Handbook 2012 - EFC Southwest · Churches of EFC ... the summer to finalize the structure before launching formally in January 2013. September 2012 Page | 7 ... a. Focus board members

TheNewChurchDevelopmentBoard

Handbook2012

Evangelical Friends Church Southwest

Friendschurchsw.org

September 2012 Page | 1

TableofContentsIntroduction to New Church Development (NCD) .......................................................................... 2

Philosophy of Ministry & Statement of Faith ......................................................... 3

Annual Strategic Plan .............................................................................................. 6

Roles of NCD Board Members ................................................................................ 7

Criteria for New Church Plants ............................................................................... 9

Church Planting Overview ............................................................................................................. 10

The NCD Board Marketing & Communication .............................................................................. 13

The NCD Board Recruiting Strategy .............................................................................................. 14

Steps for Planting a Church

Step 1 – Application .......................................................................................................... 15

Step 2 – Interview ............................................................................................................. 25

Step 3 – Assessment ......................................................................................................... 29

Step 4 – Training ............................................................................................................... 32

Step 5 – Preparation ......................................................................................................... 48

Step 6 – Plant! Becoming An Established Church ............................................................ 58

Summary of Steps and Checklists ................................................................................................. 60

Church Planting Information Booklet ........................................................................................... 66


IntroductiontoNewChurchDevelopment(NCD)

We have prepared this Infrastructure Document with several readers in mind:

Board Members: to provide you resources to give you a basic orientation to the Board and its mission.

Church Planters: to ensure that you understand the role of the Board, the role of the sponsoring church, and how the two work together.

Churches of EFC‐SW: to offer a clear explanation of the ways in which the Board carries out the church planting vision of EFC‐SW and give sponsoring churches clear processes for the various aspects of planting a church.

We hope this handbook will give you a basic understanding of our mission.

‐‐ Alan Amavisca


PhilosophyofMinistry

Mission:

Our mission is to influence and equip Christian leaders to establish new Friends churches.

Vision:

Our vision is to fuel a church planting movement across America.

CoreValues:

We lift up our heart, mind, and soul to God.

We place our trust and obedience in Christ.

We share our faith with others.

We equip, coach, and release disciples.

We build community with believers.

We live as family with one another.

CoreBeliefs:

We believe that Jesus is right here, right now to lead His people.

We believe a fruitful ministry flows out of being connected to Christ.

We believe that disciple‐making results in exponential Kingdom growth.

We believe that planting more churches creates more opportunity for people to experience grace and truth in their own lives.

We believe that healthy churches reproduce new churches.

Purpose:

The purpose of the NCD Board is to enable local churches to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ

through facilitating the planting and shepherding of prayerful and reproducing EFC‐SW

churches among the various cultures represented in the southwestern United States.

Stewards of the vision of EFC‐SW.

Provide strategic resources necessary to help launch a church plant: such as assessment, legal documents, coaching for church plants and guidance for sponsoring churches.


Insure that new church planters receive adequate assessment and training.

Administer and track NCD Board funds.

Evaluate the churches that want to join EFC‐SW and make the appropriate recommendation to the EFC‐SW Board of Elders.

Work with the Friends Center and other components of EFC‐SW to identify, equip and send out new workers.

StatementofFaith:

We believe in the one holy and loving God, who exists eternally in three persons ‐ Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He is the Creator and Sustainer of the universe, and the final Judge of everyone who lives within it.

We believe in the deity and the humanity of our Lord Jesus Christ. He is at the same time fully God and fully man. We believe in His virgin birth, in His sinless life, in His miracles, in His vicarious and atoning death through His shed blood on Calvary’s cross, in His bodily resurrection from the dead, in His ascension, in His being seated (enthroned) at the right hand of the heavenly Father, and in His second coming to earth in power and great glory.

We believe the Bible, the holy scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, to be the only inspired, infallible, authoritative, written word of God. God is the source of truth and apart from His revelation no spiritual insights or principles are binding upon us. The Holy Spirit illuminates the scriptures and applies their truth to our lives, but never leads individuals or groups contrary to their teachings. We are obligated to obey what the scriptures teach and to subject all our doctrines and traditions to their authority.

We believe that God created the human being, male and female, in His own image. When Adam and Eve fell into disobedience and rebellion toward God, they were alienated from Him and the perfect image of God was warped, marred, stained and corrupted. As a result all people inherit a pervasive sinfulness that invades every part of their beings. Further, all people sin by their own willful choices, falling short of both their own personal standards and also of God’s moral law. This moral depravity means that everyone is sinful and separated from God and needs to be redeemed and regenerated through Christ by the power of the Holy Spirit.

We believe that Jesus Christ died on the cross, shedding His blood for us and for our sins and rose again from the dead to make us right with God. A person receives salvation by grace through faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and not by being good enough to deserve it. To those who receive Christ, God grants forgiveness of sins, the gift of eternal life and ultimately the resurrection of the body to live forever in the new heavens and the new earth. Rejecting Jesus Christ and His provision for salvation and forgiveness of sin results in the penalty of eternal death in hell. The presence of saving faith is revealed by a life lived in obedience to the will of God and results in the good works that God has prepared in advance for us to do.

We believe that Christ lives in us and we live in Him. Living in this union with Christ we find our true identity in Him. We are crucified, buried, made alive, raised up and seated with Christ at the right hand of the Father. As a result our actual identity is no longer in outward


appearances such as performance, looks, intelligence, ability or wealth but rather that each of us is a child of God, a new creation in Christ Jesus. We believe that we can experience Christ directly and intimately without the intervention of human priests or required rituals. Our experience is that we commune with Christ daily as Lord, Savior, Teacher and Friend.

We believe the Holy Spirit lives within every person who truly receives Jesus Christ. He satisfies our deepest longings for grace, truth, love, power and righteousness. We respond to these riches of Christ with our faith, hope, love, obedience and holy living. The Holy Spirit counsels and helps the Christian to train for godly living. He also gives one or more spiritual gifts to every saint (Christian) to serve God with a fruitful life. Within each true believer in Christ He grows the fruit of loving character qualities. We believe that every Christian is commanded to be filled with the Holy Spirit, yielding heart, mind, spirit, soul and body as God’s holy temple.

We believe that in living union with Christ every Christian has the authority to overcome the three major spiritual enemies of this life ‐ the world, the flesh and the devil. The world is the system that is organized to leave God out and to applaud those who violate Christian values. The flesh is the inner weakness within each of us that finds temptation attractive and desires what is evil instead of what is good. The devil is Satan and his forces of evil, fallen angels sometimes called demons that deceive, accuse and harass Christians. Christ has already defeated Satan and all his evil powers at the cross and in the resurrection. Our Lord Jesus is now exalted to the highest place with absolute authority over all His enemies. In Christ we have all the resources we need to win the battle for our minds and overcome the evil one. These resources included God’s Spirit, God’s Word, God’s works, and God’s people.

We believe the church is composed of all people who through repentance and faith receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and become His devoted followers in fellowship with like‐minded believers. This church, universal in scope, unites all true Christians in spirit to love one another, live holy lives and proclaim the gospel to all the world. It has local expressions in individual congregations and in families of churches called denominations or movements. Our denomination is called Friends, from the words of Jesus, “You are my friends if you do what I command you. (John 15:16 NIV).” The church gathers to worship God, encourage believers, preach the gospel, teach the Bible, equip the saints, serve the needy, and pray for God’s best. The church then fans out into the community and the world to demonstrate the love of Christ and the presence of His reign in the daily routines and crises of life. As a body the church uses its material, organizational and spiritual resources to obey its Head, even Jesus Christ until His coming kingdom finds fulfillment in His return.

We believe in the Second Coming of our Lord Jesus Christ and all the great events of the end times prophesied in scripture. We refuse to divide fellowship over disputed questions of eschatology that are not clear in the scriptures. We believe in the great resurrection of both the saved and the lost. We believe everyone will stand before Christ in the final judgment to receive their just due. Those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will inherit their eternal rewards in the new heavens and the new earth, freed forever from selfishness, sin, demonic influence, control and all evil. The finally unrepentant wicked will suffer the eternal condemnation of hell prepared for the devil and his angels. At that time Christ will reign fully over the restored universe and God the Father will be fully glorified.

We believe the chief end of men and women is to glorify God and enjoy Him forever.


2012StrategicPlanThis year the NCD Board adopted a goal of three new church starts for 2012. In the early part of the year

three planters contacted us with strong plans. The NCD Board agreed to pursue these three

conversations with the goals of:

Reviewing the proposals

Approving the ones that met our parameters

Helping them and the supporting churches successfully launch this year

Note: we also want to take advantage of the opportunity to test the processes and procedures which we

overhauled last year. We want to ensure that our efforts are scalable.

In May the Board added another component to the plan; we will seek to develop a small, one‐year

intern program to identify and train potential future church planters. We will use a pilot project during

the summer to finalize the structure before launching formally in January 2013.


TheRoleoftheNCDBoardMembersThe board functions in accordance to the stipulations provided in Faith and Practice.

TheroleoftheChairperson:1. Schedule regular meetings (at least 4 per year). 2. Provide an agenda and all related materials at least five days prior to the set meeting

date. 3. Communicate regularly with the Multiplying Ministries Director to understand the vision

and direction of the ministry. 4. Facilitate board meetings.

a. Focus board members toward discussions and decisions that support the NCD Board.

b. Move the board toward accomplishment of strategies and goals that align with the NCD Board vision.

c. Create an environment of unity and trust. d. Aligns discussions toward the success and effectiveness of the Multiplying

Ministries Director’s vision. 5. Provide accountability and timeliness for board functions, such as finances, orientation,

nominating of new board members, etc. 6. Contact approved nominees for board appointed positions and invite them to become

new board members. (EFC‐SW Nominating Committee will contact other nominees.)

TheroleofVice‐Chairperson:1. Communicate regularly with the Chairperson. 2. Maintain appropriate knowledge and understanding of board policies and procedures. 3. Functions as the Chairperson when a vacancy occurs in the position of Chairperson.

TheroleofSecretary:1. Takes minutes each meeting. 2. Distributes meeting minutes in a timely manner. 3. Maintains records of the minutes. 4. Send approved minutes to the EFC‐SW office. 5. Has minutes and related materials available to review during regularly scheduled

meetings.

The above board members constitute the Executive Committee.


TheDirector:1. The director sets the vision. 2. Implements strategies and benchmarks of success that drive the board toward the

implementation of the vision. 3. Communicates regularly with the Chairperson to re‐enforce the vision and direction of

the NCD Board.

FunctionalityoftheBoard

The NCD Board functions as a working board. Board members will participate on Focus Teams

and participate in strategies that accomplish the EFC‐SW vision for New Church Development.

Current Board Focus Teams are:

1. Leadership Team: This focus team creates and implements ministry which supports, trains, and enhances the effectiveness of the church planter

2. Sponsoring Church Team: This focus team creates and implements ministry which supports, trains, and enhances the effectiveness of the sponsoring church(es)

3. Resource Team: This focus team supports the church planter and sponsoring church(es) with legal and financial decision making. They are also responsible for board financial and legal resources

4. Growth Mobilization Team: This focus team develops and implements strategies that support the increase in participation and the awareness of the NCD Board within the churches of EFC‐SW.


CriteriaforNewChurchPlants1. Church plants must have at least one sponsoring church. 2. Church planter(s) must have completed the church planting process as established in

this handbook to be recognized by the NCD Board. 3. Church plants must take on the form of the following types of church plants:

a. Conventional b. Hybrid c. Network of Simple Gatherings d. Ethnic Church Plant

4. Consensus of calling and appropriate skill level to plant a church must be evident in the leadership team. This is determined through relationship building, assessment, and training.


