The Parish Paper - October 2015: New Models for New Churches: What Works?

Anyone with an internet connection can access Wikipedia and view the site’s content—35 million articles in 288 languages as of this writing. The site’s diverse content appeals to a huge audience and exemplifies what is called broadcasting, which targets one giant market. Another model, narrowcasting, seeks to reach a small niche market where the audience is, by nature, limited (i.e., by geography, demographics, or interests). These broad and narrow distinctions relate to the evolving history of church planting as well. Old planting models tended to use a broadcasting frame, whose leaders created a church for all comers, whereas newer models stem from a narrowcasting approach, where leaders design for a targeted group. Even the language used to describe what a church is reflects shifting strategies. Sometimes new churches begin as a worshiping community, a new ministry, or as a small-group initiative instead of broader designations such as congregation or church.