Monday, August 25, 2008 Church Planting Partnerships

While we are definitely planting Encounter here in Helena, we have not yet secured the partnerships we desire in this endeavor. Therefore, let's talk about why these partnerships are important and what options we're exploring.

WHY WE'RE PURSUING PARTNERSHIPS
There are a number of characteristics that are common in many successful and healthy new church plants. A few of these factors include:

• Launching with multiple staff members
  
• Launching with the church planters working full-time in ministry, and
• Launching with support from a sponsoring church, denomination, or church planting network.

These indicators alone convince us that Encounter needs to launch with the help of one or more sponsors. Here's what we're currently exploring...

PARTNERSHIPS WITH ESTABLISHED CHURCHES
We desperately need to connect with those of this generation and those who are far from God - there are no churches in Helena that are wholly effective at leading this population into a growing relationship with Jesus.

LifeChurch.tv pastor Craig Groeschel says “to reach people that nobody is reaching, you have to do things that nobody is doing.” Encounter’s goal in our style and strategy is to “do church differently” in order fill the gap that currently exists in Helena.

We want to partner with existing churches, local and beyond, to further the expansion of God’s Kingdom. In such a partnership, a local church can continue reaching the population that it is effective at reaching, while joining with Encounter to reach ALL of Helena. So we will be challenging existing churches to support us primarily through prayer, people, resources, and finances. For further information on how a church can sponsor Encounter, please contact us.

A STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIP WITH NORTH POINT MINISTRIES
If you know our story, the idea behind Encounter first began with God's calling – and then with North Point Ministries as a catalyst to move forward. And while there have been discussions regarding Encounter as strategic partner of North Point Ministries, this partnership may or may not happen. Regardless, we have been influenced by their mission, strategy, values, and beliefs.

If a strategic partnership with North Point is established we would adopt a number of things from North Point, including the same environments, curriculum, logos, and teacher (Andy Stanley) – but we would remain a separate entity. Additionally, North Point would provide invaluable coaching and financial support. To find out more about how North Point strategically partners with new church plants, see northpointpartners.org.

ASSOCIATION OF RELATED CHURCHES (ARC)
The Association of Related Churches is a church planting network that brings together people and organizations with a passion for planting and growing life-giving churches. They oversee a larger membership of churches which partner with the ARC to financially and personally support the growth of new ARC church plants.

Since 2000, the ARC has planted 60 life-giving local churches in America in 26 states. Over 120 churches, and growing, have teamed up with the ARC to share resources, develop lifelong ministry relationships and help plant more churches.

ARC is all about planting life-giving churches that grow and reproduce, and then plant life-giving churches themselves. New or potential church planters get started by attending ARC’s Church Planters Roundtable (CPR) especially designed to address the concerns and needs of church planters.

ACTS 29 NETWORK
The Acts 29 Network is a peer-to-peer network seeking to influence and shape the church planting culture through both rock-solid theology and contextualizing the gospel. Network churches possess a very high view of scripture on the one hand, and a total commitment to engage contemporary culture with the gospel on the other hand, using every effective means of communication. It is their desire to plant 1,000 new churches in the next 20 years.

Like minded denominations, churches, and organizations that partner with Acts 29 provide various resources for church plants such as men, funding, facilities, planting team members, etc. Essentially, assessed and approved church planters are given access to the network community to make a connection and develop relationships with existing partners. Then local churches of the network distribute directly to the church planter that they decide to assist.

OUR MOST IMPORTANT PARTNERSHIPS
Encounter's most important partnerships will be with you – the individuals who will join with us as planting team members, prayer partners, and financial partners. And while sponsor churches and church planting networks will help Encounter with essential prayer, coaching, resources, and funds - you will BE Encounter.

It will be individuals like you who are investing in peoples lives and inviting them to our entry environments. It will be individuals like you who are strategically serving in one or more environments to see others pursuing growing relationships with Jesus. It will be people like you who will make up the LifeGroups where we will "do life together" and experience life change.

These are the "early moments" of a movement within Helena to lead a generation into a growing relationship with Christ. If you haven't already thought seriously about it, we challenge you to consider being one of our most important partners. You can partner with us in prayer, you can partner with us financially, or you can partner with us as a planting team member of Encounter. If you feel that God is calling you to any of these, please let us know by contacting us now.