ChurchPlantingOverviewEFC‐SW supports the creation of the following types of church plants:

1. Conventional Church Plants 2. Hybrid Church Plants 3. Networks of simple gatherings (NSG plants) 4. Ethnic Church Plants

Definitionofchurchplants:Conventional Church Plants provide a traditional approach to launching a church that will meet in a building and potentially grow into a large church at one location. Conventional Church Planting also includes a process that results in a new Christian church being established. It should be distinguished from church development, where a new service, new worship center or fresh expression is created that is integrated into an already established congregation. For a church to be planted, it must eventually have a separate life of its own and be able to function without its parent body, even if it continues to stay in relationship denominationally or through being part of a network. A critical factor of becoming a conventional church plant is the passion for integrating within the DNA of the church an attitude of multiplication. In essence Friends Church Plants are churches that plant churches.

Hybrid Church Plants begin in homes or unconventional locations and may gather larger groups of people than a single simple church typically does. They are a hybrid between the conventional church structure and the simple church style, taking the best of both to create an environment that reaches the unchurched and dechurched person as well as disenfranchised Christians (though not as often).

Hybrid churches soft launch with a team of leaders that resemble more of a typical church plant; children, youth, worship, etc. They launch with the flexibility of becoming a NSG or a more conventional church in a building. This allows the plant to require fewer resources at the onset and can build as the church grows according to God’s plan.

Network of Simple Gatherings Church Plants are planted to primarily reach de‐churched Christians and will reach the unchurched as well. They are more organic in nature than the Hybrid and have less visible structure than the Hybrid Church Plant. The goal of an NSG is to multiply into several church gatherings throughout the community rather than transitioning into buildings as they grow. They are intentional in their organic leadership building.

The Network Leader opens a single Simple Church at the soft launch with his or her “launch team.” This team then breaks into five gatherings at the hard launch and the network is born. The Network leader becomes the overseer of all the House Churches in the network and continues to grow and build the network in depth and breadth.

Ethnic Church Plants include any church plant with the primary purpose of reaching peoples of ethnic minority. EFC‐SW currently has a vibrant Hispanic church planting ministry, and has also planted Korean and Farsi churches. It is the hope of EFC‐SW to reach all peoples across America with the good news of Jesus Christ, regardless of ethnicity. Appropriate training is created for the cultural dynamics of each church plant and translators and provided, as needed, throughout the assessing and training aspects of the church planting process.


Stages of Church Planting

Phase 1:

Connecting

Phase 2: Planting

Phase 3:

Developing

Phase 4:

Establishing**

Stage Ministry

Conversation

Ministry Point Ministry Community Established Church

Characteristics Conversation in

process

Planter(s) approved Launch period Transitioning to

self‐sufficiency

Time Frame 2 months 6 months Approx. 2 years Approx. 1 year

Leadership Going through hiring

process

Leader identified and

received by

sponsoring church as

the Church Planting

Pastor

Potential leaders

and elders have

been identified and

are being equipped

to take on

leadership within

the church

Elder board and

leadership systems

in place and the

church is fully self

sufficient

Meeting Times N/A Regular Launch Team

meetings and training

Meeting weekly

with congregation

Multiple ministries

meeting on a

regular basis (small

groups, youth, etc)

Commitment to Serve Demonstrated in the

potential leader(s)

Part of DNA of Pre‐

launch and launch

strategies

Ministries forming

around community

service

On‐going and

consistent

community service

Commitment to

Generosity

Demonstrated in the

potential leader(s)

Launch Team

demonstrates

commitment

Growing generosity

of congregation

Involved in First

Fruits, Missions,

NCD, etc.

Focus of Equipping Demonstrated in the

potential leader(s)

Pre‐launch team

discipleship

Raising up

volunteers to do the

work of the ministry

Volunteers

established in

multiple ministries

Disciple Making Demonstrated in the

potential leader(s)

Disciple making plan

in place

Disciple making plan

implemented and

new believers are

being discipled

Disciples are

making disciples

and the church is

sending out

missionaries or

new church

planters

Legal Status None Under the care of a

sponsoring church or

NCD

Beginning

independent legal

status requirements

Achieved 501(c)(3)

legal status

** To be recognized as a fully established church within EFC‐SW certain criteria must be met. See Step 6:

The Steps to Becoming an Established EFC‐SW Church.


TheNCDBoardRelationshipwiththeChurchPlanterandtheSponsoringChurch

The NCD Board is a ministry board that supports the creation of new churches, establishes policies and

procedures in regards to church planting, while providing accountability for the entire process of a

church plant.

The NCD Board is partitioned into four key Focus Teams. Below is a description of each Focus Team and

their relationship to the church planter and the sponsoring church.

The Leadership Focus Team is the team primarily responsible for identifying, recruiting, assessing, and

training church planters. Their secondary purpose provides a continuing relationship with the church

planter through coaching and additional training after the launch of the gathering. During NCD board

meetings reports are provided to discuss the phase of planting and the progress of the church planter’s

launching and establishing plans. This team works closely with the Sponsoring Church Focus Team to

ensure that the church planter is being well cared for and all communications are being maintained

between NCD, the church planter, and the sponsoring church.

The Sponsoring Church Focus Team is primarily focused on the sponsoring church and works alongside

them throughout the church planting process. This team aids in identifying and recruiting sponsoring

churches for the church planter. They are also involved in providing the sponsoring church with the

needed tools and resources for being successful in their support of the church planter and/or the

development of additional church planters.

The Resource Focus Team is a critical part of the church planting process. They oversee contract

agreements, financials, and develop Memorandums of Understandings (MOU) for clarity of roles for all

involved in the church planting process. They are the team to speak with about legal matters, such as

obtaining 501(c)(3) status, as well as reviewing contractual agreements prior to the church planter

signing the agreements. This team provides reports to discuss the financial and legal stability of the

church plant.

The Mobilization Focus Team is responsible to mobilize churches and individuals for the spiritual and

personal support needed to sustain a church planting movement. They create opportunities for

individuals and churches to get involved in prayer walks and relationship building in the community

surrounding a new church plant while maintaining regular communications with existing EFC‐SW

churches.

In the event that there is a conflict, miscommunication, misunderstanding, or need of education, a

representative from the appropriate focus team is contacted and meets with the parties involved

(representative from Multiplying Ministries may attend as available and necessary).


MarketingandCommunication1. Marketing Package for recruiting Church Planters on an “IMPACT SUNDAY” at each

church

Bulletin Insert/Postcard

10X6 Info Table Brochure

DVD 2‐3 Min in Length

E‐Newsletter Sign up

Banners/Signage and info Table

2. Marketing Package for recruiting Church Planters at Conferences

DVD

Updated Website to match marketing strategy

Tri‐fold

Conference Booth Backdrop

Business Cards w/ website info

Give aways

E‐Newsletter Sign up

3. Marketing Package for recruiting Church Planters through relationship

Postcard

Website

Tri‐fold

DVD

Business Cards

E‐Newsletter Sign Up

4. Marketing Package for follow up “touch”

“Thank you for your interest” card

“Recommended reading” list for potential church planter emailed

“Invitation to learn more” via conference call

“Thinking and praying for you” 3 month postcard


RecruitingStrategy

Recruitingpotentialchurchplanters

Currently the primary vehicle for recruiting church planters is established by Multiplying Ministries. In order for our church planting strategies to be effective, a strategy for reaching pastors within EFC‐SW and their congregants is essential.

1. Communicate with pastors from all EFC‐SW churches to share the options for planting churches, how they can get involved, and provide ways in which they can begin transitioning their congregation to be church planting minded.

2. Develop a strategy for speaking to pastors and church leaders at events such as Pastor’s Retreat, Annual Conference, etc.

3. Develop tools to support pastors in creating more churches, such as igniting people to consider creating small groups that reach their neighbors, providing guidance for small group curriculum to cause participants to consider their ways and impact in this lifetime.

4. Provide the marketing tools.

***The next step for recruiting church planters will be to develop a strategy for reaching people outside of the current EFC‐SW grouping of churches.


Step1:ApplicationChurchPlanter Complete Church Planter Application Submit Application to Sponsoring Church Multiplying Ministries Director confirms Sponsoring Church Connection Schedule Interview with Sponsoring Church

SponsoringChurch Review Church Planter Application Complete Background Check Complete Reference Calls Schedule Interview with Church Planter

MultiplyingMinistries Review Church Planter Application (if Church Plant is not yet connected to a Sponsoring Church) Confirm Connection with a Sponsoring Church


ChurchPlanterPacketThank you for your interest in church planting with EFC‐SW. Please complete the following documents: Church Planter Interest Indicator

Church Planter Application

Background Check Release Form

Submit this application to your Sponsoring Church Pastor. If you do not yet have a relationship established with a Sponsoring Church, send to Alan Amavisca at [email protected].


ChurchPlanterInterestIndicator Date:

Name:

Last First

Address:

Cell Phone: ( ) ‐

Home/Alternate Phone: ( ) ‐

Email:

Church Plant Information: Check the type of church you desire to establish.

Conventional Church

Hybrid Church

Network of Simple Church Gatherings

Ethnic

Other

If you chose “Ethnic” or “Other”, explain here:

Sponsoring Church:

Yes

Sponsoring Church Name:

Sponsoring Church Pastor:

Contact Information:

Not yet

Why do you want to plant a church?

Why are you considering a partnership with EFC‐SW?

Provide a brief testimony of how you came into a relationship with Jesus Christ:

Tell us about your current ministry involvement and spiritual habits:

Include current resume with completed Interest Indicator.


ChurchPlanterApplication

Personal Information

Date:

Name:

Last First

Address:

Primary Phone: ( ) ‐

Secondary Phone: ( ) ‐

Email:

After employment, would you be able to provide documentation on your U.S. citizenship or immigration status? Yes No If no, explain:

Church Plant Information: Check the type of church you desire to establish.

Conventional Church

Hybrid Church

Network of Simple Church Gatherings

Ethnic

Other

If you chose “Ethnic” or “Other”, explain here:

Sponsoring Church:

Yes

Sponsoring Church Name:

Sponsoring Church Pastor:

Contact Information:

Not yet

Church Planting Information:

Why do you want to plant a church?

Why are you considering a partnership with EFC‐SW?


Marital and Family Status

Single

Married ‐‐ Date of Marriage:

Name of Spouse:

Widowed ‐‐ Date Widowed:

What is your spouse’s perceived role/involvement with the planting of a church?

Names and Ages of Children (including step children):

Have you ever been divorced? Yes No If yes, what county and year were the divorce papers filed?

Has your spouse ever been divorced? Yes No If yes, what county and year were the divorce papers filed?

If either you or your spouse has been divorced, explain the circumstances of the divorce:

At any time during your ministry service (professional or volunteer) have you participated in adultery of any form? Yes No If yes, please explain:

Spiritual Practices

Provide a brief testimony of how you came into a relationship with Jesus Christ.

Tell us about your current ministry involvement with EFC‐SW.

Tell us about your current spiritual habits.

Tell us about key spiritual mentors in your life and the impact that had on your spiritual development:

Who are your current spiritual accountability partners? Please explain your relationship with each person :

Tell us about your experience with EFC‐SW and its churches:

Name and provide contact info for at least three leaders within EFC‐SW and its churches that you have good relational standing

1.

2.


3.

Expectations and Beliefs

Have you read the Faith and Practice of Evangelical Friends Church Southwest? Yes No

Are you in full agreement with our stated positions on:

Inspiration of Scripture: Yes No

Deity of Jesus Christ: Yes No

Salvation: Yes No

Baptism: Yes No

Communion: Yes No

Women in ministry leadership: Yes No

Refraining from the use of alcohol: Yes No

Refraining from the use of tobacco: Yes No

Refraining from profanity: Yes No

Refraining from pornography: Yes No

Maintaining sexual purity: Yes No

Sacredness of human life: Yes No

Our social witness: Yes No

If you answered “no” to any of these positions please explain all differing opinion(s) you have with EFC‐SW’s stated or implied positions as found in Faith and Practice of Evangelical Friends Church Southwest:

Please explain your belief and practice of the commonly called charismatic gifts:

By signing below, you agree to follow the doctrinal statements above and will continue to align biblical training within the church plant with the Faith and Practice of Evangelical Friends Church Southwest

Print Name: Signature: ________________________ Date:


Personal Ministry History

Please list any denominational or church associations you have participated with over the past 10 years and provide a contact name for each listed:

Do you currently have any continuing obligations to any denomination or association of churches that would hinder your ability to plant a church with EFC‐SW? Yes No If yes, please explain:

Have you ever left ministry employment? Yes No If yes, please explain:

Please provide all ministry related education you have, including the school in which you attended and any degrees/certificates you received:

Have you been recognized by a church or other organization as an ordained/commissioned/recorded pastor? ? Yes No

If yes, state the organization that recognized you, the date of your recognition, and some details about the process you went through in order to receive the ordination/commission/recording:

What experience do you have in helping start a new church (or business)?

