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.

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.

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.

Church Planting on the Cheap

I remember the shift of thinking that was required when we planted our church after I had been on staff for 12 years at a large established church. It was a little like moving from the Hilton to Motel 6, from steak to ramen, from Tesla to Prius. Bottom line, I had to learn, like every other church planter, how to "live on the cheap". Here's a short article with some creative cost saving ideas for planters from Linda Bergquist.

(HT: Outreach Magazine)

Guide to the House Church Movement

Here is a simple e-book on the house church movement by Roger Thorman. In it Thorman shares his experience with house churches and then goes on to layout a case for why multiplying house churches is a viable and effective means for church planting and disciple making.



(HT: Simple Church Revolution)

Leadership Challenges in Planting

In this podcast Daniel Im and Todd Adkins discuss the challenges of leadership in the early stages of church planting. Those who have planted know that one of the biggest challenges in a young church is a shortage of good leaders. So how do we solve this problem? On one end of the spectrum some hold off on appointing leaders for too long, which can lead to burnout. On the other end of the spectrum some empower leaders too early, which can harm the long term health of the church.

Daniel and Todd suggest that there are three primary qualities to look for in leaders; character, chemistry and competency. Chemistry represents a shared passion for the values and vision of the church. Competency represents the knowledge and skills needed for effective leadership. They suggest that character and chemistry are essential, but competency can be mitigated in the early months and years of planting.

In light of their recommendation, here are some rules of thumb for leadership in the early years of planting.

1. Adopt a transitional leadership model that will allow you to have flexibility in your leadership standards. In other words, hold off on eldership and other permanent leadership roles until you are ready to empower fully prepared and qualified leaders.
2. Don't compromise on good character and common chemistry. If you settle for less in these areas you will end up producing an unhealthy culture of leadership that works against your vision and leads to mission drift.
3. Have a mechanism in place to develop the competency of early leaders. Competency can be developed, but it requires intentional pathways for learning and growth. 

The Gospel and Our Cities Video

I recently attended the Gospel and Our Cities Conference at Moody Church in Chicago. It was an outstanding conference with amazing content on mission to our cities. You can watch the messages at the following links.

The Forever Word in a Fading World
Dr. Charlie Dates

The Current State of North American Churches
Panel Discussion

North American Mission: Outward Move Pt 1
Timothy Keller

North American Mission: Outward Move Pt 2
Timothy Keller

Love of Neighbor and the Race-Transcending Gospel
Trillia Newbell

Liberating Church Planting
Robert Guerrero

Emerging Challenges in Today's Urban Context
Carl Ellis

Emotionally Healthy Leaders
Peter Scazzero

Weakness Has Its Benefits

A great post by Ray Ortlund on weakness...

“Wherever God’s people have been truly humbled before him, and have been brought deeply to feel their own impotence, and have been willing to be used as mere instruments, and to let him have all the glory, there you will find that a rich blessing has usually been bestowed.”

William B. Sprague, Lectures on Revivals of Religion (Edinburgh, 1978), page 113.

Ben Reynolds, our music leader at Immanuel Nashville, wasn’t there in the early days.  But he said to me not long ago, “Ray, my impression of the original core group at Immanuel is that you guys were so wounded and exhausted and hurting that no one in the group even had the emotional energy for selfish agendas.”  I said, yes, that was probably true.  Then Ben added, “And I think the Lord looked down on that and said, ‘Well, there’s a church I can use.'”  Apparently, yes.

(HT: Ray Ortlund)

How to Create a Spark for Multiplication

What does it look like to have a multiplication minded church? I highly recommend the e-book Spark by Todd Wilson as an important book for pastors and painters that answers this question with clarity. I believe the e-book is free when you register at the Exponential website by following this link.

Reflections on the Mars Hill Culture

As a former leader in Mars Hill Church Dave Kraft has some reflections here on what went wrong that lead to its recent demise and how we as pastors and planters can avoid some of these similar pitfalls in our leadership. Here's a good summary of his advice.

