- Assess the health of your current congregation in terms of numerical growth, financial stability, spiritual depth, unity in vision, and tolerance for risk.
- Determine the direction you are heading, whether it be a special interest ministry group, preaching point, church plant, inheriting a church, or relaunching a church. Each path requires unique planning efforts, tasks, dynamics, benefits, and challenges, with the primary goal of reaching people for Jesus—particularly those unlikely to attend a traditional American church.
- Identify a leader, as he/she will play a crucial role in the success of the endeavor. Also, plan for their eventual succession from the start.
- Establish a network of training, mentoring, and support for the leader’s growth, including guidance from the senior pastor, other campus pastors, and support staff.
- Determine the manpower needed for the campus to fulfill its purpose, such as leading worship, preaching, evangelizing, providing kids’ care, or offering services unique to the campus vision (e.g., a biker ministry with bike repairs).
- Evaluate the financial resources available to support the campus, including start-up funds and the parent church’s ability to provide financial support during the early years.
- Define the administrative resources the parent church will provide, such as front office support, financial recordkeeping, technology, production, communications, facilities maintenance, and human resources.
- Identify the facility needs for the new campus, including whether it will share space or have its own location, how maintenance will be handled, and how shared scheduling will be coordinated.
- Determine the level of similarity or difference between the new campus and the parent campus, including flexibility in identity, branding, vision, mission, meeting times, preaching themes, outreach focus, and the format of gatherings.
10.
Clarify the long-term vision for the campus, whether it will remain part of the parent church, eventually become independent, or remain open-ended without a predefined outcome.
