New Church Plant Funding

For Dallas Baptist Association Church Plants

New Church Plant Funding 

 

We prayerfully asked, “How can we make a significant contribution to our church plants using the given budget?”  And, “How can we discourage dependency on outside funding while still helping our churches with important needs?”

Below is the way in which we believe the Holy Spirit has led DBA to supports new church plants financially.  (We support church plants in many, many more ways that do NOT involve funds!)  This plan was approved by DBA’s Church Planting Committee and the DBA Executive Board in November 2009.

We believe the this approach holds at least these benefits over giving a set monthly amount into the church plant’s normal operating budget:

• It allows the pastor to take strategic action that he would otherwise be unable to do.  Congregations are sometimes hesitant to spend money on what they see as “extras.”
• It helps the church become more financially secure and helps prevent financial dependency on monthly allowances.
• The flexibility of the funds even allows for a possibly larger dollar amounts to go to a church plant that uses the funds well.

 

• The idea is not to decrease the overall amount spent by DBA on church planting.  It will likely increase.  Instead, the hope is to more strategically and helpfully allocate it, while opening more doors for helpful DBA-to-church plant interaction.

• Church plants receive no monthly amount from DBA.
• Instead, DBA funds become available for special or designated needs of the congregation.
• Church planters simply email a specific request for funds to a DBA Church Planting team member.
• The Church Planting Committee will vote on each of these requests (with the ability to alter the amount) at the monthly meeting, usually held during the third week of the month.
• • This allows DBA to offer more targeted and strategic support.
  • Itallows experienced leaders on the Committee to be better informed and even offer other additional resources and ideas to the church plant.
• A representative from the new church plant or sponsor church attends the next Executive Board after their quarterly review.  This keeps the church plant eligible to make funding requests during that quarter.

 

Guidelines:

• In order to make a request, not just receive a grant, the church plant needs to…
  • have had a representative at the DBA Executive Board meeting when their ongoing status was approved.
  • be current with their monthly reports and cooperative giving.
• A new church plant may make requests during a three year period, beginning no earlier than the adoption of their cooperative agreement and lasting no later than three years after their first funding request.
• The Church Planting Committee can offer suggestions of the kinds of things that they would tend to grant and those they would lean away from.