Church planting is not reserved for megachurches with large budgets and full-time staff. Some of the most effective church plants in history were launched by small, resource-limited congregations that understood one thing: the Great Commission does not have a minimum attendance requirement.
This hub collects every resource MinistryPlace has published on church planting, organized by where you are in the process. Whether you are just beginning to sense a call or you are ready to launch, start here.
1. Assessing the Call to Plant
Before you plant, you need to know whether you are called to plant. Not every pastor is a church planter. Not every church is ready to send. These resources help you assess both.
Church Planting Resources for Small Churches
Overview of the landscape, key networks, and how to get started
Church Planting
How to Build a Church Planting Network
How small churches can build or join a network to share the load
Church Planting
Called to Small Church Ministry? What You Need to Know Before You Apply
Honest assessment of what ministry calling looks like in practice
Free Guide
The Send Network (NAMB) and Acts 29 both offer church planter assessment processes. These are not gatekeeping, they are tools to help you understand your strengths, gaps, and readiness before you commit.
2. Building Your Church Planting Team
No one plants alone. The team you build before launch is one of the strongest predictors of a plant’s long-term health. These resources help you identify, recruit, and develop your core team.
Building a Church Planting Team: Who You Need and How to Find Them
Roles, recruitment, and what to look for in core team members
Church Planting
Volunteer Management for Small Churches
How to recruit, train, and retain volunteers in a new church context
Volunteers
Volunteer Recruitment in Small Churches
Practical strategies for finding people willing to serve
Volunteers
Small Group Ministry in Small Churches
How to build community structures that sustain a new congregation
Small Groups
3. Choosing a Location and Community
Where you plant matters as much as how you plant. These resources help you think through community context, demographics, and the specific challenges of rural and small-town church planting.
Rural Church Planting: A Realistic Guide
What makes rural planting different and how to approach it well
Rural Church
The Rural Brain Drain and the Church
How to minister in communities losing young people
Rural Church
The Surprising Strengths of the Rural Church
What rural churches do better than anyone else
Rural Church
Evangelism Tools for Small Churches: What Actually Works
Community presence, personal witness, and outreach tools for new churches
Outreach
4. Funding Your Church Plant
Money is one of the most common reasons church plants fail. These resources help you think through funding strategy, compensation, and financial sustainability.
Church Plant Funding: How to Finance a New Church
Funding models, partnership structures, and what to expect
Church Planting
What to Pay a Bi-Vocational Pastor
Compensation guidance for planters who work outside the church
Bi-Vocational
How to Create a Church Financial Policy
Protecting your plant with clear financial governance from day one
Free Guide
5. Partnering with a Network
Church planting networks provide funding, coaching, accountability, and community. These resources help you find and join the right one.
How to Build a Church Planting Network
How to build or join a network as a small church
Church Planting
How to Sponsor a Church Replant
How established churches can support struggling congregations
Free Guide
Church Mergers: A Practical Guide for Small Churches
When merging is the right path forward
Free Guide
of new churches reach people who were previously unchurched (NAMB, 2023)
average time for a church plant to reach financial self-sufficiency
typical small church contribution to a church plant partnership
6. Launching and Sustaining the Plant
Launch day is not the finish line, it is the starting line. These resources help you build the systems, culture, and pastoral practices that sustain a new church through its first critical years.
How to Build a Church Visitor Follow-Up System
Turn first-time guests into connected members from day one
Free Guide
How to Write a Church Membership Covenant
Set clear expectations for belonging from the beginning
Free Guide
How to Choose Worship Songs for a Small Church
Building a worship culture that serves your congregation
Worship
Ministry Forms Every Small Church Needs
The paperwork foundation every new church needs from day one
Free Guide
7. Bi-Vocational Church Planting
Most small church plants are led by bi-vocational pastors. These resources are written specifically for planters who work outside the church.
Bi-Vocational Pastor Resources: A Complete Guide
Hub page for all bi-vocational ministry content
Bi-Vocational
Ministry Burnout: Warning Signs, Causes, and a Path Forward
Recognizing and addressing burnout before it ends your ministry
Free Guide
Start with the church planting network guide to understand how small churches can share the load. Then work through the assessment resources to clarify your call. Every church plant begins with a conversation, start yours today.