Are you experiencing a call to plant a new community where Christian faith is nurtured and discipleship is practiced?

Are you an innovative, prayerful leader who wants to re-imagine church in partnership with the Pacific Mountain Regional Council of the United Church? The LeaderShift Church Planting Project is a way to seed your call through mentoring and funding.

Here’s how to apply:

1. Pray! What might the Holy Spirit be calling you to lead at this time? Ask questions such as: Why this? Why me (or why us)? Why now? Why here? There are resources available to you, upon request, to help you with the discernment process. Talk with others around you to hear how they view the context.

2. After a period of prayerful listening and discernment, contact the Church Planting Regional Minister and share your dream! Have an information conversation by phone, Zoom, FaceTime, or when possible, in person.

3. Submit to the Church Planting Project Regional Minister a one to three page ‘Expression of Interest’ as an individual or team. This should include a basic description of the new community you are proposing, some potential core values of the community, the people you imagine will be involved, as well as an idea of the amount you will be asking for each year – and for how long.

4. If the Church Planting Projection Regional Minister, in consultation with others, feels that the proposal is viable, you will be asked to submit a more in-depth proposal. You’ll be given a list of what needs to be included, and the Church Planting Project Regional Minister will work with you to prepare the proposal for submission.

5. You’ll be asked to undergo an assessment and/ or provide references. The process of assessment may vary depending on the scope and nature of the project, and whether you are lay or ordained. If this is a team project, multiple members of a core team may need to be assessed and/ or submit references.

6. The Church Planting Project Regional Minister will take the finalized proposal and assessment/ references to the Church Planting Project Grant Committee, who will make the final decision on the provision of grants. In addition to the Regional Minister for Church Planting, Rev. Rob Shearer, the members of the granting committee are Rev. Rhian Walker, Rev. Cheryl Black, Thomas Dennett, Robyn Brasell, Treena Duncan, and Rev. Brenda Fawkes. The Committee may say “Yes!”, “Sorry, no.”, “Yes… but… please provide more information”.

7. Should the Church Planting Project Grant Committee decide to fund the project, the Church Planting Project Regional Minister will work with you/ your team to to establish prayerful and practical support mechanisms and mentoring relationships, networks and training. Planting a new community can often feel a daunting task, and we want you to feel and be well supported.

8. Before starting, the Church Planting Project Regional Minister will work with you to establish how the funds will be released, for Faithful Footsteps and insurance requirements to be met, and for donations/ offering to be processed.

9. The Church Planting Project Regional Minister will work with you to establish ‘waymarkers’ for success as well as to establish reporting mechanisms. We know that things can change along the way, so these waymarkers offer a way to dialogue about how things are going.

10. When all is ready, a simple covenant will be made between the church planter/ planting team and the Pacific Mountain Regional Council… and so the pilgrimage really begins.

For more information please contact

Rev. Rob Shearer
Regional Minister for Church Planting
The LeaderShift Church Planting Project
RShearer@united-church.ca
Cell / Text 778.977.7562