Best Practices of a Sending Church
Multiply encourages every church plant to secure an official sending church.
Jesus said to his Father, “As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world” (John 17:18).
Jesus told the disciples, “As the Father has sent me, I am sending you” (John 20:21).
Sending disciples to the unreached may not be a common activity among churches today. However, all throughout the Bible, this initiative-taking activity of sending servants to preach the Gospel is a common theme. God sent Adam and Eve out of the Garden after they sinned and he has been sending messengers ever since to rescue his people!
- God sent Joseph to Pharaoh’s house to save his family (Gen. 45:5-8).
- God sent David on a mission (1 Sam. 15:17).
- God sent Isaiah to the brokenhearted, the captives, and those who mourn (Isa. 61:1-3).
- God sent Jeremiah to stubborn Israel (Jer. 19:17; 26:12, 15).
- Jesus sent out the twelve disciples (Matt. 10:5).
- Jesus told us to ask the Lord of the harvest to send workers into his field (Luke 10:2).
Paul exhorted the church in Rome, “And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’” (Rom. 10:15).
God sends church planters through the power of the Spirit and by the local church (Acts 13:1-3).
A sending church serves as the lead partner with a church plant. They serve in an encouraging and equipping role with a new church plant until it is self-funding, self-governing, and self-propagating. Twelve important practices will guide you in your effectiveness as a sending church.
Twelve Best Practices of a Sending Church
- Pray regularly in church services and staff meetings. Sending churches should lead out in the great work of praying for the church plant, the planter, and the planting team.
- Financially support the church plant as your primary local or national mission.
- Send the planter out with an official celebratory commissioning service. Provide prayer cards and direct the congregation on how to support their missionary.
- Serve on the Multiply Task Force to help guide the planter and to serve as the liaison between the church plant and the sending church.
- Make a long-term commitment until the plant is self-funding and self-governing (3-5 years).
- Share your pulpit with them to preach in your services and present the work.
- Bless the planter and spouse in generous ways that will nurture their marriage or family life.
- Invite the planter to strategic staff meetings, events, training opportunities, and retreats.
- Send teams from your church to assist the planter’s needs. This may include sending a few families to serve as loaned church members for the first twelve months.
- Enlist other financial partners for the church plant. Church planting is costly. It takes a coalition of churches to plant a new church. The sending church takes the lead role in helping the planter develop a team of supporting churches to join in this great work through prayer, participation, and specifically, financial support.
- Encourage indigenous expressions of the church. Support them as they do things differently than your church. It takes different approaches to reach different people.
- Communicate with the Task Force, Multiply, and the church planter’s coach in various ways that the planter may best be served.