Church Planting Assistance Florida Baptist Convention

Qualifications

The following guidelines will apply to any Florida Baptist church desiring Church Planting Assistance Funds from the Florida Baptist Convention:

The Sending Church will be a Cooperating Southern Baptist Church

This is defined in Article III of the Southern Baptist Convention Constitution as listed below.

The Convention will only deem a church to be in friendly cooperation with the Convention, and sympathetic with its purposes and work (i.e., a “cooperating” church as that term is used in the Convention’s governing documents) which:

(1) Has a faith and practice which closely identifies with the Convention’s adopted statement of faith. (By way of example, churches which act to affirm, approve, or endorse homosexual behavior would be deemed not to be in cooperation with the Convention.)

(2) Has formally approved its intention to cooperate with the Southern Baptist Convention. (By way of example, the regular filing of the annual report requested by the Convention would be one indication of such cooperation.)

(3) Has made undesignated, financial contribution(s) through the Cooperative Program, and/or through the Convention’s Executive Committee for Convention causes, and/or to any Convention entity during the fiscal year preceding.

(http://www.sbc.net/aboutus/legal/constitution.asp)

The sending Church will be a Cooperating Florida Baptist Convention Church

This is defined in Bylaw 2 section B of the Florida Baptist State Convention Bylaws as listed below.

Cooperating Local Church:  The State Convention declares that a cooperating Southern Baptist church shall be that autonomous body of Christian believers, which by its free will makes a commitment to and demonstrates cooperation according to the following criteria:

1) Theological:  The church shall have specified within its adopted Statement of Faith and Practice and/or governing documents, a declaration that the basis for its theology, faith, practice and polity is the Bible, with the Baptist Faith and Message, revised in the year 2000, or any other declaration of faith which parallels the tenets of our historic Baptist faith, as the theological framework.

2) Declaration:  The church shall express its intent and commitment to cooperate with the Florida Baptist State Convention by delivering a written communication to the Florida Baptist Convention, Inc.

3) Financial:  The church shall annually make a meaningful financial contribution through the Cooperative Program.  A contribution of $250 or more qualifies the church to elect and send messengers to the Florida Baptist State Convention annual meeting.

4) Statistical:  The church shall provide an annual church statistical profile (a/k/a an ACP) to the local association with which it is associated and/or the State Convention.

Church plant Funding Process

The Florida Baptist Convention desires to be a good steward of the resources of Cooperating Florida Baptist Convention churches. We also desire to make the funding process as simple as possible.

Below are the 5 steps required to receive funding:

1. Sending Church in consultation with the local associational Director of Missions will contact the designated Regional Catalyst of the Florida Baptist Convention to indicate their desire to receive Church Planting Assistance Funds.
2. Regional Catalyst will provide information about the resources available through the Florida Baptist Convention and the North American Mission Board in regards to Church Planter Assessments, NAMB Cohorts/Trainings, etc.
3. Sending Church will submit a Ministry Plan for the Church Plant including the church planting budget, target launch date, etc. to the Regional Catalyst.
4. The Regional Catalyst will provide a commitment of funds to the Sending Church. This will include the funding amount and the funding date. It should also be understood that these funds will be available pending Cooperative Program funds availability at the Florida Baptist Convention.
5. Sending Church will complete and sign Church Planting Assistance Agreement with the Florida Baptist Convention to include a commitment to report back to the Florida Baptist Convention on the success of the planting effort at the following intervals (6-months, 12-months, 24-months). We look forward to celebrating all that God is doing through this mission effort.