Planter & Family Care

We care for the whole leader and their family.

Coaching

Vigorous academic training is essential in preparing future ministers. It is not, however, sufficient. Scriptures and church history establish the value of relationship-based, cross-generational training for ministers as they serve the local church. Of course, Jesus is the greatest example, but the biblical list includes other inspirational figures such as Elijah, Barnabas, and Paul. William Tennent, through his Log College ministry (1726-1745), provided a model that blends the academy with the local Body of Christ.

Our commitment to caring for the whole leader grows out of our love for Jesus, his church, and his servants. The role of a mentoring coach (MC) is to support the church planter by shepherding him as a fellow minister and brother in Christ. This includes transferring the MC’s experience and skills to the planter through practice-based training. MCs can provide feedback, counsel, and accountability for the planter’s ministry plan, and they can help planters identify and overcome problems, or help them realize and engage in new opportunities in the practical context of the church plant.

Cohorts

The Northwest Network’s oversight of its planters reflects its commitment to give leaders the autonomy to build Christ’s church according to his Word, to establish it according to the system of doctrine contained in our Standards, and to ensure it is in harmony with the needs of the community and the gifts of the planter.

However, our vested interest in the work and our relationship as brothers and sisters of the planter also call us to intentional oversight of the mission and soul-care for the planter and his family. To that end, in partnership with the Presbytery, we provide our planters and their families with a set of care and coaching systems, including Sevens.

This collegial model of peer training is the heart of our care model. The Sevens cohort meets seven times a year for the purpose of encouragement, fellowship, and equipping. The Sevens cover dimensions of the Seven Essential Aspects of the effective and authentic church-planting minister. The skill or character component is led by experienced practitioners from the Presbytery or other church leaders. Church planters who are not formally part of the Network or the Presbyterian Church in America are welcome.

The seven aspects are adapted from the Church Leader Inventory. The International Church Planting Center designed the CLI in consult with 23 experienced church planters. Our seven essential aspects rely heavily on that work, but they also blend, add to, and adapt the CLI’s categories to include other factors and reflect our context. Together, they compose a representative portrait of an authentic and effective church leader and form the scope of our church-planter training curriculum.

Shepherding

Our vested interest in the work and our relationship as brothers and sisters also calls us to intentional oversight of the mission and soul-care for the planter and his family. To that end, in partnership with the Presbytery, we provide our planters the pastoral care they need to sustain a life of ministry.

Help in knowing what to do and how to do it, organizational development assistance, and resources on critical topics all help. But that is all about the work. We also care for the worker, because shepherds need the same kind of care they give the flock.

Our monthly cohorts provide opportunity for community, but our staff also cares for couples and individuals over dinners or during walks. We provide annual retreats and cohorts for the spouses as well. We have a process for and established history of support during family or church crises. This is all in addition to the care and oversight of the Presbytery and the church plant’s assigned, temporary leadership. The goal is to never allow the planter, spouse, or family to feel alone when they need an ear, a word of encouragement, or a loving hand.

Planter & Family Care

Coaching

Cohorts

Shepherding

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