Yes it is. Serving God requires taking risks based on our FAITH in God and his unique calling in our lives.  We do try to reduce as many risk factors as we can. One of the first steps is to assess if a planting couple is really gifted to not only survive but thrive in the church planting arena. A number of Pre-assessment Tools can help you get an initial confirmation of church planting as a fit for you.

Church planting is a strategic investment of human and financial resources. We do all we can to wisely steward those kingdom resources for a greater harvest!
After a personal interview with you, the next step is to send you to a Converge Planting Assessment Center. This is a four-day experience with a group of Church Planting candidates to assess fit and readiness to plant. This has been an incredible learning growing time for almost everyone who has participated. If a planter couple receives a “top recommend, no conditions” it opens the door to continue the planting process with CRM.

No. However sufficient training is required to handle God's Word well and to lead a congregation wisely. Whatever your training level, we recruit planters who have clearly developed a set of doctrinal beliefs that align with our movement, evidence the 16 building blocks needed in a planting couple, exhibit a clear sense of call and desire to be part of our mission to plant healthy, reproductive churches throughout the Rocky Mountain West.

Yes.  Most planters try to avoid fundraising but studies have shown that the most successful church planters raise at least 50% of their needed support.  Something happens when a planter shares their vision again and again with potential donors.  God has a way of sharpening their vision and planting it deep within their heart.
The amount of personal support depends on your lifestyle, style of plant and ministry setting. Some prefer to work bi-vocationally, or have spouses who work full time. We have training and coaching to help you effectively raise funds for your project.
We encourage people to get a head start and raise up to 50% of their support even before they arrive on site. Once you have raised an agreed upon percentage of your total support, you can move, get your family settled in the community, begin forming a core group, and continue raising support. The truth is, once you start “doing church” there is little time left over for concentrated fund raising.
We are structured to work through "Lead Networks" and "Parenting Churches" along with CRM financial support to reduce the burden of fundraising and deploy planters more rapidly.

Converge Rocky Mountain is part of Converge, an international association of churches with historically Baptistic beliefs. To build a strong planting movement and an effective network of missional churches, planters are required to formally join Converge Rocky Mountain as an affiliated church.  We expect that our planters will freely inform their congregation about our movement of churches and participate with us in our shared mission to transform lives and communities in the Rocky Mountain West and beyond.

The mission and the message of the church are unchanging and clearly communicated in the Bible. There are also principles and practices that set the boundaries for what a biblically healthy congregation looks like. However, models focus more on specific methodology and structure. CRM may contain a variety of models of churches including: virtual, house, multi-site, or attractional.  The model chosen is a function of what might work best in a given community, or target group, and fits the planter.

CRM sends initial planters through our Converge Church Planting 101 training course. You will also have a Planting Coach who will meet with you formally on a monthly basis, in person, e-mail and by phone. Your coach will be trained and experienced in order to help you be your best as a planter, and plant effectively. Other training is available through a variety of conferences, national gatherings, online and through regional training events.

We strongly believe that planting is the healthiest and most effective when it is done in the context of a supportive community of leaders. This is why we primarily plant through Lead Teams and Parenting Churches. When adopting a planting project or doing a re-birth project, we also will connect those projects with existing Lead Teams and churches.  Regularly scheduled planter lunches will also be provided.
There is also a network of planters nationwide through Converge that provides a wealth of planting experience, and resourcing through the 7 strategies that have been developed over a period of many years, through the experience of hundreds of church plants.

Absolutely! According to a Forbes Magazine study, entrepreneurial ventures which were partnerships of at least two people were four times more likely to succeed than sole proprietorship. Many of our church planters bring "ministry partners" with them. Value and agenda harmony and funding issues are usually easier to settle, leading to a smooth transition into church planting.