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Is the Church of God good for ARC? Questions about ARC
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Post Is the Church of God good for ARC? Questions about ARC SouthFloridaman
I am a huge fan of arc it is a great organization that does a lot to help out churches. It’s sort of reminds me of the Willow Creek Association. If I was planting a church arc would be an organization I would use. With that said, “I don’t believe ARC is a good fit as a whole for the church of God On an individual church level it is fine. I feel the way Arc has been presented by our denomination leaders it has been like placing a giant exit sign pointing the way out of the church of God for our younger pastors. It is basically reinforcing the idea that being independent non denominational is better. I personally like knowing what my church believes. I know plenty of cog splits and breakouts that have used arc to jump ship out of the church of God. There are plenty of pastors fuming about there church splits supported with arc matching money. I feel the big reason the cog is apart of it is for the 50,000 start up capital matching funds offered by the arc to prop up the church planting initiative. That start up funding is available to anyone that starts a church regardless of denominational endorsement or not. Correct me if I am wrong pastor bobby plans on starting a church. The cog points pastor bobby to arc. Boby goes through arc completes the qualifications to be a arc sponsored church planter. Arc provides a 50,000 grand marching bonus to the church. The cog only provide 5or 10 grand, and is acting like this is big church planting news when arc did most of the work. Then there is the reality of that local church plant paying back arc. That 50,000 is paid back in a percentage much like our tithe of tithes that percentage i believe it is something along the lines of 5 to 2%. If I am wrong correct me. So with tithe of tithe once a church hits the point of payback the planters would be paying 12-15% of there tithes split to 2 organizations These are just my observations. What are your thoughts? Correct me if I am wrong. Please don’t take this as me attacking arc. I am just having honest questions about what I have observed. The training arc provides is top notch and if an individual cog pastor wants to go through it on there own that’s fine.

Last edited by SouthFloridaman on 3/3/18 3:21 pm; edited 10 times in total
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2/28/18 10:54 pm


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Post Apart means... spartanfan
never mind Golf Cart Mafia Underboss
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3/1/18 8:51 am


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Post Re: Apart means... SouthFloridaman
spartanfan wrote:
never mind
sorry not trying to offend I will take down the post if asked. Just honest question.
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3/1/18 9:59 am


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Post FLRon
If I were seeking to plant a church I would certainly consider every available resource. That being said, when I saw that Christine Cain was on the ARC leadership team, that would cause me to keep looking. YMMV
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3/1/18 6:50 pm


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Post ARC cogcia
ARC is a great model for an independent church. If I was planting I would do ARC long before the COG’s copy of ARC. Friendly Face
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3/1/18 7:02 pm


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Post Re: Is ARC good for the Church of God? Questions about ARC Tom Sterbens
Short answer: YES! I think it is a great partnership! Golf Cart Mafia Capo Famiglia
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3/1/18 10:17 pm


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Post SouthFloridaman
Quote:
when I saw that Christine Cain was on the ARC leadership team, that would cause me to keep looking


Why Christine Cain? I heard her speak a few times. Why those thoughts? Is there something us Florida men should know?😁
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3/2/18 12:51 am


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Post SouthFloridaman
So no one is going to touch that cog brass is basically using and abusing arc. Arc is is basically propping up our entire church of God Church planting initiative. The church of God is providing minimal funding just enough to place the COG tag on the building of a church plant when in reality ARC is doing the real heavy lifting of providing the funds. I love arc but I feel our international office leaders are trying to hijack the credit for church planting when in reality arc is doing the work. If I was planting a church I would just leave the church of God out of it and get the matching funds on my own. Friendly Face
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3/3/18 3:01 pm


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Post SouthFloridaman
I am just waiting for the G.O. or someone from the executive committee to walk across stage at general assembly and say we planted X many churches and the cog is raising again. When in reality ARC is doing our entire church planting work. I should have titled this thread is the cog good for arc. Friendly Face
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3/3/18 3:20 pm


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Post Travis Johnson
Great topic. Here’s my take:

The ARC partnership and others (CMN, etc...) along with the COG Church Planting Bank is a very solid, Gospel posture for the COG.

They are two different mechanisms that work in conjunction with one another.

We have historically had our COG sons and daughters connecting with ARC in absence of a functional partnership and structure for funding. The reason these ARC churches with COG pastors do not organize with the CoG is that it doesn’t make sense financially for the church plant. The partnership along with our own bank solves that very legitimate objection/condition.

