Are you thinking about…
Are you exploring
planting a church or leading a site?
Connect with a local Vineyard Church. In order to plant a healthy Vineyard church, the planter must first have been a part of one. So much of what we learn is caught as well as taught. In order to multiply healthy churches the values and DNA of the Vineyard need to be experienced in a local church where planters can and will be immersed in the methods, values and relationships that make us “Vineyard.” This is the best place for a church planter to learn about who the Vineyard is and grow in his or her leadership potential.
Study and embrace our statement of faith and get to know our vision and values. We embrace a theology which is deeply-rooted in Jesus’ proclamation and demonstration of the kingdom of God. Our statement of faith is an important building block in understanding who we are as the Vineyard. In the local church setting, the planter should gain the ability to discuss this thoroughly and become comfortable demonstrating it, as they both study it and interact with others.
Chat to your Senior Pastor & complete the 12 discernment questions. As a planter both you and your Senior Pastor will be asked to discuss a list of 12 questions about your experience and suitability to plant (based on the Hub assessment grid). We will ask your Senior Pastor for a recommendation to proceed with the planting process. We will also ask you to fill in an application.
Book a 15 minute phone call with the Multiply team. We would love to chat with you and support you as you discern your next steps.
Further training. Training is vital to a church planter’s health and success. We value knowledge and preparation and encourage potential church planters engage with our Vineyard Ministry Pathway and explore training options with both your local church, and your Multiply Regional Coordinator.
Check out our events page and come along to our next event.
Healthy successions
REQUIRE LOTS OF PLANNING!
As a church planter or pastor, there will be a time when you are ready to hand over the reins to someone else. Like most key leadership decisions, there are different ways to achieve this, with varying degrees of success.
This is an area where pastors can deeply bless their communities by forming a healthy long term succession plan, with positive outcomes for both the outgoing and incoming leaders, and, most importantly, for the church.
The Multiply Vineyard team are working to provide resources for pastors and church leaders to help make this happen smoothly for the benefit of all concerned. If you are a Senior Pastor in the Vineyard thinking about leadership succession in your church, there are a number of stages to think through, and we are here to help at each stage of the process…
1. Long Term Planning
It starts with a conversation with your trustees. We have a useful set of questions that will aid a discussion to discern and develop a healthy transition plan. You should also talk with your Area Leader and the Multiply Team at this stage so we can work out how to best support you. Ideally this process would begin 3-4 years out, although sometimes its necessary to shorten that time period. If you are planning your own retirement, we recommend that you also contact the Vineyard Emeritus Team for further support.
2. Recruiting a Successor
If your potential successor is not already part of your team, they may well be involved in another Vineyard Church and trying to discern their future. It is likely that they are already known to the Multiply Team and/or their Area or Regional Leaders. We are currently developing a Matching Tool to help match churches with possible successors. One of our team would be glad to help you through this process. We also have discernment questions to share and are happy to support you through the appointment process in conjunction with Area or Regional Leaders. If you’re not already in contact, send us an email to register your interest.
3. Training Post Leading to Succession
If your successor has not already worked on the pastoral staff of a church, then it will be important that they gain experience well before taking over. Appointing them to pastoral staff will enable them to work alongside you for 1-2 years, gaining relevant experience & getting to know the church without the pressure of the senior role. This is worth considering from the outset and may require additional funding to be allocated, but the investment is likely to pay off in the long term future. Our team can help you think this through, drawing on others who have been through similar experiences where appropriate.
4. Overlap Period
We can help you as you put your plan together, and offer support as you work the process through in real time. We can help you liaise with the legal team to make sure all aspects are covered, and arrange for the new leader to receive coaching from someone who has experience of taking over an existing church.
We want to resource you as you discern the future of your church and how best to plan your pastoral succession. The Multiply Team is here for you and can connect you with people who can offer advice and support.
We have produced a Succession Manual, which unpacks this process in more detail, drawing on the experience of pastors who have worked through this process. Contact us for a downloadable copy.
The earlier we are involved the better, as it gives us the best opportunity to resource and help coordinate this process alongside you.
Email us now: [email protected]
Are you exploring
becoming a Vineyard church?
We have been called primarily to be a church planting movement. Occasionally we adopt Churches and our experience has taught us to be discerning about adoptions, not entering into them lightly or without due consideration for both us as Vineyard Churches UK and Ireland and the local Church. However, we do believe that God calls those whom He intends to be within that part of the Body of Christ known as the Vineyard, and such callings are spiritually discerned and supported by objective, practical criteria, discovered through a careful process.
The adoption procedure has been prepared to provide non-Vineyard churches that share our values, theology, priorities and practices an opportunity to join with the mission, commitments and relationships of the VCUKI.
If you are interested in this here are a few ways to get started:
- Make sure you understand our vision and values. We’re a relational movement, visit a Vineyard Church near you, chat with local Senior Pastors and get connected.
- Connect with the Multiply Regional Coordinator in your region.
- Please get in touch with us. We’d love to chat through the process with you.
