I do think that a core group is important. Paul did not plant churches alone, he had an apostolic band. When we plant churches it is often easier to take 2 or 3 families from the old church and use them to plant the core group.

For one thing, it is important to have a core group so that people joining the church are attracted more to the assembly rather than the dynamic personality of the church planter.

Plus, there is such a thing as "critical mass" and visitors are weirded out if they visit the new church in town and discover it is merely the church planter and his wife and 9 kids meeting in a store front. A few more families can add the appearance of legitimacy.

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Pergamum


"If a commission by an earthly king is considered a honor, how can a commission by a Heavenly King be considered a sacrifice?"
-- David Livingstone