Workbook: Church Planter Training Intensive, Chicago, March 12-17, 2014

Church Planter
Training Intensive
March 12-17
2014
Chicago IL

Overview of Week
Schedule & Topics
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 MS 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 MS 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 MS 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 MS 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
Value: “Devotional” Value: “Biblical” Value: “Missional” Value: “Connectional” Value: All of Them!
Why Are We Here?:
What Do You Hope to
Learn this Week & Our
Learning Objectives
“Normal & Natural
Pathways” for 5 vital
church functions
Four-Stage Launch
Overview: your first
twelve months of
church planting
Church Plant Visit:
New Community
Covenant Church,
Pastor David Swanson
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
Check OutWhy Are We Here?:
What Do You Hope to
Learn this Week & Our
Learning Objectives
“Normal & Natural
Pathways” for 5 vital
church functions
Four-Stage Launch
twelve months of
church planting
Church Plant Visit:
New Community
Covenant Church,
Followed By...
Church Lunch + Q&A:
time of fellowship,
sharing, and Q&A
Special Outing:
Chapel Service at
North Park SeminaryPrayer & Spiritual
Warfare
Discipleship: making
disciples that are
maturing in Christ
Four-Stage Launch
twelve months of
church planting
Church Plant Visit:
New Community
Covenant Church,
Followed By...
Church Lunch + Q&A:
time of fellowship,
sharing, and Q&A
Special Outing:
Chapel Service at
North Park Seminary
M I D - M O R N I N G B R E A KM I D - M O R N I N G B R E A KM I D - M O R N I N G B R E A K
Church Plant Visit:
New Community
Covenant Church,
Followed By...
Church Lunch + Q&A:
time of fellowship,
sharing, and Q&A
B R E A K
Discovering Your
Identity, Creating
Culture
Evangelism: leading
people one step closer
to Jesus
Stage 1: Launch Team
Development
Church Plant Visit:
New Community
Covenant Church,
Followed By...
Church Lunch + Q&A:
time of fellowship,
sharing, and Q&A
Church Multiplication
& CommissioningDiscovering Your
Identity, Creating
Culture
Evangelism: leading
people one step closer
to Jesus Stage 2: Monthly
Preview Worship
Church Plant Visit:
New Community
Covenant Church,
Followed By...
Church Lunch + Q&A:
time of fellowship,
sharing, and Q&A
Wrap-Up & Send-Off
L U N C HL U N C HL U N C HL U N C HL U N C H
Structuring &
Communicating Your
Church Culture
Stewardship: instilling
a culture of generosity,
sacrifice, & faithfulness
Stage 3: Weekly
Pre-Launch Worship/
Soft Launch
Journaling, Reflection,
and Lab Time
Rides to Airport
Structuring &
Communicating Your
Church Culture
Stewardship: instilling
a culture of generosity,
sacrifice, & faithfulness
Stage 4: “Grand
Opening”/Hard Launch
Journaling, Reflection,
and Lab Time
Rides to Airport
Structuring &
Communicating Your
Church Culture
Fundraising: Enlisting
patrons & supporters to
advance the mission
Stage 4: “Grand
Opening”/Hard Launch
Time and Task
Management
Travel safe, thanks for
being together this
week :)
We’re praying for you,
your people, and the
vibrant church God has
called you to plant!
Structuring &
Communicating Your
Church Culture
Fundraising: Enlisting
patrons & supporters to
advance the mission
Launching Large,
Launching Healthy
Time and Task
Management
being together this
week :)
A F T E R N O O N B R E A KA F T E R N O O N B R E A KA F T E R N O O N B R E A KA F T E R N O O N B R E A K
being together this
week :)
Understanding Your
Missional Context
Leadership: reproduce
leaders that effectively
lead, serve, & multiply
Panel Discussions
and Q&A Time
Personal Care &
Development
being together this
week :)
Individual & Group
Lab Time Lab Time & Journaling Lab Time
Panel Discussions
and Q&A Time
being together this
week :)
D I N N E RD I N N E RD I N N E RD I N N E R
being together this
week :)
Concert of Prayer &
Worship Service
Surprise Outing! Free Evening Free Evening
being together this
week :)
THU FRI SAT SUN MON
CHURCH PLANTER TRAINING INTENSIVE! ! MARCH 12-17, 2014 • CHICAGO
PAGE 1! ! SCHEDULE & LOCATIONS
• Start and Stop on Time
• Minimize Electronic Distractions
• Fully Participate - Work Hard, Play Hard!

Getting Around
Key Locations [ goo.gl/6CdCk4 ]
PAGE 2! ! SCHEDULE & LOCATIONS
Chicago O’Hare
10000 W. O'Hare Ave
Chicago, IL 60666
www.ﬂychicago.com
Hyatt Regency
O’Hare Hotel
9300 Bryn Mawr Ave
Rosemont, IL 60018
Covenant Ofﬁces
8303 W. Higgins Rd
Chicago, IL 60631
covchurch.org
New Community Cov.
4434 S. Lake Park
Chicago, IL 60653
thenewcom.com/bronzeville

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. Dave Olson, At-Large PT
3. David Swanson, Central PT, CP
4. Ed Arroyo, Southeast PT, CP
5. Paul Cunningham, Midsouth PT, CP
6. Glenn Peterson, Canada PT, CP
7. Brian Johnson, Midwest PT, CP
8. Jason Condon, East Coast FT
9. Kurt Carlson, North Pacific FT
10. Mike Brown, Northwest FT
11. Wayne Carlson, Pacific Southwest FT
12. Garth Bolinder, Midsouth PT, SU
Dept. of Church Growth & Evangelism
www.covchurch.org/who-we-are/departments/
church-growth-evangelism
• John Teter, Church Planting Team Leader,
Devotes part of his time to this national
role while remaining on the front-lines as
the Church Planter & Lead Pastor of
Fountain of Life Covenant Church -
www.folcov.org
• “Through starting new congregations,
providing resources to strengthen existing
congregations, and developing resources
for evangelism, the Department of Church
Growth and Evangelism seeks to reach
more people with the hope of Christ right
here in the United States and Canada.”
Additional Presenters & Facilitators:
• Andrew Mook, East Coast CP
Sanctuary Church, Providence RI
sanctuaryri.org
• Jill Riley, North Pacific CP
Navigate Church, Billings MT
www.navigatechurch.com
• Micah Witham, Northwest CP
Awaken Community, St. Paul MN
www.awakencommunity.com
PAGE 3! ! WEDNESDAY (OPENING NIGHT)
11 Conferences Comprise the Larger Missional
Regions of the Evangelical Covenant Church
KEY: PT=Part-time as DCP, FT=Full-time, AS=Assoc. Superintendent,
SU=Superintendent, CO=Choach, CP=Church Planter, PS=Pastor/Staff

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)
PAGE 4! ! WEDNESDAY (OPENING NIGHT)

Thursday 9:00 AM
Morning Devotions
Scripture:
Notes:
Review of Previous Night
•
•
•
•
HIGHLIGHTED COVENANT VALUE:
“DEVOTIONAL”
“Then he should remember that this is holy
business. No careless or casual dealings
will sufﬁce. Let him come to God fully
determined to be heard. Let him insist
that God accept his all, that He take
things out of his heart and Himself reign
there in power… If he will become drastic
enough, he can shorten the time of travail
from years to minutes and enter the good
land long before his slower brethren who
coddle their feelings and insist upon
caution in their dealings with God”
~ A.W. Tozer, The Pursuit of God
“Now, with God's help, I shall become myself.”
~ Søren Kierkegaard
“The glory of God is a human fully alive”
~ Irenaeus of Lyons, c. 200 AD
PAGE 5! ! THURSDAY

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:
• 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
• Planning Calendar: develop a strategic timeline and detailed planning calendar for the first year
that includes the four stages, special events, and key milestones
• 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
• Self-Care Plan: Develop a perspective and plan for self-care and a healthy family life
• Others:
•
•
•
•
•
PAGE 6! ! THURSDAY

Thursday 9:45 AM
Prayer &
Spiritual Warfare
Small Groups
• Groups of Three: Share a story of how you have
engaged spiritual warfare
Corporate Prayer
• Practice corporate prayer in groups of 6 using ACTS
Intercession
• Coach: testimony about how intercession is important
and works
• write down names of your prayer team and sort into
two lists: “intercessors” and “general”
• How will you recruit and stay in contact with them?
BREAK | 10:30 AM ~ 30 Min
“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
PAGE 7! ! THURSDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 8! ! THURSDAY

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 9! ! THURSDAY

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 10! ! THURSDAY

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 11! ! THURSDAY

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 12! ! THURSDAY
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?”
“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&
PAGE 13! ! THURSDAY

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
•
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
PAGE 14! ! THURSDAY

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:
• Who will be the heroes?
• What stories will be told?
• What will be the meaningful rituals?
• Who will get rewarded and why?
• Who will the real power brokers be?
• Where will the control rest?
(Excerpted from: Cracking Your Church’s Culture Code by Samuel Chand)
In Pairs
• Share one story of the culture you hope to create, or are seeing birthed in this new church.
LUNCH | 12:30 PM
Lunchtime Presentation and Q&A: Covenant World Mission
www.covchurch.org/mission
“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 15! ! THURSDAY

Dear Church,
Older & Wiser,
Future Me (2019)
PAGE 16! ! THURSDAY

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 17! ! THURSDAY

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 18! ! THURSDAY

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
“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
PAGE 19! ! THURSDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 20! ! THURSDAY

Thursday 4:00 PM
Afternoon Lab Time
Individual work on Zera Verse,
and Vision, Mission, Values
•
Group Presentations & Critique
Color Dot "Votes"
Red = Nope. (weak, missed the mark)
Yellow = Maybe? (vague, needs clarity)
Green = Yes! (I get it and it speaks to me)
Post-It Notes:
• write brief helpful
suggestions
• slap on giant sheets
near the related item
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)
PAGE 21! ! THURSDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 22! ! THURSDAY

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 23! ! THURSDAY

Friday 9:00 AM
Morning Devotions
Scripture:
Notes:
Review of Previous Day
•
•
•
•
“BIBLICAL”
“Where is it written?” (faithful question
early Covenanters asked one another)
“We affirm the centrality of the word
of God. We believe the Bible is the only
perfect rule for faith, doctrine, and
conduct. The dynamic, transforming
power of the word of God directs the
church and the life of each Christian. This
reliance on the Bible leads us to affirm both
men and women as ordained ministers and
at every level of leadership. It is the reason
we pursue ethnic diversity in our church
and is the inspiration for every act of
compassion, mercy, and justice.”
~ from the Covenant Affirmations
PAGE 24! ! FRIDAY

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 25! ! FRIDAY

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 26! ! FRIDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 27! ! FRIDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 28! ! FRIDAY

Friday 9:50 AM

Discipleship
Making disciples that mature in Christ
Activity #1: “Would you rather…”
questionnaire on next page
Instructions:
• Form two equal lines of people.
Lines should face each other.
• Each person asks the person directly opposite them one “would you rather” question, then switches
• Allow only 30 seconds for each set of questions.
• Then one row moves one person to their right, having the end person move to the head of the row
• This should be quick, rapid fire and fun. Keep asking questions until you want to be done and have
everybody focus on the next question, with the person directly opposite them.
• Assign each line opposite sides of the of the following quote,
and then have them debate their “position”:
“Knowing God is more important than knowing about God.” ~ Karl Rahner
(Participants should use personal experience, scripture and tradition to support their opinion.
Which is the most important side of the issue to focus on when talking about discipleship?)
Introduction:
What is the “form” or mental image that is most natural to you for discipleship in the life of the church?
“O, Begin! Fix some part of
every day for private exercises…
Whether you like it or no, read
and pray daily. It is for your
life; there is no other way:
else you will be a trifler all
your days… Do justice to your
own soul; give it time and
means to grow. Do not starve
yourself any longer.”
~ John Wesley
Definition
• Goal/Content of discipleship: Philippians 1:9-11
• What is our role? What is God’s role?: John 4:39-31
• Different viewpoints of discipleship:
REVIEW: What was your “AHA” moment here?
PAGE 29! ! FRIDAY

