We join a growing number of missionaries who are preparing the mission field of Los Angeles for the radical work of the Holy Spirit often referred to as a church planting movement.  

What is a “church planting movement” (CPM)?  A CPM is the rapid multiplication of indigenous churches planting churches that sweeps through a people group or population segment.   

Our chosen “people group” is East Hollywood, a very diverse neighborhood of Los Angeles that is densely populated by mostly poor immigrants from multiple countries and continents.  If a CPM occurs in East Hollywood, local churches will be rapidly and regularly reproducing multiple new churches among their neighbors as a normal part of being and doing church.  Our vision for this work will be fulfilled if we can only explain it by saying, “God is doing this!”, it is long lasting, and it is not dependent on missionaries to carry on!

Preparing the mission field for a church planting movement is different from traditional church planting.  Rather than thinking of ourselves as church planters, we go in as missionaries who raise up church planters from the harvest.

To put this on a practical level, we see ourselves as a missionary (aka apostolic=sent) team focused on city saturation, rather than as a church planting team focused on getting a great church going around our leadership gifting.  Therefore, we are looking for receptive people in East Hollywood around whom new families can form and start training them in the Jesus-centered lifestyle.  As the Lord leads, as they are able and as soon as possible we will begin multiple churches where it is impossible for us to be present at all the meetings.  This provides us with powerful incentive to function and see our role as drawing out their leadership.  It provides them and the newly forming communities with clear expectation and need to look to Jesus, not the missionaries, as their leader now and in the future.

It is important to note: Missionaries cannot “cause” CPM-type growth to happen with a great model or church structure, as important as these things are.  Rather, church planting movements occur as a result of obedience-based discipleship that sees disciples reproducing disciples, leaders reproducing leaders, and churches reproducing churches.  If this is not happening, it is not CPM.

Disclaimer: There is a part of us that even hesitates to use the term “church planting movement”.

1. The term gets misused a lot in church planter circles.  If you’ve heard of CPM and thought it was a fad, you could have been right.  But we’re not referring to that.  This isn’t about any one ministry tool, church model, or church structure.
2. The term itself can be misleading.  Anytime Christians slap a label on God’s awesome and mysterious movement in the world, it makes it that much easier for us to think we know all there is to know about it, and make it something to package and sell for profit.

So call it what you want.  Our vision is to see disciples reproducing disciples, leaders reproducing leaders, and churches reproducing churches.  The kind of disciples, leaders and churches who love and obey Jesus Christ as a way of life.  Who seek first his kingdom and justice.  Who transform their communities for God’s honor!  We hope you will join us in praying for this movement of the Spirit.

CPMs are happening around the world in surprising places.  To learn more about this movement of the Spirit of God, check out these resources:

• David Watson, Touch Point, The Secret Ingredient for Church Planting, http://www.davidwa.org/node/18 (Nov. 21, 2007).

• Garrison, David.  Church Planting Movements: How God Is Redeeming a Lost World. Bangalore, India: WIGTake Resources, 2004. Available for purchase at www.churchplantingmovements.com.

• Also download free training materials at CPM Training Resources, www.cpmtr.org. 

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*Some content on this page was adapted from materials by David Garrison, David Watson, Paul Watson and Kent Smith (because most truths were discovered by someone else who said it best.)