When people hear the term “church planting,” their minds typically jump to images of expensive facilities, a professional launch team and a large budget. Phrases like “find the right guy” or “we need a building” are often thrown around, creating an intimidating picture of what it should look like. This traditional view makes church planting feel unattainable.
But what if it didn’t have to be that way? What if it could be simpler, more organic, and not bound by the weight of financial constraints? This is the quiet revolution we’re seeing unfold in the microchurch movement.
The Microchurch Surge
The 2025 Microchurch Survey from Exponential confirms what many of us suspected: Microchurches aren’t just surviving, they’re thriving and multiplying. For the purposes of the study, a microchurch is defined as an intentionally small, simple expression of church that meets a network or denomination’s self-determined minimum requirements to be a church. This includes house churches, simple churches, fresh expressions, dinner churches, street churches and many others.
In the last three years alone, 504 new microchurches have been planted across 20 networks.
* 50% of these are already reproducing.
* 20% are multiplying.
To put that into perspective, Exponential recently conducted another survey called the Becoming Five Multiplication Study to track how many churches in the U.S. are reproducing. The study found that only 7% of predominant model churches are reproducing, and less than .01% are multiplying. In other words, microchurches are seven times more likely to reproduce and 20 times more likely to multiply than predominant church models.
Let’s be clear: It’s not that microchurches are inherently “better” than other expressions of the church. All forms of church—whether predominant or microchurch—can be healthy or unhealthy. The key difference is in the design.
Microchurches are like certain sea stars that can reproduce by fragmentation (a detached sea star limb can grow into a distinct organism as long as it has part of the central disk of the original sea star); they are decentralized, flexible and generative. This simple design makes microchurches easier to reproduce, creating a space where rich disciple-making naturally flourishes. The more complex the system, the harder it is to scale—and when discipleship becomes a program rather than a relationship, it loses its power. When planting a church requires consultants, huge budgets and corporate structures, it’s not going to multiply as quickly. But simple? Simple replicates.
Breaking Financial Barriers
Microchurches are not only overcoming the financial barriers of traditional church planting, but they’re doing so with remarkable speed and effectiveness. The data speaks volumes: Sixty-five percent of microchurch networks report having planted churches that did not need startup capital. This is a huge breakthrough, especially since funding has long been cited as one of the most significant obstacles to church planting.
In fact, the survey’s findings are nothing short of remarkable for anyone who’s ever felt daunted by the typical church-planting model. Microchurches are planting in places where budgets are tight, resources are scarce, yet the gospel is expanding rapidly.
People, Not Professionals
One of the most striking findings in the survey was that 501 microchurches were started by first-time leaders. That means that of the 1,076 total microchurches planted by the networks included in this survey, nearly half were started by ordinary people stepping into extraordinary roles of kingdom leadership. The barrier to entry is much lower in microchurch planting, which means more people are stepping into leadership without needing a seminary degree or years of training.
Furthermore, 40% of networks report having no paid staff. The rest of the networks are either made up of bivocational planters or partially supported by fundraising. The shift is profound: The less we tether our ecclesiology to payrolls and property, the more agile we become. The less we depend on professionals to do the ministry, the more we see Ephesians 4 unfold: equipping the saints for works of service. This is where the microchurch movement shines—by focusing on empowering people rather than paying professionals. But financial feasibility is just the beginning.
Intentional Equipping
The survey also revealed that 70% of networks strongly agree that they have intentional pathways to equip believers to move from participation to leading their own churches or ministries. There’s a humility baked into this potential movement. A willingness to release, not just retain. To send, not just to gather. It echoes Paul’s heartbeat in 2 Timothy 2:2: “And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable people who will also be qualified to teach others.”
This commitment to equipping leads to multigenerational impact. The survey shows that 20% of networks have churches that are reproducing across four or more generations, echoing the same generational multiplication seen in the early church.
This is the real win for the microchurch movement. It’s not just about planting one church after another; it’s about creating an environment where churches plant churches, where every new believer is empowered to lead, and where every disciple becomes a potential church planter.
A Growing Movement
Over the last few years, in the Kansas City Underground, we’ve seen microchurches emerge in places we never expected—among the homeless, in recovery communities, in schools, on sports teams, and even inside prisons. They are small, hidden expressions of the church, living out the kingdom in ordinary spaces. These microchurches aren’t flashy or polished, but they are deeply rooted in the gospel and on mission.
As the survey shows, microchurches are not just a passing trend—they’re a growing and sustainable movement that is changing the way we think about church. While microchurch movements are still a minority report here, I am convinced that 50 years from now they will be a significant part of the body of Christ in the U.S. They will help shape the future of the church in the West, just as they already do in places like Africa and India.
What’s Next?
The 2025 Microchurch Survey paints a hopeful picture for the future of church planting in the U.S. We’re seeing that church planting doesn’t have to be tied to the costly traditional models of the past. Microchurches are disrupting the norm, and they’re doing so with incredible effectiveness.
I’m not claiming this is the only way. The Spirit of God empowers and breathes life into all forms of the church, and I firmly believe that in most cases it takes every form of the church to reach an entire city with the gospel. But there’s an alternative way beyond the traditional planting model. It’s not a novelty anymore. It’s not just an option. It’s a necessity for cultural, missional and, dare I say, biblical reasons.
This report may be exploratory, but it’s also revelatory. It paints a picture of the church quietly shifting—moving off the radar, beyond the buildings, into the streets, homes and margins. It’s like yeast, like mustard seeds—small, hidden, but unstoppable.
If you’re still stuck thinking that church planting requires a massive budget, a professional staff and a building, it’s time to reimagine what’s possible. Microchurches are showing us a way forward—one that’s simpler, more adaptable, and more in line with the mission of Jesus.
Rob Wegner is a founding leader and director of the Kansas City Underground, and serves as the mobilization and practice catalyst for Exponential.