Planting Partners

I am really excited to head to Assessment Center next week.   The April roster has 11 Candidate Couples, 1 Observer, 10 Assessors and 3 ConvergeUSA Team members.
New Beginnings Community Church in Matthews, NC is going to be our host location.

1. The Converge Assessment Center is one of the oldest and most reliable in the country with 17 years under its belt.
2. Converge has a high rate of success in Church Planting, directly related to its world-class Assessment Center.
3. Many other denominations & para-church organizations have modeled their process after ours for example: Evangelical Covenant Church, Growing Healthy Churches, Green Lake, WI etc.
4. Converge has a high rate of success in Church Planting, directly related to its world-class Assessment Center.
5. Based on this intensive multi-day process, the team of assessors will pray, discuss, evaluate and collate their findings to give you the **** ***essment possible.

Heartland Church, Indianapolis, IN will host the next Assessment Center on June 22-26 Susan Ward is the Assessment Center Administrator Phone: (507) 766-3475
Email: susan@conve rgeusa.org

For More 2010 Dates

Read Full Post »

THIS IS FROM THE NEW CONVERGEUSA BLOG:

In the early nineties, under the leadership of Paul Johnson, the TeAmerica Church Planting Assessment Center was born. The TeAmerica Assessment Center is one of the longest running, most influential and highly trusted Assessment Centers in the country.

The ConvergeUSA Assessment Center is beginning a whole new era in church planting assessments. New leadership, a re-evaluation of the core procedures and building-blocks, a new pre-assessment protocol, upgraded diagnostic measures, and a fresh look at the competencies of emerging leaders are just some of the changes being embraced as we prepare for the future.

The ConvergeUSA Assessment Centers will be operated on a regional basis around the country, using local host churches with highly successful church planting experience as primary sites. The actual assessment team is a composite of highly skilled professionals in leadership development/assessment and experienced church planters who know first-hand the challenges of getting new churches started. ConvergeUSA Assessment Centers continue to enjoy a close partnership with the Minneapolis-based consulting group, Strategic Team-Makers, Inc. and with the growing network of churches associated with Converge Worldwide.

Many sending agencies, churches, and denominations have found ConvergeUSA Assessment Centers (formerly “TeAmerica”) to be a helpful tool in the process of enlisting new church planters. We hope to expand and build upon that fine tradition.

Meet The Team

Dr. Curt Gruber, Co-Director, grew up in a church plant in central Minnesota and pastored in 3 churches over 30 years, plus a couple interim pastorates. Graduated from Bethel Seminary (1982) and Fuller Seminary (2000). Post-graduate studies at UC Boulder, San Diego State, and Claremont Graduate School. Adjunct instructor with Bethel University, teaching leadership, church planting, and evangelism. Associate Exec. Minister/Director of Church Planting for Converge Southwest (2002 to present). Also currently planting Legacy Church in La Mesa, CA (launched in February 2008). Curt resides in San Diego, California with his wife, Lisa, and son, Michael.

Marlan Mincks, Co-Director, is a church planter from Waukon, Iowa. The church he planted four years ago now owns a movie theater and pizza restaurant which ministers to the community in creative ways. Marlan has previously started three businesses, served as an interim pastor and has been with the Converge Assessment Center since 2004. He is married to his wife Terri and has two sons. He enjoys mountain biking, baseball, time with his family and new challenges.

Susan Ward, Administrator, lives in New Ulm, MN with her husband Scott. She has two young adult daughters. Susan has a Masters Degree from Bethel University in Organizational Leadership and is a Certified Leadership Coach.

Strategic Team Makers, Inc. was founded in 1985 as a consulting firm that specializes in building productive relationships in business and organizational settings.

Jerry Dahl – Founder, has been a relational consultant and counselor for over thirty years. He is a nationally recognized lecturer, author, and skilled facilitator. He has been serving as the resident counsel of the TeAmerica Assessment Center since its inception. Also serves as the resident counselor of many other church planting assessment centers throughout North America.

Steve Dahl – Vice President of Production and co-facilitator, brings to STM certification and 9 years experience in facilitating and personality instruments. He has been serving as the administrator/facilitator of the TeAmerica Assessment Center for over ten years.

For more details on the ConvergeUSA Assessment Center process

Read Full Post »

Here is a short video on church planting from Mark Driscoll. Its a refreshingly clear presentation and worth the 8 minutes.

Read Full Post »

The church planting assessment center exists to objectively evaluate lead pastor, together with spouse if they are married, regarding their call, giftedness, character and preparation to start a new church. The center is run by TeAMerica and Green Lake Conference Center.

TeAMerica has been running assessments for over a decade, and in the past three years they have assessed at Green Lake more than 250 couples or individuals seeking to plant a church. They have come from many denominations including Baptist General Conference, American Baptist, Southern Baptist, North American Baptist, Assemblies of God, and Evangelical Free, as well as independents.

The center has a remarkable success rate. The national average of church starts resulting in a successful plant is only 35%. Candidates who attend the Assessment Center and follow through with the conditions and recommendations are experiencing a success rate of
over 85%.

The impact is immense as healthy new church plants reach new believers, and reproduce to launch daughter churches!

For example, in small town Ripon, WI, assessment center graduate Mike Holba planted Ripon Community Church in 2002. The church is vibrant and healthy with a weekly worship attendance of close to 400. This has been achieved primarily through conversion growth with more than 140 baptisms already having been performed. People are drawn in by great outreach (like a food pantry which feeds anyone who is hungry in Ripon), passionate worship, encouraging teaching and a wonderful kids
ministry.

In 2004 Mike recruited Aaron Winowiski, successful graduate of the assessment center, t0 come to Ripon as an intern and then go out and plant his own church. Aaron launched New Day Christian Church in Weston, WI in September 2006 and is already having a deep impact on the community.

By providing honest, objective feedback, the assessment center saves many from the pain of a failed church plant because their gifting or calling was not to be the lead planter. In such cases, the assessment center makes it clear that you are on God’s team and suited for a position other than the lead pastor of a new church plant. Green Lake Conference Center offers a remarkable scholarship enabling an individual or couple to come to Green Lake to be assessed for only $550. This includes travel, board and lodging, and all assessment costs. The true cost is over $2,500 per individual or couple. If Planting Parnters send you, 100% of your costs will be covered.

2007 DATES

• August 6-9
• September 24-27
• October 22-25
• December 3-6

Potential Planters Go HERE>>>

Read Full Post »