Assessing Church Planters
An update from Greg Dirnberger…
On January 20-21, 2023, the National Church Planting Group offered a Church Planter Assessment Weekender in Irvine, CA. The purpose of the “weekender” was to come alongside potential church planting couples, to serve them and care for them, by offering discernment regarding their next steps in ministry.
The Church Planter Assessment Weekender rose from the burden of the National Church Planting Group to serve local elderships and regional church planting committees that might not have the same "in house" resources for evaluating potential church planting couples that some other Sovereign Grace churches have. To this end, the National Church Planting Group assembled an “assessment team” of experienced church planting couples, each of whom also serve in extra-local capacities for Sovereign Grace Churches.
To be sure, the “assessment team” does not possess the ability to determine, infallibly, whether or a not a potential church planting couple can or will effectively plant a church. The ultimate determining factor in that regard is God. Nor does the “assessment team” possess the authority to decide if a potential church planting couple should, or should not, be deployed to plant a church. That authority resides in their local elderships, together with their regional church planting committees. However, the “assessment team” is able, with God’s help, to pay careful attention for the presence of leading indicators that consistently contribute to fruitful church planters. Our aim is to offer discernment.
The 4 men who participated in the weekender, did preparatory homework ahead of time. Over the course of two days, they each told their “story” – an exercise designed to evaluate self-awareness, self-preservation, resilience, critical shaping influences, as well as their comfort level with who and how God has made them to be. Each couple completed a marriage “check-up” inventory. Each of the individuals had the opportunity to communicate the essentials of the Gospel. Each of the men preached a mini sermon. Each couple took turns “envisioning” us (as if we were potential launch team members) with the distinctives, location, target demographic, and burden for their respective and potential church plants. Our matrix was essentially “The Planter, The Place, and Sovereign Grace.” We looked for alignment between the man, the couple, the location they were considering, their relationship to their local Sovereign Grace Church, as well as their commitment to Sovereign Grace values and embodiment of Sovereign Grace culture.
We ended by sharing with them our observations and one of three possible recommendations. 1) "Move ahead in taking next steps with local eldership and regional church planting committee." 2) "Move ahead with taking next steps, but with conditions to address certain “risk factors” before entering the church planting "pipeline." 3) "We do not recommend moving forward at this time, and for the following reasons . . . " These observations and recommendations were then forwarded in a summary report to the pastor’s and elderships who had sent the couples to the assessment weekender.
It is with eager and joyful anticipation that we anticipate hearing about specific plans for new Sovereign Grace church plants emerging in the future. It is the prayerful desire of the National Church Planting Group that the “assessment weekender” might serve Sovereign Grace Churches in the coming years for planting healthy, fruitful, enduring churches to the praise of God’s glorious grace.
We are thrilled to have 8 couples join us for the 2024 event. If you are interested in participating in a future event, let us know.
Greg serves as the Senior Pastor at Emmaus Road Church, Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA. Greg is also the SGC Asia-Pacific - Area Leader and serves on the US National Church Planting Group.