How An Established Church Can Start Planting

I was recently reminded from a friend about the helpful nature of Aaron Morrow's article on how established churches can start planting churches. It's a really helpful resource for churches who would benefit from a step-by-step guide on how to grow their church toward church planting. I can't recommend enough. Here is a link to the full article and the steps Aaron walks through to create a multiplying church.

1. Educate yourself about church planting
2. Educate your elders and missions team about church planting
3. Educate your church about church planting
4. Model principals of church planting in your existing ministries
5. Allocate a percentage of your budget for church planting
6. Partner with like-minded churches to support church planting
7. Adopt and support an existing church planter
8. Create a church planting residency for a future church planter
9. Hire staff with the aim of sending them out to plant after 3-5 years

Read the important resources listed with each step here.

Membership Covenant Examples

It is common in some churches to ask members to sign a membership covenant. This allows the church to clarify the expectations it has for each of its members. Many who take the responsibilities of membership very seriously may even have an annual "covenant renewal Sunday" where members are asked to re-sign the covenant as a reminder of the commitment they are making to their faith community. I have created this post in order to pool a variety of covenant examples from different churches of different sizes and denominations. Feel free to send me other examples to add to the list.

Sample 1 - Expectations of members and the church.

Sample 2 - Built around values.

Sample 3 - Peacemakers version.

Sample 4 - Membership and code of ethics.

Sample 5 - The qualities of a member.

Sample 6 - Gospel Coalition Blog Sample

Samples 7-9 - NAMB provides a series of examples here.

Sample 10 - 9 Marks shares their covenant here.

New EFCA Assessment Pipeline

Here is a short overview for the first two steps of our new assessment system for church planters that is being developed by the Church Multiplication Team of the EFCA.

PHASE 1: INTAKE

Planter Interest Form

This form is the first step for those interested in entering our assessment pipeline or simply learning more about opportunities for planting in the EFCA. After filling out this interest survey a district leader will contact the planter candidate to schedule an intake interview (this may not be required if the candidate is already known by district leadership). Following the interview the planter may be cleared to enter the second phase.

PHASE 2: PRE-ASSESSMENT

The pre-assessment phase involves surveys and tests that will be used to develop a comprehensive profile of the potential planter. This profile will provide content for the pre-assessment interview performed by the district leader and will also be useful as the planter who is approved moves on to phase 3, the assessment center retreat.

Survey 1: Biographical and Faith - upload resume
Survey 2: Ministry Experience and Preparation - upload vision for planting
Survey 3: Church and Theology - upload credentialing paper (if relevant)

Once the initial surveys are completed, the planter candidate will complete the "Bundle Package" at Church Planter Profiles which will cost the planter candidate $114. The planter and his wife (if applicable) will also be asked to complete a Prepare Enrich profile for $35. To complete this profile you will register for a new account and follow the directions.

Church Planter Profile Assessment
Couple Checkup Assessment

The pre-assessment phase will conclude with a pre-assessment interview performed by an EFCA district leader. If approved following the interview, the planter candidate and spouse (if applicable) will move into the final two phases, which include the assessment retreat center and a results meeting with the candidate couple, district leadership and a sending church representative.

4 Reasons Church Attendance Matters

Post by Contributing Author, David Parks

1. Church attendance strengthens vital relationships.

Social media is sort of great and sort of awful. Endlessly scrolling news feeds allow me to keep at least a little up to date with all the random people I meet in life. But nothing online can ever take the place of in-person relationships. We weren't made for curated bits of people's lives—in fact, studies are starting to show that this often leads to loneliness and depression. We were made to do life together with real people. And for real relationships with real people, you need to be with them, have time to talk with them, give them a handshake/hug, pray with them, share a meal, and more. If you see someone once every month or two, how deep will that relationship be? Regular church attendance strengthens your relationships with other people who are also learning to follow Jesus. These relationships are vital.

2. Church attendance reminds us of what's true.

God has given us one means by which people come to faith and grow in their faith: hearing and believing the gospel. This isn't a one-and-done kind of deal. We're frail creatures, and in the sin and struggle of life, we need repeated reminders of what's true. There are many voices in our culture preaching many messages—some of which are true. If we as a church are not preaching the truth from God's word, that's on us. But if we as a church are preaching the gospel and seeking to apply it in all its myriad ways, and you regularly miss it, what else is going to give you the stability at hope you need to live in this crazy world?

