Definition of a church plant in NCC: A healthy church plant in the Northern California Conference consists of a core leadership team engaged in the process of establishing a new mission-focused group that meets at least weekly to strategically minister to its community with the goal of growing His kingdom and becoming a self-sustaining and self-replicating congregation that glorifies God.
When God calls a person, a core group of people or a Congregation to plant a new church, this calling is confirmed by Northern California Conference through the following process:
1. The Process
• Sponsor Church Pastor & Church Planter utilize NCC Church planting Essentials.
• The idea of planting a new congregation is presented to the church leaders.
• A core team, which will be the nucleus of the new congregation, is identified within the membership of the sponsoring church(es).
• A shared strategic vision for the new congregation is created by the core team.
• The core team presents the vision and plan for establishing the new congregation to the church board of the sponsoring church and to the church in business session.
• The pastor submits an application on behalf of the church to the Evangelism Department.
• The Church Planting Advisory votes, to recommend to North California Conference Administration the formation of the new Missional Group.
• NCC Administration votes the new Missional Group into existence.
2. Missional Group Training and Launching
• Core team goes through the training on mission and policies that is required by the Northern California Conference for new church plants.
• The Conference designates a coach for the leader(s) of the new Missional Group.
• The pastor or lay leader will coordinate with the Executive Secretary and/or Evangelism Director the new church plant ceremony of the new missional group.
• The pastor, the church board(s) of the sponsoring church(es), and Church Planting Advisory, support and give leadership to the new missional group.
3. Becoming a self-Sustaining and Replicating Church
• The new missional group forms strategies for engaging (meeting community needs) for discipleship and evangelism.
• In time, the new Missional Group is expected to grow and mature in discipleship, leadership, member engagement in the community, conversion growth, attendance, and financial solvency.
• Remittances of tithe and offerings are accounted by the sponsoring church. The lay leader is required to attend the Lay Pastors training the Northern California Conference and other church planting Conference sponsored training events.
• The new missional core team is expected to be faithful members of the Northern California Conference.
• The Missional Group should be organized for specifically evangelistic reasons and can apply for Church Company status after a minimum of one year of existence as an approved missional group, as a minimum and an average of fifty (50) baptized members attending weekly services over a one-year period.
