Workbook: Church Planter Training Intensive, Minneapolis MN, Sept 16-21, 2015

Church Planter 
Training Intensive
Sept 16–21
2015
Minneapolis, MN

CHURCH PLANTER TRAINING INTENSIVE SEPT 16-21, 2015 • MSP
Overview of Week
Schedule & Topics
PAGE WEDNESDAY NIGHT1
• Start and Stop on Time
• Minimize Electronic Distractions
• Fully Participate - Work Hard, Play Hard!
WED Night: Dinner, Intros, & Orientation, then a fun & full week ahead!
THU FRI SAT SUN MON
S T A R T E A C H D A Y P R O M P T L Y A T 9 : 0 0 A M
Morning Devotional Morning Devotional Morning Devotional Church Plant Visit:

Genesis Covenant
Church, genesiscov.org  
Pastor Steve Wiens
See behind the scenes
plus join in worship
together, followed by...
Church Lunch + Q&A:  
We’ll hang out with the
church planting pastor
and key leaders for a
time of fellowship,
sharing, and Q&A
Morning Devotional
Why Are We Here?:
What Do You Hope to
Learn this Week & Our
Learning Objectives
“Normal & Natural
Pathways” for 5 vital
church functions
10 Healthy Missional
Markers
PreReqs for Covenant
Agreement Signing:  
30 Adults, 3rd Stream
Funding, 1 Support
Church, Project Plan…
Church Multiplication:
Multiply Churches that
are healthy, missional,
and also reproduce
Prayer & Spiritual
Warfare
Discipleship: making
disciples that are
maturing in Christ
Four-Stage Launch
Overview: your first
twelve months planting
Consecration &
Commissioning
M I D - M O R N I N G B R E A K Wrap-Up & Send-Off
Culture: Discovering  
Your Identity,  
Creating Culture
Evangelism: leading
people one step closer
to Jesus
Stage 1: Launch Team
Development
Panel: Launch Team
Stories & Strategies
Rides to Airport
L U N C H
Culture: Structuring &
Communicating Your
Church Culture
Fundraising: Enlisting
patrons & supporters to
advance the mission
Stage 2: Preview &
Doing the ‘W’ Debrief: Church Plant
& Worship Service
Observations
Travel safe, thanks  
for being together  
this week :)
We’re praying for you,
your people, and the
thriving church God
has called you to plant!
Stage 3: Soft Launch 
Stage 4: Hard Launch
Stewardship: instilling
a culture of generosity,
sacrifice, & faithfulness
Fruitfulness &
Sustainability

30-60-90 Project
Revitalization Process
Personal Care &
Development
A F T E R N O O N B R E A K
Context:
Understanding Your
Missional Context
Leadership: reproduce
leaders that effectively
lead, serve, & multiply
“TED-style Talks”:
Facilities, Children’s
Min, Hospitality, Small
Groups, Financial
Systems, Worship Arts
Time and Task
Management
Lab Time Lab Time
Panel Discussions 
and Q&A Time
D I N N E R
Concert of Prayer &
Worship Service
Surprise Outing! Free Evening Free Evening
THU FRI SAT SUN MON

Getting Around
Key Locations [ goo.gl/6D8Zbw ]
 
Oak Ridge Hotel &
Conference Center
1 Oak Ridge Drive 
Chaska, MN 55318 
oakridgeminneapolis.com 
Genesis Covenant Church
4330 Cedar Lake Road  
Minneapolis, MN 55416 
(Sabes Jewish Community Center) 
www.genesiscov.org 
Minneapolis/St. Paul  
International Airport (MSP)
4300 Glumack Drive 
Minneapolis, MN 55111 
www.mspairport.com

Wednesday Night
Intros & Orientation
Getting to Know Your Covenant Church Planting Family
DCPs (Newest to Most “Seasoned”)
1. Alex Rahill, Great Lakes PT, CP
2. David Swanson, Central PT, CP
3. Ed Arroyo, Southeast PT, CP
4. Glenn Peterson, Canada PT, PS
5. Brian Johnson, Midwest FT
6. Jason Condon, East Coast FT
7. Kurt Carlson, Pacific Northwest FT
8. Mike Brown, Northwest (+AK) FT
9. Dave Olson, Pacific Southwest FT
11 Conferences Comprise the Larger Missional
Regions of the Evangelical Covenant Church
KEY: PT=Part-time as DCP, FT=Full-time, AS=Assoc. Superintendent,
CO=Coach, CP=Church Planter, PS=Pastor
Start and Strengthen Churches
covchurch.org/what-we-do/strengthen-
churches
“We are committed to start and strengthen healthy,
missional churches, much like the Apostle Paul
started and continued to strengthen churches in
the New Testament. We believe the local church is
God’s basic strategy to carry out mission in the
world. Through planting new churches and
providing resources to strengthen existing
congregations, these ministries seek to reach more
people with the hope of Christ.”
National Church Planting Team
• John Teter, National Team Leader 
john@covchurch.org
• Mike Brown, NWConf DCP
mike@northwestconference.org
• Kurt Carlson, PacNWConf DCP 
kurt@pacnwc.org
• Jason Condon, ECConf DCP
jasonrcondon@gmail.com 
Additional Presenters & Facilitators:
• Andrew Mook, East Coast CP 
Sanctuary Church, Providence RI 
sanctuaryri.org
• Bruce McGregor, Midwest CP, CO  
Freedom Covenant Church &  
Freedom Fire Urban Ministries, freedomfire.org
• Carmen Bensink, Pacific Northwest CP 
Bridge Covenant Church, Salem OR 
bridgecovenant.org
• Joel Sommer, Pacific Northwest CP 
Access Covenant Church, Portland OR 
accesscov.com
• Micah Witham, Northwest CP  
Awaken Community, St. Paul MN
awakencommunity.com
• Shaun Marshall, Central PS, CO 
Marshall Associates & Community Covenant Church,
Calumet Park IL, facebook.com/communitycovcp,
smarshall@marshallassociates.net

Our Values: The “Four ALs”
Two historic questions early Covenanters asked one another:
• Biblical: “Where is it written?”
• Devotional: “How goes your walk?”
As they formed in the US, they chose the name “Mission Friends”:
• Missional: “Are we pursuing Christ’s purposes?”
• Connectional: “Are we together in Christian community?”
Our Beliefs: Covenant Affirmations
www.covchurch.org/who-we-are/beliefs/affirmations
1. We affirm the centrality of the word of God
2. We affirm the necessity of the new birth
3. We affirm a commitment to the whole mission of the church
4. We affirm the church as a fellowship of believers
5. We affirm a conscious dependence on the Holy Spirit
6. We affirm the reality of freedom in Christ
Our Mission: What We Do as the Covenant
www.covchurch.org/what-we-do • video: Covenant Mission & Ministry 2013 [vimeo.com/50717463]
Five Strategic Priorities
1. Make and Deepen Disciples
2. Start and Strengthen Churches
3. Develop Leaders
4. Love Mercy, Do Justice
5. Serve Globally
Table Discussion
• Which of these “family characteristics” resonates most with you?
• Why is it important to be connected with a larger family of faith?
• What are the challenges of not just being “independent”?
Staying Connected
• Take advantage of the many opportunities for connection, encouragement, and development!
• Examples: Fall Pastors Retreat, Midwinter, Conference Annual Meeting, Covenant Annual
Meeting, Cohort meetings (in some Conferences), Exponential Conference, and more
• Your conference should have an events calendar you can visit (and, even better, possibly subscribe to) 

Thursday 9:00 AM
Morning Devotions
How the Church Began
Acts 2.1-4; 42-47
Review of Previous Night
•
•
•
•  
PAGE THURSDAY5

Thursday 9:20 AM
Why Are We Here?
What Do You Hope to Learn this Week?
•
•
•
•
•
Our Shared Learning Objectives
By the end of training, planters will understand and be able to implement:
• Self-Care Plan: Develop a perspective and plan for self-care and a healthy family life
• Normal & Natural Pathways: in this new church, what the normal & natural pathways are to…
• Make Disciples that are maturing in Christ
• Evangelize People so they come to a transforming faith in Jesus
• Reproduce Leaders that effectively lead, serve, and multiply
• Instill a Stewardship Culture of generosity, sacrifice, and faithfulness
• Multiply Churches that are healthy, missional, and also reproduce
• Four-Stage Launch Process: what it is, why it matters, how to follow and adapt for increasing
momentum in planting a healthy, missional, thriving, reproducing Covenant church
• Well-Conceived Project Plan: develop a strategic timeline and detailed planning calendar for the
first year that includes the four stages, special events, and key milestones
• Others:
•
•
•
•
•  
PAGE THURSDAY6

Thursday 9:45 AM
Prayer &  
Spiritual Warfare
BREAK | 10:30 AM ~ 30 Min 
PAGE THURSDAY7
“More things are wrought by
prayer than this world dreams of.”
~ Lord Alfred Tennyson
“I gird myself today 
with the power of God:
God’s strength to comfort me,  
God’s might to uphold me,  
God’s wisdom to guide me, 
God’s eye to look before me, 
God’s ear to hear me, 
God’s word to speak for me, 
God’s hand to lead me, 
God’s way to lie before me, 
God’s shield to protect me, 
God’s angels to save me
From the snares of the devil, 
From the temptations to sin, 
From all who wish me ill, 
Both far and near, 
Alone and with others.
May Christ guard me today…
I arise today
Through the power of the Trinity,
Through the faith in the threeness,
Through trust in the oneness,
Of the Maker of earth,
And the Maker of heaven.”
~ from St. Patrick’s Breastplate

NOTES:
PAGE THURSDAY8

Sample Prayer Covenant
Mike Brown, Northwest Conference DCP
The [Church Name] Covenant Church Prayer Covenant
We will pray for the [Church Name] Covenant church planting team regularly,  
remembering their need for:
• God’s protection from the evil one. John 17:15 - “I do not pray that you should take them out
of the world, but that you should guard them from the evil one.”
• God’s direction through His Word. John 17:17-18 - “Make them pure and holy by teaching
them your words of truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I am sending them into the world.”
• God’s provision for all their needs. Philippians 4:19 - “And my God shall supply all your need
according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.”
• Open doors to share Christ. Revelation 3:7 - “He opens doors, and no one can shut them; he
shuts doors, and no one can open them.”
• Unity and love for each other. Ephesians 4:1-3 - “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech
you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called,2 with all lowliness and gentleness, with
longsuffering, bearing with one another in love,3 endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the
bond of peace.”
We will pray for the people in the {City, Town, Neighborhood] area so that they:
• Would be released from Satan to follow Jesus as Lord. 2 Corinthians 4:4 “Satan, the god of
this evil world, has blinded the minds of those who don’t believe, so they are unable to see the
glorious light of the Good News that is shining upon them.”
• Would give favor to and receive the ______________ Team members. Acts 2:47 “Praising
God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to the church daily those who were
being saved.”
Prayerfully signed,
_________________________________________________
[Church Name] Covenant Church Prayer Partner
*************
Thank you so much for partnering with us in prayer. People follow Jesus Christ as a direct result
of faithful believers talking to God on their behalf (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Praying the truth of the Bible is
our most effective weapon against evil in this world (2 Corinthians 10:3-5). Please remember us
continually because we know that we will face spiritual warfare. Our prayer partners are the Most
Valuable Players on our team. 
PAGE THURSDAY9

