Why start new churches?
Starting new churches (Church Planting) is all about multiplication. We multiply disciples, who multiply more disciples, who start churches that start more churches. Statistically, starting new churches is one of the most effective models for spreading the gospel. Year after year, new churches baptize more people than most established churches. This isn’t because established churches are ineffective, it’s just that new churches reach an entirely new demographic from their established church partners.
Where the passions of the pastors/planters overlap the passions of their congregation/launch team and the needs of the community is a sweet spot in which a church is uniquely equipped to reach unchurched people and help them find their way back to God. Additionally, no one church can reach more people than their resources can support. For example, within 10 miles of our location in Havelock are approximately 42,000 people who need to find their way back to God. If we reached just 1% of those people, we’d have to fill our auditorium three different times each week just to hold them all!
This is why we plant new churches.
our model
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No More Orphans
Organizations often sponsor a church plant without it having an actual sending church providing covering, prayer, resources and support. The result is church plants are often left as spiritual orphans. We believe every church plant should have multiple sending/mother churches.
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No More Middle Men
When a sending church becomes engaged with a specific church plant they quickly become passionate about church planting. Having a direct relationship with a church plant allows the sending church to directly engage in praying for, serving with, giving to and sending out people to join the launch team of the new church plant.
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No More Waiting
Many church plants never end up planting another church. We believe church plants should immediately become sending churches by joining a church planting coalition the first month after their grand opening!
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No More Mega Mentality
Many smaller to medium size churches think they don’t have the resources to plant a church. However, we believe church planting should not just rely on mega churches with mega budgets. Journey would have trouble planting another church alone, but we also know we’re better together. Coalitions of sending churches can be just as effective as large churches at planting new churches.
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No More Solo Planting
Church planting coalitions provide multiple sending churches for church plants. Sending churches don’t have the pressure of providing all the support. Church Plants gain multiple partners supporting them. Both sending churches and church plants gain the organizational and operational support of a church planting organization!
Interested in planting a church?
Our Family
While we don’t have a denominational home, we’re excited to work with any organization or denomination who is willing to further the mission of helping people find their way back to God. We have a special relationship with two organizations, without which Journey wouldn’t exist. We love these organizations and their leaders, and we think you should check them out!
We’ve planted two churches and are currently partnering with another planter to plant a third church in 2024. We’d love for you to take a look at the work they’re doing across the state of NC.
