3 Perspectives on How to Start a Church With Little to No Money

Every church planting situation is different, so it is difficult to generalize in a helpful way. In my church planting experience, money was never an issue because nobody made it an issue. It never occurred to me that I should raise outside support to get started. I’m not saying that is necessarily bad. Our church has financially supported several USA church planters over the years, and are happy to continue doing so. We budget monthly deposits to a savings account earmarked for new church plants in our area.

However, sometimes the problem is the church planter’s unwillingness to sacrifice financially to bring something new to life. The Apostle Paul was willing to “be abased and suffer need” for the joy of planting new churches. He was willing to “work with his own hands” to make it happen. If a church planter has that spirit, he probably has the drive and stamina to get a new work off the ground. If he is unwilling to sacrifice, he is unlikely to succeed, even if sufficiently supported from outside. He needs to have a strong conviction that this is what God has called him to do, and God will provide whatever is needed. With that attitude, he’s not likely to quit when things become difficult, as they always will. The old saying, ” God pays for whatever He orders” is a pretty good philosophy for finances in church planting.