As l live my own life as a leader and as I coach other leaders, I am much more aware of doing what I can to make sure there is:

• Good and genuine accountability, coupled with vulnerability and transparency.
• A clear value in keeping short accounts, with sin being quickly confessed and owned.
• An attitude of being teachable and open to new ideas and ways of thinking.
• A culture of pacing that is realistic and sustainable, resulting in good morale and joy.

Did You Come Here to Die?

This article poses an interesting questions for planters to consider as they establish new churches. It's worth reading and pondering the whole article, but here's a quote.

It’s an intriguing exercise not only to ponder the answer, but to muse on why the Ghanaians would even ask the question. For them, did the credibility of the missionaries’ message depend on the willingness of the missionaries to give their whole life for its sake? It is a question that has pierced by heart, and agonised my soul, and pounded the treadmill of my mind more than any other. What if this was it? For life. All of it. Till death. What if the Lord asked me to give the whole of my life to model discipleship that perseveres until the very end?

Planting Churches, Planting the Gospel

I love this quote by J.A. Medders from this post on why we need to be about planting Gospel-centered churches.

The planting of gospel-centered churches, filled with gospel-centered people who live as grace-leaking, missional monsters as lights in the darkness, inviting the dead to come alive in Jesus Christ and to dwell in the Kingdom of God—that is the hope of your city and mine.

Our cities don’t need more shows. The movie theaters, stadiums, and Redboxes have that covered. Our cities don’t need the planting of services, but they need the missional going of Christians, our disciple-making, our witnessing—that’s church planting.

We have the power of God that makes demons shudder, that sets captives free, that can save a thief on the cross, that can comfort a prostitute, that can redeem a drunk, that can restore a religious hypocrite—that can fulfill all that we are looking for, made for—that power, that word, that name, that person is Jesus.

That is the number one missional strategy of the New Testament. Nothing has changed since Acts 28. We cannot improve upon what Dr. Luke has chronicled. And for us to put more weight behind any other strategy might be the most idiotic thing we could do. This strategy is old, normal, and completely supernatural.

And maybe, just maybe one day we’ll hear, “There is much joy in that city” (Acts 8:8).

(HT: J.A. Medders)

Time Management Tips

How are you at managing your time? Everyone's life is "busy" but is everyone's life healthy and fruitful? I think the answer to that question is no. For the church planter and pastors this post from the Resurgence blog has some great tips on how to manage your time well. The priorities include.

1. Stop: "Most young leaders do too much..."
2. Sabbath: "Eventually you need to find what you are uniquely able to do that others can't..."
3. Set Priorities: "You are actually more productive when you take time to rest..."
4. Save Space: "Ministry to people happens when you least expect it..."

You can (and should) read the whole article here.

Top 10 Church Planting Tips from 2013

In this article Aaron Damiani identifies his top 10 church planting tips from 2013. Some helpful thoughts for those of us in the trenches of planting. Here’s a summary.

1. Sustain high learning agility.
2. Go slow to go fast.
3. Gather a Launch Team instead of a Core Group.
4. Jesus builds his church, so stop watching the door and start feeding your people.
5. Finding worship space is an uphill spiritual battle; start praying.
6. Identify your motives for church planting, and be vulnerable enough to communicate them.
7. Collaborate with your fellow planters and pastors; don't compete with them.
8. Don't be afraid to ask for money and people.
9. Be flexible with how people grapple with your vision.
10. Follow Jesus on the journey he has planned for you, and invite your people along.

Arrogant and Impatient Church Planters

Some good thoughts here from Bruce Wesley for both those who oversee church planting and for church planters in general. Sometimes people justify arrogance as confident leadership and impatience as a strong work ethic. But we need to call a spade a spade. At the heart of these problems is a root of pride that will ultimately betray the hopes of a planter and pastor by making you a leader who is unapproachable and ultimately ineffective. A good argument for a good assessment, coaching, and accountability plan for all planters and pastors.

Religious Make-up In The United States

The Business Insider magazine recently put out this map representing the largest participating religious groups in our nation. You can argue the influence of the mega-church all you want, but nothing matches the cultural and spiritual impact of a blanket of churches covering entire regions. Why, because mega churches grow and shrink based on the leadership gifts of one person, but churches tend to maintain viability for generations.

