May 2008

Last month, in the ARP magazine, I wrote about finding new mission developers.  But once we find mission developers, how do we train them for the demanding task of starting a new ARP congregation? 

In most cases, the first step is assignment to a church planting residency or internship.  Ministers who have never planted a church before are expected to do a year of internship or residency.  We also advise a potential church planter who is brand new to the ARP to do a residency, even if he has church planting experience, in order to become better grounded in the ARP and to build relationships within the ARP.   

The difference between an internship and a residency is that a resident is an experienced minister who needs further preparation related to church planting, or is an experienced minister who needs to become better grounded in the ARP.  An intern is someone who needs general ministry experience, as well as preparation for church planting. 

A presbytery will work with a potential intern or resident to develop a proposal for the internship/residency.  This proposal will include agreement on a mentor assignment and mentoring expectations.  It will also include a learning contract.  During the internship/residency year, the intern/resident will work to prepare the foundation for the future church plant and will develop and refine a church plant proposal. 

A next step in training a mission developer is to attend the Global Church Advancement Church Planting Foundations Track.  The Foundations Track is three days of training that includes the following training modules:  Vision, Calling, Focus, Prayer, Learning, Philosophy, Purpose, Values, Styles, Ministry Model, Discipleship Model, Planting Model, Finances, Ministry Plan, and The Main Thing.  

Once the mission developer is on the field to begin developing the new mission congregation, we continue with on-the-job training (OJT).  The OJT includes: an annual retreat for mission developers and their families in January, assignment to a coach who will come alongside to ask questions and to encourage the mission developer, and, if possible, linking the mission developer to a New Church Network of other mission developers. 

Outreach North America provides training resources, but the Presbytery is ultimately responsible to make sure that each of its mission developers is adequately trained and supported.

Outreach North America is putting emphasis on two things this fall: 1) forming a regional new church network, and 2) getting strong ARP participation at the From Embers to a Flame conference on November 2–4 at Back Creek ARP Church in Charlotte.
On August 17 we had 95 people in attendance for the planning summit to form our initial regional new church network, a network for the Carolinas and Virginia. This might be a record number of ARPs gathered in one room for a day to talk about church planting.
Our main speaker for the summit was Dr. Steve Childers of Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando. He was assisted by Rod Entrekin, a church planting coach and consultant. They emphasized the involvement of laity as well as clergy in this network, which will serve as a tool for presbyteries to help encourage church planting and renewal.
According to Childers, “A clergy centered network will never become a movement.” We are praying for a grassroots movement for church planting that will mobilize the laity and help people dream of a spiritual awakening throughout a whole region.
We got great feedback on this planning meeting. One participant said, “When do we start!”
Our second major emphasis this fall is getting strong ARP participation at the From Embers to a Flame conference in Charlotte. Our goal is to have over 200 ARPs in attendance. Just like the volume of water is important when you want to take a refreshing shower, so the volume of ARPs learning and praying together about church renewal is important as we seek to create a favorable environment for widespread renewal. May we cry out to God for renewal, “Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down” (Isaiah 64:1).