fbpx
Give us a Call at 248.585.9540
Vlog: Church Plant Timeline
March 15, 2019

How to plant a church in 12 months

We worked with Jason Laird from Sozo Church, San Francisco to come up with a step by step timeline for launching a church. Being a church planter is not for the faint of heart and it takes a ton of courage, boldness, and stepping out in faith to actually pull this thing off. Sozo Church has been finding great success planting in and reaching one of the toughest areas to plant a church.  This resource was developed along with Jason, updated with the things he has learned post-launch, to empower and bring clarity to others on the church planting journey.

Run in such a way that you may seize the prize…. Every runner knows the pace needed to accomplish their goals. Setting the pace and knowing how you are doing is critical to your plan. It is known that the shear number of tasks that need to get done to plant a church can be overwhelming and feel like they are going to swallow you up. 

The Church Plant Launch Sequence was designed as a check-list plan to help you ‘pace’ through those 12 months prior to planting a church! It goes over 3 different stages in your church planting timeline, the Fuel Up stage which is 12 – 6 months before launch, the Rollout stage which is 6 – 3 months before launch and then lastly the All Systems Go stage which is the last 3 months before your launch…. and of course LAUNCH to celebrate your churches birth!

The stages of Church Plant Launch Sequence

This list is broken down into 3 stages to really help you delegate your time and know what order things need to happen in. In the Fuel Up stage the main categories are things like vision, promotion, personal, church administration, leadership procedures and others. It goes into all the small details under each of those categories so you can physically check off every small thing that you accomplish. For example, under Vision, it includes even the basics of choosing a city, a name, and a launch date, but also drives down into writing a statement of faith and selecting overseers.

Another example in the Fuel Up section is establishing yourself with a church planting organization. We highly suggest getting involved with one of these groups and soaking up all the benefits they provide. (If you’re not sure where to start with this, we’d love to walk through this process with you and help you figure out what the best fit is for your church.) This part of the timeline dives deep into informational meetings, networking, worship team development, promotion, location and others…

The Rollout section (6-3 months before launch) includes things like developing your growth track, networking, ministry development, and setting up your consultation with us (PCI). Having one of our consultants come to your location and talk through the tech gear, kids ministry, and hospitality areas. Also, casting your vision and having informal meetings with people who may want to join the team. But also how to prep for these meetings like developing commitment cards, swag with your church branding, etc.

Lastly, the All Systems Go section is the last stretch before planting your church. It includes detailed tasks under advertising, personal steps, children’s ministry registration, in-house communication, service planning, and final preparation just to name a few. And when the time finally comes for your launch service, remember people will want to know how your church is going to speak to their needs.

“Preach your best message and speak to people’s needs or desires. It’s okay to tie in the new church’s vision in subtle ways but don’t make that the main focus” Jason Laird

Wherever you are at in your journey… Portable Church is here to serve and connect you with resources that help you launch prepared, strong, and well connected with your community. Fill out the form below to talk to an expert and connect with a Church Launch Specialist!