At Send Network, we’re driven by one mission: helping churches plant churches everywhere for everyone. It’s not just what we do—it’s who we are. Together, as a family of churches, we’re joining God in His redemptive work to expand His kingdom in North America and the nations.
Church planting isn’t a side activity or an optional ministry strategy—it’s the heartbeat of the New Testament. Through church planting, we step into the same mission Paul and the early church embraced: engaging cities with the gospel, making disciples, raising up leaders, and seeing God’s kingdom expand across cities, cultures, countries, and continents.
Why Healthy Church Planters Matter
We can’t see a movement of healthy, multiplying churches without faithful and effective church planters. Planting a church is no small task. It’s one of the most challenging and rewarding callings in ministry. To carry out that calling well, a church planter needs more than a compelling vision or charismatic personality—they need a foundation built on essential qualities that equip them for faithful and effective ministry.
When a planter grows into maturity in areas like spiritual health and leadership, his ministry becomes rooted in something far greater than personal ambition or fleeting strategies. It reflects the steady, transformative work of God through a life surrendered to Him. This kind of ministry may not always look flashy or move at the pace we expect, but it is marked by passion, resilience, faithfulness, and desperate dependence on God.
The Nine Essentials of a Faithful and Effective Church Planter
Over the past year, Send Network has taken the time to identify nine essential qualities that form the foundation for long-lasting, impactful ministry. These aren’t merely competencies to master—they’re qualities that reflect a life surrendered to Jesus and aligned with His mission.
Heart — your identity as a disciple of Christ should fuel all ministry and growth.
Relationships — healthy relationships, especially in marriage, build a strong, collaborative ministry.
Calling — confidence in God’s calling sustains you through the challenges of planting.
Theology — know your Bible and defend sound doctrine with humility and clarity.
Mission — church planting is about engaging the gospel, making disciples, and multiplying churches.
Teaching — teach and apply Scripture faithfully, exalting Christ in every message.
The Church — understand the church’s purpose and care for it as Christ does.
The Nations — keep a global vision, pursuing partnerships for the gospel beyond your city.
Practical Leadership — lead teams, services, and people with wisdom and practical leadership skills.
These qualities define a church planter committed to walking with God, leading with integrity, and faithfully joining in God’s mission of expanding His kingdom through planting multiplying churches everywhere for everyone.
Prayer is the essential among the essentials. Each of these qualities must be fleshed out in deep dependence on the Father which manifests itself through passionate and persistent personal and corporate prayer.
As we develop leaders with a desperation for God, strong hearts, deep theology, and a passion for Christ’s mission, we are raising up faithful church planters who will join in on God’s kingdom for generations to come.
The Moment God Called Me to Church Planting
As followers of Christ, God’s primary call on our lives isn’t ministry—it’s intimacy. Ministry is what overflows out of our intimacy with God. That was one of the first lessons I learned in my own church-planting journey.
I still remember the moment God called me to church planting. I was spending my morning in a devotional time with God when I came across Luke 4:43 where Jesus says, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns as well; for I was sent for this purpose.”
It was in that moment that I realized that Jesus had a passion for the kingdom of God to be expanded in cities and nations all over the world. I called my wife to pray with me and we put our “yes” to God on the table. We didn’t know where or when, but we wanted to join in His kingdom activity.
Two weeks later, God filled in the blank with Las Vegas and for over 20 years, we had the privilege of seeing God’s kingdom activity through church planting. We saw thousands come to faith, churches planted up and down the West Coast, and missionaries sent to four continents.
Joining in God’s Kingdom Activity
God is at work expanding His kingdom, and He invites us to join Him. Churches flourish under the leadership of spiritually vibrant, humble shepherds who focus on God’s kingdom, not their own glory. We minister best from a place of health, relying on God’s power rather than our own gifts or efforts. None of us can plant a healthy, multiplying church alone, but when we embrace these nine essentials, we lean into God’s sanctifying work.
My prayer is that these nine essentials will guide churches and leaders in raising up Christ-centered planters who are committed to God’s kingdom expansion. Let’s join God in His kingdom activity across North America and around the world so that many more will know the joy of walking with Him.
To take the deep dive into the Essentials of a Faithful and Effective Church Planter, check out Send Network’s 9-part video series and learn how these key qualities shape a thriving ministry.
Published February 4, 2025