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Launch Plan Capital Region, New York
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2 www.VAST.church Table of Contents
Beginning with the End in Mind
Why The Capital Region Needs Another Church Vision
Mission
Values
VAST Code
Launch Day Goal
Developing Prayer Partners
Developing the Launch Team
Location, Location, Location
Budget and Funding Plan
Marketing and Outreach Strategy
The VAST Church Experience
Church Planting Timeline.
Governance and Stages of Growth Measurement and Incremental
Operations Management Timeline
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Beginning With the End in Mind
28 “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? 29 For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, 30 saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’
Luke 14:28-30
We believe that in the beginning, God’s creation was good. Humanity was created to be in community with God and each other. But through our own mistakes, darkness and evil entered into the story and are now a part of the world. This devastating event led to our relationships with God, ourselves, and others being fragmented — a shadow of what they were meant to be — and in desperate need of redeeming.
We believe Jesus’ path of suffering, crucifixion, death, burial, and resurrection brings life to all of creation. Jesus is our only hope for returning to a peaceful relationship between God and humanity. Through Jesus, we have been forgiven, and restored to full community with God. Because of this, God is now likewise restoring us to each other, and ourselves. Jesus calls for his followers, his church, to be a blessing to the rest of the world. Through his spirit, God fills us with gifts, guides, comforts, counsels, and directs the church to be an expression of himself in the world.
We believe the church, when functioning as God intends, is the hope of the world. We believe the church should be a breath of fresh air as Jesus was, instead of oppressive as the empires which fought against him. We believe God blesses the church so that we in turn can bless others. The church is a global movement following Jesus’ example. Through love, peace, sacrifice, and healing we embody the resurrected Christ–who lives in us and through us–to a broken and hurting world.
We believe there will be a day when injustice no longer exists, and all things will be restored to God’s original desires. Jesus will return to his creation, and God will rule forever. All of creation’s pain will disappear, and God will live among us in a restored world. On that day there will be no more oppression, no more violence, there will be no more death, and God will wipe away all our tears. Our relationships with God, others, and ourselves will be whole. All will finally be as God intends.This is what we long for, hope for, and why we are giving our lives to live out that future reality, now.
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Why Does Metropolitan Albany Need Another Church?
The simple answer is that the job is not finished. Nearly 1 ,170,483 people live in Albany Metro Area, including over 50,000 college students. A study done by BARNA Research Group in 2016 revealed Albany/S chenectady/Troy is Number 1 least Bible-Minded Area in the U.S. Additionally the Capital Region is also Number 3 most post Christian areas, Number 8 Churchless areas, and Number 10 most unChurched Areas in America. There isn’t just a need for 1 more church to be planted this calls for a movement and revival of multiple church planters and the church as a whole to rise up for Upstate New York.
The better answer is that God is calling us to plant a “Life-Giving Church Planting Movement.” I believe God calls us to plant new churches because each one reaches different people. God creates unique people so why shouldn’t he create unique churches to reach his creation. God has been preparing my wife, Lisa, and I to plant a unique church that will reach people in the Capital Region that no one else is reaching. Lisa and I are equally assured of God’s direction to build for his Kingdom in The Capital Region (Albany area) and of the vision he has placed in our hearts for the church we should strive to create. When God is calling us to this task and equipping us with the resources to accomplish the mission how can we say no?
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In May 2017 I picked up a side job driving Uber to pick up some extra money. Day after day I would drive around the Capital Region of New York and Pray. As time would past my heart would come alive driving around this region. A voice had grown from a whisper to a shout Proclaiming ”This is what’s next. This is where you are to go. This area needs to know God’s love. This area need to know God’s heart.” I knew this vision wasn’t mine. This had to be divine.
I soon learned that the Capital Region is the least Bible-Minded region in America. I began to think what a life without my bible would be like. I couldn't imagine not having the wisdom, strength, hope, love, and peace that it has brought me. A book that has radically changed every part of me. This book has given me true purpose to live my life. How could a person live without believing and reading the greatest book to exist? The more I prayed and continued driving, the more I learned about the region. I was then I knew in my heart something had to be done. God had spoken and said to start this movement called VAST Church. A church VAST im love and generosity. A church so VAST in influence the whole world will knows how VAST the love of Jesus is.