“Would you rather . . .”
1. Be 4'1or7'9"?
2. Live without music or live without T.V.?
3. Be called a racist or a traitor to your
country?
4. Lose your legs or lose your arms?
5. Have a beautiful house and ugly car or an
ugly house and beautiful car?
6. Be blind or deaf?
7. Live in Antarctica or Death Valley?
8. Eat sushi or liver?
9. Meet the president of the U.S. or Billy
Graham?
10. Find true love or 1 million dollars?
11. Always have to say everything on your
mind or never speak again?
12. Be gossiped about or never talked about at
all?
13. Have stars in your eyes or eyes in the back
of your head?
14. Have x-ray vision or bionic hearing?
15. Be able to hear any conversation or take
back anything you say?
16. End hunger or hatred?
17. Publish your diary or make a movie on
your most embarrassing moment?
18. Be stranded on an island alone or with
someone you hate?
19. Get even or get over it?
20. Always lose or never play?
21. Know it all or have it all?
22. Always get ﬁrst dibs or the last laugh?
23. Have sand in your shorts or water in your
ear?
24. Own a ski lodge or a surf camp?
25. Forget who you were or who everyone else
was?
26. Have one wish granted today or three
wishes granted in 10 years?
27. Overthrow a dictatorship or lead one?
28. Write the worst book in history or record
the worst song in history?
29. Be a deep sea diver or an astronaut?
30. Have a big group of friends or one very
close friend?
31. Not be able to talk or hear for one day?
32. Spend the day surﬁng the internet or the
ocean?
33. Be an actress/actor in a big movie or the
director?
34. Have an ugly, loyal dog or a prize-
winning, snobby cat?
35. Be a professional baseball player or a
champion horse breeder?
36. Go to an amusement park or to a family
reunion?
37. Be rich with an unhappy job or make less
money with a job you like?
38. Not be able to use your phone or your e-
mail?
39. Snowboard in the winter or swim in the
summer?
40. Be forgotten or hatefully remembered?
PAGE 30! ! FRIDAY

Content/Form | Activity #2: Triads
Part 1
Break into groups of 3.
• Chose either a culture group or an age level group from the grid and prepare a discipleship culture
that would ﬁt that group
• Use the grid as your template and be prepared to give detailed explanation for each of your choices.
• Make sure every member of the group can adequately explain each of the choices on the grid
YOUR
CULTURE
GROUP
TYPE
MEETING
LOCATION
CYCLE MATERIALS
TEACHING
STYLE
GROUP
FORMATION
PEOPLE
GROUP
Urban
High population
density
1-1 Church
Group
Defined
Video Self taught Self Select Children
Rural
Located outside of
cities and towns
Small (3-8) Home(s) 1 month Bible Only Directive Assigned Students
Suburban
Residential area,
commuting
distance to city
Large (9-35) Nomadic 3 months Purchased Inspired Young Adult
Tribal
Society organized
on basis of kinship
Congrega-
tional
“Coffee Shop” 1 Year Church Produced Adult
Part 2
Label each member of your group A, B or C
• 1st Step: All member A’s move one group clockwise. The two members of the original group will
explain their discipleship culture to the new member A. Member A should look at the presented
discipleship culture through the eyes of a new believer and ask questions accordingly
• 2nd Step: All member B’s move one group counterclockwise and repeat the 1st step. Member B’s
should look at the presented discipleship culture through the eyes of a Pastor
• 3rd Step: All member C’s report to whole group on their original group’s plan
• What worked? What didn’t work? What challenges did you face?
• What new insight did the new A’s and B’s bring to their original plan
Covenant Resources: www.covchurch.org/resources/category/discipleship
PAGE 31! ! FRIDAY

What are the challenges or most apparent questions in this project?
Evaluate
• How do we know that discipleship works?
• How do we measure effectiveness?
• What does the rearview mirror say?
PAGE 32! ! FRIDAY

Friday 11:15 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
In Pairs: How did God get your attention and draw you to Christ?
“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
PAGE 33! ! FRIDAY

Prayer And Evangelism in Word
• Individually: Write down 5-15 people you are praying to come to Christ in your new church
• In Pairs:
• Share about one of the people you’re praying for and how you may share God's love with them
• Talk about how you could have at least 2 evangelistic conversations with people each week
• Close by praying for each other
Evangelism in Deed
• Group of 2-4: Find others who are planting in a similar context (e.g. urban, suburban, ethnic…)
• Each person share about 1 community need that your church can meet and brainstorm ideas of how
your new church can meet this need with the Gospel
Evangelism and the Church Calendar
• Take out the “Evangelism and the Church Calendar” doc from Appendix (or download from link)
• Plan speciﬁc things you'll do in your ﬁrst 12 months and list these on a rough planning calendar.
• With Coach or Partner: Share and talk about how it can be strengthened even more.
Fruitful & Faithful Metrics
Why it’s vital to track conversions, recommitments, deployments, and more
Tools
• www.ChurchMetrics.com
• Monthly Church Planter Report
• Church Management Systems (ChMS), examples:
• Church Community Builder (churchcommunitybuilder.com/church-plants)
• The City (www.onthecity.org)
• FellowshipOne (www.fellowshipone.com)
LUNCH | 12:30 PM
Lunchtime Presentation and Q&A: Covenant Communications
www.covchurch.org/who-we-are/departments/communication
PAGE 34! ! FRIDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 35! ! FRIDAY

Friday 1:30 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
“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)
PAGE 36! ! FRIDAY

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 37! ! FRIDAY

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 38! ! FRIDAY

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 39! ! FRIDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 40! ! FRIDAY

Friday 2:00 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)
8. Set a time to follow up and answer any questions
9. Make the ask, and be specific. (ASK BIG!!!)
“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
PAGE 41! ! FRIDAY

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
NOTES:
PAGE 42! ! FRIDAY

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 43! ! FRIDAY

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 44! ! FRIDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 45! ! FRIDAY

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
“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)
3 Question at each
debrief (“We talk.”)
• What worked?
• What didn’t work?
• How can we improve?
PAGE 46! ! FRIDAY

The Leadership Stool | Six 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:
• 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:
• an inviting relational atmosphere within your church that connects people to God’s community
• Personal relationships
• Small group dynamics
• Leading large gatherings
• “PLAY”
Strategy:
• 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 47! ! FRIDAY

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
“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)
Implementation in a
church context
• Mission Leader (Apostle)
sets the Agenda
• Imaginative Leader
(Prophet) analyses 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
PAGE 48! ! FRIDAY

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.
PAGE 49! ! FRIDAY

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
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
PAGE 50! ! FRIDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 51! ! FRIDAY

Friday 4:30 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 52! ! FRIDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 53! ! FRIDAY

Friday 5:45 PM
•
•
•
•
DINNER | 6:00 PM
After Dinner
Free Evening
PAGE 54! ! FRIDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 55! ! FRIDAY

Saturday 9:00 AM
Morning Devotions
Scripture:
Notes:
•
•
•
•
“MISSIONAL”
“We afﬁrm a commitment to the
whole mission of the Church. The
early Covenanters were known as
“Mission Friends”— people of shared
faith who came together to carry out
God’s mission both far and near.
Mission for them and for us includes
evangelism, Christian formation, and
ministries of compassion, mercy, and
justice. We follow Christ’s two central
calls. The Great Commission sends us
out into all the world to make disciples.
The Great Commandment calls us to
love the Lord our God and our
neighbors as ourselves.”
~ from the Covenant Afﬁrmations
PAGE 56! ! SATURDAY

Saturday 9:30 AM
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 - Monthly Preview Worship Services: reaching and gathering more people to the new
church, developing effective ministry systems, practicing what you’ll become
3. Stage 3 - Weekly Pre-Launch Worship: continuing to reach and gather, refining the ministries,
getting the systems right, acting “as if ”
4. Stage 4 - Grand Opening Launch: 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
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
PAGE 57! ! SATURDAY

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?
Three Key Metrics (each a blend of qualitative & quantitative measures)
1. 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)
2. 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)
3. 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)
STAGE: Launch TeamLaunch TeamLaunch Team Preview Worship/Soft-LaunchPreview Worship/Soft-LaunchPreview Worship/Soft-Launch Weekly Pre-LaunchWorshipWeekly Pre-LaunchWorshipWeekly Pre-LaunchWorship Grand Opening LaunchGrand Opening LaunchGrand Opening Launch
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
LT: 30 35 40 45 50 55 60 65 65 70 70 70
WA: N/A N/A N/A 100 110 120 90 105 120 150 140 130
KM: C C+ B- B B B+ B+ B+ A- A- A- A-
KEY: LT = Launch Team WA = Worship Attendance KM = Key Ministries Letter Grade
Discipleship-Centric/Missional Multiplication Model (Newer Experiment in ECC)
1st Discipleship Huddle &
1st Missional Community
Discipleship Huddle
Multiplication Begins
Discipleship Huddle
Discipleship Huddle
Monthly Worship Begins,
Accelerated Huddle Multiplication
Weekly Worship & Multiply
Missional Communities
Sep Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
DH: 1:8 1:10 1:12 1:12 1:14 2:16 2:18 3:20 3:22 3:24 3:26 4:28 5:30 5:33 5:36 5:37
MC: N/A 1:20 1:24 1:28 1:32 1:34 1:36 1:40 2:45 2:55 2:65 2:70 2:80 3:90 3:100 3:110
WA: N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A N/A 60 60 65 65 70 100 110 120 120
KM: N/A N/A N/A N/A C C+ B- B B B B+ B+ A- A- A- A-
KEY: DH = Discipleship Huddle | [# of Huddles] : [# of Disciples] MC = Missional Communities | [# of MCs] : [# of People Involved]
1. “Launch Team Members” Variations:
• Discipleship Huddle: Those who’ve committed to the discipleship process of becoming a
discipling leader; Invitation only, high commitment, with intentional reproduction pathway
• Missional Communities: Medium-size groups of 15-50; (Example of Adaptation at Dust
Church, Blacksburg VA: House of Study, House of Art, House of Service)
PAGE 58! ! SATURDAY

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:
PAGE 59! ! SATURDAY

Notes:
PAGE 60! ! SATURDAY

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: “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…)
• Parenting Churches, Partnering Churches, and Strategic Networks
• tap into, partner, and network with existing churches & organizations
• 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
“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
PAGE 61! ! SATURDAY

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
• minimum 30 committed, gifted adults
• 50% of Launch Team from new contacts
• planter is seen as the legitimate leader of the group
• increasing number of people contacted, coming, connecting with the group with growing enthusiasm
Poster Activity:
How do I gather 30-40 people? [table groups develop how-to list]
• Make invitation list (could even call or email during the Training)
• Create strategy for reaching 30 people total (4:1 ratio, probably need to connect with 120 people)
• Put real names to list
• Pray with a partner for your lists
• What to do with your Launch Team
Review at Tables:
• training best practices. landmines, etc
• What would you add?
PAGE 62! ! SATURDAY

