DECIDED…NOW WHAT?

[This document is in Word format so you can edit it…adding or adjusting to meet your own church planting needs.]

Congratulations! If you are working on this list, it is probable that God has called you to plant a church, and we have agreed to partner with you in this calling. Please do NOT treat this document lightly. It is intended to be a significant guide for you as you move toward planting a church. The items on this list are ideally to be completed BEFORE you ever get to your church planting field. The more you complete before you arrive, the better. Once you are on the field, you will be able to focus more on establishing relationships. Completing as much of the work as possible before arriving on the field, usually allows the planter to conserve financial resources for the more relational components of planting...like being with people!

  1. If you have not already received them, obtain the Church Planting DVD (CP DVD) and the Church Planters Toolkit(if available) from your church planting office.
  1. Determine Church Name. The name should be reflective of your God-given vision for the church. Be careful about limiting your ministry scope too much by giving the church too small of a geographical name (such as Brier Community Church). Fieldtest the name as soon as possible. It is ok to select an initial name in order to begin partnership development with the understanding that it may need to be changed/adjusted based on response from the community where the church is to be planted.
  1. Open designated account with the association in order to begin receiving funds. Funds can be given via your church plant’s online giving page or by mailing checks to:

In Puget Sound area:

PSBA

For: <your church plant name here>

PO Box 3089

Federal Way WA 98063-3089

The planter’s name or team members’ names should not be printed on the checks. Only the Church Plant’s name.

  1. Secure all available variations of desired web name. (example: Journey Church, etc.)
  1. Develop your prayer support.
  2. Recruit a minimum of 50 people to be on your prayer team. Utilize an invitation letter/email, a covenant, and an e-newsletter to facilitate the process.
  3. Select a smaller “elite” prayer team for most confidential/critical prayer requests.
  4. Consider developing a prayer ministry where members of partner church(es) pray for each household in your community by name.
  5. Be committed to and follow through with strong communication with your prayer team.
  1. Register for and participate in Basic Training at your earliest opportunity.
  1. Secure your coach. Contact your Church Planting Director for help in finding a coach. Establish a covenant relationship with you coach. Sample covenants available on the CP DVD.
  1. Begin developing and continue to develop a list of potential partners. Churches, individuals, organizations (including conventions, associations, etc.), foundations, businesses, and seminaries (seminaries do not donate to CP’s, but their donors can!)
  2. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest
  3. Remember: Partnerships are developed through relationships
  4. Consider the relationships of your relationships (“friend of a friend” “another pastor connected with your pastor”)
  5. Don’t say no for someone. God will bring the right people.
  6. Establish partnership covenants. Sample covenants are available on the CP DVD.

