mi

kinpelu
THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD
HOUSE FELLOWSHIP
Motto: Soul Winning and Discipleship

anmi A
ACCELERATED HOUSE
FELLOWSHIP LEADERSHIP PROGRAM k
Olasun

MODULE 2 / HFD 102

il.com

CHURCH
@gma

PLANTING
lumiola

Partnering with Christ in Church Planting and House Fellowship Development

akinpe

1
 mi
kinpelu
anmi A
THE REDEEMED CHRISTIAN CHURCH OF GOD
HOUSE FELLOWSHIP
Motto: Soul Winning and Discipleship

k
Olasun
ACCELERATED HOUSE
FELLOWSHIP LEADERSHIP PROGRAM
il.com

MODULE 2 / HFD 102

@gma

CHURCH PLANTING
lumiola

Partnering with Christ in Church Planting and House Fellowship Development

akinpe

2
 mi
OUTLINE

kinpelu
Pages

1. From the General Overseer

2. Introduction

anmi A
3. Objectives and Pre-Test

4. Course Content
a) The need for Church Planting
b) Why don’t we plant more Churches?
c) Reasons for Church Planting k
d) What Church Planting is not
Olasun
e) Scriptural Stand for Church Planting
f) The Cost of Church Planting
g) Basic Principles for Church Planting
h) Process of Church Planting
i) How to Plant Churches in different areas:

5. Summary
il.com

6. Post-Test

7. References
@gma
lumiola
akinpe

3
 mi
FROM THE GENERAL OVERSEER

kinpelu
C
ommitment to the Almighty is the highest priority for the Christian worker
and this cannot be taken lightly because of its eternal implications. We
should consecrate our service to the Lord and be fully committed to the task

anmi A
of Evangelism, Follow Up, Church Planting and House Fellowship development.

It is imperative for Christian workers / leaders to be aggressive in evangelism.

Extra spiritual efforts should also be placed on young believers to get them
established, localized in a church fellowship and mobilized until they too become
soul winners. k
Olasun
Moreover, every Christian worker / leader should note that it is not enough for the
believer in Christ to go forth and bear fruits in obedience to the Lord’s command
he / she should ensure that the fruits abide.

Each Lecture material on Accelerated House Fellowship Leadership Program has

been packaged with the aforementioned in mind. Our prayer is that at the end of
il.com

these teachings you would have become a firebrand Christian that is fully
committed to Church Growth, Church Planting and House Fellowship
Development.
@gma

God bless you richly,

Pastor E. A. Adeboye
General Overseer
lumiola
akinpe

4
 mi
kinpelu
anmi A
BIBLE PASSAGE:
Matthew 16: 17 - 19
k
Olasun
MEMORY VERSE:
“And a vision appeared to Paul in the night: There stood
a man of Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over
into Macedonia, and help us.” Acts 16:9
il.com
@gma
lumiola
akinpe

5
 mi
Introduction

kinpelu
he Church is established to mature converts so that they too will go out and

T win others. The purpose of the church is: to find the lost, to fold them into
the church, to feed them with the word of God and to field them back into
their world where they can continue finding. May the Almighty help us to

anmi A
fulfill the purpose of the church as we go into the study in Jesus name,
Amen.

OBJECTIVES:
At the end of this module, you should be able to:
k
Olasun

1. Identify the need for Church Planting.

2. State some of the reasons why Christians refuse to plant more churches.
3. Mention some reasons for Church Planting
il.com

4. Explain what Church Planting is not

5. Give Scriptural stand for Church Planting.
6. State the Cost of Church Planting
7. List basic principles, which are essential to Church Planting:
@gma

8. Discuss the process of Church Planting

9. Describe how to plant Churches in different Areas
lumiola

PRE - TEST
1. Describe the Church
2. State the purpose of the Church
akinpe

6
 mi
1.

kinpelu
THE NEED FOR CHURCH

anmi A
PLANTING
The need to plant more churches is great and overwhelming. The missionary call
k
today is more insistent and soul stirring, they are:
Olasun
a) Missionary call from heaven, Isaiah 6:8

