Materials Needed:
___ CSC Church Starting Application
___ Background Check Form
___ Church Starter Assessment
___ Church Starting Prospectus, including:
___ Church Mission Statement - purpose
___ Core Values – uniqueness
___ Target Group – whom
___ Timeline of Implementation – when
___ Proposed Budget – resources/costs
Commitments & Expectations
Application/Preparation Process:
___ Church Starter Assessment - both husband and wife, through the CSC Assessment process or another approved assessment
___ Resource Discovery Meeting - after the application, prospectus, background check and assessment, are completed and sponsor secured. This meeting will include Church Start Pastor, and a representative from the Primary Sponsor Church, CSC and other sponsoring entities. The purpose of this meeting is to finalize all requirements and determine funding commitments.
___ TBA Executive Board Meeting – This monthly associational business meeting is where the new church start will be presented to the Tarrant Baptist Association. The Church Start Pastor and sponsor church will be introduced and the Start Pastor will share a short report about the Church Start.
During Funding:
Monthly reports are required between the 25th and end of the month (for that month) and will serve as a check request for that month’s funding. Report filing via the Internet is encouraged but not required.
Growth Review Meetings will be held every three to four months with the Start Pastor, and representatives from the primary sponsor church, association and other sponsoring entities. Reporting of the progress of the previous months and plans for future months is presented at these meetings. Funding commitments are also updated.
Missions Giving – 10% of tithes and non-designated offerings are expected to be given for missions emphases. (7% to global/local mission causes i.e. the Cooperative Program and 3% to associational missions)
Annual Church Profile – is an annual report submitted in October each year.
Training/Coaching – The Start Pastor is expected to participate in training opportunities provided. The primary training/coaching experience is ServantsEdge. This peer-group accountability based, intentional learning, retreat experience is expected of the pastor and is available to the wife also. It will greatly enhance the church starting process. ServantsEdge is based on four one-week retreats and monthly peer group meetings. It can be taken in a “two-retreat a year” or a “one-retreat a year” time-frame.
Note www.ServantsEdge.org for details and application.
Integrity – The Church Start Pastor is expected to represent himself and church in a Christ-like manner in all aspects of the application process, the funding process and the years following the funding relationship. The commitment of support by sponsoring entities should be honored by pastor and church even after funding is completed.
To encourage healthy growth and to wean new church starts from any support-dependency, funding received from the Church Starting Center is provided on a decreasing rate over a maximum 36 month period.
