take the next step
1. Discover – Early in the process of planting a church, every potential planter and their family explores whether or not planting is for them. Sometimes talking through the opportunities helps bring clarity to God’s direction in one’s life. HBA staff are available to talk to you about planting even if you’re thinking about it in a different part of the world. Feel free to contact us at (518) 355-4964 or office@hbany.net.
2. Assess – Each church planter undergoes an extensive interview to consider objectively their calling, skills, and experiences as they relate to planting a church in the northeast.
3. Prepare – Church planters attend a multiple day “boot camp” with their spouses, planting teams, and mentors where they learn critical skills necessary to develop a healthy, growing, reproducing church. They interview other church planters in order to learn from their success as well as their mistakes. Planters receive coaching in developing a coherent, contextual strategy of planting a church among their target community.
4. Partner – Every church planter has a coach/mentor, an experienced pastor/planter who will provide a system of accountability and support in personal development. Each planter must bring other partners who will pray, support, and participate in the planting of their church. HBA also seeks partnerships with other individuals and organizations to support the activities of the new church. A covenant is formed outlining the parameters of these various partnerships.
5. Deploy – Church planting begins after the first four steps are accomplished. Every church planter goes through regular self-evaluation as well as receiving evaluation by the Church Planter Strategist. This is a vital step in achieving set goals as well as focusing the planter on areas of improvement. One of the goals is the new church would begin planting another church within 3 – 5 years of beginning themselves.