Developing a Prayer Warrior Network
Article by John M. Bailey 
Church Planting Group 
North American Mission Board
Intro
Recently, while reading the first chapters of the book of Acts, I noticed something rather strange. First, I
noted that the disciples, while waiting in the upper room, prayed. And prayed. And prayed. In fact, it
seems they prayed for days. I noted that Peter preached a very short sermon to the residents of
Jerusalem... maybe 15 minutes at best. The result? Three thousand were saved. As I reflected on my own
ministry, I noted that I tend to preach a long time, pray little, and see just a few saved. Sound familiar?
Through prayer, God greatly multiplies our efforts. As a church planter, there is no greater need than the
establishment and communication with a prayer support team.
Who?
This may not be as easy as you think. Your prayer warriors will need to know specific prayer requests.
Some of those requests may be about specific people in your ministry or on your leadership team. I
suggest strongly that you enlist individuals to serve on your team who know you personally but who do
not live in your area of service. This gives you the freedom to speak openly and honestly without fear of
your requests becoming local gossip.
I would suggest that you recruit as many people as possible to serve on your team. Start with a minimum
of 50 and grow from there. I would also include your sponsoring and partnering churches.
As you have opportunities to share your vision for your plant, it is crucial that you carry with you a way
to enlist prayer warriors. Even a legal tablet will work as long as you use it. Never stop enlisting prayer
warriors!
It might not hurt; however, to establish a local prayer network which includes your church members and
local pastors. Naturally, you would not include sensitive subjects, but I believe that the creation of this
second team will benefit both your plant and those praying for you. It reinforces the importance of
prayer and allows them to participate in your ministry.
PAGE THURSDAY10

What?
I am a big believer in being very specific with your prayer requests. Asking the Lord to bless the
missionaries is wonderful, but blessings come in a variety of forms! Be specific with your requests. I
would also make sure that I stay balanced in my requests. Your prayer requests might include the
following:
1. Specific requests for you and your family. Be honest about your struggles and needs
2. Prayer for your vision and values. Include updates and be honest about your struggles
3. Prayer for your leadership and financial needs. Be specific
4. Prayer for upcoming events and speaking opportunities
5. Prayer for your strategy. Keep them updated
6. Prayer for the lost by name
7. Prayer for your sponsoring churches
8. Prayer for your mentor or coach
9. Prayer for your vision, that you would see the community as God sees it.
10. Prayer for resources. Be specific about your needs
Not only would I send out my prayer requests, I would also send out praises as well. Those praying for
you want to know what God is doing in your midst. Testify of His greatness! Don’t forget to send pictures
or direct them to a web site where you post pictures.
I would also ask them to send to you prayer requests. Pray for them even if they do not send you
requests.
It would be advantageous to include with each prayer letter a short section on how to improve your prayer
life. Coach them in their praying, teaching them how to pray using Scripture. Suggest books on prayer. Not
only will this help them in their praying on your behalf, I believe that it will add value to your letter.
When?
I would send out a newsletter each month unless something urgent comes up.
How?
There are many ways to send your requests. My personal preference is via email, but would send a
minimum of two communications a year via regular mail. I believe that this shows you value their
partnership, and could be included with a Christmas or thank you card. There are a number of ways to
create your database, just keep it accurate and up-to-date.
Resources
• Maxwell, John (1996), Partners In Prayer, Thomas Nelson Publishers.
• Sanchez, Daniel R. (2002), Church Planting Prayer Strategy, North American Mission Board (visit
www.churchplantingvillage.net, click Church Planting Resource Library, scroll down to prayer section) 
PAGE THURSDAY11

During our training I remember hearing
from a couple church planters who were a year or more
ahead of where we were that "you will be broken." I
always thought that meant we would reach a place of
burn-out and that we would realize that we could not do
this "church thing" in our own power, but through the
power of God. And that is definitely true and we have
experienced that variety of physical and/or mental
brokenness both individually and corporately at Artisan.
What I did not expect however is a brokenness of heart.
Over the past month and a half our Staff,
Leadership Team, and church family have been praying
and fasting for God's heart and vision for the future.
Specifically, we were asking if we should go to multiple
services and multiple venues for our gathered worship.
We expected direction, a firm "yes" or "no" to the
question, "Should we go to multiple services." What we
experienced, however, was more akin to the experience
of Nehemiah as he heard the report of the state of
Jerusalem. The people in Jerusalem were living in
disgrace and shame (Neh 1:3), and up to this point, did
not see a way out of their predicament. Nehemiah,
much like our Leadership Team "sat down and wept,
and mourned for days, fasting and praying before the
God of heaven (Neh 1:4)." God broke Nehemiah's heart
for the people of Jerusalem and he broke ours for our
own people.
God revealed our failings as a Leadership Team and
a church. We wept and mourned because of our own
"functional atheism." We were acknowledging God
exists with our minds, but our actions showed we had
little need of Him. We wept for the hundreds of lives
that are in disgrace and shame, many of whom may not
even recognize it, and need godly leadership to restore
them to a place of honor and glory in God's kingdom.
We wept because of our fear of the unknown and our
lack of faith to move us forward. We wept because we
realized that God wants to do incredible things through
frail people like us. And we prayed.
Through our prayer we realized that this brokenness
and humility is exactly where God wants leadership
born from. Nehemiah started there, Jesus started there
as the Creator humbled himself to be baptized by John
the Baptist (one of the creation!). We recognized our
need to be continually in prayer. When Nehemiah faced
Sanballat and Tobiah he prayed. When there was
murmuring within the ranks that they were rebuilding
the wall, he prayed. When he cast vision, he prayed.
When the wall was completed, he prayed. After Jesus
was baptized and before he began his public ministry, he
spent 40 days and 40 nights in the wilderness fasting and
praying. It is in this continued prayer that God moved
us to the place of vision.
God has inspired the Leadership at Artisan to move
forward with the plan to begin multiple service times and
venues. The reasons for doing so are a bit different now
than they were before we started this journey. Now we
are propelled forward by the brokenness for the things
and people that break God's heart. We realize that our
neighbors and the students on the college campuses all
around us are in disgrace and shame. We are moved by
the idea that we could pour the grace and love of God
through the Holy Spirit into these lives, no matter how
short a time they are here (we estimate the average time
a person stays at Artisan is two years because many are
college students). We have a vision for raising up the
next generation of godly leaders and sending them out
to new neighborhoods where they will share the
restoration that can only be found in God through His
son, Jesus.
A friend recently shared a prayer with us. This
prayer is attributed to Sir Francis Drake who wrote one
of the most motivational prayers ever written in that it
both breaks and inspires the reader at the same time.
The prayer is titled "Disturb Us." While uncomfortable
and, at times, painful, we thank God for our brokenness.
This experience has reaffirmed that it is the foolish
(weak/broken) things of this world that God uses to
confound the wise (1 Cor 1:27-28). We are nothing but
cracked pots, but we carry an immeasurable treasure "to
show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not
from us (2 Cor 4:7)". Disturb us, Lord, I pray!
Discussion questions for you & your team:
1. Insights and applications from the article?
2. How God is breaking your heart for those
who are far from God in your mission field?
3. Discuss ways have you and your can seek
God for this church plant 
PAGE THURSDAY12
Prayer & Brokenness: Plant After the Plow
The Testimony of a Covenant Church Planter 
Brian E. Haak, Artisan Church Founding Pastoral Team

Thursday 11:00 AM
Discovering Your Identity, 
Creating Culture
Branding from the Inside Out
Goal: Understand and be able to communicate how the
important pieces of the model fit together to bring to life the
big God-given vision
Groups at Tables: Define the word “Connection”
•
•
What is a Brand? (and what is it not?)
• A Brand is not a logo, slick packaging, or a marketing campaign
• Branding starts on the inside. It is determined first by a clearly articulated statement of mission,
vision and values.
Process:
• The process starts by clearly articulating Vision, Mission and Values. 
Answers the Question: “What makes our church unique?”
• Vision, Mission and Values are the elemental pieces of Culture in a healthy church. 
Answers the Question: “Who are we?”
 
 
 
PAGE THURSDAY13
“Mission, Vision and
Strategy typically focus on
products, services or
outcomes, but culture is
always about people.”
~ Samuel Chand, Cracking
Your Church’s Culture Code
Vision&
Mission&
Values&
Culture&
Marke0ng&
Program&
Development&
Experience&

Your Zera Verse and 
Vision, Mission, Values
Zera Verse: ( = “seed verse”)
Vision: ( = “destination”)
Mission: ( = “road map”)
Values: ( = “guardrails along highway”)
Poster Activity
• Write out your vision for the church plant (even if it’s still really rough)
• Give and Receive Feedback from other church planters
Mission
• What are the markers to help you know you’re moving toward vision?
•
•
Values
• Interactive Exercise
• Critique 3-5 other planters vision, mission, values
•
PAGE THURSDAY14
EXAMPLE:  
CITADEL OF FAITH, DETROIT MI
www.citadeloffaith.org
Zera Verse:  
“You are the salt of the earth. You are
the light of the world. A city set on a
hill cannot be hidden.” 
– Jesus (Matthew 5:13-16)
Vision:  
A church where hurting people from all
races can ﬁnd answers from God's
Word. Where we can be God's light as
we serve the community, connect with
individuals, and see God's power
transform communities and the world.
Mission:  
Mission statement:  
“Change Starts Here” 
Annual actions based on these elements
Values: 
Reverence God, Reach People, 
Raise Disciples, Release Leaders

Culture
What creates culture?
• Culture is the “personality” of the church
Dreaming Exercise: Letter from the Future
• On the next page, write a letter back to Your Church,
assuming you are now living in the year 2018
• Describe what the church and its ministries are like five
years from today. Describe your dream of what the
church has become. Be specific. Take 10 minutes
Define the culture you wish to create. 
Ask questions like:
• What is good?: celebrate and cultivate
• What is wrong?: name, confront, stop
• What is confusing?: clarify and compel
• What is missing?: identify and start
In Pairs
• Share one story of the culture you hope to create, or are seeing birthed in this new church.
LUNCH | 12:30 PM 
PAGE THURSDAY15
“The fact is, culture eats
strategy for lunch.”
~ Dick Clark, CEO of Merck
Pharmaceuticals
“Culture–not vision or strategy–
is the most powerful factor in
any organization.”
~ Samuel Chand,  
Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code
Vision&
Mission&
Values&
Culture&
Marke0ng&
Program&
Development&
Experience&

PAGE THURSDAY16
Dear Church, 
 
Older & Wiser, 
Future Me (2020)

NOTES: 
PAGE THURSDAY17

Thursday 1:30 PM
Structuring & Communicating  
Your Church Culture
Process continued:
• The culture of the church should determine Program Development (programs,
staffing, resourcing, etc.) and Marketing (how you communicate the church)
• Application Questions
• How will you incarnate your culture?
• What will you need in terms of staffing, resources, and budgeting to live out your key ministries?
Experience
• Your Brand is the sum of all Experiences anyone and everyone has with your church
• What can you do to create a positive experience for those who will attend your church?
• The programs, resourcing, staffing and marketing should inform the Experience
people have at your church 
Answers the Question: “What is the reality in our church?”
• The culture should inform the experience and experience should reinforce the culture
Vision&
Mission&
Values&
Culture&
Marke0ng&
Program&
Development&
Experience&
PAGE THURSDAY18

Poster Activity (in groups)
• Structure: Make list of structure necessary to live into culture:
• What? 
• Who? 
• Where? 
• Experience: What things inﬂuence how people will experience your church? 
 
