Local - Church Planting
Within Whiteinch Church of Scotland we are convinced that
“Church planting is the most effective means of evangelism under the sun”
(C. Peter Wagner).
We believe that to reach the vast majority of those who live in our community, our city and our nation we need a new breed of Church – a Church which holds passionately to the message of the Good News of Jesus Christ while finding new ways of expressing that message in new faith communities.
As a church plant ourselves, we carry a “pioneering DNA” – this gives us eyes to see both where there are gaps in our own community, which church is not reaching and also to see those whom God has purposed and inspired to lead others to cross cultural boundaries.
Realising there was no specific training or teaching for potential church planters in Scotland we have set up Invest to equip pioneering church planters.
Invest is a year long course comprised of four components:
- Teaching with related assignments involving research into what others are doing in creating new models and modes of church
- Placement in a church where the values of the course are being lived out and explored
- Mentoring usually with the Placement Supervisor but also enhanced by other members of the Invest Training Team all of whom have experience in church planting.
- Personal Development to encourage a degree of self-awareness, offer one to one appointments where requested and provide tools for the future.
But Invest is more than a course for a year. We are specifically looking to develop a network of those involved in early stage planting – both those who have gone through the course and others with whom we have, or are building, relationship.
The Team: Alan McWilliam, Peter Neilson, Penny Sharp, Keith Short
