The Church Planting Process

  1. INTERVIEWS & DISCERNMENT PROCESS: We start with a casual meeting with our Director of Church Planting. We then pray and discern together. Our team will then meet with you and further assist in the discernment process.  Click on the “testing your call” tab for some conversation starters with people who might help you test you call.
  2. ASSESSMENT: All of our planters go through an assessment process. The length and style of the assessment depends on the time of year and the experience of the candidate. Usually our assessment process takes about three days.
  3. DECISION: Once the potential planter has gone through the interview and discernment process, and has successfully completed the assessment, we move into a time of prayer and decision, asking the Lord for confirmation that He is in this.
  4. BOOT CAMP: Once the candidate and our team have made the decision that this is the right step for them, we send the planter couple to Boot Camp. This is a three day retreat where the planters learn and layout a plan for their church.
  5. APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM: We require our church planters to spend some time, (6 months to 2 years) working in an existing church plant in our network. The apprentice is paid during the apprenticeship.
  6. PRE LAUNCH PLANNING: During the apprenticeship program, we spend time planning and strategizing about the details of this plant. This can take months of preparation.
  7. TASK FORCE: Each planter is asked to form a “task force” before launching their plant.  A task force is an external leadership team that acts as an “interim elders” team for the church plant.  This team is made up of CPBC leadership, seasoned pastors & planters, and godly lay-leaders.  This team gives hands-on leadership to the planter in the early days of their church plant until such time as local leadership can be discerned, trained, and called into leadership.
  8. LAUNCH: The date is set, the location is secured, the team is formed, and the plant launches.  Strong Gospel preaching and active community involvement ensure that the gospel is both declared AND demonstrated.
  9. COACHING: From launch date, and for an additional four years, our church planting leadership team coach and support our church planters.
  10. CADRES: All of our church planters meet monthly in Vancouver for a time of connecting, praying and learning together. Cadre meetings, dates, times & location are posted on the event calendar on the home page.  If you are already planting a church in the city, we’d love to get to know you.  Please fire us an email – we’ll buy the coffee!
  11. THEOLOGY COHORT:  During the school year, all our planters are encouraged to attend a weekly 2-hour “theology cohort” led by Pastor John Neufeld (Sr. Pastor – Willingdon Church).  During the 2010-2011 ministry year, we read and discussed Wayne Grudem’s “Systematic Theology”.  Watch our website for updates on the plans for fall 2011.