Plant a Church

At Mission Anabaino, we believe that during His ascension ministry today, Christ has an address at every place where there is an apostolic, Christ-centered church. Mission Anabaino consist of a growing number of affiliate churches and partners wherein MA is gathering, energizing, deploying, and focusing our resources into a collaborative effort to plant churches where Christ’s saving presence is not readily accessible especially targeting post-christendom places.

General Summary Of Mission Anabaino And The Church Planter Position

Mission Anabaino (MA) is a collaborating network of MA church planters, affiliate church planters, mission sites and staff who are together committed to a Total Christ vision of church planting (c.f. anabaino.org/whatkind-of-churches). Our goal is to plant at least ten local, New Haven, churches and ten global, strategic site, churches in ten years. The Church planter works under the executive leadership and support of the MA Executive Director accountable to the Mission Anabaino Coordinator in the planting of an MA supported church.

Potential Church Planting

The Qualities We Look For in Church Planting Pastors

• Authentic Experience: An infectious and authentic experience of the gospel of Jesus Christ in full agreement with a “Total Christ” theological vision for ministry.
• Ordination: An ordained (or imminently qualified for ordination) minister of the Presbyterian Church of America denomination (PCA) or an approved alternative denomination.
• Qualification: Qualified either by previous successful church planting experience, or by approval from the PCA's Church Planting Assessment Center.
• Entrepreneurial Leadership: Demonstrates discernable experience and aptitudes in entrepreneurial leadership such as to include:
  • A strong passion and conviction for the gospel;
  • A principled or “core values” approach to problem solving;
  • A compelling style of communication;
  • Giftedness in leading from the front;
  • Resiliency to persevere; and
  • A general faith-based sense of optimism about life and ministry.
• Independence and Motivation: An ability to function independently and at a high level of performance, resourceful, highly motivated.

Church Planter Principal Duties And Responsibilities

• Prior to Reporting on the Field:
  • The MA church planter will work with the support of the MA Executive Director to raise 100% of pledged financial support needed to complement the approximate 150k venture capital provided by Mission Anabaino to be implemented in a 2-4 year disbursement plan.
• Pre-Launch Training and Development:
  • Tailored to the needs of each planter, a willingness to study in conversation with the MA Coordinator and MA community the various theological and strategic issues related to a Total Christ church and Christian spirituality.
  • In consultation with the MA Coordinator and Executive Director, a willingness to develop a missional vision and strategic three year plan for implementation in a site specific context. In local contexts, this could be coupled with an on-site internship year.
  • Whereas global church planters are chosen for a specific approved site, local church planters are invited to a year long internship wherein the above pre-launch activities can take place including the selection of one of the local opportunities for church planting.
• Post-Launch Involvement:
  • A willingness to participate in an annual Mission Anabaino collaborative event aimed at the exploration and execution of a Total Christ Theological Vision and Strategic Plan, mutual support and prayer together with other MA church planters, affiliates, and contributors.
  • A willingness to engage the executive support of the MA executive director along with submitting a mission report to the MA Executive director and Coordinator on an agreed upon schedule.
  • To participate as able in a regularly scheduled Mission Anabaino collaborative and prayer conferences either personally or by video conferencing.
  • A willingness to assist in the recruitment, assessment, and development of a growing MA network and to assist in the recruitment and assessment of future MA church planters and sites both locally and globally.

What Kind of Church?

The "Five Marks" and the Celebration of "BOTH-AND" Ecclesiology!

Total Christ spirituality seeks to resist the “either-or” pendulum swings that have too commonly plagued modern Christianity. Reuniting both a covenantal and temple spirituality, Total Christ is both “high gospel" and "high church" ecclesiology. Reuniting Christ’s salvific offices of Prophet, Priest, and King, a “Total Christ” church is at once Confessional, Sacramental, and Governmental respectively.

In sum, then, we call this the "Five Marks" of a Total Christ Church:

• Gospel Centered: A Covenantal, “High Gospel” Spirituality
• Missional Presence: A Temple, “High Church” Spirituality and Ecclesiology
• Confessional / Belief-Centered: Christ Our Prophet
• Sacramental: Christ Our Priest
• Governed Communal: Christ Our King

Our Task

Our Immediate Mission Goal Is

To initiate Two Total Christ Churches In Two “Post-Christendom” Contexts in One Year

Our Immediate Coaching Goals Are to Continue:

• Weekly Prayer Services and Coaching of S. CT Church Planters/Pastors.
• Monthly Prayer services and Collaborations Events in Missional Ecclesiology both locally in S. CT (in person) and Globally (Virtually).
• An annual MA Collaboration Event For All MA affiliated Mission and Anchor Church Pastors.
• To Help Establish Local MA Chapters In Places where there is an MA Anchor Church or Church Plant.