SendNC hosted its largest-ever assessment retreat earlier this month as leaders gathered for a time of worship, training and assessment for church planting ministry.
As churches across the state continue to embrace a vision for church planting, SendNC and Send Network leaders gathered earlier this month with prospective planters to assess their readiness for ministry during SendNC’s largest-ever assessment retreat.
The retreat, which took place Aug. 1-2 at Pleasant Garden Baptist Church in Pleasant Garden, brought together 11 potential church planters — along with their families and sending church representatives — for a time of worship, training and assessment for ministry. All of the potential church planters who attended the event had previously undergone several stages of initial assessment through the SendNC church planting pathway.
The two-day event gave Send Network and SendNC assessors — who jointly hosted the event — a final opportunity to evaluate the church planting candidates before giving their endorsement.
“It is clear that God is stirring N.C. Baptist churches as more and more are becoming part of the sending culture that is expanding the kingdom of God through church planting,” said Paul Ortiz, church planting strategist for SendNC. “The SendNC Assessment Retreat is a thorough process from beginning to end and is nothing short of being a life-giving event for every person involved, from the church planter to the sending church, assessor team and volunteers.”
Assessment retreats are a key way SendNC and Send Network determine the readiness of future church planters. After completing several assessment surveys measuring church planting capacity, personal character and marriage status, prospective church planters are invited to an Assessment Retreat for a final round of evaluation.
During the retreat, assessors walk with candidates — along with their spouses and representatives from their churches — through the following categories: calling, emotional and spiritual health, family dynamics, vision, leadership, communication, missional engagement, disciple-making and social skills. Evaluating the church planters based on these characteristics allows assessors to discern whether the church planter is ready to plant, needs development or should be redirected to a different path or ministry.
After assessors affirm that these candidates are “ready to plant,” candidates can then receive the benefits of becoming SendNC-endorsed church planters, which includes training, funding and additional resources and benefits.
“This retreat has become one of the greatest sources of encouragement for everyone involved,” Ortiz said. “It is a humbling privilege to be a part of what God is doing through the SendNC Assessment Retreat.”
The next assessment retreat in North Carolina is scheduled to take place in December. Mike Pittman, director of SendNC, said that he is excited to see how these assessment retreats help churches across the state fulfill their mission to send.
“I am humbled for the opportunity to steward this process that helps sending churches assess their potential planters,” Pittman said. “Every time I have the opportunity to observe the preparation, care and excellence our assessors put into this process I am amazed that we get to do this.”
