When considering the work of church planting, it is always important to keep the final goal in mind. Lutheran church planting, after all, is not simply an effort to bring together people who share a common set of interests or a particular cultural or ethnic heritage. Rather, Lutheran church planting begins with the Holy Scriptures. “On this rock,” Jesus said, referring to Peter’s confession that He is the Christ, “I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Matt. 16:18). This immediately makes clear to us that Jesus is the one who is building the church, and He Himself is the cornerstone.
Jesus’ continued work in this world is the guiding theological principle behind LCMS Church Planting. This is why, when thinking about church planting, we often refer to 1 Corinthians 3:6: “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.” This biblical perspective on church planting allows us to move forward in a way that is in keeping with our Lutheran Confessions as well. We are reminded in the Augsburg Confession that the church, broadly defined, is “the congregation of saints in which the Gospel is purely taught and the Sacraments are correctly administered” (AC VII). Additionally, AC VIII states, “Strictly speaking, the Church is the congregation of saints and true believers.” The church belongs to Christ, and He is the one who brings growth and life to her.
Yet we must understand that this is not an invitation to laziness or lack of zeal. Rather, we see from both 1 Timothy 2:3–4 and 2 Peter 3:9 that God desires all people to repent and be saved. This is no mere baseless desire or vain hope. Christ has called His people to come with Him on His mission. In John 20:21, Jesus tells His disciples that He is sending them, just as He was sent by the Father. And what does He send them to do? In the very next verse, our Lord gives His apostles (“sent ones”) the authority to forgive and retain sins, something that Jesus first promised in Matthew 16 when He spoke of establishing His church. Truly, the proclamation of the forgiveness of sins and the establishment of the church are inseparably linked. They are linked because it is in and through the church that the forgiveness of sins is proclaimed. This is reinforced by our Lord, who also tells His followers that the Gospel will be preached throughout the world (see Matt. 24:14 and Mark 13:10).
As we continue to read the New Testament, it becomes clear that this church established by Jesus Christ is greater than the temple in Jerusalem. During the first century, Jewish communities throughout the Roman empire had synagogues for local gatherings, but for the big festivals of faith, the faithful were expected to travel to Jerusalem. In this way, the synagogue was merely a place holder that would direct people to the temple. But in the Christian church, things are different. Jesus says that He is the true Temple that He would raise in three days (John 2:19). Jesus also teaches that His presence is not limited to a single location, but rather, as He tells His people in Matthew 18:20, “Where two or three are gathered in My name, there am I among them.” We know further that where Christ is, the Holy Spirit is present as well. In the church — through the Word, by the Sacraments — the Holy Spirit “calls, gathers, enlightens, and sanctifies the whole Christian Church on earth and keeps it with Jesus Christ in the one true faith” (SC, The Creed).
This basic theological framework sets the stage for St. Paul’s missionary journeys. When Paul and Barnabas set out on their first missionary journey, they did so from the church in Antioch. As we look back at the congregations they and others planted in the first century, we see that these were congregations where the Gospel was preached, the Absolution was declared, people were baptized and the Lord’s Supper was celebrated. But importantly, we find, too, that as people heard the Gospel and came to faith, they also banded together to form new churches. A great example of this can be found in Acts 19:1–7, in which Paul finds a gathering of disciples in Ephesus whose origin is not clearly defined but who are yet open to further Christian teaching.
Truly, the existence of congregations like that of the Ephesians can only be explained by the proclamation of the Gospel and the work of the Holy Spirit. New Testament churches grew organically in the rich soil of the Gospel, as Christians throughout the Roman world gathered together in believing communities modeled on — yet also greater than — the Jewish synagogue. These churches were more than just the result of mission. They were also its catalyst. As mentioned before, the church in Antioch sent out Paul and Barnabas. We see, too, in the Book of Acts that Paul also gathered others to assist in his mission from the churches he helped establish.