We believe that God is sending us to plant not just 1 church but to see many locations planted all over the capital region of new york and beyond.VAST will be a church that helps people find their true purpose in life. A place where they can find true answers to why they exist and are alive. VAST will be a place where people don’t have to be perfect to belong. It will be a church where people can find true genuine relationships and encounter real people and do life together.
A church so in love with Jesus and so filled by his spirit it will do whatever it takes to share him with the world. A people who model Christ with their lives in such a way that it attracts everyone they meet. We see a church that is radically committed to taking the message of hope beyond the walls of the church to the hopeless and helpless that have yet to hear of this life changing love. I see a church where lost people are found. Where sick people are healed, And hurting hearts are restored. VAST will Be a church that never stops going, never stops growing, and will never stay content until the whole world knows of this love. I see a church that leads history changing generosity that impacts New York's story for all time to come.
A church that is crazy enough to try to out give God with their time, talent, and treasure but fails miserably every single time. The church I see Is one where everyone brings their best. A church with a focus on excellence, honor, and hard work. I pray that this church would be a light that shines so bright, and make such an impact, that all the world would stop to watch and see. A church with a power that is so real and life changing. They would see signs and wonders that only a real God could do and explain. Where JESUS is famous, the bible is the basis, and this radical reckless love leads their lives.
I truly am not deserving or qualified for what is to come from VAST. I am though, willing to say yes and trust that voice. I am choosing to believe in all he is going to do and stick to what he has Promised. This isn’t about a church, a pastor, or a name. This is all about one. The one person that has yet to hear of the VAST love Jesus.
This movement will take a VAST amount of people, a VAST amount of money, and a VAST amount of prayer. So I ask you what is your part in this movement? What is your part in this vision? What is God putting on your heart? Don’t wait… act now…and take your next step in this VAST story.
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Mission
With a vision for a church in our hearts, we began to create structure that would make the vision a reality. It was clear that we wanted a simple yet an amazing mission that people could devote their lives to accomplishing, a mission that aligns with God’s heart for the people of Upstate New York and beyond:
“Saturate Upstate with the VAST love of Jesus!”
VAST church exists to lead people to the incredible life that God offers us through Jesus Christ in all areas of life. We believe that the life God gives starts with a relationship with Him, but flows into finances, relationships, careers, parenting, and every other area possible. As we are saturated in our relationship with Jesus, every area of our lives will begin to become Saturated. As we are transformed, the world will be transformed by how we live and what we do.
VAST hopes to accomplish the mission by leading people to Jesus in three ways:
1. The VAST Experience 2. 1st Wednesday Prayer 3. Small Groups
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Values We believe each of these values must be present in a life-giving church. The 8 core values we hold at VAST are:
1. Empowering Leadership – Helping people do what God wants them to do.
2. Gift Oriented Ministry – Helping people learn and function in the gifts God has given them. The idea here is that people shouldn’t serve where they don’t b elong. This allows the church to be shaped by the gifts God has placed in the C hurch. For example, if no one likes kids there would be no kids ministry.
3. Passionate Spirituality – F aith is lived out with commitment, fire, and enthusiasm. W e don’t have to do it, we get to do it!
4. Functional Structures – Kill what is not producing or working. Stop doing what d oes not work or does not fulfill the VAST vision.
5. Inspiring Worship – The key is to understand inspiring as it is used here. When p eople are asked what inspiring means they say, “fun.” It does not matter what style is used (whether liturgical or contemporary), the difference between uninspiring and inspiring is whether people walk away and say they had fun.
6. Holistic Community – Meets the needs of everyday life in smaller group settings. Touching people’s lives where they are. Holistic community is when people find community, people find practical help, and have spiritual interaction.
7. Incarnational Evangelism – need-oriented evangelism. Reaching people where they are! Celebrating missions. Celebrating transformed lives!
8. L oving relationships – Unfeigned, practical love endows a church with a much greater magnetic power than all the marketing efforts of this world. Are people getting together without the church putting them together?
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Launch Day Goal Because of statistical realities regarding church growth in America we want to be realistic in our goals as well as strategic.
VAST has set a goal of 400 people in attendance on launch Sunday, February, 2019.
Statistics state that 80% of church plants that start with less than 100 people will fail. Therefore we do not want a goal that is too low.
For various reasons the vast majority of churches who have less than 200 people in attendance will struggle for many years to reach and surpass the 200 person barrier. Most churches do not grow past this barrier. Therefore it seems beneficial to reach or surpass that barrier on day one.