On Your Own
• Communicate: How will you communicate your church? (Story as the glue)
Discussion (in groups)
• What words do people use to describe your church or  
what words would you use to describe the church you hope to plant?
• How will you communicate the stories inside and outside your church
Action Steps (stats and measuring progress)
• create task list and timeline for next couple of months, 
include who will be accountable and by what time frame
 
 
BREAK | 3:00 PM ~ 30 Min 
PAGE THURSDAY19

Thursday 3:30 PM
Understanding Your
Missional Context
MissionInSite
www.missioninsite.com
• Share with someone who is planting  
in a similar missional context
• what do you see?
• what one need will you meet in Jesus’ Name?
• what will your church do?
 
 
 
• Add to your Ministry Calendar  
(monthly or quarterly)
Rapid Community Assessment
www.davidwmills.com/resources
a tool to help you survey your community to ﬁnd a Strategic Match:
• ﬁt between the gifts and calling of God
• unique to our congregation or team
• relevant to the critical needs in our community
PAGE THURSDAY20
“An essential part of the
ordination exam ought to be a
passage from some recognized
theological work set for translation
into vulgar English—just like
doing Latin prose. Failure on this
part should mean failure on the
whole exam. It is absolutely
disgraceful that we expect
missionaries to the Bantus to learn
Bantu, but never ask whether our
missionaries to the Americans or
English can speak American or
English. Any fool can write
learned language: the vernacular
is the real test. If you can’t turn
your faith into it, then either
you don’t understand it or
don’t believe it.”
~ C.S. Lewis

NOTES: 
PAGE THURSDAY21

Thursday 4:00 PM
Afternoon Lab Time
Individual work on Zera Verse,  
and Vision, Mission, Values
Group Presentations & Critique
Color Dot "Votes"

= Nope. (weak, missed the mark)
= Maybe? (vague, needs clarity)
= Yes! (I get it and it speaks to me)
$  
Red
Yellow
Green
Post-It Notes:
• write brief helpful
suggestions
• slap on giant sheets
near the related item
PAGE THURSDAY22
EXAMPLE: 
ARTISAN CHURCH, 
ROCHESTER NY
www.artisanchurch.com
Zera Verse: 
“For we are God’s masterpiece,
created in Christ Jesus to do good
works, which God prepared in
advance to be our way of life.” 
– The Apostle Paul (Ephesians 2:10)
Vision: 
“encounter God, 
embrace people, engage culture, 
in the Way of Jesus.”
Values:  
Awe, Beauty, Roots, 
Community, Justice
Mission:  
3 Circles: Worship, Guilds, Groups.  
Ministry Calendar: strategic
rhythms of outreach, evangelism,
discipleship, and deployment;
Quarterly Members “Gallery”; etc.
(www.artisanchurch.com/about)

NOTES:
PAGE THURSDAY23

NOTES:
PAGE THURSDAY24

Thursday 5:45 PM
Teach-Back & Debrief of Day
•
•
•
•
•
•
DINNER | 6:00 PM
After Dinner
Concert of Prayer  
& Worship Service
(then free evening afterwards)
PAGE THURSDAY25

Friday 9:00 AM
Morning Devotions
Theophilus, Barnabas,  
and a Stern Warning
Acts 4.32-5.11
Review of Previous Day
•
•
•
•
PAGE FRIDAY26

Friday 9:20 AM
Normal & Natural Pathways
5 vital functions of a healthy missional church
• “Normal” - ordinary; the consistent, regular way something happens (though God can surprise!)
• “Natural” - indigenous; fitting the particular church plant’s vision, values, and missional setting
(though the supernatural trumps everything!)
Five Vital Functions
1. Make Disciples that are maturing in Christ
2. Evangelize People so they come to a transforming faith in Jesus
3. Reproduce Leaders that effectively lead, serve, and multiply
4. Instill a Stewardship Culture of generosity, sacrifice, & faithfulness
5. Multiply Churches that are healthy, missional, and reproduce
(full document on next page or at: www.bit.ly/normalnaturalpathways)
Example: “Our Stewardship ‘Normal & Natural Pathway’ includes… ”
• Financial Peace University 2x/year, completion is a Membership/Leadership/Staff requirement
• Messages: one quarterly message and one yearly series on financial discipleship and stewardship
• Worship Service: Receive Tithes & Offering near end of service
• each week: brief testimony of life-change locally, regionally, or globally
• each time: clear explanation connecting with church’s mission and vision, include instructions on
Info Card, which will also be collected in offering
• pass basket with enclosed top with fabric slit, also provide locked dropbox at back of sanctuary for
those who need more time with offering and info cards
• Online Giving & Giving Kiosk: attractive, easy to use, integrated into website & enews
• Transparent Communication: bulletin/enews lists monthly budget need, weekly-to-date giving,
remaining need, worship attendance, # of people giving that week (adjusted for families)
Table Read & Discussion:
• Instructions
• using full list on next page, go around your table, each person reading one of the 5 Vital Functions
• always start with “In this new church, what are the ‘Normal & Natural Pathways’ to…”, read the
vital function, then continue reading the bullet points listed immediately below
• take turns until all 5 Vital Functions are read
• Questions: Each person share…
• Which one of these will be easiest for you?
• Which one will be the most challenging? 
PAGE FRIDAY27

Normal & Natural Pathways
Critical Questions for New Church Development
The following five questions will help you think strategically about what you hope to accomplish  
in the lives of people as a result of your ministry. Take time to pray as you work through these questions.
In this new church, what are the “Normal & Natural Pathways” to…
1. Make Disciples that are maturing in Christ
• What will the disciple making process look like in this new church?
• What are the characteristics of a Christ-follower that you want to see produced in people who are a
part of your new church?
2. Evangelize People so they come to a transforming faith in Jesus
• What kinds of experiences do people need in order to become fully-devoted followers of Christ?
• How will you use training events, small groups, mentoring, worship, etc. as part of an overall strategy?
• For a call to decision, will you use “altar calls”, have people raise their hands, mark an info card,
visit a special area in the worship space for prayer, resources, and follow-up, write their name on a
“decision wall”, or some other tangible response?
3. Reproduce Leaders that effectively lead, serve, and multiply
• What leadership gifts and skills do you possess and how do they relate to your vision for training for
training up new leaders? How will you augment your skills and gifting?
• What specific kinds of experiences (training, mentoring, coaching) do you need to have to become
the pastor/leader you desire to be? What do your leaders and potential leaders need?
• How will leaders be encouraged & trained in your church? What kind gifts or skill sets are needed?
4. Instill a Stewardship Culture of generosity, sacrifice, and faithfulness
• How will you cast vision from the beginning for being generous, sacrificial, and joyful stewards?
• How will you present and practically handle tithes & offerings during worship?
• How will you address issues of stewardship in preaching, including targeted message series?
• What practical methods will you use to help people in their giving? (passing a basket, drop-box,
online giving, giving kiosk, etc.) What systems will you put in place for handling money well?
5. Multiply Churches that are healthy, missional, and also reproduce
• How will you cast vision from the beginning for being a church-planting church?
• What cultural values and strategic components need to be in place to Parent a new church or
Partner with other churches in planting your first church by the end of your first 3 years?
After you’ve reflected on these questions and outlined your initial thoughts, talk about them with your
Coach. Work on specific plans to implement your ideas and incorporate them into the life of the church
Original doc also available at: www.bit.ly/normalnaturalpathways
PAGE FRIDAY28

Healthy Missional Markers
covchurch.org/vitality/healthy-missional-markers
1. Centrality of the Word of God (2 Timothy 3:16)
• We believe that the Bible is the only perfect rule for faith, doctrine and conduct.
• Our preaching and teaching in all settings reflects careful preparation, relevance, and creativity.
• Our people are equipped and growing in their ability to study and apply Biblical truth in ways
that lead to a scripturally integrated life.
2. Life Transforming Walk with Jesus (John 3:3,30; Phil. 1:6)
• We teach our people how to be attentive to Christ in all circumstances.
• Our people understand the radical nature of the message and mission of Jesus that continually
deconstructs and reconstructs a person’s life.
• Our people are equipped and growing in their ability to use a variety of spiritual growth
resources, experiences, and settings.
3. Intentional Evangelism (Matthew 28:18-20)
• We are burdened for the spiritual condition of those who do not yet know Christ.
• We have identifiable pathways for evangelism to take place in our ministries.
• Our people are equipped and growing in their ability to build spiritual friendships and know
how to share their faith as God-birthed opportunities arise.
4. Transforming Communities through Active  
Compassion, Mercy and Justice Ministries (Micah 6:8)
• We are burdened for the hurting people in our community and beyond.
• We have identifiable pathways for compassion, mercy and justice ministries to take place.
• Our people are equipped and growing in their ability to see and address the hurts and the causes
of hurt in our community and beyond.
5. Global Perspective and Engagement (Acts 1:8)
• We raise the sights of our members beyond our congregation and community by developing a
Biblical worldview and often pray for and reference global matters.
• We have identifiable pathways to support the cause of Christ globally.
• Our people are equipped and growing in their ability to participate in the global dimensions of
our ministry.
PAGE FRIDAY29

6. Compelling Christian Community (Acts 2:42-47)
• We understand that our love for one another is a powerful testimony to the deity of Jesus.
• We love each other as we are, not as we should be.
• We share life together beyond the worship service.
7. Heartfelt Worship (Psalm 138:1a; John 4:23)
• We exalt and celebrate God for who he is, what he has done,  
what he is doing and what he will do.
• Worship reflects careful preparation to help give voice to many dimensions  
of response to God such as adoration, praise, contrition, lament, and commitment.
• People leave worship knowing something more about the heart of God  
and about their own hearts.
8. Sacrificial and Generous Living and Giving (Romans 12:1-8)
• We help people discover, develop and deploy their spiritual gifts.
• We regularly, graciously, and unapologetically teach on the importance of financial stewardship
in the spiritual growth of the Christian.
• We have many examples of lifestyle choices being made on the basis of stewardship and the
priority God plays in the lives of our members.
9. Culture of Godly Leadership (Hebrews 13:7)
• Our leaders at all levels serve with character, competence, and conviction.
• A spirit of collegiality pervades, with our people trusting our leaders and  
our leaders trusting our people.
• We continually identify and train godly leaders for all dimensions of our ministry.
10. Fruitful Organizational Structures (Exodus 18:13-26, Acts 6:1-7)
• We can articulate a compelling, Christ-honoring vision for our church.
• We embrace evaluation as normal and natural and work through conflict constructively.
• Our organizational structures are designed to be efficient at making decisions while at the same
time building congregational ownership for those decisions.
PAGE FRIDAY30

