Church Planting Movements (CPM)
A Church Planting Movement (CPM) is “a rapid multiplication of indigenous churches planting churches that sweeps through a people group or population segment” (Church Planting Movements: How God Is Redeeming a Lost World, page 21, © 2004 by David Garrison, WIGTake Resources).
Characteristics of a CPM:
- Reproduces Rapidly: Newly planted churches start planting new churches within a short time
- Multiplication: CPMs do not just add new churches, but multiply them—that is, every church feels the calling and responsibility to multiply itself
- Indigenous: Outsiders may be involved in the beginning of a CPM, but very soon the new believers take over—the movement “feels” homegrown
- Occurs within a People Group (PG) or Cluster of Related PGs: Communication of the gospel message occurs most naturally within a people group having a shared language and the same or similar culture
There are 10 universal elements that are present in every CPM:
- Extraordinary Prayer
- Abundant Evangelism
- Intentional Planting of Reproducing Churches
- The Authority of God’s Word
- Local Leadership
- Lay Leadership
- House Churches
- Churches Planting Churches
- Rapid Reproduction
- Healthy Churches