The mission of the Upper Midwest Conference is simple and bold: Every Church Plants.
By 2030, we are committed to seeing every healthy congregation of any size actively engage in church planting. Whether your church is large or small, rural or urban, there is a way for you to participate in this multiplication movement.
When we think of church multiplication, it’s easy to assume it’s for megachurches or special initiatives for a denomination. But the reality is that multiplication is the mission of every congregation. The Great Commission wasn’t given to a select few - it was given to the entire body of Christ. If we want to see a multiplication movement across the Upper Midwest, we must move beyond maintaining our congregations to actively sending and multiplying.
Why Should Every Church Plant?
Church planting is about reaching the lost. Studies show that new churches are the most effective means of evangelism and we must step boldly into the reality that the majority our local population does not know Jesus as their Lord and Savior. American morality does not equate to a living faith in Jesus Christ. Active, sending faith communities reach people more effectively because sending, multiplying congregation keep the Great Commission at the core of everything they do. If we fail to multiply, we fail to extend the life-transforming message of Jesus to those who desperately need it.
When a church commits to multiplication, it cultivates a missionary mindset — training, equipping, and sending people to live out their faith. This leads to deeper discipleship, new leaders, and spiritual vitality.
The good news? There are multiple ways to participate. Here are three practical pathways for your congregation to engage in church multiplication:
1. Plant Solo: Start and Send from Within
Some churches are called to take the bold step of multiplication from within themselves. This means raising up leaders, building momentum, locking in on a mission field, and sending groups to establish new faith communities.
How it Starts:
● Starting missional discipleship groups that continually grow and divide to reach new people.
● Developing and sending those groups to reach people the current congregation is not reaching.
● Committing to keep sending instead of gathering and containing.
Next Steps:
● Pray and fast with your leadership group to discern how to best send and when to start a full planting process.
● Identify and invest in potential church planters.
● Reach out to the Multiplication Team for training and coaching.
2. Plant in Partnership: Multiplication Through Collaboration
Partnering with other missional congregations provides a powerful way to multiply. This might be the best option for the majority of our congregations in the Upper Midwest and will put your congregation on the pathway to be a sending church that eventually plants solo.
Multiplication through Collaboration means congregations work together to reach an area of need - sharing resources, leadership, and vision - to plant a new church.
What It Looks Like:
● Partnering with 2-3 churches to co-plant.
● Sharing resources, prayer, and leadership.
● Supporting a church plant together.
First Steps:
● Connect with other churches in your region about forming a Multiplication Discernment Group.
● Gather to discern, discuss, and dream about what God might do - the Conference Multiplication Team can help guide this.
● Begin to plan and prepare to resource a plant in the discerned mission field.
3. Multiplication Participation: Supporting Multiplication as part of your Mission.
Even if your church isn’t ready to plant directly or in partnership with others, every congregation must support church multiplication. This is the minimum expectation: support through prayer and resources.
What It Looks Like:
● Make our Conference Multiplication efforts part of your mission focus.
○ Communicate the vision to the congregation
○ Intentionally pray for our planting and multiplication efforts.
○ Give to the need.
How It Starts:
● Establish a monthly prayer focus for multiplication.
● Invite the Multiplication Team leader Zach Kingery to speak and equip your congregation.
● As direction and resources develop, share it with the congregation.
The Time to Multiply is Now
The question is not “if” your church will participate in multiplication—it’s “how.” You, and your home congregation have a vital role in advancing the mission.
Next Steps for Your Church:
● Invite the Multiplication Team: Whether it is creating a discernment group or putting on a planting bootcamp, we can speak, lead workshops, and coach your leaders.
● Join the Monthly Multiplier Zoom Call: Every third Saturday at 10 AM CST, connect with others committed to Every Church Plants.
The gospel compels us to go. The mission calls us to multiply. Will you and your congregation answer the call?
