Myth #1 "We should strengthen our existing churches first."

There's already a wide variety of programs committed to strengthening existing churches. Newer churches are accounting for the most net growth in the Church of the Nazarene right now. Almost two-thirds of our membership gains are from churches that are less than 15 years old. We can't afford to wait.

Myth #2 "A new church will damage our established churches."

When there are multiple Nazarene churches in an area, the average attendance per church is higher than for a church in a stand-alone setting. Plus...consider that all but one Nazarene church with over 400 people in attendance is located within a cluster of Nazarene churches. Defending exclusive territorial rights is almost always counterproductive.

Myth #3 "But most new churches don't survive."

New churches do survive -- and thrive. Almost 90% of the churches started by the Church of the Nazarene in the 80's are active. But no church is guaranteed perpetuity. Less than 30% of Nazarene churches started over 75 years ago are still in existence today. If we start no new churches today, the Church of the Nazarene will cease to exist through attrition.

Myth #4 "NewStart doesn't sound very new."

It's true that NewStart isn't entirely new. The past offers exceptional models. NewStart is a new strategy because it focuses on the singular feature present in new church starts that thrive: strong local church sponsorship.

Myth #5 "Starting new churches is a fad that has come and gone."

The New Testament model of evangelism makes no distinction between personal evangelism and starting new churches. The Church of the Nazarene aggressively started new churches from before its official inception in 1908 through the late '50s, followed by a dramatic 20-year decline in new starts, with only a modest resurgence of new starts in the late '70s and '80s.