The following is aimed at those who want to become a church planter and plant within the The Crowded House Network. The Crowded House seeks to recruit church planters to help further the witness of the Gospel, especially in Gospel Priority Areas. Applicants will be expected to submit to the The Crowded House core values, statement of faith and a discipling relationship with an older The Crowded House elder.
We offer the following training and assessment scheme for would-be church planters:
The purpose of the day is for applicants to take part in an informal conversation with a The Crowded House church planter about the course. It is a chance for applicants to talk about the details of the course and ask questions about how the programme will work for them. In most situations this stage results from a number of prior conversations and visits.
The initial application and interview will be conducted through Acts 29 Western Europe. There will also be an additional The Crowded House questionnaire to supplement that process. The outcome of the Acts 29 church planter interview will shape the next stage of the process, which will be outlined in a follow up interview within The Crowded House.
After a successful interview, the applicant will ideally be placed within a The Crowded House Gathering for a 1-2 year period, where an ongoing programme of training and discipleship will take place. Where it is not possible for a pioneer planter to re-locate, that planter will be linked to a near-by gathering and will be expected to engage in the same program as best as can be facilitated at a distance.
The applicant will take part in various mentoring and coaching exercises. The key to this process, however, is to enter into a discipling relationship with and older The Crowded House elder, to provide ongoing character development and an honest space for reflection and growth.
The applicant will be enrolled in a relevant theological training course through Porterbrook Learning, Porterbrook Institute. This will provide or build upon previous theological education, equipping the individual with the theological abilities to shepherd God’s people.
All training and discipleship will take place within the context of living as part of a Gospel Community. The applicant will be expected to embed themselves within that Gospel Community, learning how to take the Gospel out as a community on mission. There will also be opportunities to visit other gatherings and Gospel Communities within the Network to gain further exposure.
The applicant will join the Gathering eldership team and will be expected to undertake leadership responsibilities including teaching. This will take place under the mentoring of an older elder.
This final interview will reflect on the previous 1-2 years and assess the individual gifts, abilities and suitability to plant with The Crowded House Network. If the applicant is successful then an appropriate plan for further planting and development will be put in place. The expectation is that church planters wanting to undertake this training will do so in submission to the The Crowded House vision and values and as a result of the training will be sent to plant Gospel Communities that belong to and contribute towards the vision and life of the The Crowded House Network.