Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Church Planter Training Program Essentials: Multiplication Network Ministries
Church Planter Training Program Essentials: Multiplication Network Ministries
Church Planter Training Program Essentials: Multiplication Network Ministries
TRAINING PROGRAM
ESSENTIALS
Multiplication Network Ministries
1. VISION FOR CHURCH PLANTING
There are five key ingredients Organizations and leaders seeking to sponsor
successful church planting programs need
essential to most successful to develop a passionate vision for church
planting that is demonstrable by their actions.
church planter (CP) training Denominations and churches that believe church
planting is not only biblical, but one of the
programs that also are most strategic ways of transforming lives and
communities have a head start. Our experience
found in the approach used with thousands of church planters in training
indicates that those who have the vision, and
by Multiplication Network whose leadership shares the vision, are more
likely to thrive. In contrast, when only lip service
Ministries (MNM). These is given to church planting, the efforts result in
frustration and church planting flounders. A
are: vision, modular training, clear and inspiring vision, led by the Spirit, will
help a denomination or local church flourish in
material content, mentoring, and establishing new communities of faith.
planter has been assessed, usually The modular approach is based on an Action/
Reflection model where a participant will
with a pastor’s recommendation receive instruction at intervals, allowing for
field experience between training modules.
and an interview, the following The International Labor Organization defines
modular training as a “system where training
five aspects of church content is divided into independent units or
modules which can be combined to form a
planting will prove helpful for program suited to individual needs, technical
developments, or occupational structure,
multiplication. etc., permitting continuous adaptation of the
program.” Those who participate in modular
training learn incrementally. In fact, some call
Many of the characteristic elements in MNM’s Demonstrations of the practical skills are
material content are not unique to MNM if taken carried out in a public setting. For example,
alone. The elements are like beads on a necklace the church planters are taught to lead an
that can also be found on other necklaces, but inductive Bible study. They learn how to
the order and pattern makes it unique. The work with the text and write their own study.
following highlights some of the components Then they prepare the inductive questions
found in the MNM content. and actually demonstrate the study with a
MULTIPLICATION NETWORK CHURCH PLANTER TRAINING PROGRAM ESSENTIALS
3
small group in front of their peers. A friendly community are discovered. The planter is
environment is nurtured so the planters feel provided with some strategic planning tools
comfortable as they practice. The facilitator to become immersed in the community and
and peers then make comments for the skills thus more able to demonstrate the love of
to be honed. Repeating the skill throughout Christ.
several modules assures the planter’s
constant improvement with this basic but 4. MENTORING
critical church planter skill.
MNM requires each church planter to have a
The teaching of skills is both diachronic mentor. This will usually be the pastor of the
and synchronic. Skills are learned in the mother church or someone assigned by the
order they will be needed, but once a skill pastor to accompany the church planter in the
is learned, they continue to be sharpened as new endeavor for a year. The mentor is required
new ones are grasped. For example, when to meet monthly, between modules, with the
church planters are learning to train other church planter. This meeting will preferably
leaders, they still continue to hone the skill be at the church planter’s location of work
of making new contacts. and includes a time of sharing experiences and
praying together. MNM has developed training
c. Action Plans: Each training session concludes for these mentors and a mentor’s log and
with action plans prepared by the church suggested questions to ask during the mentoring
planter or church leader. They must finish session. The questions cover three general areas:
each day of training knowing the answer personal growth, family life, and the ministry of
to the question, “What’s next?” or “What church planting itself.
do I do now?” These action plans can be
presented to the class and accountability for A key ingredient of this aspect of the program
those plans is factored into the next session. is the attitude of the mentor. The mentor is
there to encourage the planter and help him or
d. Inductive Methodology: Our preferred her be successful and should take a serious and
teaching style is to ask questions and allow compassionate role in accompanying the church
participants to discover the answers in small planter in this Kingdom enterprise. We do not
group settings. There is a mix of presentation, intend this aspect of the program design to just
dialogue, and inductive learning, but the be an extra hoop the planter has to go through.
inductive methodology is of highest value, It is intended to give the church planter a greater
especially when learning how to lead probability of success. This also helps to solve
small group Bible studies. Learning takes one of the greatest problems in church planting−
place between peers after biblically-based loneliness.
content has been presented by a skilled and
experienced instructor. 5. MEASUREMENT
e. Holistic Community Project: During the MNM encourages measuring the outcomes of
training, each church planter is taught how the church planter’s work. Accountability is a
to put together a community project and key practice in the church planting program and
implement it as part of his or her training. participants must report on the outcomes of
As the planter conducts surveys and their work. At each module, the planter must
demographic studies, the felt needs of the submit a monthly report with specific metrics to
CHURCH PLANTER TRAINING PROGRAM ESSENTIALS MULTIPLICATION NETWORK
4