3. Church attendance provides opportunities for ministry.

There are two forms of ministry in the church: formal and informal. Formal ministry is organized by church leadership and takes place in ministry teams (e.g., Worship team, Welcome team, Gospel Kids team, etc.). Informal ministry is encouraged, but not organized, by church leadership and takes place when individual believers are prompted by the Holy Spirit (e.g., to pray for someone, bring over a meal, share resources or encouragement, etc.). In both formal/informal ministry, the purpose is to provide loving service that meets needs and builds up the body of Christ (Ephesians 4:11-16). When you attend church, you have way more opportunities to do ministry and be ministered to. We need you! And you need us! That's what being a member of a church family is all about.

4. Church attendance is the primary marker of spiritual growth.

It's true that you can attend worship faithfully, give generously, sing worship songs loudly, etc. without ever being a Christian (which is scary). However, I don't know of a single Christian who has experienced life-transforming spiritual growth who didn't attend church regularly. Of course, there are Christians who are homebound due to illness, but they are the exceptions, not the norm. And they should have fellow believers visiting them, ministering to them, and trying to include them as much as possible. Weekly worship may not be the most "mountain-top" type of spiritual experience every week. But it's like having a regular family dinner together. The little things, done consistently over time, will have a far greater impact than any "mountain-top" experience ever could. If you want your faith to have an impact on this world, if you want your faith to be a legacy for your kids and grandkids, come to church. Church attendance is not the sum total of following Jesus. But it's definitely the place to start.

Elder Training: Gospel Eldership

Post by contributing author, Aaron Morrow.

The following is a short book review for Gospel Eldership by Bob Thune. If you have a minimal attention span, here’s what you need to know: if you want to train & unify your Elders, using this book should be a non-negotiable!

In the industry of Christian publishing, if your book is targeted towards a narrow audience then it’s often challenging to get published by a large publisher. Such is true for a short book like this on training and unifying Elders. That is why there are not 20 books published annually on this subject, even though it is such a vital topic! So don’t let the small publisher of this book fool you because Gospel Eldership is filled with sharp thinking, penetrating questions, and concise writing.

Here’s how the book is organized:

• Introduction: What is an Elder? 
• Lesson #1 - Servant Leadership / Exercise: “Know Thyself” 
• Lesson #2 - A Biblical Approach to Church Leadership / Exercise: False Righteousness
• Lesson #3 - The Primacy of Character / Exercise: Identifying Idols
• Lesson #4 - The Leadership Triangle / Exercise:Leadership Triangle Self-Assessment
• Interlude: The Duties of Elders
• Lesson #5 - Elders Feed the Church / Exercise: The Gospel and Spiritual Disciplines
• Lesson #6 - Elders Lead the Church / Exercise: Examining Your Character
• Lesson #7 - Elders Protect the Church / Exercise: The Gospel and Conflict Resolution
• Lesson #8 - Elders Care for the Church / Exercise: Identifying Pride 
• Lesson #9 - Missional Eldership / Exercise: Mission and Your Heart 
• Lesson #10 - The Temptations of Leadership / Exercise: Identifying Your Temptations

Below are a few of the many strengths of the book.

Gospel-centered 

The center of this book is the gospel and its premise is that believing and applying the truths of the gospel to our hearts is ultimately where all of our spiritual growth emanates from. If this is what you believe, it can often be daunting to think about training and unifying Elders with clarity and precision about what gospel-centeredness means and looks like. That’s where Gospel Eldership comes into play.

This book gently but deeply drills down into the character of an Elder. And at every turn, Thune makes sure that all of an Elder’s character growth flows through the lens of the gospel. It’s really powerful! If your potential or existing Elders don’t understand the value or practicality of the gospel being at the center of their spiritual growth then this is the book to the set the tone for your team.

One more little note, some of us have reservations about reformed theology due to the tone, posture, and emphasis of some guys who are reformed. But even though Thune is reformed in his doctrine, there isn’t a strong whiff of it in this book. Granted, there are reformed underpinnings to many of the things he says, but rest assured that your Elders won’t come away from reading this book talking about reformed theology, and that’s because the gospel is clearly the center of this book.

Practical

There are questions throughout this book for readers to process that are nuanced and inviting. These questions make it quite easy for facilitators to navigate discussions. This is helpful because this book should surely be read in the midst of a small group or one-on-one.  Furthermore, each chapter has a corresponding exercise that helps the gospel penetrate with deepening practicality.