How have you been involved with new church plants? State the name of the church, your role, and the outcome of your time with the church plant.

By signing below, I agree to allow all information found in this questionnaire, whether written or oral, to be made available to the relevant leadership of EFC‐SW for their exclusive use in assessing this application for a church planter with EFC‐SW. Is also certify that all information provided is true, complete, and accurate and understand the investigation of this information is required to be eligible for a role in church planting.

Print Name: Signature: ________________________ Date:


BackgroundCheckReleaseForm

1. Have you ever been accused, convicted, or pled guilty or “no contest” to a criminal offense involving sexual misconduct?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying when and where each accusation was made and how each accusation was resolved.

2. Have you ever been accused, convicted of or pled guilty or “no contest” to any criminal offenses not previously mentioned (excluding minor traffic violations)?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying when and where each accusation was made and how each accusation was resolved.

3. Have you ever been found liable in a civil lawsuit involving personal injuries to another person?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying when and where each incident occurred and the verdict rendered.

4. Have you ever been found liable or participated in an out‐of‐court settlement as a defendant in any civil lawsuit for an offense not described above?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying each case, when and where each incident occurred, and the outcome.

5. Has your driver’s license ever been suspended or revoked due to reckless driving or driving while intoxicated?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying each conviction or plea of guilty, when and where each incident occurred, and the sentence received.

6. Has any employer with whom you have been employed at any time in the past been sued as a result of your misconduct?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying each case, when and where each lawsuit was filed, and the outcome.

7. Have you ever been involuntarily terminated from any position with any church, school, or religious institution?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying each case, when and where each occurred, and the basis for each situation.

8. Have you ever been or are you now subject to official disciplinary proceedings by any organization or business?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying when and where each occurred, and the name of the business or organization involved in the outcome.


9. Have you ever been licensed, ordained, commissioned or otherwise credentialed as a minister, deacon, or elder by any other religious body other than Friends?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying each denomination or religious body, what kind of credential you were issued, the current status of that credential, the date and place of credential, and explain any reason for a change in the credential status.

10. As a potential church planter in partnership with EFC‐SW and its agencies, I understand that my primary loyalty is to God alone. Within this understanding, I agree to live by God’s teachings found in the Bible and the denominational practices as stated in the Faith and Practice Handbook. I release EFC‐SW and its agencies to investigate and verify my lifestyle and spiritual practices within the context of these references. I understand this to be a requirement in order to be considered for the position of an EFC‐SW church planter.

Yes No If no, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying, in detail, the biblical areas or practices of the denomination you are in conflict with and why.

11. Have you ever declared personal bankruptcy?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying, in detail, the circumstances and outcome of each bankruptcy.

12. Are you currently over 60 days delinquent on any debt payments?

Yes No If yes, explain fully on a separate sheet, identifying, in detail, the payments and circumstances for the delinquency.

I acknowledge that the information contained in this application is true and complete and that any misrepresentation or omission may be grounds for rejection of this application for becoming a church planter. I authorize the persons or entities to which this application is sent to make inquiries regarding all statements in this application. I also authorize all persons, entities, former employers, courts, law enforcement and other public agencies to respond to inquiries concerning me, to supply verification of the information contained in this application, and to comment on and state opinions regarding my background and character. I hereby release all such entities and individuals from all liability and responsibility arising from their doing so. I authorize the persons and entities to whom I have made this application to be send and/or their agent to circulate, distribute, and otherwise share information collected in connection with this application with others as they in their sole discretion see fit.

Print Name:_________________________________ Signature: _______________________________

Date: ______________________________________

Print this request and mail to EFC‐SW Attn: Alan Amavisca at EFC‐SW, PO Box 2079, Yorba Linda, CA 92885‐1279, or scan and email this request to [email protected].


ChecklistsforStep1ChurchPlanter Complete Church Planter Application Submit Application to Sponsoring Church (Multiplying Ministries Director, if no Sponsoring

Church has been established) Multiplying Ministries Director Confirms Sponsoring Church Connection Schedule Interview with Sponsoring Church

SponsoringChurch Review Church Planter Application Complete Background Check Complete Reference Calls Schedule Interview with Church Planter

MultiplyingMinistries Review Church Planter Application (if not connected to a Sponsoring Church) Confirm Connection between Church Planter and Sponsoring Church


Step2:InterviewChurchPlanter Complete Interview with Sponsoring Church Complete Covenant Agreement with Sponsoring Church, formalizing Sponsoring Church

Relationship

SponsoringChurch Complete Interview with Church Planter Complete Covenant Agreement with Church Planter

MultiplyingMinistries If requested by Sponsoring Church, participate in the Interview with the Church Planter Coordinate with Sponsoring Church for Assessment with EFC‐SW Approved Assessor Review and Approve Covenant Agreement with Sponsoring Church


NewChurchPartnershipCovenant ______________________________________ (Sponsoring Church) agrees to establish a partnership

with _______________________________________ (Church Plant Name), pastored by

______________________________________ (Pastor’s Name).

SponsoringChurchI understand that a Memorandum of Understanding with Stipulations will be completed prior to final approval of the Church Plant. Until this agreement is completed, the following support from the Sponsoring Church has been established:

1. Accountability Yes No 2. Prayer Yes No 3. Financial Yes No Overall Amount: $___________ 4. Volunteers Yes No 5. Regular Communication

with the Church Planter Yes No 6. Building usage Yes No 7. Office Supplies and copies Yes No

Other: _______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

ChurchPlanterI understand that a Memorandum of Understanding with Stipulations will be completed prior to final approval of the Church Plant. Until this agreement is completed, I understand that I am responsible for the following:

1. Regular communication with the Sponsoring Church Yes No

2. Respond to inquiries and communications in a timely manner Yes No

3. Commitment to complete the requirements for becoming a Church Planter Yes No

4. Commitment to follow the approved Church Planter Proposal Yes No

Other: _______________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________

Sponsoring Church Initials__________

Church Planter(s) Initials___________


MultiplyingMinistriesI understand that a Memorandum of Understanding with Stipulations will be completed prior to final approval of the Church Plant. Until this agreement is completed, Multiplying Ministries is responsible for the following:

1. Provide documentation to the Church Planter and Sponsoring Church to guide them through the church planting process Yes No

2. Follow up with the Church Planter or Sponsoring Church when delayed in completing a task in the church planting process Yes No

3. Work diligently with the Church Planter to coordinate assessments, training, coaching, and the completion of all agreements Yes No

4. Communicate regularly with the Sponsoring Church Yes No

5. Other:

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________________

Sponsoring Church Representative Signature:___________________________ Date:_______________

Church Planter(s) Signature:_________________________________________ Date:_______________

Church Planter(s) Signature:_________________________________________ Date:_______________

Multiplying Ministries Rep Signature: _________________________________ Date_______________

Multiplying Ministries Director Initials_______


ChecklistsforStep2ChurchPlanter Complete Interview with Sponsoring Church Complete Covenant Agreement with Sponsoring Church

SponsoringChurch Complete Interview with Church Planter Complete Covenant Agreement with Church Planter

MultiplyingMinistries If Requested by Sponsoring Church, Participate in Interview with Church Planter


Step3:AssessmentChurchPlanter Complete Approved Assessment Receive Approval from Sponsoring Church to Proceed Meet NCD Board for Approval Register for Approved Church Planter Training Get an EFC‐SW Approved Coach

SponsoringChurch Review Completed Assessment Approve, Delay, or Deny Church Planter Present Church Planter to NCD Board for Approval

MultiplyingMinistries Review Completed Assessment Report with Sponsoring Church Pastor Church Planter Presented to NCD Board for Approval NCD Board Approves, Delays, and Denies Church Planter


Assessments

Whatisanassessment?A Church Planter Assessment is a formal way of evaluating the readiness of an individual(s) to plant a church. A specialized set of gifts, ministry skills, and life and ministry experiences are uniquely needed for church planting; they are different from the gifts and skills needed for pastoring an existing church. Therefore, it is important for each potential church planter to have this formal confirmation. Assessments are not perfect, but evidence shows they are a very accurate predictor church planter success.

Potential church planters should only be formally assessed after they have been thoroughly vetted (a process of examination and evaluation) and observed by a sponsoring church or others involved with church planting. The Assessment is not intended to be a screening process. There should be every reason to believe the candidate will successfully complete the assessment before the assessment is pursued. The NCD Board is responsible for providing trained and certified assessors. The sponsoring church and/or the church planter(s) are responsible for all the costs incurred with the assessment. Within one week after the completion of the assessment, the sponsoring church and/or the church planter(s) will be provided with a written report which will include whether the candidate(s) has been approved or not as a church planter. The following assessment options are currently available through Multiplying Ministries and the New Church Development Board:

Individual Assessments: This assessment is a one day meeting with two certified assessors and the church planter candidate and spouse (if applicable). The format of this assessment is an interview. This is recommended for those church planters who will be planting a conventional church and will be the driving force and inspiration for the church plant.

Couple Assessments: This assessment is also a one day meeting with two certified assessors. The format for this assessment is an interview. This assessment is recommended for couples who will be planting a conventional church as co‐planters. The husband and wife's skills, strengths, struggles, etc. are evaluated and assessed as one unit to determine their probability of success as a team.

Team Assessments: This assessment is provided to a team of people who will be launching Hybrid churches and/or Networks of Simple Gatherings. It is more common in this environment to have team‐led approaches to ministry in which each person leads in their area of strength. This assessment is completed over a meal and may take anywhere between two to four hours. Two trained assessors engage in conversations, drawing out patterns of behavior, evidence of skills and gifting that match their vision, strengths, weaknesses, and other variables that determine their probability of success in the unconventional church plant.


ChecklistsforStep3ChurchPlanter Complete Approved Assessment Receive Approval from Sponsoring Church to Proceed Register for Approved Church Planter Training

SponsoringChurch Review Completed Assessment Approve, Delay, or Deny Church Planter

MultiplyingMinistries Review Completed Assessment Report with Sponsoring Church Pastor


Step4:TrainingChurchPlanter

Complete Proposal Assemble Prayer Team Complete Financial Packet: 3‐year Budget, Fund Raising Plan, Matching Funds Application Submit Completed Materials to Sponsoring Church Sponsoring Church Submits Church Plant to NCD Board for Approval

SponsoringChurch

Review with Church Planter: 1) Completed Proposal; 2) Prayer Team; 3) Financial Packet: 3‐year Budget, Fund Raising Plan, Matching Funds Application

Submit Church Plant to NCD Board for approval Submit Matching Funds Application to NCD Board

MultiplyingMinistries

Consider Church Plant for Approval Approve, Delay, or Deny Church Plant Approve, Delay, or Deny Matching Funds Application


ChurchPlanterTraining

Training

EFC‐SW requires comprehensive training for participating church planters. Training programs vary depending on the specific church planting form.

QuarterlyTrainingSessions

Quarterly Training Sessions are developed to provide “real time” training. This means that these training sessions are based on the church planter’s need at the time of the training. They are designed as a group discussion in which everyone participating shares their victories, questions, and knowledge.

