Coaching
Training events
Consulting
Funding and grants
Bibliography
Links
Contact us

Coaching

A network of coaches is available to assist presbyteries and pastors in reaching their goals. The goals of each New Church Development (NCD) will differ — “success” is defined in many ways, depending on the situation and ministry. But goals can be clearly understood, the climate can be healthy and communication can be clear between the presbytery, pastor and lay leaders. Coaches are trained to facilitate this conversation. The relationship begins with an on-site visit, developing a rapport of trust. Regular conversations are encouraged from this beginning, around emerging issues such as outreach and evangelism, funding, growth, organization, communication, etc.

Our vision is that every organizing pastor will have a qualified coach. A trained coach offers both insight and advice, delivered at the moment when it is needed the most during initial days of the new church. An NCD coach's primary commitment is helping the NCD achieve goals agreed upon by the pastor, presbytery and lay leadership. [Read more]

Training events

We offer training for presbyteries and for potential NCD pastors. Our annual NCD pastor/spouse conference features several days of intensive training for presbyteries and potential pastors before the actual conference gets underway. These are followed by plenary sessions with nationally known NCD leaders, and workshops specific to every facet of NCD life and development. Regionally we are beginning to visit presbyteries, offering dialogue, training and support tailored to the unique needs of individual presbyteries.

• NCD pastor/spouse and lay leader training
• Presbytery Staff and NCD Committee Members Training
• NCD pastor orientation for pastors newly called to NCD
• Potential NCD Pastors
• NCD Coaches Training

On November 1 -3, 2007, there will be a national gathering for those who feel a call to new church development. The office of New Church Development and the General Assembly Council sponsor the event. It will be held at Riverside Presbyterian Church (www.riversidechurch.com) near the Dulles Airport in Virginia. New Church Development coaches will provide leadership.

• The gathering will begin at noon on November 1st and end at noon on the 3rd
• Participants will be staying at the Marriot Courtyard Dulles Town Center
• Space is limited, those interested in applying should send a 500 word essay of “Why I want to attend this event” and two letters of recommendation to Sherry Britton or fax (502) 569-8002.
• Applicants who are accepted will be notified by mid September
  
  The time will be intense and inspirational providing teaching and training along with honest and loving evaluation. For more information contact Sherry Britton at (888) 728-7228 x5247 or by email.
  

New Church Development coaches
January 22 – 24, 2008 at the Hilton Hotel in Daytona Beach, Fla. If you are interested in becoming a New Church Development Coach, please contact Sherry Britton or Brian Clark.

For further details on either training, contact Sherry Briton

Consulting

We regularly talk with presbytery staff and commissions about issues related to beginning, supporting and maintaining new churches. We try to partner with presbyteries in every step of the NCD process. Preaching at a presbytery meeting, inspiring a vote for a new church is a rewarding connection. Advising and assisting in a committee’s search for an organizing pastor calls for an extensive network of contacts. We might help review a draft of a grant proposal, or train a committee to support a pastor on the field. As the NCD evolves, the partnership of our office, the presbytery committee or commissions, the organizing pastor, a trained coach and lay leadership can assure a positive effort working towards clear goals specific to the unique NCD.

Contact us for information about consulting or see a list of NCD consultants we recommend.

Funding and grants

The Mission Program Grants in partnership with synods and presbyteries provides short-term, start-up funds for New Church Development, Congregational Transformation and Specialized Ministries of the PC(USA). Grants are normally made for between three to seven years. Mission Program Grants are for projects which reflect the denomination's commitment to inclusiveness and diversity and respond to the mission priorities and strategies of the presbytery, synod and General Assembly. [Read more]

Bibliography

Cameron, Julia. The Artist’s Way. J. P. Tarcher, 2002.
Open up your creativity, redefine your spiritual life and language, think in new ways about spiritual experience. Stretch a little – read it!

Jones, Laurie Beth. Jesus CEO: Using Ancient Wisdom for Visionary Leadership. Hyperion (Adult Trd Pap), 1996. Another new metaphor for the spiritual life as management! Find new ways of talking about God, Jesus, Church and life. Read it!

Whyte, David. The Heart Aroused: Poetry and the Preservation of the Soul in Corporate America. New York, NY: Doubleday/Currency, 1994.
Yup! Poetry, soul, corporate America and the new church.

McLaren, Brian. More Ready than You Realize: Evangelism as Dance in the Post-Modern Matrix. Zondervan Publishing Company, 2002.
Forgive the sub-title and read the book. Brian McLaren is doing ministry in a highly effective way, and thinking hard about how he does it.

Taylor, Barbara Brown. The Preaching Life. Cambridge: Cowley Publications, 1993. Just a good book on preaching.

McManus, Erwin. An Unstoppable Force: Daring to Become the Church God Had in Mind. Group Publishing, 2001. Another pretentious sub-title — this time the book is a bit bossy too. But what a challenge!

Miller, Craig Kennet. Next Church. Now Creating New Faith Communities. Discipleship Resources, 2004. What a helpful book! Written by the United Methodist Director of New Congregational Development (NCD Office), very useful.

Schaller, Lyle. 44 Questions for Church Planters. Abingdon Press, 1991
It is out-of-print, it is dated, and I found it so useful. Maybe you can find it.

Beckwith, Harry. Selling the Invisible: A Field Guide to Modern Marketing. Warner Books, 1997. Sorry, it isn’t the devil’s science! You need to know something about marketing, and be able to think in these terms. Read this, or a similar classic.

Living the Vision Series
Our PC(USA) Evangelism and Witness and Racial Ethnic offices have produced several booklets on dimensions of NCD, from general case studies, to specific racial/ethnic church planting.

The Cutting Edge
The Vineyard Church Planting newsletter.

Dtour.com
"A new community of people who are exploring life. faith, worship, and ministry in the emerging culture."

The Barna Group
Demographics and social commentary.

Next Wave
A site where anyone can discuss strategies, objective, share stories and raise question about churches in a postmodern culture.

The Ooze
A Web-zine on "The Church in Transition."

Rainmaker Thinking, Inc.
A research and consulting firm dedicated to studying the working lives of people born after 1963.