Church Planting Movements:
Advancing the Gospel to the Ends of the Earth
Overview
Acts and the New Testament show how the resurrected and reigning Jesus advanced the Great Commission through a simple, unified pattern: disciples were made, leaders were formed, and churches were started, strengthened, and multiplied (Matt. 28:18–20; Acts 1:8). What began in Jerusalem soon spread across cities and regions within a single generation. This movement did not originate from human innovation or strategic brilliance. It came from Jesus continuing his mission—through the Word he entrusted to his apostles, the Spirit he poured out on his people, and the ordinary believers who carried the gospel into their households, neighborhoods, and networks.
That same apostolic pattern continues today. Jesus still leads his people to enter new places with the gospel, establish churches where none exist, strengthen existing congregations with sound doctrine and encouragement, and raise up leaders who multiply disciples and churches. What some call “Church Planting Movements” simply describes this ongoing work of God—the way of Jesus and his apostles expressed in modern settings. When believers recover this pattern, disciples make disciples, leaders develop leaders, and churches start and strengthen churches “until the earth is filled with the knowledge of the Lord” (Hab. 2:14).
In our network, this means aligning our lives and ministries with the same pattern Jesus gave the apostles—
• the Word, prayer, and fasting at the center,
• clear commitments, goals, and practices drawn from the apostolic witness, and
• a simple, reproducible pathway that ordinary believers can follow and pass on in any context.
We are not trying to manufacture a movement. We are seeking to walk again in the way Jesus established, trusting the Spirit to produce the fruit: maturing disciples, multiplying leaders, and churches spreading from home to home, city to city, and region to region.
Defining Church Planting and Church Planting Movements
What is Church Planting?
Church planting is the Spirit-led work of proclaiming the gospel, making disciples, and forming them into a new congregation under the lordship of Jesus Christ. It begins with evangelizing the lost and continues as those who repent and believe are baptized and gathered into a local body of believers. These believers devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching, to fellowship, to the breaking of bread, and to prayer, and they grow in worship, holiness, and mission (Acts 2:42–47).
This pattern marked the ministry of the apostles. Paul and his co-laborers preached the gospel, gathered new believers into churches, appointed and equipped leaders, strengthened the disciples through teaching and encouragement, and entrusted the church to faithful leadership as they moved on to unreached places (Acts 14:21–23; Titus 1:5). Church planting is not merely starting a service, ministry program, or weekly event. It is the establishing and nurturing of a biblically ordered community of disciples who grow in the Word, love one another, and join Jesus in making disciples of all nations.
What is a Church Planting Movement (CPM)?
A Church Planting Movement is the multiplication of that same pattern—churches planting churches within and beyond their cultural context through the power of the Holy Spirit. In a CPM, disciples make disciples, leaders develop leaders, and churches reproduce churches through multiple generations of growth. Missiologists often describe a CPM as reaching at least the fourth generation of new churches—where one church plants another, which plants another, and so on—showing a Spirit-empowered pattern of multiplication.
A CPM is not mechanical expansion but the overflow of obedience to Jesus’ command to make disciples of all nations (Matt. 28:19–20). The gospel advances not primarily through full-time ministers but through believers equipped to evangelize, disciple, and serve in their homes, workplaces, and communities. When churches equip ordinary disciples to obey Jesus and pass on what they have received, multiplication becomes normal and sustainable.
Case Study: Antioch—A Model for Multiplying Churches (Acts 11–15)
The church at Antioch provides a clear biblical model of a sustained, multiplying movement. Its story shows how the gospel advances through ordinary believers, faithful teaching, and Spirit-led leadership. What began with scattered disciples became a hub for gospel mission and a living example of the apostolic pattern: entering new places, making disciples, forming churches, developing leaders, and sending workers. Antioch shows that the mission advances not through a few gifted leaders alone but through a community shaped by the Word and led by the Spirit.