NOTES: 
PAGE FRIDAY31

NOTES:  
PAGE FRIDAY32

Friday 10:00 AM
Discipleship
Clinton Leadership Emergence Theory (LET) 
Barriers to Finishing Well
1. Finances
• Greed will cause the use and abuse of finances in an
inappropriate manner
• Integrity and simplicity in finances cannot be too great
• Bible Example: Ananias and Sapphira (Acts 5.1-11)
• Personal Examples: Personal excess and believing stuff is my comforter (Luke 6.24)
2. Power
• Leaders at the top assume privileges with perceived status and growing entitlement
• Apostolic leaders have little accountability and are in a very vulnerable position
• Media Example: Arbitrage and justifying immoral behavior and selfish gain
• Personal Examples: Confession and accounts with Doug that have no teeth
3. Pride
• We have nothing that is not given by God, “You don’t think you did that, do you?”
• Strong leaders do not even realize they are dealing with pride issues
• Bible Example: David’s numbering through flesh act of census (Numbers 24.1-9)
• Personal Examples: Growing sense of personal entitlement and wanting to be served
4. Sex
• It is tragic to see an entire lifetime of ministry and sacrifice lost in one moment
• Bible Example: Joseph running from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39.18)
• Personal Examples: Declaring war on lust and running from all that feeds the flesh
5. Family
• We need Biblical values to live out family relationships
• Bible Example: Complicated families of Eli, Samuel, and David (1-2 Samuel)
• Personal Examples: May Joy, Kara, and Luke be my and Becky’s best disciples
6. Plateauing
• Strengths become greatest weakness and leaders stop needing the Holy Spirit
• Bible Example: Barnabas who was always growing in grace (Acts 11.23)
• Personal Examples: Ministry friends who have chosen other passions and focus
Finishing Well
“John, few leaders finish well. The numbers do not lie.”
PAGE FRIDAY33
“Therefore let
anyone who thinks
that he stands take
heed lest he fall.”
~ Apostle Paul 
(1 Cor. 10:1)

Finishing Well Enhancements
1. Perspective:
Present ministry in view of a lifetime perspective especially around boundaries
2. Renewal:
Encountering God as he freshens us with vision, challenge, afﬁrmation
3. Disciplines:
I discipline myself for fear I will become a casualty: Core books, prayer, journal
4. Learning
“Bring the books” is how to stay hungry through conferences, books, sermons
5. Mentoring
Leaders will need between 10 – 15 leaders to learn from during a lifetime
Finishing Well Characteristics
1. Inner-Life
Personal vibrant relationship with God until the end
2. Teachability
Learning posture to learn from experience, especially the painful lessons
3. Testing
Christ likeness in character by passing tests and moving onto greater challenges
4. Doer
Truth is seen to be lived out through convictions and promises
5. Focus
A focused life produces Kingdom fruit, ultimate contributions and destiny sense
PAGE FRIDAY34

Social Base
What is Social Base? 
Family of Origin
• Patterns and Inﬂuence
Social Base Concerns
Four Goals for 2015
• Emotional
• Economic
• Strategic
• Physical
PAGE FRIDAY35

Spiritual Examination
Have you experienced or engaged in:
1. Poor Self-Image: insecurity springing from guilt that we have not been able to act “nobly’ through our own
wisdom and strength. Negative comparisons with others. (1 John 1:7-9; Mark 3:28-29; 2 Cor 3:5-6, 4:7; 1 Cor 2:1-5; Rom
5:6-8, Ps 8:3ff; Job 4:6; Gal 5; Is 43:18-19; Jer 10:23; 1 Tim 6:6-8; Ps 16:11, Is 36 & Is 37:36; 2 Cor 7:10; 1 Sam 12:14-24)
2. Anxiety: lack of peace springing from dwelling on some dark scenario that we think will occur in the future.
Loss of hope. (1 Pet 5:7; Mat 6:25; Is 51:12, 7:9; 2 Chr 20:20; Is 35:4, 43:1-7; Phil 4:4-7, Prov 12:25, 1 Cor 2:9; Ps 23)
3. Regret: believing that a mistake we’ve made in the past virtually rules out a happy future. (1 Sam 12:20; Rom
8:28,37; Gen 50:20; John 21:15-17; Rom 11:22; Jer 38:20; Rom 8:37ff; 1 Sam 12:14-24)
4. Covetousness: discontent with what we possess or with our station or situation in life. Lack of gratefulness.
Negative comparisons with others. Lack of generosity, hospitality, desire to love the poor. Gluttony, hoarding,
consumerism. (1 Tim 6:6-12; Phil 4:11-13; Heb 13:5-6; Ps 23:1-3; Luke 12:15ff; Mat 6:19-21; Prov 21:26; 1 Cor 4:7; Ps 16:11; Hab
3:17-19; 1 Sam 15:22-23)
5. Bitterness: harboring a grudge or an unforgiving spirit. (Mat 18:23-35; Rom 12:19-21; Ex 23:4ff; Mat 6:26; Heb 2:2)
6. Jealousy or Envy: becoming angry and upset when we see a person get something we wish we had. (Ps 73:28ff,
37:7ff; 1 Sam 12:14-24; Gal 5:12-21; 1 Thes 5:18; Phil 4:12)
7. Impatience: The feeling that we should be getting on with something more quickly than we are, leading to lack
of peace, bouts of anger, lack of love for others, and trying to get blessing “our way.” (Is 64:4, 50:10-11, 40:28-31;
Num 9:15ff; Is 30:1-3; Prov 21:5)
8. Despondency, lack of enthusiasm: believing that we are at a dead-end with no way out, a no-win situation.
Leads to burn out. Lack of interest in prayer (intercessory, etc.), Word, ministry (inviting people to be in a
relationship with Jesus) (Ps 16:11, 23:2ff; Heb 10:35-38; Jos 1:7-9; Rom 15:13; Heb 12:1-3, Ps 73:25-28; Ps 42; Is 64:4; Phil 1:6; 1
Kings 19; Matt 26:36-46; Amos 5:4,11,24)
9. Self-Adulation: savoring something one has done or said (or simply some “distinctive”) as particularly good,
clever, creative, or wise. Positive comparisons to others. Competitiveness, provoking others, and making others
look bad. (1 Cor 4:7; Deut 8:14-18; Jer 9:24; James 4:6,8; 1 Cor 1:28ff; Matt 23:12; 1 Pet 5:5; Ex 18:29-32; Prov 16:5; Mark 9:33-35)
10. Immorality: lack of self-control in sexual area. Lustful thoughts. Inappropriate sexual activity. Use of
pornography, visual stimulation. Creating inappropriate sexual tension. Habitual masturbation. (Gal 5:19-24,
6:7-10; Mark 7:20-23; 1 Cor 7:8-9; Matt 5:27-28; Prov 22:14; 1 John 2:15-17; 1 Cor 6:13,17f; John 3:16-21)
11. Critical Spirit: exalting oneself by harshly evaluating others, leading to cruelty and unreasonable demands.
May also lead to gossip. (1 Sam 18:17-25; Matt 7:1-5; 1 Cor 4:1-5; 1 John 4:20-21; Matt 5:21-24; Mic 6:8; Gal 5:13-15, 6:1-2; Rom
14:13)
12. Divisiveness: acting to cause disunity in a group by exalting the distinctives of oneself or a sub-group to which
one belongs (Gal 5:19-21; 1 Cor 1:10-13, 12:12-26; Gal 6:7-10; Col 3:11-15; Mark 10:35-45; Acts 2:43-47)
13. Drivenness: rejecting the Sabbath; believing “success” in life can only be achieved by the maximum output of
our own wisdom and strength. (Ex 20:8-11; Ps 23:1-3; Luke 11:38-42; Ps 46:10; Is 30:15; Heb 3:9-11)
14. Deceit: lying; knowingly falsifying the truth because we believe exposure of truth will lead to a negative
situation. Unwillingness to confess sin. (Prov 13:5-6; Lev 19:11; Acts 5:1-10; Col 3:9-10; Ps 51:6; Prov 20:17, 21:6; John 3:16-21)
15. Sloth, laziness: avoiding hard work and suffering; devaluing the significance of what we’re called to be doing.
Escapism. (Prov 6:6-11, 13:4, 26:15-16; Matt 25:14-30; Heb 6:11-12; Col 3:23-24, Prov 19:15-16)
16. Self-protection: covering up, withdrawing, or pulling away from community and ministry (particularly in
justice, evangelism, and intercessory prayer) in order to avoid the pain of self-revelation or intentional suffering.
Another form of coveting what we perceive to be “ours” over and above being content with the life God offers
us. (Jonah 1:1ff; Phil 2:1-8; 2 Tim 2:1-13; 1 Cor 12:12-27; Luke 10:30-37; Mark 8:34-37; 2 Cor 1:5)
Is there anything you have not told us that you should confess? 
PAGE FRIDAY36

Leadership Timeline
Identifying and Processing God’s Leadership Plan for You
John Teter Unique Timeline 
Clinton Leadership Emergence Theory 
June 5, 2014
PAGE FRIDAY37
Leadership Timeline
John Teter Unique Timeline
Clinton Leadership Emergence Theory
June 5, 2014
1970 1980 1992 2000 2007
I. “Live!” II. Campus Conversion III. Covenant Church Planting
2010
Age 10 Age 22 Age 30 Age 37 Age 43Birth
A. Bi-racial Home (1970-80)
B. Broken Restless (1980-89)
1996
Age 26
A. Follow Me (1992-96)
B. Servants Serve (1996-00)
A. Sent to the Poor (2000-06)
B. Transition Process (2007)
Age 34
A. Church Planting (2007-014)
B. The Covenant (2010-14)
L: UCLA L: USC L: Dominguez Hills L: Long Beach/Chicago
Critical Events
Paul Teter death
Team Irie arrest
Mom’s altar dedication
Huntington Beach rescue
L: Hacienda Heights
Critical Events
Rodney King riots
Conversion
“Teacher of Word”
Psalm 18.19
Shaving cream II
Critical Events
Feeding 5000
“Fish with a Net”
Urban Immersion
Negative leadership
John’s Gospel
Becky Teter
“Numbers 13.8”
Critical Events
“We Don’t Want You Here”
GIGs LA evangelism growth
Urbana 2003 plenary speaker
IVCF negative processing
ECC Macedonian call
Prophet from Mobile, AL
“John 13.7 and May 2005”
Critical Events
Core development and conversions
Midi and Nathan Mikasa
CCDA and Bakke D-Min
Dave Olson and ECC 72 leadership
Multi-ethnic/multi-class disciples
Major Role and 40th Birthday
Covenant Church Planting
Ministry Roles Student IVCF Campus Staff Planter/Evangelism Leader Pastor-Team Leader Church Planting

Leadership Timeline
Construct Your Own Timeline
A. Key elements of a timeline 
 
 
 
