Frequently Asked Questions
Starting a new life-giving church with ARC.
How long will the launch process take me to complete?
In best practice, the entire launch process can take anywhere from 12-18 months beginning at ARC Launch: a church planter training event and concluding with your launch day. However ARC has successfully launched planters in a variety of timelines.
How long will the ARC Assessment take me to complete?
The ARC Assessment happens in two phases. The first phase is the Application which you can begin after attending ARC Launch. The Application takes most couples two to three weeks to complete and then another three weeks on average for the ARC Review Team to complete their review of the completed application.. If your Application is approved, you will be invited to the second phase, which is an in person Assessment event. If invited, both husband and wife are required to attend together. In total, plan for 60-90 days from attending ARC Launch: A Church Planter Training event to attending an Assessment event.
What is included in the ARC Assessment?
The ARC Assessment was designed to be a gift of information to our church planters, and a necessary step to help steward the selection and development of future church planters with a desire to plant a life-giving church with ARC. Strengthened by ARC ministry resources, trusted professionals, and proven assessment tools, the overall assessment process will highlight the health of a church planter in the key areas of planter readiness.
Assessment takes place in two phases of a planter’s journey. The first phase will be completed by the planter in their online dashboard. The ARC Review Team will evaluate their online application for their readiness to plant a church within the ARC launch model. If approved by the ARC Review Team, the planter will begin phase two of the assessment. The second phase will take place both in the online dashboard and in person. Planters will complete further in-depth assessments, complete online launch training, and develop their launch plan. The ARC Assessment concludes in person. The planters will be evaluated and if approved will work with a regional launch coach and complete the milestones to qualify for funding. In best practice, the ARC Assessment will take a planter approximately 60-90 days to complete.
What happens after I complete the online Application to launch a church with ARC?
After you complete the online Application, the ARC Review Team will meet to evaluate your readiness to plant a church in the ARC model. The ARC Initial Review focuses on our three key domains of assessment: Marriage, Money (Personal financial stewardship) and Ministry. The candidate’s complete application will be presented to the ARC Review Team who are looking to see a healthy track record in each of these areas that would point to church planting being a viable next step for the applicant.
Who is the ARC Review Team?
This is a rotating team of ARC Coaches, Pastors and staff members who are trusted in evaluating a planter’s readiness to launch in the ARC model.
What do I need to complete before attending the Assessment event?
You will need to have completed the Application and been approved by the ARC Review Team. You will also complete the components that will prepare you for the Assessment event. Those components include a deeper marriage assessment, online training modules, and your launch plan.
What do I need to include in my launch plan to attend the Assessment event?
You will be provided a detailed list once your Application is approved by the ARC Review Team and you have registered for the Assessment event.
When should I book travel to attend the Assessment event?
Planters are invited to attend the Assessment event. Please do not book travel until you have received the invitation to attend.
What happens at the Assessment event?
The planting couple will attend together where well-trained assessors will guide you through the strengths and opportunities for growth in your marriage, and an ARC Coach will evaluate and provide feedback on your launch plan.
What happens after the Assessment event?
The Assessment event is continued evaluation on your readiness to plant a church with ARC. If you are approved at the Assessment event, you will be connected to a regional coach who will guide you through your launch day. You will also have the opportunity to complete the milestones to qualify for ARC’s matching funds and you will receive further training through your launch dashboard and monthly coaching webinars.
Who are the ARC Coaches? Will I get to choose my Coach?
If approved at the Assessment event, ARC will connect you with a regional coach. ARC Launch Coaches have all planted ARC Churches and have a proven track record in the ARC launch model. You will be assigned a coach by the ARC team for your launch process. You will also be able to reach out to other pastors in the ARC Family to learn from and build relationships.
How much funding will ARC give to a church plant?
ARC will match the money raised by contributing $30,000 - $50,000 in the form of zero-interest funding, plus and up to an additional $20,000, if needed, during the first six months to help each new church meet its budget.
Is the ARC funding a loan?
No; ARC funding is not a loan. It is an investment into your church plant and the only commitment you make is to “pay it forward” to future church planters. There is no interest in reinvestment.
What is a Sponsoring Church?
Every church planter wanting to receive ARC funding is required to have a “sponsoring church”. The sponsoring church not only vouches for the character and calling of the church planter, but also acts as a guarantor for the money that ARC invests in the planter. The Sponsoring Church will be obligated to repay the balance of the investment, if the planter and/or the church plant cannot do so. ARC works with all planters and sponsoring churches, since every situation is unique, and a payment plan can be arranged.
Can you have more than one Sponsoring Church?
A church planter can have up to three Sponsoring Churches, dividing the funding amount for each as deemed best by the planter and churches.
How do I qualify to receive ARC funding?
There are three basic milestones every planter must meet to receive the ARC matching funds:
- Launch Team of 45 Adults
- Raise $50,000 to receive a match of $50,000
- Secure a Sponsoring Church
When will I receive the matching funds?
Funding will be disbursed up to eight weeks prior to the launch date and no later than one month prior to launch date.
How does a church planter reinvest the money to ARC?
Upon funding, ARC will establish an automatic draw from the church bank account using a progressive reinvestment schedule listed on the ARC financial agreement. The monthly draw will continue until the investment balance is paid.
When will reinvestment of my fund begin?
Your first reinvestment will be after your first full month of your launch day on the first of that following month. (i.e. Launch Date of September 15 would mean the first reinvestment would be on November 1.)
What if a church plant wants to launch as an ARC plant but does not want funding?
If a planter is not receiving funding from ARC but still wants to be considered an ARC church, the planter will need to raise the minimum amount of $60,000 on his own.
In addition to this, ARC requires a “supporting / sending church” to vouch for the character and calling of this planter, but will have no obligation for the planter’s financial status. ARC requires a supporting church letter to be signed by the pastor of the supporting church and printed on the church’s letterhead for planters not receiving funding from ARC. Because ARC believes that every church should be a mission giving church, dedicating 10% of their budget to missions, we believe every ARC church plant should dedicate 2% of this mission's budget of monthly tithes/offerings to ARC for future church plants.How do I show ARC that I have raised the funds necessary to receive the matching funds?
The church planter will upload to their ARC dashboard a screenshot of the deposit summary on their church’s bank statement(s). ARC verifies the amount of matching funds using the total of funds that have been deposited into a planter’s account and not the account balance--ARC knows a planter will be spending money to get ready for launch, so the deposit summary is what ARC uses to calculate matching funds anywhere from $30k to $50K.
Does ARC fund churches who have already launched?
No; ARC’s funding is only for church plants who have not yet started. You will not be eligible for funds if you have already publicly launched and held services.
If I am receiving funds from another organization, network, or denomination, am I still eligible to receive the ARC matching funds?
Yes; ARC believes in the power of doing ministry together, therefore there is no limit to the amount of partnership for you as an ARC planter. We believe in a “both/and” approach and not an “either/or.” We will want to talk with you more about your re-investment commitments as we do not want to see any church plant become overextended financially.
ARC requires three Overseers for a church Plant. What does ARC consider an Overseer?
The members of the Overseers shall be ordained pastors at respected congregations who know and love the Church and its Senior Pastor. The Overseers shall provide apostolic oversight to the Senior Pastor and are charged with protecting the Church through counsel, prayer, and when required, the investigation of alleged pastoral misconduct, and if any, the resulting discipline of the Senior Pastor, up to and including his removal. In a church plant’s infancy, Overseers fulfill the role of Board of Trustees, Board of Elders and Overseers.