We partner together to advance the gospel through church plant support and development.
EMAIL ABOUT CHURCH PLANTINGThe Baptist Convention of Iowa partners with existing churches and church planting missionaries to establish new congregations in under-reached places in Iowa. In addition to financial support, we assist churches to recruit, assess, train, and coach church planters.
church planting financial support
Here are some of the ways we financially partner with churches and church planting missionaries
church Planter support
Qualified church planting candidates can receive tailored financial packages which may include monthly funding for up to four years and one-time grants to assist with start-up costs (materials, equipment, meeting space, etc.). This support is available for candidates who have passed the Send Network Assessment. Church plants who receive these funds contribute at least 6% of their congregational giving through BCI and 4% to other SBC mission causes.
Church Planting Apprenticeship
Churches can receive up to $1000/month to support qualified church planting candidates for up to one year as they prepare to start a new church. During this time, the candidate will focus on personal development, understanding their target context, and forming a core team for their church plant.
Church Planter Incubator Project
BCI partners with a select few qualifying churches who are developing staff members to be church planters. This program offers matching funds for churches to employee staff members in a role that is preparing the leader to become a church planter. Qualifying candidates will participate in Send Network Assessment and Training processes.
CHURCH PLANT DEVELOPMENT
Here are some ways we partner to develop church planters and team members
Send Network Assessment
Qualified candidates participate in an online pre-assessment and in-person assessment retreat designed to help affirm a candidate’s calling and readiness to lead a new congregation. BCI helps to offset the sending church’s costs for these processes.
Send Network Training
Church planters who are affirmed through the Send Network Assessment participate in a five-month training cohort that helps the planter understand their target community and design a missional strategy to reach non-Christians with the gospel and to gather them into a new congregation.