Saturday 11:40 AM
Stage 2: Monthly Preview Worship
Question: What is one of the biggest mistakes church planters and their teams make?
Goals
• accelerating health and growth
• continue to build momentum to more fully express what your church is becoming through public
worship, and expanded attractional & incarnational ministries
Benchmarks
• 50 new people attending each preview service
• strong word-of-mouth: over half of guests from personal invitation
• double size of the Launch Team
• 75-125 at each monthly worship service (momentum building)
The ‘W’
• 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, also
need depth with Launch Team development,
training, and small group experiences
• yet both “extremes” can overshoot many types
of people you hope to reach, so you also need
some more accessible middle ground
• Repeating Cycle: each one is “open”, invite each
time to each one (Note Benchmarks from
Suggested Launch Timeline)
Suggested Rhythm
• Worship: music, message, related key ministries,
vision casting, a vital invite opportunity to the following weeks (invite at each)
• Launch Team Mtg 1: orientation, bible study, vision-casting
• Gathering Event: picnic, bbq, service project, bowling, etc.
• Launch Team Mtg 2: prep key ministries teams for next Preview
• Worship: like Week 1, only improved upon, more new people, etc. (rinse, repeat)
Wk 1:
Preview
Worship
Wk 2:
Launch
Team Mtg
Wk 3:
Gathering
Event
Wk 5:
Preview
Worship
Wk 4:
Launch
Team Mtg
MONTH 1 MONTH 2 …
PAGE 63! ! SATURDAY

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?:
Notes:
PAGE 64! ! SATURDAY

Activity: Four Afﬁnity Groups
Instructions
• gather around the room into groups along the lines of your ministry setting (as much as possible)
Groups:
1.
2.
3.
Discussion
• What struggles will you face with the monthly worship concept and execution?
• Done well, what beneﬁt will it bring?
‘W’ Posters
• Put up three sheets on wall, side-by-side to create three months of Ws (heading toward Stage 3)
• Write ideas on sheets (or use post-it notes) following the suggested rhythm, building each month
• it’s ok if you have wide variety of items (even mutually exclusive) as you do this as a group project
LUNCH | 12:30 PM
PAGE 65! ! SATURDAY

Notes:
PAGE 66! ! SATURDAY

Saturday 1:30 PM
Stage 3: Weekly Pre-Launch Worship
Natural continuation of Stage 2, with still some freedom to tweak, improve, and over-haul
as needed (plus, people are more forgiving when it’s labeled “Pre-Launch” :)
Goals:
• develop more strength and structure through vital ministry teams and effective systems
• strengthen and improve your Key Ministries
• strengthen gathering and growing prior to Launch
• develop leadership and volunteers
• ﬁnalize Grand Opening Launch Strategy
Benchmarks
• minimum of 80 in the weekly services (75 is the enemy!)
• quality of Key Ministries improving from B to B+/A-
• increasing number of people serving in ministry teams
• 50% of adults in small groups
Stage 4: “Grand Opening” Launch
Goals:
• launching strong (qualitative)
• launching large (quantitative)
• letting the entire community know we’re here!
• Help assure sustainability and growing Missional Impact for future generations
Benchmarks
• Launch past 125 in Worship, stay above 125 throughout
• Key Ministries with letter grades at B+/A-
• Great facility that can accommodate growth to 200+
• Seeing increasing numbers of people coming to Christ
• Healthy Mix:
• 1/3 mission-minded
• 1/3 formerly de-churched
• 1/3 formerly un-churched
PAGE 67! ! SATURDAY

Helpful Growth Equation
Net Growth = [Visitor Flow × Retention Rate] – Backdoor Loss
Visitor Flow = how many ﬁrst-timers experience the church
Retention Rate = percentage who become regulars at least for awhile
Backdoor Loss = how many eventually leave for any reason
• pay attention to each of those variables so you know what’s working & what needs improvement;
this applies to worship services, small groups, etc. - any “ministry” that should grow through people
• easy to focus on the wrong thing, so get beneath the “numbers”
• BIG Caveat: these are people, not soulless numbers;
the “numbers” are merely a tool for fruitful accountability and ministry insight
Scenario 1:
•
[10 visitors/mo × 20% Retention] - [2 leave/mo]
= 2 stay/month - 2 leave/month = 0 Net Growth
• Possible Interpretation: 20% is actually a fairly good retention rate and 2/month
departing isn’t bad either, therefore increasing the number of visitors (through prayer,
invitation, evangelism training, hospitality, etc.) will likely increase Net Growth
Scenario 2:
•
• Possible Interpretation: 10% isn’t great for retention, though 2/month departing
isn’t bad. For some reason people aren’t coming back and getting connected.
Evaluating hospitality, facility, spiritual vitality, quality of programming, etc. might
reveal ways to improve that retention rate to increase Net Growth
Scenario 3:
•
• Possible Interpretation: Might be an urban area or college town with very
transitory population and lots of “churn” AND/OR church is great at “ﬁrst
impressions” but lacks depth and growth opportunities. Depending on issues, may
need to really increase visitor rate while also working on back door loss
PAGE 68! ! SATURDAY

Saturday 2:00 PM
Launching Large,
Launching Healthy
Discussion
• What would launching large look like in your context?
Share with two other people what it would mean to
launch large in your context.
• Discuss Around Your Table: What you can do to
launch large enough and healthy enough to have a
missional impact in your community.
• Action Steps: What speciﬁc action steps still need to be done to launch large in your setting?
Who will be responsible? Add them to your timeline.
Related Resource: Planting Fast-Growing Churches, Stephen Gray
“No tree bears fruit for
its own use. Everything in
God’s will gives itself.”
~ Martin Luther
“A few weeks before he took his
life, former Methodist preacher
Vincent van Gogh painted a
picture of a church. It emanated
a dimly eerie light from the
inside, but it had no doors.
There was no way in. Van
Gogh's The Church at Auvers gets
my vote as the most haunting
painting in the history of
religious art.”
~ Leonard Sweet
(Soul Salsa, p. 87)
PAGE 69! ! SATURDAY

Notes:
PAGE 70! ! SATURDAY

21 Insights on Fast-Growing Church Plants
Dr. Stephen Gray
Dr. Gray is Director of Church Planting for the General Association of General Baptists and consults
with New Church Specialties.
Based on his doctoral research through Asbury Seminary of 2,285 church plants from 5 denominations,
only 168 (7%) qualified to be counted as “fast-growing”. A fast-growing church plant is defined by its
ability to achieve an average attendance of 200 and be self-supporting over a 3-6 year period.
1. Assessment is a must. The Ridley assessment is the one he refers to and they find a positive
correlation between fast-growing church plants and above-average planters.
2. Adequate financial support is a must. A combination of funds from a supporting organization and
funds raised by the planter works best. They find a balance is needed between too-much and too-
little support.
3. A majority of fast-growing plants were led by full-time planters.
4. A majority of planters leading fast-growing plants received salary support for 2 years or less. 85% of
fast-growing churches received salary support for 2-3 years. 80% of planters in struggling church
plants received salary support for 3-5 years.
5. A majority of fast-growing plants received additional financial support beyond salary support.
Generally this was a one-time start-up grant.
6. The start-up grants for fast-growing plants were $50,000 or less. Start-up grants for struggling
plants were over $50,000.
7. Planters of fast-growing plants were personally involved in support-raising.
8. The vision for the church plant must be birthed in the heart of the church planter.
9. The church planter must choose the target audience.
10. Planters of fast-growing church plants were free to spend their funding as they saw fit.
11. The more successful the church plant, the less control the sponsoring agency exercised over the
plant.
12. Fast-growing church plants have planters who have adequate emotional support.
13. Sponsoring agencies must develop a quality training program – generally 1 or more weeks – true for
77% of fast-growing plants. Planters of struggling plants received less than a week of training –
true of 74% of struggling plants.
14. Fast-growing plants started with two paid staff. This was the case in 88.3% of fast-growing plants.
On the other hand, 88.5% of struggling plants had a solo church planter.
PAGE 71! ! SATURDAY

15. Fast-growing plants had a larger adult core – generally over 40 adults.
16. Fast-growing plants had 3 core ministries from the start: worship, kids, and teen ministries.
17. Fast-growing churches used both preview services and small groups to build the core group.
18. Fast-growing plants used 5+ preview services on a bi-weekly basis. They find waiting a month
before doing another preview is too long to develop connections.
19. Fast-growing plants launched with larger attendance than struggling plants – generally over 100..
20. Fast-growing plants taught about finances and stewardship within the first 6 months.
21. Fast-growing plants kept their ministry outward-focused. This included mission giving from the
start. Fast-growing plants tended to give 10+% to mission.
Additional Insights:
• Amount of Ideal Support for “Average Church Plant” (will vary by region, cost of living, etc.)
FOR: 1 PASTORAL STAFF 2 PASTORAL STAFF
$50k salary × 2 yrs 100k 200k
Start-up grant yr 1 50k 50k
additional fundraising by planter 50k 50k
Total: $200k $300k
• Both fast-growing and struggling church plants had
• Similar prayer networks
• Similar level of coaching
• Similar commitment to a one-day a week facility
PAGE 72! ! SATURDAY

Saturday 3:30 PM
Panel Discussions and Q&A Time
Notes:
PAGE 73! ! SATURDAY

Individual Lab Time
Time for planters to work individually or with Coaches, DCP, and others on strategic plan,
normal & natural pathways, ministry planning calendar, launch team development, etc.
Notes:
PAGE 74! ! SATURDAY

Saturday 5:45 PM
•
•
•
•
DINNER | 6:00 PM
After Dinner
Free Evening
PAGE 75! ! SATURDAY

Notes:
PAGE 76! ! SATURDAY

Sunday Worship
Church Plant Visit
New Community Covenant Church
• 4434 S. Lake Park
Chicago, IL 60653
• thenewcom.com/bronzeville
LUNCH | At Church
with Pastor & Leaders
Church Plant Visit
Q&A Time
• Use “Worship Service Observation Guide”
in Addenda at the end of this workbook
“CONNECTIONAL”
As our president Gary Walters often
reminds us, “We’re in it Together!”
“I am a companion
of all who fear thee.”
~ Psalm 119:63a
(formative verse for the
early Covenanters)
“On the day called Sunday there is a
meeting in one place of those who live
in cities or the country, and the
memoirs of the apostles or the writing
of the prophets are read as long as
time permits. Then we all stand up
together and offer prayers. And when
we have ﬁnished the prayer, bread is
brought, and wine and water, and the
president similarly sends up prayers
and thanksgivings to the best of his
ability, and the congregation assents,
saying the Amen; the distribution and
reception of the consecrated elements
by each one takes place and they are
sent to the absent by the deacons. . . .
We all hold this common
gathering on Sunday, since it is
the ﬁrst day, on which God
transforming darkness and
matter made the universe, and
Jesus Christ our Savior rose from
the dead on the same day.”
~ Justin Martyr
2nd century
PAGE 77! ! SUNDAY

Notes:
PAGE 78! ! SUNDAY

Sunday Mid-Afternoon
Journaling, Reflection Time, & Lab Time
Notes:
PAGE 79! ! SUNDAY

Sunday 3:30 PM (-ish)
Time & Task
Management
At Tables:
• make lists of the Urgent things
church planters need to do
• make list of the Important things
each planter needs to do
Group Discussion
• Discuss in large group the differences between the two lists
• Discuss ways to keep priorities right
“How we spend our days is, of course,
how we spend our lives. What we do
with this hour, and that one, is what
we are doing. A schedule defends from
chaos and whim. It is a net for
catching days. It is a scaffolding on
which a worker can stand and labor
with both hands at sections of time. A
schedule is a mock-up of reason and
order—willed, faked, and so brought
into being; it is a peace and a haven
set into the wreck of time; it is a
lifeboat on which you ﬁnd yourself,
decades later, still living.”
~ Annie Dillard
PAGE 80! ! SUNDAY

Sunday 4:00 PM (-ish)
Panel Discussions and Q&A Time
1. What your spouse wishes you knew
about being married to a church planter
2. Q&A time with DCP’s, Coaches and Seasoned Planters
PAGE 81! ! SUNDAY