FinancialMatters

FinancialPlanningTool

The New Church Development Board has provided an extended financial planning tool which church plants are required to use. A link to this required spreadsheet is available to be downloaded from our website (www.friendschurchsw.org).

MatchingFundsProcess

As God provides funds to the NCD Board, local Friends churches in good standing with EFC‐SW may apply to the Board to receive matching funds for church multiplication projects. These matching funds will be awarded quarterly or annually as determined by the NCD Board and the sponsoring church(es). Approval for committing matching funds will be based upon the guidelines listed below:

1. Generally, a maximum amount of $40,000 will be considered for matching funds.

2. The church or churches requesting the funds must have their funds “in hand” before receiving the matching funds from the NCD Board. In certain situations, The NCD Board may consider giving their matching funds incrementally as the sponsoring church or churches raise their part.

3. In order to be considered for matching funds, the church or churches requesting funds must have their church plant recognized by the NCD Board.

4. Before requesting funds, the church(es) making the request must have completed the following steps:


a. Identify the church planter and take him/her through Steps 1‐3. The following criteria should be considered before formal recognition of the church planter:

□ The church planter is committed to ministry within EFC‐SW.

□ The church planter has been approved by the Sponsoring Church and NCD Board.

5. The church(es) receiving the matching funds will agree to provide The NCD Board with a full accounting of all funds spent on the project.

NewChurchGivingto“FirstFruits”

First Fruits Covenant is the method our churches have chosen to provide financial resources for the EFC‐SW Church Health and Growth budget.

This approach allows the churches to: (1) participate in the support of the regional office and staff (excluding Faith Board employees); (2) allow individual congregations to promote and model a spirit of generosity within their congregations; (3) allow for individual congregations to partner with other churches in ways they would not otherwise be able to do.

The Church Health and Growth budget is funded through giving from each local church. Each year at Annual Conference, the churches approve this budget. The Representatives will also approve the percentage of their general giving income which will serve to fund the Church Health and Growth budget. All churches will be encouraged to give at the same percentage,


ChurchPlantingProposalTemplate

[InsertChurchPlantNameHere]

WhyStartaNewChurch?

Stateyourcalling

Briefly explain how you became assured of your calling to plant a church. Include your conversion story as a Christian and evidence of God’s leading you to this particular calling.

Stateyourvision

In one paragraph share your vision for the church plant God has placed on your heart.

Statethereasonsforchurchplanting

Provide evidence that you understand why it is important to plant churches. You may provide biblical, cultural, or other reasoning that you have discovered in your research and investigation of church planting. Bullet format is acceptable. An example:

Planting new churches is the most effective evangelistic method for reaching people in today’s culture (site your source for this information)

Demonstratetheneedfornewchurches

Provide sound research and reasoning for planting more churches in America, such as the percentage of population that does not attend church, the current circumstances of the American church (in decline or a growth pattern) cultural changes that create needs for new churches, etc.

Whoismyministryfocusgroup?

Describeyourministryfocusgroup

Describe the type of people you expect to target and reach. Provide sound reasoning for this desire and include evidence for why you think your church plant, and its leaders, have the ability to reach this focus group.


Describethecommunityneeds

Provide current needs in the community and site your sources. This should be specific to the location in which you intend to plant the church.

Includeappropriatedemographics

Provide up‐to‐date demographic information including population, ethnicity, overall economic status of the city or location of the church plant.

Whatkindofchurcharewetryingtoplant?

Statethechurchplantformyouintendtocreate

EFC‐SW plants the following forms of church:

Conventional

Ethnic

Networks of Simple Gatherings

Hybrid

For more information about these forms, read “NCD Informational Booklet”, by Danae Stewart. Provide reasoning for why you would like to plant this specific church and indicate additional knowledge you have in regards to planting this form of church.

ProvideafirstdraftofyourPhilosophyofMinistry

This should include your mission, vision, core values, etc. For instructions on completing the Church Plant’s Philosophy of Ministry read, “Developing your Philosophy of Ministry” by Danae Stewart.

Providebasicprogramorministryflowexpectations

Provide initial plans for children, youth, membership, missions, Church services, etc. Depending on the church form you choose the areas of focus with vary.


Withwhomwillyouplantthischurch?

Describeyourideallaunchteam

Include your leadership team, sponsoring church information, gathering/ministry leaders, potential or realized elders, etc.

Includeaprofileofanyconfirmedministrypartners

List all churches and major contributors committed to the launch of the church plant.

Definethespecificrolesyou/ChurchPlantTeamexpecttofill

List the specific roles of each person on the Church Plant Team or in the case of a single Church Planter, provide information about your understanding of the role you will play as a Church Planter. For example, who is the vision caster, preacher/teacher, ministry leader, etc.

Howandwhenwillyouplantthischurch?

Includeatimelineforfirst18‐36months

Initially, you may not have detailed information. Provide your desired start and launch dates, and tasks that need to be completed in order to be ready for your launch. You will be given opportunity to expand this following training.

Includea3yearstrategicplan

Initially, you may not have detailed information. Provide growth, discipleship, multiplication, and self‐governing strategies. You will be given opportunity to expand this following training.

Howmuchwillitcost?

Includeastart‐upbudgetusingtheBudgetPlannerForm

Include salaries, start‐up costs, and three years of financial projections. Ensure that the financials align with your provided timelines and strategic plans. Include a Cash Flow Analysis.


Defineyourfundingstrategy

Explain how you will raise the required funds needed for your church plant. Include your desire for matching funds and the amount you anticipate requesting from the New Church Development Board. A separate document to approve these funds will need to be completed prior to the final approval of the church plant.


MatchingFundsApplicationNewChurchDevelopment

Through the Board of New Church Development (NCD), EFC‐SW matches funds committed by local churches to new church development projects. These matching funds are awarded quarterly or annually as determined by the NCD Board and the Sponsoring Church(es).

1. Matching funds will be disbursed in response to funds already raised by the sponsoring church(es).

2. The sponsoring church(es) and the church planter have a ministry plan and budget that has been reviewed and approved by the NCD Board.

3. The sponsoring church(es) are in good standing with EFCSW.

4. In the case of a pre‐existing group that desires to be adopted into the EFCSW movement, any matching funds will be decided on a case by case basis by the Elders and the NCD Board.

Sponsoring Partners are churches or individuals who have committed to financially support the Church Plant by contributing to the funds intended to be matched. If the funds have not yet been received by the Church Plant or Sponsoring Church, a letter of commitment must be submitted with this application stating the amount pledged by the Sponsoring Partner.

Sponsoring Church(s):

Sponsoring Partners:

Proposed Name of New Church:

Address of New Church (or name of target community):

City: State: Zip:

Phone: ( ) ‐ Email:


SummaryProjectBudget(ThreeYears)It is required that all church plants utilize the Financial Planning Tool available for download on the EFC‐SW website (www.friendschurchsw.org). The following budget is only a summary of the completed tool submitted by the church planter.

How much money do you have in hand for this project? $

Where is the money held? Year One Year Two Year Three

Projected Income

A. Project support to be contributed by parent church: $ $ $

B. Pledges/personal faith support church planter will be required to raise: $ $ $

C. Income from local sources/offerings: $ $ $

D. Other Income (name source): $ $ $

E. Grant amount requested from the NCD Board: $ $ $

Estimated Total Income: $ $ $

Projected Expenses

A. Pastor’s Salary: $ $ $

B. Pastor’s Housing Allowance: $ $ $

C. Additional Pastoral Benefits (pension, insurance, etc.): $ $ $

D. Other staff salaries/expenses (please explain): $ $ $

E. Facility costs (rent, utilities, maintenance, etc.): $ $ $

F. Church liability insurance $ $ $

G. Equipment Costs (phone, sound system, office equip., chairs, etc.) $ $ $

H. Program Expense (printing, postage, literature, outreach efforts, etc.) $ $ $

J. Giving to Shared Ministries of EFC‐SW (First Fruits, NCD, Mission) $ $ $

Estimated Total Expense: $ $ $

Certification

This church planting project is approved by the Sponsoring Church(s) and the above statements are accurate and complete.

________________________________________________ ____________________________________________

Sponsoring Church Pastor Signature and Date Church Planting Pastor Signature and Date

Approved by NCD Board (date) Not Approved by NCD Board (date)

Signature of NCD Board Chairperson: _____________________________________________________________________


DevelopingYourChurchGathering’sPhilosophyofMinistry©2010 Dr. Danae Stewart, Project Unleashed

WhatisaPhilosophyofMinistry?

The use of a Philosophy of Ministry document has been debated by many people over the years. Some people will tell you that it is a dismal attempt of bringing corporate strategy into a Christian context. Other people will tell you that it confines and restricts the ability of the Holy Spirit to move and shape His church as He pleases. Neither of these opinions is accurate. A Philosophy of Ministry is a tool that helps the planter and his/her team to align with what God is doing in and through your particular plant.

When developing a strategy for your church plant keep in mind that we are in the business of people, not tasks. This means that this document is meant to help people find success in their role in this church plant. It is not meant to be a legalistic document set up to hold people accountable for specific actions and duties. Remember the word ALIGNMENT. The creation of a Philosophy of Ministry is to align the organization (your church plant) with God’s plans, and then provide a road map for your leaders and volunteers to align to those same plans.

A Philosophy of Ministry sets the parameters for the unique way God is building your church plant. No one person can be all things to all people all the time, so too a church plant cannot be everything to everyone. By taking the time to develop your thinking, and your team’s thinking about who you are as a church plant, you will be saving much heartache down the road when you realize that your ministries are running amuck in 50 different directions, none of which are moving in the direction the church is trying to go. Discontinuing a ministry in a church is almost never a pleasant process. Someone gets hurt, discouraged, or worse, angry and leaves the gathering. By having a clear understanding of your purpose in God’s Kingdom you can identify quickly which ministry aligns with your church passions and which ones do not.

Determiningyourmissionstatement:

Your mission is the church plant’s reason for existence. People all over the world develop a variety of ways to say the mission of the church. For example, one church’s mission is “To love God and love people”, another church has the mission “Affect the World for Jesus Christ.” These examples are fine, but I would like to challenge you to consider your specific mission, not just what all churches are called to do, but specifically what your church is called to do. Agape Christian Fellowship exists to create environments for life transformation and spiritual maturity.

Determiningyourvisionstatement:

Your vision demonstrates what you hope for the church in the future. It helps people understand where your church plant wants to go and what it will look like when it gets there. I recommend that you make your vision statement articulate the dream you have for your church plant. For example, Project Unleashed’s vision is to plant churches in every neighborhood across America while remaining


connected to the larger body of Christ. Will this vision become a reality in this lifetime? No, probably not, but that is what I dream will happen one day. What is your dream?

EstablishingValues:

Values are a difficult aspect of the Philosophy of Ministry to hammer out. One reason is that we are tempted to put in doctrinal beliefs because we hold them in high regard. Another reason is that the values of the organization can be difficult to articulate and take time to assess. In this section of your Philosophy of Ministry you want to list 6‐8 values that are critical to the success of the church. These are things that will determine your decisions, direction, and priorities in ministry. For example, if prayer is a core value, then when you are meeting to decide direction you will slow down and take time to pray through those decisions. You will also prioritize based on prayer requests and answered prayers. It also means that your ministries will have a heavy emphasis on prayer and much discussion will happen about the outcomes of these pray times. It is not about what you value individually, it is about determining the defining factors of your church plant that will shape all of ministry.

BasicBeliefs:

This is the section in which you provide your statement of faith and doctrinal stance. As an EFC‐SW church planter you may decide to simply include a statement about Faith and Practice and provide a few essential beliefs. This will become the foundation for all that you do as a church plant.

Developingyourministrystrategy:

Any ministry program or approach you develop should be designed in light of the items above. All programs and approaches to ministry must align with the overall church plant passions and direction. Your strategy will keep you and your leadership on track with the tasks and ministry implementations in the church body. For example, if Church ABC has a core value of multiplication, then every ministry that is implemented should have a design for multiplication. Take your existing ministry efforts and place them in the light of your core values. Do your ministry efforts align with the church’s Philosophy of Ministry? If not, adjust your ministry efforts.

