» From flagship to movement

I’m noticing a trend amongst flagship churches. They are becoming movements.

Earlier this year I taught in the church planting school at St Mary’sAnglican in central London. They have about a dozen planting hopefuls in training. Planted nine years ago out of Holy Trinity Brompton, St Mary’s has grown to over 800 hundred mostly under 40s. Alpha has played an important part in their conversion growth. They have begun planting churches in the UK and as far away as Auckland.

Ralph Moore at Hope Chapel Hawaii has seen over two hundred churches planted in the US, Japan and Asia-Pacific. Hope Chapel provides an intensive nine-month training course for church planters. Entry into the course is limited to those who have already demonstrated effectiveness in ministry. The goal of the training is to create life-long learners.

Gateway Family Church was planted fourteen years ago in the outer suburbs of Melbourne. Under Rick Paynter’s leadership Gateway has grown to about 800. It’s one of the healthiest churches I know and has a consistent track record of converson growth. They are planting churches in Australia and amongst the urban poor in Papua New Guinea. This year they launched their church planting school with nine particpants.

In 1989 Tim Keller planted Redeemer Presbyterian in New York. He felt called to the renewal of the city spiritually, socially and culturally by building a movement of new, “Gospel-centered” churches. Redeemer has grown to over 4,000 and has spawned a church planting movement targeting global cities. In 2001, Redeemer started a church planting center that has helped create more than 100 new churches in New York and elsewhere.

I’ve listed just four of the many flagships that are headed in the movement direction. I’d love to hear about others. Meanwhile I’m wondering what the common characteristics are.

Off on a retreat with a bunch of church planters for a couple of days. Should have something to post when I get back.