New Church Development Committee

New Church Development Committee
Attendance and membership trends in United Methodist Churches have been on the decline for several years. One reason for this decline has been that we have not been planting new churches effectively during these same years. The ministry of planting a new church calls for specialized skills and personality traits as well as specialized training. For these reasons, the New Church Development Committee decided in 2006 to establish the Academy for New Church Start Pastors.

Purpose

The purpose of the Academy has two elements:

1) To provide discernment experiences for pastors who are considering this ministry

2) To provide training and practice in doing core activities involved in starting new churches

The Academy Plan

1. Application: The Academy is a key part of a larger process designed to select and prepare pastors to plant new churches. Applications for the Academy are accepted during the spring of each year (see Application to the Academy). The New Church Development Committee reviews the applications and selects candidates best to participate. Acceptance to participate in the Academy is not a promise or guarantee of appointment to start a new church, nor does it obligate the applicant to request such an appointment.

2. Curriculum:

            School of Congregational Development – a national event sponsored by the General
             Board of Discipleship, usually scheduled in late July or early August. Information is
             available at their website:  www.scdumc.org

Academy participants will engage in one of the Church Planting tracks. Transportation,
registration, lodging and meal expenses are paid by the Academy.

            Fall Session – a four day event focusing on hearing from experienced church planters
            and application of discernment tools. (Usually scheduled late October or early
            November)

Winter Session – a four day event focusing on strategic planning, skill development
and discernment. (Usually scheduled late January or early February)

            Feedback – during the winter session, individual interviews are conducted with each
            participant to explore their sense of calling to church planting and to provide feedback
            from Academy leaders.

3. Recommendations to Cabinet – The Academy leadership sends a written recommendation to the cabinet re. their assessment of each participant. Recommendations may be one of three options: 1) Ready for appointment now, 2) Not ready now, but could be in the future or 3) Not recommended for appointment to a new church start.

New Church Site Selection

There is a separate and parallel process for selecting potential new church start sites. Anyone seeking to start a new church in a specific community can complete the New Church Opportunity Worksheet and submit it to the New Church Development Committee for consideration. Each year potential new church sites will be evaluated and the New Church Development Committee will recommend the best sites to the Cabinet for appointment of approved candidates.

Appointment – The Bishop makes all appointments to new church planting opportunities during the spring appointment making season.

Boot Camp - Following notification of appointment, pastors who will be planting new churches will be scheduled to attend a “Boot Camp” for one week at a location approved by the New Church Development Committee.

Pre-Launch Ministry Plan – Following the Boot Camp experience, the planter will begin preparing a ministry plan. In that process, a Coach will be selected and an Accountability Team will be formed to provide support for the pastor. The Ministry Plan will be submitted to the New Church Development Committee for approval. Development Benchmarks are a key element of this plan. The format for this Ministry Plan can be found in another segment of this website.

On Going Support – Using the Ministry Plan and the Development Benchmarks, a representative from the New Church Development Committee will serve as a part of the Accountability Team and meet on a regular basis with the launch team. At each subsequent meeting of the New Church Development Committee, this representative will update the committee on progress with the new church. Financial support for the new church will be determined based on the needs of the church and the policy guidelines of the committee.

Chartering – The new church will continue this relationship with the New Church Development Committee until it is ready for chartering.

For further information:

Academy: Stan Barkey - phone: (408-996-3133) or email: stan@stanbarkey.com

Committee: Vickie Healy – phone: (559-224-1947) or email:
vickiehealy@wesleyfresno.com

Staff: Ted Virts – phone: (916-374-1501) or email: virts@pacbell.net

LINKS TO RESOURCES:

APPLICATION for the Academy for Church Start Pastors
New Church Opportunity Worksheet
Creating New Churches Presentation
(For a powerpoint presentation, please contact Dina Stenwick at dinas@calnevumc.org.)