Church Plant Survivability (2007)

Question 0

When was the “Church Plant Survivability and Health Study” published?

Answer 0

2007

Question 1

Who commissioned and authored the “Church Plant Survivability and Health Study”?

Answer 1

Ed Stezter and Phillip Conner, the Center of Missional Research, North American Mission Board (SBC)

Question 2

What tradition of churches and denominations participated in the “Church Plant Survivability and Health Study”?

Answer 2

Evangelical churches.

Question 3

How many surveys were completed in the “Church Plant Survivability and Health Study”?

Answer 3

500

Question 4

What were the racial percentages of churches which participated in the “Church Plant Survivability and Health Study”?

Answer 4

57% Anglo, 17% Hispanic, 5% African American, 6% multi-ethnic, 15% other.

Question 5

What were the mean attendance figures for each year of church plants surveyed?

Answer 5

Year 1 - 40
Year 2 - 55
Year 3 - 75
Year 4 - 85

Question 6

What were the top three worship styles of church plants by percentages?

Answer 6

Contemporary - 62%
Blended Traditional and Contemporary - 19%
Traditional - 8%

Question 7

What percentage of churches had a sponsoring church?

Answer 7

61%

Question 8

What percentage of sponsoring churches provided funding to the church plant? What percentage is this of all church plants surveyed?

Answer 8

80%; 48%

Question 9

How many church plants accessed demographic information about their communities from a denominational office?

Answer 9

49%

Question 10

What percentage of church plants had a church planting mentor or supervisor provided by their denomination?

Answer 10

74%

Question 11

What percentage of church plants were involved in a church planter peer network?

Answer 11

60%

Question 12

How many church planters have a seminary masters degree?

Answer 12

56%

Question 13

What is the mean annual funding from all outside sources for the first four years of a church plant?

Answer 13

Year 1 - $34,000
Year 2 - $27,000
Year 3 - $20,000
Year 4 - $19,500

Question 14

What is the mean annual church receipts (income) for church plants for the first four years?

Answer 14

Year 1 - $40,000
Year 2 - $55,000
Year 3 - $75,000
Year 4 - $90,000

Question 15

What percentage of church plants which remain after three years are financially self-sufficient?

Answer 15

54%

Question 16

How many church plants still exist four years after having being started?

Answer 16

68%

Question 17

How does the planter’s expectations of the church plant effect the chance of survivability?

Answer 17

If the expectations of the church plant meet the reality of the church planting experience, the chance of survivability increases by over 400%

Question 18

How does leadership development training effect the survivability of a church plant?

Answer 18

If leadership development training is provided for new church members, the odds of survivability increase by over 250%

Question 19

How does a church planter peer group affect church plant survivability?

Answer 19

If a church planter meets with a peer group at least monthly, survivability increases by 135%

Question 20

How does a stewardship plan effect a church plant’s survivability?

Answer 20

If a church plant has a proactive stewardship development plan enabling the church to be self-sufficience, the odds of survivability increase by 178%