Ministries

Church Starting

Grayson Baptist Association
CHURCH STARTING CHECKLIST

Phase One-Introduction

• Prayer about God's calling and direction

• Introduction to GBA staff (Lash Banks, Executive Director)

• Potential Pastor packet (North American Mission Board (NAMB) booklets, Discovery Tools, Seven Steps to Planting a Church, and Church Planting Movements)

• Church Planting Checklist copy

• Need of new church vision statement, goals/objectives, and strategy action plan along with prospective worship style, target group, résumé and prayer strategy etc. (copy at GBA)

• Church Starter Assessment needed with spouse (copy at GBA)

• Being a Missional Church

• GBA Encourager newsletter

• GBA New Church Starter Fellowship (NCSF)

• GBA and/or State Convention Covenant for New Church Starters-copy for GBA agreement when completed

• The Planter Update from NAMB Church Starting Department (Darlene McDaniel [dmcdaniel@namb.net])

• Potential church sponsor(s) and sponsoring church support (initial and continual prayer for the new work, personnel, financing, expertise, mentoring, technical training, facilities, transport, fellowship, accountability and monthly reporting)

• Meeting jointly with Primary Sponsor Church and New Church Starter

• Multiplied value of co-sponsors

• Missions giving-Association and Cooperative Program

• Networking with former churches, friends, associates, seminaries and conventions

• Importance of a mentor

• Basic Church Planting training (Valentines Day weekends and ongoing)

• GBA Church Starting display area and GBA Media Center

• Grayson Baptist Association philosophy includes "churches starting churches",  working with State Conventions, holding back a launch until an optimal large core group is attained, and incorporating church-planting in the new church DNA

• New church name ____________________

• People group ____________________

• Target area  _________________

• GBA PROBE and aerial Grayson County map

• Demographic study for target area and other options

• Church website availability from GBA

• GBA Ministry Trailer

• GBA Evangelism Blitz for a local church

• GraysonTracking.org reporting ____________________

Phase Two-Development

• Assessment results ____________________

• Background check approval ____________________

• References from résumé ____________________

• Experienced GBA church starter as mentor/coach ____________________

• New Church Covenant received _______ and distributed _______

• Receive GBA Church Starter Intro Info _______

• State Convention Church Starting consultant contact re new church starter

• New Church Covenant to GBA Church Starting Team and GBA Executive Board; invitation for new church planter to attend

Phase Three-Initiation and Growth

• Initial Resource Discovery meeting:   time                date               location
                                                       __________/___________/__________

• Graysontracking.org system of resources, monthly reports, Annual Church Profiles (ACP), and I-9 forms

• Proposed monthly support amount to GBA Church Starting Team

• Need for background checks for church employees

• Ongoing training available for church leadership and staff

Phase Four-Transition to Independent Baptist Church Status

• Sponsor church(es) involvement

• Church Constitution samples

• GBA assists new church as needed in Church Constituting Service

• Letter of Petition needed for full membership in Grayson Baptist Association by July 1 of year of petition (90 days prior to GBA Annual Meeting)

• New church approved as full-standing GBA member ___________________

• Transition to GBA Permanent Church File and Church Strengthening