A Church-Based, Church Planting Initiative

By Mark Fugere

Here is a snapshot of collaboration between churches with a desire to see a church planting movement launched among an un-reached people group (UPG - a people in which there is no indigenous Christians or insufficient numbers of indigenous Christians able to evangelize their people). The journey began eight years ago. It is my hope that this will serve as a catalyst for people to begin asking God what He may desire to initiate on a global scale through their church.

1. God sized Dream – This was the critical first step, where a vision would begin to take shape as the dream is nurtured and encouraged, or dismissed and discouraged. We must dare to pursue God given dreams for the sake of His glory.
2. Church Leadership – At this point the dream was shared and the godly counsel of church leadership was sought. Here the dream in seed form was presented to the Mission teams, Senior Pastors and Elder Boards of our churches. If this were to be more than a dream it would require the ownership and input of the local church leaders. As leaders we should be looking for those within our churches that the Lord is using to stretch us to potentially join Him in a new initiative.
3. Commitment – Next the decision was formally made by the churches leadership to embrace the vision of initiating a church planting movement among an un-reached people group. A written agreement was developed between churches, missionaries and mission organizations.
4. Exploration – This was the step where active engagement of leaders and the congregations became tangible. A team of leaders from partnering churches were sent to visit a number of UPG’s and mission organizations on the mission field as the congregations answered the call to pray.
5. UPG Selected – A formal adoption Sunday was held where we committed ourselves, our churches and our resources to doing all that we could to see this people group with healthy reproducing churches planted among them.



This initiative was rooted in the seedbed of a course called Perspectives on the World Christian Movement. Out of this the Lord planted the dream in the hearts of two people from two congregations to see their churches engaged in reaching an UPG. From this simple beginning the Lord has brought together four local congregations and a church from N.E. India that are praying and seeking the Lord together for His glory among the Brou people of Cambodia. What might the Lord desire to do through your church? As you seek to collaborate with the Lord and other evangelical churches; taking the initiative to fulfilling your part in God’s global mission; you just may discover a deeper level of commitment, a greater sense of ownership and the reason that our churches have been so richly blessed. That we might be a blessing to the nations for the glory of God (Psalm 67).

Your thoughts or questions?