Church planting is a metaphor that comes from the Bible. Paul writes, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” The idea of planting is that we sow seeds of faith in a new church, we nurture them, and then God will grow His church just as He promised.

It takes a church planter (a person who is called, gifted in a certain way, and equipped by God) to start a new church. That person, who becomes the founding pastor of the new church, then recruits more people who will serve as key leaders and volunteers. This is the launch team. They help to develop systems to serve the functioning of the new church. A church plant needs people to serve on the set-up team, in kids’ ministry, on the worship team, on the welcome team, as small group leaders, and more. A strong launch team is a key factor in the vitality of the church plant.

Before Covid we might have estimated that startup costs for the first year of a church plant would be around $100,000. Parent churches would often give financial support for 3 years to help get the church plant going. We are still learning and growing in a post-Covid world. We know that costs are rising and timelines are changing. Destination Church has a plan that includes 3 parent churches (Oak Haven Church, Pursuit Community Church, and Transform Church) and our denomination (Converge). The supporting churches are planning to support Destination financially over the first 4 years. In addition to $170,000 supplied by the parent churches and Converge, Pastor Josh Meyers is working to raise another $40,000 over 3 years above and beyond what launch team members contribute through their own tithes.

Just like all the financial support for the ministry of Oak Haven comes through the generosity of God’s people, we trust that God will motivate the right people to give to the new work of planting Destination Church. Because we value church planting Oak Haven Church has budgeted and set money aside in a designated church planting fund annually for over 10 years. A few years ago, Converge North Central started a matching program. Oak Haven put $20,000 into that escrow fund for church planting over 2 years. Now, this $20,000 is being matched 1 for 1 and our church is contributing $40,000 to Destination Church over a 4-year period. The way that we’ve established saving and giving toward church planting means that we can support a new church plant financially without spending money from the current ministry year’s budget.

A lot of research has been done around the idea of established churches supporting church planting. The experts who study it have actually discovered that established churches who are involved in helping plant new churches are healthier than established churches who don’t plant churches. This finding shouldn’t surprise us because it is God’s design. Just as apple trees not only produce the fruit of apples, but actually also plant their own seeds to reproduce more apple trees, so a healthy local church is designed by God to be planting seeds to reproduce more healthy churches. The last time we sent launch team members to help plant a new church God prompted 25 individuals to join the launch team. That same year Oak Haven Church still grew numerically in attendance and more importantly, we grew in greater faith.