Champions Fax Archive

Champions Forum III
Volume 3, Number 24, November 30, 1998

In early November, the third annual Church Champions Forum was held. Church Planting was a topic receiving prolonged discussion. Here is a synthesis of the discussion.

1. Church Planting is at the top of the list of most denominational priorities in both mainline and evangelical groups. In addition, there are several key parachurch agencies fulfilling coaching and supervision roles for denominations and across multiple denominations in a region.

2. The vision leads to the climate leads to attracting planters. "When we became serious about planting new congregations, planters came to join with us." Most confessed with struggling to find good leaders to initially plant. However, after a start-up phase, when entrepreneurial gifts were affirmed, other inquiries began to arrive.

3. Find a way to credential. Even in systems that require high levels of education and experience, denominational groups are finding "loopholes" to authorize entrepreneurial leaders and teams to plant new congregations. Assessment in interviews and evaluative tools are being used to qualify planters more than degrees and pastoral experience.

4. From planting churches one at a time to "a church planting movement of churches planting churches." Although church planting movements have emerged in newer denominations, they have been slow to gain acceptance within older groups. "We are now seeing the harvest of the vision cast for 20 years," said one participant. New planters and congregations have embedded in their DNA the natural outflow of planting other congregations. For those groups not yet at this point, leaders encouraged: "Keep casting that vision."

5. Coaching and mentor systems may have more impact than money. Financial subsidies ranged from $0 to $500,0000 per new congregation. Most felt these subsidies had little impact on sustained viability. They felt appropriate assessment, mentoring, coaching and peer groups had more impact.

6. From suburban to ex-urban to urban. Independent consultants are seeing more planters who are going to ex-urban counties, 60 miles from a city center and planting strong new congregations in counties with dozens of existing churches. Denominational groups have been slower to respond. Denominational groups are making great strides in planting and re-starting congregations in urban areas.

Next year, the Church Champions program will host a specialized forum of Church Planting Supervisors/Coaches and Funders who work with new congregations, targeting the twenty-something generation. To inquire about a possible invitation, contact Dave Travis at 770.972.8792 or send email to dave.travis@leadnet.org.

The next General Consultants/Denominational peer forum is August 23-25, 1999. To inquire, call Linda Stanley at 800.765.5323.

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