What is a church plant?

Many people look at me quizzically when I use phrases like church planting and church planting movements. Let me try and clear up some of the confusion. My goal in ministry is to start new churches. This has nothing to do with building a physical building. The churches I will be planting are gatherings of Christians in homes and open spaces in order to study the Bible and worship God.

I have added a video to help give you an idea of what I will be working towards. This is a church in a Bangkok slum that was planted by another ministry organization. Take a look:

These outdoor and house churches are excellent for many reasons. They can be started with little to no money. This means that they can spread much more quickly. Also, the atmosphere of these gatherings really mirrors the close fellowship of early Christian gatherings.

Initially, the missionaries do most of the evangelizing, discipleship, and teaching. However, the goal is to get the new believers involved in these activities as quickly as possible. No matter how long I am there, they will always know the language and culture better than me. When the nationals get active in evangelism then that is when things can really takeoff. If everyone shares the gospel with their friends and family then you get exponential church growth.

So when you think of church planting, I hope that the first thing you think of is not a building. Rather, think about the simple and vibrant gathering of believers to worship the one who saved them.