Over 2,000 years ago, Jesus Christ started a movement called the Church – called to expand His Kingdom and reach people in every nation and generation. At Harvesters, we are committed to playing our part in this movement by planting churches among unreached communities around the world.
By God’s grace, over many years of ministry we have seen that church planting flourishes when there is a clear and reproducible pathway. Harvesters’ six-step model is enabling churches to multiply rapidly and sustainably across more than 100 nations worldwide.
To help illustrate how this works in practice, leaders from Malawi – where Harvesters first began – share their reflections on each of the steps.
Step 1: Evangelise
Church planting begins with the Gospel. Before there can be a church, there must be people who hear the Good News of Jesus Christ and respond in faith. Evangelism is the starting point of every new work, as believers step out intentionally to reach those who have not yet heard.
In Pastor Maxwell Ngulande’s words: “I am committed to evangelism because Jesus Christ says that’s the only way to reach the lost people.”
Step 2: Plant a Church
When people come to faith, they are not meant to walk alone. The Church is God’s design for gathering believers into a spiritual family where they can grow together, worship together, and be strengthened in their faith.
Pastor Aaron Balamu shares why church planting matters: “I’m committed to church planting because Jesus started the church to reach a community. When people get saved, they need to be united.”
Step 3: Disciple Believers
A healthy church is not only a gathering of believers, but a community where people grow into the likeness of Christ. Discipleship provides intentional guidance, helping believers develop strong foundations in the Word of God and mature in their relationship with Jesus. Through discipleship, faith becomes established, character is formed, and believers become equipped to serve and reach others.
Pastor Shadrick Chinyama explains: “Discipleship is a very important aspect in church planting. When I took the discipleship model, I saw [church growth] because I’m [helping] people grow into the likeness of Christ. I have become a disciple that is committed to also make disciples.”
Step 4: Choose a Leader
As churches grow, leadership becomes essential. Scripture shows us that every church benefits from faithful, committed leadership that helps guide believers in truth and unity. Choosing leaders ensures that each church has spiritual oversight and stability, allowing believers to continue growing in sound teaching.
Pastor Isaac Nyamafumba highlights the biblical foundation for this step: “Paul appointed Titus to select leaders to lead the church. This shows that it is the will of God that every church must have a leader. It’s very important to choose a leader so that sound doctrine can be established in the churches.”
Step 5: Train the Leader
Leadership carries great responsibility, and pastors need training in order to faithfully shepherd God’s people. Harvesters provides structured biblical training over four years to train a pastor for every church planted.
Pastor Shadrick Tika Tika reflects this commitment: “It’s very important to follow Jesus’ format of training disciples – we train others in our churches who can also train others. In doing so, churches will have pastors who are able to lead them.”
Step 6: Repeat the Process
Church planting does not end with one church. Each new church becomes a starting point for further multiplication. As believers evangelise, disciple others, and raise new leaders, the same process begins again in new communities.
Pastor Thomas Gondwe summarises this simply: “If churches have been established, the newly planted church should repeat the same process.”
A Model That Multiplies
From its beginnings in Malawi, Harvesters’ simple and reproducible model has helped churches multiply across many nations. Each step builds upon the previous one, creating a strong foundation for long-term growth. And by God’s grace, the story continues.