“Also I heard the voice of the Lord saying, Whom shall I send, and who
will go for us? Then said I, Here am I; send me.”
Isaiah 6:8
il.com

b) Missionary call from hell, Luke 16:27 – 28

“Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send
him to my father’s house: For I have five brethren; that he may testify
@gma

unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment.”
Luke 16:27 – 28

c) Missionary call from the heathen, Acts 16:9

lumiola

“And a Vision appeared unto Paul in the night: There stood a man of
Macedonia, and prayed him, saying, Come over into Macedonia and
help us”.
Acts 16:9
akinpe

7
 mi
2.

kinpelu
WHY DON’T WE PLANT

anmi A
MORE CHURCHES?
The following are some of the reasons why Christians refuse to plant more
k
churches.
Olasun
a) Lack of Missionary vision, Proverbs 29:18.

b) Lack of thorough understanding of the great commission, Mathew 28:19 –

20.
il.com

c) Ignorance of tremendous benefits of Church Planting

d) Difficulties encountered by earlier church planters.

@gma

e) Lack of adequate funds, personnel, and infrastructure.

f) Wrong approach and wrong timing by would be church planter.

lumiola

g) Lack of good planning, prayer and problem of insensitivity to God’s Spirit.

akinpe

8
 mi
3.

kinpelu
REASONS FOR CHURCH

anmi A
PLANTING

There are many scriptural reasons for church planting. These include:
k
Olasun
a) Church planting is a sign of total obedience to the great commission – Matt
28: 19 – 20. It is a natural consequence of preaching the gospel.

b) Church planting is necessary for the support, nurturing and teaching of new
believers – Acts 2: 42 – 47.
il.com

c) Church planting is an old, and a well established tradition of the Church.

Church Planting and evangelism have always been going hand in hand from
the earliest days of the proclamation of the risen Christ.
@gma

d) Church Planting ensures the survival of denomination. It is a means of

reversing or stalling the decline in churches. Church planting stimulates new
age groups, otherwise we will be left with old Churches and old
membership.
lumiola

e) Church planting develops new leadership. The existence of new churches

opens wide the doors of leadership and ministry challenges, and the entire
body of Christ thereby benefit from it.
akinpe

9
 mi
f) Church planting stimulates existence of new churches and arouses the other
old churches, which are whereby challenged to work harder by devising new

kinpelu
plans to retain, enlarge and feed their congregation.

g) Church planting is the singular most effective method of evangelism as

against the others like crusade, revivals, outreaches, etc. these other methods
of evangelism are recruiting grounds while the church is the retaining house.

anmi A
h) Church planting is a key to reaching the unreached.

i) New churches grow better than old ones because of the potential for growth
that is built into new churches which the old churches no longer possess.
k
Olasun

j) Church planting easily caters for the new generation worshippers. The
immediate effect of rapid culture change is that many members of the new
generation can hardly be won to Christ in their parent’s churches. The
planting of new churches could however be used to overcome age or cultural
barrier.
il.com
@gma
lumiola
akinpe

10
 mi
4.

kinpelu
WHAT CHURCH

anmi A
PLANTING IS NOT
k
There are many activities that resemble church planting. Church planting is none of
Olasun
the following:

a) Church planting is not ordinary denominational extension. It is not a mother

church spreading out and producing daughter churches without actually
caring for the type of souls or people attending such churches

b) Church planting is not fostering syncretism.

il.com

c) Church planting is not the same as quantity taking over from quality.
@gma

d) Church planting is neither a new idea nor an innovation. It is an old, and a

well established tradition of the Church. Church Planting and evangelism
have always been going hand in hand from the earliest days of the
proclamation of the risen Christ.
lumiola

e) Church Planting is not a shoddy business. It involves lots of sacrifice,

devotion and hard work.
akinpe

11
 mi
5.

kinpelu
SCRIPTURAL STAND FOR

anmi A
CHURCH PLANTING
The following are scriptural stand for church planting:

a) Every believer is expected to bear fruits, John 15:1 – 8, 16.