  1. Prayerful develop a list of potential team members.
  2. Find those with a strong servant heart.
  3. Main team members must be able to multiply themselves.
  4. Team members need to fill key roles.
  5. Team members should complement the lead planter.
  6. Do not overpromise compensation or position.
  7. Determine if they are to be volunteer, part-time, full-time and if they are to raise some or all of their own support.
  1. Research your area – obtain demographics and any existing research through the church planting office. Contact local research services. Conduct web research. Interview people in community –city/county planning departments, realtors, school officials, Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, other pastors, etc.
  1. Develop an initial budget. If you are planning to use the Church Planting Hub, seek their help in establishing your budget. Plan this for the first 2-3 years, but realize that it will likely change within the first 3-6 months…and repeatedly thereafter. Do NOT forget to include your missions commitment. This is usually 10% of the LOCAL CONGREGATION’S GIVING. These funds must include the local association, Cooperative Program, and direct church planting. Other items that may be included are direct mission support/mission trips and/or other network commitments, such as A29. Sample budgets are on the CP DVD. A condensed version of your budget is needed to develop your partnership materials.
  1. Add Church Plant to the church planting network’s website site. Contact the church planting office for more information.
  2. Paragraphs about Community, Church Plant, Church Planter
  3. Photo of the church planter’s family
  4. Contact information
  5. Link to Giving Site page
  6. Link to Prospectus (as soon as it is developed)
  7. Link to Public Website (as soon as it is developed)
  8. Additional picture and paragraph for KEY team members
  1. Add Church Plant to the church planting network’s giving site. Contact the church planting office for more information.
  2. Select personalized giving site name that matches church plant (e.g. for The Pathway Church) that will be linked to your church plant’s page on the giving site
  3. Contact CP office for details on information needed to complete site
  1. Review Principles of Effective Partnerships (see materials in the Church Planting DVD“Partnership” folder and “Prospectus and PowerPoint” folder.) See Principles of Effective Partnerships in the CP DVD under “Partnerships” folder.
  1. Develop partnership materials. See sample materials in CP DVD under “Prospectus & PowerPoint” folder.
  2. Giving site (see above)
  3. Business cards/impact cards for the church plant to distribute at every opportunity.
  4. Giving Site bookmarks
  5. 5-8 page Prospectus*
  6. Include key components such as Area, Need, Leaders, Timeline, Budget, Web Information, Where to Give.
  7. Print a few hundred for distribution to KEY partners, pastors, mission team leaders, etc.
  8. Can be produced by the 1000’s to give to everyone, if a partner is willing to provide them.
  9. 1-page Brochure*
  10. Produced by the 1000’s to give to everyone who will listen. E.g. give to everyone who attends a church where you are speaking
  11. Can skip the 1-page brochure, if you are producing 1000’s of the 5-8 page prospectus.
  12. PowerPoint, Prezi, and/or video(s)*
  13. E-Newsletter
  14. Start with or get it going immediately
  15. Include some or all of the following in your e-newsletter:
  16. Photos
  17. Complete contact information
  18. Link to your public website
  19. Link to your giving site with a button such as “Give Now”
  20. Link to your information page on association’s website
  21. Link to your prospectus.
  22. Address for mailing checks for those who do not want to do online giving.
  23. Upcoming events
  24. Chart to track funds given/pledged compared to basic and faith goals
  1. Develop public site
  2. Surf the web to find styles/features that you like. Start with examples of SCP CP’s. These can be found in the CP DVD Folder: “Websites>Church Plant Websites – PSBA” or by looking at Current Plants at
  3. Select a web design company.
  4. and are fairly customizable design sites at cheaper prices than many custom site designs
  5. NAMB also offers a more basic website for free for one year.
  6. Offers integrated marketing strategy, including mailers and other print design
  7. Click Here to learn more
  8. and are inexpensive, simple website design options.
  1. Conduct partnership phone calls, visits, weekends, dinners, presentations, etc. using Principles of Effective Partnerships as a guide, along with individual coaching and assistance from local church plant leaders.
  1. When and if it is appropriate, work with local leaders to complete the NAMB application process to obtain financial support. (We are assuming that you have completed the application and assessment process and been approved to plant prior to this point.)
  1. Determine what other partnerships/networks you intend to join or access. Church planting networks, such as Mosaic, GlocalNet, A29.
  1. Visit other church plants to learn about all ministry aspects including worship and outreach.
  1. Seek potential meeting places. If there are key places that are important to your church’s future, get the location under signed contract as soon as possible, even if you do not plan to meet there for a year or more.
  1. Secure your home. Contact your regional church planting office or consult their website for recommended realtors and loan services.
  1. Determine how your relocation costs are to be covered. Secure appropriate moving services. Seattle Church Planting primarily uses ABF Trucking ( and supplements with some other services.
  1. Establish your administrative needs.

U.S.:Incorporation, non-profit status, Federal EIN, bulk mail permit, business license, bank account. Basic Training Administration unit (see CP DVD - Basic Training\Materials adjusted for Basic Training\Administration\Administration Unit Notes.doc) covers these items in great details. Church Planting Hub service is strongly recommended for those who have enough financial support to afford it.

Canada: Incorporation, charity status, business number, bank account. Basic Training Administration unit covers these items in great details. Church Planting Hub service is strongly recommended for those who have enough financial support to afford it.

  1. Establish your decision-making team for the church plant. This is usually a board that “runs” the church for the first few years until elders can be clearly identified, tested, and trained. The board is often comprised of the lead church planter, a partner church pastor, and a church planting director/coach.
  1. Develop your initial startup plans including intentional relationship building strategies, fishing pool events, servant evangelism ideas, small group plans, assimilation plans, and even 6 months of sermon ideas. Basic Training, CP Toolkit, CP CD’s, other church planters, church planting directors/coaches, websites, etc. are all excellent resources to guide you as you put these items together.
  1. Review other church planting checklists for additional ideas, such the file:101 to do's before your first worship service.xls which is located on CP DVD in the “Church Planter Materials” folder and the Administrative Unit from Basic Training.