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OUR APPROACH
A model for enduring faithfulness
Our approach to the planting of churches is more than a financial approach, though that is a key piece. We believe meaningful brotherhood and hands-on involvement are also vital to seeing faithful, enduring church plants and pastors. So, in order to work together in ways that promote this enduring faithfulness, we are committed to certain values.
Persistent Prayer
Committed to spiritual vitality
Nurturing and practicing a desperate dependence on the Holy Spirit's empowering presence is essential to ministering in the rocky soil of New England. Our confidence must never be in our gifts, abilities, strategies, or connections. Our confidence is in the gospel and the spirit of God which inhabits its proclamation. We pray every week because we believe we labor in vain unless the Lord sends workers and builds His church in New England.
Faithful Brotherhood
Committed to relational depth
Planters and pastors need brothers in ministry that can know them, spur them on, care for them, encourage them, and pray for them. To endure in faithfulness requires more than financial support; it requires meaningful relationships that go deep. Brotherhood is a gift that God gives us and we cultivate it through weekly times of prayer and regular times to meet together, share together, retreat together, and dream together.
Social
Spiritual
Strategic
Time to be known
by each another
Time to pursue mission
with each other
Kingdom-hearted Joy
Committed to joyful encouragement
Our goal is not to build our own little kindgoms but to see the kingdom of God saturate all the small places of New England. We regularly share evidences of God's grace and rejoice with each other. We spur one another on to joyfully labor for the gospel. We celebrate stories of God's goodness within our churches to help fuel our endurance and joy in ministry. When a Village Green Collective church baptizes someone, “we” baptize someone.
Hands-on Involvement
Committed to practical support
The unique resource we have as existing small-town pastors is our very selves, experiences, and lives. Therefore, it is our hope that each Village Green Church planter spends time in at least one of our VGC churches for training before planting. But, when we send them out we don’t just send them out with funds and invite them back for retreats and meetings - we want to be actively involved in their church plants. Each member of VGC agrees and commits to:
Advisory support
VGC pastors serve as Advisory Elders for new plants until local church elders are raised up.
Preaching support
VGC pastors help fill the pulpit to foster unity between churches and so the planter can receive time off.
Resource support
VGC pastors share practical resources such as series schedules, artwork, small group resources, budget outlines, etc.
Enduring Generosity
Committed to faithful giving
Funding is a key resource for all new church plants. We are a Collective of small-town churches, who individually would not have sufficient resources to multiply and plant churches. However, together we can pool our resources and fundraise within our networks to gather adequate funding to get churches started and then stick it out for the long haul. Sometimes, it takes years to reach self-sufficiency so we support our church plants with enduring generosity. Our financial model is built on 2 key components:
Collaborative Giving
Each Village Green church annually commits at least 1% of its own giving towards this work.
Matching Fundraising
Each Village Green church commits to raise a “matching” amount for their 1%, often from larger churches outside New England.
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