BMM’s School of Church Planting (SCP) puts a critical toolbox into the hands of church planters and church revitalizers. This week-long, concentrated training course offers specialized instruction not usually taught in Bible colleges and seminaries. Since 1986, SCP has equipped roughly 725 pastors, laymen, and missionaries to effectively start new churches and renew struggling congregations.

For church planters, SCP set a twofold goal: to help church planters develop a biblical philosophy and to walk them through the nuts and bolts of starting a church from scratch. For church revitalizers, SCP helps them examine their methods against a biblical grid and equips them to strengthen their ministries. 

The school draws upon specialists like Larry Hobbes from Arch Ministries who trains pastors in how to embed discipleship into the DNA of their church rather than relying solely on pulpit preaching or ministries like AWANA. Bibles International missionary Michael Carlyle teaches cross-cultural ministry for churches struggling to know how to engage with their neighborhoods. His courses have proven especially helpful for older churches whose communities have changed demographics from when the church was planted decades earlier. Jon Jenks and Scott Owen from Baptist Church Planters have also lent their insights, addressing tools and tactics for evaluating church health, training leaders, and promoting unity within the Body as a church is brought back to life and health.

Options for 2023

In 2023, the School of Church Planting is hitting the road with custom coursework. In April, SCP instructors will teach the first of three revitalization modules for pastors attending Camp Chetek’s annual Pastor’s Toolbox event in Wisconsin. From May 22–26, pastoral students at Faith Baptist Bible College & Seminary will take a full revitalization module that SCP instructors are bringing to their campus. Pastors are encouraged to audit this class at FBBC.

The School of Church Planting is hosted in churches to keep costs down. This year’s SCP will take place at Maranatha Baptist Church in Grimes, Iowa, on June 5–7. Learn more and sign up at https://bmmschoolofchurchplant...; If you’re a pastor interested in bringing SCP church planting or revitalization training to your church fellowship association meetings, contact BMM at info@bmm.org.