LifeTree Church

Prayer Partners
Each member of our church planting team is not only required to be committed to personal prayer and to developing prayer ministries within the church, they are also required to form their own personal prayer team from individuals outside of the church. This prayer team consists of at least 25 people who will commit to pray daily for the team member for a specific period of time. Team members will communicate regularly with and pray for their prayer partners.

Financial Partners
Until the church becomes financially self-sufficient, each of the church planting pastors will share responsibility for raising the necessary support to finance the church plant. Individual staff members will raise their own support and a percentage of the additional resources necessary to cover church expenses. Any finances provided by the denomination or other entities in support of the project will be first applied toward church expenses and then divided amongst the staff members. The budget indicates a sliding scale of outside support needs that is projected to end by the close of the third year.

Staffing and Ministry Partners
LifeTree Church will be a multi-staff church plant from the beginning, comprised of three people (an initial odd number is important). This approach to church planting distributes the intense workload, allows for more rapid ministry development, capitalizes on the strengths of multiple people, addresses the issue of isolation and loneliness often experienced by the lone church planter and his wife, and (interestingly!) often is the lowest cost approach to new church development in the long run. Additionally, lay ministry partners are needed who are called by God (just as is the pastoral staff) to volunteer for very important initial ministries within the church. In addition to the senior pastor who is particularly responsible for preaching, leadership development, team building, and initial vision, the following roles are needed.

Worship Leader
A full-time or part-time staff member or a committed lay person is needed to coordinate Sunday morning worship. This person needs to have pastoral gifts, musical skills, the ability to lead a worship team, and a good presence in front of a large group of people that includes many previously unchurched.