k
Olasun
b) The message in any church planting exercise is the message that Jesus
brought from His Father – Acts 2; 4:31 - 35; These are the good news of
God, Mark 1:15; the new birth, John 3:3; God’s love for mankind is
universal, John 3: 16 – 18; and, love as the greatest of all commandments,
Matt. 22: 37 – 40; John 15: 12.
il.com

c) The presence of the Holy Spirit among the believers provided the dynamics
for the planting and growth of the church in its earliest days. Acts 6: 7.

d) The strategy of church planting was given to the early church by Jesus and
@gma

can be seen in the scriptures – Acts 1:8; 13:5; 14:1; 13:46; 19:9;
lumiola
akinpe

12
 mi
kinpelu
6.
THE COST OF CHURCH

anmi A
PLANTING
k
To plant new churches is not for the weak, faint hearted and easily discouraged
Olasun
believers because the price is high. The cost of Church planting includes the
following:

a) Serious intensive prayers and fasting.

b) Budgeting and Capital outlay.

il.com

c) Releasing committed and proven members to man the newly planted church.

d) Training, equipping and mobilizing brethren to become involved.

@gma

e) Planning programs and setting goals for churches that will be planted yearly.
lumiola
akinpe

13
 mi
kinpelu
7.
BASIC PRINCIPLES FOR

anmi A
CHURCH PLANTING
k
The following basic principles are essential to Church Planting:
Olasun
a) Close personal relationship with God.

b) Clear call from God commissioning the organization to plant churches.

c) Clear vision of the task, the strategy and the objectives to be achieved.
il.com

d) Careful preparation and training.

@gma

e) Obedience or total submission to God.

f) Walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.

lumiola

g) Adequate knowledge of the area and of the people. These include an

understanding of environmental factor, the language, culture, customs, belief
and history of the people.
akinpe

14
 mi
8.

kinpelu
PROCESS OF CHURCH

anmi A
PLANTING
There are, at least, ten ways to plant a church. These include:
k
Olasun
a) Spontaneous start off: This is a process whereby the membership of a local
church are challenged to form a nucleus, and at a predetermined time, these
people will move out under the leadership of a church planter and become
the charter members of a new congregation. They will not have to make a
residential move.

b) Colonization: Here a new church is planted in a different geographical

il.com

area, which implies that the nucleus members will make a move and find
new homes, new jobs and new schools in the targeted community.

c) Adoption: Church Adoption, like human adoption, means that someone

@gma

else gives birth but the child becomes part of your family.

d) Accidental Parenthood: Sometimes over leadership struggle, doctrinal

disputes or disagreement on priorities, a congregation will split. One faction
will pull out, start another congregation, and the congregation will prosper
lumiola

more than the former parish.

e) The Mission team: Here a Church planting agency recruits, finances and
sponsors a team of workers to plant a new church or churches.
akinpe

15
 mi
f) The catalytic church planter: The goal of this group is to go into a new
area, develop a nucleus for a new church, and then move on and do it again

kinpelu
and again.

g) The Independent church planters: These move out on their own to start
new church through a vision and call from the Lord.

anmi A
h) Multi – Congregational churches: These ministers to several ethnic
groups. Some multi – congregational churches simply share facilities with
ethnic congregations that maintain their own autonomy.

i) Bible College Students / Workers in training: Church could be made a

k
condition for the award of the Bible College Certificate / Diploma.
Olasun

j) Daughter Churches: This is a process whereby an existing congregation

takes her God given duty to establishing an annex church that will be
nurtured up to maturity.
il.com
@gma
lumiola
akinpe

16
 mi
kinpelu
9.
HOW TO PLANT

anmi A
CHURCHES IN
DIFFERENT AREAS Olasun
k
Churches can be planted in the following areas:
a) Rural Areas
b) Sub urban areas
c) Urban areas
d) Slums
il.com

e) Urban Industrial Areas

f) Government Reservation areas
g) Quarters and Immigration areas
h) Muslim people
@gma

a. How to plant churches in rural areas:

 Start through personal evangelism / personal contact, while, (at the same
time) studying the culture, customs, beliefs and history of the people.
lumiola

 Depending on the environmental factor and culture of the people, you can
contact the paramount chief or head of the village for a piece of land on
which the church will be planted.
 Start a home cell group meeting. This can be established in the house of one
of your converts, a shop in the village or a school, if the village has any that
is available.
akinpe

 Conduct a Crusade and start church services.

