Church Planting
Church Planting frequently starts with assuming a particular model of church is the right model to be planted. The preferred model often comes from familiarity as to “this is what a church looks like and how we do church”. But there are times when the more important question is “who are you trying to reach” and this can have a radical effect on the model chosen.
Whilst a Sunday morning or weekend church service with various ministries including children’s ministry may be the best model to meet many families and it may be the assumed model to be used, it may not be effective at meeting other demographics.
Following are four real life examples where different target demographics require different approaches to church. They are examples of where the church goes to people rather than expecting the people to come to church.
Break Dance Community
At the recent Exponential Conference in Orlando, Florida, we were treated to an amazing break dance group. But for them it wasn’t all about dancing. Rather they were intent on reaching into the break dance communities, multiplying across different cities and states to share their faith and bring “church” to the break dance subculture. They were reaching a demographic you wouldn’t normally expect to see reached by traditional services and church models.
Young Professionals
Exponential Next held a “Megalodon Shark Tank” at the 2026 Orlando Conference. One of the presentations was from The Brook, a network that seeks to meet young professionals who are frequently dealing with loneliness and isolation and introduce them to community and to Jesus.
The Brook conducts social “Happy Hour” events as well as sporting events, leading to “Community Nights” and then to “Simple Church” which are small group churches for the young professionals coming together weekly to connect with God and see biblical truths applied to everyday life.
Business Leaders
In Australia, Food 4 Thought was developed as a way of reaching business persons who would be unlikely to go to a traditional church. In the last five years, Food 4 Thought groups have spread across Australia, reaching and making disciples of many business people who either weren’t yet Christians or who had left the traditional church. Food 4 Thought groups are church to these businesses people.
Online Gamers
Lux Digital Church was another church participating in the “Megalodon Shark Tank”. It’s an online church that is “a digital church expression, devoted to the mission of Jesus… created by gamers, for gamers.” Lux Digital Church uses gaming platforms to provide small groups and church services as well as providing pastoral care and giving to missions. It’s an innovative expression of church that stretches paradigms about what a church is or can be.
These are all examples of non-traditional churches that illustrate the missional principle of going to the target demographic and forming church there, rather than the alternative of seeking to reach a person and take them to church away from their normal demographic.
This isn’t to say that the traditional weekend model is redundant. There is certainly an important place for that, but it’s not the only model, and if we want to reach subcultures, there are times when we will need to think out of the box about what church is and can be. Churches can come in many shapes and forms, but we should always ensure that the core elements that make church a church are present.
As Rick Warren has repeatedly said, it will take all kinds of churches to reach all kinds of people!
If you are looking to plant a church, what demographic or subculture are you wanting to reach, and what model of church will best be able to reach them?