In developing a strategy you must have goals and action steps that lead to a result. Pick 6‐8 goals that you would like to accomplish over a 3 year period. Develop action steps that will lead you to accomplishing these goals.

BIG NOTE: When creating a strategic plan keep in mind that about 20% of what you set out to do will not happen at all. About 20% will not happen within the time frame you place on the goal. These are normal occurrences and should not alarm you. About 60% of what you set out to do can be accomplished if you and your team keep your philosophy of ministry in focus.

It is important to review and adjust your goals and action steps once a year. On the third year, you put aside the entire plan and build a new strategy from scratch. There are many statistical reasons for doing this, but the most important reason is that we are in a culture of high change and transition and we need to remain flexible and adaptable. Also, we do not want to held so tightly to our plans that we stop letting God shape us to His will.


StrategicSummary:

A strategic summary is a description of the overall plans and strategies that you have made. It is similar to an executive summary and allows for someone to quickly get up to speed when wanting to understand more about your church plant. This summary describes who you will reach, what their needs are, and how you will do ministry.


PhilosophyofMinistryWorksheet

YourChurchName:

STEP1‐‐Beginbydeterminingyourbasicbeliefs

What are your core beliefs? (Essential faith beliefs for salvation)

What are your secondary beliefs? (Essential faith beliefs for remaining faithful to scripture)

What are your personal spiritual beliefs? (List preferences that will help define your church plant)

STEP2—Clarifyingyourmissionstatement

God is the one who defines the mission of your church plant. It always boils down to loving God and His people. We are also mandated to be evangelistic and focused on discipleship.

Identify key verses that God has given you in regards to your church plant:

Identify verses that reveal the church’s purpose and meaning:

Write your draft mission statement here:

STEP3—IdentifyyourCoreValues

Core values identify how the church will uniquely function and act. Your core values are the “hills you are willing to die defending.”

Brainstorm words/phrases that connect with your values about church planting:

From the words/phrases you wrote down, circle the ones that are consistent in the life of your church, carry passion, are distinctive to your church’s unique make‐up, hold convictions that determine priorities, and express the unique personality of your church plant. Then choose the top 6‐8 words that best portray the church plant God has called you to create.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.


7.

8.

Write down examples that show how each of these core values will be demonstrated in your church ministries.

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

7.

8.

STEP4—CreatingyourChurchVision

Reminder: vision tells people where your church is going

Write down what you dream will happen in your church:

Write down the emotions and feelings people in your church should have when they participate in your gathering:

What would a church look like that you would be proud to hand off to your grandchildren:

Write a draft vision statement:

STEP5‐‐Developyourstrategy

List goals that provide the ability for you to move toward your mission and vision. Then give at least three action steps for each goal that will get you moving in the right direction

Goal #1:

Action Step:

Action Step:

Action Step:

Goal #2:


Action Step:

Action Step:

Action Step:

Goal #3:

Action Step:

Action Step:

Action Step:

Write a summary of your strategy (3‐5 sentences):


ChecklistsforStep4ChurchPlanter

Complete Proposal Assemble Prayer Team Complete Financial Packet

o 3‐year Budget o Fund Raising Plan o Matching Funds Application

Submit Completed o Proposal o Prayer Team Names (and email addresses) o Financial Packet to Sponsoring Church

SponsoringChurch

Review Proposal with Church Planter Review Prayer Team with Church Planter Review Completed Financial Packet

o 3‐year Budget o Fund Raising Plan o Matching Funds Application

Submit Church Plant to NCD for Approval Submit Matching Funds Application to NCD Board

MultiplyingMinistries

Consider (along with NCD Board) Church Plant for Approval Approve, Delay, or Deny Church Plant Approve, Delay, or Deny Matching Funds Application


Step5:PreparationChurchPlanter Complete Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sponsoring Church Coordinate with Multiplying Ministries Office Staff for Printing and Distribution of Prayer Cards Church Planter Meets EFC‐SW Staff Submit Monthly Prayer Updates to EFC‐SW Submit Monthly Report to Multiplying Ministries Office

SponsoringChurch Complete Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Church Planter Confirm with Church Planter that Approved Coaching is Underway

MultiplyingMinistries Release Matching Funds if Approved Create Church Plant Webpage for EFC‐SW Site Begin Monthly Web Updates and Supporter Emails from Church Planter Send Prayer Cards to Churches


CoachingEFC‐SW is committed to providing you with the best and most accessible tools and support for church planters. We believe that coaching is a vital part of that support. What is coaching? “Coaching is the process of coming alongside a person or team to help them discover God’s agenda for some part of their life and ministry, and then cooperating with the Holy Spirit to see that agenda become a reality.” – Bob Logan Coaching focuses on developing the individual giftedness of a church planter. It cooperates, then, with the “wiring” that God has placed within the planter. Coaching leverages the specific situation the church planter finds himself/herself in. A coach listens carefully to concerns, needs, hopes and dreams, asks clarifying questions, helps identify resources and then supports the planter until their leading becomes a reality. The coach and church planter meet once a month to talk, process and pray together. The coach doesn’t tell the planter what to do but listens and asks good questions. Questions like: “What’s working? What’s not working? What needs to change? What’s next?” EFC‐SW coaches are trained and certified. Our coaches are made up of people who love the Lord and the Church. They have a heart to see church planters plant churches that will reach neighborhoods, communities and the world.

Expectationsinthecoachingexperience

Acquisition of a coach is of utmost importance.

The church planter is expected to be respectful at all times. The coaching process can build into a terrific relationship if taken seriously, and can move you beyond any place you thought possible.

The church planter will make this time a priority each month. Your coach will ask you to prepare for your appointment according to the timeline provided by your coach.

The church planter will complete all assignments by the due dates.

The church planter will provide ample notice in the event cancellation is required.

The coach is expected to be professional and respectful at all times.

The coach will be prepared for each session and provide you the needed materials with ample time to complete prior to the session.

The coach will focus on task oriented needs. He/she is not a counselor, rather he/she is someone who helps set goals, strategize next steps, and remove roadblocks.

The coach provides a safe and confidential environment.

In the event of a conflict between the coach and church planter, either the coach or the church planter may request a new coaching relationship. This will only occur when it is apparent that the conflict is unable to be resolved.


GeneralCoachingTimelines

The coaching process begins when the Church Planter is formally approved by the NCD Board (see Step 4) and formally concludes after eighteen months. The coaching relationship may continue, if both parties agree that it would continue to be beneficial.

Each coaching session is 55 minutes in length.

Coaching sessions occur one time per month.

Please consult the NCD Board Coaching representative for current pricing structures. Coaching costs are the responsibility of the Sponsoring Church.


MemorandumofUnderstanding(Example)Between ___________________________________________ (Church planter) and ___________________________________________________(Sponsoring church)

IntroductionandSharedGoalStatement: This document will serve as the basis of the working relationship between ___________ [herein “Sponsoring Church”] and _______________[herein “Church planter”] in their joint effort to plant a _____________________ church in the area of _______________________. We believe that God is calling us to the shared vision to develop a local church to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ, through facilitating the planting and shepherding of a prayerful and reproducing EFCSW church in the area of the City of ____________________. We each desire to respond together in cooperation in that effort. Our desire is that this new fellowship will become part of the Evangelical Friends Church Southwest family of churches.

ContributionstoRealizationofGoal:

SponsoringChurchwillcontributethefollowing:

1. Prayerful mentoring and guidance in the entire process.

2. Assist in setting and meeting goals for tasks agreed upon by each party.

3. Information, direction and assistance in completion of the application process

4. Information, direction and assistance regarding obtaining required funding.

5. Information, direction and assistance in determination of an appropriate meeting location.

6. Information, direction and assistance to determine the need and optimum way to obtain insurance.

7. Information, direction and assistance in the development and launching of a budget.

8. Information, direction and assistance in the establishment of effective communication procedures.

9. Information, direction and assistance with the opening of a church bank account.

10. Information, direction and assistance with the establishment of necessary security and personnel issues.

11. Information, direction and assistance with the establishment of an orientation, training plan, and volunteer issues.


12. Information, direction and assistance with organizational issues such as necessary statistical information, nonprofit issues and church governance.

13. Sponsoring church will provide oversight, support, and guidance to the planter, by means of scheduled meetings, prayer, financial assistance if appropriate and encouragement and accountability. Planter will be accountable to meet the agreed‐upon deadlines, tasks and reports. A New church development check list template will be agreed upon to provide direction and accountability to the planter.

14. Where the Sponsoring Church offers facilities to the daughter church, the length of time that they two groups share the property should be spelled out clearly. The Sponsoring Church and the Church Planter should make periodic measurements to determine when the growth and health of the new fellowship allow it to move out (those metrics should be agreed upon before launching).

a. The Sponsoring Church will establish clear lines of communication with the Church Planter and team in order to make sure that the Church Planter has a full understanding of how decisions are made regarding use of space, clean up, etc, and who must be involved in the various use decisions.

b. Rent, children’s ministry, facility up‐keep, etc will become new responsibilities for the Daughter Church once it moves. The Sponsoring Church will begin working with the Church Planter’s team well before the move to ensure that these issues are addressed. It may mean a team from the Sponsoring Church will help out at the new site for a few months to aid in the transition.

15. The Sponsoring Church will work to ensure that the whole staff buys into the church planting vision and grasps the high priority of this effort. Remembering that “vision leaks”, the pastor and key leaders will commit to continually repeat the vision and emphasize that church planting is a mission of the whole church.

ChurchPlanterwillcontributethefollowing:

1. Maintain an attitude of prayer for God’s wisdom, strength; a Godly walk as project proceeds.

2. Exercise discipline in meeting deadlines for tasks undertaken at direction of Sponsoring Church

3. Provide reports, documents, and information requested by Sponsoring Church in a timely manner.

4. Attend regularly scheduled meetings with Sponsoring Church to assess progress and determine activities to be undertaken to accomplish goal.

Commitments We each commit to discuss and develop a mutual agreement regarding the following items and any other issues we feel are relevant:

1. The basis of our trust and commitment 2. What difference will this project make for the gospel? 3. How will we keep track of: agreements, finances, outcomes?


4. How will we handle potential changes, opportunities, and appointments

The launch date for this ministry will begin: _____________________ Agreed this day _______________ of ________________, 2010 ___________________________ ____________________________ ___________________________ ____________________________


MemorandumofUnderstanding(Example)

_____(sponsoring church name)____, as part of Evangelical Friends Church Southwest, recommends that _____________ serve as church planter/pastor of ________________________________ effective _____________, (date). The church planter/pastor agrees to:

1) Give full time ( ), or part time ( ) to the pastoral ministry under the direction of the leadership of _____(sponsoring church name).

2) Discipline and steward the use of time and energy to faithfully study and prepare for preaching and teaching, leadership development, pastoral care, administration, church and outreach ministry.

3) Be committed to personal spiritual growth and character development.

4) The “Pastoral Roles and Relationships” and conduct statements found in the EFC‐SW Faith and Practice, Chapter 6.

5) Vacation time of _______ weeks per year and will take one day off each week.

6) Turn in the annual housing allowance form at the appropriate time in compliance with the IRS code.

7) Progress through the commissioning and recording process (if needed).

8) Demonstrate commitment to evangelism, discipleship, worship, service, and fellowship, along with generous giving, leadership development and the multiplication of leaders, groups and churches.

9) High level of financial integrity, both personally and in the stewardship of church finances. Personal giving should be at least a tithe (10%) to the new church. Church finances and banking should follow ___________(sponsoring church name) guidelines.

10) Be faithful in communicating and reporting ministry progress to ____________(sponsoring church name), leadership as needed, including attendance at weekly staff meetings.

11) Support financially EFC‐SW First‐Fruits, New Church Development and Missions of Evangelical Friends Church Southwest.