Launch expert’s state that the number of people on the day of the launch will be reduced by half in two weeks. The number in attendance after two weeks is what can be expected as the base level of the church. By targeting 400 people on the day of the launch we can expect a base level attendance of 200. With the goal of 400 people in attendance on the day of the launch, VAST is positioning itself to be in the minimum best strategic situation for future growth.
The following is the plan of how we hope to achieve this goal...
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Developing Prayer Partners
“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.”
- Psalm 127:1
A goal of 400 people on launch day is an achievable goal when you consider that with God nothing is impossible. We believe we must begin to petition God to fight our battles for us to make this dream a reality. It is essential that VAST will win the war in the spiritual before it attempts to win in the natural.
When we want territory we must defeat kings. In Joshua chapter 1, God commands Joshua to be bold and courageous and promised that everywhere Joshua set his foot God would give it to him. Yet Joshua had to go to war to take the land. It’s not easy to take land. By chapter 13 Joshua had defeated 31 kings. If we are to take possession of the dream that God has placed in our hearts it will require spiritual victory before we can see natural victory.
1. The first step in accomplishing the goal is to create a culture of prayer at VAST. We have enlisted a minimum of 25 intercessory prayer partners and continue to seek out more. 2. Each member of the launch team will spend one day each week in prayer and f asting for The Capital Region of New York. 3. We will keep the intercessory team updated using social media and e-mail with prayer needs specific to each step of the process so they can pray with us to overcome the amazing challenges of launching a church.
We must have God’s blessing before we do any of the following steps or they simply will not work!
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Developing the Launch Team
Teamwork makes the dream work. In order to reach our goal of 400 people we have to put together a fantastic Launch Team.
We will build a contact list of every person we know in The Capital Region and meet with each person on the list to recruit them for the launch team.
At each meeting we are looking for people with the following:
1. Potential value ‒ they have undeveloped abilities.
2. Positive value ‒ they raise the morale of you or the church.
3. Personal value ‒ we have a “divine flow” connection with them.
4. Production value ‒ they can get things done.
Leadership is ultimately about creating a way for people to contribute to making something extraordinary happen. People don’t want to be told what to do; they want to contribute. Here is what the leadership of VAST can do to accomplish this task.
1. Have integrity and model the way. People first follow the person‒then the plan. 2. Communicate the vision. Envision the future by imagining exciting and ennobling possibilities then find those who will listen to and share your dream. 3. Allow them to challenge the process (not the vision). Encourage people to step o ut and have new ideas. 4. Let leaders lead. Build teams and empower people. 5. Create an atmosphere of encouragement. Recognize contributions and celebrate victories.
The minimum number of members on the Launch Team to properly staff a church of 400 people is 40 adults.
Every member of the Launch Team will participate in our Next Classes. In this newcomer class each team member will discover their gifts and learn the discipleship approach of VAST LAUNCH prior to the launch.
Post launch each of these teams will no longer serve as the Launch Team and they will function under the heading of VAST Teams. Each team will meet as a small group once a month for fellowship, training, and spiritual growth.
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Location, Location, Location
In order to have a successful launch it is extremely important to find a great location. It is critical that we find a location that meets the following criteria:
1. V isibility–people need to know where it is and be able to find the church.
2.Accessibility–the location needs to have parking and egress.
3.Size – the size of the room can be too small or too big. It has to be able to create critical mass in the room dynamic.
4.Cost–stay away from permanent situations, and look for a location that is 35% or less of the budget.
5.Potential for growth – will this building allow us to grow?
When a location or venue is found, we will then observe three other church planters in a similar venue to discover the best utilization practices of the location.
Once we launch multiple portable locations over the next 5 years we can begin to discover our process for revamping facilities. The dream is to partner with existing dying churches all over upstate New York. We have seen the new trend coming of Rebirthing old congregations all over the united state. We Believe we will be positioned to take on existing churches and relaunch their facilities into life giving churches again.
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Marketing and Outreach Strategy
A marketing strategy is a plan for reaching pre-believers with the Gospel message. VAST church has adopted a 5 stage strategy to accomplish the mission:
1. Awareness– We are going to ensure that every single person in the surrounding Zip Codes will be reached and is aware that VAST CHURCH is coming to The Capital Area. This will be done through radio advertising, direct mailers, door knockers, yard signs, invite cards, street team events, and more!
