Council Discussion Guide about Church Planting

The Church Planting Task Force of Classis Chatham is asking the Councils of all our churches to participate in a fun little exercise that we hope will be mutually beneficial, helping churches imagine themselves as catalysts for new local congregations, and helping the task force gauge the readiness of our churches for this work.

Please reserve about thirty minutes in your next Administrative or Full Council meeting to engage in this exercise. It would be wise to first watch this 8-minute video released by Resonate Global Mission that lays out the larger vision for church planting in Eastern Canada (see below).

Remember this is an exercise, not a commitment to planting a church. Please have your clerk submit your responses to the Task Force Secretary, as soon as is reasonably possible!

Imagine... that your community has been chosen for the next church plant in Classis Chatham! This exercise will help the dream take shape. Take it seriously, but have fun with it… and feel free to think outside the box!

1. List at least three reasons why your community would be a good fit for a new church plant.
2. Thinking of the unique composition and needs of your community, what kind of new church could it use? Who might be the target audience?
3. How would being a part of this new church change a person’s life?
4. What impact would this church have on your community as a whole? On your congregation?
5. What resources and support (space, finances, people) do you think your congregation could make available to a new church plant in your area?
6. On a scale of 1-10, with 1 being “not at all” and 10 being “very ready”, where would you rate your church leadership in terms of your openness to partnering with or ‘parenting’ a new local church plant in your community?

          1 --- 2 --- 3 --- 4 --- 5 --- 6 --- 7 --- 8 --- 9 --- 10

Please explain why you chose this number. What would it take to move you up the scale? What obstacles do you see?

Additional Comments for the Task Force: _________________________

Resonate Global Mission Video: