New Peaks

"In 1993, God gave me this clear vision to start 20 churches."
Henry Devries
Director, New Peaks

"If the average Biblically orthodox church reaches 187 people, then we would need an additional 19,974 churches to connect with every British Columbian."
Outreach Canada Research Department
October 2000

"Our paradigms of ministry formation must be fluid and creative, seeking to remain faithful to the basics of being God's people in the world, yet searching for radically new ways to form new leaders for Christ's church."
Charles VanEngen
Missions Theology and Ministry Formation

"Goal of planting 30 - 40 new churches per year over the next years. One of the prayer challenges in our region is to see where God is at work and to discern which churches and communities are ready to participate in the gathering of the harvest through the planting of new churches."
Dr Martin Contant
Regional Team Leader, Christian Reformed Home Missions

"If the average size church in North America is 100 then to reach more of the population we need a lot more churches."
Dr Peter Wagner
Fuller seminary

Vision Statement:
Biblical Foundations:
Core Values:
Mission Statement:
Ministry Objectives:
Strategies:
Understanding the Stages of Leadership Development:
Church Planting Leadership Criteria:
Leadership Development Book List:
Interviewing:

Vision Statement:

New Peaks will discover, coach, equip and
challenge local leaders to plant a seeker
relevant church in every community
in the Interior of British Columbia.

Biblical Foundations:

The Need

"The flocks were scattered because there was no shepherd, and when they were scattered, they became food for all the wild animals. My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. They were scattered over the whole earth and no one searched or looked for them."
Ezekiel 34:5,6

"I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd."
John 10:16

"I tell you, open your eyes and look at the fields! They are ripe for harvest. Even now the reaper draws his wages, even now he harvests the crop for eternal life, so that the sower and the reaper may be glad together."
John 4:35, 36

"Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, 'The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord to send out workers into his harvest field."
Matthew 9:35-38

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise…He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance."
II Peter 3:9

"The least of you will become a thousand, the smallest a mighty nation. I am the Lord, in its time I will do this swiftly."
Isaiah 60:22

The method

After focussed prayer, Jesus says to his disciples, "Let us go somewhere else - to the nearby villages, so I can preach there also. That is why I have come."
Mark 1:38

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples…"
Matthew 28:18.19

"Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved…"
Mark 16:15

"You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth."
Acts 1:8

"An angel flying in midair had the eternal gospel to proclaim to those who live on the earth - to every nation, tribe, language, and people."
Revelation 14:6

Core Values:

1. Life is a relationship with God.

Jesus came to reconcile the relationship. Legalism and/or religion subverts relationship.

2. God's presence in the world today is the local church.

Jesus came to be among us and sends us to be among them. "As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world." John 17:18

3. Every community has the right to a relevant church.

"No community of Jesus Christ should lack persons to whom it can look for these pastoral acts." Synod 2000 of Christian Reformed Church

4. Community seekers are best helped by a local church.

Media ministry or distance ministry lacks love with "skin on".

5. God calls leaders to coordinate workers to grow churches.

"It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up." Ephesians 4:11,12

6. Prayer raises up new leaders.

The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord to send out workers.

7. Compassion for people motivates leaders.

Crowds are harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.

8. Leaders are grown, not born.

Jesus gives His disciples hands-on involvement; New Peaks uses "in-ministry" training paradigm.

9. Coaching stimulates leadership development in character, competence and content.

Formal education supplements leadership development.

10. Created uniqueness of leaders determines style of ministry.

"Each one should use whatever gift he has received to serve others, faithfully administering God's grace in its various forms." 1 Peter 4:10

Mission Statement:

New Peaks will prepare 20 church planters to serve in any of the following Interior British Columbian communities by the year 2010.

2001 CENSUS FIGURES
City	Population	Dwellings	City	Population	Dwellings

100 Mile House	1,739	897	Oliver	4,224	1,986
Armstrong	4,256	1,765	Osoyoos	4,295	2,290
Barriere	3,257	1,633	Peachland	4,654	2,073
Castlegar	7,002	3,032	Penticton	41,574	19,543
Chase	2,460	1,151	Prince George	85,035	34,436
Clearwater	4,399	1,827	Princeton	2,610	1,290
Cranbrook	24,275	10,357	Quesnel	24,426	10,261
Creston	4,795	2,354	Revelstoke	7,500	3,296
Enderby	2,818	1,271	Salmon Arm	15,210	6,503
Fernie	4,611	2,368	Sicamous	2,720	1,599
Golden	4,020	1,644	Summerland	10,713	4,669
Grand Forks	4,054	1,913	Trail	7,575	3,873
Invermere	2,858	1,334	Vernon	51,530	22,949
Kamloops	86,491	36,807	Westbank	15,935	6,045
Kelowna	96,288	41,604	Williams Lake	25,122	10,424
Kimberley	6,484	3,141	Winfield	9,267	3,718
Merritt	7,088	2,973

New Peaks will pray for God to raise up Christian leaders in each of these communities.

New Peaks will provide a coaching relationship for each leader, the focus on developing their character, competence, and content.

New Peaks will network all leaders monthly for sharing, equipping, resourcing, praying and encouraging.

Ministry Objectives:

1. To establish a prayer support base of 50 people who will regularly pray for New Peaks and for prospective leaders.

2. To pray for and discover leaders whom God has called to plant a church that reaches out to seekers in their respective communities.

3. To serve as or provide another key leader to serve as a coach to each developing leader for a three year period in conjunction with the BC LDN.

4. To provide evaluation, growth tools, training goals, and networking for the leader's character, competence and content.

5. To develop leaders by means of farm system proposal in "Raising Leaders for the Harvest": SOWING, GROWING, CULTIVATING, HARVESTING.

6. To develop leaders who are committed to growing church leaders in their respective communities.

7. To provide a start-up grant for each church plant.

8. To establish a $100,000 annual resource fund to provide New Peaks operational costs, leadership development costs, and new church grants.

Strategies:

1. Invite people of interior churches to invest in New Peaks with prayer and donations.

2. Visit prospective towns for 3 days to pray for a leader to rise up.

3. Meet with pastors and visit churches in each town to discuss potential leaders.

4. Intensive initial interview of prospective leaders.

5. Prepare personal book list, seminars, and courses appropriate for growing each leader.

6. Sign a three-year coaching contract with each leader in the network.

7. Administer Ridley interview for the leadership applicant to determine church planting recommendation.

8. Hold monthly New Peaks Network retreats at varying locations in the interior of British Columbia.

9. Work in conjunction with BC LDN curriculum to provide well-rounded leadership development.

10. One face-to-face coaching meeting each month plus one phone meeting each month with each leader. The purpose is to reflect on prior specific goals and to refocus on the weeks ahead by specific goals in areas of character, competence, and content.

11. Have leaders spend from 2 to 6 months in some existing church plants as potential models for their own unique ministry.

12. Initiate ordination process as ministry associates or missionary pastors.

13. Keep a checklist of each candidate's accomplishments in the stages of growth as per farm system: SOWING, GROWING, CULTIVATING, HARVESTING.

14. Provide seed money and financial grants to encourage leaders in the church plant.

15. Ensure relevance to community remains at the forefront of each leader's development and ministry.

STEP-BY-STEP PROGRESSION THROUGHLEADERSHIP FARM SYSTEM

STARTING POINT

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT

MINISTRY ACTIVITIES

GOAL - SOME WILL BECOME

Sowing:
Those who need Christ
and stay faithful through
the process. Sowing:
Multiplying Life Transformation Groups
Sowing:
• Spiritual awakening andformation
• Evangelism
• Reproduction
Sowing:
Proven disciple makers and multipliers.

Growing:
Proven disciple makers
and multipliers. Growing:
Multiplying Cell Groups Growing:
• Gather a group
• Social fellowship and fun
• Worship
• Prayer
• Spiritual gift implementation
• Multiply a group Growing:
Proven cell leaders and coaches.

Cultivating:
Proven cell leaders and coaches. Cultivating:
Multiplying Ministries Cultivating:
• Gather cells into a congregation
• Create corporate identity and worship
• Train leaders of leaders
• Start over Cultivating:
Proven pastors, church planters, or missionaries.

Harvesting:
Proven pastors, church planters, or missionaries. Harvesting:
Multiplying Churches Harvesting:
• Plant a church planting church
• Establish a farm system
• Develop and cast regional vision
• Establish reproducible systems
• Recruit, train and coach leadership
• Investigate new frontiers
• Multiply regional movements Harvesting:
Proven apostolic leaders.

Understanding the Stages of Leadership Development:

Sowing
Definition of Sowing: a growing disciple begins to make and multiply other disciples.

Begin: with a person who has a recognized need for Christ - a new believer, a seeker, or a Christian who desperately needs help - and is committed to the process of discipleship.
End: A disciple who is spiritually alive, disciplined, and beginning to reproduce.

Growing
Definition of Growing: when a leader emerges and begins to gather and lead a group toward growth and multiplication.

Begin: with a disciple who has established spiritual disciplines and has begun to reproduce through evangelism and discipleship of others.

End: a leader who has developed a cell group and multiplied it or a leader who has started a ministry and developed a ministry team.

Biblical criteria for evaluating an emerging leader:
1. Proven and consistent behaviour, recognized by many.
2. Character which demonstrates the Holy Spirit's presence.
3. Spiritual wisdom and uncommon sense.
4. A natural bond of respect for the mentor.
5. Followers.

Cultivating
Definition of Cultivating: when a leader demonstrates effective influence over a group of proven leaders.

Begin: with a cell-leader who has multiplied a group or a lay leader who has started a ministry, developed a ministry team and now needs coaching t the next level.

End: a leader of leaders who has multiplied a ministry.

Characteristics of a growing leader:
1. Focuses life energies on ministry strengths.
2. Maintains a learning posture throughout life.
3. Enjoys repeated times of renewal.
4. Is willing to discipline spiritual formation.
5. Mentors others and is mentored.

Harvesting
Definition of Harvesting: when a leader demonstrates effective influence over a movement of multiplying disciples, groups, leaders, and churches.

Begin: with a leader of leaders who has multiplied a ministry.

End: with a mentor who raises up disciple-making leaders, church planters, and missionaries to start and multiply churches.

Church Planting Leadership Criteria:

Introduction:

The goal of New Peaks Leadership Network is to prepare men and women for leadership in church planting. The coaching is primarily for those seeking to plant a new church and moving toward ordination as Evangelist or Minister of the Word.

The Minister of the Word presumes prior education with a master's degree in Theology.

The Evangelist is the primary target of New Peaks' training.

Developing leaders for church planting involves a two-year commitment. The training sets high expectations of the developing leader. Church planting is a very demanding calling. It affects family life, physical health, emotional strength, and character strength.
The focus of New Peaks is in three areas:

• Character (passion, personality),
• Competence (ability), and
• Content (knowledge, theology)

The following lists the main areas of development.
A Coach interviews a prospective church planter to discern the potential. Use the New Peaks interviewing form.
The method of developing leaders is coaching. The two-year commitment is a coaching contract. Personal coaching allows individual assessment of where development needs attention. A coach consults with a mentee to agree on books, seminars, skill practices, reports, courses and ministry involvements required to grow the next step.
A "Coaching Path" form is to be completed by the Coach at each meeting - whether in person or by phone. Discuss and take notes on each of the refocus goals set at the preceding meeting. A completed copy goes to the developing leader.
The end result should be a church planter/evangelist not as a qualified professional, but as an ongoing growing leader submitting to the daily spiritual leading of the Holy Spirit.

Character

• Personal commitment to Jesus

• Daily walk with God by devotions

• Mission-minded:

— Passion and prayer for the lost
— Building intentional relationships with unchurched

• Spiritually Gifted in evangelism and leadership

• Family values:

— Weekly outing with spouse and family

• People person:

— Attitude of love and acceptance

• Exudes fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23)

• Morally astute - develop awareness of the relationship between ministry stress and temptations, particularly in the areas of sexual purity, financial honesty, and ministry integrity. Establish intentional boundaries and alarms.

