Starters

 

The cycle continues through empowering starters to begin building healthy church communities.

The second stage of our threefold cycle of starting new churches is dedicated to the starters. These practitioners have done the work of discernment and have begun the work of starting a new church.

While the call of starting a new church is very exciting, the day in and day out activities of starting a new church can be exhausting. Thus, we have developed two essentials for all of our church starters.

First, we invite you to join a starters group.

Commit to a monthly starters lunch with other church starters and receive the highest level of training around our core values. Along with inviting speakers who add tremendous value to starters’ lives and ministries, we will share wisdom around the table.

Second, we invite you to continue your relationship with a coach or choose a new coach.

Coaches join our starters in conversation in their context and guide them through the decisions that need to be made. From work-life harmony to practical insights, coaches are essential partners in the church planting journey.

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Six processes Starters will develop as part of this community:

1. Gathering a church starting team.

Church starters do not do the work of starting a new church alone. Church starters gather a group of people to courageously embody the vision of the church with one another.

2. Finalizing an initial vision for mission.

In coordination with the church starting team, the vision for how the church will embody the mission of God for their particular context should be finalized prior to the beginning of public worship.

3. Finalizing an initial vision for administration.

The church starter, along with the church starting team, should articulate a fitting series of frames for the church to embody its mission in its context.

4. Finalizing an initial vision for personal health of the starter.

The personal health of the pastor is essential for a new church. Finalizing a plan for the health of the pastor should be articulated prior to beginning public worship.

5. Beginning public worship.

The worship of the church should be opened to the community once the church starter and the church starting team have the contextually fitting processes in place to embody the mission of the church.

6. Moving toward sustaining the church.

While the initial vision for mission, administration, and the personal health of the starter should be finalized prior to beginning public worship, these elements are fluid as they move toward sustainability. The new church becomes a church once these elements are sustained.