Why plant new churches?

From the Desiring God Blog:

Why plant new churches in America? You may be surprised by the statistics.

1. There are about 200 million non-churched people in America, making America one of the four largest "unchurched" nations in the world.
2. Each year about 3,500 churches close their doors permanently.
3. Today, of the approximately 350,000 churches in America, four out of five are either plateaued or declining.
4. One American denomination recently found that 80% of its converts came to Christ in churches less than two years old.

Each church has her weaknesses—and strengths. In planting new churches, we pray not for replications of already existing churches with all their weaknesses, but more and more of incarnations of biblical vision and gospel theology without the same limitations and imperfections. What the world needs is not the multiplication of our imperfections and limitations but new sets of imperfections and limitations. Multiplying churches with different strengths and weaknesses means coming closer to meeting the crying needs of the world.

Mark this well: Jesus does not promise that he will build his school, or that he will build his co-op, or build his medical clinic, or build his university, or build his social service agency—as good as those are. He promises with absolute authority: "I will build my church."


Some of my church planting friends:

Tony Rambo - The River Community Church in Stillwater, MN
Michael Behm - Real Life Church in Waseca, MN
Brad Kindall - Gallery Covenant Church in the Grand Ave./Selby area of St. Paul
David Sorn - Renovation Church in Blaine, MN
Daniel Gutierrez - Bloom Church in St. Paul, MN
David Tilma - A New Church in Madison, WI (to be named at some future point)