Criteria for Support

The Board will work directly with the mother church that is submitting the application. The Board may request an interview with the Church Planter. The Board will then meet to determine if the request is approved and will work with the Mother Church on the level of support that is needed or available. Grants are available of up to $12,000 for one year, renewable for up to 3 years. We will not support church plants that are themselves providing financial support to other external ministries (e.g. missions, seminaries, parachurch organizations). Our goal here is not to discourage churches from supporting other ministries; quite the contrary, we wish to encourage this once churches become financially self-supporting. Rather, we simply want to avoid funds from DomNet being redirected away from their intended purpose of supporting church plants to other goals, however worthy those goals may be.

Our primary decision-making process involves these questions.

1. Is the church plant in a good location as far as city and physical location?

2. Is the church planter capable of successfully planting?

3. Is the Mother Church capable of supporting the work financially and spiritually?

4. Is there a good plan in place to launch and grow the church into a viable church in 1- 3 years?

Applying for Support

The session of the Mother Church will apply for support as listed below:

  • A letter from the session of the mother church and the officers of the mission church requesting and quantifying the support needed. The letter must be signed by the session of the mother and mission church (if already established).

  • A letter by the Presiding Minister of the appropriate CREC Presbytery affirming that the mother church is in good standing with the presbytery, that the mission church is a work that is known by him, and declaring his support of the work.

  • A report produced by the mother church including the following:

    1. The number of families and individuals involved in the church plant.

    2. The budget of the church plant.

    3. The amount of support that is currently available to the mission church delineating:

      1. The amount of support that comes from the tithes and offerings of the mission church families.

      2. The amount of support being given by the mother church.

      3. The amount of support coming from other sources of income (presbytery, private fund-raising, etc.)

  • Budget projections that plot a course forward assuming annually decreasing funding from the church-planting network.

  • The name and contact information of the planting pastor.

  • A commitment for the Church Plant to support the Church Planting Network in the future. In addition to planting churches, we desire to develop a network of planting churches.

  • We strongly encourage supported churches to contribute at least $1500 per year to DomNet once they become financially self-supporting.

  • Mother churches are responsible for the costs of travel to meet with potential planting churches and church planters. This will normally be done remotely.

Reporting Requirements for the Church Plant

Quarterly report to the Mother Church and the Network that includes the following:

• Average weekly attendance by month

• Average monthly tithing and gifts

• A paragraph or two of ministry updates and prayer requests with pictures.

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