The church, then, is not simply the result of mission. It is also the launching point for more mission. As Jesus continues to draw people to Himself, those who come to Him then follow where He goes. As the Shepherd goes to find His lost sheep, the rest of the flock follows His voice and eagerly joins in the search.
This is a task that belongs to the whole church together. Thanks be to God, it is not the individual responsibility of each Christian to “make disciples of all nations,” but rather, making disciples is something that the church does collectively wherever she is present. With this mindset, we can understand mission not as something that happens far away but as something that takes place in our own communities. Demographic studies confirm that there are unbelievers around us (as if we needed studies to tell us that!). The days of being able to assume that everyone in town was “basically a Christian” are gone (if such a statement was ever true!). As we examine Scripture and the Lutheran Confessions, we see that all people in the church have a part to play in the life and mission of the church.
These biblical principles are reflected in LCMS church planting efforts today, as the Synod works with local laity to establish new congregations. These planting teams may be started because a Lutheran has moved to a new community where there is no LCMS presence or because people have come to appreciate Lutheran theology by engaging with it online. Whatever the reason, there are people who desire to see churches planted in their towns and neighborhoods. This is not far removed from our own LCMS history, wherein many of our congregations were planted by people who settled in new places and recognized the need for Lutheran churches in their communities.
Current planting efforts recognize the gifts that God has given to His people. As we consider God’s Word in 1 Corinthians 12, we see not only that St. Paul exhorts those with spiritual gifts to use them, but that he also then immediately speaks of how the one church has many members. We are also reminded in Ephesians 4:16 that the gifts God has given to His church are for the sake of the building of the church. Therefore, we do not view the pastor as the lone evangelist of the congregation — the one person who is actively trying to invite people in. This calling rightly belongs to the whole congregation. In truth, the longevity of any LCMS congregation is found in its laity. It is an active body of laity that keeps things moving forward.
As Christians, we do not view the local congregation as merely a building where we gather for certain special events and devote a small sliver of our spare time. Being Christian is not a part of who we are; it is who we are. And as we are Christians, we have been given gifts with which to serve our neighbors. Seeking out opportunities to share our faith that others may receive the knowledge of Christ is one way we live out our faith. This may culminate in a new church being planted, or it may result in an existing congregation being bolstered. Both of these good things happen when God’s people do not shy away from their neighbors; rather, when opportunities arise to talk about their faith, they speak boldly of God’s glory and grace.
As LCMS Church Planting partners with teams all over the country, we see the work of planting new congregations being carried out by teachers, stay-at-home moms, businessmen, ranchers, retirees, factory workers and many others. There is a place for you in God’s mission. Church planting is not easy, but it can be accomplished through faithful and diligent work.
No one who wants to be part of planting a church is left to do the work alone. LCMS Church Planting offers not only a process but also coaching and training for church planting teams. We know that church planting is often lonely work, and the devil seeks to discourage our labors. But by bringing groups together — and by bolstering relationships with their districts and with other congregations in their circuits — church plants around the country can be established and strengthened.
By keeping a proper focus on what the church is, these new congregations become places centered around Word and Sacrament ministry, offering Christ’s grace to people sorely in need of it. By supporting the efforts and gifts of the laity, these congregations become places where laypeople take on God-pleasing leadership roles within their congregations and seek to serve one another in love. And by honoring the Holy Spirit’s work in their midst, these congregations become places where pastors come alongside and work with the laity in the proper partnership that our polity calls for. While the pastor engages in evangelism, he also focuses on serving the people and caring for their souls so that the laity are enlivened and strengthened to share the Gospel with their neighbors.
These biblical principles are reflected in LCMS church planting efforts today, as the Synod and districts work with local laity to establish new congregations. We rejoice to be a part of His work and to see the results of it. The efforts of the Synod, LCMS districts and local planting teams all play a part, but any success is never to our glory. It is to God’s glory, for this is His church. Together we plant. Together we water. By His Word and Spirit, God gives the growth.
This article originally appeared in the November 2026 print edition of The Lutheran Witness.
Cover image: Getty Images
