Vision is a God-given picture of the future. It is a
mental image of what God can accomplish through you.
Vision is essential to ministry because it provides a
clear sense of direction that can focus and unify people.
A. Vision is about a call. A new church pastor
must have a call to church starting. Since church
starting can be the most challenging and most
difficult ministry, a pastor must have
confidence that this is God’s will for him and his family.
Ø Briefly describe your calling to church starting.
B. Vision is about a commitment. A new church
pastor must have a commitment that is long-term.
Church starting is a difficult, but rewarding, endeavor that must
be entered into with determination to persevere.
A clear picture of the end result can sustain the pastor’s
commitment to the new church.
Ø Write your vision statement.
C. Vision is about a conviction. A new church
pastor must have a strong conviction about the core
values of the church. These values determine
what is important for the church and will guide
it in its decision-making.
Ø List your core values.
D. Vision is about a clarity. A new church pastor
must have a clear plan for the development of the new church.
He should have a specific, chronological, goal-oriented
plan of action.
Ø State your plan of action and your goals.
Target a Need
A new church pastor must be able to select, study,
identify, and understand a community or a target group
within a community. This information should provide
clear evidence that a new church is needed.
A. Survey the community. A demographic study is a
vital aspect for determining the need for a new congregation.
Such a study will help the new church pastor understand
factors such as population size, income levels,
family structures, etc.
Ø Obtain a demographic study of your chosen area.
B. Study the potential. Since demographic data
does not include religious information, the new church pastor must
do personal research to determine the number of churches
in the study area and the effectiveness of
those churches in reaching all people groups in the area.
This information should support the
need for a new church.
Ø List the churches in the area and describe the people they are reaching.
Ø Describe the people group you would target for a new church.
C. Secure support. A new church pastor should
have support for his endeavor; he should not go at it
alone. He must discover sponsors who can provide resources such as:
training, finances, coaching/mentoring, etc.
Ø List your sponsor church(es)
Ø Enroll in training events
Ø Choose a mentor
Ø Determine a budget
Assemble a Core Group
The core group is the nucleus of the new church.
This group will influence the present and future make-
up of the new congregation. Great attention must
be given to the selection of the launch team and the selection and development
of the core group.
A. Enlist a core group. The first major people-
oriented task of the new church pastor is to enlist the core group.
This group can be enlisted from the
sponsor church, other churches in the area, or from
the target group itself.
Ø How will you enlist your core group
B. Enlarge the core group. Initial growth of the
core group is very important to the morale of the
group. The new church pastor must have an effective
outreach and cultivative plan.
Ø What is your outreach plan?
C. Equip the core group. The core group should be
equipped and empowered to do ministry. Ministry training
will prepare the group for the ministries needed
at the launch of the first public worship service.
Ø What ministry teams will you need?
Ø How do you plan to train them?
Ready for the Launch
The first public worship service should exude
excellence. Meticulous preparation should be done
to ensure that it is a great worship experience
for all.
A. Pre-public strategy. Many new church pastors
conduct “preview” services. These services begin
to enable the core group to function as a church.
They also provide an opportunity for the group
to practice and refine their ministries in preparation for the
first “public” worship service.
Ø Do you plan to conduct any “preview” services? How often and for how long?
B. Prepare for the first public worship service.
Preparing for this service can be a daunting task.
The new church pastor must attend to details such as
finding a meeting place, securing equipment, providing signage
, and developing an advertising/marketing plan.
Ø Have you secured a meeting place?
Ø Do you have the necessary equipment?
Ø How do you plan to advertise the event?
C. Provide for continued growth. The new church
will not grow unless there
is a plan in place to help it do so. This plan
should include leader discovery and development,
outreach, assimilation, and small group multiplication.
Ø How do you plan to discover and develop leaders?
Ø What is your outreach plan?
Ø How will you assimilate new members?
Ø How will you do small group ministry?
Train for Reproduction
Every new church must, from the beginning, include a
plan for the church to reproduce itself.
A. See the harvest. The new church pastor may be
so focused on his start that he may not see the whole harvest.
He must continue, through relationships, to be exposed to
the wider picture of all peoples needing the gospel.
Ø Is a reproducing church part of your vision for your church?
B. Share the vision. As the new church grows and
as new people are assimilated, the pastor must continually remind the congregation
of their vision to be a reproducing church.
Ø How do you plan to keep your vision before your people?
C. Secure permission. The pastor should secure
permission from the leaders and the congregation
that would allow him to pursue opportunities for
new church starts.
Ø Who will you need to secure permission from? How will you accomplish that?
D. Seek prospective starters. The pastor should
continually seek to discover prospective church starters.
These can come from his congregation, his peers,
or colleges and seminaries.
Ø Do you have a current list of potential church starters?
E. Select parenting model(s). The new church
pastor should, in advance, select the parenting
model he is most comfortable with. This model
can change at the actual start of a new church.
Ø What parenting model would you most likely use?
F. Start the new church(es). The vision can
become a reality as the daughter congregation
becomes a mother church.
Ø How will you determine the “right” time to launch a new congregation?
The S. T. A. R. T.
Seek a Vision
I have a call from God to start a new church. I have spent much time in prayer and contemplation and I have gone through an assessment process. _________________________(date)
I have a commitment to the task. I have developed a clear and concise vision statement. __________________
I have a conviction about methodology. I have listed my core values.____________________
I have a clear vision. I have a specific goals and action plans. ______________
Target A Need
I have surveyed the community. I have completed a demographic study. ________________
I have studied the potential. I have identified my target group. ______________
I have secured support. I have enlisted my partners. ______________
Assemble a Core Group
I have enlisted the core group. ___________________
I have developed an outreach plan to enlarge the core group. __________
I have a plan to equip new leaders. _________________
Ready for the Launch
I have a pre-public strategy. _________________
I have a plan for the first public worship service. __________________
I have a plan to provide continued growth. _________________
Train for Reproduction
I will see the harvest as God sees it. ___________________
I will share the vision with my people. ___________________
I will secure their permission to become a church starting church. ___________
I will continually seek prospective starters. _____________________
I will select the appropriate parenting model. _____________________
I will start ____________________churches per year. ____________________
