Church Planting 2016 and Beyond

2015 was a significant year in my life in Cambodia. Seeing life-giving churches being planted has always been a passion. One of the goals in being here is to contribute in the area of church planting.

When the leaders of New Life began discussing a new church planting initiative I got really excited. Over the last couple of years New Life has seen the number of congregations in the network grow from 60 to 180 congregations. This growth is almost completely from new believers coming to know God and leaders being raised up to lead cell groups, house churches and village churches. As a result of what we have learned from that growth the team feels God is calling the church to launch 500 new congregations over the next 5 years, including 6 new city churches.

Leaders respond to a call for those desiring to be church plant pastors

It was a privilege to be part of the planning team for this new initiative. As our planning progressed other networks and leaders began to encourage us to think bigger and to share what we’ve learned with the broader body of Christ. We’ve now expanded our vision to include serving as a resource and a catalyst for church planting in the country. I’ve been asked to play a key role in the development of a resource center that will serve to empower and equip church planting at a national level.

Those of you who know me understand that when I’m talking about planting a larger number of churches, I’m not talking about numbers and growth for the sake of growth. I’m passionate about church planting because it is an effective way to introduce people to Christ and to make disciples.

A recent study  in the US showed America is launching new churches faster than it loses old ones, attracting many people who previously didn't attend anywhere.  On average, 42 percent of those worshiping at churches launched since 2008 previously never attended church or hadn't attended in many years.

Church planters serve God faithfully while
enduring significant challenges  

In Cambodia less than 2% of the population is Christian. Out of 14,138 villages across the country only 2,170 villages have a registered church. Please pray for us this year as we look to link arms with the rest of the body of Christ and reach the remaining 11,968 villages in the coming years.

Cambodia National Statistics
Population	15,708,756
Estimated Number of Christians	185,000 (1.18%)
Number of Villages	14,138
Number of Villages w/registered Church	2,170
Villages without a church	11,968

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