2. Connection– We are going to connect with at least 5,000 people in the same zip codes by canvassing door to door, prayer walks, and community fundraising events. Every person we meet will have their name recorded and submitted to the prayer team.
3. Relationship– We are going to build relationships with 2,000 people in Capital Region area by intentionally fostering multiple contacts with the people we interact with on a daily basis. The goal of r elationship is to build true community and earn the right to spiritually invest in lives. This will be accomplished through the use of social media such as e-mail, Twitter, Facebook, Linked-In, Vimeo, and YouTube. Each member of the Launch Team will be equipped with social media kits to connect within their circle of influence. Relationship does not begin with social media but it can be tracked and maintained through the use of social media. It is critical to reach 2000 relationships because for every 5 personal invitations to attend VAST there will be one affirmative response allowing us to reach our goal of 400 people in September, 2018. With a Launch Team of 56 this will require 36 personal invitations per team member.
4. Discipleship – Discipleship should and can occur prior to Evangelism. If we have properly built relationships we will be able to find opportunities to positively influence people on a spiritual level. The goal is to move people one step closer to Jesus. This is often done through service and loving conversation regarding spiritual truth. Each member of the Launch Team will be challenged to identify 8 people they are intentionally leading to Jesus and into a deeper relationship with Him. Again this will allow for the potential of 400 people in attendance on Launch Sunday.
5. Evangelism– The natural result of intentional spiritual engagement /discipleship is connection to Jesus! Discipleship cannot help but end in relationship with Jesus. It is not the goal of VAST to reach the churched. It is our goal to reach pre-believers and see their lives transformed by Jesus!
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26 www.VAST.church The VAST Experience
At VAST we understand the lasting nature of first impressions and that people matter. From the second they enter our parking lot, guests begin making impressions about our ministry. Most people make a decision about what church they are going to be apart of within the first 10 minutes of attending a church. This starts as soon as they pull into the parking lot. We must WIN our guests within the first ten minutes. The VAST Experience (TVE) is the first touch point and beginning of the VAST Experience. VAST does not expect to accomplish the mission through The VAST Experience alone. TVE is designed to accomplish the first portion of the mission statement by casting a wide net that will get those not yet apart of the #VASTLIFE involved. Because of this, TVE is just the first step toward transformation and must be able to deliver on the mission of leading people to Jesus but also serve as the engine that drives people through the rest of the #VASTLIFE process.
Therefore TVE is committed to delivering 2 core GOALS with excellence.
The VAST Experience Core GOALS:
1. Creating Compelling Worship Services
“FUN, LIFE CHANGING, POINTING TOWARD GOD.”
1) R elevant, doctrinally sound, life-giving messages through stories, testimonies, p reaching, and creative multimedia. 2) Rocking, Fun, Life giving worship music. 3) S piritual connection through worship, giving, communion, and prayer. 4) W ell-staffed, clean, safe, and fun kids environments *That New Car Smell.
2. Intentional Connection
1) The Experience Host Team will give each attendee the VIP treatment 2) P arking Hosts– Directing traffic (Cars and pedestrians) with a smile. 3) Exterior Hosts– Welcome to VAST, Good morning, pointing toward entrance. 4) I nterior Hosts– Open doors, shaking Hands, identify guests, escort and provide map, assist with child check-in and extra bags for mothers, ensure everyone knows where to go and that they get there. 5) VAST Café – provides free coffee and Snacks. 6) NEXT Hosts – answers questions and inform about next steps in the #VASTLIFE plan. 7) Weekly Guest Greeting during worship service. Will promote 3 Sunday i nvitation, NEXT, First Wednesday Prayer, and Welcome Parties. 8) Weekly NEXT Environment – during the service guests will be encouraged to v isit NEXT directly following service. NEXT will always inform each guest of the f ollowing ways to get plugged in at VAST. 9) Monthly Welcome Parties, Get to know the pastor, Get plugged in to small groups/Leaders, Vision and mission of the church. Get them signed up for the next classes! 10) First Wednesday Prayer Meetings- A separate environment where we will pray for the needs of the church that is placed on contact cards during the TVE. An environment for the operations and freedom of expressing the Gifts of the Spirit. This is an environment that lends more towards the insider.
