Church Planting Assessment Center

Helping you discern your calling, ministry fit and leadership capacity as a church planter.

 

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Increase the success of your church plant

Have you been called to plant a church? How can you know for sure? And what does it take to succeed? Converge's highly trusted Church Planting Assessment Center minimizes the risk by thoroughly vetting church planters for predictable success.

Led by trained assessors, we provide a personalized and thorough assessment of each candidate. We help church planters discern their calling, fit in ministry and capacity to be the lead pastor on a planting team.

Converge has one of the longest running, most influential and highly trusted church planting assessment systems in the country. We offer decades of assistance and a contextually current process. Many other denominations and para-church organizations have modeled their process after ours.

What is an assessment center?
It is an intensive four-day event staffed by trained assessors to encourage and observe church planting candidates. Candidates have the opportunity to preach, cast vision, work in team settings and meet with counselors and assessors to prepare for life as a church planter. Assessors provide a personalized and thorough assessment of church planting candidates.

Who are the typical assessment center participants?

  • Candidate/candidate couple: prospective church planting lead pastor and spouse (if married)
  • Sending agency: a candidate/candidate couple's sponsoring or sending agency; may be a church, network, region, denomination or church planting organization.
  • Assessors: experienced church planters or church planting leaders; each sending agency usually sends an assessor.
  • Observers: individuals interested in observing the assessment process; they do not assess the candidate/candidate couple
  • Assessment center team: the team that organizes the assessment center; includes a director, a counselor and an administrator.

 

Upcoming assessment centers

  • February 13 - 16, 2024 // Orlando, FL
  • April 9 - 12, 2024 // Turlock, CA
  • August 13 - 16, 2024 // Blaine, MN
  • October 1 - 4, 2024 // Prosper, TX
  • February 11 - 14, 2025 // Queen Creek, AZ
  • April 8 - 11, 2025 // Orlando, FL
  • August 4 - 8, 2025 // Location TBD
  • October 7 - 10, 2025 // Prosper, TX

How to sign up

  1. Contact Terri Mincks, Church Planting Assessment Center Administrator by email to share your interest in participating in an Assessment Center
  2. Contact your Converge district office letting them know you're interested in joining in an Assessment Center
  3. Engage in a pre-assessment interview (giving to you by your district office)
  4. Fill out an application (sent to you by Terri Mincks, Church Planting Assessment Center Administrator)
  5. Your district will register you for the Church Planting Assessment Center

For questions and help with getting started, please email Terri Mincks.

Starting a church has been the most challenging and rewarding faith journey for me and our family. I can’t imagine not having the support of Nate and the Converge family. From the assessment to their prayers to funding opportunities to the seasoned encouragement, they’ve been with us each step of the way.

Phil Peterson, Anthem Church, Bellevue, Washington