CHURCH PLANTING - Terms We Use

In the Old Testament God said, “If as one people they speak the same language…then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them” (Genesis 11:6). In the New Testament, God reversed the language challenge at Pentecost and how the gospel is global, unbounded by language (Acts 2:5-6).

We have many new leaders beginning to attend our churches who are unaware of the language and terms we use. Below is an alphabetized list of church planting terms you may hear people use among us.  If you have questions, feel free to contact us anytime.  We are here to serve you with excellence. If there is any way we can do that better, please let us know.

accountability - this is one of our four Nazarene church minimums; we practice accountability with one another throughout the church at every level

agenda harmony - created by the Holy Spirit, the process a planter goes through to gain and maintain agreement with all members of the launch team on the specific direction the new church will take

Advisory Council - the leadership group of a church-type mission before it becomes a fully-organized church.

Assessment Center - a 3-day gathering of both assessors and potential church planters designed to assist the potential planter and spouse toward "self-awareness"  and their suitability to lead a church plant.  Multiple evaluation methods are used.

attraction event - an event planned to introduce the ministry of a new church to the community, also reinforcing the value of "inviting" by the launch team.  Attraction events may be large (20-500 people) or small (4-10 people).

believing prayer - the practice of prayer, filled with faith, that expects God will answer

church – a group of people who are led together by the Holy Spirit, have an accountable lay or clergy leader, meet at a regular time to experience worship and community, and who are aligned with the church’s mission of disciple-making. We believe churches should operate with at least the four minimums of: 1) worship, 2) community, 3) accountability and 4) mission. Churches make great progress when they create a church development plan.

church board – persons elected by church members to lead the church. In a new church, this follows the development and use of an Advisory Council

church budget - an estimate of both income and expenses of the church for the year

church, culturally-conditioned form - the understanding that the form the church takes may look different in different cultures and contexts, even with located in the same town or on the same district. For examples, click here.

church culture - the attitudes, customs and behaviors that develop within a church over time; these may be healthy or they can become unhealthy. Developing a healthy church culture is one of the most important responsibilities of both the pastor and church leaders

church development - one of our seven Nazarene essentials, this is the process used for every church on every district to be interdependent, sustainable, healthy and multiplying. 

church development plan - the plan of the church, created together by the pastor and church leaders, for the church to be healthy, make Christ-like disciples and multiply leaders; it is to be updated annually and shared with the district superintendent so he/she can celebrate the progress of the church (122)

church health - a condition that occurs when all seven Nazarene Essentials are effectively being practiced by the church’s members

church incorporation - The process of incorporating the church in the state or province where you are located.  This is done to protect the liability of those who serve on the church board. Until incorporation, all liability is assumed by the district.

church planter - a lay or clergy leader sent by the church to evangelize and make disciples of people who do not have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.  This may be locally, somewhere else in the United States or around the world.

church planting momentum - measured by the number of pastors and lay leaders on a district who are committed to starting a large number of healthy, multiplying churches

church priorities - the decision of the pastor and church leaders to focus on some issues as more important than others within the life of the church. Church conflict is minimized greatly when the church has agreement on priorities.

church-type mission (CTM) – is a mission point that has developed beyond the first phase of being a small group or bible study. They have a lay or clergy leader and have identified a group of people willing to help lead the new church. Church-type missions (CTM) can be started by any accountable leader or local church. Leaders are encouraged to form and serve on an Advisory Council which prepares them to become a church board when the church is organized with charter members. They should register their CTM status with the General Secretary.

coach - someone who establishes an accountability relationship with a church planter, pastor, mission area leader or superintendent for the purpose of resourcing them in specific areas of either local church or district development.

community - this is one of our four Nazarene church minimums; we commit to develop community within the church by practicing its New Testament characteristics (Acts 2:42-47; 4:32-35).

critical mass -  the number of people it takes in a gathering or spirit a church has so when guests come in, they sense "this church has a great future!"

critical milestones - in the church development plan, all of the critical dates and deadlines necessary to achieve the four-fold church planting objective.  Critical milestones should not be "date-driven" as much as they should be "development driven."  Date adjustments can and should be made in the planning process when each critical milestone is achieved.

demographic research - the process of finding information on the community where the church is being planted, may include such things as ethnic groups, economic levels, current population and future projections, primary occupations, etc.

disciple-making process - the “next steps,” classes, experiences, etc. the new church provides a person to assist them as they journey from guest to fully-devoted follower of Christ.  All healthy churches plan this process carefully.

four-fold church planting objective - the four goals we expect all church plants to achieve
1) self-supporting (it can pay all of its own expenses, without outside help)
2) self-propagating (it is healthy with Nazarene Essentials in place for growth)
3) self-governing (it has organized systems in place for lay leader development)
4) self-reproducing (the DNA for multiplying new leaders is established)

fully organized church (FOC) - a church that has achieved the four-fold church planting objective and has been organized with charter members by the district superintendent

fund raising strategy - the plan to look for multiple sources of income in launching the new church; includes offerings from local churches where the planter shares his/her vision, district grant, donor support from friends and relatives (can be either one-time or monthly), tithes and offerings from the launch team and bi-vocational income from either the planter and/or spouse.

God moment - a spiritual step forward that a person takes in their relationship with God, in response to the Holy Spirit’s prompting. We believe the Holy Spirit can do more in a five-minute God moment than we can do in five years of organized church activity.

intercessor’s team - the group of people recruited by the church planter who cover the new church project in prayer

launch team - the initial group of people brought together and organized by the church planter for the purpose of starting a new church

ministry focus group - the target group of people the new church is called to reach initially; may be described by either ethnic background, age group, geography, or a mixture. We see Jesus use this in Matthew 10:5-6.

mission statement - a concise, memorable description of why the church exists and what its purpose is

model of ministry - the form a church intentionally takes to reach a specific group of people with the gospel. For examples, click here.

“next-town” mentality - this is the mindset Jesus had to spread the gospel; mentioned in Mark 1:38 and Luke 4:42-43

parent church (pastor) - a church and pastor committed to follow the New Testament model and take responsibility to support starting a healthy, multiplying church

parent church climate - the attitudes and behaviors that develop within a church that lead or doesn’t lead them to take responsibility to support starting a healthy, multiplying church; parent church climate can be healthy or unhealthy

Pathway to Planting - the 7-step process we follow to assist church planters as they sense and follow God’s call to launch and lead a healthy, multiplying church

register a church - the process we follow for sharing information about a new church with the Nazarene Global Ministry Center. The process we use saves the new church $3,000-$4,000 in legal costs over the first two years.

sending service - built on Acts 13:2-3, a service designed to celebrate, pray for and send out a church planting team to start a healthy, multiplying church

sponsor church - one of several churches that takes responsibility to support starting a healthy, multiplying church

under-reached community - a community within a district that has not been effectively reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ

under-reached cultural group - a cultural group within a district that has not been effectively reached with the gospel of Jesus Christ