Antioch Was Planted by Scattered Believers
After persecution arose in Jerusalem, believers were scattered to Phoenicia, Cyprus, and Antioch (Acts 11:19). What appeared to be a setback became the means of expansion. These unnamed disciples proclaimed the Lord Jesus wherever they went. In Antioch, they preached to Jews and also to Greeks, showing that the gospel was for all peoples. The Lord’s hand was with them, and many believed (Acts 11:20–21).
Antioch began through ordinary disciples sharing Christ in ordinary conversations. The movement did not start with a formal team or structured plan, but with believers who obeyed Jesus and trusted the Spirit. Church Planting Movements do not require impressive leaders or institutions. God often uses everyday Christians who faithfully speak of Christ in their relationships and communities.
Antioch Was Strengthened by Teaching and Encouragement
When the church in Jerusalem heard of the growing number of believers in Antioch, they sent Barnabas to encourage them (Acts 11:22). He saw the grace of God, rejoiced, and urged the believers to remain faithful to the Lord with steadfast hearts (Acts 11:23–24). His ministry built up the church through affirmation, exhortation, and encouragement.
Barnabas recognized that the church needed teaching, so he brought Saul (Paul) from Tarsus to help instruct the believers (Acts 11:25–26). They taught the church for a full year, grounding them in the Word. Here, the disciples were first called Christians because their lives were clearly identified with Christ. Growth in number was matched with growth in doctrine and character. Healthy multiplication requires teaching that forms mature disciples.
Antioch Valued Diverse Leadership and Spiritual Maturity
The church in Antioch reflected the diverse nature of the gospel. Leaders came from different regions, backgrounds, and social positions—Barnabas from Cyprus, Simeon called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen raised with Herod, and Saul the former Pharisee (Acts 13:1). This diversity displayed the reconciling work of Christ in forming one body from many peoples (Eph. 2:14–18). Leadership at Antioch was shared, prayerful, and shaped by worship and fasting.
As they worshiped and ministered to the Lord, the Holy Spirit said, “Set apart for me Barnabas and Saul for the work to which I have called them” (Acts 13:2). The church fasted, prayed, laid hands on them, and sent them out (Acts 13:3). This communal discernment reflects how leadership and direction develop in healthy movements: through prayer, unity, and obedience to the Spirit.
Antioch Became a Sending Church
Antioch grew into a sending base for mission. After Barnabas and Paul completed their first ministry journey, they returned to Antioch and reported all that God had done and how he had opened a door of faith to the Gentiles (Acts 14:27). The church rejoiced and continued to send workers. Antioch combined deep roots locally with a willingness to release leaders for global mission. Mature churches do not cling to their best people; they send them.
Antioch Remained Connected to the Wider Church
Although Antioch played a central role in mission, it remained connected to the broader church. When a theological dispute arose concerning Gentile believers, the Antioch church sent representatives to Jerusalem for guidance (Acts 15:1–2). The Jerusalem council affirmed salvation by grace through faith and strengthened unity across the growing movement (Acts 15:6–11). Antioch modeled humility, accountability, and partnership. Multiplying churches must remain doctrinally aligned and relationally connected so that unity is preserved as growth continues.
Following the Antioch Pattern Today
The Antioch church offers more than a historical example—it provides a pattern for how churches today can participate in the mission of making disciples and multiplying churches. The same elements that marked Antioch—ordinary believers sharing Christ, churches strengthened through sound teaching and encouragement, prayerful and diverse leadership, intentional sending, and healthy connection to other churches—remain the biblical means through which the gospel advances. Local churches today are called to embrace this pattern by equipping believers for everyday witness, grounding disciples in the Word, developing leaders through shared ministry, sending workers into new contexts, and maintaining humble partnership with the wider body of Christ. When churches imitate these practices, they join the same mission God advanced through Antioch and continue Christ’s work to the ends of the earth.
