Finding the right location to start a church is extremely important. Assuming that God has led you to start a church, and assuming that your pastor has given you his blessing, you must determine where God wants you to start this new church.
What factors are involved in locating the “right” place and what constitutes a needy city? Every city in the world is in spiritual need, but some cities have a greater need than others. How should we define a needy city? Paul’s goal was to preach the Gospel where Christ had not been named.
“Yea, so have I strived to preach the gospel, not where Christ was named, lest I should build upon another man's foundation:” Romans 15:20
Here Are Some Locations Where You May Feel Led to Plant a Church:
1. A small unevangelized village that is beyond the main stream of society
2. A highly populated city with few churches
3. A people group that has been ignored
4. The inner city
5. A rural area with no fundamental church in its proximity
6. A city or region monopolized with false religion
7. A liberal region of our country
8. A dense population with few churches
9. A growing population
10. A migration of new residents
The Following Are Not Necessarily Good Locations/Reasons for a Church Plant and Should Be Dealt with Cautiously:
1. It is
close to your home
2. A building is available
3. A group of people have split from another church and they are looking for
someone to help them get started
4. You don’t like any of the churches in the area
5. It should be easy to start a church in this town
6. A wealthy person is willing to financially support the new church
Suggestions for Finding the Right Place:
1. Pray for God’s direction
2. Ask God to give you a burden for a particular place
3. Visit potential areas
4. Seek advice from your pastor and other respected preachers
5. Pray for God to give you peace
There are many cities in America and Canada with a high concentration of people and hardly any witness for Christ. Consider that 20% of America’s population lives in the Northeast corridor, yet this area has the least concentration of churches. On Long Island, New York, not counting Brooklyn and Queens, there are five million residents and the Gospel preaching churches could be counted on one hand. The greater Boston, Massachusetts area boasts a population of five million souls and many of its surrounding cities have no fundamental church.
The West coast has large cities with no fundamental churches and the Golden Horseshoe of Ontario, Canada has a few million people with only a handful of churches.
The migration of people to the Southwest has created an opportunity that only a few men have pursued. I know there are many needy areas in Florida, the Midwest, and Texas, but surely more men could be called to some of these highly populated and unevangelized areas. Does God only lead men to a warm climate where several churches already exist? More preachers must widen their vision to understand some of the great mission fields of America. God must lead each person, but men must be willing to follow His leading!
“Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.” Lamentations 3:51