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Governance and Stages of Growth It is the goal of VAST to have a Parent Church (PC) partnership that will allow VAST to become a Parent Affiliated Church (PAC). An exploration of the churches in New York with the assistance of the District Office will help to yield a willing Parent Church. We have achieved this goal and will be partnering with Two Rivers Church in Binghamton New York. Here are what the Steps to establishing a PC and PAC relationship are: 1. A gree in principle with a PC for the general purpose and basic operational r elationship. (See Appendix A – PAC Packet)
2. D evelop a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
3. F ile a PAC charter with the General Council of the Assemblies of God (See A ppendix A – PAC Packet)
The critical element in the parent and PAC relationship is a properly defined MOU. In order to properly develop a MOU it is recommended that leadership from both the PC and PAC participate in a Clarification of Assumptions and Expectations Meeting.
The participants should consist of the senior leader from the sending church, the senior leader of the site/church plant and an informed third party facilitator (NY District or Steve Pike – Director Church Multiplication Network) who can help the sender and the affiliate clarify their expectations and assumptions. A “scribe” or recording device should be utilized to capture the points of agreement as the expectations and assumptions are clarified. This meeting should take place very early on in the process...after the decision to move forward with the project has been made, but before any substantive actions have been taken to make the new plant a reality. There are at least four crucial categories of assumptions/expectations that should be explored. The facilitator can guide the participants through these categories and make sure that each category is thoroughly clarified.
1. Money-
How much money is the parent church prepared to invest in the project?
How will the money be dispersed?
How will the site/plant be accountable to the parent church?
2. S tyle-
What will the ministry style of the new church/site be?
What forms of worship style are not acceptable to the sending church?
What about music styles?
Does the sending church expect the new church/site to be a clone or s omething very different?
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3. G overnance-
What will the relationship of the new church/site be to the sending church?
How will decisions be made?
How often should the leadership of the site/new church be in touch with the l eadership of the sending church?
4.Ethics-
How may the leader of the new site/church interact with the members of the existing church?
Whom may the new site/church leader invite to be part of the launch team?
How should the site/plant leader communicate with the parent church r egarding guests who show up at the new location who typically attend the s ending church?
How can the site/plant leader appeal for money and prayer from members of t he sending church? I t is the desire of TRA that the Parent Church will assist in the following areas:
1. Development of risk management policies.
2. Development of personnel policy
3. Insurance coverage under pre existing policy
4. Accounting services
5. Access to office Space and resources
6. Shared information management systems
7. Shared CCLI license and access too there memberships
8. Accountability in finances, leadership , and time
9. $1,500.00 per month in support
10. G uarantee the CMN grant
30 www.VAST.church When VAST has reached predetermined milestones built into the MOU it will transition from a PAC to a General Council Affiliated church. As such VAST will need to apply for and meet the criteria to complete the following documents:
1. EIN Number – IRS Form SS - 4
2. State Sale Tax Exemption Number
3. VAST Church Checking Account
3. Self-Governing Constitution and Bylaws
4. Articles of Incorporation
As a General Council Affiliated church it will be the goal of VAST Church to re-invest the money and assistance from the Parent Church to plant a new church. VAST’s only expectation as a new PC being that the new PAC retain this goal for itself and any future churches it plants.
Measurement and Incremental Improvement
VAST will employ a process of continual measurement to create a culture of management by fact. The process of improvement is about creating rich soil for the seed – healthy environment for the delivery of the word.
VAST will assess the following 7 categories annually.
1. Prayer Focus
2. Leadership
3. Strategic Planning
4. Workforce Focus
5. Operations Focus
6. Customer Focus
7. Finances
Each category will be measured and assessed to determine how well it is functioning to accomplish the 8 indicators of success (Life-Giving Characteristics of a church Adapted from Christian Schwartz – “ABC’s of natural church development”)
a) Empowering Leadership – helping Christians to do what God wants them to do
b) Gift Oriented Ministry – helping Christians to know and function in the gifts God gave them. The idea here is that people should not serve where they don’t b elong. This allows the church to be shaped by the gifts God
31 www.VAST.church has placed in the C hurch. For example, if no one likes kids there would be no kids ministry.
c) Passionate Spirituality – f aith is lived out with commitment fire and enthusiasm. W e don’t have to do it, we get to do it!
d) Functional Structures – kill what is not producing or working. Stop doing what d oes not work or does not fulfill the purpose.
e) Inspiring Worship – the key is to understand inspiring as it is used here. When p eople are asked what inspiring means they say, “fun.” It does not matter what style is used(whether liturgical or contemporary), the difference between uninspiring and inspiring is whether people walk away and say they had fun.
f) Holistic Community – meets the needs of everyday life in smaller group settings. Touching people’s lives where they are. Holistic community is when people find community, people find practical help, and have spiritual interaction.
g) Incarnational Evangelism – need-oriented evangelism. Reaching people where they are! Celebrating missions. Celebrating transformed lives!
h) L oving relationships – Unfeigned, practical love endows a church with a much greater magnetic power than all the marketing efforts of this world. Are people getting together without the church putting them together?
