Factors Leading to a Successful, First Ten-Year Run of Ministry: Maximizing the Impact of New Church Plants

by Kirk Romberg
April 23rd, 2017
It has often been stated by church planting specialists and denomination officials that for every five new churches that are started, only one develops into a healthy, growing, reproducing congregation. While this is a very general statement, statistical information that has been gathered throughout the course of this project would suggest a degree of accuracy. If this is indeed the case, much work has yet to be done to minimize the failure rate and maximize the success of new church plants. This thesis project will examine essential ingredients for successful new church plants. Foundational issues will be addressed such as the pastor's suitability for the task of planting and the kinds of effective assimilation and growth strategies needed in the early life and development of a new work. A study will be done to determine the essential elements for new church life needed for a healthy, growing ministry. Critical issues for the first years of ministry will be considered including topics such as vision and objectives for ministry, ministry master planning, leadership development, community outreach, and prayer. In addition to a review of current literature on the topic, this project will also include input from pastors and other key leaders of successful church plants. It is the goal of this thesis to answer the following research question: 'What factors lead to a successful, first ten-year run of ministry?' In answering this question, the project will also determine what constitutes a successful ministry and how that is determined at the ten year mark.