15 church planting resources for success

February 29, 2024

Starting a church can be daunting yet very rewarding work. Aspiring planters face many challenges, from finding a suitable location to building a supportive community. However, armed with the right tools, support, and resources, the journey becomes more manageable and fulfilling. 

Let’s explore the most essential church planting resources including books, online tools, and media resources—each offering valuable insights, guidance, and inspiration for church planters.

15 fundamental church planting resources

Inspirational church planting books

Books about starting a church allow us to learn important lessons and principles from the experience of church leaders who have gone before us. Let’s take a look at some of these books that are so important to church-planting pioneers. 

Planting Missional Churches by Ed Stetzer & Daniel Im

Ed Stetzer and Daniel Im, prominent figures in the area of church planting, offer practical advice and strategies for establishing thriving missional communities. Their book covers crucial aspects like vision casting, team building, and relating to your community.

Church Planting Movements: How God Is Redeeming a Lost World by David Garrison

David Garrison explores the dynamics of church planting movements (CPMs) worldwide. He provides invaluable insights into effective strategies for exponential growth and impact. This book is a must-read for planters seeking sustainable multiplication.

Launch: Starting a New Church from Scratch by Nelson Searcy & Kerrick Thomas

This is a comprehensive guide for church planters embarking on the journey of starting a new church. Drawing from their extensive church development experience and leadership, Searcy and Thomas provide practical insights, step-by-step strategies, and actionable principles for launching a successful church from the ground up.

Related resource: Top 10 church planting books for aspiring leaders 

Beautiful church plant media, logos, & graphics

An important component of establishing your church plant’s identity is to create a church brand. Let’s take a look at some free resources for beautiful church media like graphics, logos, and videos to help your church plant create a unique look and feel. 

Subsplash | Church Plant Media Kit 

Find free church logos, graphics, slides, and more for church plants—all made by professional designers which can be easily customized within Canva to match your church plant’s brand and style. 

Canva | Church logo templates

Canva offers free, customizable logo templates tailored for churches, allowing planters to create professional-quality logos with ease. Additionally, Canva provides a wide range of design tools, graphics, and fonts to enhance branding and communication efforts.

Wepik | Church logo templates 

Similar to Canva, Wepik offers a diverse collection of church logo templates, empowering church planters to craft visually compelling branding materials. With its user-friendly interface and extensive library of design assets, Wepik simplifies the process of creating impactful logos.

More free church media resources:

Essential digital tools for church planters

For thousands of years, church launches were limited to reaching people around their physical location. Fortunately, pastors of budding ministries today have access to powerful technology to reach, engage, and disciple people more than ever before. Let’s explore three of these crucial tools: 

Website builder

A user-friendly website builder empowers church planters to create and maintain a professional-looking website without advanced technical skills. A well-designed website serves as a central hub for information about the church, including service times, location, beliefs, and upcoming events. Church planters can also use church website templates to create a space for sharing sermons, blog posts, and resources to nurture and engage their congregation.

Online giving platforms

The best online giving platforms facilitate secure and convenient online donations, making it easier for church planters to receive financial support from their congregation. By offering multiple payment options and customizable donation forms, you can encourage regular giving as well as collect tithes, offerings, and special donations. These will help fund new ministry expenses and support community outreach efforts.

Church communication software

Church communication software enables church planters to communicate with their congregation effectively. For example, church planters on the Subsplash Platform can create and send targeted emails, share instant messages, send text messages (SMS), as well as in-app push notifications—all from a single dashboard! This means church planters can send newsletters, event invitations, prayer requests, and discipleship resources directly to their members with ease. They can also segment their email list to deliver personalized messages based on interests, demographics, or engagement level.

Related reading: Why church leaders choose Subsplash’s unified platform

Insightful online church planting resources

Here are some valuable online resources to help you stay up to date on the latest church planting trends, encouraged in your journey, as well as inspired to try new innovative approaches to launching a church. 

ChurchPlanting.com

This helpful website offers a wealth of articles, interviews, and church resources covering various aspects of starting a church, from leadership development to discipleship strategies. It serves as a valuable online hub for planters seeking practical insights and inspiration.

Exponential

As a popular church planting organization, Exponential, provides a vast array of resources—including articles, podcasts, and conference materials—focused on sparking church multiplication movements. Planters can access valuable tools and connect with a supportive community of like-minded leaders.

NewChurches.com

If you’re looking for a treasure trove of resources curated specifically for church planters—including blog posts, podcasts, and training modules—check out NewChurches.com. Whether you’re a novice planter or a seasoned leader, this platform provides valuable insights and practical advice.

Church planting networks

As any ministry pioneer can tell you, it’s easier to plant a church when you have support of other like-minded people around you. Fortunately, there are many church-planting organizations that are available to partner with you, such as:

Acts 29 Network

Acts 29 Network provides planters with a supportive network of churches and leaders committed to gospel-centered missions and church planting. Church planters can become equipped for sustainable ministry impact through their training events, church resources, and coaching.

Association of Related Churches (ARC)

ARC is a network that supports new church plants by providing comprehensive resources, practical training, and ongoing mentorship to equip leaders for success. Through strategic partnerships, financial assistance, and a collaborative community, they enable church planters to thrive in their mission of reaching and transforming communities for Christ.

Related resource: 10 church planting networks to help support your new ministry

Subsplash is here to help with your church plant

Church planting requires careful planning, steadfast commitment, and a willingness to embrace both challenges and opportunities. By leveraging the wealth of resources available—from insightful books to online platforms and media tools—planters can navigate with confidence and effectiveness. 

Whether you’re embarking on a new planting journey or seeking to revitalize an existing church, Subsplash can help equip you for success and enable you to fulfill God’s calling with excellence.

To discover why over 17,000 churches and organizations partner with Subsplash,  [.blog-contact-cta]schedule a free consultation with our team today! [.blog-contact-cta]

Author

Jeff Harvey, Guest Author
www.subsplash.com

Jeff lives in Austin, TX and is a husband, father, and bonsai enthusiast. He’s served churches for over 20 years as a pastor, teacher, and missionary. He also holds a MBA from George Fox University and is fluent in Portuguese and Spanish.

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