Just read the book of Acts and you will discover that church planting is the adventure of lifetime.  What a challenge and thrill to move to a community to which God has called you, recruiting and mobilizing a group of people who will work arm-in-arm with you in reaching people in that community with the Good News of Jesus Christ.  If you are considering such an adventure, you’ll want to know that we consider the most important people as it regards the success of a church plant to be the planter and his wife.  We firmly believe that it is our responsibility before God to care for the planters and wives that God has entrusted to us. Our commitment to them is demonstrated in the following ways:

We want to do our best to help every prospective planter discover how God has wired him and what type of ministry he will be most fruitful and fulfilled in.  Every prospective planter goes through an IDAK assessment at district expense.  IDAK, meaning unique identity, is a personnel assessment system created by John Bradley of the IDAK Group in Portland, OR.  Terry Smith, Director of Church Planting, is a certified IDAK assessment counselor.

We are committed to sending all of our church planters and wives to the Church Multiplication Training Center Boot Camp (www.cmtcmultiply.org) prior to the start of their project.  This is done fully at district expense.  The Boot Camp provides an opportunity for cutting edge skill training, idea exchanges with dozens of other planters, and practical workshop opportunities.  In addition to Boot Camp, the Central District hosts an annual Church Planting Advance for planters and wives.

While we don’t just mean financial support, that is an important part of our commitment to our planters.  We seek to provide a compensation package for the planter that is normal for their target area.  During the first two years of each church plant, a cooperative support package is carried out between the district and the local core group.  A part of what the district provides is a major medical insurance policy for the planter and his family.  In addition to financial support, we seek to provide hands on coaching and encouragement.  The director seeks to maintain consistent contact and communication with each planter – in the field and via telephone and email.