Sunday 5:15 PM
•
•
•
•
STOP | 5:30 PM
Surprise Outing!
Fun Group Activity and Dinner Out
PAGE 82! ! SUNDAY

Monday 9:15 AM
Morning Devotions
Scripture:
Notes:
•
•
•
•
ALL OF THEM!
“We afﬁrm a commitment to the
whole mission of the Church. The
early Covenanters were known as
“Mission Friends”— people of shared
faith who came together to carry out
God’s mission both far and near. Mission
for them and for us includes evangelism,
Christian formation, and ministries of
compassion, mercy, and justice. We follow
Christ’s two central calls. The Great
Commission sends us out into all the
world to make disciples. The Great
Commandment calls us to love the Lord
our God and our neighbors as ourselves.”
- from the Covenant Afﬁrmations
PAGE 83! ! MONDAY

Monday 9:45 AM
Personal Care &
Development
Question:
• What could disqualify you from ministry?
Wholeness
• “Fuel Gauges” on monthly reports
and why that is so important
“Personal Care Kit”
• pull out an item and share how it might help you stay healthy and not get disqualiﬁed in ministry
Personal Development Plan
• begin creating plan to be completed and shared with Coach or DCP at home within the next month
Health on the Home-Front Discussion
• “What your spouse wishes you knew about being married to a church planter”
“Get away from your worldly
occupations for a while, escape from
your tumultuous thoughts. Lay aside
your burdensome cares and put off
your laborious exertions. Give yourself
over to God for a little while, and rest
for a while in Him. Enter into the cell
of your mind, shut out everything
except God and whatever helps you to
seek Him once the door is shut. Speak
now, my heart, and say to God, ‘I seek
your face; your face, Lord, I seek.’”
~ Anselm of Canterbury,
c. 1033-1109
PAGE 84! ! MONDAY

Ten Best Practices for
Health and Wellness
Mike Brown, Northwest Conference DCP
Adapted from United Methodist Self Care Resources
1. Love God and worship Him regularly
2. Love others; treat others the way you would like to be treated
3. Keep a regular Sabbath; keep it holy by being intentional about rest and renewal
4. Honor your body as a gift from God and the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Feed it healthy food, get enough rest, and get enough physical exercise
to keep it running in peak form
5. Honor your mother, father and family members.
Show them respect, love, and give them your time
6. Use the gifts God has given you for ministry for the good of the church
and the Kingdom of God
7. Develop healthy rhythms so you can live a well-ordered life and be ﬁt for ministry
8. Be Salt and Light. Proclaim Christ and live out the message of the Gospel
9. Practice and seek forgiveness
10. Pray daily
PAGE 85! ! MONDAY

Covenant for Self-Care
For the stewardship of the life I’ve been given and the ministry
to which I’ve been called in Christ Jesus…
1. I will develop the weekly habit of observing the following spiritual disciplines (beyond sermon prep
and teaching opportunities). List at least 3:
•
•
•
2. I will regularly set aside time to be present with my family for meals and family activities.
3. I will schedule and use all of my vacation time, and any other holidays and days off I am given each
year, as approved by my Covenant Agreement or Letter of Call.
4. I will attend retreats and continuing education opportunities each year as outlined by the Department
of Ordered Ministry and my Conference coach.
5. I will strive to maintain a healthy lifestyle. This will include regular check-ups with my Dr., and
maintaining a healthy weight (unless such conformity is deemed to be risky by my physician).
6. I will engage in some form of exercise regularly (at least 3 times a week), at a level approved by my
physician. List your intended exercise plan:
•
•
•
7. I commit to a healthy nutrition plan that will allow me to maintain the proper weight.
8. I will strive to get at least 7 hours of sleep each night.
9. I will order my personal affairs regarding the proper documents (insurance, wills, power of attorney
and guardianship for my minor children). I will make known the location of these documents to the
following individuals. (list at least two)
•
•
•
10. I commit to a regular accountability relationship and/or spiritual direction. (list those individuals):
•
•
•
I covenant all of the above with my Director of Church Planting, and/or my coach, with whom I will
share a mutual accountability relationship for our self-care as clergy.
____________________________________ ____________________________________
Church Planter Coach
PAGE 86! ! MONDAY

Monday 11:00 AM
Church Multiplication
Planning and partnering to plant healthy,
missional, reproducing churches
Video: Mission to Plant (Northwest Conference)
Discussion (stand & ﬁnd 4 others)
• what grabs you from the video?
• how will you build the church plant so you can plant another
church in year 4-5 and so it “doesn’t end with you”?
• each group present an insight to whole group
What and When
• Multiplication and Movement
• ECC history
• Suggested Resource: Movements that Change the World, by Steve Addison
Video: Tim Morey and “Networks Planting Networks”
Discussion & Application
• What have you thought about being a church planting church?
About being a church that plants churches that plant churches, and so on?
• How can you build this into your culture and “dna” from the very start?
• What are practical, strategic elements you can build into your church to help this become reality?
Examples:
• Missional Home Groups that have as their charter to be the nuclei for future Launch Teams
• Hosting church planting interns and residencies
• Partnering with an established church in the funding and seeding of a Launch Team
• Missions Giving (with a new opportunity!)
PAGE 87! ! MONDAY

From Covenant Agreements: Expectation & Encouragement
Mission Giving:
• “15% of local income will be contributed to our shared mission in the Covenant Church.
• This commitment is a requirement to receive monthly appropriations, shall continue for the life of
the church, and must be fulﬁlled prior to the church adopting additional mission commitments
• The 15% calculation applies only to your church’s regular tithes and offerings, not to designated
giving, special gifts, fundraising, or appropriations”
• One Month Example: $10,000 in Local Tithes & Offerings,
Church sends two checks: 8% for Covenant, 7% for Conference:
• 10% = $1,000 check made out to Evangelical Covenant Church
Optional: 50% General = $500; 50% Directed = $500 to particular Covenant Missionary
• 5% = $500 check made out to your Conference
Years 1-4
• Attendance: Average 225 in worship attendance by the end of year three
(by year four in some cases, may also vary according to particular project and context)
• Finances: Financially self-sufﬁcient by the time the church goes off appropriations
Years 4-5
• Church Planting: Parent or Partner with other churches in the planting of your first church plant
• Membership: Upon meeting the necessary criteria and missional viability requirements, complete
the process for becoming a full member congregation in the Evangelical Covenant Church
PAGE 88! ! MONDAY

Consecration &
Commissioning
“Lord, this day I commit
to not let it end with me.”
“Let us go forth,
In the goodness of our merciful Father,
In the gentleness of our brother Jesus,
In the radiance of his Holy Spirit,
In the faith of the apostles,
In the joyful praise of the angels,
In the holiness of the saints,
In the courage of the martyrs.
Let us go forth,
In the wisdom of our all-seeing Father,
In the patience of our all-loving Brother,
In the truth of the all-knowing Spirit,
In the learning of the apostles,
In the gracious guidance of the angels,
In the patience of the saints,
In the self-control of the martyrs.
Such is the path
for all servants of Christ,
the path from death
to eternal life.”
– The Rising (A Celtic Christian Prayer)
“Domine Ivimus”
(Latin, “Lord, we went”)
The words which begin Psalm 122, the
psalm of pilgrimage and the inscription
beneath a red and black grafﬁti of a
small Roman sailing vessel found on a
wall beneath the Church of the Holy
Sepulcher in Jerusalem (c. 300 AD)
To the 4th Generation & Beyond
“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)
PAGE 89! ! MONDAY

Wrap-Up & Send-Off
• Gather All Your Stuff
• Say Your Good-Byes “See You Later!”s
• Conﬁrm Rides to Airport
LUNCH | on your own, but on us!
Go with God and travel safe.
Thanks for being together
and making this a great week :)
PAGE 90! ! MONDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 91! ! MONDAY

NOTES:
PAGE 92! ! MONDAY

Evangelism and the
Church Calendar
Church Leadership Evangelism Resource
John Teter, Evangelism Team Leader
for the Evangelical Covenant Church
[original doc available at covchurch.tv/church-calendar]
My friend and mentor Darrell Johnson first introduced me to the
church calendar. I was a young Christian. I had just converted at age
22 through a campus ministry and I never knew the church calendar
existed. Today, I cannot imagine my life without the annual calendar
of the church.
When I first began attending Glendale Presbyterian Church, Darrell was the senior
pastor. Pastor Johnson possesses a remarkable teaching gift and uses it powerfully in his
preaching ministry. As I listened and grew from his sermons every week, I began to realize
that he utilized the church calendar for deeper impact within his local congregation. Even
as a young minister in training, I realized that leaders can use the church calendar for the
growth of the church. While Darrell would regularly preach through large sections or
even entire books of the Bible, he often framed his preaching with an amazing blend of
biblical text and church tradition.
A second friend and mentor, Ray Bakke, introduced me to living out the church
calendar in a personal way. On a visit to his home in Seattle, I saw how Ray and his wife,
Corrine, decorated their home with colors, music, and smells that signified the season that
we were in. Darrell used the church calendar to frame the feeding schedule of an entire
congregation. Ray and Corrine used the church calendar in a deeply personal and private
way for their own spiritual growth at home. From both of these experiences I learned the
practical functionality of the church calendar.
As an evangelism leader, I have discovered that using the church
calendar can bring about much evangelistic good to the local church!
PAGE 93! ! EVANGELISM AND THE CHURCH CALENDAR

Let us first define the seven seasons of the church calendar.*
SEASON LENGTH DESCRIPTION
Epiphany Five to Eight Sundays beginning on the
first Sunday after Jan 6 (Epiphany)
A time to focus on and celebrate the earthly
ministry of Jesus
Lent Ash Wednesday through five Sundays
leading up to Holy Week
(traditionally includes Palm Sunday)
A time to focus on the death of Jesus and
embrace the pattern of losing life to save our lives
Holy Week Palm Sunday through Easter Sunday
(traditionally doesn’t include Palm
Sunday, but helpful for planning
purposes)
Palm Sunday celebrates the unexpected King and
Easter celebrates the resurrection and the death of
death (week includes other Holy Days such as
Maundy Thursday and Good Friday)
Eastertide Six weeks following Easter Sunday A time to focus on the life implications of the
Resurrection
Pentecost Fifty days after Easter A time to focus on the third person of the Trinity
and the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives
Advent Four Sundays before Christmas day A time to focus and celebrate Jesus’ First and
Second coming
Christmas Christmas Eve and Christmas Sunday A time to focus directly on the Incarnation and
promises of God
* Adapted from Darrell W. Johnson, “The Glory of Preaching” (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academics, 2009) 208-209
Two Evangelism Anchors
As a senior pastor who guides the mission, here are the practical ways I use the church calendar to
lead my flock into evangelism. I already use the church calendar to form my preaching schedule. This
helps me stay at least one year ahead of the current preaching schedule. Using the seasons, helps my
preparation, my prayer, and ensures a steady feeding schedule for the flock. The calendar keeps me
honest, and helps me preach texts or topics that I would otherwise not be naturally drawn towards.

Knowing that the preaching schedule for the church is set, I will then look at the year and make sure
that evangelism is “in the calendar.” As the pastor who guides the mission, we must never assume that
church-wide evangelism will just happen. It must be scheduled!

As I survey the calendar for a given year, I immediately put two anchors as evangelistic harvest
events. The first anchor is Easter. The second anchor is Christmas. (Due to our congregation’s travel and
hectic holiday schedules, our big evangelistic event for Christmas takes place two weeks before
Christmas. If it works in your context, Christmas eve or Christmas day on a Sunday might be preferable.
But we like our event a bit out from the actual holiday, while enjoying the growing anticipation of the
Christmas season.

We usually combine the event with a performance of our children’s choir to help more folks come
out and experience our church.