The church Planting Bank received $1.5 million in funds in its first year. My sense is that appropriation level will and should continue annually. Since it is a loan repayment Bank, that will be a growing fund. 10 years from now with zero fundraising (which can and should happen), the fund would be a $15 million dollar fund in a constant state of lending and repayment.

The fund is replenished as new churches begin paying the loan back. This happens upon launch (not a fuzzy organization day that happens somewhere out in the future). The repayment happens at a rate of 10% or all tithes and offerings. Upon repayment, the church then begins sending in 10% of tithe, which is actually a lower commitment than the repayment amount.

This arrangement:

-funds more church plants
-raises denominational investment into new churches
-retains more young leaders
-speeds the organization of new churches
-and attracts young leaders, a demographic we cannot afford to continue losing to ARC, Acts 29 and other church planting networks. Thank God for their work. But, thank God for our sons and daughters too. We are doing some good things in this arena to advance the ball.

My prayer is that we pour increasing amounts of money and care into mission and less into overhead and non-essential activities/focuses. I think we are doing that here...very good stuff, in my opinion.
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3/3/18 3:44 pm


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Post Dean Steenburgh
Curious to read your response to Travis SouthFlorida.
Not picking on you.
I'm a big ARC fan & I attend their events as often as possible - very encouraging every time.
Interesting I often see other CoG guys there & some seem a bit out of sorts with the whole ARC plan when I visit with them.
I think we should get behind it with our funds, our commitments & advance the daylights out of these types of opportunities.

.
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3/3/18 5:09 pm


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Post Travis Johnson
SouthFloridaman wrote:
I am just waiting for the G.O. or someone from the executive committee to walk across stage at general assembly and say we planted X many churches and the cog is raising again. When in reality ARC is doing our entire church planting work. I should have titled this thread is the cog good for arc.


I think that’s just a misunderstanding of the church Planting partnerships/church planting back setup. That isn’t your fault. We’ve just got to communicate it well. That takes time, work, and intentionality.

They are COG plants. Michael Williams in Madison, AL and Shane Tarpley in Temple, GA are very sharp guys...new churches...digging it out. They each received $50,000 and had to raise a matching $50,000. They are both launched and are sending in 10% total to rebuild the bank for the next planters behind them. I love that!

When you think about that, we have the capacity to push $3 million into church planting from our $1.5 million appropriation. The next ten years, that would have us looking at a rolling $30 million into church planting. Powerful!
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3/3/18 6:01 pm


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Post Roger Woodard
Just out of curiosity, when did the General Assembly approve such actions? Hey, DOC
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3/4/18 5:41 pm


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Post SouthFloridaman
Travis Johnson wrote:
SouthFloridaman wrote:
I am just waiting for the G.O. or someone from the executive committee to walk across stage at general assembly and say we planted X many churches and the cog is raising again. When in reality ARC is doing our entire church planting work. I should have titled this thread is the cog good for arc.


I think that’s just a misunderstanding of the church Planting partnerships/church planting back setup. That isn’t your fault. We’ve just got to communicate it well. That takes time, work, and intentionality.

They are COG plants. Michael Williams in Madison, AL and Shane Tarpley in Temple, GA are very sharp guys...new churches...digging it out. They each received $50,000 and had to raise a matching $50,000. They are both launched and are sending in 10% total to rebuild the bank for the next planters behind them. I love that!

When you think about that, we have the capacity to push $3 million into church planting from our $1.5 million appropriation. The next ten years, that would have us looking at a rolling $30 million into church planting. Powerful!


30 million in 10 years with a “ BIG IF” that none of the churches plants fail or have hard times. What will be our loss ratio of church plants? I love arc it is a great deal for the Church of God international office and an excutive committee that is desperate for church plants. It relieves them of the finding funds burden. . But how much is the church of God contributing to the local church aside from what arc is bringing to the table. We know 50 grand is coming from ARC how much money in addition to the arc funds is coming from the church of God. The church of God needs to contribute as well. 1.5 million in an account is great but what is the church of God’s expectation. What is the church of God’s financial commitment to the church plant that receives arc funds is the cog providing 50,000 like arc or is it much less. I just want to make sure the cog brass is pulling the weight. I have been involved as a consultant at 4 arc church plants. I have been on the launch Sunday’s no one presently plants churches like arc. They are excellent. I have seen a/g and non denominational churches launch in Florida with over 200 on the first Sunday. But what is the church of God contributing? 1.5 million will only supply funding for about 10-20churches if we do Those churches RIGHT. We need to pull our weight in this relationship. Cause if we don’t the planting pastor will just do arc on there own with no relationship with the COG. I think the COG needs to commit to giving a set amount of money just like arc. We need to make this fair we don’t need to give more funding to one plant while neglecting the other plant. Politics need to neutral in this. The cog just needs to say X amount of money is available to x amount of church plants if and only if you commit to the cog/arc planting agreement . No more no less money than x amount of money to the church plant. Arc tells you up front what is available to you. We need to do the same. if The COG doesn’t provide more than name to the planting relationship we are just going to lose more churches. And if those church splits and pull outs occur they can get arc funding. We really are at a disadvantage. I know 2 churches in the last 5 years that are COG pull outs or splits that have gotten arc funds presenting themselves as new Church plants it is tough we need to bring something to the table.
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3/4/18 6:00 pm


