Planting Churches That Last: Building Gospel-Rooted DNA
By Ken Nabi, Converge Great Lakes Regional President
When pastors think about church planting, our eyes are often fixed on the launch: the worship gatherings, the first public services, the outreach campaigns, and that anticipated baptism service with stories of changed lives. But if we want to see movements—not just moments—then we must pivot our vision upstream toward gospel DNA being established before launch.
At Converge Great Lakes, our goal is not to see churches that flare and fade, but churches that replicate, persevere, and multiply.
Our Mission: To start and strengthen churches regionally and globally.
Our Vision: To be a theological and strategic catalyst for a gospel movement in the Great Lakes region—so that more people meet, know, and follow Jesus.
This mission clarity compels us not merely to launch new congregations, but to ensure they are gospel-rooted and movement-aware. The landscape is littered with well-intentioned but failed efforts. The cost of an unhealthy plant—relationally, spiritually, and financially—is too great. That’s why planting within a trusted family of churches like Converge brings wisdom, accountability, and strength no planter should go without.
Converge and Gospel DNA
1. Theological DNA Matters
You will reproduce who you are and what you value. Healthy reproduction requires clarity of identity. Biologically, a seed reproduces after it becomes a mature plant; in the same way, an established church reproduces what it truly believes and practices.
At Converge, we are unapologetically focused on The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) as our rally cry and anchored in a simple but orthodox 12-point statement of faith. When gospel DNA—grace, discipleship, and mission—is embedded early, the next generation inherits more than methods; they inherit conviction.
This is why Converge Great Lakes works to engage pastors, invest in leaders, and impact communities through a shared theological core. Our collective identity safeguards sound doctrine and compels us toward gospel multiplication.
2. Discipleship DNA Over Event Attraction
A new church planter is taught to gather a core group and ensure vision alignment. But that alignment must be about following Jesus, not merely launching a service. If we want a church planting movement, we must focus on evangelism that produces mature disciples—believers who orient every part of their lives around Christ.
If a plant is built only for attraction and quick numbers, discipleship becomes an afterthought. Embedding pathways for discipleship, leadership development, and missional habits from day one ensures multiplication is baked in, not tacked on.
Through LEAD Teams, Converge Great Lakes fosters healthy pastoral community—spaces for ongoing learning, encouragement, and accountability. These peer relationships help planters and pastors stay healthy, focused, and reproducing.
3. Denominational DNA as a Guardrail, Not a Cage
One of Converge’s strengths is our ability to provide shared convictions and values that help churches stay anchored in the gospel while adapting to their local context. We affirm both the priesthood of all believers (1 Peter 2) and local church autonomy, while recognizing that autonomy without accountability leads to drift.
Our denominational family offers theological clarity, practical coaching, and relational partnership—not bureaucratic control. The Converge Great Lakes staff and coaches serve as trusted guides who come alongside planters with practical help, encouragement, and protection from isolation or theological error.
FIVE Practical Steps to Cultivate Gospel DNA from Day One
1. Start with Values, Not Programs
Before launching services, define 4–6 core values that flow from your mission. Use those values as the lens for every decision—staffing, budgets, preaching, and outreach.
2. Disciple Leaders Before You Launch
Invest deeply in your core team before going public. Teach theology, spiritual rhythms, and mission. Let your team wrestle through challenges early, in the safety of community.
3. Use Rhythms, Not Just Events
From week one, establish spiritual rhythms: corporate prayer, small groups, Scripture reading, serving together, and consistent local outreach. Rhythms shape people more deeply than programs.
4. Plan for Generation Two
Ask early: Who am I raising up to lead next? Start identifying and mentoring future planters or ministry leaders. Multiplication begins with intentional leadership development.
5. Monitor Spiritual and Financial Health, Not Just Attendance
Healthy churches reproduce. Use assessment tools (like NCD—Natural Church Development) to evaluate spiritual vitality. Track generosity and sustainability too. Converge’s data shows that 85–90% of Converge church plants become self-supporting within five years—a testament to the importance of financial and spiritual health together.
Partnering with Converge Great Lakes
Planting with Converge means you are never alone. Through our Church Planting Pipeline, planters receive:
Assessment and Training: Tools to discern readiness, refine calling, and prepare for sustainable ministry.
Coaching and Grants: Seasoned planters walk with you through launch and beyond, and our association helps provide financial and strategic support.
Contextual Strategy: Specialized tracks for rural, urban, bi-vocational, and ethnic planters to ensure contextual wisdom without compromising gospel conviction.
Ongoing Strengthening: Through LEAD Teams, regional gatherings, and church-to-church partnerships, planters receive ongoing care and encouragement long after the launch.
This is what it means to Engage, Invest, and Impact—the core strategy of Converge Great Lakes.
Conclusion
To plant a church that lasts is to plant with eternity in view. It means giving more attention in the formative seasons to who you are becoming than what you are doing. When gospel identity, discipleship, mission, and leadership reproduction are woven in from day one, you give the next generation something they could never build on their own.
As part of Converge Great Lakes, you don’t launch alone—you launch into a family whose mission is to help people meet, know, and follow Jesus by starting and strengthening churches together.
May every church we plant be grounded in gospel DNA, strengthened by shared values, and fruitful for generations yet to come.