After putting the “harvest events” in the calendar, I will then highlight six to eight weeks of
preparation time on the front and back end for each evangelistic event. At Fountain
of Life Covenant Church, we establish five weeks of follow-up for each evangelistic event. We want to
make sure any new births the Lord brings are given proper care and attention.

Outreach
By doing this simple exercise, you have now insured that there will be at least two evangelistic events.
Each willing participant in your church, now has a focused time period of 12-16 weeks of personal
evangelism and ten weeks of follow up and integration new disciples into your church. We have found
that clarity is a great need in regards to evangelism leadership. The congregation is more flexible and
willing to risk and grow when expectations and calling are clear. Having all of your people going hard as
witnesses for 12-16 weeks of the year is reasonable, doable, and will likely help them engage in a
personal way. If the communicated expectation is zero weeks a year, that is likely the result you will enjoy.
Clarity and building training into the church calendar creates momentum for evangelism. And we all
know what a great friend momentum is for church leadership!

During the minimum of six to eight weeks before the harvest event, the pastor guides the mission in a
variety of ways. The pastor prays from the pulpit for our evangelism relationships to take off in this
outreach period. The church organizes prayer in the congregation for lost people in a corporate crying
out to God. The pastor can encourage the congregation from the pulpit to run the triangle and try and
meet as many people as possible to find out if they are interested in Jesus. Some will certainly be
interested and personal Bible studies with non-Christians can begin immediately. The more non-
Christians are exposed to the Bible and their thinking formed by it, the better convert they will make at
the harvest event. (Please see our “God Search” evangelism resources at covchurch.org/72.
The goal of every Christian during this six to eight week outreach sprint is to include as many people
as possible into the process of conversion funnel. The harvest event then be a logical next step for the
non-Christian, and not the place where they are starting from scratch. A seeker who is familiar with
church and enjoys a trusting relationship with a mature Christian can commit to Jesus. We have found
that the unbeliever is more ready for commitment then we might think they are.
Follow-Up
Leading another sinner to faith in Christ is not the end goal. A decision for Jesus, while exciting and
inspiring, is a very fragile moment. The real work has just begun. For new parents, while the birth is
incredibly significant, the next fifty days are vital to the survival of any new child. So it is with our friends
who have chosen the new birth.
For follow-up we like to take our most friendly/evangelistic leaders and have them lead a foundations
life group. These life groups run five weeks and begin the week after the harvest event. They are the
central commitment that we call for from the new believer. The groups are designed to build community
with other new Christians, while establishing the basics of faith in Jesus. Every convert needs a strong
foundation and must be taught how to become a lifelong disciple of Jesus in the local church.
Closing Exhortation
As a pastor who guides the mission or a Christian who tells the story, may the church calendar help
you bear evangelistic fruit! While the Holy Spirit is always moving and evangelism can be creative and
spontaneous fruitful, we have found this to be most true with individuals gifted for witness.
What we are proposing is a vision where the church does not have people fishing with poles, but the
church itself is the ship that fishes with a net. In this model, we have found it is much easier for people to
understand their roles and put evangelism into their calendars.
Luke 15 describes evangelism as a process of increasing joy. As you incorporate the Christian
calendar in your evangelism plan, may God give you great joy, and may the Shepherd give great joy to
your local church.

Worship Service Observation Guide
Donald Robinson, North Pacific Conference
Use this guide to look at every aspect of the worship service from the perspective of a ﬁrst-time visitor.
(Don’t be concerned about marking everything, just use guide to help you be alert to what is happening.)
SIGNAGE Yes No Comments
Several signs approaching worship location?
Church name on signs?
Worship time on signs?
Worship location on signs?
Web address on signs?
Large banners outside worship location,
clearly indicating entrance?
GREETING & WELCOME Yes No Comments
Greeters present and visible in parking lot and/or
outside entrance to facility?
Welcome table with information?
Name tags?
Snack table available before, during and after
worship service? (Healthy alternatives available?)
Signage with clear directions to restrooms,
nursery and childcare?
Did the congregation seem to be aware of and
responsive to visitors and newcomers?
WORSHIP SETTING Yes No Comments
Ascetically appealing, with color & plants?
Religious symbols? (Cross, candles, open Bible, etc)
Good lighting?
Screen for projector?
PAGE 96! ! WORSHIP SERVICE OBSERVATION GUIDE

WORSHIP COMPONENTS Yes No Comments
Did worship style match church’s target group?
If baptism, child dedication or communion was included in
the worship service, was the meaning clearly explained?
Was the worship theme clear and evident?
Did all aspects of worship relate to theme?
Were the transitions smooth?
Are the leaders identified? Leaders genuine?
Stick to time schedule?
Music inclusive, celebratory, participatory?
Friendly; newcomers greeted and welcomed?
Bibles provided? Bibles used?
Scripture read?
Were several types prayer included? (pastoral,
congregational, confession, intercession, thanksgiving, etc.)
Testimony/Interview?
Offering introduced as an act of worship?
SERMON Yes No Comments
Was the sermon theme, topic, or main point clear?
Could non-believer understand or relate to sermon?
Was the sermon’s teaching linked to scripture?
Were real life issues confronted with Gospel and
God centered, Bible- based solutions presented?
Was the sermon insightful and compelling?
Did the sermon challenge listeners to respond?
Assumed Biblical knowledge or Christian jargon
used that may be confusing to a pre-Christian?

PRINTED MATERIALS Yes No Comments
Worship folder easy to understand?
Vision, Mission, Core values included?
Printed materials help you understand
culture, climate and nature of this church?
Information included on how you could get
involved and connected?
Clear connection with ECC communicated?
NURSERY & CHILDREN Yes No Comments
Clear signage directing parents to childcare areas?
Volunteers present 5-10 minutes before children arrive?
Written information on how children are cared for?
Worship service accessible to children?
Are they included?
Is the sign-in process welcoming?
Is the childcare area safe, secure, and sanitary?
Is there a clear process for contacting parents during the
worship service if they are needed?
VISION, MISSION, VALUES Yes No Comments
Was the church’s vision stated?
Were the core values of the church linked
to a specific part of the life of the church?
Was it communicated on how you could
get involved and connected?
COMMITMENT & RESPONSE Yes No Comments
Were people called to a specific commitment or
action? What was it?
Clear explanation of the Gospel and how a person
could become a Christian?
Was an invitation extended to receive Jesus Christ as
Savior and Lord?
For the confessing believer was a next step identified
to strengthen their commitment as a disciple of Jesus?

Overall Impressions
Take a few minutes to reﬂect on your visit:
1. What about the church appealed to you or made you feel welcome and relaxed?
2. What bothered you or made you uncomfortable?
3. What caught your attention or stood out to you in either a positive or negative sense?
4. If you were looking for a church home, what particular qualities do you most care about and would
especially look for? Which of these qualities did the church possess? What did it lack?
Final Observations
Possible Reasons Why a Visitor WOULD Attend this church again...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Possible Reasons Why A Visitor WOULDN’T attend this church again...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Recommendations & Suggestions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Worship Service Observation Guide
Donald Robinson, North Pacific Conference
Use this guide to look at every aspect of the worship service from the perspective of a ﬁrst-time visitor.
(Don’t be concerned about marking everything, just use guide to help you be alert to what is happening.)
SIGNAGE Yes No Comments
Several signs approaching worship location?
Church name on signs?
Worship time on signs?
Web address on signs?
Large banners outside worship location,
clearly indicating entrance?
GREETING & WELCOME Yes No Comments
Greeters present and visible in parking lot and/or
outside entrance to facility?
Welcome table with information?
Name tags?
Snack table available before, during and after
worship service? (Healthy alternatives available?)
Signage with clear directions to restrooms,
nursery and childcare?
Did the congregation seem to be aware of and
responsive to visitors and newcomers?
WORSHIP SETTING Yes No Comments
Ascetically appealing, with color & plants?
Religious symbols? (Cross, candles, open Bible, etc)
Good lighting?
Screen for projector?

WORSHIP COMPONENTS Yes No Comments
Did worship style match church’s target group?
If baptism, child dedication or communion was included in
the worship service, was the meaning clearly explained?
Was the worship theme clear and evident?
Did all aspects of worship relate to theme?
Were the transitions smooth?
Are the leaders identified? Leaders genuine?
Stick to time schedule?
Music inclusive, celebratory, participatory?
Friendly; newcomers greeted and welcomed?
Bibles provided? Bibles used?
Scripture read?
Were several types prayer included? (pastoral,
congregational, confession, intercession, thanksgiving, etc.)
Testimony/Interview?
Offering introduced as an act of worship?
SERMON Yes No Comments
Was the sermon theme, topic, or main point clear?
Could non-believer understand or relate to sermon?
Was the sermon’s teaching linked to scripture?
Were real life issues confronted with Gospel and
God centered, Bible- based solutions presented?
Was the sermon insightful and compelling?
Did the sermon challenge listeners to respond?
Assumed Biblical knowledge or Christian jargon
used that may be confusing to a pre-Christian?

PRINTED MATERIALS Yes No Comments
Worship folder easy to understand?
Vision, Mission, Core values included?
Printed materials help you understand
culture, climate and nature of this church?
Information included on how you could get
involved and connected?
Clear connection with ECC communicated?
NURSERY & CHILDREN Yes No Comments
Clear signage directing parents to childcare areas?
Volunteers present 5-10 minutes before children arrive?
Written information on how children are cared for?
Worship service accessible to children?
Are they included?
Is the sign-in process welcoming?
Is the childcare area safe, secure, and sanitary?
Is there a clear process for contacting parents during the
worship service if they are needed?
VISION, MISSION, VALUES Yes No Comments
Was the church’s vision stated?
Were the core values of the church linked
to a specific part of the life of the church?
Was it communicated on how you could
get involved and connected?
COMMITMENT & RESPONSE Yes No Comments
Were people called to a specific commitment or
action? What was it?
Clear explanation of the Gospel and how a person
could become a Christian?
Was an invitation extended to receive Jesus Christ as
Savior and Lord?
For the confessing believer was a next step identified
to strengthen their commitment as a disciple of Jesus?

