People Group Models
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In addition to considering your sponsorship model, you will also need to choose a Church Design as part of the strategic plan for your church plant.
Immigrant Model Description
One area you may want to consider as a focus for your church is newcomers to North America. There are many peoples from all over the world who arrive in the United States and Canada, bringing different cultures with them. Often, even when they speak the same language as other immigrants from other countries, they tend to separate themselves from other immigrant groups. Thus, immigrants from Cuba, Mexico, and Colombia, while all Spanish speakers, do not mix well.
These new immigrants will need guidance and care as they settle in and make adjustments to living in North America. Church planters have a unique opportunity to provide needed ministries to these people. Most of all, they need to be reached with the gospel.
For some church planters, the new immigrant may be culturally near -- of the same ethnicity and country-of-origin as the church planter. For many church planters in North America, this will require a cross-cultural gift and preparation.
Immigrant Model Examples
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First generation (non-U.S.) born immigrant churches
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Churches among refugees in North America
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Cross-cultural church plant
Ethnic-Based Models
Once new immigrants have been in North America for a period of time, they begin a process of acculturation (or adaptation) to the majority mainstream culture.
Over time, many of these people become not only bi-lingual (speak English and their ethnic language), but also bi-cultural (can live in their ethnic world and the majority mainstream culture as well).
Church planters have found the cultural differences between various levels of acculturation, even among the same ethnic group, are often great enough to warrant separate churches for them. Thus, ethnic-based models include churches designed for peoples from similar countries-of-origin, but who are at the same level of acculturation.
Ethnic-Based Model Examples
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2nd generation Korean church
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2nd generation Hispanic church (with various Hispanic countries of origin represented)
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Mono-cultural church model
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African-American church plant
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Anglo church plant
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Asian church plant
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European church plant
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Hispanic church plant
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Native American church plant
International Model Description
Globalization around the world is producing an ever increasing group of people with a multicultural mindset and global lifestyle. Often with higher incomes, they tend to travel trans-nationally quite frequently, and may have residences in more than one country or continent.
Some researchers have documented a growing "Global Mosaic" lifestyle that may be found in major international cities around the globe. There is a great need to begin international churches among this particular group of people.
International Model Examples
Neotribal Group Model Description
North American culture is currently experiencing a radical fragmentation of society. Many social scientists have noted the growing retribalization of our society into splinter groups of people whose self-identity is defined by their neo-tribal group.
For many North Americans, self-identity has become communal -- redefined and re-enacted as the person moves from participation in one group to another. It is this fragmentation of self-identity that drives the desire for people to gather together to experience social linkage. This group solidarity has become identified as the neotribalism of postmodern, western culture.
The Culture Catalogue gives an overview of neotribalism and contextuality issues in neotribal cultures. In addition, 62 sociocultural cluster groups -- that have the potential of being the basis of neotribal connections due to their shared values, attitudes, behaviors, and lifestyle -- are highlighted.
Neotribal Group Model Examples
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Affinity-based church model
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Military, government, or medical-based church model
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Deaf
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Postmodern
Generational Model Description
Today, the North American population is significantly influenced by the reality of at least four generational groups that co-exist. These generational groups differ greatly in many aspects of life -- the way in which they think, their values, their behaviors, their attitudes, preferences, and learning styles to name a few.
Some church planters prefer to focus their attention on reaching Boomers, Busters, Generation X, Y or Z, the Net Generation, Bridgers, or Boomerang. All of these labels refer to cohorts of people who were born during the same era and experienced similar life shaping events and influences.
If you choose to focus on a generational people group in your church plant, you will need to carefully study their characteristics and integrate your understanding of them with the church design you are using. (See previous section on Church Design).
Generational Model Examples
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