Church Planting Challenge

Welcome to this month’s Church Planting Challenge!

Imagine that you are leading a team of seven church planters whose goal is to pioneer a church planting movement among the unreached Hakka Chinese of Taiwan. Just read the following scenario (which is based on an actual incident or challenge we’ve faced in our ministry here) and try and figure out how you would deal with the issues involved.

Note: Since all these issues are set within the context of reaching the Hakka Chinese, you might find it helpful to zip on over to The Hakkas page and bone up on a little Hakka lore.

We would also like to invite you to e-mail your final thoughts and conclusions to us at team@hakkaministries.org. At the end of the month, we’ll post several selected reader responses along with our own “For What It’s Worth” conclusions to the church planting challenge. 


Hakka Church Planting Challenge #1

During a two-week scouting trip to the Hakka areas of Taiwan, you and your team feel that God is calling you to set up churchplanting efforts in and around the town of Toufen. With a population of about 80,000 (90 to 95% being Hakka Chinese) Toufen serves as a market center for several surrounding villages, each with a population of between 5000 and 10,000. 

It’s time for you guys to make some long-term living and ministry decisions, and you’ve whittled it down to three basic choices. 1.) Divide your team up into three smaller ministry teams. One to live and minister in Toufen, and the others to live and minister in a couple of the nearby villages. These three locations are only separated by about 10 to 15 kilometers. 2.) Divide your team into two ministry teams. One to live in Toufen, and the other to live in one of the surrounding villages. 3.) Keep the whole seven member team together, living and ministering exclusively in Toufen.

Church Planting Challenge Question: What should you do? Which of these three choices do you feel is the best strategy for your team in reaching this whole area? (Why?)


(If you have any questions about this church planting challenge, or are in need of further information, please feel free to drop us a line at team@hakkaministries.org.)