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Post Travis Johnson
Roger Woodard wrote:
Just out of curiosity, when did the General Assembly approve such actions?


Hi Pastor Woodard,

The General Assembly doesn’t need to pass an agenda item in order for an appropriation to be made to church planting. The COG should be functioning in that direction as a default. However, the GA did pass a motion to establish a church Planting Bank at the last GA. Sean O’Neal submitted the motion. The body is speaking.

IMO, it was in line with the heart of our GO. At the GA while preaching, he committed to raising $1 million for church planting. THE Executive Council jumped in with him. That number ended up registering in at $1.5 million. That’s a blessing.
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3/4/18 11:15 pm


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Post Travis Johnson
SouthFloridaman wrote:
Travis Johnson wrote:
SouthFloridaman wrote:
I am just waiting for the G.O. or someone from the executive committee to walk across stage at general assembly and say we planted X many churches and the cog is raising again. When in reality ARC is doing our entire church planting work. I should have titled this thread is the cog good for arc.


I think that’s just a misunderstanding of the church Planting partnerships/church planting back setup. That isn’t your fault. We’ve just got to communicate it well. That takes time, work, and intentionality.

They are COG plants. Michael Williams in Madison, AL and Shane Tarpley in Temple, GA are very sharp guys...new churches...digging it out. They each received $50,000 and had to raise a matching $50,000. They are both launched and are sending in 10% total to rebuild the bank for the next planters behind them. I love that!

When you think about that, we have the capacity to push $3 million into church planting from our $1.5 million appropriation. The next ten years, that would have us looking at a rolling $30 million into church planting. Powerful!


30 million in 10 years with a “ BIG IF” that none of the churches plants fail or have hard times. What will be our loss ratio of church plants? I love arc it is a great deal for the Church of God international office and an excutive committee that is desperate for church plants. It relieves them of the finding funds burden. . But how much is the church of God contributing to the local church aside from what arc is bringing to the table. We know 50 grand is coming from ARC how much money in addition to the arc funds is coming from the church of God. The church of God needs to contribute as well. 1.5 million in an account is great but what is the church of God’s expectation. What is the church of God’s financial commitment to the church plant that receives arc funds is the cog providing 50,000 like arc or is it much less. I just want to make sure the cog brass is pulling the weight. I have been involved as a consultant at 4 arc church plants. I have been on the launch Sunday’s no one presently plants churches like arc. They are excellent. I have seen a/g and non denominational churches launch in Florida with over 200 on the first Sunday. But what is the church of God contributing? 1.5 million will only supply funding for about 10-20churches if we do Those churches RIGHT. We need to pull our weight in this relationship. Cause if we don’t the planting pastor will just do arc on there own with no relationship with the COG. I think the COG needs to commit to giving a set amount of money just like arc. We need to make this fair we don’t need to give more funding to one plant while neglecting the other plant. Politics need to neutral in this. The cog just needs to say X amount of money is available to x amount of church plants if and only if you commit to the cog/arc planting agreement . No more no less money than x amount of money to the church plant. Arc tells you up front what is available to you. We need to do the same. if The COG doesn’t provide more than name to the planting relationship we are just going to lose more churches. And if those church splits and pull outs occur they can get arc funding. We really are at a disadvantage. I know 2 churches in the last 5 years that are COG pull outs or splits that have gotten arc funds presenting themselves as new Church plants it is tough we need to bring something to the table.


SouthFloridaman (I like that name),

ARC isn’t putting up the money. The COG is. If an approved church planter comes up with $50,000, a matching $50,000 comes from the COg church planting bank. That money largely comes from the TOT. I cannot agree with you more. The COG needs to have skin in the game (as does the planter). This arrangement achieves that.

