Ep. 117 - Micro and Multiethnic Churches and the Future of Church Planting (w/ Dr. Liz Rios and Rev. Len Tang)

Greg sits down with Dr. Liz Rios (Founder of Passion2Plant) and Rev. Len Tang (Director of the Fuller Church Planting Initiative) to explore the expanding world of multiethnic, micro, and digital church planting.

They unpack the rapid growth of microchurches, the increasing leadership of women of color in church planting, and the redefinition of success beyond outdated metrics. The conversation also dives into the barriers multiethnic leaders face—especially in funding and power-sharing—and the urgent need for new pipelines that elevate diverse leaders.

Get practical ideas and inspiration for:

• Starting and supporting digital faith communities

• Funding justice-centered churches

• Co-vocational and multi-vocational planting models

• Joining the Multiethnic Church Planting Collaborative

• Training through Passion2Plant

 

01:45 – The rise of microchurches and reimagined planting models
03:30 – Global influence on U.S. microchurch models
04:00 – Women of color stepping into church planting
05:00 – Digital and micro as natural expressions for multiethnic women leaders
06:30 – Letting go of traditional church planting metrics
07:00 – Digital church planting: cost, reach, and community impact
08:30 – Examples of digital church leaders reinvesting in their communities
10:00 – Financial sustainability and co-/tri-vocational leadership
12:00 – Challenges in multiethnic church planting: politics and funding
13:00 – Expanding the definition of multiethnic: immigrant, ethnic-specific, multiracial
14:30 – Power sharing and leadership dynamics in multiethnic models
18:45 – Kingdom diversity: Galatians and Revelation visions
20:00 – Demographic shifts and the need for diverse leadership pipelines
21:30 – Opportunities: Black church planting summit, Stadia’s statement of lament
23:00 – Slowing down, building trust, and unlearning systems
26:30 – How to get involved: Passion2Plant and Fuller’s Collaborative
28:00 – Final encouragement and closing thoughts