As a new organization VAST will practice benchmarking to be sure we are keeping pace with basic expectations of healthy church plants. Sea Coast Community Church in South Carolina, a leader in multi-site growth, suggests the following formula for new campus growth expectations:
1. Average yearly TSE attendance– Goal of 250 first year attendees 2. Average yearly FIRST WEDNESDAY PRAYER attendance– 50% of total attendance 3. Average weekly VAST group participation– 50% of total adult attendance 4. Total number of VAST groups– Goal of 1 per 8 adults 5. Believer’s baptisms – 10% of total adult attendance 6. N ew comers attendance– 3%of total adult attendance per year. 7. Average number of leaders being developed weekly- 5% of total adult attendance per year 8. Average number of campus volunteers enlisted, trained, and deployed- 15% of total adult attendance per month 9. Per person giving at the new campus– $1,000.00 10. Plant and add at least 1 location every 2 years. Have a total of 10 at the end of 10 years.
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Operations Management Timeline
December 2017: 13 Months Out 1. Receive District Approval / Phase One Consideration 2. Develop Prayer Partners 3. Develop Fundraising Plan And Partners 4. Begin Exploring Parent Church Affiliation
January 2018: 12 Months Out
1. Move Into The Community ● Find A Home, School, Job ● Develop Relationship With Our Neighbors ● Intentionally Engage With Our Community ● Schools, City Hall, Etc. ● Reference Our Area Profile Demographics For Specific Plan Of Attack
2. Financial Administration ● Incorporation ● Get Financial Software (E.G. Quickbooks Or Dime-simple Serve) ● Consider Hiring An Accountant To Establish Books And Procedures ● Set Up A General Budget ● Set Up A Spreadsheet For Tracking Income And Expenses ● Fill Out Payroll Tax Forms
3. Federal-level Legal & Corporate Actions ● Contact Your Ag District/Network Office To Complete A New Church Open/Pac Form. ● Determine A (Temporary) Board Of Directors ● Obtain An Ein ● Create Your Church Bylaws
4. Establish A Prayer Team ● It's Never Too Early To Have A Group Of People Regularly Praying For Your Community And For Your New Church Plant. Establish A Prayer Team And Keep In Contact With Them Regularly.
5. Connect With Our Coaches ● Meet With Coaches From Arc, Cmn, Next Level Coaching, Reach Northeast.
6. Update Prayer Partners
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7. Schedule Speaking Engagements In Ny
8.Continue Pc Affiliation Process
February 2018: 11 Months Out
1. Update Prayer Partners 2. Continue Pc Affiliation Process 3. Develop Partner Churches 4. Begin Fundraising Campaign
March 2018: 10 Months Out
1. Update Prayer Partners 2. Recruit Worship Leader 3. Agreement In Principle Of Pc Affiliation Process 4. Firm Up Partner Church Commitments
April 2018: 9 Months Out
1. Begin Recruiting Launch Team Members
Ask Potential Team Members: ● Will You Be Part Of The Team? ● Will You Commit Financially? ● Who Else Do You Know In This Community Who Could Join?
Ask Yourself: ● Who’s Not On Your Team That Should Be? ● Who’s Going To Ask Them? ● When Are You/They Going To Ask Them? ● What Did They Say? ● When Do They Start?
Create A Blueprint For Your Desired Launch Team Roles: ● Youth Ministry ● Kids Ministry ● Worship Team ● Creative Arts (Sound, Design, Tech, Marketing) ● Hosts Team/First Impressions ● Community/Small Group Leaders
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Make Sure You Clarify Expectations For Launch Team Members. Let Them Know What You Want From Them, What Events They Should Attend, And When They Should Be There. Also, Remember To Set A Goal For The Number Of Team Members You Want By The Time Your Church Launches.
