|
Rob Lee,
Utah-Idaho, and chairman of the Church Planting Workgroup gave
the following report:
State Sunday School
Directors Church Planting Group Report
Update on
what NAMB and Lifeway are doing related to Church Planting
handouts.
NAMB is
hiring a person to help church plants become healthy and are
discussing staying with them for up to six years. This leads to
the question when does a church plant become a church?
California has seen a great increase in the survivability of
church plants since the Church Health Group and Church Planting
Group have started to work together.
Nevada hears about church plants late in the process and usually
after the plant has happened.
Discussion
on how do we get involved in the Church planting process. The
key is where there is money those are involved in the process
and at the table. Church Development/State Sunday School people
use to be at the table when Lifeway gave us new starts funds.
Montana, Nevada, Utah-Idaho were at the table then. We would
like for Lifeway to reconsider this support that David laird was
a part of implementing in early 90’s. They also had excellent
Outreach Bible study materials that were used.
Lifeway
will have a church planting person in the pastoral Ministries
department this October. Lifeway is very excited about getting
involved in church plants and everyone is talking about it.
Coming out of West Regions SUMMIT in Phoenix Lifeway went back
having heard that Church Planting is critical to the health of
emerging regions.
NAMB has
leader training and mentors for Church Planters but there is no
talk about having quality Bible teaching. This has also lead to
the issue that the Leadership development has used a corporate
model of leadership instead of developing Pastors.
How do we
get Church Planters to see Church Health is a need from Day
One? We need to see models that are still working with Sunday
School in the DNA to help show the principles still work. The
key in the Dakota’s is that the church plant has to have a
Discipleship Process in their ministry plan otherwise the
convention will not support the start. We also need to raise up
and train bivocational pastors that are indigenous.
Must
have Peace Making, Bible Study, and Discipleship Training to
cause a church plant to survive. We must own the church planters (spend) time with the planter form day
one, mentor church planters under a healthy pastor for a period
of time.
Who are
church planters? They don’t have training to do a healthy
church plant from just a few classes at seminary. Many times
these are the folks who couldn’t get a church position so they
turn to church planting. They need practical training.
We must
build a support system/network for Church Planters with the
focus on Church health (Discipleship and Bible Study).
Discipleship is the key to survival and must be put into the
DNA. Develop Pastor/mentors, Church development, partner whole
church to church plant, clustering retired ministers to start a
church (Lifeway retired folks are a great potential to help in
this area).
Basic
requirements/covenant with church plants at day one
Set down
with State Director of Missions/Church Planter to put process
together, get Associational Director of Missions on board with
process, Go see every church planter on the field, and have a
new pastor & Church planters orientation for your convention and
make sure you are a part of this. Relationships are key.
Attendance
was all emerging region folks and Rich Murrell from Lifeway.
|
