What is your opinion with regards to these important aspects of starting a new church? Is a full-time pastor necessary, or should a bi-vocation model be pursued? Although a salary is preferable, is it always possible? What about theological education? Can one be sufficiently prepared in a non-formal or semi-formal atmosphere, or is formal education a must? How about administrative structure?
Should a missionary invest more than 10 years in a given church plant, or is the ideal less than 10 years? How should buildings and church properties be addressed? Is it better for a church to own a building, or to rent, or meet in homes?
There are just a few of the questions that one has to wrestle with when planting a church in a new area, where few or no churches exist, or where the gospel is relatively new.
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I’ve marked above with an X where I come down on these various questions.
Models I like: Organic Church (Neil Cole), David Garrison (although I would differ with regards to a permanent property and cell group functionality), a missional model of outreach (various)
Models that I do not see as being very reproducible: IX Marks, Willow Creek, Harvest Bible…
Models that I do not see as being functional in Mexico: Cell group model, Satellite model
