CHURCH PLANTING

Church planting is at the heart of God’s redemptive mission and crucial to his purposes. C4SO began as a church planting movement and continues to prioritize church planting as the best method of making new outposts of his kingdom and forming people to be disciples of Jesus Christ. For this reason, we are committed to working diligently with church planters to help them discern their call and find their place within God’s kingdom work.

Church plants can be formed in two ways:

  • An existing congregation can plant a daughter church.
  • An ordained leader (or one seeking ordination) can recruit and train a core group of people in order to launch a new faith community.

Regardless of the way a church is formed, all potential C4SO church planters must complete the 6-Step Process (outlined below) under the guidance of the Rev. Dr. Kris McDaniel, Canon for Church Development, and the Rev. Dr. Brad Swope, Director of Church Planting.

As you go through this 6-Step Process, the Canon for Church Development will connect you with your Regional Dean and local churches in your area so that you can get to know them.

THE PROCESS
Step 1 – Initial Phone Conversation with the Director of Church Planting

The Director of Church Planting will get to know the applicant and hear his or her story, including reasons he or she is discerning a call to church planting. The applicant will then utilize online tools provided to help evaluate his or her giftedness/wiring/temperament/potential for planting.

Step 2 – C4SO Inventory

The applicant will complete this questionnaire in written form and submit via email to the Director of Church Planting. This inventory helps to assess the fit between the church planter and the ethos and vision of C4SO as a diocese.

Step 3 – Church Planter Evaluation

If the applicant successfully navigates steps 1-2, the planter will be invited to take the online Lifeway Church Planter Evaluation. If married, the planter then will be required to submit a Prepare and Enrich assessment. Finally, as required by our ordination process, the planter will need to submit a Psychological Evaluation to the diocesan office. The applicant will cover any costs incurred by Prepare and Enrich and the psychiatric evaluation.

Step 4 – Connection with Regional Dean

The applicant will be connected to the Dean of the region in which they hope to plant. This initial connection will lead to further communication and resourcing in the months to come.

Step 5 – Formal Assessment and Training with Always Forward

If the applicant successfully navigates Steps 1-4, the planter will be invited to participate in an in-person assessment and training with Always Forward, the Church Planting Initiative of the Anglican Church in North America.  If the applicant is married, his or her spouse will also be required to participate in the interview process. C4SO will underwrite most of these costs.

Step 6 – Diocesan Feedback and Reporting

The Director of Church Planting will complete a written Assessment Interview Observations Worksheet and submit it to the Canon for Church Development, as well as the diocesan office. The report will include a recommendation as to the applicant’s planting readiness, as well as recommended next steps.

After final approval of the church plant, the process of preparation and prayer will begin, leading to a strategic launch in the months that follow.

Are you interested in planting a church with C4SO? To get started, contact the Rev. Dr. Brad Swope, C4SO’s Director of Church Planting.