small church bodies of believers, generally 10-30 per unit, meeting in homes or storefronts, fulfilling the five purposes of a church and linked to one another in some type of structured network. Often this network is part of a larger, single church identity.

The birth of a brand new congregation in a specific place, primarily comprised of persons presently unconnected to an existing church.

a rapid and multiplicative increase of indigenous churches planting churches within a given people group or population segment.

A group of leaders who come together to start a new congregation. The team may be made up of a variety of combinations of vocational and volunteer ministers.

Putting the truths of God into the context of the local culture. This involves seeing how one’s own culture distorts your understanding of biblical truths, and then taking the universal truths and applying them in another culture.

The small group that forms the nucleus of the new congregation, that believes in and supports the vision of the new church.

An essential principle and/or conviction on which the church will be formed; a key conviction of the leaders and the new congregation.

A country in which the public proclamation of the gospel is restricted. Evangelistic efforts in these countries can pose dangers to one’s life, well-being or freedom.