Micro-Planting: How To Build Grassroots Church Growth

Every corps (local church) needs to be planting and re-planting on a rolling cycle. A corps should be continually reflecting on its embodiment in the local context at a minimum of every ten years. An easy and cost-effective way to keep a corps is through Micro-Planting.

Micro-Planting focuses on grassroots church growth and isn’t dependent on significant funding or on specialists. This isn’t about church planters or pioneers. This is about mobilising the whole body of Christ for the mission of the church through the ordinary, everyday encounters of life.

Who Is Responsible For Church Growth?

We all want to see our corps grow, but sometimes we don’t know where to start. It can be easier to say that it is someone else’s problem, whether that is an employee, the church leader, or the corps members. It’s always easier to say that growth is someone else’s problem.

But church growth, in both numbers and depth, is the responsibility of every Christian.

Sometimes we might feel that we don’t have enough time, skills or knowledge, enough ‘spiritual stuff’ to be able to take on helping our corps to grow. But that simply isn’t true. It is a point of Salvationist doctrine that everyone who believes in Jesus is a witness to the reality of Jesus.

The stories we tell of our faith, our experiences of Jesus, the difference God has made to our lives, are more powerful than any tract or street-corner preacher could ever hope to be. The simple, day to day relationships we build with our friends, family, and colleagues, each tells the story of Christ’s love in us. Even when we don’t explicitly speak about Christ, the way we live can be a witness to who Jesus is.

Church Growth Is More Than Numbers

Church growth is about more than numbers. It is about the quality of faith and faithfulness that we are developing in our lives. Church growth includes how we love each other, how we love our community, and how we love God, all rolled up together.

An increase in numbers attending and engaging with our corps might be a result of these measures. But increasing or decling numbers are neither a tale success or failure. They are simply facts of life. Church growth begins with the space for meeting Jesus in our community.

This is where micro-planting comes in.

What is Micro-Planting?

We tend to think about church planting as a big project, involving lots of money. Or we think it needs plenty of resources. Or that it’s only possible with specially trained and appointed leaders. But some of the most effective planting is through micro-planting.

A micro-plant is a small group or activity, based outside of the corps, that is focused on people who are not currently part of the corps.

This is something you and a couple of friends (or people you don’t like but are going to work with anyway) can do really easily. You can start it overnight, without needing investment, or much long term planning. It’s also not something you have to commit to forever. A micro-plant can just be for a season of time.

Micro-planting can make an impact far above its size or the amount of resources invested. Another name for micro-planting is creating covenantal partnerships. I’ve written more about covenantal partnerships and how to start them here.

How Does Micro-Planting Work?

Micro-planting is done locally.

It is not about going into someone else’s community to start something new. It is does in the area where you live or work. Micro-Planting is done in a community by people who live in that community. It is never ‘done to’ a community, it is always ‘done with.’

This is why it is about grassroots growth. It is not about official positions, leadership initiatives or strategy documents. It is about the work of the Spirit in our lives and communities.

Micro-Planting grows out of observed need as well as the passion of individuals to see the Gospel realised in their community. It draws on the promise that where two or three are gathered, Jesus is there with them (Matthew 18:20). Wherever people gather to fulfil God’s calling, Jesus is there amongst them.

Micro-planting means creating an opportunity for people to come together to worship God, love their neighbours, and find fellowship.

Examples of Micro-Planting

One example of a micro-plant could be you and a friend agreeing to meet together in a coffee shop, café, or pub, to pray together or read the Bible together. This might be weekly, fortnightly, or monthly. You meet together, and start to pray together. Praying for the people you can see, the place where you are, and for the community around you.

Then, invite another friend to it. Maybe you invite along someone from work or another club you go to. “Come and have a coffee with us, we read a bit of the Bible and have a chat about it.”

It becomes an opportunity for people who have never gone to church before and might be too uncomfortable walking into a church service. Then, after a few weeks or months, you could invite them to go to the Army with you.

Another example could be a few friends agreeing to go out one Saturday morning a month to do a litter pick in the local park, or offer to provide some gardening services for people who struggle with mobility.

It could be some people who come together to start a knitting or craft circle in a café where you also talk about God and the Bible. It’s a matter of thinking about what you like to do, what you can do, and who you are friends with who would be interested in doing this with you. Then, being brave enough to go and give it a go.

Grassroots Church Growth

It doesn’t require lots of money or resources, only the confidence to invite some people to join a group and then to talk about Jesus. You don’t need to be able to quote the Bible or know the Gospel stories inside and out. You only need to be able to talk about what Jesus has done in your life, and ask people about their experiences.

But a little bit of confidence, and a willingness to share, can go a long way. The relationships that will form will in time help to lead people to know Jesus for themselves and can link them into the wider church family.

If only a few people in each corps felt confident enough to go and give it a go then it would make a massive difference. Perhaps this is something you could try.

Is there a friend that you could arrange to meet for coffee and bible one a month? Do you have a craft skill you could invite people to come and do together? Give it a try and you will be amazed at what God will do to bless your efforts.

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