Overall Impressions
Take a few minutes to reﬂect on your visit:
1. What about the church appealed to you or made you feel welcome and relaxed?
2. What bothered you or made you uncomfortable?
3. What caught your attention or stood out to you in either a positive or negative sense?
4. If you were looking for a church home, what particular qualities do you most care about and would
especially look for? Which of these qualities did the church possess? What did it lack?
Final Observations
Possible Reasons Why a Visitor WOULD Attend this church again...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Possible Reasons Why A Visitor WOULDN’T attend this church again...
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Recommendations & Suggestions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Too little time spent developing a
Launch Team
• The church is about people who matter to God. Don’t
be lured into thinking that great systems, structure, and
programs will be the most important part of planting.
• You can never have too many people in the core group
or launch team
• You can’t do this on your own. You’re not that smart,
talented, or gifted
• Lots of hands will mean less burn-out and frustration
• Host lots of dessert meetings, dinners, lunches, coffee
meetings, informational meetings, especially in the early
stages. You can’t over-communicate the vision God has
laid on your heart
• Many people will need some one-on-one time with the
planter before committing to this new church
• It takes time to get to know people and the gifts they
bring
• Developing leaders and ministry teams takes time
• Moving too quickly into weekly worship can stunt the
growth of the new church
• Allowing controlling or needy people to take over the
launch team can cause the new church to lose sight of
the original mission and vision
• Creating a healthy culture is about investing in people,
not programs
Not Focusing on Discipleship from the
beginning
• Discipleship must be a part of the DNA of the church
• Leaders must remember they are planting a church, not
a worship service
• Your discipleship plan must be systematic and organic at
the same time. It must have structure and be highly
relational at the same time
• Leaders must focus on growing a handful of key
disciples who will then disciple others
• Make sure you are modeling what you want the church
to become
• You must take a long term view of this process. It will
start slow and then accelerate as others “get it.”
Not following the plan
• Church planting is a series of hundreds of details.
Without a plan you will miss or overlook something
• Create a plan. It’s worth the investment of your time. It
allows you to have something to communicate to those
who will join you and will provide a roadmap of where
you’re going
• Having a clear plan will help you to develop a healthy
church culture from the beginning
• Follow the schedule you set
• Don’t give in to the pressure to begin worshipping on
Sundays ahead of schedule, no matter how hard your
launch team lobbies for it. Church planting is a slow
process, it can’t be microwaved
• Host as many events and meetings as you possibly can
squeeze in that are consistent with your identity as a new
church. Get creative
• Have a crystal clear ministry plan in place as you move
forward or you will wander and get lost
• God is a God of order, so don’t be afraid of a little
structure
• If you don’t have a plan, those who show up at your
church will try to convince everyone else to implement
their plan. This will create disunity, dysfunction and
disharmony
• Develop a good roadmap so everyone on your team
knows where they’re going and when things are likely to
happen. The pastor shouldn’t be the only one who has
a clue what’s going on. No one wants to follow someone
when they have no idea where they’re going
• Remember that plans keep us focused and on track.
• “Unless commitment is made, there are only promises
and hopes…but no plans.” - Peter Drucker
Neglecting to clearly deﬁne mission,
vision and values
• Always have a strong Biblical basis for everything you do
• DON’T GIVE IN TO FEAR!!! Put away the wimpy,
weak, fit for public consumption, vision that you think is
safe. Look into your heart and lay out the big, bold,
audacious vision that God is really calling you to.
Dream big. Invite people on an exciting adventure
• A vague idea of what you hope to do is not adequate.
Your God-given dream must be clear and
understandable
• Key question to ask are: “What will this new church
look like?” or “Who are we as a church?” “What are
the non-negotiables in this church?” “Where are we
going?”
• Every person on the team needs to have a clear grasp of
the vision, mission and values and a real sense of how
they fit into all of it
• Everyone who connects with you and this new church
must be introduced early and often to these pieces. It’s
all about identity
• These pieces are the basis for the culture that will begin
to develop. Wrong, weak, or unhealthy mission, vision
and values will contribute to the development of an
unhealthy culture
• How will we know if we’re on track? There must be
some way to determine if your church is still moving in
the right direction. Acts 2 offers several benchmarks
• Filter every decision through the mission statement.
What you’re doing is laying the foundation for
everything else that is to come
PAGE 104! ! CHURCH PLANTING MISTAKES
Church Planting Mistakes
Mike Brown, DCP Northwest Conference

Not Focusing Enough on the
Developing Culture of the Church
• Culture—not vision or strategy—is the most powerful
factor in any organization
• Culture is the personality of the church.
• “Vision and strategy usually focus on products, services,
and outcomes, but culture is about the people—the
most valuable asset in the organization.” Dr. Samuel
Chand
• Culture is an amalgamation of the church’s stories,
rituals, priorities, celebrations, shared goals,
communication patterns, etc.
• A church’s culture begins at the top. “The leader’s
integrity, competence, and care for others create the
environment where people excel…or not.” Dr.
Samuel Chand
• A healthy culture will inspire people, help them grow to
be committed disciples of Christ, allow them to develop
their leadership gifts, and learn healthy ways to deal
with setbacks
• “Toxic culture is like carbon monoxide: you don’t see it
or smell it, but you wake up dead.” Dr. Samuel
Chand
• Culture is the soil where vision and strategy can take
root and grow…or be planted and die
• When people are not rallying behind the vision of the
pastor and leadership the problem is not with the vision,
it’s with the culture of the church
• A healthy culture is the catalyst that will move a church
toward fulfilling the vision
• The goal is to create an inspiring culture where
everyone feels valued, where there’s open and honest
communication, where there is trust, where big goals
are set and people are given the responsibility and the
authority to make them happen, where pastors invest in
key ministry leaders, where the whole organization is
focused on celebrating people and giving God the glory
Underestimating Spiritual Warfare
• Prayer is not preparation for battle, prayer is the battle
• If you’ve said yes to church planting you are already 20
miles behind enemy lines
• The evil one doesn’t want you to succeed
• The evil one will try to distract, confuse, or derail you
with an endless array of activities or options along the
way to starting this new church. Not listening to God
and taking a fork in the road will result in a crash
• The evil one is subtle; he rarely comes at you in his red
jammies holding a pitchfork, in a full frontal assault
• Prepare yourself for criticism, often from people you
love and trust. If there is truth, receive it, but if there is
not, move on
• Two other key ways that spiritual warfare is waged are
through leaders becoming prideful and stubborn. Both
of those attitudes will destroy community. The Bible
says that God hates both of these attitudes
• Develop, as soon as possible, an intercessory prayer team
• Pray God’s protection over your family and pray
together as a family
• Don’t forget to lean into God’s power and stay
dependent on Him…especially when things seem to be
going well!
• Develop strong dependency on prayer throughout the
church. A church community is built on its knees
• Remember, Jesus has already won the battle! The very
power that raised Christ Jesus from the dead is available
to you as a child of the King
Ignoring the needs of your family and
friends
• It’s easy to get so wrapped up in doing this new work
that we forget that our first mission field is at home
• God gave you key relationships in your life and it’s
critical you keep them in the proper order
• You will be completely ineffective if your own house is
not in order
• You will lose your passion for this new work if you are
fighting battles at home
• Isolation opens the door to moral failure
Ignoring your personal relationship with
God
• Church planting is first and foremost a spiritual exercise
• Read, meditate on and memorize God’s Word. Become
a Bible-Centered Leader (see Bobby Clinton resource by
the same title)
• Receive forgiveness…you will need it
• Listen to the Spirit and follow His leading even when it’s
risky, scary, or seems a little on the edge.
• You can’t take the church anywhere you haven’t been
yourself
• While you may have a vibrant relationship with God, it’s
easy to let it slide in the busyness of doing church
• Don’t sacrifice the important for the urgent. Prayer,
reading God’s Word, and growing in your own faith are
the most important things you can do.
• Remember the Sabbath
• Get away and be quiet so you can hear from God. This
world is a noisy place
Not taking care of your personal well-
being
• Dr. Bobby Clinton, professor of leadership at Fuller
Theological Seminary says, “Many start well, but few
finish well.” Don’t be one of the casualties
• Be careful not to rationalize behaviors that can end your
ministry
• Remember the airline safety briefing, “put on your own
oxygen mask before trying to assist others.”
• Self-care is never selfish
• Create a Covenant with your coach that outlines the
steps you are taking to be healthy in every area of your
life
• Work on maintaining emotional health by loving, giving,
and resting
• Take care of your physical body. You can’t lead if your
body is fighting you
• Get adequate sleep and down time. Sabbath will set you
up to succeed in ministry

• Protect your personal and family time. Build a wall
around it
• Be a life long learner…you’re not that smart. Don’t
start believing your press clippings
Not developing relationships with the
other churches in your community
• Talk to all the pastors and meet with them regularly to
pray for their churches and ministries
• Assure the other churches in the area that you are not
into “shuffling the sheep”
• Partner to do Kingdom work with other area pastors
and churches
• Share your passion and vision with the other pastors in
the community
• Pray each week in your worship time for the other
churches in your community
• Never bad mouth another pastor or ministry. You can’t
make your light shine brighter by trying to blow
someone else’s out
• Envy can be deadly
• Develop strong relationships with the other Covenant
Churches in the area
• Always remember that this is a Kingdom thing
Neglecting the work of Agenda
Harmony
• Focus on being a healthy church
• Spend lots of time as a church being quiet and listening
to God
• Practice being a church that admits that it’s only by
God’s grace that any of us can gather. Fight legalism
and the urge to pretend
• Be authentic. Nothing creates tension faster than
phoniness
• Nothing will derail a church faster than competing
agendas. Lead when necessary, listen when you should
• Recognize when there seems to be a drift in the focus of
the church and address it
• Prepare yourself for criticism. Receive the loving,
honest critique of friends, but reject the legalistic,
divisive, gossipy critique of those who can’t get along
unless things are done their way
• If you’re a strong, visionary leader prepare to be called a
control freak, manipulative, a dictator, or worse, by
those who have agendas not in harmony with the
church
• Vision leaks…repeat it at every opportunity
• Don’t compromise on key values
• Work with those who don’t seem to be on the same
page, but don’t be afraid to invite people to move on if
they can’t get on board with where the church is going
Not developing key leaders
• You can’t do it all. You shouldn’t be doing it all.
You aren’t gifted to do it all
• Ephesians 4:11-12 tells us our job is to equip God’s
people for works of service
• God has gifted others to lead in various areas…let them
• Offer training to those who have gifting and potential
• Learn to let go
• This isn’t about getting from point A to point B as fast as
you can. It’s about taking as many people with you as
possible on the journey. To do that you will need a team
Not making evangelism a priority
• Remind yourself continually that this is about a
relationship with Jesus first and foremost.
• You must lead by doing evangelism yourself. Tithe of
your time to invest in people who are far from God
• Don’t wait to focus on evangelism. If it isn’t a part of
the DNA at the beginning it will most likely never be a
priority
• You might not have the gift of evangelism, but you are
called to do the work of evangelism
• Teach your people how to love and care for others
• Remember that reaching those who have been far from
God is messy
• Teach your church how to share their personal stories of
faith
• Don’t stop doing the things that got you started
• You can’t build a strong church without seeing people
come to faith and grow in that faith
• Focus on holistic evangelism…we’re called not to make
converts, but disciples
• Make sure your church is ready for new believers
• Be intentional as a church about spending time with
those who don’t know Jesus yet. Get out and worship by
serving others, loving, and giving yourselves away
• Establish from the beginning a culture that places a
priority on others and not on meeting the needs of those
already there
• You can’t build a healthy church by “shuffling the
sheep.” The majority of growth should come from
people who are new to church
Not addressing the issue of money
• Don’t obsess about it, but talk about it early and often
• Realize right away that being a church planter means
you will also be a fund raiser.
• Don’t focus on tithing, but on sacrificial giving.
Someone making $500,000 a year is probably not living
sacrificially on $450,000
• Let people know what it takes to do church and live in
community
• Find someone to handle the finances as soon as possible.
• Build good systems for collecting, depositing, reporting,
budgeting, etc.
• You need to become self-supporting, so communicate
the need
• God has promised blessings surrounding how we handle
our resources…don’t let your people miss out on a
blessing God wants to give them
• Growing ministries will always see the needs outpace
resources
• New attenders don’t always give, teach them to give
• Realize that new people are rarely offended by money
talk. They know the church relies on gifts to operate.
Typically the people who are offended by money talk
are Christians who feel guilty because they know they
are not living into what God would have them do

