ChurchPlanting
How We Plant Churches
Pre-Assessment
Conversations with regional directors of church planting.
Discernment
Candidates and their spouses engage in a guided discernment process that carefully explores call, timing, spiritual gifts, emotional health, and the strategic viability of the proposed church project.
Covenant Agreement
Our agreement is based on the tested methodology of the “four-stage church plant launch.”
First Year
The agreement describes the plan for the first year of the church plant.
Are You Called?
In our increasingly post-Christian era, 83 percent of Americans do not attend church. Nearly one-third of young people under 30 are religiously unaffiliated. Every year, more than 3,000 churches close their doors. A myriad of challenges from rapid demographic change to tepid evangelism render churches ineffective in communities across the country.
We invite you to discern your call to advance the kingdom of God by becoming a local church planter. Together, we seek to answer one primary question, “Is the living God calling you to plant a Covenant church right now?”
Our Stories
Brian Nanninga to Serve as Senior Director of Church Development and Evangelism
Brian Nanninga, the associate superintendent of the Alaska Conference, has been appointed the new senior director of church development and evangelism for the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Glenn Peterson to Serve as Senior Director of Church Planting
Glenn Peterson, president and superintendent of the Evangelical Covenant Church of Canada, is transitioning to the role of senior director of church planting for the Evangelical Covenant Church.
Alex Rahill Announces He Will Step Down from Start and Strengthen Churches
Rev. Alex Rahill has announced he will resign from his position as director of church planting for the Covenant, effective August 31, 2024.
Learning to Lead
Church chair training sessions are helping lay leaders become better equipped and more confident in key leadership positions.
Highlighting Ministry in Rural Contexts
The Northwest Conference held its second annual Rural Impact Leadership Conference at Alexandria (Minnesota) Covenant Church.
Room at the Inn
The Covenant church in Joliet, Illinois, is learning to do the right thing—even when it feels like the wrong time.
Contact Church Planting
We can’t wait to hear about your vision for starting a new local church.
