| CHURCH PLANTER'S TOOLKIT | ||||||||||
| Date Completed | Action Item | |||||||||
| Chapter 1: Perspectives on Church Planting | ||||||||||
| 1 | I have spent much time (10+ hours) in uninterrupted thought and prayer to | |||||||||
| hear God's call and direction for my ministry. | ||||||||||
| 2 | I am convinced that God is leading me to play a very significant role in the | |||||||||
| planting of a church. | ||||||||||
| 3 | I have a clear sense of direction regarding how and where God wants me | |||||||||
| to be involved in church planting. | ||||||||||
| 4 | I understand and affirm my motivations for church planting. | |||||||||
| 5 | My call to church planting is balanced with my personal responsibilities. | |||||||||
| 6 | I understand the four basic reasons to start new churches. | |||||||||
| 7 | I am prepared to respond to the common objections to church planting. | |||||||||
| 8 | I have a clear understanding of church growth principles. | |||||||||
| 9 | I am thoroughly familiar with the life cycle model of church planting. | |||||||||
| Chapter 2: Verifying Roles & Mobilizing Your Team | ||||||||||
| 1 | I have completed a church planter's assessment. | |||||||||
| 2 | Someone else has assessed me for church planting. | |||||||||
| 3 | I have identified my primary ministry strengths and weaknesses. | |||||||||
| 4 | I have confirmed my role as the planter, a partner, or a team member. | |||||||||
| 5 | I have determined my primary roles and responsibilities, identifying the | |||||||||
| roles that need to be filled by others. | ||||||||||
| 6 | I have recruited partners or team members to minister in each of the | |||||||||
| primary roles. | ||||||||||
| 7 | I have mobilized an intercession team to pray regularly for the new church. | |||||||||
| Chapter 3: Clarifying Your Church Planting Vision | ||||||||||
| 1 | I have incorporated extended times for reflection and prayer. | |||||||||
| 2 | I have thoughtfully articulated my vision in writing. | |||||||||
| 3 | I have shared my vision with a network of colleagues and mentors who will | |||||||||
| challenge and encourage me. | ||||||||||
| 4 | I have completed the "Core Values Worksheet" and can articulate 5 - 10 | |||||||||
| specific core values for my church. | ||||||||||
| 5 | I have completed a demographic study and have developed a specific | |||||||||
| description of my ministry focus group. | ||||||||||
| 6 | I have walked the community listening to people and observing needs. | |||||||||
| 7 | I have developed a specific mission statement, including 3 - 5 key ministry | |||||||||
| areas for the church. | ||||||||||
| 8 | I have developed a vision statement, including general and specific goals | |||||||||
| for ministry. | ||||||||||
| 9 | I have determined my critical success indicators to measure effectiveness. | |||||||||
| 10 | I have designed a specific ministry model using a flow chart. | |||||||||
| Chapter 4: Developing Your Church Planting Strategy | ||||||||||
| 1 | I have thought through and can describe our church's style of ministry. | |||||||||
| 2 | I can list 50 reasons why people should be involved with our church. | |||||||||
| 3 | I have selected an appropriate church name. | |||||||||
| 4 | I have determined our church planting method(s). | |||||||||
| 5 | I have developed a strategic action plan. | |||||||||
| 6 | I have completed the reality checks. | |||||||||
| 7 | I have developed a written church planting proposal and received permission | |||||||||
| to proceed with the project. | ||||||||||
| Chapter 5: Evangelism & Core Group Formation | ||||||||||
| 1 | I have evaluated the various strategies for core formation. | |||||||||
| 2 | I have developed a strategy for core formation that is well suited to my | |||||||||
| community and my personal style. | ||||||||||
| 3 | I understand and am prepared for agenda harmony issues. | |||||||||
| 4 | I have confirmed my personal commitment to evangelize the unchurched | |||||||||
| and made it a high priority in my life and calendar (50% of ministry time). | ||||||||||
| 5 | I have begun a tracking system for my emerging core group and contacts. | |||||||||
| Chapter 6: Facilities, Finances & Organization Issues. | ||||||||||
| 1 | I have selected the best meeting location available to me. | |||||||||
| 2 | I have ensured that there is adequate parking and children's ministry space. | |||||||||
| 3 | I have completed a start-up budget and cash flow analysis. | |||||||||
| 4 | I have arranged adequate funding. | |||||||||
| 5 | I have implemented effective financial policies, procedures and tracking | |||||||||
| systems. | ||||||||||
| 6 | I have addressed the organizational matters including incorporation, | |||||||||
| affiliation, and bylaws. | ||||||||||
| 7 | I have determined initial leadership structures. | |||||||||
| Chapter 7: Getting Your Ministries Ready for Birth | ||||||||||
| 1 | We have determined our initial evangelistic activities. | |||||||||
| 2 | We have designed an assimilation system and mobilized workers for visitor | |||||||||
| follow-up. | ||||||||||