Another thing that I very much agree with you about. Favoritism and politics should have zero place in who received this money. That specifically has been addressed. I do not think it is settled for life. We are particularly prone to that. It is very important that we elect leaders that advance people based on merit and not on anything else. We have put together a process to shield against this. I believe it is our heart to do this. If there is a place that we will slip up on this intiqgive, this is it (I believe).

Finally, some church plants are will fail. We need to be OK with that. The way we ins Kate ourselves against that is to get and keep solid church planters on the approval committee and stay out of our way so they can select the right people without interference.

If we award funds to people who are not ready, who have a spouse who isnt ready, who hasn’t demonstrated the qualities necessary for planting, or who isn’t properly vetted, we will have too high of a failure rate. That will result in lost credibility and the inability to maintain the trust needed to co TJ he advancing the initiative and the fund.

Good questions. I very much appreciate them. We need to keep pressing on this from all angles so we can form the best process and people possible.
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3/4/18 11:30 pm


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Post SouthFloridaman
clarity needs to be paramount in this. There needs to transparency and accountability for the church planting bank.

Quote:
ARC isn’t putting up the money. The COG is. If an approved church planter comes up with $50,000, a matching $50,000 comes from the COg church planting bank.


What????

what is the Role of COG's relation with arc because here is arc requirements in black and white. I was wrong about the repay rate to arc it is 10% after the funds are paid back to arc they want you to support them with 2% and 8 percent or more to your choice of recipient(s). (I would like clarity on this)


https://www.arcchurches.com/launch/faqs


Quote:
BENEFITS

What are the benefits of becoming an ARC Church Planter?

$30,000 – $50,000 toward the launch
Additional $20,000, if needed, during the first six months to help your new church meet its budget
Coaching and training from successful church planters and pastors
Mentoring from some of the fastest growing churches in America
Access to ARC’s resources and partnerships
Church listed on the ARC website map
Regular communication and notification of all upcoming church launches

Funding

Do church plants give back 10 percent or 2 percent?
It takes big money to plant a church, and when it comes to funding, our goal is to make sure you have the resources you need. If you complete all steps in the ARC process we will match the money you raise by contributing $30,000 – $50,000 in the form of a zero-interest loan plus and up to an additional $20,000, if needed, during the first six months to help your new church meet its budget.

Starting on month seven, after your launch, you will begin to repay ARC at a rate of 10 percent of your church income. Since ARC churches give 10 percent (or a tithe) to missions, this amount counts as your missions dollars during the repayment period.

Once you have repaid the funds loaned to you by ARC, your missions giving will be 2 percent to ARC and 8 percent or more to your choice of recipient(s).


ARC's Goal is to have a church plant starting budget of 200,000. A close friend of mine in the ag had church of the highlands help launch there church. Also his church planting coach was even a very accomplished pastor I was shocked with the assistance provided. I thought to my self it must cost a fortune for arc to pay for all this support it doesn’t the people involved are highly committed


Last edited by SouthFloridaman on 3/5/18 2:31 am; edited 4 times in total
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3/5/18 12:16 am


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Post SouthFloridaman
what is the COG planting banks role and responsibilities. what money is coming from ARC and what support is coming from the COG Planting Bank. I went to USA Missions which is a great website and looks sharp, but there is not much depth to the how and relation of the organization to the planting initiative. I understand what the goals are and what we plan to do which is very well done. I just want to know the how we plan to do it clearly dictated like arc is dictated. I believe that clarity would provide much great support from our church of God members and pastors because we know more than just what we plan to do we know the how.

I can also confirm that Arc (UNKNOWINGLY in ARC's defense) has unwittingly empowered splits and pull outs of churches in our organization in the past out of respect for those churches that this happened to I wish not to name the names but if you private message me I can discuss in detail. what is our promise from arc or that arc will help us prevent those splits and pull outs? is a promise like that is it even possible. in one church that no longer exists arc funded 2 splits founded by the former staff of that church. both churches started in movie theaters albeit on opposite ends of town. this ended in the church of God losing the church and the property falling into foreclosure. While the splits are still operating til this present day. this happened about 7 years ago.

I am sold on arc. I am just queasy about the COG's ability to comply to arc there is a definite flavor of an arc church. Is the cog able to match that flavor? Thank you for taking the time to respond.
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3/5/18 12:20 am


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Post Roger Woodard
Thanks for the info Pastor Travis. Hey, DOC
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3/5/18 12:35 pm


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Post Travis Johnson
Roger Woodard wrote:
Thanks for the info Pastor Travis.


👍🏻

Thank you
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3/5/18 2:22 pm


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