Church Planting Models in 21st Century Europe

Throughout the history of Christianity in Europe, there has been a constant stream of innovation and new gatherings of believers meeting and organising themselves as local expressions of the Body of Christ.

Church planting in Europe continues today, at a pace that can be hard to keep track of. The way new churches begin varies, from a ‘daughter’ church planted by an existing congregation, to groups emerging spontaneously. This article explores some of the models and points to information and resources for you to find out more.

Mother-daughter

‘Daughter’ church plants tend to be initially dependant on the mother church, with the aim of becoming independent.  They can range from an existing church starting a new church in a nearby location, to larger churches and denominations sending teams from one congregation to other cities or even countries to begin a church.  International Christian Fellowship (www.icf-movement.org) have planted churches in seven countries across Europe, including Spain, Albania and Germany.  Church planters are trained at their college in the original church in Zurich.  Individual churches are independent, but have a corporate identity, and are networked together as part of a movement. Other examples might be Hillsong churches around Europe (www.hillsong.se and www.moneglisehillsong.fr);  Vineyard DACH (www.vineyard-dach.net)  or the churches of NewFrontiers   (www.newfrontiersplanting.org).

Adoption

This forms a large part of Holy Trinity Brompton’s church planting strategy in the UK. A team of people from an HTB church move to a struggling congregation  Initially confined to London, HTB have used the adoption strategy to revitalise the congregation of St Peter’s,  Brighton, which was threatened with closure.  You can find out about St Peter’s first year at http://stpetersbrighton.org/media/one-year.

Mission teams

Many cross-cultural mission agencies such as GEM, CAI, ABWE, GLO, OM and ECM use this approach, sending teams of missionaries into an area where they start a church from scratch.  The teams may not work in isolation but where possible partner with local Christians. There are a huge variety of forms of church – for example, The Well in Brussels is an innovative example of church planting by CAI missionaries. Church members meet weekly as different expressions across the city, and then gather as a whole church community once a month (www.thewell.be). National Denominations also use this approach for church planting in their own country  – for example the Evangelical Free Church of Germany   has prioritised church planting and started almost 50 new churches across Germany between 2006 and 2010.

Multiple congregations

Multiple congregations are the main idea behind cell-churches. Network Church, St Albans is an example of a church in which ‘the leadership team of the church support and encourage each Cell Group to have it's own sense of identity with each group holding a vision for God's work in the lives of those in and around the cell.’ (www.networkchurch.org) in addition to meeting on Sundays.

In Northern Europe, some churches create multiple congregations through mid-size communities with a specific missional focus, for example students, families or amongst the homeless.  Messy church (www.messychurch.org.uk) and Fresh Expressions  (www.freshexpressions.org.uk) style services may also form an additional congregation, attracting people to the church who would not attend traditional services.

Immigrant churches may use the same building as an indigenous church, creating multiple congregations.  KIT (www.kit-danmark.dk)  facilitates local congregations supporting migrant churches in Denmark, and denominations such as the Baptist Union in Portugal also support this kind of church planting in partnership with Ukrainian immigrants.

Emerging churches

GCE missionaries in Ukraine  are planting ‘simple churches’ with small groups  meeting in homes or other ‘secular’ spaces (www.simplechurch.com.ua). The aim is to find the ‘person of peace’ who is open to the Gospel, and to start a gathering within their networks – whether that is an extended family, amongst drug addicts or wherever God is at work!

Emerging church also includes ‘new monasticism’ communities, such as the 24-7 Prayer boiler rooms across Europe (www.24-7prayer.com/communities).  And networks such as simplechurch.eu have begun to emerge, to provide support for these often small and vulnerable church plants.

Other advocates for new forms of church include Urban Expression (www.urbanexpression.org.uk) based in the UK and the Netherlands and soon to move into Sweden, as well as the aforementioned Fresh Expressions  (www.freshexpressions.org.uk).

Partnerships

This is an increasingly significant model for church planting as people realise that they, by themselves, cannot reach the whole of Europe!   Partnerships can take place locally, regionally and nationally.

Many of the Saturation Church Planting movements work in partnership with the local churches, training and providing support for church planting pioneers(www.balticchurchplanting.com).

Another example of partnerships between churches and mission agencies is to be found in the province of Cordoba, Spain.  Churches from across the denominations together with the team of missionaries from ECM are developing a provincial church planting strategy under a covenant agreement signed by all parties.

The European Baptist Federation’s Indigenous Missionary Project (www.ebf.org/imp/)  is  a denominational example of partnership and facilitation. Church planters and evangelists are funded for five years by the EBF to work in their own country, with around 50 projects underway in Europe/Eurasia.

Church planting in Europe is proof that in God’s kingdom there is no such thing as ‘one size fits all’, and the resources below reflect a wide variety of approaches and theological viewpoints.   As always, if you can add to this list of resources please get in touch

Joanne Appleton