17
 mi
b. How to plant churches in sub urban areas:

kinpelu
A sub urban area is an outlying area of a large town or city. Such an area is
usually more activity oriented than a rural area. To start a church in a sub urban
area, the following steps are recommended:
 Start through personal evangelism / personal contact, while, (at the same
time) studying the culture, customs, beliefs and history of the people.
 Start a home cell group meeting. This can be established in the house of one

anmi A
of your converts, a shop or a school.
 Conduct a Crusade and start church services.
 Accommodate your converts in a rented apartment, a ware house, a flat or a
school building.
 Prayerfully locate and buy a piece of land on which the church will be
k
planted.
Olasun
 Aim at creating leaders. It is not difficult to discover men and women with
leadership qualities in sub urban areas. This is due to the fact that sub urban
areas are generally occupied by middle class population groups – teachers,
civil servants, youth corps members, etc.
il.com

c. How to plant churches in urban areas:

To start a church in urban areas, the following steps are recommended:

 Start through personal evangelism / personal contact, while, (at the same
@gma

time) studying the culture, customs, beliefs and history of the people.
 Start a home cell group meeting. This can be established in the house of one
of your converts, a shop or a school.
 Conduct a Crusade and start church services.
 Accommodate your converts in a rented apartment, a ware house, a flat or a
school building.
lumiola

 Prayerfully locate and buy a piece of land on which the church will be
planted.
akinpe

18
 mi
d. How to plant churches in Slums:

kinpelu
To start a church in slums, the following steps are recommended:
 Start through personal evangelism / personal contact, while, (at the same
time) studying the culture, customs, beliefs and history of the people.
 Start a home cell group meeting. This can be established in the house of one
of your converts, a shop or a school.
 Conduct a Crusade and start church services.

anmi A
 Accommodate your converts in a rented apartment, a ware house, a flat or a
school building.
 Prayerfully locate and buy a piece of land on which the church will be
planted.
 Introduce ministry of help. You must be ready to spend on the people
without expecting much from them, at the initial stage. This is because a
k
slum is characterized by economic recession, unemployment is high, there is
Olasun
high crime rate and inhabitants are usually of multi dimensional cultural
diversity, which implies that there is no homogenous community in a typical
slum.

e. How to plant churches in urban industrial areas:

il.com

The urban industrial areas are usually the most forgotten and neglected parts of
the country in spiritual matters. Such areas are characterized by the following
factors:
1. Few people live in such areas
2. Houses are scattered in between industries
@gma

To start a church in urban industrial areas, the following steps are

recommended:
 Start through personal evangelism / personal contact, while, (at the same
time) studying the culture, customs, beliefs and history of the people.
lumiola

 Start a home cell group meeting. This can be established as lunch hour
fellowships in some of the industries
 Conduct series of indoor revival meetings and start church services.
 Accommodate your converts in a rented apartment, a ware house, a flat,
abandoned industrial building or a school building.
 Launch the church with much publicity
akinpe

19
 mi
 Prayerfully locate and buy a piece of land on which the church will be
planted.

kinpelu
f. How to plant churches in Government Reservation Areas:

To start a church in government reservation areas or among elites the following

steps are recommended:

anmi A
 Start through personal evangelism / personal contact (through telephone and
personal visitation) while, (at the same time) studying the culture, customs,
beliefs and history of the people.
 Start a home cell group meeting.
 Conduct a crusade and series of in door revival meetings and start church
services. k
 Accommodate your converts in a rented apartment, a ware house, a flat,
Olasun
abandoned industrial building or a school building.
 Launch the church with much publicity. With the help of your converts and
influential mature believers:
 Print invitation cards
 Invite important dignitaries
 Make the celebration standard and interesting
il.com

 Invite a Christian band

 Your message should be evangelistic, persuasive and powerful
 Entertain the audience: give them light refreshment and non
alcoholic drinks.
 Prayerfully locate and buy a piece of land on which the church will be
@gma

planted.

g. How to plant churches in Quarters and Immigration Areas:

To start a church in quarters and immigration areas or among elites, the following
lumiola

steps are recommended:

 Start through personal evangelism / personal contact (through telephone and
personal visitation) while, (at the same time) studying the culture, customs,
beliefs and history of the people.
 Start a home cell group meeting.
akinpe

 Conduct a crusade and series of in door revival meetings and start church
services.

