The Power of Church Planting
Lance Fricke

Lance and Janice Fricke pastor Triumphant Church in Independence Iowa. Lance serves as a district director with RMAI. Lance and Janice serve as the Dynamic Church Planting International North American World Zone Leaders. DCPI offers free training resources used around the world to plant nearly one million churches thus far. For more information about DCPI visit dcpi.org. If you would like to contact the Frickes with questions about DCPI or church planting, their email address is [email protected] or [email protected].Years ago, there was a movie called Pay It Forward where a young boy attempts to change the world with one idea. The idea was not just to pay back a favor to someone who had helped you, but to pay it forward with good deeds done to new people.

Jesus’ idea to change the world was to commission his followers to go into the world and make disciples (Matthew 28:19). Obviously, there is much that is included in the process of making disciples such as salvation, renewing the mind etc. While the process of discipleship may be varied, the primary vehicle Jesus established for this to occur is the local church (Matthew 16:18).

Every local church exists today because someone planted it. I am thankful for the Methodist church that I got saved in. Someone long before I arrived had a vision to plant that church in the community, I grew up in. They in essence paid it forward and it impacted my life. 

I don’t know if this is the last generation, but I do know this is my last generation. I want to do everything I can to not only impact my generation but should Jesus tarry, impact future generations with the gospel. I want to see people saved and discipled into fruit bearing believers. To me, the best way to accomplish this is by paying it forward and planting churches. 

My wife Janice and I are in the process of planting our third church. We have found some incredible help from an organization called Dynamic Church Planting International. DCPI has a vision to plant 5 million churches worldwide. To accomplish this, DCPI has developed numerous tracks of training covering not only why but how to plant churches. 

The primary model DCPI suggests for church planting is a “Mother-Daughter” concept. This is based on the Biblical principle that like produces like. In other words, if cows produce other cows, birds produce other birds, and people produce people, what should churches produce? The Mother-Daughter principle is that it is best for local churches (as opposed to denominations or associations) to plant churches.  

Most of us work within an association, organization, or denomination. The reality is that within any association, organization, or denomination, a certain number of churches die each year. In fact, not a single one of the seven churches mentioned in the book of Revelation is in existence today. 

So, the question is, “Is your association, organization, or denomination of churches worth keeping alive?” If so, then you really have only one course. For if you don’t propagate new churches, one day in the future, your association will completely die out. 

If you believe that your association, organization, or denomination has something to offer the world in the name of Christ, then the way to expand that mission is to plant churches. You must plant churches not only to take the place of the ones that die, but more importantly, to reach the world for Christ. So, plant as many churches as you can!