Planting Pathway

We are so glad you are considering planting a new church in the Mid-Atlantic District!

Many positive gains have been made in enlisting pastors and leaders in the church planting process of the Mid-Atlantic District.  As regional leaders are developed further, more of the planting process will be done on a local level.

Why plant new churches?  Church planting is the most effective way of evangelizing new people.  New plants transform a community in a positive way.  Making disciples, who plant churches, answers His Great Co-Mission call to every believer.

Below is the current pathway to church planting in our district:

  • Schedule an initial meeting for conversation with Missional Director, Ron Steslow. Several of our areas have local planting specialists available to meet with you as well.  Contact the district office at 440-985-2020 or Ron’s cell phone at 702-349-9255 for potential connections.  We also use Skype or WebEx Conference Calls to connect with you.
  • Please complete the church planters inquiry at www.reachmore.org.  This starts the process and helps us to better serve you.  It will ask you about your background and history as well request you to provide references.  Please, take your time and be as thorough as possible in filling it out.  Should you have any questions, feel free to call us at the numbers above or email either Ron @ rsteslow@foursquare.org or Judy @ jsteslow@foursquare.org.
  • Once your completed inquiry is received, we will contact you for an assessment.  The assessments are done throughout the district as well as at the district office.  This is an enjoyable and informative experience for the church planter, as well as the assessment team.  In order to help you plan, please allow about four (4) hours for the assessment.  The assessment questions will be sent to you.  Upon completion of the report, you will be provided a copy of this as well.
  • Next, we will schedule a debrief opportunity with our District Supervisor, Harriet Mouer, and Ron Steslow (or his designated representative).  Often, your sponsoring pastor will be included in this time as well.  Together, we will consider what steps to take next on your church planting journey.  During this time, we many times assign a coach to work alongside you and development of the church plant can begin.
  • Training with the MAP Process and Church Planting Workshops with coaches and mentors begins at this step.  We strive to serve the planters in the context of their individual needs / talents and the needs / assets of the planting team.  We want to ask questions like, “What does it take to bring Christ to this new community?” or “What does a biblically faithful Foursquare church look like in your context?”
  • Subsequent steps might include the items from the list below.  (Since every church planter is different, the process can be modified to fit the life situation, context, timeline or cultural needs.  Honoring Christ with a healthy church is the top priority.)
    1. Creative training and development of the core leaders
    2. Connection with planting groups around the district
    3. Licensing and administrative instruction
    4. Submission of funding proposals
    5. Creation of temporary account / request for EIN
    6. Plans for Foursquare Board approval of the church plant


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