20
 mi
 Accommodate your converts in a rented apartment, a ware house, a flat,
abandoned industrial building or a school building.

kinpelu
 Launch the church with much publicity. With the help of your converts and
influential mature believers:
 Print invitation cards
 Invite important dignitaries
 Make the celebration standard and interesting
 Invite a Christian band

anmi A
 Your message should be evangelistic, persuasive and powerful
 Entertain the audience: give them light refreshment and non
alcoholic drinks.
 Prayerfully locate and buy a piece of land on which the church will be
planted.
k
h. How to plant churches among Muslim peoples:
Olasun

To start a church among Muslim people, the following steps are recommended:
 Start through personal evangelism / personal contact (through telephone and
personal visitation) while, (at the same time) studying the culture, customs,
beliefs and history of the people.
 Use your women or female converts to share the gospel with the Muslim
il.com

women in Purdah.
 Start a home cell group meeting.
 Accommodate your converts in a rented apartment, a ware house, a flat, etc
 No need for a crusade at the initial stage.
 Plant your church and be prepared for persecution
@gma

Note that Muslim converts require lots of love and care because they are usually
neglected and persecuted by their relations, friends and acquaintances.
lumiola
akinpe

21
 mi
SUMMARY

kinpelu
Church Planting is not ordinary denominational extension neither is it a shoddy
business. It is a scriptural venture that involves lots of sacrifice, devotion and hard
work. How serious are you about Church Planting? Decide to be actively involved
in Church planting.

Churches can be planted in Rural Areas, Sub urban areas, Urban areas, Slums,

anmi A
Urban Industrial Areas, Government Reservation areas, Quarters and Immigration
areas and among Muslim people. Decide to be actively involved in church planting
today.

k
Olasun
il.com
@gma
lumiola
akinpe

22
 mi
POST TEST

kinpelu
1. State what Church Planting is not.

2. Mention some scriptural stand for Church Planting.

3. In what areas can churches be planted? Discuss.

anmi A
4. Explain how churches can be planted in rural and urban areas.

k
Olasun
il.com
@gma
lumiola
akinpe

23
 mi
REFERENCES

kinpelu
Abolade J.O and Combe martins M. H. “Oral English For West Africa”, the
Macmilliam Press Limited, London and Basing Stoke

Anderson, Andy, ‘Where Action Is’. Nashville: Broadham, 1976.

anmi A
Boer, R. H. A. short History of the Early Church, Wm. B. Eardams Publishing
Company, Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Fitts, Bob, Saturation Church Planting – Multiplying Congregations Through

House Churches, World Map 1419 North San FernaldoVlvd. Burbark CA 91504-
4194 k
Olasun
Fuller, L.K, Going to the Nations, An Introduction to Cross Cultural Missions,
NEMI, Nigeria.

Gangel, Kenneth O. ‘You and Your Spiritual Gifts’, Chicago: Moody, 1975.

Gerber, Vergil, ‘God’s Way To Keep a Church Going &Growing’, Glendale, Calif:
Regal, 1973.
il.com

Henrichs, Walter G. ‘Disciples Are Made – Not Born’, Wheaton III: Victor, 1975.

Howell, Allison, A Daily Guide for Language and Culture Learning, NEMI,
Nigeria.
@gma

Mc. Eaurun, Donald A., and Arn, Win. ‘How To Grow A Church’, Glendale, Calif:
Regal, 1973

Onuigbo Sam, Oral English For Schools and Colleges, Africana Fep Publishers
lumiola

Limited, Book House, 79 Akwa Road, Onitsha, Nigeria.

Wagner, C. Peter, ‘Your Church Can Grow’, Glendale, Calif.: Regal 1976.

Waldo J. Werning, Vision and Strategy For Church Growth, Moody Press,
Chicago 1977.
akinpe

24