The Development and Decline of Church Planting Movements
Church Planting Movements often follow a recognizable pattern over time. Growth does not remain constant; it rises, plateaus, declines, and can rise again through renewal. Understanding this pattern helps leaders respond with faith and wisdom.
The Nature of Movements
Movements typically follow a life-cycle similar to an “S-curve.” The curve begins slowly, rises rapidly during fruitful expansion, levels as structure forms, and then declines if mission gives way to maintenance. Decline is not inevitable; renewal can begin a new curve of growth when leaders return to prayer, obedience, and the centrality of the gospel. The S-curve is not a formula to manage but a pattern to discern.
The Five Stages of a Movement
Initiation – The Spark of Obedience
Movements begin when believers respond to God in simple obedience. They pray, rely on the Spirit, and proclaim the gospel (Acts 1:14; 13:2–3). The focus is clear—share Christ, make disciples, gather people into obedience. Early work is marked by faith, sacrifice, and urgency, but also fragility. Leaders face spiritual opposition and the temptation to control outcomes. Renewal in this stage means protecting prayerfulness and humility. Leaders must guard dependence on the Spirit rather than on visible results.
Expansion – The Momentum of Multiplication
As the gospel takes root, new disciples, leaders, and churches multiply (Acts 9:31; 12:24). Growth is rapid and relational. Testimonies spread and strengthen faith. This stage brings joy and visible fruit, but also risks. Growth can outpace depth, systems can lag, and leaders can become driven by success rather than faithfulness. Renewal in this stage means slowing down enough to strengthen roots—prioritizing character, doctrine, and dependence over speed and activity.
Consolidation – The Plateau of Structure
Growth eventually stabilizes. Leaders develop healthy structure for care, doctrine, and oversight (Acts 20:28–31; Titus 1:5–9). Organization helps sustain fruit and protect the flock. Done well, structure strengthens mission; done poorly, it can shift focus from sending to maintaining. Renewal in this stage means ensuring structure remains a support for mission, not a substitute for it. Churches must guard a sending posture, keep the gospel central, and continue to pray for and pursue new work.
Institutionalization – The Drift Toward Decline
Decline occurs when preservation replaces mission. Churches maintain programs and traditions but lose spiritual vitality (Rev. 3:1–3). Leaders may defend past patterns rather than pursue fresh obedience. Meetings replace mission; comfort replaces courage. Renewal in this stage begins with humility and repentance. Leaders must name the drift, return to prayer and Scripture, and seek fresh obedience. Renewal is not about improvement—it is about returning to the heart of the mission.
Renewal – The Rebirth of Mission
God renews movements when his people humble themselves, repent, and obey again (Rev. 2:4–5). The Spirit restores joy, unity, and faith. Structures are pruned or repurposed. New leaders emerge. Fresh mission begins. Renewal brings life to churches, networks, and even entire movements. Renewal restarts the curve. A revived church can reawaken a network; a revived network can spark wider movement. Renewal is God’s work, but leaders must respond with faith, prayer, and obedience.
The Layers of the Church
The S-curve applies at multiple levels of church life. Each layer experiences the same five stages, though not always at the same time.
The Local Church is the ground level of mission. Here, people meet Christ, gather, and grow. Renewal in a single church can influence others.
A Network of Churches connects congregations that share vision and partnership for training, accountability, and sending. Unity in mission sustains multiplication.
A Network of Networks extends collaboration across regions or nations. Networks learn from one another, share resources, and encourage renewal at scale.
Movements honor both local autonomy and relational connection. Renewal at one level often influences the others.
Faithful Discipleship and Coaching: Strengthening Each Link in the Chain
Church Planting Movements rise or fall on the faithfulness of ordinary disciples. The mission advances through believers who follow Jesus with integrity and obedience in the everyday places of life. Discipleship is not separate from daily responsibilities—it is lived out in homes, workplaces, churches, and neighborhoods as believers hear and obey God’s Word in real situations. Each disciple forms a link in the chain of gospel faithfulness passed down from one generation to the next (2 Tim. 2:2). The strength of the whole movement depends on the faithfulness of each link. When one generation neglects discipleship, the chain weakens; when believers walk in the Word, the gospel is preserved and passed on.
