It is estimated that 96% of Baptist churches will never plant another one. They will not multiply on the macro scale.  What if this were true of humanity?  What if only 4% of the human popluation could multiply?  What would that mean for the future of our species?

Everything that is alive intends to multiply after itself.  Likewise, the church is intended to grow and not shrink, to move forward not back or stay in one place. Multiplication in the kingdom occurs on the micro (individual) and macro (church) level.

Today, America has more mega-churches than ever before but fewer people going to church.  In Atlanta alone, according to Urban Atlanta Church Planting it is estimated that "over 850,000 people now live inside the perimeter—more than ever—yet there are fewer churches than in the 1960’s."

In Dunwoody alone, even with all of our great churches, it is estimated that 32,000 people are not connected to a church within a 2 - 5 mile radius of our DBC campus.  We know that Dunwoody has numerous apartment complexes and condominiums.  Yet, only about 5% of those who live in these gated communities are connected to a Christian community.

How will we reach the people with the gospel of Jesus? How will we make disciples in urban Atlanta and even in our own backyard of Dunwoody? What will these churches “look like” today? Who will be the workers? How will they be equipped and supported?

Dunwoody Baptist Church has planted 25+ churches over its lifetime around Atlanta.  It has been integral in the development of other churches.  And the time has come once again for us to re-engage that natural compulsion of our DNA to multiply. 

To get started, it's vital to ask some important questions:

• What would it take for DBC to become a church planting church?
• Who are the church planters already among us to train up and send out?
• What kind of churches do we want to plant?
• Where is God leading us to plant a church?
• Who will we partner with to see more churches planted?

How might this take shape at Dunwoody?  Long term goals include...

1.  A Church Planter Network: a group of north Atlanta church planters who meet regularly for prayer, encouragement, training and support. (The Greenhouse)

2.  A Church Planter Training Center

3.  Partnership with Church Planting Churches and Church Planting Organizations

Dunwoody Baptist is developing relationships with church planters and church planting organizations around Atlanta that will help us identify areas where we can begin to help plant new churches.

 Urban Atlanta Church Planting

Church Multiplication Associates to provide training/support through monthly organic church Greenhouses

Church Multiplication Associates

Toronto Church Planting provides the opportunity for us to see and experience church planting in a similar suburban context.  It's inspiring to see how churches maintain the vision for multiplication and celebrate when it happens!

Toronto Church Planting

Each month a group of Jesus followers gathers near Dunwoody to discuss ways that they are being led to plant churches and / or just start out reaching people in the harvest.  The metaphor of organic growth is used to describe the 6 major stages of growing churches from the harvest:  cultivating, sowing, growing, tending, harvesting, reproducing.

The monthly Greenhouses provide training, encouragement, networking and even guidance in ways the ordinary follower of Jesus can do extraordinary things.

For more info on the next monthly Greenhouse, contact The Greenhouse