12) Develop and communicate regularly with a “pre‐launch” prayer team of _______ people. * __________________________(sponsoring church name) agrees to:

1) Provide a one‐year salary of $__________ ($______per month). Housing allowance is included in the total salary. Other terms agreed to include (none).

2) Provide the pastor and family with an adequate health plan.

3) Provide the pastor with a training and accountability system that includes, church planter assessment, church planter training (like a “Boot Camp” or similar opportunity) and a coaching relationship.

4) Provide a suitable work place/office situation for study and administration.


5) Provide liability insurance for the pastor, leaders and facility of the church plant until it is deemed necessary for the church plant to secure their own insurance.

6) Encourage relationships between the planting pastor, __________(sponsoring church name), staff and EFCSW staff (weekly meetings, Pastor’s Retreat, EFC‐SW dinners for example.)

7) Contribute a maximum total of $__________, to be distributed (to be determined). Also, New Church Development will contribute a maximum total of $________ to be distributed (to be determined). *All expenses above are to be factored in to the church plant budget. Church Planter signature: ______________________________________________ Date:___________________ Sponsoring Church Pastor signature: ______________________________________________ Date:___________________ Sponsoring Church Elder signature: ______________________________________________ Date:___________________ EFCSW Multiplying Ministries signature: ______________________________________________ Date:___________________


PrayerTeamInclude:

1. Provide names and email addresses to the MM office staff 2. Provide monthly updates to MM office staff (use form below) 3. Monthly email will be sent to your prayer supporters and the EFC‐SW church pastors 4. Information included on these forms will be posted on the Church Plant’s page on the EFC‐SW

website.

EFC‐SWMonthlyChurchPlanterPrayerUpdatePlease return this form to Lori Anderson ([email protected]) by the 25th of each month. Unless otherwise specified, prayer concerns will be published on the EFC‐SW website and made available to prayer team and pastors. Name: Church: Date (M/Y): 1. Please share a short story or recent event in your ministry; something you are excited about or concerned about and would like people to know is happening where you are. 2. Please share a short personal update on yourselves and your family. 3. Please attach 1 to 3 recent ministry pictures (with captions) or family pictures that can be used for publicity. I am praising God for these answered prayers: Please pray with us for: Please ask the EFC‐SW staff to pray for these things that I do not want shared outside of the office:


ChecklistsforStep5ChurchPlanter Get an approved EFC‐SW Coach Complete Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sponsoring Church Create Prayer Cards (Multiplying Ministries Office Can Help) Distribute Prayer Cards to Supporters and EFC‐SW Churches Begin Submitting Monthly Prayer Updates to Multiplying Ministries Office Begin Submitting Monthly Report to Multiplying Ministries Office

SponsoringChurch Complete Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Church Planter Confirm with Church Planter that Coaching is Underway

MultiplyingMinistries Release Matching Funds, if approved Create EFC‐SW Church Plant Webpage Begin Monthly Web Updates and Supporter Emails from Church Planter Send Prayer Cards to Churches


Step6:BecomeanEstablishedEFC‐SWChurchLike anything that is “birthed”, there are stages of development that are seen in a new church plant. A new church plant begins with conception, moves on through development, experiences a launch, and then grows into maturity. At a certain point in the new church’s maturity, it becomes a fully recognized and established church within EFC‐SW. It is ultimately the EFC‐SW Board of Elders that approves the recommendation from the NCD Board that a new church is ready to be so recognized. The NCD Board looks for new church to be growing, self‐sustaining, and reproducing. The expectation and desire is for every church planted within EFC‐SW to become a Fully Established EFC‐SW Church. For a new church to be recognized as a Fully Established Church within EFC‐SW, there are specific criteria that must be met:

1. Beafullygrowingchurch

There are ongoing accountability and leadership structures in place, such as a staff (lay leaders or employees) and elder board.

There are multiple ministries meeting on a regular basis, such as youth, family, multiple simple gatherings, etc.

Community service and outreach are consistently evident among the ministries of the church.

Volunteers are committed to the ministries in which they serve and can communicate the vision and DNA of the church to the congregation and potential new volunteers.

2. Beafullyself‐sufficientchurch

The Budget Planner no longer contains line items for outside financial support. Instead the church plant is financially independent from the sponsoring church, NCD, or other temporary church planting funding.

The church plant is recognized as a 501(c)(3) organization. All volunteers are perpetuated from within the church plant, and outside volunteer support

is no longer occurring. The church plant demonstrates a strong commitment to first fruits, missions, and NCD.

3. Beafullyreproducingchurch

The church plant is committed to supporting missions and/or organizations furthering the kingdom of God on a consistent basis.

The church plant has identified and launched a missionary or new church planter. Volunteers and leaders are replicating themselves in order to continue expanding the

ministry of the church plant.


When the church plant has successfully reached the criteria above, it is ready to become a fully established church within EFC‐SW. The following steps are to be taken to ensure that the church plant becomes recognized as an EFC‐SW church:

ChurchPlanter:

The churchplanter notifies the sponsoring church of their intent to become a fully established church. This request should be done in writing and must include evidence for the completion of the above criteria.

SponsoringChurch:

The sponsoringchurch reviews the documentation and accepts, delays, or denies the request. If the sponsoring church delays or denies the request she must provide, in writing, reasons for the decision. Once the sponsoring church accepts the request, it sends all documentation to the NCD Board and recommends the church plant for formal approval.

NCDBoard:

The NCDBoard reviews all documentation and recommendations. The NCD Board approves, delays, or denies the recommendation. If the NCD Board delays or denies the recommendation, they must provide, in writing, reasons for the decision. Once the NCD Board accepts the recommendation the recommendation is sent to the EFC‐SW Elder Board.

EFC‐SWElderBoard:

The EFC‐SWElderBoard reviews all documentation and recommendations. The Elder Board approves, delays, or denies the recommendation. If the Elder Board delays or denies the recommendation, they must provide, in writing, reasons for the decision. Once the Elder Board accepts the recommendation, they notify the sponsoring church and church planter and schedules a time with the church planter to formally recognize them at a church service. The church plant is also recognized at the EFC‐SW Annual Conference.


Steps for Church Planters Evangelical Friends Church Southwest

•Complete Church Planter Application

•Submit Application to Sponsoring Church or Multiplying Ministries Director

•Multiplying Ministries Director confirms Sponsoring Church connection

•Schedule interview with Sponsoring Church

Step 1

Application

•Complete Interview with Sponsoring Church

•Complete Covenant Agreement with Sponsoring Church, formalizing Sponsoring Church Relationship

Step 2

Interview

•Complete approved assessment

•Receive approval from Sponsoring Church to proceed

•Meet NCD Board for approval

•Register for approved Church Planter Training

•Get an EFC‐SW approved Coach

Step 3

Assessment

•Complete Proposal

•Assemble Prayer Team

•Complete Financial Packet: 3‐year Budget, Fund Raising Plan, Matching Funds Application

•Submit completed materials to Sponsoring Church

•Sponsoring Church submits church plant to NCD Board Chairman for approval

Step 4

Training

•Complete Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Sponsoring Church

•Prayer cards to supporters and churches

•Church Planter meets EFC‐SW staff

•Submit monthly prayer updates to EFC‐SW

Step 5

Preparation

•Go plant a church!

Step 6

Plant!


Checklist for Church Planters Task In Process Completed

Step 1 Application

1. Complete Church Planter Application

2. Submit Application to SC or MM Director

3. MM Director confirms SC connection

4. Schedule Interview with SC

Step 2 Interview

1. Complete Interview with SC

2. Complete Covenant Agreement with SC

Step 3 Assessment

1. Complete approved assessment

2. Receive approval from SC to proceed

3. Meet NCD Board for Approval

4. Register for approved CP training

5. Get and EFC‐SW approved coach

Step 4 Training

1. Complete proposal

2. Assemble prayer team

3. Complete Financial packet

a. 3‐year Budget

b. Fund Raising Plan

c. Matching Funds Application

4. Submit completed proposal, prayer team names, financial packet to SC

Step 5 Preparation

1. Complete MOU with SC

2. Create Prayer cards (EFC‐SW office can help)

3. Distribute Prayer cards to supporters and EFC‐SW churches

4. Meet with EFC‐SW staff

5. Begin submitting monthly prayer updates to EFC‐SW

Step 6 Plant

Go Plant a church!


Steps for Sponsoring Churches Evangelical Friends Church Southwest

•Review Church Planter Application

•Complete Background Check

•Complete Reference Calls

•Schedule interview with Church Planter

Step 1

Application

•Complete Interview with Church Planter

•Complete Covenent Agreement with Church Planter

Step 2

Interview

•Review completed assessment

•Approve, Delay, or Deny Church Planter

•Present Church Planter to NCD Board for approval

Step 3

Assessment

•Review with Church Planter: 1) completed proposal; 2) prayer team; 3) Financial Packet: 3‐year Budget, Fund Raising Plan, Matching Funds Application

•Submit Church Plant to NCD for approval

•Submit Matching Funds Application to NCD

Step 4

Training

•Complete Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Church Planter

•Confirm with Church PLanter that approved coaching is underway

Step 5

Preparation


Step 6

Plant!


Checklist for Sponsoring Churches Task

In Process

Completed

Step 1 Application

1. Review Church Planter Application

2. Complete Background Check

3. Complete Reference Calls

4. Schedule Interview with Church Planter

Step 2 Interview

1. Complete Interview with Church Planter

2. Complete Covenant Agreement with Church Planter

Step 3 Assessment

1. Review completed assessment

2. Approve, Delay, or Deny Church Planter

3. Present Church Planter to NCD Board for Approval

Step 4 Training

1. Review proposal with Church Planter

2. Review prayer team with Church Planter

3. Review completed financial packet

a. 3‐year Budget

b. Fund Raising Plan

c. Matching Funds Application

4. Submit church plant to NCD for approval

5. Submit Matching Funds Application to NCD

Step 5 Preparation

1. Complete MOU with Church Planter

2. Confirm with Church Planter that coaching is underway

Step 6 Plant

Go Plant a church!


Steps for Multiplying Ministries Evangelical Friends Church Southwest

•Review Church Planter Application (if Church Plant is not yet connected to a Sponsoring Church)

•Confirm connection with a Sponsoring Church

Step 1

Application

•If requested by Sponsoring Church, participate in the Interview with Church Planter

•Coordinate with Sponsoring Church for assessment with EFC‐SW approved assessor

•Review and Approve Covenent Agreement with Sponsoring Church

Step 2

Interview

•Review completed assessment report with Sponsoring Church Pastor

•Church Planter presented to NCD Board for Approval

•NCD Board Approves, Delays, or Denies Church Planter

Step 3

Assessment

•Consider Church Plant for approval

•Approve, Delay, or Deny Church Plant

•Approve, Delay, or Deny Matching Funds Application

Step 4

Training

•Release Matching Funds if approved

•Create Church Plant Webpage for EFC‐SW

•Begin monthly web updates and supporter emails from Church Planter

•Send Prayer Cards to churches

Step 5

Preparation


Step 6

Plant!


Checklist for Multiplying Ministries Task

In Process

Completed

Step 1 Application

1. Review Church Planter Application (if not connected to SC)

2. Confirm connection with SC

Step 2 Interview

1. If requested by SC, participate in interview with CP

Step 3 Assessment

1. Review completed assessment report with SC pastor

2. NCD Board Approves, Delays, or Denies Church Planter

Step 4 Training

1. Consider (with NCD Board) Church Plant for approval

2. Approve, Delay, or Deny Church Plant

3. Approve, Delay, or Deny Matching Funds Application

Step 5 Preparation

1. Release Matching Funds, if approved

2. Create EFC‐SW Church Plant Webpage

3. Begin monthly web updates and supporter emails from CP

4. Send prayer cards to churches

Step 6 Plant

Go Plant a church!


