THE PLAN: A Part for Every Church

The church is a living, breathing organism, and every living thing, according to the Bible, is to be fruitful and multiply. Biblical Ministries Worldwide (BMW) is committed to joining hands with God's people and equipping churches to plant new churches and has developed a plan/model for this process. BMW's model identifies four critical roles in church planting:

• Project Church
• Parent Church
• Partner Churches
• Promise Churches

Each has an essential role in reaching the unchurched with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. BMW works alongside the whole process to see churches planted and churches prepared to be reproducing churches. For more details, you can view the Southeast US Church-Planting brochure (PDF) or contact Jerry Smith for the whole exciting plan.

THE PROGRAM: A BMW Church-Planting Initiative

BMW is partnering with IFCA International and other independent churches to spearhead a movement to see local churches planted and strengthened. To do this we have three main goals:

1. Help local churches plant churches
2. Train church planters
3. Involve every church in planting new churches.

To accomplish these goals, we are utilizing our ministry resources and expertise which we have gained from many years of church planting around the globe and applying it right in our own back yard. We have prepared materials and a PowerPoint presentation to help your church be involved. Our vision for this ministry is to see at least two churches planted or two churches training to plant a church in each of the ten states in the Southeast by the year 2015.

Alabama	North Carolina
Georgia	South Carolina
Kentucky	Tennessee
Louisiana	Virginia
Mississippi	West Virginia

THE PROBLEM: America - A Mission Field?

With what appears to be a church on every corner, and a Judeo-Christian heritage, some might ask how this country can be considered a mission field?

Consider the following:

• We have a biblical mandate to reach our Judea and Samaria (Acts 1:8); we have a mandate to make disciples of every nation (including our own); we are to preach the Gospel to every creature (including the people around us); and we have a biblical example of the fulfillment of these mandates (Acts & the epistles). We cannot be biblical without fulfilling the Great Commission at all three levels of context: local, national, global. This by default argues for missions in the U.S.
• Population growth statistics demonstrate the need for more churches in the U.S. In 1999 it was projected that the US would grow by the rate of approximately 7,000 people daily between the years 2000-2050 (Forbes Magazine, January 1999). To date, the growth rate has met and exceeded this pace.
• The increasingly weakening condition of the existing American church justifies the intensified efforts of missions in America. We have churches closing at rates that heighten the need for them to be replaced, especially in light of the growth statistics.
• The present philosophical attitude of relativism that prevails over our culture must be challenged by an increasing presence of Christian witness to the objective truth of God's revelation as recorded in Scripture, followed with a witness that calls the culture to a moral responsibility to that body of revelation.
• One third or seventy six million American adults do not attend any type of church service or activity.

THE PROGNOSIS: With God and Your Help

As we begin to implement this program and fulfill our vision by working with and through local churches throughout the Southeast U.S., we believe we will see God do a mighty work to reverse the negative tide mentioned above. It's not impossible or even improbable, but we need your help!

• If you would be interested in joining this new, exciting and growing facet of BMW's ministry as a church planter and/or church planting trainer, we would love to talk to you about becoming a part of our team.
• Maybe you are interested in learning how to be a church planter. We'd love to talk to you about joining the team and the possibility of joining a current work.
• Lastly, if your church has a vision for seeing other Bible-based, disciple-making, God-centered churches planted in your area, contact us about the people, workshops and other resources we have available to help you make that vision a reality.

For more information, please contact the field director for this work, Jerry Smith, at jsmith@biblicalministries.org.

RELATED LINKS

The World Factbook