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Principles Policy Strategy

A. We affirm the following Principles:

Church Planting remains the most effective method of evangelism.
Effective Church Planting is dependent upon the power of the Holy Spirit through the prayers of God's people.
Church planters will usually be dual professional.
There are no failures in church planting.
We will focus on the "ripened harvest fields".
We will appreciate efforts and reward results.

B. We recommend the following Policy:

A local church will serve as the sponsoring agency for church plants.
A church planter will serve on the staff of the sponsoring local church.
Leadership Development Ministry will cooperate with this board to provide ongoing training and support to church plants and sponsoring churches.
One year investment grants will be available to church plants who apply through the sponsoring church and who are approved by the designated "Investment Grant Task Force".
Awarding of the investment grants will be based on the following criteria...
Has the ministry already been initiated?
Is the ministry showing signs of growth?
Is there a growth plan for the ministry?
At what level is the sponsoring church demonstrating involvement in the ministry?

C. We recommend the following Strategy:

Each local church, led by their pastor, prayerfully invest in a person or team of persons who will begin a new work in New England no later than the year 2000.
Each local church will join a "Parent Church Network" (PCN) no later than 1998.
Each local church will appoint a prayer coordinator to recieve, via EMail, a monthly prayer/praise report related to New England Church Planting. This coordinator will encourage prayer at the local church level.
D. The New England District is open to all persons in the Wesleyan-Arminian tradition who are interested in planting a church. We emphasize flexibility and creativity as well as "traditional" approaches.

Taken from the Report to the 89th District Assembly, 1996