Soapbox warning...

Because the nation is blanketed in churches does that mean the work is finished? No, because...

1. Population is growing faster than churches
2. If the pursuit is Gospel-centered word-centered churches then there is still a great need in many regions
3. There are still churches dying every year so we need to keep up and surpass the loss of those churches

The U.S. is reached so we should just focus on global initiatives. No, because...

1. Our approach should be both/and because the US movement of churches will fund our global movement. In this regard we need a healthy movement of church expansion.
2. The previously mentioned statistics regarding population growth suggests the Christian Gospel is actually losing ground.
3. New churches reach new generations. New generations are the workforce behind the global movement of the Gospel so, rather than not plant churches, let's plant a bunch of churches with a strong vision for global mission. 

We should focus on organic (less institutional) models of church planting because that's how we'll reach future generations of unbelievers. No, because....

1. The biblical model of church planting shows us that mission expansion looks something like this.... discipleship leads to conversion, conversion leads to church membership, membership leads to governance. Purely organic missional models aren't doing this. 
2. Our focus should be to incorporate missionally progressive models of discipleship into Biblical church planting movements. In other words how we do mission better should be part of our model for church multiplication, not a replacement for church multiplication.
3. Similar to the mega-churches lack of influence for generations, the organic church movement won't last because it does't have the necessary governance structures in place to sustain generations of influence.

What's my point? We need to get busy planting churches!

Half of the US Lives in These Counties

Half of the U.S. population lives in 146 counties. These locations should be a major focus for the planting of churches. Happy to say I live in one of these counties!

(HT: Business Insider)

15 Life Giving Things When Planting Churches in Cities

Here’s the notes from an encouraging talk by Justin Buzzard at this years CPLF meeting in Nashville. Some very helpful information for church planters.

1. Know and Love Your City

• Live in a place where you love the city
• Who is your city? 
• What is your cities history?
• What is your cities values?
• What is your cities future? 
• What is your cities dreams?
• What is your cities fears? This is opposite of your cities values. 
• What is your cities ethos? Mode of operation? 

2. Prioritize Friendships

• Most church planters are lonely and need strong friendship
• Don’t allow a fear of favoritism to keep you from friendship
• Give a significant priority to making friends… believers and unbelievers

3. Disciple a Handful of Men

• Focus your life on discipling a few men well
• Everyone in the church should have 2 or so people they are investing in

4. Rest

• Rest daily 
• Turn off technology… sleep well at night… 
• Keep the sabbath
• Once a month have a retreat day… reading bible, praying, reading good books, and then dreaming about the church
• Take an annual break… Justin takes the month of July off every year
• Read: "The Power of Full Engagement"… a good secular book on maintaining rest

5. Unleash Your Rookies

• Don’t hold back your new and young believers
• Let them serve, evangelize, etc…
• Rebuke the control idols

6. Play Big

• Don’t hold back… give everything a 100% efforts. Go for it.

7. Resist the Devil

• 1 Peter 5

8. Go to Where Your Men Work

9. Do What You Love

• One of the quickest ways to burn out is to stop doing what you enjoy

10. Date Your Wife

• We are in a job where your marriage can disqualify you
• Invest in dating your wife

11. Set the Culture

• What your church is going to feel like… how is it going to operate
• Set a culture of encouragement… sending out encouragement cards
• Celebrate any opportunity you get
• Run to the tensions… don’t avoid, but aggressively deal with the issues you face
• Set a Gospel culture where grace is real in your church

12. Take Care of Yourself Financially

• Cities are expensive… take care of yourself… speak with financial planners
• Set a solid salary package that will fully support you

13. Finish Sermons Earlier in the Week

• 8-10 hours on a sermon and have it done by Wednesday morning
• Monday to study the text, Tuesday to outline, Wednesday to assemble

14. Let God Reck You

• God will destroy the church planter somewhere in the journey of planting
• Embrace it as God’s good means of changing you as a person and planter
• Church planting can be the greatest means of sanctification in your life… accept this and recognize it as good.

15. Stay Excited About Jesus