Church Planting Weekend

Joel Nelson

Director of Church Strengthening, Converge North Central

  • Church planting & multiplication

What if your church did not exist? For that matter, what if there were not Bible-believing, Gospel-preaching churches in your community? Who would build relationships and share God’s love? How would people’s trajectory’s be changed from death to life?

It’s easy to imagine this scenario in some distant outpost in another country. But it’s true even in the United States, including Iowa and Minnesota.

Even in communities with wonderful churches like yours, there is still a need for more churches. Considering population growth estimates, if we want to maintain our current ratio of one Christian church for every 1000 Americans in 2050, we need to plant 1900 churches every year over the next 30 years. That will only maintain the status quo.

Across Converge, the different districts are doing their part by collectively working to see 312 new churches planted by 2026. This includes Converge North Central and our commitment to see 50 new churches in that span. One way your church can play a role in this faith-filled dream is to take part in our Church Planting Weekend.

Church Planting Weekend is a movement-wide celebration of church planting and multiplication. It is specifically designed for you to help each congregation to get excited about starting churches to see lives changed with God’s love and truth.

Here’s how it works: On the first weekend of June (or any other weekend that works best for you between mid-May and mid-June), take time during your worship services to share with your congregation about church planting…what it is, why it’s important, and why your church is involved.

Information and free resources (including sermon notes, talking points, and downloadable promotion materials) are available on the Converge Church Planting Weekend web page. If you are participating, we’d love to hear from you! There’s a short form you can fill out, or send a quick note to Joel Nelson

Every community needs a church, and every person needs to know God’s love. Thanks for helping your church turn that vision into a reality. We look forward to hearing about, and sharing the stories, of how God worked through churches like yours during Church Planting Weekend.


Joel Nelson, Director of Church Strengthening, Converge North Central

Director of Church Strengthening

Additional articles by Joel Nelson