by Tim Lubinus, BCI Executive Director

New Pastors who were recognized at the BCI Annual Meeting included (L to R) Mark Scott, Matt O’Mealey, Matt Risting, Jim Fisher and Tim Trudeau

We continue to regard church starting as a key strategy for reaching new Iowa communities for Christ. Normally the ingredients for a church start include a qualified church planter, a needy location, a sponsoring church, and initial funding.

The BCI contributes to church planter development through providing scholarships for students working toward seminary degrees and by partnering with NAMB to provide funding for interns and apprentices who are preparing for church planting. We provide an extensive assessment process including a weekend assessment retreat (provided by Multiply Group) for the planter. In 2015, two Iowa couples completed the assessment process and we will require this for planters in the future.

After successful completion, the planter goes through a church planter training process that includes eleven essential skills for church planters. Three people in Iowa have completed the trainer certification from Multiply Group and are available to provide the training for planters. We will also require this of planters in the future.

As the planter is developed, a partnership is created to match a planter with a specific community and a sponsoring church. The BCI and NAMB contribute financially to help fund the planter for the first two years.

To help identify the needs in each community, we provide extensive demographic information on ImpactIowa.net
We’ve actively recruited someone as our church planting catalyst and have so far come up empty. For the time being, the plan is to divide the assignment into segments and seek church planting player/coaches to contract the assignment of developing, placing and supporting church planters.

In 2015, below is a list of Planters/Churches starting or having received BCI/NAMB funding: