Exponential: Tom Jones & Troy McMahon – Breakout Session 6, “Finding the Funds for Reproduction”

Tom Jones works for Stadia, a church planting organization.
Troy McMahon pastors New Thing Network’s newest church plant, Restore Community Church in Kansas City, MO.

How are churches initially financed?

1. The Mother Church Concept
2. The Association Method
   • A group of churches committed to church planting.
   • Each church may not be strong enough on their own, but together they can plant.
   • This sometimes happens through districts, states or on the national level
3. Denominational church planting
4. The Network concept
   • Networks are geared specifically toward reproducing.
   • Networks bring different churches together to help plant churches.
5. Self-Support church planting
   • The church planter funds himself/herself on their own.
     • This is often done where the lead church planter is bi-vocational.
     • The other approach is where the church planter raises their own financial support.
6. Lay Launch teams
7. Start-up businesses that will support start-up churches.
8. Legacy Churches
   • Dying churches closing down and investing their resources into future church plants.
9. Christian business leaders and wealthy families and individuals.
10. New churches to tithe-back their offerings from day one.
11. Reproducing Multi-Site Strategy

RESOURCE-RAISING SUGGESTIONS FOR REPRODUCING CHURCHES:

1. Make sure you are clear about your call and vision.  Questions to answer:
   • What do I feel called to do?
   • Where do I feel called to do it?
   • Why there?
   • Why me?
   • When are we going to do that?
   • Who is partnering with us?
   • How much money will it take?
   • How can others partner with us?
   • Does my vision touch people’s hearts.
2. Start with a team, and then require every member to raise funds.
   • Your network increases the more people you get involved.
   • If members of your team are leaving staff positions at other churches – challenge them to leave well!
3. Create a quality communication piece and a website that clearly states who you are, what you want to do, and what you want the giver to do.
   • People that will be investing in your church plant are used to seeing results and having options.
   • Ask people/churches for more than you think they can give – stretch them.
4. Make an exhuastive list of individuals (friends, relatives, classmates, acquaintances), churches and organizations that might support you.
   • Who is in your life that will become passionate about this vision?
   • You would be surprised how many people will support you – all you have to do is ask.
5. Once you create the list – Work the list!
6. Ask for continued support (monthly) and one-time gifts.
   • If someone gives once, they will always give again if asked in the proper way toward the rigth project.
7. Have in mind what you want churches and individuals to give.  Ask for a specific amount, and always ask for mre than you think you will get.
   • Be specific.
   • Ask them for more than you know they are able to give.
8. Don’t give up.  If someone says ‘no’, ask again and keep asking.
   • No is just No for right now.
9. When someone says ‘yes’, over communicate your thanks.
10. Send updates about what is going on.  Communication is everything.
11. Always ask supporters to come visit.  Always ask them to pray.  Communicate that you don’t just want their money.
12. People have different pockets for different things.  Be creative in trying to get people to open their pockets.
    • People will want to give to different things – money for: salary, projects, other specific needs.
    • Use auctions to allow people to invest.
    • Make sure you have the ability to receive stocks.
13. Make a goal to be self-supporting within 2-5 years, and communicate that to supporters.
    • Lay-out this plan.
14. Haev a good system of receiveing and receipting gifts in a timely and accurate mannery.  Commincate that system to supportes.
15. Create a fundraising team.
16. If at all possible allow 6-12 months to raise resources before you go to the field.
17. Resource/fundraising is rarely about money.  It is almost always about leadership.
18. The importance of Creating a Reproducing DNA.

Suggested Reading: Church Planting from the Ground Up