Digital Commons @ George Fox University Doctor of Ministry Theses and Dissertations 3-1-2015 Sustainable Church Planting: A Missional Approach Brandon Hempel George Fox University, [email protected] This research is a product of the Doctor of Ministry (DMin) program at George Fox University. Find out more about the program. Recommended Citation Hempel, Brandon, "Sustainable Church Planting: A Missional Approach" (2015). Doctor of Ministry. Paper 106. http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/dmin/106 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital Commons @ George Fox University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Ministry by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ George Fox University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. GEORGE FOX UNIVERSITY SUSTAINABLE CHURCH PLANTING: A MISSIONAL APPROACH A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF GEORGE FOX EVANGELICAL SEMINARY IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF MINISTRY By BRANDON HEMPEL PORTLAND, OREGON MARCH 2015 Copyright © 2015 Brandon K. Hempel All rights reserved. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are taken from the New International Version Bible, copyrighted 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011, by Biblica, Inc. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS .................................................................................................. v ABSTRACT ....................................................................................................................... vi INTRODUCTION: MIND THE GAP ........................................................................... 1 Peering Into the Gap ......................................................................................................3 PART ONE DEFINING A MISSIONAL CHURCH PLANTING PHILOSOPHY ..... 9 CHAPTER ONE OPERATING SYSTEMS ............................................................... 10 Defining “Missional” ...................................................................................................12 The Church Operating System .....................................................................................15 Extraction ...............................................................................................................16 Facilities .................................................................................................................18 Cash Flow ..............................................................................................................19 Attendance .............................................................................................................20 COS and Church Planting ............................................................................................21 Planning .................................................................................................................21 Fundraising ............................................................................................................22 Recruiting ...............................................................................................................23 Launching ..............................................................................................................24 The Discipleship Operating System.............................................................................25 Discipleship............................................................................................................26 Relationship ...........................................................................................................27 Incarnation .............................................................................................................27 Mission ...................................................................................................................28 Church Planting and DOS ............................................................................................29 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................30 CHAPTER TWO: THE PROGRAMING LANGUAGE FOR DOS .......................... 32 Jesus the Disciple Maker .............................................................................................33 Missio Dei Then ...........................................................................................................35 Missio Dei Now ...........................................................................................................36 DOS in the New Testament .........................................................................................37 Jesus Disciples the Future Church Plant Leaders ..................................................39 A Metanarrative of Acts.........................................................................................41 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................53 CHAPTER THREE WHY MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES? ..................................... 55 Why Use an MC For Church Planting? .......................................................................58 Traditional COS Planting Struggles.............................................................................60 What Do the Experts Say? ...........................................................................................66 What I Believe on the Matter .......................................................................................69 PART TWO: MISSIONAL-COMMUNITY-DRIVEN CHURCH PLANTING ........ 72 CHAPTER FOUR: FOUNDATIONS ......................................................................... 73 iii MC Underpinnings.......................................................................................................76 Underpinning 1 – DOS ..........................................................................................77 Underpinning 2 – Mission-al .................................................................................79 Underpinning 3 – Oikos .........................................................................................82 Underpinning 4 – Lightweight and Low Maintenance ..........................................83 Underpinning 5 – Gather and Scatter.....................................................................87 Conclusion ...................................................................................................................88 CHAPTER FIVE: THE PATH TO SUSTAINABILITY ............................................ 90 Sustainable Structure ...................................................................................................93 Sustainable Finances ....................................................................................................95 Sustainable Families ....................................................................................................99 Sustainable Ministry ..................................................................................................103 Conclusion .................................................................................................................106 CHAPTER SIX: MISSIONAL PASTOR PRE-REQUISITES ................................. 108 Untraditional Mindset ................................................................................................112 Tent Makers ...............................................................................................................115 Capacity for Discipleship ...........................................................................................118 Your Zip Code is Your Office ...................................................................................120 Low Church – High Relational ..................................................................................123 Conclusion .................................................................................................................125 CHAPTER SEVEN: FINAL THOUGHTS: MOVING FORWARD ....................... 127 APPENDIX A – The Experts’ Voices ............................................................................ 132 APPENDIX B – Why I’ve Chosen Missional Communities .......................................... 133 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 136 iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS My heart is filled with gratitude for all of the opportunities God has given me amidst my turbulent life. I thank him for the ability to learn, the opportunity to further my education, and for the work he’s done with me on his potter’s wheel. I am especially thankful to my family as well for their support as I went from master’s degree right into doctor of ministry degree. My mother, Beverly Hempel, held down my home front every single time I needed to travel or get away to focus on school work. Thank you, Mom; you are truly the greatest and most sacrificial person I know. You are nothing short of a true blessing. And to my children, Noah, Faith, and Chloe, who have endured my long hours of study and research, you three are my greatest fan club ever. You’ve cheered me on, told me you’re proud of me, and pushed me when I was tired. You three are so precious to me and I am so thankful for your support, your love, and your help through this journey. I love you all very much. And finally, I am very thankful for the staff at George Fox University. To my mentor,