As a member of the leadership team of Cultivate, CGN’s church planting initiative, I realize church planting expands the reach of the Church, fosters cultural relevance, and drives innovation, making it one of the most impactful ways to share the gospel and invite people into a life-changing relationship with Jesus. Many pastors see church planting as a strategic, visionary endeavor or as a way to fulfill the Great Commission. For me, however, church planting was neither primarily strategic nor solely mission-driven — it was a response to opportunities presented by the Holy Spirit.
Here are three ways in which unexpected opportunities allowed me to help plant churches that have extended the reach of the gospel in powerful ways:
1. Person-Based Church Planting
My first opportunity came when the children’s ministry pastor at our church felt called to return to his hometown in Missouri to plant a church. Our congregation had just gone through a period of significant upheaval, losing four leaders in a short span, so the thought of losing another leader was daunting.
Yet, after prayerful consideration, I felt led to send him off with both my personal blessing and the support of our church. We brought his new church plant on as a missionary endeavor, offering monthly support and consistent prayer. In addition to a weekly service, they have been reaching drug addicts and started a ministry training program. Even now, seeing his church updates on social media brings me deep joy, knowing that we have played a part in advancing the gospel in a new community.
2. Facility-Based Church Planting
The second opportunity came when our church decided to purchase a closed retreat center. For years, we had rented this beautiful 207-acre property with a 40-room retreat facility, two duplexes, and a church building. When it shut down, it felt like a loss not just to us but to the entire local Christian community. One of the elders and I began praying for someone to take over the property and breathe new life into it, never imagining that we ourselves would eventually be that answer to prayer.
During a prayer meeting with other local pastors, one pastor mentioned the financial strain the property had become and his desire to sell it. They were willing to offer it to us for just over $400,000 — a remarkable opportunity. After purchasing the retreat center, our elders decided to hold a weekly service there. Fifteen years later, that retreat center has grown into a close-knit church community. They not only hold weekly services but also host a weekly fellowship meal and partner with the local fire department as an outreach to the community. It is one of my favorite places to visit when I have a Sunday off.
3. Need-Based Church Planting
Lastly, an unexpected need paved the way for us to plant a church on the opposite side of town. As our congregation grew and filled our facility, I received a call from a nearby pastor who was planning to move his church to our side of town, viewing it as an opportunity to be in a “nicer” part of the city. Around the same time, another pastor friend offered to sell us his church facility as he was building a new one.
After meeting with our elders to discuss these two situations, we saw two things clearly. First, we did not have the resources to purchase a new facility. Second, we realized that the south side of town — where churches seemed to be leaving — was in need of a strong community church. We took this as an opportunity to both alleviate our space constraints and plant a church in a neighborhood hungry for local ministry.
We sent a few elders, deacons, and around 50 congregants to establish a new congregation on the south side, giving them our full blessing. It turned out to be a wonderful decision, as both our church and the new plant have experienced steady growth since then.
These experiences have taught me that church planting often emerges less from strategic planning and more from God’s surprising and timely opportunities. Through responsive, opportunistic church planting, we have seen the gospel spread and new church communities flourish in ways we never could have orchestrated on our own.
If this article has highlighted some church planting opportunities for your congregation, Cultivate would like to help. We can do this by advising you through the planning process and helping to assess and equip you as a future church planter. You can contact us through our pledge to plant webpage: https://tally.so/r/3xj2BG
About the Author: Shaun Sells (Poimen Ministries; Strengthening Pastors, to Strengthen Churches) can be reached via the following:
[email protected] | https://poimenministries.com | https://healthypastors.epistle.org