It’s fair to say that each chapter successfully avoids dappling only in the realm of theory. However, it’s important to note that even though this book is largely practical, it certainly isn’t comprehensive. This is why supplementing this book with reading Sticky Teams by Larry Osborne would likely be helpful for your team. For what it’s worth, Sticky Teams is incredibly practical but its primary limitation is its lack of gospel-centeredness.

Short & Readable

Many of the Elders we want to develop and unify are hesitant to read thick books. Some might argue that if someone can’t commit to reading chunky books then how can they have the requisite commitment to be an Elder? But this type of outlook doesn’t seem to leave room for Elder candidates who have different personalities and giftings than the ones that vocational pastors often bring to the table. That’s why a short and readable book like Gospel Eldership is a good middle ground resource that should meet almost everyone where they’re at. The author puts the cookies on the bottom shelf, which is commendable.

You should definitely buy a copy of this book and check it out for yourself!

Gospel + Safety + Time

Post by contributing author, Aaron Morrow.

Pastors should have a framework for helping their church understand how people grow in their spiritual maturity. There are certainly many good and biblical options to use. At our church, the framework we use to help our people understand this is Gospel + Safety + Time.

In order for someone to grow in their spiritual maturity, they need Gospel + Safety + Time. Just like a plant needs water + soil + sunlight in order to grow, what we need is Gospel + Safety + Time.

• If you’re meeting one-on-one with someone to help them grow in their spiritual maturity, you need to be thinking, "What does Gospel + Safety + Time need to look like for this person?"
• If you’re meeting with a small group of women to help them grow in their spiritual maturity, you should be thinking, "What does Gospel + Safety + Time look like for this group? And, how do I create a culture of Gospel + Safety + Time in this particular group?" 
• When it comes to leading your small group, you need to be thinking, "What does it look like to create a culture of Gospel + Safety + Time in the fabric of this particular group?"

Let me briefly explain each one...

GOSPEL

100% of someone’s growth in spiritual maturity ultimately happens by repenting and believing the truths of the gospel.

Some people tend to believe that the gospel only gets you in the front door of salvation and then the rest of your spiritual growth happens through some combination of “tips & tricks,” exhortations to “do better try harder,” becoming more “passionate and committed,” pursuing spiritual disciplines, or getting involved and serving.

However, we know from studying scripture that the way that we grow in our spiritual maturity is by always coming back to the person and work of Jesus and applying the truths of the gospel to all parts of our thinking, feeling, and relating. In this way, the gospel isn’t the first step in a staircase, but rather the hub of a wheel where all the other spokes of our life are connected to it.

When someone says they are “gospel-centered” they are largely trying to make a statement about how the process of sanctification happens. The answer? It happens in the same way that justification happens, through repentance and faith in Christ and orbiting our heart and life around the person and work of Jesus. In this way, both Christians and non-Christians need the same thing.

SAFETY

Safety is about kind of culture and environment that we create in our social relationships. Safety is about having a culture of non-accusation, where no one is pressured or cornered into spiritual maturity, and we pursue spiritual maturity not out of fear of being shamed by others

Instead, we have safety with others so that we can relax and admit what’s truly going on in our lives and hearts. That’s because we are characterized by treating one another with gentleness, respect, and restraint.

Having a culture of safety in our relationships not only helps people relax and open up, but having a culture of safety is also helps point people to the greater reality that safety and refuge are ultimately found in Christ himself. In this way, having a culture of safety in our church is very gospel-centered!

Some of us grew up in spiritual environments that believed, in one way or another, that having an unsafe environment was both spiritual and mature. But this isn’t reflective of the gospel, and common sense tells us that this isn’t how people grow into maturity.

TIME

I don’t meet many people who grow in spiritual maturity quickly or rapidly. If they do, that’s great! But just think about how much time it’s taken you to grow in maturity, and how much growing you still need to do!

When I was in my 20’s I think I believed that some people are complicated, and some people aren’t. But the older I’ve become, the more I think that everyone is complicated. The more I get to know myself the more I know how complicated I am! Complicated people like us need time and space to evaluate our lives and apply the truths of the gospel to the deep levels of our heart. Gospel-centered growth takes time.

And this kind of deep change often happens in non-linear ways. That’s because we’re all complicated. We all need time to change, because spiritual maturity doesn’t happen by setting deadlines for people.

ARE YOU FLEXIBLE?

In saying all this, I hope you’re catching the drift that I’m encouraging you to think about Gospel + Safety + Time from the perspective of a leader. Because Gospel + Safety + Time is the kind of stuff that a leader always needs to be thinking about! Furthermore, leaders who think about Gospel + Safety + Time need to be flexible and adaptable.

