Underground Network Meeting with member Jeremy Stephens speaking to a crowd who come from various churches. Photo courtesy of Underground Network
Starting up a new church requires many factors: having a specific mission, experimenting with different processes, building a structure and following the direction God is pointing toward. But according to the Underground Network, the most important factor to starting a church, specifically microchurches, is asking this question: Is starting a new church what God is calling me to do?
Underground Network held a webinar on August 7th, 2024, where a member of the organization, Jeremy Stephens, shared the basics of starting a microchurch. Around 20 people attended the online meeting, each coming from a different town or state.
They offered this meeting to fulfill their goal of uplifting the Church at a time when many churches were declining, both in the number of congregations and members, according to their website.
The webinar started with Stephens explaining that starting up a microchurch involves four main phases: Ideation, Iteration, Codification and Expansion. “For most of you, you are probably in the first two phases,” Stephens shared.
Ideation
The first part, Ideation, is the process of putting ideas into effect, according to Investopedia. Those ideas come from a specific calling from God on what he wants your microchurch to have as its goal, according to Stephens.
Underground Network presentation going over the first phase of starting up a microchurch August 7. Jeremy Stephens shared that General Calling involves following Scripture like attending church weekly and Specific Calling comes through listening to the Voice of God while taking steps out in faith. Photo courtesy of Underground Network
When putting those ideas into motion, one important truth that all churches must acknowledge is that things change over time. “It’s a natural process that all churches go through,” Stephens said. “Learn to accept that your church will not be the same over time, but what God wants you to do should always remain true.”
Iteration
The second phase, Iteration, means repetition of a process, according to Merriam-Webster. This means experimenting with different ways to get one’s microchurch in a good position to fulfill the goals set for them, according to Stephens.
“As difficult as it is, understand and accept that you will have many failures because it’s a part of the process,” Stephens pointed out. “It’s okay if things aren’t fully settled. It’s a normal process, and everyone is still figuring things out.”
Phase two on starting a microchurch. Jeremy Stephens shared the three main minimums that all microchurches need: worship, mission and community with each having a set of tools to help provide a balance between the three. Photo courtesy of Underground Network
This phase also involves ensuring that one listens carefully to what God has in store, not just for the goal but for each year. With each year being a new season of life, one year could be set in one direction, while the next could be a path, according to Stephens.
Codification
Codification is when things start to settle down, with the community having a structure, traction beginning to grow and the goals attracting potential disciples. The term codification means the process of arranging rules in tune with a system, according to the Cambridge Dictionary.
“Each microchurch follows a model to base their structure on, and two examples of this are Specific Mission Model and Distributive Mission Model,” Stephens said. “The Specific Mission Model focuses on fulfilling a specific goal the microchurch has set, while the Distributive Mission Model prioritizes community and worship allowing stronger passion toward outreach in various missions.”
The third phase of starting up a microchurch. All microchurches base their structure or model on how two main spaces are balanced: Sodalic spaces for more adventurous missions and Modalic spaces for allowing stronger connections within the community according to Jeremy Stephens. Photo courtesy of Underground Network
One example of this is a microchurch that stems from the Underground Network called Khora. Based in Tampa, Florida, Khora follows a Distributive Mission Model, where worship and community are the main priorities that allow newcomers to get a clear idea of what their goals are.
Expansion
Expansion means exactly that— gaining more members. This means more changes to the microchurch that can lead to new directions, according to Stephens. It can mean increasing a microchurch in members, but it can also lead to the breakup of the community.
“Expansion is not gonna happen for all microchurches,” Stephens stated. “Sometimes, it can kill a microchurch because people are being called to form new microchurches.”
If expansion does occur, it follows one or more of three types: Incubation, Replication and Scaling.
Incubation means a new calling or direction that changes the original microchurch. Replication means planting new micro churches that follow the same model as the micro church. Scaling simply means growing the number of members, outreach and needs within the micro church.
Final phase of starting up a microchurch. Jeremy Stephens pointed out that replication follows the direction of splitting off from the original microchurch while incubation and scaling start from within. Photo courtesy of Underground Network
Conclusion
The webinar concluded with attendees asking about specific issues, topics and tips for their current positions. The questions related to advice on a particular phase, seeing which phase they are in and difficult issues like divisions amongst members with no clear answers.
Starting up a new micro church involves many important contributors. Having a goal, experimenting with what works and what doesn’t, structuring a model and experiencing God’s plan all contribute toward a functioning community with the heart to pursue God’s mission.
Kairos was born and raised in Hawaii as the son of a pastor. In 2023, he graduated from Azusa Pacific University with a degree in Journalism: News & Storytelling. He aims to write insightful, unbiased, and truthful stories on the Body of Christ.
