Church Planting Policy

1. TRAINING
   First, the potential planter must spend an extended period of time in a local Vineyard learning basic Vineyard values and practices. If someone is interested in planting a Vineyard who has not been in a Vineyard church, please refer them to their regional church planting coordinator, who will assign them to a training church if a particular Vineyard cannot take them on at that time.

2. RECOMMENDATION
   When it becomes apparent that the potential planter is within a one to two year period of planting a church, the local Vineyard pastor recommends him to his district church planting coordinator and his APC as a potential church planter. By making a recommendation, the pastor is stating that, in his opinion, the potential planter has consistently demonstrated the gifting and ability appropriate to such recommendation - or that he feels the potential planter is a good candidate but his church is unable to take him any further in the process, and is thus seeking AVC assistance.

3. APPLICATION
   The local Vineyard pastor submits his Recommendation Form, along with the church planter's Application Form, to the District Church Planting Coordinator (CPC) and forwards copies to the APC and the regional CPC, as well.

4. ASSESSMENT
   Upon receipt of the Recommendation Form and the Application, an appointment will be made with the planter for an assessment, which will be done as locally as possible with a team from his district. After the assessors have completed their work, there will be a follow-up meeting with the potential planter and the sponsoring pastor to go over the assessment and assign a coach. If the sending pastor is in a position to do so, we encourage him to be the coach; otherwise, one will be assigned.

5. TWO-YEAR PLAN
   The potential planter works with the coach through the curriculum in the coaches' manual (available from the District CPC) and develops his 2-year plan. He sets his "starting date."

6. OFFICIAL RELEASE FORM
   Just prior to launching the plant, the Release Form is signed by all necessary parties. Once the release form is completely signed, it can be sent to the AVC national office, and a check for $2,000 will be written and mailed by AVC in the name of the church plant itself (not the church planter).

7. ON-GOING COACHING
   As the plant launches, the coach will, over the next two years, help move the planter along in the process of growing the church through the phases of "church plant" to "mission church" to "established church." Each month, the planter fills out the monthly Coaches Update form and sends it to his coach, who gives immediate feedback and help, as well as forwarding a copy to the District CPC.

8. ESTABLISHED CHURCH STATUS
   When the plant becomes an established church, the coaching relationship ends in a formal way, and the pastor is turned solely over to the APC for oversight.

Regarding "Territorial Protection"

1. CRITERIA
   The release of a new plant in close proximity to another Vineyard church plant in progress (not an established church) will be evaluated according to these criteria:

   • Is there a positive working relationship with other area Vineyards?

   • Is the target group for the new church plant specialized or distinct in some way from the other Vineyard being planted?

   • Is there a commitment not to receive transfers from the other Vineyard unless there is a blessing from the original pastor?

   • With the second (new) church plant help to fulfill AVC's church planting goals?

2. 2 YEAR PROTECTION
   We will normally not release a second church into a logical, culturally cohesive area with a Vineyard Church plant already in progress for up to two years from the beginning of the first church plant.
   
   This will not apply, of course, if the second church plant has a distinctive target group, or is in another area not normally within the reach of one church. Normally, we would not expect this logical area to include more than approximately 50,000 people, depending on local circumstances. Exceptions to this can be made by the joint decision of the APC and the Regional CPC.

3. ADDITIONAL PROTECTION
   If somebody has a plan to plant in an area within the next 12 months and has already notified their regional overseer and the regional CPC, a similar approach will be taken for any additional church plants in that immediate area until the church plant begins or 12 months pass. Once the plant begins, we will use that aforementioned approach to "protect" for two years.

4. NEW CHURCH PLANTS ONLY
   The policy is only for the "protection" of new church plants to allow time for them to be established. It does not apply to established Vineyard churches and it does not apply to church plants which have been in progress for more than two years.