• Make sure the church doesn’t miss a blessing by
honoring the church’s giving commitment to the
denomination and the conference.
• Model faithful giving as a church family. You can’t ask
individuals to give sacrificially if the church as a body is
unwilling to do the same
• Give and support missions from day one
• Pastors should never handle money…never ever
Letting mediocrity slip in
• Always bring in the best leadership for worship, etc. that
you can find
• Never compare your ministry with any other. You and
your church are unique…just as God intended
• Always evaluate everything with the eyes of a guest
• Never settle
• Buy the best equipment, training, and resources you can
afford
• Check yourself whenever you are tempted to just get
something done
• Remember that God expects our First Fruits
• God doesn’t ask us to be the best, but to give Him our
best
• Time is short. Go for it with a passion
Not creating ownership in the growing
church
• Cast vision, but let others help you develop the plan to
live into that vision
• Give away the parts of leadership you’re not gifted in
• Give responsibility and hold people accountable
• Ask frequently for feedback
• Go on retreat with your leaders to plan, pray and dream
• Invite the whole church to dream with you, plan, and
reach out
Stafﬁng without a careful plan
• Don’t hire staff when volunteers can do the job…you
steal an opportunity for someone to serve.
• Be careful in handing out titles. Not everyone is ready
for leadership. Give people tasks not titles until they
prove themselves ready to lead.
• Be a church filled with grace by allowing people to try
ministry positions and move on if they find it to be a
bad fit.
• Never place people who are deeply wounded in any
position of leadership.
• Always set clear time limits on positions of volunteer
leadership
• In key areas, hire the best person you can find. Spend
as much as necessary to hire people more gifted than
you
• Hire generalists first and then specialists as growth and
finances allow
• As one pastor wrote, “Hire slowly, fire quickly.” Don’t
allow a bad fit to become a divisive situation. Lovingly
confront, correct, and if necessary let them go
Not asking for Commitments
• Don’t be afraid to ask people to join you
• Ask for big commitments. Become a high-commitment
church
• Invite people to dream big dreams and walk with you on
a God sized adventure
• Get people used to taking a “leap of faith.”
• Write budgets that are only possible if everyone steps
out in faith
• Focus on what God can do, not what you can’t
• “You have not, because you ask not.”
Forgetting the Mission
• Build intention from the beginning for your church to
plant more churches. Set time frames and stick to them
• See the needs around you and find ways to meet some
• Compassion, mercy and justice are not optional. “Good
deeds result in good will that will open up the
opportunity to share Good News.” Ray Johnston
• Meet the community, visit local government, schools,
police, fire departments and drop in on local business
leaders. Find out what the needs are in your community
and then select a couple that God has uniquely
equipped your church to meet
• Be an active part of your community. If your church
were to close would anyone grieve?
Allowing breakdown in communication
• Share what God is doing constantly
• Celebrate what God is doing each week
• Provide regular forums for people to input and be heard
• Make sure that as a pastor you never isolate yourself
from the voices of your congregation
• Recognize volunteers often and publicly
• Meet often, not to conduct business, but to talk and
share what God is doing, how He’s leading, and what
others are hearing from Him
• Share stories of what God is doing with the local media.
• Create a way to dialogue with your leadership on a
regular basis (at least once a week)
• Communicate frequently with the local schools, local
government, the Chamber of Commerce, Service clubs,
etc. and see if you can partner with them on projects
Not celebrating the wins
• Publicly celebrate every time a life is impacted
• Find time to celebrate as a staff
• Publicly recognize your volunteers and do it often
• Have fun! Play together
• Be the church where good things are celebrated
• Look for the God-cidents that happen every day
• Give God the glory every day
Losing ﬂexibility
• Remind everyone frequently to hold things loosely.
• Create space for new people to move into ministries
• Take calculated risks. If it works do more of it. If it
fails, never do it again. Remind everyone frequently
that we are not writing on stone tablets
• It only takes a short time for people to say, “But we
didn’t do it that way last week.” Avoid letting, “the
cement to set up too quickly”. Change is the currency of
church planting

• Mix things up regularly. Trying to find the best way to
do what you are called to do can take time and some
experimentation
• Create a culture that encourages everyone to try serving
in various ministries, and extends grace to move from
one thing to another if a particular ministry is a bad fit
Having inadequate equipment
• Buy the best equipment you can afford. Never skimp on
microphones, speakers and other sound gear
• Broken, dirty, or unsafe toys will tell parents you are not
ready to care for their kids
• You will lose sound tech after sound tech if they have to
fight the equipment each week
• Worship done well is invisible, but if the equipment
fights you and creates distractions it will pull everyone
out of worship
• People love good coffee, so get good gear for your
hospitality team
Moving into the wrong space
• As realtors are fond of saying, “the 3 most important
things are location, location, and location.” A good
space can really help and a bad location can really stifle
your ministry
• You need a space you can grow in. Starting in too small
a space will force you to move early, and when you move
you risk losing people on the journey
• You must have space that is safe, adequately sized, and
accessible for your children’s ministry
• Worship space should have decent acoustics, adequate
seating, and allow for simple set-up and tear-down
• Adequate parking is a must as you look at space
• Space that is “neutral” to those who will attend will
definitely help. This is why schools often are good
locations
• Make sure the building you rent is in the area you are
called to do ministry
• A space that is cold in the winter and hot in the summer
will not allow people to settle into worship
• Forgo a really “cool” space for one that is functional
• A bad landlord can make even the most attractive space
unmanageable
• A space with onsite storage is a huge bonus
Not understanding your mission ﬁeld
• Do your homework and know the neighborhood or
community you feel called to plant in
• Get good demographic data that will either confirm
your dream or cause you to look at another area
• Utilize a community needs analysis tool to affirm what
the demographics are telling you
• Find out what other ministries, non-profits, or churches
are already doing in your area. Don’t duplicate
ministries if someone is already doing it well. Partner
with them if you feel called to address that particular
issue or meet that particular need
• Contextualize everything. Every neighborhood or
community is unique
• Avoid trying to copy another church. Imitation may be
the most sincere form of flattery, but it can be death to a
ministry. Make sure you do the hard work of
discovering who you are and what God wants to do
through you
Not being coachable or teachable
• Pride cometh before the fall
• Your coach or DCP has experience that you need
• Listen to the voice of other planters, mentors, and your
spouse as you make decisions. God often speaks
through others
• Don’t isolate yourself. Take advantage of cohorts,
training, and other opportunities to hear more about
what others have learned
• Become a life-long learner. You are not so smart that
you don’t need to keep growing
• Surround yourself with wise council
Making poor decisions in structuring
the new church
• NOT BUILDING ADEQUATE PRAYER SUPPORT!
• Trying to plant in the wrong location. Just because you
have a passion for a neighborhood or community
doesn’t make it the right place to plant
• Picking a church name that is overly cryptic, or that
communicates something you weren’t really trying to
communicate. Don’t try to be too cute. It’s better to
be clear rather than clever
• Using overly churchy language as you try to reach out.
The Christian community has its own sub-culture and
language that most people don’t understand, so don’t
use it
• Not having adequate children’s ministry from the
beginning
• Not placing adequate emphasis on evangelism
• Placing the wrong people in leadership. Go slow…and
be careful who you entrust with leading this new baby
church
• Expecting your coach to do things for you. You were
called to plant, your coach is called to coach you as you
walk through the process
• Developing a vision that appeals only to people who are
already believers
• Trying to be just like some other church. Imitation may
be the most sincere form of flattery, but in church
planting its suicide. Be who God is calling you to be
• Not understanding the people you’re trying to reach
• You can’t reach everyone, so know who it is you can best
reach and then go for it
• Not dealing with conflict
• Trying to be too edgy or innovative. This may seem
“cool”, but it will make things unnecessarily complicated
• Too much time planning and not enough time doing
• Trying to start too small or without adequate resources
• Having the lead pastor not commit adequate time to the
new church during development
• Avoiding these mistakes can simplify new church
development and may allow you to be a part of a
healthy, thriving new church plant. Don’t neglect the
details. God has called you to lead, pastor…so lead

Potential New
Church Timeline
Mike Brown, DCP
Northwest Conference
October-December
Pre-Assessment is happening
January-May
Church planting pastor is recommended
by assessment center.
• Pastor attends a church planting training
event
• Pastor begins meeting with the NW
Conference Director of Church Planting to
develop a “well-conceived project.”
• Continue to develop parenting/partnering
churches
• Fund raising is happening
• Church name is selected and plan created
• Mission, Vision and values statements are
created
• Analysis is done of the area where the
planting will happen
May-June:
Planting Pastor signs a Covenant
Agreement.
• Legal documents are submitted by the NWC
• Initial financial procedures are put in place
with The Counting House and the NWC
• Liability insurance is obtained with the help
of the NWC
• Pastor’s insurance, Covenant Orientation,
and Pension are set-up with the help of the
NWC office
June
Intercessory Prayer team is developing.
• Create monthly prayer update for
intercessory prayer team and your parent
church
• Logo design, website, and printed resources
are happening
• Developing community engagement strategy
• Begin Launch Team Development
• Continue to recruit launch team from within
and without the parent church
• Launch team begins to meet on Sunday
afternoon or evenings
• Begin site search (if not already underway)
• Gathering events begin
• Focus on personal evangelism/justice
ministries begins
• Begin serving the community
• Office space may be found, if needed
July
Gathering events continue.
• Prayer team and leaders prayer walk the
community
• Launch team development continues
• Agenda harmony issues are addressed
• Ministry teams begin to form and plan for
public worship
• Pastoral Advisory Team is formed
• Pastor and key leaders host vision desserts
• Create opportunities for service in the
community
• Begin to purchase/acquire all the equipment
and resources needed for public worship
gatherings
August
Vision casting continues.
• Prayer ministry continues to meet and new
people are recruited.
• Some communication pieces are in place to
get into the hands of launch team members.
• Secure meeting space if this hasn’t already
happened
• Continue launch team development
• Keep building ministry teams and preparing
for public worship
• Agenda harmony work continues
• Continue to fill the calendar with gathering
and serving events
• Finalize equipment purchases
PAGE 109! ! POTENTIAL NEW CHURCH TIMELINE

September
First preview worship service is held.
(mid--late Sept)
• Prayer ministry is reinforced.
• Gathering events continue.
• Work networks.
• Assimilate new people into launch team.
• Ministry teams are refined, trained, and
equipped.
• Team is visiting other church plants on the
weeks when public worship is not happening.
• The goal is to double the size of the launch
team in the next 3 months.
• Good financial and reporting systems are
developed.
October
Second preview worship service is held.
• Work networks.
equipped.
November
Third preview worship service is held.
• Work networks.
equipped in preparation for weekly worship.
December–February
Church transitions to an every week
worship schedule.
• Prayer continues to be a priority.
• The Goal is to increase to 110 or more in
worship.
• Launch team is preparing for G.O. (Grand
Opening) phase.
• Key ministry areas continue to recruit, train,
and equip new volunteers. Ministry teams
refine and improve the quality of what they
are doing.
• Part-time and full-time staff are recruited and
trained.
• Assimilation continues.
• Launch team volunteers are honored.
March–May
Grand Opening, Going Public or Launch.
• Prayer remains a key priority.
• Every week worship schedule continues.
• Some marketing or broader communication
is used to let the community or neighborhood
know that you are there.
• Assimilation of new attenders is in high gear.
• Small groups are working to connect people.
• Ministry teams are working well and
recruiting new people.
• Pastoral Advisory team is meeting regularly.
• A continued emphasis is placed on
communicating the vision, mission and
values.
• Focus is made on spiritual growth.
• Identify new leaders.
• Develop stewardship models.
• Pastoral Advisory Team assumes the
governance role of the church.
PAGE 110! ! POTENTIAL NEW CHURCH TIMELINE