• Healthy REST patterns:

— Work time / off time balance
— Hobbies and recreation
— Pleasure reading
— Celebrations
— Entertainment
— Social life with friends and colleagues

• Honesty in relationships

• Financial stability:

— Budgeting
— Giving (donations)

• Teachable character combined with eagerness to learn

• Personality assessments

• Dependability:

— Commitment to attendance
— On time for all appointments

Competence

• Leadership:

— Create ministry flow chart
— Coach three leaders for the church plant
— Identify key positions required for the church plant
— Write job descriptions
— Recruit qualified team
— Administer assessment tests
— Resolve vision and agenda harmony
— Resource team members
— Start team building
— Develop conflict resolution strategy

• Worship:

— Present church announcements
— Learn Bible interpretation skills
— Learn sermon preparation skills:

• Exegesis
• Homiletics Learned public speaking skills
• Introductions
• Conclusions
• Illustrations
• Old Testament messages
• New Testament messages

— Learn large group dynamics
— Develop an evaluation process
— Administer communion
— Administer baptism

• Education:

— Develop a basic Christianity class
— Teach several growth classes
— Teach a spiritual gifts discovery class

• Discipleship:

— Learn cell group philosophy
— Form a small group
— Raise an apprentice
— Birth a new small group
— Trained a disciple via weekly growth plan

• Prayer:

— Lead a prayer service
— Enlist a personal intercessory team
— Prepare a prayer focus month

• Care:

— Acquire listening skills
— Master some counselling tools
— Survey the spiritual health of the people
— Resolve internal conflict
— Confront an erring Christian
— Discern basic dysfunctions
— Conduct a hospital visit
— Minister on the telephone
— Experience a variety of pastoral care situations (eg. marriage, finances, death, domestic disputes, church frustrations, etc.)

• Fellowship:

— Plan and orchestrate several events
— Prepare propaganda
— Write letters to guests and members

• Service:

— Minister to youth
— Develop a ministry team
— Learn about and encourage other organizations (local & denominational)

• Witness:

— Write and share testimony
— Share testimony with a large group
— Lead someone to Christ
— Determine personal circles of influence
— Survey a neighbourhood
— Familiarize with several gospel presentations
— Learn basic apologetics
— Answer basic questions
— Participate in several Life Transformation Groups
— Lead an evangelistic Bible study
— Experience community cold calling
— Plan two fishing pool events

• Resources:

— Develop time management tools
— Prepare ministry budget
— Participate in Classis
— Familiarize with denominational resources
— Preparing agendas for various church meetings
— Learn office management skills (eg filing, accounting, etc.)

• Planting Preparation:

— Determine focus group
— Survey focus group
— Determine needs
— Develop and write out:

• Biblical foundations
• Core values
• Mission statement
• Ministry objectives
• Measurable goals & strategy

— Recruit intercession team
— Cast vision to team members
— Write an annual plan of the church
— Familiarize with denominational resources, accountability practices, reporting procedures, NCD guidebook.
— Attend New Church Development Boot Camp
— Attend two council meetings
— Attend an assessment centre or equivalent
— Develop positive rapport with mother church
— Learn computer skills for research and resources.

Content:

• BIBLE KNOWLEDGE:

— Read each book of the Bible and write a one page report
— Pentateuch
— Historical books
— Wisdom literature
— Major and minor prophets
— Gospels
— Epistles
— Apocalyptic literature
— Follow kingdom theme
— Follow covenant theme
— Follow Missio Dei theme

• ENGLISH:

— Writing
— Literature
— Speech

• HISTORY:

— General church history
— Denominational history

• THEOLOGY:

— God (Existence, Attributes, Works)
— Trinity o Christology (Nature, Humiliation, Exaltation, Atonement)
— Humanity (Image, Sin, Grace)
— Ordo salutis (Calling, Regeneration, Conversion, Faith, Ecclesiology Justification, Sanctification, Perseverance)
— Eschatology (Death, Resurrection, Second Coming, Judgment)

• DENOMINATION:

— Creeds
— Confessions
— Distinctives
— Systems
— Polity
— Governance
— Resources

• BOOKS

Read one a month from book list included.

• SEMINARS:

— Take advantage of a variety of church growth and church health seminars as they become available. (eg - The Leadership Centre)
— Courses regarding church planting by BC Catalyzers.

