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Based on the Church Health Assessment you completed, leadership reproduction and/or church planting may be an area of needed growth for your church. Faith in Jesus Christ is reproduced from person to person and church to church through the generations. Training the next generation of church leaders and planting the next generation of faithful churches are necessary, timeless endeavors for every local New Testament congregation. In the Explanation section below, you will find several important biblical foundations for reproduction as it relates to church health. Subsequent sections of this report will include SBTC Resources/Tools, Other Recommended Resources and Contacts. All of these are designed to help strengthen your church in the area of reproduction. Please take time to read through this report and to share it with some key influential leaders in your church.

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explanation

“Indeed, everything is for your benefit so that as grace extends through more and more people, it may cause thanksgiving to increase to the glory of God.” 2 Corinthians 4:15

Mature healthy things reproduce. It is built into the laws of creation that sustain existence through the ages. When plants become mature and are healthy, they reproduce in their likeness. When animals become mature and are healthy, they reproduce in their likeness. When humans become mature and are healthy, they reproduce in their likeness. When churches and church leaders become mature and are healthy, they reproduce in their likeness.

To reproduce is to outlive your own life.

Unhealthy churches are too inwardly focused to reproduce. In their spiritual immaturity, they are the center of their own worlds. They are egoistic, short-sighted and stale. They are too focused on building their own kingdoms to invest in Jesus’s kingdom. Congregational immaturity is not always congruent with congregational longevity. Some unhealthy, immature churches have decades of congregational narcissism behind them. And some healthy, mature churches are only a couple of years old.

Healthy churches constantly make investments in tomorrow. They are laser-focused on the kingdom of Christ, leaning into the next generation, and vibrant with multiplicative vision. Unhealthy churches evidence their spiritual immaturity by failing to reproduce anything of eternal value. But healthy churches reproduce, at a minimum, lay church leaders, vocational church leaders and new churches.

Reproduce Lay Church Leadership

When a church is healthy, it develops a pipeline for reproducing lay leadership. From an early age, children and youth are encouraged and equipped to be current and future leaders in the church. Young singles and young marrieds are listened to and are involved in decision-making processes. Median adults disciple younger adults. Senior adults mentor, encourage and empower the generations beneath them to pour their lives into the Great Commission work of and through the local church.

Unhealthy churches often find themselves at a sudden impasse—in need of lay leadership but having none. Healthy churches do not wait for positions to open before leaders are trained, mentored, and released. It is a sure sign of congregational immaturity to protect positions of power instead of empowering the next generation for leadership. When a healthy, mature church is firing on all cylinders, the opinion and contribution of every church member is valued. Men and women of faith are being discipled, empowered, and released to take ownership in the life of the church. If a leadership vacuum exists today, it is because the church did not reproduce lay leaders yesterday. And if they do not reproduce lay leaders today, they may have no church at all tomorrow.

Reproduce Vocational Church Leadership

Where will the next generation of pastors and church leaders come from? Where are they right now? They are in your pews, your chairs, your classrooms, and your homes. In an unhealthy church it is an awkward and unusual thing to license or ordain someone into the ministry. Unhealthy churches have no clear pathways for pastoral mentorships or vocational ministry internship tracks. They can only hope to trip their way through the reproduction of a vocational church leader.

Conversely, healthy churches are intentional and proactive toward it. They regularly call church members to respond to the call of vocational ministry. They budget and plan for internship pathways. Their ministerial leadership is purposeful in discipling and mentoring potential future ministers. Calling out, equipping, and releasing pastors, ministers, and missionaries is a regular part of their congregational rhythm. Healthy churches reproduce vocational church leadership. God calls men and women to vocational ministry in every generation. Healthy churches invite them to respond to this call, equip them in their calling, and send them out to advance the Great Commission.

Reproduce Churches

Healthy churches start churches. They not only reproduce leaders, but they mobilize their people to reproduce gospel-centered, Great Commission minded churches as well. When churches are empowered by the Holy Spirit, focused on the glory of God, and passionate about reaching their city, their state, their nation, and their world with the gospel of Jesus Christ, they cannot help but plant more churches. It is the most natural, organic thing a Great Commission church can do. Some healthy churches partner with other healthy churches to accomplish this—pooling their resources and relationships to support church planting initiatives. Some healthy churches raise up groups from within, incubate them, and send them out to growing areas of their city or state. Some develop church planting centers or internships for the whole purpose of releasing leaders and starting a new work. Unhealthy churches say they want the gospel advanced, but they are too internally focused to be a part of church planting. Healthy churches look for opportunities to reproduce. Healthy churches plant healthy churches.

It is important to note that successful reproduction does not always result in numerical growth. Successful normative sized churches, especially in small towns, reproduce lay vocational leaders and send them out through the generations. Similarly, sometimes successful Great Commission focused reproduction actually results in numerical decline for a local congregation, as membership and leadership are sent out to plant a new church.

Is your church actively reproducing lay leaders? Are you training, equipping, and releasing vocational ministers? Are you planting new gospel-centered, Great Commission minded churches? Unhealthy things stagnate. Healthy things reproduce.

sbtc tools & resources

SBTC Church Planting webpage Consider planting a church or supporting a church planter in Texas!

Texas Reach Cities for Church Planting  Find information, resources and connections about our four “Reach Cities” in Texas that are strategic focus-areas for church planting for the SBTC.

A Deacon On Purpose  Downloadable book and training videos for training and multiplying biblical deacons in your church.

SBTC Church Leaders Ministry Networks  Get your leaders and future leaders connected to the various networking opportunities for ministry areas of your church.

Pastor Leadership Coaching  Reach out to one of our Church Health and Leadership ministry staff members for leadership coaching and mentorship.

Training/Methods:

contacts

Please do not hesitate to reach out to the following contacts for encouragement, consultation or direction. It will be our joy to come alongside you as you lead your church to reach your community for Christ.

Jeff Lynn – jlynn@sbtexas.com

Senior Strategist for Church Health & Leadership

Calvin Wittman – cwittman@sbtexas.com

Associate for Church Health & Leadership (Preaching and Leadership)