An Effective Model to Build a Movement
A3 has developed a proven model in Japan to help launch a church multiplication movement across that nation.
Link Between Leader Development and Church Multiplication
A3 starts with developing leaders. Why? We foster a vision for church multiplication as we develop pastors in the context of a learning community. Over the two-year in-service leadership development sessions within regional training networks, pastors begin to see the need to be church multipliers. Often they come into our program with a mega-church vision, but they graduate with a multi-church vision.
Three-Year Cycle of Church Planting by Networking
Once pastors are ready to move into church planting, we network three or more of these pastors together. They meet together for 3-4 years, during which time each pastor (and their congregation) aims to reproduce a new congregation.
WHY IS THIS IMPORTANT?
Ultimately, church planting is a difficult task. If you are doing it alone, it can be terribly discouraging. But if you network church planters together, they support one another. They hold each other accountable to fulfill the vision and calling from God. They teach each other and share effective strategies and ideas. They pray for one another. And this added support can make all the difference, serving as a safeguard to avoid discouragement and burnout.
Sometimes with Missionaries, Sometimes Without
In certain situations, A3 comes alongside them with missionaries to help them achieve their vision to multiply churches. In 80% of the networks, we do not use missionaries, which makes the model much more reproducible. When missionaries are used, they serve as catalysts. In both cases, this is contrary to the model most mission agencies and church planters have employed in Japan.
You might be asking, "How has it been done in the past?"
Typical Model of Missionary Church Planting
1. MISSIONARY PLANTS CHURCH
2. THEN TRANSITIONS IT TO A JAPANESE PASTOR
Traditionally, missionaries in Japan would go into a new area to work alone as an individual missionary or as a missionary family. Often times they would work for many years to gather together a small congregation. They would then spend many more years trying to develop a Japanese pastor who could assume the leadership. In many cases, the congregation would not experience any further growth once this leadership transition had been made.
Why little growth? There are likely many factors for why a church doesn't grow. But likely in cases of these kinds of church plants in Japan, a key reason is that there is a type of person who is particularly attracted to a foreign pastor. A church planted by a foreigner attracts Japanese people with international interest; they don't do as well attracting the majority of the Japanese public.
So once a Japanese pastor takes over, the emphasis is a little different, and thus, the attraction isn't the same. Many church members leave for another church with more international flavor, leaving the Japanese congregation with fewer members. Critical mass is often not achieved under the new pastor.
As a result of this dynamic, church planting was often seen as a lonely, tedious, and relatively fruitless endeavor. But there is a different approach.
The A3 Model of Church Multiplication
In that context, A3 developed a model for missionaries to work in partnership with and under the leadership of visionary and capable pastors. From the very first day of a church multiplication project, it was known that a Japanese leader was already in place to provide the ongoing leadership for the church. It was also known that the project had a limited duration of just three years.
Thus, with a clear vision and with strong partnerships, A3 has been able to accelerate the process and increase the fruitfulness of church multiplication by linking church planting missionaries and congregations into cohesive teams led by Japanese.
CHURCH MULTIPLICATION MADE EASIER
Rev. Jiro Chida, leader of the Church Multiplication project A3 initiated in Yamagata, Japan was in a network with four other Japanese pastors. Each pastor intended to multiply his own congregation. Midway through the three-year project, he pronounced to his fellow colleagues:
"Mitsu no kyokai ga areba, kantan ni dekiru!
In English... "If you have just three churches, you can do [church multiplication] easily."
Networking Pastors and Churches for Multiplication
In context, Rev. Chida's made the point that even though church planting/multiplication is hard work, it is made "doable," relatively simple and enjoyable when you are part of a network of pastors doing it simultaneously.
Slightly surprised, then A3 president, Doug Birdsall asked him to repeat the statement in order to see if he understood the claim the pastor was making. Pastor Chida did so readily and cheerfully. A dynamic equivalent translation would be:
"Any group of pastors and churches can multiply churches... if they just do it together. It's not rocket science!"
It shouldn't be surprising, then, that each of those five congregations did multiply within two-and-one-half years. And one year later, the parent churches and the new church plants are preparing to multiply again.
When you start seeing granddaughter churches, now THAT's church multiplication.
Photo credit: Small group photo by Sincerely Media on Unsplash
Church Multiplication Model
- A Japanese pastor's perspective of A3's church planting model
- Church Planting by Networking, an article on the Yamagata Project
- Church Multiplication Network Map
- Church Planting Partnerships
Short-Term and Long-Term Mission Trips to Japan
There are four ministry programs, depending on the length you can serve:
- Short Term Teams (2-3 weeks)
- Vision Trips (up to 1 month)
- Internships (up to 3 months)
- Long Term (2+ years)
For more information, articles, blog posts, and service opportunities to serve check out visit go2japan...
