Calling / Assessment
Assessment is the process of discerning whether a potential church planter is called to plant a church and whether the person is right for a specific new work. Assessment is often broken down into a pre-assessment (self-assessment) and a formal assessment (assessment by an independent group or organization).
Pre-assessment (self-assessment) often includes the completion of a Myers Briggs Temperament Indicator, a DISC personality profile, and spiritual gifts profile. Additionally, most pre-assessments include a test of a potential planter against Dr Charles Ridley's 13 knockout factors for church planters. The Evangelical Free Church of America and the North American Mission Board have two of the best pre-assessment profiles available online. Click here (EFCA or NAMB to download a copy). Most of the organizations listed below under assessment have some form of these tests/profiles built into their processes.
The formal assessment can be as short as one day, but is more often 3-5 days in length. A formal assessment is often done in a group setting with other potential planters and includes a combination of interviews, group exercises, essays, and assignments. The evaluation team observes the potential planters in a number of different situations. Most assessments result in a detailed report and a formal out brief. For example, the Church Planting Assessment Center's team produces a 50+ page report on each candidate. This report includes strengths as well as weaknesses and makes a recommendation as to a candidates ability to plant a church within the next 2 years.
Click here for additional information about church planter assessments.
Assessment Resources
NewChurches information on assessment
Assessment of Planter's Fit in a Place
Church Planting Assessment Center (CPAC)
Evangelical Free Church of America (EFCA)
Emerging Leadership Initiative (ELI)
Dynamic Church Planting International
PCA - Mission to North America
Praxis Center for Church Development
Assessment Resources from Other Organizations
- New Life Ministries' Tools for Church Assessment
- Church Planting Assessment Center
What is Assessment?Lenses of Assessment
Team Building
- Evangelical Free Church of America
- If you are interested in planting a Southern Baptist church, a self test can be found at www.discoverchurchplanting.com.
- Global Church Advancement
- Church Planting Leadership
- Is Church Planting for Me? Twenty Questions You Should Ask Yourself Before Considering Starting a Church by Steve Childers
- Discovery Tool (pdf) featuring:
Could God Be Calling Me to Church Planting
How Has God Equipped Me to be a Planter
Connecting Your Passion with Your Spiritual Gifts