 
B. Implementation tasks
PAGE FRIDAY38

Developing Leaders
Acts 20:1-12
1 After the uproar ceased, Paul sent for the disciples, and
after encouraging them, he said farewell and departed for
Macedonia. 2 When he had gone through those regions and
had given them much encouragement, he came to Greece. 3
There he spent three months, and when a plot was made
against him by the Jews as he was about to set sail for Syria,
he decided to return through Macedonia. 4 Sopater the
Berean, son of Pyrrhus, accompanied him; and of the
Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of
Derbe, and Timothy; and the Asians, Tychicus and
Trophimus. 5 These went on ahead and were waiting for us
at Troas, 6 but we sailed away from Philippi after the days
of Unleavened Bread, and in ﬁve days we came to them at
Troas, where we stayed for seven days. 7 On the ﬁrst day of
the week, when we were gathered together to break bread,
Paul talked with them, intending to depart on the next day,
and he prolonged his speech until midnight. 8 There were
many lamps in the upper room where we were gathered. 9
And a young man named Eutychus, sitting at the window,
sank into a deep sleep as Paul talked still longer. And being
overcome by sleep, he fell down from the third story and
was taken up dead. 10 But Paul went down and bent over
him, and taking him in his arms, said, “Do not be alarmed,
for his life is in him.” 11 And when Paul had gone up and
had broken bread and eaten, he conversed with them a
long while, until daybreak, and so departed. 12 And they
took the youth away alive, and were not a little comforted.
PAGE FRIDAY39

Developing Leaders
1. Pay the Rent
• Three things every church planter must do.
• Strengthen Core
• Stimulate Innovation
2. Selection
• 2 Timothy 2:2
• LIGHT Selection
• ESPN Raiders 1st Round Picks
PAGE FRIDAY40
LIGHT Selection
1. Leadership
• Ministry Experience
• Vision
• Disciple-making Philosophy
• Finances and Development
2. Inner Life
• Character and Integrity
• Fruits of the Holy Spirit
• Bible Mastery
• Personal Prayer
3. Giftedness
• Apostleship and Evangelism
• Preaching and the Pulpit
• Emotional Intelligence
• Cross-cultural Ministry
Experience
4. Health
• Divorce
• Trauma
• Personal Finances
• Christian Community
Accountability
5. Teachability
• Learning Posture
• Mentors
• Reading
• Dynamic Reﬂection

Developing Leaders
• Giftedness parables
• New Testament gifts
Power, Love, and Word Gifts
Below, given in pictorial from are the three clusters, along with the individual gifts
that aid these functions. Notice some gifts operate in more than one cluster.
• Life Groups
• 72 – 12 – 3
• Leader Development Goal Exercise
Other Covenant Resources: www.covchurch.org/resources/category/discipleship
BREAK | 10:30 AM ~ 30 Min
PAGE FRIDAY41
POWER GIFTS
faith
word of knowledge
discernings of spirits
miracles
tongues
interpretation of tongues
exhortation
teaching
apostleship
ruling
governments
giving
mercy
helps
kinds of healings
kinds of healings
(word of knowledge)
pastoring
evangelism
prophecy
(faith)
WORD GIFTSLOVE GIFTS

NOTES: 
PAGE FRIDAY42

Friday 11:00 AM
Evangelism
Leading people one step closer to Jesus
www.covchurch.org/evangelism
The “72” vision is based on these ideas:
1. God is already at work in evangelism therefore we must  
engage the mission
2. Communication training to move relationships from secular to sacred
3. Every ECC member becomes really good at telling the story of Jesus
4. Training resources developed in the field that are simple to use
5. Pastoral leadership anchors evangelism into the annual calendar
6. We use the evangelism gift effectively at harvest events
7. Follow-up to give new disciples strong foundations in the local church
ASK the Lord of the Harvest…
Every Pastor Guides the Mission
Every Christian Tells the Story
Related Downloads:
Videos
• Welcome & Intro to 72: covchurch.tv/72-welcome-video
• Evangelism in the Church Calendar:  
covchurch.tv/church-calendar
Docs
• Planning Calendar:  
covchurch.org/resources/files/2012/01/72-church-
calendar.pdf
• Evangelism and the Fruitful Pulpit:  
covchurch.org/resources/files/2012/01/ 
72-leadership-fruitful-pulpit.pdf
PAGE FRIDAY43
“There is no greater agony
than bearing an untold story
inside you.”
~ Maya Angelou
“Bring to Me all humankind,
especially all sinners… 
All devout and faithful
souls… those who do not
believe in God, and those
who do not yet know Me 
… and immerse them in the
ocean of My mercy.”
~ from the Novena 
to the Divine Mercy

Your Conversion
1. How did you convert/come to adult faith?
2. Your story will likely be your default method of evangelism 3. How will you train your
people for effective evangelism?
The Sending of the 72 (Luke 10:1-12)
1. Who were the 72?
2. What do we know about them? 3. What did Jesus train them to do?
The Conversion Process 
PAGE FRIDAY44 CHURCH PLANTER TRAINING INTENSIVE
7. Evangelism and New Disciples
The Conversion Process

Commitment
Questions:
1. When is the last time you asked someone to follow Jesus?
2. When was the last time someone in your church asked someone to follow Jesus?
3. What will your church plant be like if people actually asked people to follow Jesus?
LUNCH | 12:30 PM 
PAGE FRIDAY45

NOTES: 
PAGE FRIDAY46

Friday 1:30 PM
Fundraising
Enlisting patrons & supporters  
to advance the mission
Fund Development
1. Clarify the Vision:
• Create a vision statement
• Determine what the “win” looks like
• Create dynamic presentation materials
2. Set a Realistic Goal
• (See worksheet at the end of this document)
3. Create an Initial List of Contacts
4. Pray over the list
5. Set up initial meetings with potential donors
• Start with large gift donors
• Host group gatherings of other potential donors
• Host “Meet the Church Planter’s” gatherings for potential donors
6. Prepare a presentation
• Heavy on vision (people give to vision, not to need)
• Not overly technical or detailed
• Be enthusiastic and zealous
7. Meet and ask donors to prayerfully consider a gift
• Resist the urge to take a gift at that first meeting, it will almost always be smaller than if you are
patient.
• Clearly define the ask
• Offer only one option in the ask (don’t give a list of choices, after all you are there to ask for
money)
PAGE FRIDAY47
“In every nonprofit with which I have
ever worked, at the top of the job
description for their executive
director is fund-raiser… whoever is
perceived to be in charge must be the
number one vision caster and fund-
raiser for that vision. All nonprofits
know this except the church.”
~ J. Clif Christopher

8. Set a time to follow up and answer any questions
9. Make the ask, and be speciﬁc. (ASK BIG!!!)
10. Provide cards, envelopes, or electronic giving tools as a reminder, especially if the gift
is to be made in installments
11. Create and send out regular newsletters sharing progress and answered prayer
• Always give God the glory
• Use a consistent medium to communicate
12. Create a fund raising letter and donor list for those who might give small gifts
13. Celebrate and thank those who give in an appropriate way
14. Network other potential donors
15. Create a church support opportunity 
PAGE FRIDAY48

Fundraising Data & Rules Of Thumb
1. $240 billion was given to NPO’s in 2003
• 85% was given by individuals (living & bequest) according to “Giving USA – 2004” pub by the
American Association of Fundraising Council
• 80%+ was given to religious organizations
2. 20% of the individual donors give 80% of the gifts
• The other 80% give the other 20%
• (actually 30% give the other 20% and 50% give next-to-nothing)
3. “Rule of Thirds”
• 10 donors account for the first 3rd of funds raised
• Next 100 account for the next 3rd raised
• All the remaining donors account for the final 3rd
4. Rule of Thumb:
• “donors in the lowest income levels give the highest % of their income
• donors in the highest income levels give the lowest % of their income.”
5. For every $1 a person gives through the mail
• They will give $10 over the phone
• And $100 in person
• On-line Giving - While still small, is the fastest growing area of giving. On average, people give
20% more than what they’d give by mail when people have an opportunity to plan, they always
give more
6. Have an advisory committee
• The chair should be able to give generously and ask others to do the same
• Ask board members to give and to give names of others who could give
• Give feedback to the plan and process
7. Sort potential donors by 3 types:
• Suspects: have not given in the past bur are thought to have the ability if interested and involved
For every 3 suspects, you’ll find one good prospect
• Prospects: have given in the past but not at the major gift level. For every 3-4 suspects, you’ll find
one major gift
• Leads: have given a major gift in the past and have the ability to repeat
8. Understand the “Life Cycle of Donors”
• Age 25-50 – participate in annual gifts
• Age 50-70 – participate in major gifts
• Age 70+ -- participate in planned gifts
PAGE FRIDAY49

9. Fundraising Plan – Documents:
• Mission Statement
• Vision Statement
• Long-Range Plan
• Case Statement – why this mission merits donor support
• Fund-raising Plan for 1-3 years
• Ethics statement
10. How to talk with potential donors:
• LISTEN – to their story, ask open-ended questions, listen to their passions and interests…
- Relationship building should be 75% of your time with them
- Build trust
• Communicate – give correct information and let them know how they will stay informed about
their giving and the impact of their gift
• Engage them - have them visit to see and experience who and what they’re investing in
• Set up an appointment by saying:
- “I’d like to visit with you about your level of involvement with our organization…
- I’m available at ____ and ______ on [day] – would one of those times work for you?”
• Invite them to special events (all the better if it’s directly related to what they’re investing in)
• Thank them frequently (and in various appropriate ways)
• Plan – what next steps need to be taken with them
• ASK
- after determining their interest in your mission, engaging them in what they’ll be investing in,
building a personal relationship, and determining what they’d be able to give, be specific and
- Ask: “Would you be willing to give a gift to planting a new church at the $10,000 level?”
• After you ask, BE SILENT and let them speak next… (Whoever speaks next, loses)
11. Reasons for Failure in Fund Raising (Public Management Institute, 1978)
• Not asking for the gift • Not asking for a large enough gift
• Not listening – talking too much • Not asking questions
• Talking about the organization and its approach rather than about the benefits to its clients
• Not being flexible, and not having alternative to offer the prospect
• Not knowing the prospect before the solicitation
• Forgetting to summarize before moving on
• Not having prearranged signals between solicitation team members
• Asking for the gift too soon
• Speaking rather than remaining silent after asking for the gift
• Settling on the first offer that a prospect suggests, even if it’s lower than expected
• Not cultivating the donor before soliciting
• Not sending out trained solicitors 
PAGE FRIDAY50

NOTES: 
PAGE FRIDAY51

Friday 2:40 PM
Stewardship
Instilling a culture of generosity,
sacrifice, & faithfulness
Table Discussion: What are some clichés we hear about
the Church and Pastoring in relation to Money?
On Your Own: Letter grade for yourself in these areas:
• ____ : personal theology and practice of financial
discipleship in your own and your family’s life
• ____ : preaching & teaching on financial discipleship
• ____ : financial systems and procedures in church
• ____ : one-on-one counseling and soul-care for financial discipleship (think of how you do this with
individuals in areas such as ministry placement, struggles, relationship issues, etc.)
• ____ : fundraising and resource development beyond regular tithes and offerings
In Pairs: Each share one you’re really good at and why you think that’s so…  
then share one you’re really bad at :)
Top 3 Reasons People Give *
1. A Belief in the Mission (people want to make a difference, help to change lives)
2. Regard for Staff Leadership (giving is a often an issue of trust, respect, and inspiration)
3. Fiscal Stability of the Institution (people do not want to waste their investment)
3-Person Discussion:
• What do you think of these reasons?
• If you’ve had experience in non-profit world outside the church, how do the two worlds compare?
• What has been your experience in your church planting project with these reasons? Any insights? 
 