2. Marketing - Build Awareness In Your Community ● Website Goes Live ● Social Media Promotion Of Church Page ● Google Ads For Website ● Apply For Nonprofit Status With Usps For Future Mailers ● Create And Publicize Calendar Of Events Leading To Church Launch
3. Fundraising Strategy ● Establish Fundraising Goal Based On 6-month Operating Budget ● Clarify Giving Expectations For Launch Team
4. Community Involvement ● Host Your First Community Event ● Host Monthly Interest Meetings ● Join Chamber Of Commerce, Volunteer At Schools, Run A Benevolence Ministry ● Create Relationships With Other Pastors And Churches Nearby
5. Determine Our Top Five Venue Choices
6. Up Date Prayer Partners
7. Develop Logos, Letterhead, Sign Design.
8. Continue Fundraising Campaign
May 2018: 8 Months Out
1. u pdate Prayer Partners 2. 2019 Sermon Series Development 3. Pac Mou Signed And Pac Charter Filed With Gc Of Ag
June 2018: 7 Months Out
1. Up Date Prayer Partners 2. 1s t Prayer Walk With Prayer Partners 3. Recruit Launch Team 4. Begin Speaking Engagements
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July 2018: 6 Months Out
1. Update Prayer Partners 2. Recruit Launch Team 3. Continued Fundraising 4. Continued Speaking Engagements 5. Canvassing Area–spiritually Supportive Survey & Needs Assessment – Used To generate Marketing Campaign 6. New Church Planting Orientation (NYDMC Requirement) 7. Location Search With Pc Leadership
August 2018: 5 Months Out
1. Update Prayer Partners 2. Prayer Walks 3. Location Search Narrowed And Negotiations Begin 4. Sermon Series Developed Applying Needs Assessment Data 5. Recruit Launch Team 6. Continued Development Of Marketing Campaign
September 2018: 4 Months Out “ The Month Of Vision” 1. Update Prayer Partners 2. Location Firmed And Architecture Designs Completed 3. Pick Out Furniture And Supplies. 4. Apply For Bgmc Speed The Light, And Discipleship Funding 5. Trip 1 With Existing Leadership Team 6. Launch Team Meeting – Vision Casting, Dreaming,- The Church Will Look Like Us! 7. Launch Team Meeting – Pledges For Vision 8. Launch Team Meeting – Spiritual Essentials
October 2018: 3 Months Out “The Month Of Discovery”
1. Ramp Up Community Outreach ● Get Involved In Community Projects ● Cater To The Needs Of Your Community
2. Establish Systems For Kids Ministry One Of The Most Important Factors In Whether A Family Will Attend Your Church Is Whether Or Not You Provide Programs For Their Kids. We Will Stay On Top Of Our Kids Ministry Program With Summer Outreach And Sunday School Curriculum.
3. Create A Systems Checklist ● Choose Your Church Management Database Provider
37 www.VAST.church ● Figure Out Who Counts The Offering ● Connection Cards - Follow Up ● Background Checks For Volunteers To Work With Children And Youth ● New Believer Follow Up ● Volunteer Recruitment And Assimilation ● Volunteer Roles ● Outline Weekend Logistics
4. Location ● Clarify Expectations With Venue Owner ● Obtain Liability Insurance (E.G. Corporate, Event And Property, On Storage Too).
5. Develop A Discipleship Growth Track ● Write Lessons For The Membership Class ● Begin Preparing Content For Discipleship And Leadership Classes
6. Plan For Worship Ministry ● Get Your Ccli License ● Begin Having Worship Practices ● Discover Songs And Download Sheet Music
7. Finalize Design Of Marketing Package ● Print Materials ● Directional/Pathfinding Signage ● Offering Envelopes And Buckets ● Lanyards/T-shirts For Workers ● Flyers, Connection Cards, Mailers, Signage
8. Order Promotional Items For Launch Day
9. Family And Marriage Health Check The Stress Of Preparing To Plant A Church Can Sneak Up On You. Take Time To Evaluate The Health Of Your Marriage And Family. If You Need To Take A Week Away To Recoup, Now Is The Time To Do So.
10. Message Planning ● Plan Sermons 6 Months Out From Launch ● Develop Your Launch Day Message
11. Follow Up With Strategic Partners For Funding/Resources ● Create List Of Items Still To Be Purchased. Go To Potential Donors With Specifics On What You Need And How Much It Will Cost.
