A Word from Randy Loescher, Church Planting Director for Central Region Why plant churches? Despite our strong Christian heritage, the church in America is declining. Many older churches show signs of aging and decline, struggling to make the gospel relevant to a new generation and often failing to bridge that cultural gap. According to Leith Anderson in A Church for the 21st Century, “new churches are the most effective means of evangelism.”
	Chuck and Kelly Loftis Why would a couple, on multiple occasions, uproot their family in the midst of effective, enjoyable ministry? Chuck Loftis stated, “It is my aim to plant simple churches focused on sound biblical teaching that will help believers mature in the faith and find ways to serve their respective communities.”
	Living Word Open Bible Church, Hollywood, FL Florida’s landscape is dotted with Open Bible churches pastored by immigrants. One such church, Living Word Open Bible Church in Cooper City, Florida, is zealous in their efforts to reach their community and beyond. Like the church in the book of Acts, this church turns obstacles into Kingdom opportunities.

The continual addition and multiplication of disciples, leaders, and churches was a hallmark throughout the book of Acts. Church planting continues to be one of the most effective tools God uses to accomplish the Great Commission and build His church. The future of any church movement is directly tied to its vision and unbending commitment to reproduce disciples, leaders, and churches. Church planting is biblical with evangelism at its core. It develops new leaders, is efficient, and is a means of fulfilling Open Bible’s mission.

Open Bible Churches must be a church planting movement. Each person in our churches and those we lead to Christ must be equipped to witness to others and train new believers to do the same. This principle must be pursued by our churches and embedded in the mission and vision of each new church plant. The goal is to plant churches that parent churches. Congregations that plant their first church within three to five years of their birth find it easier to plant subsequent churches.

Open Bible must be positive in its response and obedience to the Great Commission. This requires the casting of vision, fervent prayer, a passion to see people come to Christ, faith, sensitivity to the Holy Spirit’s leading, wisdom, the involvement of our pastors, churches, officers, and following a strategic process.

Church Planting Guidelines
Church planting essentials are: recruitment, assessment, initial training, coaching, initial proposal, funding, and ongoing training. The following procedure is coordinated by national and regional leaders, under the guidance of the region. More specific guidance is available from regional offices.

Recruitment
The most critical phase in church planting is the recruitment, selection, and evaluation of the church planter. Recruitment comes first in the overall selection process. The purpose is to match person and gifts to opportunity for positive impact on the community, the planter and family, and the church plant’s supporters.

A. The goals of recruitment are to attract potential candidates, expand the pool, increase the quantity and quality of potential candidates to be considered, and to identify those who should be given serious consideration.
B. Effective internal and external recruitment sources are:
    1. Existing churches, ministries, and networks; Open Bible churches, other contact churches, ministries, and organizations; second-career individuals with entrepreneurial, business background; returning missionaries and migrant pastors; and internship programs.
    2. Bible colleges, seminaries, universities, schools of ministries, and church based, theological    
    3. National convention, regional conferences, leadership events, summits; workshops, seminars, presentations, and displays.
    4. Internet clearinghouses.

Assessment
The aim of the assessment process is to objectively evaluate whether a potential candidate is a church planter. Assessment may be a pre-assessment (selfassessment) or a formal assessment (by an independent organization or group). The assessment results in a review between the assessor and the regional, church planting personnel, who decide whether to continue working with the candidate as a
prospective planter. The assessment is not designed as a pass-fail test or simply a screening. It is an
investment of time to help candidates discover where they could be most effective in ministry and identify areas for personal growth and development.

Training
Those selected as church planters, along with their spouses, can be trained in the
following ways:

A. Pre-plant
    1. Church planters’ pre-boot camp;
    2. Boot camp or other program authorized by regional personnel; and
    3. The development of a church planting strategic plan.

B. Ongoing
    1. Consultations and special events; and
    2. Seminars, workshops, books, and resource materials.

Coaching
A coach should be identified and authorized by the region to work closely with the planter before the pre-plant training. Having a coach present at boot camp maximizes the benefits of a training event. A carefully considered list of duties should be developed by the region and discussed with the planter. The coach does not need to have been a church planter.

Initial Proposal
Prior to the planter’s arrival at the church plant location and release of funding, the planter shall prepare an initial proposal in response to questions and information provided by the region. The plan should be reviewed and revised three-to-six months after arrival.

Funding
Planters are encouraged to be bi-vocational in the initial stages of the new church, enabling them to network more effectively with pre-Christians in the community and allowing them to provide for the needs of their families. Funding assistance is determined by the regional board.