Church Planting Assessment Process
One of the primary reasons that Send Network exists is to help churches plant churches. The Assessment Retreat is a vital part of assisting churches to plant churches. With local, experienced assessors, we assess the readiness of a church planting couple and present that report to the Sending Church. This is a 2 day retreat, and attendance is based on passing an initial application and pre-assessment process.
The Church Planting Process begins as the Lord calls out church planting missionaries, and a local church affirms and supports that calling as their sending church.
At Send Network, we believe that every church can help plant churches, but we also believe that a best practice is to have a sending church takes responsibility for a church plant by sending them and helping ensure they get the preparation, coaching and care they need.
The assessment process is part of our church planting pathway, in which our family of churches comes alongside a sending church and a church planter to spur them on towards greater health, fruitfulness, momentum, and multiplication in church planting.
What’s the assessment process for church planting?
Church Planting Assessment Process & Timeline
- Register as a Church Planter – 93 days before – December 13, 2025
- Church Planter Application completed – 83 days before – December 23, 2025
- Church Planter Initial Assessment (CPIA) completed (Planter & Spouse) – 63 days before – January 12, 2026
- Planter Profile Questionnaire Approval & Submission – 57 days before (SN staff completes) – January 18, 2026
- Assessment Questionnaires Completed (Planter & Spouse) – 48 days before – January 27, 2026
- Assessment Registration and Payment Completed ($399) – 45 days before –January 30, 2026
- Assessment Retreat Final Tasks – 40 days before – February 4, 2026
- Assessment Retreat in Riverside – March 16-17, 2026
- Go Over Assessment Results with CPC and Sending Church Rep – within 2 weeks of Assessment Retreat Attendance
How do I confirm my space for the assessment?
Priority of Completing Assignments on Time
- Every assessment has a LIMITED number of spaces for church planting missionaries to attend.
- The best way to confirm your space for the assessment is to complete each assignment in a timely manner.
- Your attendance is not confirmed for the assessment retreat until you have officially registered for the retreat.
- We recommend attending assessments in the region in which you attend to plant. For San Diego, that is Coastal West.
- During holiday times, there is limited availability of full Send Network staff. This includes not just in San Diego, but our national staff as well. For assessment preparation period that cover holiday times, it’s best to allow extra time.
More Info
Frequently Asked Questions:
- How much does the retreat cost? $399
- Who should attend the 2 day Assessment Retreat? The church planter, his spouse, and a sending church representative. If the rep is only able to pick one day, the second day is more important.
- When should I arrive for the retreat? For the church planting candidates, we recommend to spend the night in a hotel for the night before the assessment and the night of the first day of the assessment.