ChurchPlantingInformationalBooklet©2010 Dr. Danae Stewart, Project Unleashed

ChurchPlantingMethodologiesfortheNCDBoard

IntroductionThe New Church Development Board (NCD) of Evangelical Friends Church Southwest (EFC‐SW) has the

exciting opportunity to expand God’s Kingdom through church planting. Throughout history, church

planting has taken many forms. The NCD Board has participated in most of these forms at one time or

another. The NCD Board has developed four methods for creating new churches that are relevant,

progressive, and appropriate for the American culture. The board has also reorganized to better serve

the churches and planters participating in the development of new churches. As a result, EFC‐SW is

poised to launch a variety of churches that will be well supported and encouraged through the first two

years of the launch!

ChurchPlantingMethodologiesThe following church planting methods are supported by EFC‐SW:

Conventional Church Plants provide a traditional approach to launching a church that will meet in a

building and potentially grow into a large church at one location. Conventional Church Plants should be

distinguished from church development, where a new service, new worship center or fresh expression is

created that is integrated into an already established congregation. For a church to be planted, it must

eventually have a separate life of its own and be able to function without its parent body, even if it

continues to stay in relationship denominationally or through networking.

A critical factor of becoming a conventional church plant is the passion for integrating within the DNA of

the church an attitude of multiplication. In essence, EFC‐SW Church Plants are churches that plant

churches.

Hybrid Church Plants begin in homes or unconventional locations and may gather larger groups of

people than a single simple church typically does. They are a hybrid between the local church structure

and the simple church style, taking the best of both to create an environment that reaches the

unchurched and dechurched person as well as disenfranchised Christians (though not as often).

Hybrid churches soft launch with a team of leaders that resemble more of a typical church plant;

children, youth, worship, etc. They launch with the flexibility of becoming a network of simple

gatherings or a more traditional church in a building. This allows the plant to require fewer resources at

the onset and can build as the church grows according to God’s plan.

Networks of Simple Gathering (NSG) Church Plants are planted to primarily reach disenfranchised and

de‐churched Christians and will reach the unchurched as well. They are more organic in nature than the


Hybrid and have less visible structure than the Hybrid Church Plant. The goal of an NSG is to multiply

into several church gatherings throughout the community rather than transitioning into buildings. They

are intentional in their organic leadership building.

The Network Leader opens a single Simple Church at the soft launch with his or her “launch team.” This

team then breaks into five gatherings at the hard launch and the network is born.

The Network leader becomes the overseer of all the HC’s in the network and continues to grow and

build the network in depth and breadth.

Ethnic Church Plants include any church plant with the primary purpose of reaching peoples of ethnic

minority. EFC‐SW currently has a vibrant Hispanic church planting ministry, and also plants Korean,

Farsi, and Multi‐Cultural churches. It is the hope of EFC‐SW to reach all peoples across America with the

good news of Jesus Christ, regardless of ethnicity. Appropriate training is created for the cultural

dynamics of each church plant. Translators are provided, as needed, throughout the assessing and

training aspects of the church planting process.

WhyTheseFourTypesOfChurchPlantsChurch planting today has become a muddy water of options. Rather than trying to become all things to

all people, the NCD Board has refined their focus and has chosen to limit the options to specific

methods. This was done to stay in line with the denominational value of relationship over task. As the

board grows and changes, other alternative forms of church planting may become available. However,

for now, the NCD Board will be steadfast in supporting those qualified candidates that desire to plant

churches that align with the above methods.

The remainder of this booklet will give insight into the decision for these church types by taking a look at

the history of church planting since the emergence of the mega‐church style of church planting to our

present condition.


Section1:TheMegaChurch

Relevancy

RecommendedReadingList “Beyond Mega Church Myths” by Scott Thumma, Dave Travis, and Rick Warren

“From Meetinghouse to Megachurch” by Anne C. Loveland and Otis B. Wheeler

“Exploring the Megachurch Phenomena: Their Characteristics and Cultural Context” by Scott Thumma, PhD, http//hirr.hartsem.edu/bookshelf/thumma_article2.html

IntroductionThere are many beliefs and attitudes that are expressed when engaging in a discussion around creating

church plants that will grow into megachurches. Whether you agree or disagree with this approach, it

serves as a viable methodology in today’s culture. Through this time of discovery you will find that

megachurches were a needed and critical response to specific cultural dynamics occurring in America,

which are still present today in some areas across the country.

It would be easy to place the amazing success of megachurches from 1955 to 2007 in the hands of the

dynamic senior pastor. While leadership ability and entrepreneurial aptitude are essential, it is not the

sole reason for the rise of the megachurch phenomenon. These churches grew out of a changing desire

and need in the culture at large. In order to understand why megachurches became such a popular form

of church, we must look at the personal, social, and cultural realities that surrounded this era that were

integral in the people who attended these types of churches.

The first megachurches created in America did not have the luxury of attending a conference or reading

a book about how to organize and develop structures that would enable continued growth. Instead,

they looked outside the Church and found many business models that supported explosive growth in an

organization. As a result, people attending megachurches found them to be familiar and comfortable.

The original members of megachurches were looking for a church experience that was similar to their

everyday lives. The people coming out of traditional churches and into megachurches also wanted

relevance, comfort and identity. Megachurches accomplished this by providing practical, no nonsense

religion with a clear and easily understood message. The megachurch provided variety and options to a

people who were ready for this type of church.

Researchers also found other striking similarities among congregants of megachurches. The average

attendee is at home in larger institutional and corporate structures. They are willing to fight for a

parking spot, drive past dozens of other religious establishments, follow signs to the nursery, and sit

next to people they do not know, just like they do in their everyday lives. As a result of this familiarity,

this church provides their congregants with a sense of history, tradition, and identity. This social

phenomenon in turn creates a desire for attendees to connect and engage in a particular program of the

church. This further creates a sense of significance and community that other churches may not be able


to provide. The wide array of choices available to people in these churches meets a deep need; a feeling

of belonging and enhancing their own identity and significance in the world. It is for these reasons that

megachurches provide variety, clearly defined expectations, and a strong commitment to the identifying

elements of the church.

Other factors, besides the needs of the congregants, have been significant in the success of

megachurches. 1)location, 2) attractional quality, and 3)leadership style/personality.

LocationOver 75% of existing megachurches can be found in the sunbelt states, such as California, Texas, Florida,

and Georgia. Megachurches mostly emerged in cities which were experiencing the fastest growth in the

country. Corona, CA is one example of this truth. Corona was listed as one of the top three fastest

growing cities in the nation for three straight years. During this time (the late 1990’s) four,

megachurches developed in the city. Saddleback is another example of growth that occurred in

Southern California during the 1990’s in relation to the population growth happening in the same area.

When church planting organizations, such as Stadia, chose to adapt a megachurch model for church

planting, they conducted studies to determine the cities that were producing the largest rate of growth

in the country. Then, they launched churches in those cities with the desire to develop a megachurch

that would meet the needs of the surrounding community. This strategy required significant dollars and

business knowledge. The upside during this era however, is that land was cheap and resources were

abundant. Another factor that plays into the creation of a megachurch is leadership.

LeadershipOnce a location is secure, the next step rests on the shoulders of the church planter. He is responsible

for creating a message that is continuously visible among the congregation. His message or mission for

the church establishes a sense of originality and uniqueness. This message resonates with the

congregation and strongly shapes the direction and identity of the church and its people. One mega

church in Corona, CA carried the message, “A church anyone can come to.” Lakewood Church in

Houston, TX characterizes itself with the message, “The oasis of love in a troubled world.”

With a megachurch leader the church planter remains in this position of authority and significance.

According to Lyle Schaller, “The majority of contemporary megachurches were either founded by or

achieved mega‐status within the tenure of a single senior minister.” This means that the pastor defines

the personality of the church as a whole. Megachurch planters are typically gifted and charismatic men

who can maneuver the social layers of working within the political and business sectors of the

community while providing spiritual growth and insight to those attending his church. This church

planter carries a different set of gifting than the typical church pastors and thrives as a visionary,

entrepreneur, and is strong in business operations.

AttractionalQualityMegachurches have the resources and talents within the congregation to provide something for

everyone. The very nature of these churches provide safety and anonymity for some while at the same


time creating places for people to connect and share real life issues with one another. The programs are

most often driven by the laity while the pastors oversee multiple ministries. The programs rise and fall

depending on changing needs. When a program discontinues, it affects only one aspect of the

congregation and thereby allows the church as a whole to continue functioning and growing in other

arenas.

The overarching identifier of the megachurch is its professional and well run Sunday services. A

significant amount of time is spent in preparing music, powerpoint slides, artistic and visual aids,

sermons, video, etc. This level of professionalism removes the distractions from the minds of people and

provides them with a sense of refuge from the noise of clutter in everyday life.

ConclusionMegachurches were a response to the cultural and social need in America. They were further developed

by rapid population and real estate growth. Even though megachurches appear to be waning and have a

pattern of decline in today’s cultural environment, there is still need for conventional/megachurch

methods of planting, especially among our ethnic churches. The key to determining if a megachurch

model is appropriate is determining the cultural climate surrounding the specific church plant, rather

than providing a blanket methodology for every church being created. Therefore, EFC‐SW finds this type

of church plant a viable and valuable method in today’s culture.


Section2:ThePostmodernChurch

Alossofidentity

RecommendedReadingList http://www.gotquestions.org/emerging‐church‐emergent.html

“The Emerging Church” by Dan Kimble

Any books or articles written by Leonard Sweet, or Brian McLaren will provide you with additional insight.

IntroductionThere is often confusion surrounding the development of the Emergent movement and the emerging

church. The Emergent movement that began several years ago was brought to the surface of church

culture by well‐known people such as Leonard Sweet and Brian McLaren. It began as a conversation

that would press and pull at the stated norms of the American Christian Church. Its foundational beliefs

came from the idea that “as culture changes, a new church should emerge in response. In this case, it is

a response by various church leaders to the current era of post‐modernism.” Just as the megachurch

movement was a response to modernity during the rise of a post‐Christian era in America, the Emergent

Movement was a response to the transition from modernity to postmodernity.

ThefoundationPostmodernity was a necessary reaction to the crumbling of the modern world. Modernity was held up

by four key pillars:

Einstein and other scientists had given us a final road map to understanding our world

Darwin was correct in his theory of evolution

Education is the key to developing a moral society of “good” people

Humanity would continue to develop technology until there was no fear of nature or social disasters.

From the 1950’s to the end of the century, this was the worldview that defined a generation. Science,

education, and technology were growing more rapidly than ever before. It seemed as though nothing

would cause it to falter or slow down. Growing into adulthood during this time would have most

certainly driven God fearing people to develop megachurches.

However, new scientific discoveries emerged, such as string theory, which reminded people that we

don’t understand our world quite as much as we think. Darwinism continued to be exposed as a theory

with too many holes in it to be valid. Educating the American people about drugs, pornography, and

other socially abhorrent behavior had proven to fail as a deterrent. Technology was not the savior to

our world.


The result of this new reality required a new set of beliefs on which all society would rest. Pluralism

and tolerance became the first postmodern pillar. Those growing up during this shift saw that the

previous culture proved that there was no “one” right answer. Life was not simply a mathematical

equation that would produce the same result over and over if the right ingredients were in place. The

second pillar was fraternalism or community. The breakdown of the family unit, globalization due to

technology, a rising distrust in national leadership, and the exposed scandals of church leaders created a

sense of isolation and distrust of people in positions of authority. Relativism was the next pillar to hold

up American culture. Relativism emerged due to the scientific discoveries made during this time.

Scientists were finding that the person was not an objective observer but someone who impacted the

result the experiment. Therefore, all findings had an element of relativity in the outcome. The attitude

“as long as you don’t offend me, do whatever you want” came to be a common element of the

postmodern culture. The final pillar to replace the crumbling modern beliefs was experientialism. The

combination of the three other pillars of thought brought rise to the belief that the only truth was the

one you experienced for yourself.