Leadership Development Book List:

The 16 categories on this book list are in alphabetical order:

Apologetics:

• Basic Christianity - Stott
• Mere Christianity - CS Lewis
• The Jesus I Never Knew - Philip Yancey

Biblical:

• Survey of the NT - Tenney
• The Kingdom of God (OT Survey) - Briesch
• Knowing Scripture - Sproul

Bibliographical/Historical:

• Confessions of St Augustine - Augustine
• Rediscovering Church - Hybels and Hybels

Character:

• Who You Are When No One is Looking - Hybels
• Wounded Healers - Henri Nouwen
• Empathy and Confrontation - Ralph Underwood

Christian Life and Spiritual Growth:

• Experiencing God - Blackaby
• In the Grip of Grace - Max Lucado

Church:

• Beyond Church Growth - Logan
• Church for the Unchurched - Hunter
• The Purpose Driven Church - Warren
• Soul Tsunami - Len Swede

Discipleship:

• The Cost of Discipleship - Bonnhoeffer
• The Master Plan of Evangelism - Coleman

Leadership:

• Leadership - Brad Smith
• Developing the Leader Within You - John Maxwell
• Acquaculture - Swede
• Courageous Leadership - Hybels
• The Making of a Leader - Robert Clinton
• The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People - Covey

Mission/Evangelism:

• Becoming a Contagious Christian - Hybels
• High Impact Church - Morris
• Church for the Unchurched - George Hunter
• Inside the Mind of Unchurched Harry and Mary - Strobel

Pastoral:

• Can the Pastor Do It Alone? - Steinbron
• Working the Angles - Peters

Preaching:

• Between Two Worlds - Stott
• Who Speaks for God - Colson

Small Groups:

• 9 Keys to Effective Small Group Leadership - Carl George
• Successful Home Cell Groups - C Lo

Spiritual Discipline:

• Celebration of Discipline - Richard Foster
• The Life You've Always Wanted - Ortberg
• Too Busy Not to Pray - Hybels

Theological:

• Manual of Christian Doctrine - Berkhof
• The God You're Looking For - Hybels

Interviewing:

Goal: to understand/discern the unique individual God has placed before you
Primary Method: good questioning, active listening, note-taking

Section I Character/Spiritual Formation

1. Biographical
2. Significant Influences
3. Spiritual Autobiography

Section II Accomplishments/Ministry Experiences/Skills

1. Work experiences
2. Ministry experiences
3. Spiritual Gifts "If you could do anything in ministry, the ideal job description, what would it be?"
4. What are your weaknesses? "If you could avoid anything in ministry, what would it be?"
5. What ministry experiences do you sense you need?

Section III What do they know, what have they studied?

1. What authors have you read who have deeply impacted you? Why? How?
2. What courses have you taken?
3. Make a list of books you have read.

STEP-BY-STEP PROGRESSION THROUGHLEADERSHIP FARM SYSTEM
STARTING POINT	LEARNING ENVIRONMENT	MINISTRY ACTIVITIES	GOAL - SOME WILL BECOME

Sowing: Those who need Christ and stay faithful through the process.	Sowing: Multiplying Life Transformation Groups	Sowing: • Spiritual awakening andformation • Evangelism • Reproduction	Sowing: Proven disciple makers and multipliers.

Growing: Proven disciple makers and multipliers.	Growing: Multiplying Cell Groups	Growing: • Gather a group • Social fellowship and fun • Worship • Prayer • Spiritual gift implementation • Multiply a group	Growing: Proven cell leaders and coaches.

Cultivating: Proven cell leaders and coaches.	Cultivating: Multiplying Ministries	Cultivating: • Gather cells into a congregation • Create corporate identity and worship • Train leaders of leaders • Start over	Cultivating: Proven pastors, church planters, or missionaries.

Harvesting: Proven pastors, church planters, or missionaries.	Harvesting: Multiplying Churches	Harvesting: • Plant a church planting church • Establish a farm system • Develop and cast regional vision • Establish reproducible systems • Recruit, train and coach leadership • Investigate new frontiers • Multiply regional movements	Harvesting: Proven apostolic leaders.