We don't think about organizational structure very much these days – until something goes wrong. Then we get out our rule book and try to figure out what happened and who is in charge of fixing it.

When it comes to church planting, starting with the right structure makes a lot of difference. Young churches commonly face two particular difficulties that the right structure can help to overcome.

• First, because the people in a new church are usually new to each other and few in number, they may lack mature leaders.

• Second, because new congregations are usually located in neighborhoods or communities where the other churches are not of their "kind," they often feel isolated and face serious trouble when internal strife arises.

The Bible lays out important principles of organization and structure. Here are two practical ways of implementing God's principles of church order when planting a church:

Let's Give Our New Churches a Group of Mature Elders⤒🔗

Moses set up a system of rule by elders in Israel (Deuteronomy 1:9-15), which was followed in the Jewish synagogue in Jesus' day. When new churches were planted, the apostles appointed elders in each church (Acts 14:23). The elders were also called overseers (Acts 20:17, 28; Titus 1:5, 7). Their duty was to "take care of God's church" (l Timothy 3:5). This biblical pattern forms the basis of Presbyterian Church government.

When we organize a new church, let's be sure God's newly gathered people will be cared for right from the start. Paul's traveling companions apparently functioned as elders while new churches were being formed (Acts 18:1-5). We can do the same thing. Experienced elders or even whole sessions can be "loaned" to new churches (even for just a few hours a week) to provide needed counsel and oversight. It is not God's intention that an individual pastor should provide all the leadership in a congregation. So let's find ways to give our new churches the benefit of wise elders until they can train and choose their own.

Let's Give Our New Churches a Close Relationship with Other Congregations←⤒🔗

When false teaching arose in the church at Antioch (Acts 15:1), how could it be stopped? The young church was so far away from other churches. Would anyone care about their problem? The whole church did care and provided a structure to help when problems couldn't be solved locally. The Jerusalem Council of Acts 15 solved the problem in Antioch so well that the young church there thrived.

God's structural design for his church includes the organizational interconnection of local congregations. New churches should be set up in such a way that they can sense their close connection to other congregations of the Lord's people and can be cared for when trouble arises. That's the function of the presbytery in Presbyterian Church government.

Let's all make it our job to be sure that the new Orthodox Presbyterian churches we plant sense our sincere connection with them. Visit new mission churches when you can. Pray for them and tell them of your prayers and your love for them. Take their struggles and difficulties seriously. You're connected.

The Bible is our reference book for all church-planting principles and methods. So when we plant new churches, let's make sure that their organization and structure are as sound as their evangelistic mission and theological position. Let's root them in the richness and comfort of a biblical, Presbyterian heritage.