* Ideas and highlights on these next two pages adapted from Not Your Parents' Offering Plate, J. Clif Christopher.  
Highly recommended. Comprehensive outline and notes, definitely read: bit.ly/notyourparentsofferingplatenotes  
PAGE FRIDAY52
“Remember this: Whoever sows
sparingly will also reap sparingly, and
whoever sows generously will also
reap generously. Each of you should
give what you have decided in your
heart to give, not reluctantly or under
compulsion, for God loves a cheerful
giver. And God is able to bless you
abundantly, so that in all things at all
times, having all that you need, you
will abound in every good work.”
~ Paul (2 Corinthians 9:6-9)

The Three Pockets of Giving
The Earned-Income Pocket (regular personal income)
• Church often does a decent job of encouraging people to consider this “pocket” through offering
during worship, sermons, courses
• Churches are the envy of the nonprofit world when it comes to the earned-income pocket
• Problem: we try to meet too many of our needs out of this pocket and leave out the other two…
The Capital Pocket (accumulated wealth)
• This is the pocket that stores our accumulated resources such as stocks, bonds, pieces of property,
insurance policies, savings accounts, and inheritances we may have received and put away
The Estate Pocket (what we leave behind)
• Religion receives almost 33 percent of all charitable donations in America, however only 8 percent
of all the estate gifts in America, and the ones it gets are much smaller than the gifts to other causes.
• Why? We do not ASK for it.
• Less than 10 percent of all the churches in the United States market for planned gifts.
• The vast majority of clergy never speaks about it or teaches about this responsibility
• “In so many ways, planned gifts are the easiest, not the hardest, funds to raise for your church,
because someone else will do 90 percent of all the work for you.” (e.g. www.covenanttrust.com)
• What do you think of these “three pockets”?
• How do they relate, show up, or not even seem to fit in your context?
• If you’ve had experience in non-profit world outside the church, how do the two worlds compare?
• How would you grade your church plant project with engaging each of these “pockets”?
• How much detailed information should a pastor know about giving in the church?  
(read the book or outline and notes for a challenging perspective, excerpt below)
Controversial Issues: What happens when a pastor does not know people’s Giving?
• “when choosing leadership, pastor often selects people whom he or she perceives to be good
leaders and stewards, but they may just have big mouths…frequently seen finance committees
where the chair and the majority of participants were nowhere close to leading the way in giving.”
• “prevents the pastor from ever extending a personal thank-you to those who may have given
generously… we are competing with one million nonprofits, all of whom readily thank their donors.”
• “most important, it denies the pastor insight into what is happening within a person's soul.”
• What are your thoughts on the author’s perspective?
• What would you add or subtract?
• If you’re comfortable sharing, what is your (planned) practice at your church and why? 
PAGE FRIDAY53

Excerpt from “The Top Ten Things I Would Do Now” (from the author, J. Clif Christopher)
1. Pray, Study, and Get My Act Together First
2. Build a High-Expectation Culture
3. Have Weekly Testimonies (best: during worship, immediately before offering; next best: newsletter)
4. Have Regular, Ongoing Christian Financial Planning Classes (e.g. www.daveramsey.com/fpu)
5. Preach Directly on Money Four Times a Year. Recommendation:
• first Sundays in January, which is the time when people are rethinking priorities for the year
• once during Lent (season before Easter)
• once in the Summer
• once in mid-November as persons are thinking about Thanksgiving
[…]*
8. Write Ten Thank-You Notes a Week
• As a part of the ten, you can count any thank-you note you send to someone who has just made an
extraordinary gift to the church
• Advise the treasurer that you want to be notified no later than Monday morning of any gift that
was out of the ordinary so you can personally thank the giver in a letter and later in person
9. Review Individual Giving Once a Month
• We have very few insights into the hearts of people. Giving is the closest thing we have on a daily
basis to getting a true picture of a person’s character
• can also help evaluate ministry programming […]*
* READ the Rest: detailed outline & notes at www.bit.ly/notyourparentsofferingplatenotes
Covenant “Mission Giving” as Whole Church Stewardship
• Written into each Church Planter Covenant Agreement is the expectation and requirement that each
church plant practices the discipline of “tithes and offerings” through their 15% Mission Giving
• Recent History: 10% Covenant + 5% Conference (with other potential variations) 
Half of the Covenant amount can also be directed toward a Covenant Missionary of your choice
• Great opportunity for vision-casting and to lead by example (for instance, Highrock Brookline
monthly has a leader introduce the offering, also explaining their commitment to the shared mission
of the Covenant, first check placed in the offering is the church’s Covenant Mission Giving)
Practical Application
Write down one thing for each timeframe that you can do:
• Next Sunday:
• Next Month:
• By the New Year:
• Next Year:
What resources do you need to increase likelihood that these are actually accomplished?:
•
•
PAGE FRIDAY54

Stewardship & Financial Discipleship Ideas and Resources
Covenant Resources: www.covchurch.org/resources/category/stewardship
Tithes, Offerings, and Planned Giving
• Christmas Offering for a special ministry emphasis or new initiative (inside or outside the church)
• Offering Time during Worship: evaluate how your frame this time, the actual way it’s received. Is it
unclear or unhelpful? Are there any barriers to appropriate participation?
• Invite Covenant Trust to work with you and your people (free service)
Good Systems
• Set up Online Giving: Church Management Systems online software offer modules; research
• Quick Books Online, ChMS, & Book-Keeping Service: (Northwest, Great Lakes, and the East
Coast Conferences all offer these for the start up phase of a church plant, ask your DCP)
Preaching & Teaching
• Launch Team: stewardship bible study or message series before you fully launch
• Plan Stewardship Series: example: www.artisanchurch.com/series/money_mavericks  
[Support Materials: 1) Pre-Series Survey, 2) Simple Budget Form, 3) “Try the Tithe” form]
• Incorporate “money message” as part of larger series: example: Life 2.0 Series: “Money 2.0”
• Ongoing Discipleship: Regularly offer stewardship courses such as Financial Peace University
Communication:
• Clearly communicate vision, make it “normal & natural” to engage stewardship
• Simple communication pieces: search for “bulletin” at bit.ly/marketingmaterials for example
• Quarterly Members and Friends Gatherings: example: “The Gallery” at Artisan Church
• Simple format: potluck dinner, celebrate and honor particular servants and volunteers,  
debrief recent ministry efforts, highlight finances, discuss future plans, cast vision
• www.slideshare.net/jasoncondon/the-gallery-at-artisan-church-080509
When is a “Money Problem” not (just) a “Money Problem”?
Don’t assume “money” is the issue: Capacity issue? Outreach issue? Generosity issue? Systems? Vision?
• Rough Math: Ave. Monthly Offering ÷ Ave. Monthly Worship Attendance = Ave. Giving per Person
• Example: $10,000 ÷ 100 people = $100/person/month ($120k Annual Budget) 
But what if Monthly Budget Need is $12,000 to accomplish Mission? ($144k Annual Budget)
• Increase Giving $20 more per person : 100 people × $120 = $12,000
• OR Grow by 20 more people : 120 people × $100 = $12,000 [Hint: this is usually the easier one]
• OR Cut Budget by $2,000/mo (e.g. fire part-time worship leader, go part-time, downgrade rental
space… yes, those are the actual choices you will face)
www.LifeChurch.tv at open.lifechurch.tv (give away all their resources for FREE)
• Strapped - recent finance series • Money Matters - small group video sessions
• YouVersion bible reading plans: Debt: A Biblical Exploration; Undying Commitment: A 14-day
study in Stewardship; Money Matters; • Kids & Students Series: Money Street & Wasted
PAGE FRIDAY55

NOTES:
BREAK | 3:00 PM ~ 30 Min 
PAGE FRIDAY56

Friday 3:30 PM
Leadership
Reproducing leaders that effectively
lead, serve, and multiply
2-2-2 Principle* (from 2 Tim. 2:2)
1. 1st Generation: Paul → Timothy
2. 2nd Gen: Timothy → “Reliable People”
3. 3rd Gen: “Reliable People” → “Others”
4. 4th Gen: “Others” → ...
Recognizing Potential Apprentices
The Must-Haves:
• Spiritual Velocity (what’s their movement/direction, not just position in relation to Jesus?)
• Teachability (are they open to being developed and sharpened?)
• Relational Intelligence (do they get people, and do people like them?)
The Bonuses:
• Missional (are they willing to sacrifice for God’s mission?)
• Discerning (can they wisely discern things in people and situations?)
• Inclusive (do they love to bring people alongside them?)
• Biblically Knowledgeable (do they have a strong grasp on God’s Word?) 
 
5 Steps of Leadership Development
1. I do. You watch. We talk.
2. I do. You help. We talk.
3. You do. I help. We talk.
4. You do. I watch. We talk.
5. You do. Someone else watches. You talk…
* Ideas and highlights on this page adapted from Apprentice Field Guide, created by Community Christian Church. 
Highly recommended. $10 at www.lulu.com/shop/apprentice-field-guide/paperback/product-13387075.html
PAGE FRIDAY57
3 Question at each
debrief (“We talk.”)
• What worked?
• What didn’t work?
• How can we improve?
“And the things you have heard me
say in the presence of many witnesses
entrust to reliable people who will
also be qualified to teach others”  
~ Paul to Timothy (2 Timothy 2:2)
“The best leaders are not those who
have the most followers but those
who develop and deploy other
leaders. The true test of a leader’s
influence is to look at what is left
behind once the leader is gone.”
~ Neil Cole, Journeys to Significance
(recommended book)

Six Christian Leadership Styles
Created by Dave Olson
• All three legs are required
• The seat provides strength and stability
• legs should be near the same length
Spirituality:
• “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your
soul and with all your mind.” ~ Jesus (Matthew 22:37)
• commitment to deep spiritual transformation that  
brings about the life-changing work of God in people
• Biblical insight and passion
• Devotions and intimacy with God
• Authentic self-revelation
• “PRAY”
Chemistry:
• “Love your neighbor as yourself.” ~ Jesus (Matthew 22:39b)
• an inviting relational atmosphere within your church that connects people to God’s community
• Personal relationships
• Small group dynamics
• Leading large gatherings
• “PLAY”
Strategy:
• “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations…” ~ Jesus (Matthew 22:19a)
• process of sequential actions that produce fruitful ministry in line with God-directed goals.
• Ability to anticipate tomorrow
• How to get from point A to point B
• Delegation and administration
• “PLAN”
NOTE: every church planter can request codes to utilize a special online Leadership Stool testing tool
for lead pastor, staff, and church teams by contacting carla.erickson@covchurch.org or your DCP
Group Activity: self-select into the three groups in different parts of room
• Joined by a leader representing your group’s Leadership Style
• Leader with own group: What are our strengths & weaknesses?
• Leader rotates and asks:
• What about us annoys each other? :-)
• How should we communicate with you and show we value your style?
• How can you do the same toward us?
Covenant Resources: www.covchurch.org/what-we-do/develop-leaders 
PAGE FRIDAY58

