Chapters to Churches is a strategic partnership between North American Missions, UPCI Youth Ministries, and Campus Ministry International. This initiative empowers the local church to embrace the opportunity present in college towns. A CMI chapter can be a launching point for a daughter work church with the ultimate intent of establishing self-governing churches.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What makes a CMI chapter such a good launching point?
1) The campus missionary already present in the CMI chapter is a perfect candidate for launch team members.
2) The majority of registered CMI chapters already meet the qualifications of a preaching point (last step before daughter work).
3) College campuses represent a massive, untapped mission field that are a prime evangelistic opportunity for a new church.
Who will serve as the pastor of this daughter work church?
While there may be scenarios where a student who has been leading a CMI chapter may be equipped and ready to step into the pastoral role, more times than not, a more established minister should be sent from the mother church to pastor the work. In this scenario, the chapter leader can continue to focus their efforts towards evangelism while working in partnership with the campus church to disciple students.
Who will be the team?
The team should ideally be composed of:
1) the pastor and their family.
2) the students from that campus.
3) additional saints from the mother church who are committed to the daughter work.
How do we establish foundational families in a college city church plant?
Knowing it would be impossible to build a church on college students alone, the goal of a daughter work church should be to reach the college city and not just the college campus. In doing so, foundational families could be established both by being sent from the mother church and by being won from the community at large. It would be recommended that the daughter work implement a small group structure that would see the campus ministry continue to meet during the week and target the college demographic while other small groups meet in the surrounding area to target those in the community.
Where exactly should this church be planted?
On or close to the campus. While there are pros and cons to being physically on the campus, by utilizing the recognized CMI chapter, it is possible to overcome some of the largest hurdles church planters often face. Those include:
1) Reserving a meeting space for little to no cost.
2) Reserving media and sound equipment for little to no cost.
3) Access to campus funding through organizational and travel grants that can be used for promotion and resources.
4) Access to key methods of marketing, promotion, and evangelism that can be used to reach into the college populations.
What steps should I take if I want to start a campus church?
The Chapters to Churches initiative does not operate independently from the local procedural methods or UPCI district procedural methods of establishing churches and daughter works. If you are a student at a CMI chapter and feel the burden to see a campus church launched in your college town your first step would be to connect with your pastor. He/She will pray with you and if the feeling is mutual steps with your local district can be taken. If you are pastor or licensed minister and want to plant in a college town work with your NAM director and other applicable district leaders to ensure a smooth and successful launch. CMI national team members and local leaders are available and may be of assistance as well.
Is there any training available for the Chapters to Churches model?
Yes! A course on Ministry Central is being developed and will be available soon!
