Church-Planting Models

God grows new churches in different ways. Here are a few.

House church: A church started in someone’s home. They are also called organic churches or simple churches and can meet in many different places.

Daughter church plant: A church started by a partner church or two partner churches.

Large launch: A church started with a core group of more than 100 people and often several staff members.

Pioneer plant: A church started from scratch after a planter “parachutes” into a new mission field.

Lay-driven plant: A different version of a pioneer plant—one started by a strong lay leader. The church grows large enough to call its first pastor.

Multiethnic plant: A church with at least a 20-percent mixture of a second ethnic group.

Church in a Church: An ethnic church that uses the building facilities of an existing church.

Multi-site plant: A new site for an existing church—started with the express purpose of becoming an autonomous church.