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Evaluation of Church Plant Training Methods Within the Assemblies of God

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Evaluation of Church Plant Training Methods Within the Assemblies of God Southeastern University FireScholars Doctor of Education (Ed.D) Fall 2020 EVALUATION OF CHURCH PLANT TRAINING METHODS WITHIN THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD Bethlehem Backes Southeastern University - Lakeland Follow this and additional works at: https://firescholars.seu.edu/coe Part of the Christianity Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, and the Practical Theology Commons Recommended Citation Backes, Bethlehem, "EVALUATION OF CHURCH PLANT TRAINING METHODS WITHIN THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD" (2020). Doctor of Education (Ed.D). 90. https://firescholars.seu.edu/coe/90 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by FireScholars. It has been accepted for inclusion in Doctor of Education (Ed.D) by an authorized administrator of FireScholars. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EVALUATION OF CHURCH PLANT TRAINING METHODS WITHIN THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD By BETHLEHEM BACKES A doctoral dissertation submitted to the College of Education in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership Southeastern University December, 2020 EVALUATION OF CHURCH PLANT TRAINING METHODSWITIIlN THEASSEMBLIES OF GOD by BETHLEHEMBACKES Dissertation Approved: Karen M. Ingle, Ed.D., Dissertation Chair Thomas J. Gollery, Ed.D., Committee Member James A. Anderson, Ph.D., Dean, College of Education ii DEDICATION I would not have been able to complete this venture without the constant support of my loving family and faithful friends. Greg, you encouraged me when I felt overwhelmed and worked hard keeping our family functioning while I spent countless hours researching and writing. Thank you for being my friend, husband, and greatest ally. Sierra and Brendan, you both cheered me on to the finish line. No matter what I do in life, you are my greatest accomplishments. I am forever grateful to Don and Jodi Detrick who challenged and pushed me to do more than I imagined possible. Don, thank you for opening doors of opportunity for me in leadership. Jodi, your question “What’s stopping you?” completely changed the trajectory of my life. The Detrick duo loved me into being with their coaching, mentoring, and friendship. My colleagues at the Northwest Ministry Network have been a source of strength and support through the years, and I am grateful for each of these life-giving relationships. I especially appreciate the administrative gifts of Elaine Jones, who kept my calendar organized so I could stay focused on the finish line. Pastor Monica DeLaurentis was the first church planter I had the privilege to work alongside and I have been inspired by her courageous leadership through the years. I dedicate this work to her and the thousands of pastors who dare to say “yes” to the God- sized adventure of planting a church. The strong network of supportive family and friends across the country have provided wind in my faith-sails that have taken me on this unforgettable journey. My life is the culmination of your love and support. iii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS It has been a joy to work with Dr. Karen Ingle, who was a source of wisdom and guidance throughout the planning, researching, and writing process. Thank you for believing in me and challenging me to focus this study to be relevant in the area of church planting. The assistance I received from Dr. Thomas Gollery brought quantitative research to life! I appreciate his gift to connect research data to solve real world problems. It was a true joy to work with Dr. Kim Martinez, and I thank you for sharing your brilliance with me through your gift of editing and coaching. You pushed me to think deeper and reach wider to apply my research to the church planting world. The editorial gifts of Kelly Hoskins and Dr. Cassandra Lopez refined this project and smoothed out the rough edges. I am grateful for your excellent editorial skills on this journey. iv Abstract The steady decline of churches in America is a cause of great concern among spiritual leaders (Stetzer & Im, 2016). Missiologists agree that church planting is vital to presenting the gospel to unreached people groups. If church planting is the vehicle to deliver the life-giving message of Jesus to the world, church planters are the drivers who actively accomplish the purpose of healthy multiplication. Recent data on the health of church planters indicates many of them are not adequately prepared and desire long-term support to be successful. The Assemblies of God denomination has tasked the Church Multiplication Network with leading the charge in the area of national church planting. Launch church plant training is the primary avenue to prepare church planters. The study surveyed 91 Launch participants to evaluate their perceptions of the training they received. An evaluation of Launch participants indicated they perceived the training itself to include relevant and helpful content. However, indicators of post-Launch support was significantly low on the survey results, which included coaching, parent church backing, and the help of the local denominational network. The research data highlights the need for post-launch support for church planters following the start of a new church. Church planters who perceived they had post-launch support, were 66% more likely to plant a church, compared to those who did not perceive they had ongoing support. The data indicated the perception of post-launch support was a predictor of the launch of a church. Keywords: church planting, training church plant leaders, professional development of church planters, church plant training, launching new churches. v TABLE OF CONTENTS Dedication ...................................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgments.......................................................................................................................... iv Abstract ........................................................................................................................................... v Table of Contents ........................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................................... x List of Figures ................................................................................................................................ xi I. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 1 Background of the Study .................................................................................................... 2 Theoretical Framework ....................................................................................................... 5 Conceptual Framework ....................................................................................................... 7 Problem Statement .............................................................................................................. 9 Purpose Statement ............................................................................................................. 10 Significance of the Study .................................................................................................. 10 Overview of Methodology ......................................................................................... 10 Study Participant Sample ............................................................................................11 Study Procedures ........................................................................................................11 Research Questions and Hypotheses ..........................................................................11 Analyses ............................................................................................................................ 12 Limitations ........................................................................................................................ 14 Definition of Key Terms ................................................................................................... 14 Summary ........................................................................................................................... 15 II. REVIEW OF LITERATURE ................................................................................................... 17 Overview of the Chapter’s Organization .......................................................................... 17 Conceptual Framework ..................................................................................................... 17 Defining Church Planting ................................................................................................. 18 First Century Training Models .......................................................................................... 20 vi Jesus’s Method of Training ........................................................................................ 20 Early Church Planters ................................................................................................ 24 21st Century Church Plant Training Methods .................................................................. 26 Professional Development Models ................................................................................... 34 Problem-Based Learning ..........................................................................................
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