For example:

• What does it look like for the truths of the gospel come to bear on this particular person’s life or this particular group of people? 
• What does it look like to communicate and model the truths of the gospel to this particular person or group of people?
• What does it look like to create an environment of safety for this particular person or group of people? Because some people are more straight-forward than others, so safety doesn’t look the same for everyone.
• What does it look like to create an environment where this particular person or group is given amble time and space to apply the truths of the gospel to their lives? This looks different for various types of people, too.

QUESTIONS

Here are some questions for you and your leaders to think about:

• In what ways have you seen the principles of Gospel + Safety + Time play a role in your spiritual growth? 
• When it comes to Gospel + Safety + Time, which one do you tend to struggle with the most as a leader? Why? 
• What truths of the gospel do you need to believe in regards to your struggles in the previous question? 

One objection that sometimes arrises is that the principles of safety and time don’t always apply to situations that require warnings, hard conversations, or even church discipline. This is where 1Thessalonians 5:14 is instructive for us. In this passage, Paul urges the church in Thessalonica to “warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone.” Warning someone is about having hard and difficult conversations with people. And Paul says that even in the midst of warning those who are idle and disruptive, we are to be patient with them. At its core, this is Paul’s way of urging them to apply the principles of safety and time even when hard conversations are needed. In other words, Gospel + Safety + Time should always characterize our relationships. 

The State of the Gospel in Rural America

Linked here are my notes from today's webinar with Ed Stetzer on the state of the Gospel in rural America. Highlights include...

• Why rural planting matters.
• The problems facing rural America.
• How to contextualize the Gospel for rural America.
• Networks doing rural well. This is a great resource for learning from others.
• Stetzer closed inviting rural leaders to join the Rural Matters Institute. 

All in all it was a helpful webinar with some good insights on mission to rural America.

Elder Training: The New Elder's Handbook

Training prospective elders for leadership is an essential, but often overlooked, step in creating a healthy church community. A structured training mechanism is especially important for a church plant where leaders don't have the advantage of walking with potential elders over an extended period of time. In this post, I am reviewing the new training resource, "The New Elder's Handbook" by Greg R. Scharf and Arthur Kok.

OVERVIEW: This handbook is intended to provide leaders a method by which to biblically develop faithful leaders. The authors, Greg Scharf and Arthur Kok, both bring a wealth of experience to this resource. Greg is a seasoned pastor and professor emeritus of homiletics and pastoral theology at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School. Arthur is director of training for the Orchard Network in the greater Chicago area.

INTRODUCTION: In the introduction Scharf and Kok share that this training pathway will:

• Supply steps of obedience you can take toward qualification
• Help you discern if you have biblical qualifications
• Help you to be the kind of person who could serve as an elder
• Drive you to your knees in humility and prayer
• Foster intentional fellowship in the Gospel
• Slow you down (i.e. Keep leaders from being too “hasty” in appointing elders - 1 Tim 5:22)

This handbook is intended to be used while prospective elders are also serving in some area of ministry, be it small group leader or teaching a Sunday school class.

PART 1: This section lays out the vision for the book which includes chapters on the following topics:

• The qualities that characterize biblical eldership
• Understanding the power behind leadership as observed in the life of Ezra
• Understanding the pathways for spiritual growth 
• The importance of community in the development of leaders
• Tips for identifying potential elders

PART 2: This section features 75 questions written by Dr. Scharf based on ordination topics and principals from the book of Ezra. In this section each question is stated and then followed by biblical passages and additional resources that provide answers to the stated question. Questions include topics like:

• What does the Bible claim concerning itself?
• What is the gospel? How do you explain the gospel to unbelievers?
• What do we know about Jesus's second coming? 
• How are individuals initiated into the church? How does baptism relate to a persons salvation?

Dr. Scharf gives an example of how a meeting could function using these questions.

• Participants will bring a bible and notebook to each meeting.
• In preparation for the meeting, they will have answered the question of the week through scripture and resources, and summarized their thoughts in writing.
• Participants will meet in triplets for prayer and accountability and then come together as a larger group.
• In the training hour, individuals will be invited to share what they had written with discussion guided by a facilitator.
• Before ending, the question for the following week is introduced and then the meeting concludes. 

As is obvious, the entire plan will require 75 weeks of meetings, which could easily cycle over the course of 1 1/2 to 2 years.

CONCLUSION: I appreciate this resource for the following reasons.

