There is much happening at the moment in the world of church planting.
It is exciting stuff. In all of this a number of people have asked for clarification regarding the new church planting network called Geneva. People have wondered what it will be doing and what it might offer.
Geneva will be run by a board of Australian church planters which will include Al Stewart, Andrew Heard and Mikey Lynch. It's purpose will be to help reformed/evangelical networks and denominations recruit, assess, train, coach and mentor church planters for placement back into their various networks and denominations. The passion of Geneva is to establish not just culturally relevant growing church plants but ones that are grounded deeply in reformed theology and so able to be kept from simple pragmatism and fads.
This core value is critical for establishing churches that are best able to pass on a vibrant gospel to future generations.
Geneva will have its first conference in Dec 7-9. It will be for anyone who has just started a church or is interested in planting a church in the next three years. That conference will include our first assessment process. This will provide a wonderful place to determine now whether planting is the best path for candidates. Assessment will be via written submission and an interview process with experienced planters and ministers.
Planters who are assessed to have the gifts and aptitudes for planting grounded and growing church plants will then be invited to join an ongoing coaching/training and mentoring program. As well as specialist input from our most experienced Australian planters and Bible teachers there will also be input from some of the best OS planters and thinkers such as Mark Driscoll.
Additionally, and perhaps most significantly, each Geneva planter will be linked up with an established planter already a few years down the path of planting with the intention that these planters become personal mentors and coaches to walk with Geneva planters through the early years of planting.
Already the church planters of FIEC network have given Geneva their ringing endorsement and are now intending to use Geneva as their assessment and coaching structure. This ensures others connecting with Geneva will have a wealth of Australian expertise to draw on.
Further details will be coming but any queries can be addressed to Al Stewart at <This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.>
Andrew Heard and Al Stewart
For Geneva
Emailed from Tony Willis
Anglican Church Diocese of Sydney
Assistant to the Bishop of Wollongong
Phone: (02) 4201 1802
Mob: 0412 796 276