Emerging Planters Connection

Dear Pastor:

All of us recognize the need for a greater supply of equipped leaders; we have all told ourselves, “I have to start working on this soon.” …before you know it time has passed and the need still looms before us.  The board of New Church Development feels this need as well and yet we recognize that the local church plays the primary role in the development of new leaders.  This prompted us to ask the question, “How can we serve the local church in its effort to accomplish this goal?”

Last year NCD launched a new platform for developing emerging leaders and church planters in our network of churches. The Emerging Planters Connection (EPC) brings together leaders identified by their pastors and experienced church planters and pastors in our network in a one or two year learning community.  While our particular interest is to identify and equip your future church planters we recognize that a number of the EPC participants may elect to remain in their local church; that is okay too, since they will be more equipped for their current and future ministry.

What does EPC look like?

  • Pastors identify the emerging leader in their church that they would like to train as their church planter
  • NCD interviews each EPC-referred candidate
  • Approved candidates begin their journey together:
    • Nine monthly meetings that discuss specific leadership topics with experienced planters and pastors
    • One marriage retreat for participants and their spouses
    • Assigned readings and homework for continued development
    • Bi-weekly connections with their pastor or EPC coach for discussion
    • One year celebration of what God has done in the life of the leader.
    • Participant and spouse meet with EPC team and their pastor to discern next level leadership
    • Approved participants continue with year two training for their church plant

The next group of Emerging Planters Connection participants will begin on April 27, 2015.  We encourage you to have your candidate(s) begin the application process as soon as possible. When we receive the application we will contact you to set up a meeting with us and the EPC candidate.  The application deadline is Friday, April 1st(no joke).

If you have any questions feel free to contact Lori Anderson at 714.779.7662 or Loria@friendschurchsw.org

His/yours,
Alan