The U.S. Ministries team is committed to encouraging, equipping and empowering leaders to multiply disciples and churches. There are four primary emphases in supportive services available to all churches: church multiplication, healthy church initiative, servant leadership initiative and support ministries.
The healthy church initiative seeks to multiply healthy congregations through multiplying healthy disciples of Christ. By following the strategy of Jesus, churches develop a balanced, biblical model of ministry that transforms lives and empowers people to walk as Jesus walked. Assessment tools, coaching, awareness building seminars and other resources are available to help take the necessary steps toward health. Support is also provided for local church ministries with children, youth and senior adults.
More than 280 churches have been planted in the U.S. since 1990. Multiplication will increase as local churches catch the vision to become parent churches.
Our church multiplication ministry provides training through the church planter’s boot camp, sponsored by the Church Multiplication Training Center (http://www.cmtcmultiply.org/).
Ongoing support comes through coaching and participation in incubators, a supportive environment for planter and spouse. Great care is taken to nurture new churches during their first 2-3 years.
The Church Multiplication Training Center trains church planters for more than 110 denominations and mission agencies. Training and consultation is also done to assist restart projects, redevelop declining and plateaued churches and parent new churches.
Servant leadership initiative (SLI) was created to enhance the leadership culture of the Missionary Church. The Pastoral Leadership Institute (PLI) is one resource of SLI. Designed to train second-career lay individuals for vocational Christian ministry, PLI utilizes a two-year online training process that is inexpensive, focused, convenient, and practical. Information on courses, procedures, and costs can be found at www.plionline.org or by emailing PLIAdmin@mcusa.org.
In addition, SLI is developing continuing education units for pastors and lay leaders. Assessments will be available to help leaders identify their leadership capabilities and limitations as well as the type of leadership situations in which they will thrive. SLI is also developing an orientation process and a system for recruiting strong pastoral leaders for our expanding churches and districts.
Support ministries encourages a broad prayer base for the denomination, equips local prayer leaders, serves the needs of active and retired clergy and their family members, provides, researches and promotes resources related to ministry and communicates the stories. Annual reports gather data that is required by the government and helpful in planning and casting vision.
