Resources for Churches and Church Planters
by Roger McNamara – BAPTIST MID-MISSIONS
Y-B-H HANDBOOK OF CHURCH PLANTING is a comprehensive 656 page textbook on church planting co-authored by Roger McNamara and Ken Davis. It gives detailed instruction step by step through the five stages of the church planting life cycle starting with conception, prenatal, birth and infancy, adolescence and ending with adulthood and reproduction. It is available at Amazon.com or at Xulon Press.
Amazon link
Xulon Press link
The following resources can be downloaded in PDF format using the links provided. These materials are made available under Copyright © by Baptist Mid-Missions and should be handled accordingly.
CHILD SAFETY GUIDELINES FOR CHURCH PLANTERS addresses 
the growing problem of child sexual abuse in the church house. It details steps church planters and pastors can take to protect the children and workers involved in their ministries from possible incidents of abuse. Assuming “it can never happen here” is a grave mistake that can be avoided by implementing biblical principles and careful screening of anyone who wants to be involved in children and youth ministries. This comprehensive 108-page book is must-reading for anyone in church planting.
Child Safety Guidelines for Church Planters .pdf file (579 kb)
Child Safety Guidelines for Church Planters MS Word file (660kb)
MINISTRY PLANNING MADE EASY – Ministry planning is one of the keys to developing healthy, growing churches. Ministry Planning Made Easy lays out a biblical basis for planning, the benefits for doing so and the reasons why it is needed. It simplifies the planning process into six easy-to-follow steps to guide you. Knowing where you are going and how you intend to get there will strengthen local churches and will build greater confidence in their leadership.
Ministry Planning Made Easy .pdf file (463 kb)
Ministry Planning Made Easy MS Word file (1.1 mb)
WHERE HAVE ALL THE LEADERS GONE? is a 92-page guide 
for moving people from conversion, to spiritual growth, maturity, ministry, and lay leadership through a four-phase discipleship program. Each level focuses on what you want the people to know, what changes you want to see in their lives, and what you want them to be able to do at that level. A well-balanced discipleship process is the key to developing lay leaders in the church. People flounder and don’t grow unless you have an effective discipling process in place.
Where Have All the Leaders Gone? .pdf file (717 kb)
Where Have All the Leaders Gone? MS Word (1.2 mb)
STEWARDSHIP is one of the keys to developing a healthy church plant. It enables churches to grow spiritually as well as financially. Stewardship is really about life management – how people use their time, talents, treasure, and testimonies. Biblical Principles of Stewardship grapples with the purpose, principles, parameters, promises, period, and programs of a biblical approach to stewardship. This 92-page manual will provide you with information, suggestions, and samples that will help you build strong believers and a healthier ministry.
Biblical Principles of Stewardship .pdf file (2 mb)
HOW TO WRITE A CHURCH CONSTITUTION – God’s Word admonishes 
us to “let all things be done DECENTLY and in ORDER” (I Corinthians 14:40). Sadly, that is not always the case in local churches. The human heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked. It cannot be trusted and needs to be regulated. A well-written constitution can eliminate many of the problems that arise in churches. In effect, the people are agreeing on guidelines for how “things are done around here.” Having this foundational document in hand at the beginning of a church plant will enable the church to be established on a firmer foundation, and to function more biblically with greater unity and harmony to the glory of God.
How to Write a Church Constitution .pdf file (412 kb)
How to Write a Church Constitution MS Word (483 kb)
A SAMPLE CHURCH CONSTITUTION – A well-written constitution protects both leaders and the members of the congregation. It outlines how things should be done in a fair and equitable way. This sample constitution is just that – a sample. Church constitutions can take many different forms depending on the organizational structure, doctrinal stance, and ministry philosophy. This sample constitution is written from the standpoint of independent Baptists and includes a doctrinal statement of the church’s beliefs. It is intended only as an example, not as an document to be adopted as is. It such be used as a guide only.
A Sample Church Constitution .pdf file (151 kb)
A Sample Church Constitution MS Word (206 kb)
CHECKLIST FOR CHURCH PLANTERS – Church planting is a 
multi-faceted process. There are hundreds (if not thousands) of things that need to be done before launching public services. Too often, men rush into opening the front door of the church before they are ready. This manual is exactly what its title says it is – a checklist of things to be done prior to going public. It covers the things that need attention during the eighteen months leading up to the first service of the church.
A Checklist for Church Planters .pdf file (239 kb)
A Checklist for Church Planters MS Word (411 kb)
STARTING THE JOURNEY – Discipleship 101 – the first of a series of discipleship lessons designed to help believers move from the new birth to spiritual maturity to ministry involvement and to lay leadership. This introductory set of six lessons was written for new believers, perspective members, and people who want to explore the claims of Christ. It exposes them to some of the elementary truths of Scripture that anyone wanting to be a follower of Christ should know.
Discipleship 101 – Starting the Journey .pdf file (555 kb)
Discipleship 101 – Starting the Journey MS Word (536)
CATCH THE VISION – Discipleship 102 – the second in a series 
of discipleship lessons designed to help people grow spiritually. These eight lessons focus on the local church. They serve as a get-acquainted course for those who want to know more about your congregation. They can also be used as a pre-membership for those who are thinking of uniting with your church. You will find yourself evaluating your own ministry as you move through each session, and will be challenged to improve the way in which you “do church.”
Discipleship 102 – Catch the Vision .pdf file (567 kb)
Discipleship 102 – Catch the Vision MS Word (662 kb)
Growing in Grace – Discipleship 201 – This third series of lessons is designed to move believers to the second level of discipleship. Here they will learn to “exercise thyself unto godliness” (I Timothy 4:7) by developing seven daily habits that will help them to grow into mature followers of Christ. Just as people “work out” to build physical muscle, so believers need to establish spiritual routines that enable them to be spiritually strong.
Discipleship 201 – Growing in Grace .pdf file (615 kb)
Discipleship 201 – Growing in Grace MS Word (684 kb)
TO MERGE OR NOT TO MERGE – A comprehensive guide for use 
when considering the combining of two congregations. There are many reasons why a merger with another congregation may be the best option for a church or church plant. There are benefits in doing so, but there are also drawbacks that need to be weighed. There are many issues that need to be worked through before a merger should take place. The manual gives detailed guidelines to be followed throughout the various stages involved in combining the congregations.
To Merge or Not to Merge .pdf file (240 kb)
To Merge or Not to Merge MS Word (292 kb)
BUILDING A SUCCESSFUL TEAM MINISTRY – A handbook for working together as a team in God’s work, with a focus on church-planting ministries. This is a thorough study of team ministry covering everything from why team ministries sometimes fail to the importance of having a ministry coach. Team is the preferred method for doing ministry in the New Testament. Therefore, it behooves to carefully consider the value of putting a team together and making it work.
Building a Successful Team Ministry .pdf file (887 kb)
Building a Successful Team Ministry MS Word (2.0 mb)
ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF CHURCH PLANTING – This is a synopsis of dozens of church planting books available in the field of church planting. Prepared by Dr. Ken Davis, director of Project Jerusalem, a church-planting student ministry at Summit University in Clarks Summit, Pennsylvania.
Annotated Bibliography on Church Planting .pdf file (1.1 MB)