Strategic Church Planting
This course explores the dynamics of church planting in urban environments, focusing on establishing churches that are self-governing, self-propagating, and self-supporting. It emphasises:
- Urban ministry strategy
- Evangelism in complex communities
- Sustainable church growth
Special attention is given to reaching people in multi-housing and urban settings.
Course Description
This course examines the dynamics of urban ministry and the principles required to plant healthy and sustainable churches, particularly in densely populated communities.
Course Objectives
By the end of the course, students will:
- Discover principles for planting churches in urban settings
- Examine biblically sound and culturally relevant church growth strategies
- Develop strategic thinking, planning, and implementation skills
- Study apostolic church planting models in the Book of Acts
- Design and implement a church multiplication strategy
Course Content
- Introduction to missions and church planting
- The role and profile of a church planter
- Definitions and strategies of church growth
- Apostolic church planting (Book of Acts model)
- Evangelistic soil testing
- Research and spiritual mapping
- Strategy and evangelism in church planting
- Church planting models
- Leadership in church planting contexts
- Planting churches with limited financial focus
- Strategic planning and implementation
- Ministry logistics (money, meeting places)
- Cultural barriers and church growth challenges
- Developing and implementing a church multiplication plan
Mode of Delivery
- Lectures
- Classroom discussions
- Assignments
- Reading-based learning
Reading Materials
- Church planting and missions literature
- Biblical texts (especially Acts)
- Strategy and leadership resources
Evaluation
- Examinations: 60%
- Coursework and assignments: 40%
Weekly Schedule
| Week | Topic |
|---|---|
| 1 | Introduction to Church Planting |
| 2 | The Church Planter Profile |
| 3 | Church Growth Concepts |
| 4 | Apostolic Model ? Book of Acts |
| 5 | Evangelistic Soil Testing |
| 6 | Research and Spiritual Mapping |
| 7 | Mid-term Review |
| 8 | Church Planting Models |
| 9 | Leadership in Church Planting |
| 10 | Ministry Logistics and Finance |
| 11 | Cultural Barriers and Growth Challenges |
| 12 | Strategic Planning and Implementation |
| 13 | Church Multiplication Plan Development |
| 14 | Final Review and Examination Preparation |
Church planting frameworks, strategy and planning models, and ministry case studies for this course are available as downloadable files. Materials include structured teaching documents provided by the instructor.
Required Readings
- Church planting and missions literature (provided by instructor)
- Biblical texts, especially the Book of Acts
- Strategy and leadership resources
Media Resources
This section includes church planting teachings, strategy and leadership sessions, and ministry case studies. Audio resources include recorded lectures and ministry teachings. These materials provide practical tools for effective urban church planting.
Types of Assignments
- Church planting strategy plans
- Research papers
- Case studies
- Ministry project work
Submission Guidelines
- Submitted via course platform or directly to instructor
- Accepted formats: PDF, Word documents (.doc / .docx)
Requirements
- Strategic and practical application
- Contextual understanding of ministry environments
- Clear and structured presentation
Academic Integrity
- Original work required
- No plagiarism
- Proper referencing mandatory