Upcoming events to focus on new church starts

BY DR. JIM OZIER
Dir. New Church Development/Transformation

As the NTC begins to make new plans for the strategic planning and planting of new churches and faith communities in the years ahead, we want to be sure that all of our pastors and churches are informed and have a voice the process. All churches have been invited to participate in the briefi ng meetings.

A highly respected consulting firm, Community Development Strategies (CDS Market Research), has been contracted to assist in planning where and when to plant the next 20 churches…and beyond.

The CDS approach is:

1. Basic demographic research and mapping;
2. Present (without recommendations) information to Cabinet;
3. Spend several days on-site to do “deep-digging” demographics and research with developers, local governments, and planning boards;
4. Meet with pastors in the high-potential areas for feedback and to explore when and where churches in their respective areas could be started;
5. Analyze and compile all their research;
6. Make final report (with recommendations of where/when) to the Cabinet, the Creating Congregations Team, and to affected local churches.

CDS and the Bishop have determined the following schedule:

(1) Develop basic demographic information and presented to Cabinet on Jan. 11.
(2) Spend a week doing on-site research with local governments, developers, zoning and agencies.
(3) Meet with local church pastors (and DS’s) in high potential growth areas, (with all pastors/churches in the Conference invited) to attend one of the briefings held Jan. 13 and 14.

Present a final report with recommendations on Jan. 29, following the “Churches Planting Churches Mother-Daughter” model church assessment and training from 12:00 p.m. to 2:00 p.m., with a lunch provided.

The “Churches Planting Churches,” training is scheduled from 1:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on Jan. 28, and 9:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. on Jan. 29.

Jim Griffith, one of the nation’s leading resource persons in the field of new church planting, will lead the training. He has planted six churches and coached and consulted with more than 7,000 new church starts. Bishop W. Earl Bledsoe will also be present to share his vision of “churches planting churches.”

Anyone interested in attending one of the area-specific meetings and/or the “Churches Planting Churches” event may register by e-mailing: deniece@ntcumc.org.

For more information, please call the Dr. Jim Ozier, NTC Office of New Church Development and Transformation, 972-526-5000.