Understand Your Leadership Style
There are Six Leadership Styles 1  
(see diagram next page)
1. Relational Leader
• Leadership Sequence:  
CHEMISTRY - Spirituality - strategy
• APEST 2 Type is often: Shepherd (Pastor) -
interpersonal intelligence helps them connect  
to people in a warm and caring manner.
2. Inspirational Leader
• CHEMISTRY - Strategy - spirituality
• APEST: Evangelist - social intelligence helps connect with
people, especially in crowd context
3. Sacred Leader
• SPIRITUALITY - Chemistry - strategy
• APEST: Teacher - their greatest gift to the church is
communicating to people the deep things of God
4. Imaginative Leader
• SPIRITUALITY - Strategy - chemistry
• APEST: Prophet - like to look to the future and call the
people of God to become who God created them to be.
5. Mission Leader
• STRATEGY - Spirituality - chemistry
• APEST: Apostle - ability to lead the mission of God into
the future, through the development of ministries, ministers
(both professional & lay), and mission endeavors
6. Building Leader
• STRATEGY - Chemistry - spirituality
• APEST: Apostelist (hybrid of an Apostle & Evangelist) -
primary love is growing the church or organization they
serve, while simultaneously making it better and stronger.
Pragmatic visionaries that focus on strategy and structure,
they typically stay in a location for extended times, never
tire of creating “more” and “better”
1 There is a four page detailed report available for each style that will help you understand how God has
created you to lead. Go to www.leadershipstool.com/sixstyles for a copy of your Leadership Style.
2 APEST = shorthand for ﬁve-fold gifts of Apostle, Prophet, Evangelist, Shepherd (Pastor), & Teacher 
PAGE FRIDAY59
Implementation in a
church context
• Mission Leader (Apostle)
sets the Agenda
• Imaginative Leader
(Prophet) analyzes the
Target (the Culture)
• Inspirational Leader
(Evangelist) leads People
to Christ
• Relational Leader
(Pastor) disciples the
Converts
• Sacred Leader (Teacher)
lays (reinforces) the
Scriptural foundation
• Building Leader
(Apostelist) grows the
Church
~ Johannes Reimer, 
New Testament Scholar
“So Christ himself gave the
apostles, the prophets,
the evangelists, the
pastors and teachers, to
equip his people for works of
service, so that the body of
Christ may be built up.”
~ Paul (Ephesians 4:11-12)

The Six
Primary Roles
of Christian
Leaders
1. Relational Leader
......................................
Love
2. Inspirational
Leader Motivate...........................
3. Building Leader Grow..............
4. Mission Leader Multiply.............
5. Imaginative Leader Create........
6. Sacred Leader Deepen
..............
The Six Hidden Needs of Christian Leaders
1. Relational Leader Need for attention, Need for aﬃrmation...........
PAGE FRIDAY60
Complementary,
Styles
Complementary,
Styles
Complementary,
Styles
Sacred
Leader
Inspirational
Leader
Imaginative
Leader
Mission
Leader
Building
Leader
Relational
Leader
TheImaginativeLeaderisgifted
byGodtointeractpowerfullywith
aninnovativevisionfromGod,then
leadpeopletostepoutinfaithand
liveoutthatnewwayofbeingthe
peopleofGod.
Strongest7in
Spirituality
Strongest7in7
Chemistry
Strongest7in7
Strategy
TheBuildingLeaderisgiftedby
Godtostrategizeforgrowth,
enlistotherleaders,andthen
togetherleadthewayinenlarging
themissionofGod.
TheInspirationalLeaderisgifted
byGodtoconnectpowerfullywitha
crowd,andmotivatethemtofollow
Jesus,byencouragingthemto
engageinthemissionofGod.
TheRelationalLeaderisgiftedbyGod
toconnectemotionallywithindividuals,
andinspirethemasagrouptofollow
Jesusandloveeachother.
TheSacredLeaderisgiftedbyGod
toconnectspirituallywithpeople,
andencouragethemtogrowdeeper
withGod,whilebringingattentionto
thevoiceoftheHolySpirit.
MissionLeaderisgiftedbyGodwith
spiritualvisiontoforeseewhatisneeded
intheimmediatefuture.MissionLeaders
callpeopletofollowadeeperGospel,
whilemultiplyingdisciples,expanding
ministriesandstartingnewventures.

2. Inspirational Leader Need for power, Need for attention........
3. Building Leader Need to over-work, Need for power..............
4. Mission Leader Need to over-innovate, Need to over-work.............
5. Imaginative Leader Need to be right, Need to over-innovate........
6. Sacred Leader Need for aﬃrmation, Need to be right
..............
The Six Intelligences of Christian Leaders
1. Relational Leader Interpersonal Intelligence...........
2. Inspirational Leader Social Intelligence........
3. Building Leader Organizational Intelligence..............
4. Mission Leader Strategic Intelligence.............
5. Imaginative Leader Cultural Intelligence........
6. Sacred Leader Intrapersonal* Intelligence
..............
(*deﬁnition: occurring within the individual mind or self)

PAGE FRIDAY61

NOTES: 
PAGE FRIDAY62

Friday 5:00 PM
Lab Time & Journaling
Normal & Natural Pathways Work
• More fully develop your “Normal & Natural Pathways” for your church plant
• Put down one clear and concise idea for each, then go back and more fully develop a couple 
 
 
 
 
Journal
• Reﬂect on what you've learned today (or this week)
• What was your primary take-away, something you were encouraged by, convicted by?
• List one or two things you're doing well
• List one or two topics you need to tackle with your Coach or DCP 
PAGE FRIDAY63

NOTES: 
PAGE FRIDAY64

Friday 5:45 PM
Teach-Back & Debrief of Day
•
•
•
•
DINNER | An Evening Out
Surprise Outing!
PAGE FRIDAY65

Saturday 9:00 AM
Morning Devotions
A Constellation of Mentors
Acts 9.26-30; 11.19-26
Review of Previous Day
•
•
•
•
PAGE SATURDAY66

PAGE SATURDAY67

Saturday 9:20 AM
Pre-Launch (“Stage Zero”)
3 Key Prerequisites for Covenant Agreement Signing
• 30 Adults: initial Launch Team of 30 adults in place
• Third-Stream Funding: fundraising pledges of $50-75k,  
with $15-30k received beforehand (matched 2:1 by ECConf & Covenant)
• 1 Support Church: at least one church in place as a  
Parent, Partner, or Mission Friend Church
Working Definitions for Support Churches
Misc.
• Incorporation, EIN, Tax-Exempt Status, & Covenant Certificate of Fellowship
• CovConnect Profile, Pension, Benefits
• Conference-specific administrative pieces
Room Activity: 3 Groups, 3 Minutes, 3 Bullet Points
Each Group takes on One Key Prerequisites
1. Take three minutes
2. Construct three bullet points
3. Convince the other two groups your prerequisites is the most important one!
PARENT CHURCHES PARTNER CHURCHES MISSION FRIEND
DEFINITION: Provide initial core
of at least 30 Launch Team
members and “third stream”
funding of $50-70k over 3-4 years.
Significant relational connection
between both churches
Provide substantial portion of
initial Launch Team members and
some of the “third stream”
funding over 3-4 years,
equivalent to roughly 1/2 to 1/5
of a “parent church” commitment
Commit as entire church or
through individual members to
tangibly support through
prayer, resources, volunteering,
and the occasional celebrated
Launch Team member
FEATURES: primarily nearby
mission field, full support, fishing
license for Launch Team, baby
shower for start-up equipment,
blessing and celebration.
Think “Mom & Dad”
Nearby or regional mission, seek
to “tithe” members, tangible
support & encouragement, short-
term missionaries.
Think “grandparents” and
“older brothers & sisters”
Opportunity for measurable
healthy missional efforts,
picture on the fridge, care
packages, project volunteers.
Think “aunts, uncles,  
and cousins”
PAGE SATURDAY68

Four-Stage 
Launch Process
Your first twelve months  
of church planting
Purpose of Four-Stage Launch:
• Build missional momentum and effectiveness
• While having “permission” to focus and pace yourselves accordingly
Overview of Four-Stage Launch:
Timing & Benchmarks: Each stage is 3-4 months with clear healthy, missional benchmarks
1. Stage 1 | Launch Team Development: gathering like-minded, diversely gifted,  
missionally-motivated people into a cohesive team
2. Stage 2 | Soft Launch/Preview Worship Services: reaching and gathering more people to the
new church, developing effective ministry systems, practicing what you’ll become
3. Stage 3 | Pre-Launch Weekly Worship: continuing to reach and gather, refining the ministries,
getting the systems right, acting “as if ”
4. Stage 4 | Hard Launch/"Grand Opening": launching for accelerated growth and impact,
unfettered outreach & evangelism, robust ministry systems
Four Scenarios for Adaptation
1. New Church Plant: from scratch, not pre-existing
2. “2.0” Church Plant: pre-existing ministry, new to Covenant, from soft relaunch to hard reset
3. New Campus: extending church’s pre-existing ministry to a brand-new location or venue
4. New Worship Service: multiplying worship services (new times, different rooms, new styles, etc)
Cautions & Common Mistakes
• New Church Plants  
(and sometimes Campuses or Worship Services):
• go too fast, skimp on key components
• downplay or ignore benchmarks
• “2.0” Church Plants  
(and sometimes Campuses or Worship Services):
• assume “regular attenders” = “Launch Team”
• don’t make the “hard asks”
• don’t revisit foundational principles
PAGE SATURDAY69
Loose Definition of “2.0” Church Plant:
• pre-Covenant history, already meeting
weekly, usually was bi-vocational pastor
• has now been through official Assessment &
Recommendation process
• now under a Covenant Agreement, treated
fully as a Covenant Church Plant

