Church Planting Strategy

Hello, my name is Shaun Fink. My wife is Jennifer. We have 6 children ranging in age from 5 to 25.

I came to faith in Jesus Christ 27 years ago and have been working in ministry at different levels for the past 20 years.

My family lives in a suburban area, ever increasingly so, anchored by several small towns.

Our slow paced, easy going way of life is changing rapidly.

Farmland is dwindling and developments are springing up everywhere.

In the town where I reside, Millsboro, over the past ten years there has been a 45% increase in the population. From under 4,000 to almost 7,000.

If you include the greater Millsboro area that number jumps to over 12,000.

The majority of those moving in are coming from metropolitan areas. They were attracted to the slower lifestyle and family friendly atmosphere during a family vacation.

And decided to uproot themselves from the hustle and bustle and live a simpler life.

But they have brought their big city expectations with them, and that is creating a dramatic change to our way of life.

And they just keep coming. The Town of Millsboro is ranked as the fastest growing town in Sussex County based on new housing permits.

With that population growth is coming new businesses, new industries, new service companies.

We are experiencing a sea change that has incredible potential for a vibrant, connected church.

We are also seeing a generational shift. According to the latest census the median age is 39 years old, compared to the 2010 figure of 48.

The area is getting younger and more diverse.

The local school district is planning on building 3 new schools over the next 10 years because of the explosive growth in families with children.

The one thing we are not seeing is a church growth movement that has captured this change in culture.

There is not one gospel preaching church in Millsboro. There are a few within driving distance, but they tend to be lacking in Biblical soundness.

And the churches that are better grounded in their doctrine are more traditional, stuffy and cold.

The rest of the churches in the area are either mainline UMC/Presbyterian or Pentecostal.

This reality jumps out at you when you consider the stats on church attendance.

Of the 6,800 people that live in Millsboro, only 300 attend an evangelical church.

And many of them drive to another town on Sundays. As far at 45-60 minutes away.

62%, or 4,200 of them do not attend church at all.

The fields are truly white for harvest.

And so I am convinced that great opportunity awaits us in Millsboro.

God has been burdening this reality in my heart over the past year.

I am held captive to the call that He has placed on me to plant a church in Millsboro.

But this church must not be just another church that hangs out a shingle and waits for people to show up.

This community is moving and shaking, the church needs to do the same.

We must be right there with them, integrated into the community. Present and engaged.

The vision I have for this church is one that glorifies God by equipping people to be fully devoted followers of Jesus Christ.

A church that is:

Centered on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior

Anchored in the Bible as our Authority in our Christian Life

Grounded in Grace toward both fellow believers and those who are yet to be saved.

Discipling every believer to grow in their faith

Engaged in the community; committed to preaching the gospel and reaching the people

We will start with Bible studies in order to bring in our network of friends and ground them in the Word.

They will be encouraged to invite their friends and we can begin the process of establishing a core group of

people from which we gather our launch team.

Along with time spent in the Word, we will also start volunteering in the community and begin connecting with the people.

From there I see outreach events. BBQ’s on the Town Square, going door to door, activities designed for the kids.

One of my goals is to purchase an enclosed trailer and outfit it so that we can set up a children’s church on wheels.

VBS during the summer, Sunday School on the weekends, and a place for kids to hang out during the several community events that take place each year.

To help with this work, I would like to develop one larger team, comprised of two parts.

The Launch team will prayerfully be comprised of both mature believers and new believers who are excited to be a part of what we are doing.

Of those mature believers, I hope to form a core team that will help with the planning, role development, and logistics.

To find those individuals I plan to reach out to other churches with the hope of partnering for a short term so that they would send members of what will be our SWAT team

We also want to develop a strong social media presence so that we can crowdsource a solid group of motivated people.

The Bible studies will also be a great source for committed workers who already have a feel for the ethos of our group.

Our ideal launch team would include those who are excited to work for The Lord and His church.

Tireless in their efforts, focused on their mission, longsuffering in their endurance.

We are also praying for men and women who are gifted in areas that would support the ministry.

Among those gifts would be evangelism, hospitality, music ministry, children’s ministry, teachers, audio visual, and those adept at social networking.

Of equal importance are individuals who desire to integrate into the community and be active for the sake of loving others, supporting the town, and reaching the lost.

I envision a mix of ages, backgrounds, and ethnicities. Ideally, the majority of the team would be in the 30-50 age range and tied to the Town of Millsboro.

All the while we will be continuing in our studies in order to provide a solid base of truth.

As the group grows, discipleship will begin.

I envision that as having 3 distinct parts that integrate to produce a growing spiritual maturity.

The first part is to Celebrate Big in worship.

This includes worship services, but does not end there.

We want to teach them how to worship God at all times.

How to glorify God in all circumstances, good and bad.

How to cling to His promises and be thankful for His blessings.

The utmost importance of prayer

Learning to trust God for every part of their lives

The second part is to Connect Small in our relationships.

Reading and studying the Bible together,

having conversations and asking questions,

praying together, learning how to pray with and for others

doing recreational activities in groups and one on one.

Learning the necessity of forgiving when we are hurt or wronged

Essentially living out our faith together.

And ultimately we want to see them Engage in the Mission by

discovering their spiritual gifting,

sharing their testimony,

then sharing the gospel,

and finally becoming a discipler themselves.

I want to conclude by answering the question of what “kind” of church this will be.

My vision is to be a missional church, though there seems to be a range of thought as to exactly what that means.

But as I see it, a missional church is one that meets the people where they are, instead of waiting for the people to come to them.

A church that fits the culture in a contextualized way. A church that feels like an extension of the community.

Not to be assimilated into the worldliness, but to celebrate all the different flavors.

A place where everyone feels welcomed, appreciated and loved.

Because of that I don’t have answers to what style of music we will have or what a typical Sunday morning service will look like.

Naturally there is a basic structure to follow, but what the meat will look like once it’s on the bones is going to be determined by the make-up of those who come and worship.

What’s important is that God in honored, Christ is exalted, the lost find their way home, and they grow strong in their faith.

If I could put it into one thought, it would be that I envision a church where those who come have an experience unlike any they have had in church before, and they acknowledge that God is present among us.

Are there any questions?