This list will vary wildly depending on the context
and style of your worship gatherings, the location
you meet at, and the size of the group you hope
to reach. This list is a rather general list of the
items most new churches will need to get started.
Trailer: $5,000
• This is dependent on the amount of
equipment and the storage available at the
meeting site.
• Be sure to buy a trailer large enough for
growth (at least 16 ft. long)
• Lettering for trailer
• Carts or crates on wheels to haul, and safely
store, equipment
Sound Gear: $10,000-15,000
• Speakers (buy the best you can afford to get)
• One lapel microphone and at least 4 corded
microphones ( don’t skimp here either, but
good quality mics can be purchased at
reasonable prices)
• Drum mic
• Guitar pickups
• CD player/recorder
• Equalizer
• Ampliﬁer (unless the speakers have built in
amps)
• Portable cabinet or rack for the components
• Subwoofer
• Power conditioner
• Digital recording device
• Cables (mics and speaker)
• Snake (not for “handling” :)
• Speaker stands
• Lots of extension cords and power strips.
• Mixer and a case to transport it in.
• Monitors (4)
• Cases or storage tubs for all the smaller gear
• Folding tables or carts to operate from
• Table covers
• Recording equipment
• Label making equipment
Worship Equipment: $4,500
• Drum kit (electronic or acoustic)
• Cases for drums
• Keyboard (buy a professional quality
instrument) and storage case.
• Cables for keyboard and other instruments
• Mic stands (4)
• Music stands
• Stools for the musicians and pastor
• Totes or bags to carry stands, cables, etc.
• Duct tape (buy it by the case)
• Batteries for the mics and other equipment
(get rechargeable)
• Plastic storage tubs are the cheapest storage
device
• Communion serving cups, plates, cloths,etc.
• Bibles
Instruments: $5,000
• Most musicians will provide their own, but
the church may need to purchase the drums
and keyboard.
PAGE 111! ! EQUIPMENT NEEDS FOR PUBLIC WORSHIP
Equipment Needs for Public Worship
Mike Brown, DCP Northwest Conference

Worship Space: $3,000
• Drapes and poles used by rental stores for
conventions can be purchased and will help
create both backdrops and also help close a
large space and make it more intimate until
the church grows into the bigger space. The
drapes, plates and poles can simply be pushed
out to enlarge the worship space.
• Artiﬁcial plants (the more of these the better).
They are great for hiding cords, and creating
more warmth in an otherwise sterile space
like a school gym.
• Additional lighting depending on the space
rented.
• Lightweight pulpit or music stand for the
pastor
• Table to use for communion and baptisms
• Portable Baptistry
(www.portablebaptistry.com)
• Chairs (depending on how many are available
where you’re meeting)
Video Equipment:
$7,500-10,000
• Video Projector (buy the most powerful
projector budget will allow or it will look
washed out in spaces where there is no
control over the lighting)
• Video screen (fully portable screens of all
sizes are available through companies like
Shepherd Ministries)
• Extension Cords
• A cart to operate the projector from.
• Software to create video presentations
• Laptop computer dedicated solely to the
visual arts
• DVD player for use when showing movie clips
or short videos the church may create.
• Video cameras
• Video editing software & equipment
• Plastic storage tubs, or professional crates
Hospitality Ministry: $2,500
• 2 large coffee makers and a bunch of air pots
• Large cold beverage cooler or pitchers
• Cold drink cups
• Coffee cups and lids (can be purchased at
“Warehouse Clubs”)
• Good coffee
• Napkins, stir sticks, sugar packets, creamer,
etc.
• Coffee bar sign
• Folding tables and table cloths
• Information Center tables and table covers
• Literature stands
• Brochures
• Storage tubs
• Signs identifying bathrooms, nursery, Sunday
school rooms, worship space, etc.
• Velcro, hooks or easels to hold signs
• Ladder to hang signs
• Exterior signs and banners
• Parking lot signs
• Umbrellas for parking lot greeters
• Name tags and pens
• Communion bags or plates
• Name tags and pens
• 1st time guest gift bags (post-it pads, magnets,
a New Testament)
• Extension cords and power strips
• Labels
• Cookies, bagels, etc

Nursery & Children’s Ministry:
$2,000
• Changing table
• Portable rocking chairs
• Diapers and wipes
• Cleaning supplies (disinfectant wipes for toys
and surfaces)
• Disposable gloves
• Bags to dispose of dirty diapers
• Kleenex
• Juice, crackers, cheerios, etc.
• Age appropriate toys
• A porta-crib or two
• Blankets and sheets for crib
• Baby seats and chairs
• Small tables and chairs
• Rolls of carpet if the floors are tile
• Doorway security gate
• Baby swing
• Table for checking in babies
• Pagers for parents of infants in nursery
• Name tags for nursery children with tear off
numbered tag for parents
• Sign-in sheets for parents of infants to list any
special needs children might have.
• Name tags for staff on lanyards
• First aid kit
• Rolls of drawing paper
• Magazines
• Blocks
• Play doh
• A vacuum
• CD player and CD’s of children’s music
• Plastic bags
• Storage tubs
• Rocking chair
• Curriculum for children’s ministry
• TV, DVD player and cart
• Videos (veggie tales or similar content)
• Tables
• Small chairs for children
• Water container for drinks
• Classroom supplies (crayons, colored paper,
glitter (if you feel daring), glue sticks, tape,
hole punch, etc.)
• Puppets and stage
• Musical instruments (maracas, tambourines,
bells, etc.Information Center: $1,500
• Tables
• Table covers
• Brochures
• Pens
• Extra Bibles
• Children’s worship bulletins
• Busy bags for younger children
• Response cards
• Gift bags for guests
• Guest packets
• Map of the facility
• Devotionals
• Extra newsletters
• Announcements and sign-ups for upcoming
events.
Education Ministry: $1,500
• Curriculum for children and adults
• TV, DVD player, cords, carts
• White boards, markers
• Extension cords
• CD player and music CD’s, MP3 player
• SEE NURSERY AND CHILDREN’S
MINISTRY LIST
Total Estimated Cost for
Start of Public Worship:
$42,500 - $50,000
(This figure does not include facility rental,
insurance, staffing, lighting, or storage costs)

Book & Resource Recommendations
Some of the best. Highly recommended by DCPs. Rough categories, lots of overlap
Church Planting
• Viral Churches: Helping Church Planters Become Movement Makers, Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird
• Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement, Dave Ferguson
and Jon Ferguson
• Church Planting Landmines, Rohrmayer
• Planting Fast-Growing Churches, by Stephen Gray
Congregational Vitality & Ministry Models
• Transformational Church: Creating a New Scorecard for Congregations, Thom Rainer, Ed Stetzer
• Building a Healthy Multi-Ethnic Church: Mandate, Mark Deymaz
• Hybrid Church, Dave Browning
• Deliberate Simplicity: A New Equation for Church Development, Dave Browning
Missional-Incarnational Ministry
• The Permanent Revolution: Apostolic Imagination and Practice for the 21st Century Church,
Alan Hirsch and Tim Catchim
• Resources from Mike Breen & 3DM (www.weare3dm.com), such as Building a Discipling Culture
and Multiplying Missional Leaders
• AND: The Gathered and Scattered Church, Hugh Halter & Matt Smay
• On the Verge: A Journey Into the Apostolic Future of the Church, Alan Hirsch and Dave Ferguson
Leadership
• Cracking Your Church's Culture Code, Samuel Chand
• Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership, Ruth Haley Barton
• Journeys to Significance: Charting a Leadership Course from the Life of Paul, Neil Cole
• Influencer: The Power to Change Anything [notes: bit.ly/influencernotes]
• Crucial Conversations: Tools for Talking When Stakes Are High,
Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan, Al Switzler [notes: bit.ly/crucialconversationsnotes]
• Blue Ocean Strategy, W. Chan Kim and Renee Mauborgne [notes: bit.ly/blueoceannotes]
Coaching
• TransforMissional Coaching: Empowering Leaders in a Changing Ministry World, Steve Ogne
• The COACH Model for Christian Leaders: Powerful Leadership Skills to Solve Problems, Reach
Goals, and Develop Others, Keith E. Webb
Financial Stewardship
• Funding Your Ministry, Chris Morton
• Not Your Parents' Offering Plate, J. Clif Christopher [notes: bit.ly/notyourparentsofferingplatenotes]
• The Total Money Makeover, Dave Ramsey (+ Financial Peace University, www.daveramsey.com/fpu)
PAGE 114! ! RECOMMENDED BOOKS

Web Resources
www.ChurchPlantingWiki.com
• simple resource site compiled by DCPs across the Covenant - ain’t pretty, but tons of good content!
• Search here ﬁrst. Includes entire Church Planting Resource Manual from former Training Center.
Conference Resources (available to anyone)
• East Coast Conference: www.jasoncondon.com/search/label/churchplanting
• Northwest Conference: nwc-cov.org/church-planting/about-us-our-church-plants
and nwc-cov.org/church-planting/resources-links
• Great Lakes Conference: greatlakes.cc/index.php/church_planting
Covenant Resources
• CovChurch.org - denominational website
• www.LeadershipStool.com - created by Dave Olson. Every church plant will receive codes to utilize a
special online testing tool for lead pastor, staff, and teams
www.ChurchMetrics.com
• created by LifeChurch.tv, an Evangelical Covenant Church, free for any church
• easily collect, track, and visualize key missional metrics (some Conferences are starting to use this as
part of monthly reporting)
Church Management Systems (each have online tours and webinars before purchase)
• Church Community Builder (churchcommunitybuilder.com/church-plants) - simple, powerful,
well-loved by plants on ECConf (some switched from The City to this)
• The City (www.onthecity.org) - social-media-like, simple, mixed reviews from plants on ECConf
• FellowshipOne (www.fellowshipone.com) - robust, powerhouse, complex, user-friendliness improving
Worship Presentation Software (each available for both Mac and PC)
• ProclaimOnline.com: slick, cloud-based, app integration, simple and elegant
• ProPresenter.com: serious powerhouse, can start small and keep adding more advanced features
• MediaShout.com: long-time PC standard, recently updated for Mac, decent but “Windows feel”
Note on PowerPoint & Keynote: sometimes all you got, but usually best to avoid “business presentation” software in a worship
setting (especially PowerPoint) for a more user-friendly experience for your volunteers and higher quality experience for the congregation
Hosting & Sharing Online Content:
You’ll put a lot of effort into creating great content (messages, media, classes, etc.) Don’t use it once and
“toss it!” Put Your Content Online. Provides everywhere/always access, gives content longer shelf-
life. A “best practice” for better resourcing your people & leaders and blessing other churches & pastors.
• Docs/Files: drive.google.com, dropbox.com, slideshare.net, box.net, archive.org (good App a bonus)
• Posting Options: Facebook, Twitter, own blog, etc., with a short description or full write-up, with
organized links to relevant resources and ﬁles (www.bit.ly good service for url shortening)
• Example: www.jasoncondon.com/2012/03/launch-teams-training-march-2012.html - a blog post
with linked Facebook photos, embedded Slideshare for slides and handout, embedded Archive.org
player for audio, embedded Flickr in sidebar (poke around blog/website for even more examples)
PAGE 115! ! ONLINE RESOURCES

Top Tens!
Top Ten Church Planting Maxims
10. You will be broken
9. Plant behind the plow. Prayer is the plow.
8. People are “polite” (*cough* lie) - don’t believe them :-)
7. 75 is the enemy
6. You can’t plant from behind a desk (or computer screen!)
5. There’s no magic bullet
4. God is in the vision – the devil is in the details
(so don’t ignore the details and derail the vision)
3. Its the relational – not the technical
2. Isolation kills – connection gives life
1. It’s a God thing!
Reflection: Which of these maxims are hardest for you to embrace? Most encouraging?
Top Ten Reasons for Starting New Churches
1. New churches needed because vast majority of Americans don’t attend church
2. New churches are more effective at conversion growth
3. New churches are the only truly effective way
to reach the growing ethnic populations in America
4. New churches are needed to stem tide of
ideological moral erosion in America
5. New churches have historically been the best method
for reaching each emerging new generation
6. New churches give a group of connected churches
“market share” and greater influence in their community
7. New churches grow exponentially faster than established churches
8. New churches are a test laboratory for church leadership development
9. New churches are the research & development unit of God’s Kingdom
10. New churches provide excellent on-the-job training for energetic young pastors
Reflection: Which of these reasons resonates most with you?
PAGE 116! ! TOP TEN LISTS

NOTES:
PAGE 117! ! BACK PAGE :)

Workbook: Church Planter Training Intensive, Chicago, March 12-17, 2014

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Workbook: Church Planter Training Intensive, Chicago, March 12-17, 2014