Fifth Biblical Pillar for the Multiplication of Churches

The Wonderful Power of “Spontaneous Expansion” Within the Church Fifth, although to a degree implied in the other reasons, the church of Jesus Christ has within itself the wonderful power of what the renowned missiologist Roland Allen called “spontaneous expansion.” He perceptively saw that this expansion was not just the expansion of this or that congregation but was more than that. This then is what I mean by spontaneous expansion. I mean the expansion which follows the unexhorted and unorganized activity of individual members of the Church explaining to others the Gospel which they have found for themselves; I mean the expansion which follows the irresistible attraction of the Christian Church for men who see its ordered life, and are drawn to it by desire to discover the secret of a life which they instinctively desire to share; I mean also the expansion of the Church by the addition of new churches. (Roland Allen, Spontaneous Expansion of the Church

The Fourth Biblical Base for Church Planting

The Church Functioning According to God Will Manifest a “Yearning” Fourth, as Charles Van Engen explains, when the church functions as the “true church” it will manifest certain characteristics. One of these will be a profound desire to see others come into fellowship: The true church “Yearns” for the incorporation of those persons, groups, and cultures which will gather with it in fellowship around the one Head of the Body, and thus construct a true, loving, growing, serving demonstration of koinonia. This is true biblical motivation that causes new churches to come into being. This motivation is a supernatural, Spirit-given desire that incites to evangelism. Churches that have this “yearning” will never be content with one church in one area but they will reproduce themselves so that more and more regions are touched with the gospel and new churches are born. This is where daughter church planting finds its highest motivational level. The Wonderful Power of “Spontaneous Expansion” Within the Church Fifth, although to a degree implied in the other reasons, the church of Jesus Christ has within itself the wonderful power of what the renowned missiologist Roland Allen called “spontaneous expansion.” He perceptively saw that this expansion was not just the expansion of this or that congregation but was more than that. This then is what I mean by spontaneous expansion. I mean the expansion which follows the unexhorted and unorganized activity of individual members of the Church explaining to others the Gospel which they have found for themselves; I mean the expansion which follows the irresistible attraction of the Christian Church for men who see its ordered life, and are drawn to it by desire to discover the secret of a life which they instinctively desire to share; I mean also the expansion of the Church by the addition of new churches.

Third Pillar of a Biblical Base for Church Planting

The Church is an Organism -- A Body ( 1 Cor 12:12-31) Organisms give birth to other organisms by reproduction as life generates life. The church is born to reproduce by giving life. When filled with and guided by the Spirit, the church not only reproduced by multiplying believers but it reproduced by multiplying new churches. We should be concerned to see churches born that recognize from the moment of their birth that they are to produce other churches. This will lead to the multiplication of churches. Commenting on the power of the reproductive model as seen in the church of Antioch, Bill Hull states, “We see the power of the model of reproduction: If you multiply a reproductive church, it creates other reproductive churches. This will remain true until modeling breaks down.” The powerful movement of life coming from the church as an organism led to the expansion of the church everywhere in the Roman Empire. Norman A. Niklas explains: The first element in this equation represents the most important factor. Without the supernatural resources of our sovereign God, the planting and growing of churches would be impossible. By His power believers are born, disciples are made and churches reproduce. A French missiological book, quoting a German pastoral theology (Grundriss der Praktischen Theologie), stresses the same truth: The Church particularly insists on the fact that it is not in good health without this expansion beyond its present frontiers. These remarks signify that one should not count missions among the 'works' of the Church, to be mentioned after many others, but missions is an integral part of her organism.