Table Discussion
• what scenario (or blend) best represents your project? what are its advantages? disadvantages?
• what caution or mistake resonates most? (you made it, avoided it, don’t believe it, etc!)
• what do you loathe (or just dislike, for the polite) about the Four-Stage Launch idea?
• what’s just one way it might be extremely helpful?
Four Key Metrics (each a blend of qualitative & quantitative measures)
1. Discipling Relationships: Those who are intentionally receiving discipleship, with the
commitment to disciple others when ready, for the ongoing reproduction of disciple-making disciples
(Note: this is a newer metric we’re intentionally tracking, still developing best-practices)
2. Launch Team Members: Speciﬁcally asked to commit to the church plant launch, the reliable
leaders and workers, count on each other (balance of quality and quantity)
3. Worship Attendance: Through prayer, evangelism, invitation, events, marketing, follow-through,
and more, reach or surpass goals for each stage (emphasis on quantity, care for quality)
4. Key Ministries: Deploy Worship, Children, Hospitality, Follow-up & Connection, Small Groups,
Evangelism & Outreach (or others). Improve “letter grades” throughout each stage (emphasis on
quality, care for quantity/capacity)
Examples of Suggested Timeline & Benchmarks:
Sunday-Centric/Launch Large Model (Traditional/Majority Approach in ECC)
KEY: DR = Discipling Relationships, LT = Launch Team Members, WA = Worship Attendance, KM = Key Ministries Quality Letter Grade
Discipleship-Centric/Missional Multiplication Model (Newer Experiment in ECC) 
This example is taken from a recent ECConf Discipleship-Centric Church Plant
KEY: DR = Discipling Relationships, ER = Evangelistic Relationships, WA = Worship Attendance, KM = Key Ministries Grade,  
Ext$ Rec’d = External Fundraising Received-to-Date (cumulative), Int$/mo = Internal Giving/month (local tithes)
* Benchmarks take precedent, anticipating 4-8 months needed to achieve goals (for approx. 6 months per Phase)  
If benchmarks are achieved, Appropriations may be released as early as month 4 or 5, resetting timeframe
STAGE:
LaunchTeam 
Development
Soft Launch/ 
Preview Worship
Pre-Launch 
WeeklyWorship
Hard Launch/ 
“Grand Opening”
Post-Launch 1:
Depth & Stability
Post-Launch 2: New 
Outreach & Growth
Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov
DR: 6 8 10 12 14 20 ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ? ?
LT: 30 40 50 55 60 65 70 70 75 75 75 75 N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A
WA: N/A N/A N/A 80 90 100 120 90 110 125 150 130 130 130 135 135 160 140
KM: N/A N/A C C+ B- B B B+ B+ B+ A- A- A- A A A A A
PHASE: Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 Phase 4 Phase 5 Phase 6
~ 6 months* Apr 15 – Sep 15 Oct 15 – Mar 16 Apr 16 – Sep 16 Oct 16 – Mar 17 Apr 17 – Sep 17 Oct 17 – Mar 18
DR: 6 9 12 20 30 40
ER: 12 18 24 40 60 80
WA: N/A 22 29 48 72 96
KM: C B- B B+ A- A
Ext$ Rec’d: $15,000 30,000 42,500 55,000 65,000 75,000
Int$/mo: $1,800 2,700 3,600 6,000 9,000 12,000
PAGE SATURDAY70

Activity: 3 Minute Disasters! (because that’s all it takes :)
Get into 2 or 3 groups around the room
• You have 10 minutes
• to create a 2-3 minute skit
• of a possible (likely?) “disaster” resulting from a missed benchmark.
Create your own scenario (or spark off one of these disturbingly true-ish ideas :) …
• “We’ve Got Each Other (and That’s Alot)”: About to hold ﬁrst Monthly Preview Worship, you
only have 15 actual Launch Team members, all old friends from the same Christian high school
• “Raised by Wolves”: Awesome house band for worship, no children’s ministry leaders or plan
(“eh, we’ll give ‘em activity sheets during the message time”), Weekly Pre-Launch starts next month
• “Living in Mom’s Basement (or Over Dad’s Garage)”: Parent/Partner churches have been
providing 3/4ths of your worship team and 1/2 the kids workers, they cannot (and will not) keep
doing it once you start Weekly Worship… which is scheduled in two weeks
• “III Corinthians (Smarter than Paul)”: You’ve done a beautiful job with personal evangelism
(not really worrying about the “less important” stuff), you now have a Launch Team of 35!… 27 of
which are brand-new believers (what could possibly go wrong)
Notes:
BREAK | 10:30 AM ~ 30 Min 
PAGE SATURDAY71

Notes: 
PAGE SATURDAY72

Saturday 11:00 AM
Stage 1: Launch Team
Development
Activity: Preparing the Table
• Discuss: What are some of the “tables” we’re setting
for people to experience Jesus and his community?
What is a Launch Team?
Simplest Definition: The ones who show up and get it done.
• Highly committed leaders and hard workers who will pray, sweat, laugh, cry, grow, and bleed
together for the church planting mission to which God has called them
• As the pastor, you can rely on them. As the Launch Team, they can rely on each other
Purpose: build, assist, provide, raise up, become, create, protect
Gathering: Where will these people come from?
• Pray, Pray & Pray some more! (Ask the Lord of the harvest…)
• Work, Work, & Work some more! (faithful with the little things…)
• Support Churches (Parent, Partner, & Mission Friends)
• Strategic Networks (para-church, non-profits, professional organizations, and more)
• Find Opportunities: tap into, partner, and network with existing churches & organizations
• Create Opportunities: organize and execute well targeted gathering events  
(vision desserts, open house, picnics/bbqs, service projects, etc.)
Team Mix
• Roughly 1/3rd each: Committed Christians, Unchurched Christians, New Christians/Seekers
• reflective of your target (multi-ethnic, 18-30 yr-olds, etc.)
• balanced gifting (musical, kids, hospitality, admin, etc.)
• from a variety of social networks (not all from same parent church, extended group of friends, etc)
Training Best Practices
• Teach the Vision – “T-Shirt Test” (succinctly communicate its essence)
• Key Ministries Teams – break the group into your 5 or 6 teams
• Pray and Practice – reduces fear, builds skills, increases success 
PAGE SATURDAY73
“People are God’s method.
The church is looking for
better methods; God is looking
for better people.”
~ E.M. Bounds, 
Power through Prayer, p. 13

Launch Team Landmines
• “tasks not titles” (proven faithfulness and effectiveness)  
[related for staff: “hire slow, fire fast”]
• “process not promises” (leadership development path)
• faithfulness and fruitfulness need to be demonstrated
• Three “highly” people:
• Highly Controlling
• Highly Needy
• Highly Missional
• Extra Cautions for “2.0” Church Plants: “regular attenders” ≠ “Launch Team”, you must make the
“hard asks”; you must recruit, enlist, and infuse new Launch Team members into the existing mix
Agenda Harmony: How do we keep this group together?
• critical to have clearly defined DNA, mission and vision that are Biblically based (cf. earlier session)
• planting pastor must be the champion, custodian, and defender of the mission, vision, and values
• Out-counseling poor fits is a necessary leadership task
Benchmarks
• initial minimum of 30 committed, gifted adults before signing Covenant Agreement
• 50% of Launch Team from new contacts
• continually adding, growing, and maturing to 50-75+ through entire 4-Stage Launch
• planter is seen as the legitimate leader of the group
• increasing number of people contacted, coming, and connecting with the group with growing
enthusiasm and commitment
Poster Activity:
How do I gather 50-75 people? [table groups develop how-to list]
• Evaluate: Current make-up of your Launch Team (if any)? (demographics, skills, maturity etc.)
• Strategize: Create initial strategy for reaching 50-75 people total
• often a 4:1 ratio or more, so probably need to connect with 120-150 people at least
• Put real names and real networks on list (could even start contacting this week)
• Pray: Pray with a partner for your lists
• Plans: If you have time, start brainstorming what you’ll do with your Launch Team
Review at Tables:
• training best practices. landmines, etc
• What would you add? 
PAGE SATURDAY74

Saturday 11:45 AM
Panel: Launch Team Strategies & Stories
Notes:
LUNCH | 12:30 PM 
PAGE SATURDAY75

Saturday 1:30 PM
Stage 2: Soft Launch/Preview Worship
Question: What’s one big mistake Planters & Launch Teams often make early on?
Goals
• accelerating growth while continuing to build momentum
• more fully express what your church is becoming through public worship and expanded
attractional & incarnational ministries (“come & see” + “go show & tell”)
Benchmarks
• 75-125 at each monthly worship service (build momentum from “low” to “high”)
• 50 new people attending each preview service
• strong word-of-mouth: over half of guests from personal invitation and investment
• roughly double the size of the initial Launch Team
The ‘W’
Wisdom behind the ‘W’ Rhythm
• for most, gathered worship is the high-bandwidth  
High Point of their experience of God and his  
community at a new church
• but there’s a tension, especially early on, they also need  
Greater Depth with Launch Team development,  
training, and small- to medium-sized group experiences
• yet both “extremes” can overshoot many people you’re  
called to reach, so also need some more accessible 
Middle Ground to make friendly connections
Repeating Cycle:
• each type of gathering is “open” (preview worship, launch team meeting, gathering event, etc)
• purposefully invite people to each type of gathering (may invite different people, different
ways, for each portions)
• at each type of event also invite people to the other upcoming events - always be casting
vision, calling to commitment, and inviting each time, adjusting appropriately to setting & audience
• Note: See Benchmarks from Suggested Launch Timeline under “Four-Stage Launch Process"
Temptations, Cautions, and Common Mistakes
• Rushing/Demanding Weekly Worship Services: succumbing to internal & external pressures
and expectations (real or imagined); “When will we be a real church?!”, “Can’t we just worship?!”
• Fake/Anemic ‘W’ Rhythm: do some of everything every time, nothing done with purposeful focus,
resulting in ineffective “mushy middle”; doing everything poorly at same time vs. one thing done well
• Short-Sighted/Short-Term Thinking vs. the long view over generations and eternity; are you
planting a centuries-long church or a worship service now? (especially when the “wait” is only weeks!)
PAGE SATURDAY76
Wk 1:  
Preview
Worship
Wk 2:
Launch
Team Mtg
Wk 3:
Connection
Event
Wk 5: 
Preview 
Worship
Wk 4:
Launch
Team Mtg
MONTH 1 MONTH 2 …

Example ‘W’ Rhythm
1. Worship: music, message, related key ministries, vision casting, a vital invite opportunity to the
following weeks (invite at each)
2. Launch Team Mtg 1: orientation, bible study, vision-casting
3. Gathering Event: picnic, bbq, service project, bowling, etc.
4. Launch Team Mtg 2: prep key ministries teams for next Preview
5. Worship: restart cycle (like Week 1), only improved upon, more new people, etc. (rinse, repeat!)
Note: these principles can be applied to either condensed or stretched-out time-frames
Applications
Brand-New Church Plants & Campuses:
• fairly straightforward, though variations are possible
• e.g. Preview Worship every other week, stretch out over summer lows, etc.
“2.0” Church Plants:
• Soft Reset:
• Turn weekly meeting time into a feature, leveraging the existing structure and strengths…  
but still honor the principles!
• Build the rhythm and emphases into your weekly gathering, treat each gathering purposefully
• others:
• Hard Reset:
• strategically “shut down” weekly public worship for a season (4-8 weeks)
• clear opt-in process for Launch Team members (with other open activities for everyone)
• others?:
Launch of Any New Ministry Area:
• principles really works across a wide variety of applications
• examples: launching new youth ministry program, building up to annual outreach season, etc.
PAGE SATURDAY77

Workbook: Church Planter Training Intensive, Minneapolis MN, Sept 16-21, 2015

Workbook: Church Planter Training Intensive, Minneapolis MN, Sept 16-21, 2015

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