Pioneer Plant

• A Pioneer Plant is a new faith community which has the goal of becoming a chartered local congregation of The United Methodist Church 
• Secondary goal: to become an Anchor church in the future.
• When is this most successful (at least one of these are true)? 
  • Indigenous church planters
  • Strong existing community of people
  • Strong community or church partners
  • In a region which is highly receptive to church

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Multi Site / Cooperative Parrish

• A Multi-Sites is a new faith community that is an extension of an existing local congregation in a new location with new people. 
• A Cooperative Parish is when local churches, with the guidance of the Holy Spirit, may enhance their witness to one another and to the world by showing forth the love of Jesus Christ through forms of mutual cooperation.
• When is this most successful? 
  • Strong Anchor Church partners
  • Strong existing relationships

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Mission Congregation

• Mission Congregations are local congregations of The United Methodist Church which are in ministry with some of the most vulnerable communities in our conference. 
• Disciplinary requirements: A new local church or mission congregation shall be established only with the consent of the bishop in charge and the cabinet and with due consideration of the conference entity assigned the responsibility for congregational development.

A mission congregation may be designated when any of the following conditions exist: 

1. Membership opportunities and resources are limited and not likely to result in a chartered congregation for an extended period of time. 
2. A strategic demographic, cultural, or language opportunity for serving a limited population is present. 
3. It is expected that long-term sustaining funding from sources outside the congregation will be necessary to enable the congregation to exist, and the assumption of full connectional support items by the congregation is unlikely. 
4. It is probable that the annual conference will need to provide long-term administrative guidance, including attention to the distinctive property needs of the congregation.

• Distinctives
  • Not included in apportionment calculations for Annual Conference
• When is this most successful? 
  • Strong partners
  • Plans/strategy for administrative guidance/support
  • Plans/strategy for long-term sustainability

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M3 / Fresh Expression

• An M3 (Methodist Missional Movement) is a new ministry of a local congregation which exists to gather new people into communion with Jesus Christ. 
• A Fresh Expression is a form of church for our changing culture, established primarily for the benefit of those who are not yet part of any church.
• What characterizes a M3/Fresh Expression
  • Highly Experimental
  • Connected to or sponsored by an existing church/institution
  • Designed to create new spaces for those who are not yet part of any church

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