GRANDVILLE – In the Send Network, our mission is that we are “a family of churches planting churches everywhere for everyone.” Our vision is to” join in God’s activity to see His Kingdom expand in Michigan by at least 1% over the next decade. If we are going to reach 1% of the lost with the Gospel over the next 10 years, then it must include the mobilization of existing churches that are participating in the multiplication of new churches! Or very simply, it involves “churches planting churches.”
Acts 9:31 says, “So the church throughout [the whole region] had peace and was being built up. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, it multiplied.”
Very clearly, we see in Acts 9, that the church is being built up, or mobilized, and the church is being multiplied!
I’m excited to share with you that we are seeing Acts 9 mobilization and multiplication happening in Michigan today! Currently, we have 109 BSCM churches that are intentionally engaging in some way in church planting! 109! This is almost 40% of our BSCM churches.
But maybe you’re wondering, “how can my church be mobilized to participate in planting?”
In the Send Network we have developed a “Church Mobilization Pathway”. This is a pathway to help churches discover what role they can play in the starting of new churches!
On our Mobilization Pathway, there are 5 kinds of churches, and no matter your church's size or age, every church is necessary, and everyone is needed!
First, we have Cooperating Churches that are praying for planters and investing financially in SBC offerings.
Second, we have Supporting Churches that are intentionally partnering with a specific church plant.
Next, we have Sending Churches that are taking responsibility for a church plant by coaching, commissioning, and caring for a planter.
We also have Multiplying Churches that are discovering, developing, and deploying church planters and church planting team members.
And last, we have Movement Churches that are looking to radically multiply and catalyze other churches in planting.
I’m excited to celebrate that this mobilization of churches is leading to great multiplication and momentum in church planting in our state. In previous years we averaged the addition of 9.3 churches a year. But last year we saw 15 churches added (mostly through planting and others affiliating) and we are on track to see another 15 churches added in 2024! This is up nearly 67% from previous years!
Again, if we are going to reach 1% of the lost with the Good News of Jesus, then it is going to take the mobilization of ALL Michigan churches planting churches everywhere for everyone so that we can let every person know that “Jesus changes everything”!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Matt Thompson is the Lead Church Planting Catalyst with Send Network and one of the founding pastors at Redemption Church in Grandville, Michigan. Matt has been married to his wife Bethany for 17 years and they have three boys: Caden, Brennen and Aaron.