| 3 | We have designed a newcomer's class or orientation. | |||||||||
| 4 | We have carefully designed a children's ministry strategy that is consistent | |||||||||
| with our philosophy of ministry. | ||||||||||
| 5 | We have mobilized an adequate children's ministry team. | |||||||||
| 6 | We have provided adequate facilities and resources for children's ministry. | |||||||||
| 7 | We have assessed the need and determined a short-term strategy for | |||||||||
| youth ministry. | ||||||||||
| 8 | We have developed a launch team for each essential ministry area, | |||||||||
| including small groups. | ||||||||||
| Chapter 8: Dynamic Worship that's Seeker-Sensitive | ||||||||||
| 1 | I have cultivated my personal worship. | |||||||||
| 2 | We have determined the level of seeker-sensitivity. | |||||||||
| 3 | We have clarified a style of worship suited to our ministry focus group. | |||||||||
| 4 | We have developed a worship team. | |||||||||
| 5 | We have regularly involved the worship team in planning. | |||||||||
| 6 | We have a regular worship rehearsal. | |||||||||
| 7 | Our worship is both celebrative and reflective. | |||||||||
| 8 | We continually evaluate our worship effectiveness. | |||||||||
| Chapter 9: Expanding Networks of Cell Groups | ||||||||||
| 1 | We are commited to building a cell-based church. | |||||||||
| 2 | We understand the philosophy and organization of the cell-based church. | |||||||||
| 3 | I have determined the number of groups, leaders, and apprentices needed | |||||||||
| for the first year. | ||||||||||
| 4 | I am committed to equipping and empowering cell group leaders. | |||||||||
| 5 | We have prioritized the types of groups we will start. | |||||||||
| 6 | I have surveyed the resources available and can make recommendations | |||||||||
| as needed. | ||||||||||
| 7 | We have determined an appropriate leadership development strategy. | |||||||||
| Chapter 10: Empowering & Equipping Leaders | ||||||||||
| 1 | I have comfirmed that my life is a motivating example for others. | |||||||||
| 2 | I understand and am developing the skills to motivate others. | |||||||||
| 3 | I understand and will take the time to recruit leaders effectively. | |||||||||
| 4 | I understand how to cast vision through the Leadership Community meeting. | |||||||||
| 5 | I understand how to effectively implement the huddle time at the leadership | |||||||||
| community meeting. | ||||||||||
| 6 | I understand and have identified several specific skill sets for training at | |||||||||
| future Leadership Community meetings. | ||||||||||
| 7 | I have developed a specific plan and calendar for leadership community | |||||||||
| meetings. | ||||||||||
| 8 | I have evaluated my coaching skills and have determined an appropriate | |||||||||
| plan for development. | ||||||||||
| 9 | I have determined an appropriate schedule of coaching appointments with | |||||||||
| my launch team. | ||||||||||
| Chapter 11: Lay Mobilizing & Ministry Development | ||||||||||
| 1 | I have evaluated my lay mobilization skills. | |||||||||
| 2 | We have designed an effective lay mobilization system. | |||||||||
| 3 | I have mobilized a ministry placement consultant. | |||||||||
| 4 | We have evaluated the effectiveness of my existing ministries. | |||||||||
| 5 | Each program meets specific needs and supports a specific core value | |||||||||
| or ministry goal. | ||||||||||
| 6 | We have identified the new ministries needed. | |||||||||
| 7 | I understand the process of cultivating congregational commitment. | |||||||||
| Chapter 12: Starting Churches that Reproduce | ||||||||||
| 1 | Our church and/or denomination cares so much about lost people that signifi- | |||||||||
| cant amounts of time, energy and resources are invested to reach them. | ||||||||||
| 2 | Our church and/or denomination makes bold plans for church planting, | |||||||||
| recognizing that our faith rests in God's resources and not our own. | ||||||||||
| 3 | Our church and/or denomination gives people and financial resources freely | |||||||||
| to help get new churches started. | ||||||||||
| 4 | Our church and/or denomination utilizes a style of ministry that attracts | |||||||||
| seekers and addresses their needs. | ||||||||||
| 5 | Our church and/or denomination sees ministry potential in terms of the | |||||||||
| number of people who still need to be reached, not the limitations of | ||||||||||
| facilities or finances. | ||||||||||
| 6 | We have developed a comprehensive 10-year regional or national strategic | |||||||||
| plan for church planting and update it annually. | ||||||||||
| 7 | We consistently develop an increasing number of leaders for church | |||||||||
| planting projects. | ||||||||||
| 8 | Our supervision system for new churches resources planters, their spouses, | |||||||||
| and key lay leaders. | ||||||||||
| 9 | Our church and/or denomination demonstrates a passion for cross-cultural | |||||||||
| church planting, both logically and globally. | ||||||||||
| 10 | We have an effective working relationship with a church planting sodality. | |||||||||