7 Essential Steps for Planting and Growing New Churches

To effectively reach new territory and establish a growing church, you must begin with personal consecration, combine health work with the gospel ministry, and educate every member to become a missionary19MR 47.2+2.

Reaching new territory requires the following essential steps:

1. Personal Preparation and Consecration: Before laboring for others, your first work is to bring your own heart into harmony with God through humble prayer and a thorough study of the Word19MR 47.2+1. True success depends on a daily, living experience in the school of Christ, where you learn His meekness and lowliness of heart1SAT 33.1+1.

2. Utilize Medical Missionary Work as a Pioneer Agency: Medical missionary work is the "breaking-up plow" and the "helping hand" of the gospel ministry, designed to break down prejudice and open doors to homes that would otherwise remain closedSpM 170+1. You should begin with the conveniences at hand, treating the sick and using nature’s remedies to relieve suffering, which creates opportunities to share the message of salvationMM 239.4+1.

3. Establish Small Plants Outside of Cities: Rather than centering all resources in one location, you are to establish small plants and sanitariums in many different places, preferably outside of large citiesLLM 57.3+1. These institutions serve as centers of light to reach all classes of people and prepare the way for the Lord's comingCCh 309.1+1.

4. Engage the Youth and Use Literature: Church officers should identify and encourage promising youth to enter missionary fields, as they adapt easily to new climates and hardshipsGW 84.1+1. Training them to distribute literature and engage in the canvassing work is a most effective way to drop the seeds of truth into good soil19MR 4.2+1.

5. Educate Every Church Member: Making disciples involves teaching every believer how to labor for others so the church can grow even without the constant presence of a ministerPaM 226.2+1. Members should be educated to visit neighbors, hold Bible readings, and minister to the necessities of both the body and the soulCME 42.4+1.

6. Organize for Harmonious Action: Workers should be organized under a name to cooperate in harmonious action, ensuring the work is carried forward in simplicity and strict economyCME 17.2+1. As companies of believers are raised up, they must be taught that it is from among them that men will be taken to carry the truth to new areas and plant additional churchesPH123 101.2+1.

7. Sustaining Growth through Foreign Missions: Maintaining a liberal, self-sacrificing spirit for foreign missions brings a reflex influence that advances the prosperity of the home missionary workChS 170.3+1.

It Removes Prejudice—Medical missionary work is the pioneer work of the gospel, the door through which the truth for this time is to find entrance to many homes.... A demonstration of the principles of health reform will do much tow...— Ev 513.5 (1946)

As churches are established, it should be set before them that it is even from among them that men must be taken to carry the truth to others, and raise new churches; therefore, they must all work, and cultivate to the very utmost the talents God has given them, ...— PH123 101.2 (1872)

...ined that Christian physicians and nurses shall labor in connection with those who preach the Word. The medical missionary work is to be bound up with the gospel ministry.—The Review and Herald, September 10, 1908— CME 42.4 (1933)

...e plans that shall result in the perfecting of the experience of all who shall come into the faith. We must teach the members of the church how they may effectually minister to others. In ministering to others, men and women may be educated to bear burdens, to wear the yoke of Christ...— RH March 7, 1893, par. 7 (1851)

In the establishment and carrying forward of the work, the strictest economy is ever to be shown. Workers are to be employed who will be producers as well as consumers. In no case is money to be in...— CH 319.1 (1923)

...r the well-being of the people of God. The discourses given are to be followed with personal labor. A work may be done by visiting people in their homes, and speaking helpful, encouraging words to them, which will be far more effective than the work done by preaching— RH January 31, 1899, par. 2 (1851)