Develop a Discipleship System
The Essence of a Plan to Start a New Faith Community
By Doug Ruffle
During the last session of Lay Planter Training, each student is asked to present an “executive summary” of his or her plan. Use the following worksheet to plan your presentation. For each of the enumerated sections, write no more than five sentences. Compile your summary from the approximately 50 sentences in your worksheet. Then, edit your document so that it is fewer than 40 sentences. The more succinct, the better.
1. Passion
a. In one or two sentences, tell us how your life is different with Christ in it.
b. In one or two sentences, share why you feel called to start a new faith community.
2. Vision
a. In a sentence, what is your God-inspired vision for this new faith community?
b. Tell us why your new faith community will make a difference in its community and what will make it unique from other faith communities around you.
3. Compassion
a. In one or two sentences, describe the people group you envision gathering into community.
b. What connects you with this group?
4. Strategy
a. What planting strategy best describes what you envision planting? (For help in identifying a list of strategies, click here).
b. Will your faith community be a fresh or new expression of church? Will it be a traditional church? Explain in one or two sentences.
5. Team
a. List 3-5 steps you will take to bring together a Planting Team.
b. How will you nurture (i.e. train) and develop your team?
6. Self-Awareness and Team
a. What have you learned about yourself that will be important to know as a church planter? [You may draw from any self-assessment tool you may have taken.]
b. What kinds of people (and the gifts they bring) will you need on your team to complement your leadership?
7. Partnerships
a. What partnership opportunities are available for this new ministry? (i.e. with neighboring churches, with a sponsoring church, within a circuit or district).
b. Will the faith community or ministry planted be part of an existing congregation? If so, describe briefly the steps needed
8. Location
a. Describe where you plan to plant.
b. What do you know about the people who live in this area and where did you gather your information about the people in this area?
9. Funding
a. Whom will you contact about contributing to the financial support of the plant?
b. What will be your streams of income and your estimate of expenses for the first year?
10. Imagine
a. What will your new faith community look like three years out?
b. What will it be known for?
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