Concentric Circles of Faithfulness
Biblical Devotion – reading the Word, praying, and pursuing holiness so that hearts remain aligned with God and shaped by his truth (Ps. 1:1–3).
Family Faithfulness – leading, teaching, and loving those in our households with humility and consistency so the gospel is seen and heard where life is most personal (Deut. 6:6–7).
Local Church Commitment – gathering regularly for teaching, prayer, the Lord’s Supper, and mutual encouragement, so that disciples grow together in obedience and perseverance (Acts 2:42–47; Heb. 10:24–25).
Witness and Neighbor Love – showing hospitality, serving others, and sharing the gospel with clarity and compassion so that Christ is made known where we live and relate (Matt. 22:39; 1 Pet. 3:15).
Workplace Integrity and Service – working with sincerity, excellence, and godliness so that Christ’s character is displayed in daily labor and public life (Col. 3:23–24).
When disciples live this way, they contribute to a culture where the gospel takes root, relationships strengthen, and multiplication becomes normal. Each believer plays a part in the mission of God, and faithfulness in ordinary life fuels the spread of the gospel to future generations.
Coaching and Prayer
Because the mission advances through local obedience, disciples and leaders must remain rooted, accountable, and dependent on the Spirit. Coaching and prayer provide this anchor. They help disciples grow in maturity, guard against drift, and stay aligned with Scripture as they follow Christ and make disciples.
Individual Coaching and Prayer offers personal guidance, encouragement, and correction. One-on-one investment helps disciples remain anchored in the Word, faithful in practice, and resilient in ministry. No one grows alone; mature believers help newer disciples take the next step with Christ.
Group Coaching and Prayer strengthens shared learning and unity among leaders. Praying and discerning together keeps the work God-centered rather than leader-driven. This shared dependence on the Spirit protects the ministry from pride, isolation, and mission drift.
When coaching and prayer are present at every level of church life, communities remain spiritually alive, relationally connected, and aligned with the gospel. These practices strengthen every link in the chain so the mission continues with clarity and faithfulness.Conclusion
Church Planting Movements reflect the New Testament pattern of making disciples, forming churches, raising leaders, and sending workers. The same Spirit who sent believers from Antioch continues to empower the church today. As disciples make disciples, leaders raise leaders, and churches plant churches, the gospel advances to the nations. This vision is not optional—it is obedience to Jesus, who promised to build his church (Matt. 16:18). Our task is to be faithful: to make disciples who make disciples, plant churches that plant churches, and bring glory to Christ.
Questions for Reflection and Action
Do you see your ministry as part of the Spirit-led mission that began in Acts 1:8? How should this conviction shape your prayers and priorities?
Does your church reflect the biblical pattern of a gathered, reproducing community centered on the Word, prayer, and mission (Acts 2:42–47; 14:21–23)? What is one next step toward this pattern?
Who discipled you, and whom are you discipling now (2 Tim. 2:2)? Are you strengthening your link by both receiving and giving?
Are you growing in doctrine, community, and obedience to Christ (Titus 1:9; Heb. 10:24–25)? Which rhythm—evangelism, discipleship, or leadership development—needs renewal?
How can your church imitate Antioch by being both rooted locally and sending globally (Acts 11:19–26; 13:1–3)? What would it look like to become a sending base?
Where do you discern your church or network on the movement curve—initiation, expansion, consolidation, institutionalization, or renewal? What steps of prayer and obedience are needed?
Where do you see signs of the enemy’s work—division, distortion, or discouragement (Acts 5:1–11; 20:29–30)? How will you resist through prayer, unity, and obedience (Eph. 6:10–20)?