How to Plant A Church from A Scratch

The Principles for Planting A Church from A Scratch

Learning how to plant a church from a scratch is a principle taught in the Scripture.

Act 16:6

Now when they had gone throughout Phrygia and the region of Galatia, and were forbidden of the Holy Ghost to preach the word in Asia,

Church planting work or missions is like starting a business which requires time, planning, and “resources”, just like it takes time, planning, and resources to start out in the business world.

Can you plant a church with no money? Yes, it is possible to start a church with no money at all. In fact, you do not need much money to start a church.

In the business world, you can be successful without God, but in the ministry, if you do not follow the plan of God, you will fail woefully.

How to plant a church from scratch brings the Lord’s blessing because many people will hear about Christ, souls saved, and disciples multiplied, and the name of Christ glorified.

You are planning to start a church? Maybe your church is planting to send you out to plant a new church. Remember the goal of church planting, to preach Christ, and him crucified, and to bring glory to him. 

Rom 1:15

So, as much as in me is, I am ready to preach the gospel to you that are at Rome also.

The result of preaching the Gospel is to have fruits that remain, church members that will stay in your new church plant.

If your primary goal is to gather members then you will get frustrated, and then quit the ministry.

Let me say this to you, church planting is getting harder these days because many new churches are not getting the unsaved people saved, but they are recycling the same old members of another church into their church.

You cannot learn how to plant a church from a scratch by snatching old members of others churches, using gimmicks, or not following the Bible.

Church planting means you are going to reach out to a particular place, preach the Gospel to them, and those that gladly received the word of God are saved, baptized, and become a member of a local church.

The reason why many new church planters are not following this way anymore is that it involves efforts which they are not ready to put on it.

If you want to succeed as a church planter, you need to incorporate these principles into your life, and it will help you go a long haul in your desire to see churches planted.

5 Principles on How to Plant A Church from A Scratch

1. Pray for God’s Leadership to WHERE and WHEN?

When planning to start a church from a scratch, it is important to pray, pray, and pray.

Acts 13:1-3

13:1	Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger, and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.
13:2	As they ministered to the Lord, and fasted, the Holy Ghost said, Separate me Barnabas and Saul for the work whereunto I have called them.
13:3	And when they had fasted and prayed, and laid their hands on them, they sent them away.

I am sure that you know that a church plants a church, and also that you must be recommended by the church to go plant that church.

And if you have been approved by the Lord, supported by your local church, you need to pray as in where you need to go.

Most times, our prayers are already answered, because the harvest is white already. And there are many places that are in need of a local new testament church.

Therefore, ask the Lord to lead you as to where to plant that church. And if you have a place that do not have a Bible-believing church, and the Lord put that place in your heart, then you have an answered prayer already.

And I believe the Lord had led to you where he wants you to go, then pray that the Lord would send the right people that you that will be serving the Lord with you.

2. Go Evangelism and Soul WInning

I believe that after prayers, the next thing you need to do is to go preach the Word. One of the secrets to church planting efforts in the life of early believers is their zeal for winning the Lost souls to Christ.

Act 5:42	And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ.
Act 10:42	And he commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead.

We can see this in the life of Stephen.

We can see this in the life of Phillp with Ethiopian Eunuch.

We can see this in the life of Peter and the 120 disciples at Jerusalem.

Soul winning must be the heart of every church planter, and if you are not ready to do this, then you are not ready for church planting mission work.

Whether you use different methods of soul winning, but I personally believe in one on one soul winning.

Many have used street preaching, school blitz, and advertisement, but the greatest method is to preach from door to door.

Many have used gimmicks to try to start church planting, but this method may have a quick result, but it will not work forever, and it does not yield lasting results.

When we started our church from a scratch, we go door-knocking every day, from Monday to Saturday, morning and evening time. It requires real work.

3. Start Bible Study first.

When we started our church, we started with Sunday service with the reason being that we have believers of like faith waiting for a good church. You can learn a lot in those few weeks of bible study.

But I will suggest that if you are starting a new in a new city, town, and village. You should start with Bible study.

You can choose any time of the week for your Bible study meeting, and then you can later change it to morning service after 6 weeks of Bible study.

And It should be in the evening time, which is also a good time for so many people. 

4. Choose A Place for Meeting

This is where most people get it all wrong, new church planters think they need fancy halls, equipments, gadgets, and other expensive things to make a church planting work.

You can meet in the school, house, shops, and also any other available outlets. There are churches that started under the trees, and they are thriving greatly today.

It is not the place that matters, but the presence of the Lord among its people. If you think that building will attract people to your church, it will not.

Let me say this, building sometimes attracts people, but it is 1% of what contributes to church growth, and not the determinant factor.

There are bigger church buildings without any church members there. And if you are not going to start anything until you have built, you will not do anything at all.

Just start something first, and the rest will fall into its proper places. 

5. Don’t Start A Church with Rebels from Other Churches.

Rebels are those to left church because of the troubles caused in their formal church. 

If they leave their church to come to your church, then they will leave your church to go to another church.

There are some people that left their churches because they have misunderstandings with the church leadership, and they come to your church, it is safe for a church to start with fresh people.

If they cause trouble in their former church, they will cause trouble in your church too. 
It is wise to take good heed to this instruction.

Another group of people you should never accept into your members are the breakaways.

If they break away from another church, it is possible that they will break away from your church.

LOOKING FOR A PERFECT CHURCH?

6. Don’t Be Closer to Your Sending Church.

What I mean by sending church is the church that is sending you to go and start a new church.

If you are starting a church in the same town as your local church, it is a best practice to be very far away from your sending church.

There will always be people that will love your leadership style, and then they want to start coming to your church. I think it is not a safe or good idea.

Regardless of the temptation to accept folks from your previous church into your members, don’t you dare to welcome them into your church with the Pastor’s approval. 

And if at all they are interested in coming to your church, you need to make sure that their pastor is aware of their coming to your church.

But I will encourage you not to accept members from your previous church without the authorization and the permission of your home church pastor.

Conclusion

Church planting is hard but rewarding. If you start a church today, and another continues the work, you will always be remembered.

How to plant a church from a scratch cannot work until you get int othe work and do it.

And that is why most church planters never get to enjoy the labor of their work here on earth, but great is your reward in Heaven.