Church planting and evangelism

In the USA and around the world today, church planting is a primary means of evangelizing. Noted author C. Peter Wagner has said, "Church planting is the single most effective method of evangelism under heaven." Certainly the establishment of new congregations was a major thrust of St. Paul and the other apostles in the New Testament period, a time of tremendous expansion of the Christian faith throughout the Mediterranean world. The missionary movement of more recent times has also sought to initiate mission points which could have the potential to develop into established churches. In contemporary society, there are many diverse cultures which call for a wide variety of approaches in congregational development to reach ever widening circles of unreached people.

New churches are especially geared to evangelistic activity, recognizing that their effectiveness is linked to their capacity to incorporate new disciples into their fellowship. They are often uninhibited by the traditions of the past, "the way we've always done things." They can be innovative, more responsive to contemporary issues and concerns. A beloved Person once remarked that it's counterproductive to attempt to put new wine into old wineskins.

Still, as a new congregation matures and "settles in," there is often a tendency to gradually replace the emphasis on outreach and evangelism with the need to "see after our own." There is no question that pastoral care and spiritual nurture of the congregation are essential. But it's important not to lose sight of the Great Commission in the process. Long-established churches, likewise, need to re-commit to the Commission, or else they become too inwardly focused. Resources of time, talent and treasure get concentrated on the gathered few rather than the hosts of those who have not yet known the blessing of a relationship with Christ.