• It will slow you down in appointing elders, improving the quality and preparation of elder candidates
• It is centered on the Word, so it teaches future leaders to explore, understand, and communicate the scriptures to others
• It provides a comprehensive basis by which future elders can grow to become full of goodness, filled with all knowledge, and able to instruct one another (Rom 15:14)
• It will work with any orthodox Evangelical church, no matter the philosophy of ministry or theological leanings
• It is easy to use

I close with a quote from the president of Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Dr. David S. Dockery, who states in an endorsement of the handbook:

A skillfully designed resource for pastors and church leaders who are serious about developing the next generation of church leaders for their congregations. With its focus on vision, training, discipling, and selection, this thoughtful handbook provides and invaluable guidance for the formation of faithful leaders.

Early Planting Leadership Models

1 Timothy 5:22 makes it clear that we should never be hasty to appoint elders in the church. This is especially true in a church planting context where a planter has not had the benefit of knowing or ministering alongside people over an extended period of time. In light of this, in the FLD, we expect planters to establish one of the following three forms of transitional leadership (a.k.a. provisional elders) in the early years of planting.

The Elder Loan Model

This model involves appointing a small group of leaders from inside the plant and from established like-minded evangelical churches in the region. The established church elders are “on loan” for this early phase of planting. This model works best with plants that have little to no ties to a regional parent church.

• The advantages of the elder loan model is that it connects the church plant to other healthy evangelical churches in the community.
• The vulnerability of the elder loan model is that there is a risk that the “loaned elders” don’t share the chemistry or culture of the church plant. 

The Parent Church Model

This model involves appointing a small group of leaders from inside the plant and from the parent church. The only difference between this and the “elder loan” model is that leaders are coming from the planting church.

• The advantages of the parent church model is that the church plant is very connected to the resources and influence of the parent church.
• The disadvantage of the parent church model is when the plant is ministering in a different context or with a different philosophy than that of the parent church. 

The Veteran Team Model 

This model involves a church plant where three or more elder-qualified leaders are guiding the church from its inception. Though these elders should have a close connection to outside advisors and district leaders, they have the advantage of providing tested and trained leadership from day one in the planting process.

• The advantages of the veteran team model is that all the leaders are equally invested in the church from day one. An established elder team also protects the church plant from being hijacked by core-team members who may try to steer the church away from its core values.
• The disadvantage of the veteran team model is that there is, at times, a hesitancy to train and appoint new elders in a timely manner. In this situation a veteran team can risk growing too inward in their sense of control and community.

The Art of Divine Contentment

Thanks to Pastor Roger Knolton at Edgewood Community Church for the recommendation of the book, "The Art of Divine Contentment" by the puritan Thomas Watson. I was deeply encouraged today by this beautiful portrait of contentment in the life of the Christian.

I infer that outward troubles cannot hinder this blessed contentment; it is a spiritual thing and arises from spiritual grounds, namely the apprehension of God's love. When there is a tempest outside, there can be music within. A bee sting may sting the skin, but it cannot sting to the heart; outward afflictions cannot sting to a Christian's heart, where contentment lies. Thieves may plunder our money and possessions but not this pearl of contentment, unless we are willing to part with it, for it is locked up in the cabinet of the heart. The soul which possesses this rich treasure of contentment is like Noah in the ark, who can sing in the midst of deluge. 

Church Planting Eldership Series

One of the most important steps in transitioning your church plant into a healthy established church involves the identifying, training and appointing of elder leadership. In Acts 14:23 we learn that Paul and Barnabas went from church to church appointing elders and commissioning them with prayer and fasting. The question is, how do we translate this process into today’s modern context? Depending on your tradition, this path may be predetermined; however, for many in the evangelical "free-church” tradition, planters have a degree of freedom to shape this process based on the involvement of a planting church, the size and maturity of the planting team, and the model of the church being established. In an ongoing series of blog posts I will be organizing thoughts and resources based on various topics related to the appointing of elder leadership in a church plant. The topics will include subjects like:

• Elder Planting Leadership Models
• Elder Training: The New Elder's Handbook
• Identifying Future Elders
• Elder Training Curriculums
• The Role of Members in Appointing Elders
• The Value of Elder Candidacy 

This list may grow and change throughout this series but I will organize all of these resources by linking the posts from this eldership series post.

Vision Frame Explained

Here is a 3 minute video explaining the new vision frame for the Forest Lakes District multiplication ministry. The vision frame incorporates the mission, values, strategy and marks of success into one clear visual representation. This frame will guide the Church Multiplication team as we seek to grow and develop our district ministry for the future.