You will identify and define your own "best practices" over time. Accordingly, we have not provided an exhaustive list of best practices that will work in all situations. However, we do recommend the three best practices, described below, that have been proven to help in new church plants.
1. Pastor Assessment: It is a best practice to conduct an assessment of finalist(s) in your search for the Pastor. This assessment should include the Pastor's spouse as well. The value of such an assessment is to provide the Pastor with input in determining his/her suitability for the possible call to the new church, as well as in providing input to the PNC in its investigation.
If the Pastor is called, the assessment will also offer valuable information to the Launch Team regarding the relative strengths and weaknesses of the Pastor. Accordingly, the assessment should be shared at some level of detail with the Launch Team. New Church Initiatives, Inc. (NCI) provides Pastor assessments. Their website address is www.nciglobal.org.
2. Launch Team Assessment: This is similar to the Pastor Assessment. It is a tool that will provide valuable input to anyone who is considering joining a Launch Team for a new church plant. It will also help members of the Launch Team better understand their respective strengths and weaknesses. NCI also offers a Launch Team Assessment tool.
3. Leadership Training: Unless your Launch Team is experienced in planting churches, its members will need training. NCI offers a strong training program that offers a combination of process (how to?) and principles (why are we doing this?). Such a program is best completed before beginning the activities of your new church. New members who join your Launch Team late should be required to catch up by beginning with this training.