A couple felt a strong calling to plant a church in a rapidly growing community. They did all the right things: visiting the location, prayer-walking the streets, and sharing their vision with trusted mentors at their home church. When it was time, they took the next crucial step: engaging in a thorough assessment process, including the behavioral interview, which is the gold standard for most church planting networks.
The insights they gained were powerful. The assessment clearly affirmed their incredible relational capacity and knack for casting a compelling vision. But—and this is key—it also gently highlighted an area for growth: being more intentional about building robust disciple-making ministries.
Armed with this clear-eyed understanding and the full support of their sending church, they launched in August 2022. Fast forward three years, and their church is thriving! They’ve appointed elders, are financially self-sustaining, and have cultivated a vibrant community where over 80% of adults are actively engaged in disciple-making groups.
This kind of rapid, healthy growth isn’t just luck; it’s the direct result of a well-equipped couple who understood their strengths and proactively addressed their growth areas before launch.
It’s a Launchpad, Not a Hurdle
Think of a church planter assessment as your personal compass. Its main goal is to pinpoint a planter’s unique strengths and surface the areas where they might need a little extra coaching or support to truly flourish.
If you’re an aspiring church planter, a lead pastor in a sending church, or a network leader, you know how important it is to be a good steward of your resources—time, money, and people. What if you could increase your accuracy for identifying successful planters with reliable, granular data? The great news is that church planter assessments have come a long way.
Why Investing in a Strong Assessment is Valuable
When we look at organizations outside the church, we see powerful data:
- As much as 80% of employee turnover is due to bad hiring decisions (according to The Harvard Business Review).
- It’s estimated that a “bad hire” can cost an organization up to five times their annual salary (SHRM Study).
We are investing in eternal work. The stakes couldn’t be higher. A comprehensive assessment is an investment in the long-term health and sustainability of the planter, their family, and the church they’re called to start.
Consider Adding a Trait Assessment to Your Process
Most church planting networks rely on the Behavioral Interview—a tried-and-true method that helps assessors create a comprehensive profile. We wholeheartedly support this method, and we believe a powerful combination is to pair it with a Trait Assessment.
1. Behavioral Interview: Getting to Know the Real Planter
A behavioral interview dives into in-depth conversations about the planter’s past experiences. Assessors explore specific real-life situations—how the leader approached them, the decisions they made, and how they navigated the relationships involved. Past behavior is often the best indicator of future performance. This process can predict both areas of success and areas that might become a stumbling block without focused attention.
2. Trait Assessment: People Gravitate to Activities They Enjoy
When we talk about traits, we’re talking about those built-in, natural bents you came into the world with—the unique ways your brain and body are wired. They are often aptitudes you didn’t learn in a class but are a part of who you are.
For instance, maybe you’ve always been great at connecting with people, effortlessly relating while at the grocery store or pumping gas. Or perhaps you’re more introverted and thrive in solitude, finding that spending time with a crowd drains your emotional battery. These are your raw, natural inclinations.
The great news? With focused coaching and support, the traits that support these behaviors can be developed! The Harrison Assessment is a reliable tool we use that looks at 125 traits and filters them through the essential church planter competencies to rate the level of enjoyment a planter will experience in various tasks. Enjoyment Performance Theory suggests that when a person enjoys 75% or more of what they do, they will be three times more productive. (You can read more about the Harrison Assessment, HERE).
The Benefit of Two Assessments
The behavioral assessment is based on the ratings of the assessors, while the trait assessment is a self-assessment conducted by the planter. Combined, they formulate a comprehensive picture of the church planter’s potential to plant a healthy, reproducible church. Anecdotally, the results are impressively consistent, with the data from both assessments supporting each other and giving us great confidence in the path forward.
Partnership between InFocus & Thrive Church Planting
Since 2020, I’ve had the joy of collaborating with Micah Dodson of Thrive Church Planting on Leadership Collectives, Discipleship Collectives, and coach training. Now, we are working together to provide comprehensive church planter assessments.
It’s About Flourishing as a Human
In a recent conversation with a former assessment client, Micah was reminded of the deep power and influence of a robust assessment. The planter was calling to share his excitement over the recent grand opening of their church plant: stories of baptisms, a growing leadership team, and strong attendance.
While celebrating all of those wins, the planter reminded Micah of an assessment recommendation he had received a year prior.
Humbly, he opened up: “Remember that invitation to put away my phone and laptop on evenings and days off?”
Micah recalled, “Yes, how has that been going?”
The planter explained, “It has been so impactful to my family. In fact, over the summer, we spent more time together having fun than any summer prior.”
Micah was so encouraged. The contribution the assessment had made wasn’t just about his church’s health; it was about his family’s health, his personal health, and his belief that he could plant a church and flourish as a human and a child of God. Please let us know if you are interested in learning more about the assessment process we use – CLICK HERE to find a time to speak with Gary that fits your schedule. We’d love to partner with you in helping planters thrive.
Photo by Andy Oldham on Unsplash
