New Church Development: Education & Training

The NCD training consists of two phases: the Training Phase and the Launch Phase. Woven into each of these phases are relational components for the church planter, spouse, and HPPC members involved with NCD initiatives which include personal mentoring, networking with other church planters, collaboration/forming partnerships with various organizations, and coaching from senior staff members at HPPC.

The Training Phase

The objectives of the Training Phase are:

  1. To fully assess the Church Planting Resident’s competencies related to starting a spiritually vibrant church.
  2. To develop and execute a personalized plan, based on the assessment, to raise the Resident’s competencies in all areas over a 12-month period of time.
  3. To assist the Resident in the development of a detailed strategy for planting the church that he will execute during the Launch Phase.
  4. To mobilize entire HPPC congregation to:
    1. Increase awareness about church planting on a local and global level
    2. participate in mentorship and care of planters
    3. employ job skills and spheres of influence to engage societ

The areas of focus for the Training Phase are:

  1. Strengthening Your Spiritual Foundation
    1. Spiritual Growth
    2. Personal Evangelism
    3. Personal Discipleship
  2. Sharpening Your Leadership Skills
    1. Personal Leadership
    2. Church Leadership
    3. Team Building
    4. People Management
    5. Project Management
    6. Preaching and Teaching
  3. Sharing the Highland Park Presbyterian Church Essential Tenets
    1. Purpose
    2. Vision
    3. Philosophy of Ministry
    4. Doctrine
    5. Principles and Practices
  4. Shaping Your Model for Ministry
    1. Learn Best Practices
    2. Develop a First-Year Ministry Plan
    3. Draft a Five-Year Ministry Plan
  5. Solidifying Your Launch Plan
    1. Review Past Launch Plans
    2. Develop Your Launch Plan
    3. Establish Your Critical Milestones and Their Dependencies
    4. Recruit Your Launch Team

The Launch Phase

The objectives of the Launch Phase are:

  • To guide and monitor the Resident’s progress in executing the Launch Plan with the goal of planting a spiritually vibrant church within six to twelve months of the commencement of the Launch Plan.
  • To guide and monitor the Resident’s efforts to secure:
    • The planters and planting team’s need for a strong core group
    • The facilities needed to support the church’s ministries
    • The funding to start and sustain the church during the first year
  • To guide the Resident through the countdown services, including:
    • The Commissioning Service, when the Mother Church sends out the Core Group
    • The Charter Service, when the new church celebrates its new beginning, receives the first-year ministry and financial commitments of each Charter Member, and affirms the selection of their first Elders
    • The Practice Services
    • The First Public Service

Launch Phase/Process Time Line
(Ongoing Community Building and Communications throughout Process)

A. Initiate

  • Recruiting
  • Pre-assessment via Online Web Portal
  • Initiate Potential Plant
  • Initiate Coaching (then continuous)

B. Assess

  • Assess Planter
  • Initial Training (then continuous)
  • Select and Assess Place
  • Develop and Assess Plan

C. Partner

  • Preliminary Budget & Fundraising Plan
  • Demonstrate Ability to Cast Vision and Raise Funds
  • Establish Partnerships
  • Solidify external organizational funding (optional)

D. Resource

  • Resourcing (Ongoing Support)
    • Vendor Services
    • Project Management
    • HR
    • Payroll
    • Donor Management
    • Accounting
  • Launch