the Republicans would not go along without an exception for churches, so there will be no ADA issues, no matter where a church meets.
I am not a lawyer and have not verified that this person is correct, but that is definitely a useful comment that I wanted to share, with thanks to the person who sent it.
Years ago, before we started our church in Scotland, I asked an experienced missionary in England for some advice, on church name, renting a school or a community centre, etc.
He gave me his advice, and then he said, “But Jon, remember this. You can make all the right decisions and do everything right, and if you don’t have God’s blessing, you don’t have God’s blessing. And if you make some decisions that turn out to not be the wisest, but you have God’s blessing, you’ll have God’s blessing. And the thing that will most determine whether you have God’s blessing is who you really are, and whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and whether you love your neighbour. If you do those things, you’ll have His blessing, and a lot of these questions don’t matter anything compared to that.”
I have never forgotten that. God gave us a brain and He wants us to use it on questions like this, but this is not the question that will remotely determine the success of the endeavour. Who are you in God’s eyes? That is the real question. God can build a church in a ghetto or a mansion or a storefront or a school or an open field or out on a rainy Scottish hillside during the time of the Reformation.
I would struggle with renting a building from the SDA’s if I thought there was any possibility that the money I was paying them was going to help them stay open or send out more people to spread error. I am not saying I would never rent from them but that consideration would weigh heavily on me.
We are currently using a school. Meeting in a basement ceased to be viable when we hit 120 in attendance, even though it was a big basement. The school is working well for us. Our people are giving generously, we currently need to pay no salaries, and I do hope we can find our way into a dedicated building for the purpose in a relatively short time.
Dear Bro Gleason,
Excellent points, thank you for that. This is very good:
“But Jon, remember this. You can make all the right decisions and do everything right, and if you don’t have God’s blessing, you don’t have God’s blessing. And if you make some decisions that turn out to not be the wisest, but you have God’s blessing, you’ll have God’s blessing. And the thing that will most determine whether you have God’s blessing is who you really are, and whether you love the Lord your God with all your heart, and whether you love your neighbour. If you do those things, you’ll have His blessing, and a lot of these questions don’t matter anything compared to that.”
Dear David,
Would you tie your argument into the “son of peace” argument made by person #5 above? Whether one is just going to everyone or is looking for a “son of peace” instead, it would seem like only those who are seeking will listen.
Certainly the building is not the church–the people are. The question is whether, for reasons good or bad, people are more likely to come visit in a church building versus some other setting, so we can be all things to all men.
I don’t view being 501c3 or not as a separating issue either way. I am for giving the government as little money as possible, so if a church of hundreds of people can deduct hundreds of thousands of dollars in giving from their taxes and have more to serve the Lord with, support world evangelism, buy Bibles, etc. instead of giving it to the government in taxes because they are not 501c3 so the government can use it to support trans-surguries and abortion, I am all for it.
Brother Ross, thank you for writing, you’ve given me much to think about. A solicitation and collection of unaffiliated/independent Baptist experiences is an excellent idea, and maybe could be expanded to other topics.
I am aware of some Church plants that meet in public/community buildings. One in particular was meeting in a public-school gym. Public schools are potentially a good venue because they cannot lawfully turn Churches away if their spaces are available outside of normal school hours. They’re more neutral in the mind, representing more the State than any one religious or cult group, making them more appealing for prospective members, and they’re normally well equipped with facilities like bathrooms, large parking lots, and are usually conveniently located in any given town.
Thanks, Adelphos Mabee! Good point.