The church planting world was forever altered by these new belief systems. People began

experimenting with artistic expressions of worship. Multisensory media was used during worship

gatherings and people were invited to participate in worship rather than remain a bystander in the

event. The Emergent Church Movement rose to the surface of culture. The Emergent Church held

values such as:

experience over reason

subjectivity over objectivity

spirituality over religion

images over words

outward expression over inward contemplation

feelings over truth

ConclusionAt first, when the transition was at its messiest state, the emergent church and the emerging church

appeared to be one in the same. However, the Emergent Church Movement was just the first phase of

change that was sweeping the church world. Today, there are few church plants still aimed directly

toward the postmodern expressions of worship. The Emergent Church Movement became a small

branch off the main vine. The truly emerging church continued to evolve and shift. People continued in

their pursuit of discovering the church God was creating that would revive a nation and change the

world. For this reason, EFC‐SW views the postmodern church planting methodology as lacking staying

power and is therefore not supported by the NCD Board.


Section3:TheHouseChurchTrend

NeedforCommunity

SuggestedReadingList “An Army of Ordinary People” by Felicity Dale

“Houses That Changed the World” by Wolfgang Simson

“Organic Church” by Neil Cole

IntroductionThe house church movement that started long ago in America did not rise to the surface of Christian

culture until 2005 when George Barna wrote his book, “Revolution.” House churches have been around

since the book of Acts, however they are usually found in regions of widespread persecution. Therefore,

it is curious that the house church movement would become a topic of conversation in America, a

country full of religious freedoms. Let’s see how this movement emerged and why the previous church

planting trend of postmodern churches began to wane.

The postmodern church was created out of a desire for experience and provided an expression of

relativity that society was looking for. However, it lacked one major element for becoming a lasting

pattern in church history. By 2005, many Christians had become disenfranchised with the consumerist

qualities of church and the façade changes that were made to try to adjust to the changing culture. The

need for real relationships, authenticity and a sense of community became a critical element to millions

of Americans looking for a church setting they could engage and participate in fully.

The organic form of church planting in homes and community centers began to make an impact on the

more contemporary forms of church planting. Planting with the expectation of becoming a megachurch

was proving to be more difficult in this new environment, postmodern church planting remained

attractive mostly to the youth, and many adults were still finding no solace in the local church setting.

FoundationalBeliefsThe house church movement had three foundational beliefs that allowed it to become a viable option of

worship in America.

1. Priesthood of Believers, equality 2. Authentic and real, non‐performance based 3. The Bible alone

The Priesthood of believers is a concept that carries with it several implications. The first deals with the

distinction between clergy and laity. House churches show no distinction and believe that clergy is a

non‐necessity. This belief, in turn, creates a desire for zero leadership structure within a gathering and

gives precedence to the Holy Spirit alone. House churches are largely charismatic in nature as a result.

The second implication concerns the layout of the gathering itself. Many house churches are created


with the Acts 2:42 method; food, fellowship, teaching, prayer. No one prepares a teaching and the focus

is on relationship. When an undetermined amount of fellowship has commenced people share what

they have been learning about God over the past week. Someone may sing a song or ask for prayer.

The format and ongoings of the group are decided by the group and vary from week to week.

House churches hold a critical value of being non‐performance based. When a person holds their

relationship with high value they feel no need to be impressive. The people participating in home

churches are real and authentic; they behave like they would if they were with family or a very close

friend. The facades of life come down and the real person emerges in a safe environment.

The traditions and organizational structures of denominations and local churches fade away in a house

church. People involved in house churches are looking for a simple uncluttered approach to faith. They

are looking for God, not religion. This is the reason for such an unstructured environment. They take

the simple faith of the bible in the times of the book of Acts and strip away the ceremony and church

elements until it is a place for worship, teaching, and relationship.

ConclusionAs with any response to the negative aspects of the church, house churches overcame the religion

issues, but then created a new set of problems that need to be dealt with as well. They have proven to

be difficult to multiply and sustain. They may start out reaching people for Jesus Christ, but then run the

risk of turning inward and focusing only on the needs to the Christians in the group. Single house

churches also have no accountability, which creates the opportunity for false prophets and teachers to

bring harm to a group of people. However, when house churches connect with other existing churches

or when they create a network of gatherings, the momentum continues, accountability is established,

and an outward focus is maintained. Therefore, networks of simple gathering (NSG), such as house

churches, organic churches, and simple churches, remain a viable option today and are supported by the

NCD Board.


Section4:MissionalChurch

DesireforSocialJustice

RecommendedReadingList: “No Perfect People Allowed” by John Burke

“The Tangible Kingdom” by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay

“Missional Map Making” by Alan Roxburgh

“The Ragamuffin Gospel” by Brennan Manning

Introduction:Social justice awareness reached the surface of American culture shortly after the emergence of the

house church movement. Churches began being planted that would be “on mission”, living out the

ministry of Jesus Christ as established in Isaiah 61:

o Good news to the poor o Bind up the broken hearted o Liberty to the oppressed o Freedom to prisoners o Provide for those who grieve o Proclaim the Lord’s favor

This desire has taken many forms, such as fair trade initiatives in church plants and an intense focus on

community needs as the basis for planting a new church.

Missional churches focus on those Christians who want more of Jesus and challenges them to “get on

mission” by acting out and living out their beliefs in practical ways that reach people with the Gospel of

Jesus Christ. They emphasize the need for Christians to get out of their four walls and share Jesus Christ

with people who are in need. They carry a lifestyle of grace and forgiveness over judgment and social

norms. These churches expect people to get involved in Human Trafficking initiatives, community

gardens, environmental concerns, etc.

FoundationalBeliefs:Missional churches hold three foundational beliefs that have connected with a wide array of Americans.

1. Church follows the development of real relationship 2. Stop keeping out the hostiles and start identifying with them 3. Influence happens by participating in the culture and bringing our Christian values into world

issues

The concept that church follows relationship is not new. However, the missional church makes this

statement a core value and does not plant a church until the people around the planter are insisting that

a church be created. The planter develops meaningful relationships with neighbors and other people in


the community by becoming involved in the ongoings of the community. The planter focuses on

building the relationships not a church. Through the relationships opportunities arise to talk about

spiritual things. As the people around the planter accept Christ into their lives, they eventually want

someone they trust to disciple and teach them. The planter is often resistant to beginning a church, but

yields to the needs of his friends. This is not a manipulative process. The planter is genuine and is not

concerned about becoming a church. It is the bi‐product of a lifestyle of Christian faith.

The second belief was created as a reaction to the perceived lack of social justice concern in existing

churches. Congregants asking the homeless to shower before coming to church, or not allowing people

to attend a service because they smoke or have tattoos, fueled this belief in missional church planters.

The planter spends a significant amount of time reminding Christian worshippers to meet all people

where they are at rather than asking them to conform to a specific set of cultural norms within a church

body. Missional churches reach to the outer rims of society where clean and tidy churches don’t want

to go.

Influencing society is the third leg of the Missional church tripod. Years ago (roughly 100) Christian

values and beliefs were pushed out of the circles of influence in American society. Christian influence

was replaced by psychology and philosophy that did not include God in the discussion. Since then,

Christians became comfortable in their own social circles and developed a smaller society within the

larger scope of culture for those who follow Christ. The missional church planter seeks to ignite Christ

followers to re‐engage in the discussion and get involved in a variety of social sectors with the aim of

reestablishing a Christian influence into those sectors.

Conclusion:EFC‐SW is passionate about social justice issues and seeks to see every church participating in social

justice initiatives. This type of church planting is an attractive option to consider, however, the church

planting world continues to change and other methods that include these beliefs are becoming

available. Therefore, The NCD Board does not currently support this specific church planting method.


Section5:HybridChurch

Both/And

RecommendedReadingListo “Hybrid Church: The Fusion of Intimacy and Impact” by Dave Browning o Beyond Postmodernity, A Look at the 21st Century Church, by Danae Stewart o “The Hybrid Church in the City” by Chris Baker o “AND” by Hugh Halter and Matt Smay

The Hybrid church bridges methodologies and creates a synergy between the conventional and organic

forms of church planting. The result provides a church that is highly relational, structured for growth

and forward movement, focused outwardly on community issues, provides strong emphasis on

discipleship to becoming on mission for Christ, and encourages its congregants to influence the world

around them by introducing Christian values into their everyday life and workplace. A Hybrid church also

remains fairly flat organizationally and has the DNA of flexibility and adaptation.

The Hybrid church understands the terms modal and sodal and insists on providing both elements in

order to create the church that reaches people today. These churches look for opportunities to

establish stability in some areas of ministry while allowing more creative and mission minded ministry

freedom to explore, adapt, and adjust. The Hybrid church does not follow the normal bell curve either,

meaning they do not target the majority. Instead they turn the bell curve upside down so that it

becomes a well curve and they focus on the people at each extreme of the curve and forget about those

in the majority (inside the well). The well curve gives the church the ability to focus on non‐Christians

and growing Christians and provides very little to those who are mediocre in their faith.

The options are endless for a hybrid church planter. They combine house church gatherings with larger

venues. They create non‐profit service entities to support community needs. The hybrid may contain a

for‐profit arm that fuels the resources needed to reach people through missional and relational efforts.

They can work within a denominational structure which is well resourced or can be created with very

little resources and built over time.

FoundationalBeliefs:As with other church planting methods there are a few key values that sustain the hybrid church model.

1. Cooperation and partnerships 2. Nothing lasts forever 3. Diversity sustains the whole

Hybrid church planters search for what God is already doing and adjust to align with those efforts.

Therefore, they do not strive to create their own mega church but prefer to partner with organizations

that are impacting the world. They are also in search of opportunities to partner with other churches in


the area for events, resources, and to support needs in the community. The planter of a hybrid is

focused on releasing and empowering people to start new groups, try new ministries, get involved in

community needs, and practice using the gifts God has given them. Leadership is participative and in

cooperation with the needs of each gathering.

The second foundational belief comes from the understanding that as culture changes so must the

church. This means that one gathering may grow while another gathering diminishes and fades away.

The Hybrid must have enough variety of gatherings that when one disappears it does not destroy the

church as a whole. Therefore, multiplicity encases this belief. The planter knows that small groups,

house churches, and trendy forms of church come and go. The planter also knows that the needs in the

community change depending on the economy and political influences of the day. Therefore, Hybrid

leaders see lifecycles and focus on keeping enough variety growing and thriving so that inward,

unhealthy, or un‐necessary ministry gatherings can be dismantled and new ones can emerge.

Diversity is a core belief. Hybrid churches provide the space needed for ethnic gatherings to emerge,

gatherings based on passions for social justice to thrive, and can experiment with gatherings as the

planter explores new possibilities in the church planting world. Where the megachurch provides a

variety of options within a hierarchal structure of operation, the hybrid provides a relatively flat

organizational structure.

The most common image used in describing a hybrid church in the molecule instead of a pyramid.

Figure 1: house churches, non‐profits, denominations, for‐profits working together to expand the

Kingdom of God

The pyramid requires one key person at the top of the organization. The molecule requires a variety of

leadership options and the key leader serves instead of directs.


Conclusion:Hybrid forms of church are relatively new to the church planting discussion. However, those churches

participating in the creation of hybrids are seeing incredible success as they instill the both/and

philosophy of church planting. In a hybrid, local church structures and organic church structures come

together to meet the needs of society. Therefore, hybrid church plants are supported by the NCD Board

and are a viable option for reaching unchurched, disenfranchised Christians, and those who are ready to

make a permanent mark on the world in the name of Christ.

FinalThoughts:Our world remains in a state of transition. Therefore, our church planting strategies should also remain

flexible and readily altered to meet the changing needs. The NCD Board is committed to the creation of

new churches despite the cultural climate, and will continue to prayerfully develop appropriate methods

of planting. The board will continue to strive for easier processes and more effective ways to engage

planters and their churches. Please let us know how we can improve our resource to better serve you

and your church.


Handbook 2012 - EFC Southwest · Churches of EFC ... the summer to finalize the structure before launching formally in January 2013. September 2012 Page | 7 ... a. Focus board members

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