12. Sound And Production ● Purchase Pro Presenter For Slides And Videos ● Purchase Sound System 38 www.VAST.church ● Purchase Lighting
13. Prayer And Fasting
14 .Continue Leadership Development
15. Marketing - Advertise Your Launch ● Reformat Website To Reflect Launch Phase ● Design And Order Swag Items ○ T-shirts, Frisbees, Bumper Stickers, Magnets, Water Bottles, Coffee Mugs ● Booth Displays And Banners For Information Center ● Press Releases To Local News Stations ● Posters ● Approach Athletic Teams, Restaurants, Coffee Houses, Etc.
16. Update Prayer Partners 17. Launch Team Meeting – Gifts Discovery 18. Launch Team Meeting – Transformation Team–dreaming Together 19. Launch Team Meeting – Outreach Strategy–what Do We Need To Do? 20. Trip 1 With Launch Team – Observing Life-giving Church Teams Observe The Ir Area 21. Develop Creative Team 22. Apply For Cmn Funding 23. Apply For Arc Funding 24. Location Lease Finalized 25. Community Connection – Halloween Candy With Flyers
November 2018 3 Months Out “The Month Of Connection” 1. Update Prayer Partners 2. Marketing Campaign-direct Mail Lists Developed And Details Explored 3. Launch Team Meeting – Holistic Community 4. Trip 2 With Launch Team–observe And Participate With A Life – Giving Church Tts w orking In Their Area 5. Launch Team Meeting – Loving Relationships 6. Launch Team Meeting–incarnational Evangelism 7. Community Connection–door To Door Food Drive With Flyer 8. Location Build – Out Begins
December 2018: 2 Months Out “The Month Of Adoration ”
1. Update Prayer Partners 2. Sermon Series Finalized 3. Launch Team Meeting – Prayer Zones 4. Launch Team Meeting – Unplugged Worship Event 5. Launch Team Meeting – Christmas Party 6. Community Connection–door To Door Food Drive With Flyer
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January 2019:1 Month Out “The Month Of Empowerment”
1. Update Prayer Partners 2. Begin Purchasing Furniture And Supplies Using Checklist 3. Direct Mailer 1–january 11th 4. Launch Team Meeting–assess, Review ,And Improve 5. Launch Team Meeting–e4 Principle 6. Location Build–out Completed 7. Social Media Kits Given To Launch Team 8. prepare First Sermon Series
● Sermon Notes ● Propresenter Slides ● Video Bumpers ● Music And Countdown Clock ● Video Announcements ● Ect.
9. Marketing - Build Excitement For Launch Day
● Paid Social Media Campaigns On Facebook, Instagram ● Hand Out Flyers ● Mailers Sent Out ● Yard Signs ● Door Hangers ● Run Local Google Ads Linking To Church Website ● Hulu Ads ● Pandora/Spotify Ads ● Youtube Ads ● Facebook Ads ● Google Ads
10. Assemble All Church Equipment
11. Make Any Last-minute Small Purchases ● Cables, Supplies, Mints, Cards, Offering Buckets, Toys, Etc. 12. Launch Team ● On-the-job Training ● Celebrate Launch Team (Throw Them A Party) 13. Create Launch Day Experience Guides
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February 2019: “ T he Month Of Realization”
1. Up Date Prayer Partners
2. P re Launch Service 2 – February 3rd– Finalize Checklist Of Items
3. Direct Mailer 2 – February 10th
4. Launch Team Meeting–pre Launch Service Assessment Review And Improve
5. Pre Launch Service 3
6. Direct Mailer 3 – February 20th
7. Launch Service – February 24th
1. Follow-up With All First Time Guests
March 2019
1. Up Date Prayer Partners
2. Easter Push
April 2019
1. Update Prayer Partners
2. Launch First Wednesdays
September 2019
1. U p Date Prayer Partners
2. M easurement
A ) Customer Surveys (8 Life-giving Characteristics) Developed And Results Collected.
B ) Management Surveys (To Predict How Management Thinks We Did In Each Of The 8 Areas) And Results Collected.
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October 2019
1. U p Date Prayer Partners
2. L eadership Retreat a ) Spiritual Renewal (Prayer And Fasting One Week Prior To Retreat)
B) Gap Analysis Of Current Systems Using Survey Data
C) Strategic Planning And Review Of 2018 Using Swot Analysis
D) Development Of Goals And Process Improvement Plan For 2019.
November 2019 1. Up Date Prayer Partners
2. Strategic Plans Finalized And Budget Process Begins.
December 2019
1. Update Prayer Partners
2. Budget Finalized And Approved For 2020.
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