OPEN SEP 02, 2019 – NOV 06, 2019 550 $
Church Planting and Development
Goal: I understand various church-planting and church-growth models and their biblical foundations. I am able to develop a concept and a strategy and execute it for my church ministry. I do all of this centered on my close connection with Jesus Christ. I understand why and when a church ceases to grow, and I am able to discover how I can lead a church into health and fruitfulness.
TIME COMMITMENT6 HOURS PER WEEK
DURATION4 WEEKS + RESEARCH
PACETUTOR GUIDED
MODULMULTIPLICATION
COURSE LANGUAGEENGLISH
VIDEO TRANSCRIPTAVAILABLE IN ENGLISH
DIFFICULTYINTRODUCTORY
CREDIT HOURS2
TOTAL TIME40 HOURS IN TOTAL INCL. LECTURE AND RESEARCH

Our courses can be booked soonRead more

What you´ll learn

Church Planting and Development
Goal: I understand various church-planting and church-growth models and their biblical foundations. I am able to develop a concept and a strategy and execute it for my church ministry. I do all of this centered on my close connection with Jesus Christ. I understand why and when a church ceases to grow, and I am able to discover how I can lead a church into health and fruitfulness.

Course Goals

  • The student applies organizational skills to successfully focus his/her efforts on the most important aspects of the organization’s work.
  • The student applies organizational tools to measure areas of risk in order to reduce them as much as possible for the organization.
  • The student leverages planning and process tools in order to minimize organizational friction.

Preparatory and/or Class -related Tasks

Required reading (approximately 600 pages).
Read Acts of the Apostles, chapters 1-20, and answer the following questions (minimum 2 page essay):

  • Which varieties of churches were planted, or built up (Always supply Scripture references with answers)?
  • What hindrances did the apostles encounter in their work and how did they overcome them?
  • What understanding may we draw from these passages about church planting and building up churches, and how might we apply them in our situation?
OPEN SEP 02, 2019 – NOV 06, 2019
550 $

Contents of the course in detail

Church Planting and Development
  • What are the various contemporary models for church planting?
  • What are the key differences between mega-churches, house-churches, and parish or neighborhood churches?
  • How do I start a church (vision, strategy, staff team, concept, etc.)?
  • How do I construct a business plan?
  • How do I obtain financing? How do I build up a sponsor team?
  • How do I construct a “marketing funnel"?
  • What is the role of prayer in church planting?
  • Which changes and developments do I have to undergo as a leader in the various phases of church planting and church growth?
  • What are the typical organizational phases, including crises, of a church from initial planting to the point of multiplication (planting another church)?
  • How do I build the founding team? To which areas must I give special attention?
  • How do I facilitate long-term, healthy growth in a church? What are the growth barriers in church life and how can they be overcome?
  • What are key ways to hinder a successful church plant?
  • What is the significance of numbers, numerical goals, and analysis in church planting and church growth?
  • How do I discern which areas, projects, and teams are needed in the various phases of a church plant?
  • What are some of the structural possibilities in a church, e.g. hierarchical leadership, matrix structure, regional leadership, expert structures, etc.?
  • How does the concept of product cycles apply to church planting?
  • What are Lean-Management and Lean Startup, and how are they significant strategies for church planting and church growth?
  • How do I succeed in the first phase of church planting?
  • What is the biblical basis for church planting?
  • Does the church need to grow quantitatively in order to be healthy?
  • How does a star-tup work in the business world, and which parallels are there to effective church planting?
  • What are some helpful start-up case studies that are applicable to church planting?
  • What advantages and disadvantages might a “franchise-model” of church planting have?
  • To what extent should I work together with people, groups, and organizations in a city? Which of these should I seek to work together with?
  • How do I maintain a creative tension between being culturally and civilly engaged, yet not worldly as a church and church leadership?

Faculty

To be announced

Final exam

Online test

Evaluation and Grading

Reading quizzes (20%).
Acts of the Apostles essay (20%).
Term paper (30%).
Final exam (30%).

Preparatory tasks for the students

required reading

Proof of achievement

to be announced

Required Reading

To be announced.

Additional Bibliography

To be announced.