CPC – Writing Your Endvisions
The first step in creating your strategy for leader development (i.e. your church planting center strategic
plan) is the writing of four endvisions. These define success from God’s perspective and will provide a
point of reference as you work through the process. Your endvisions answer the question, “What does
God want – what is success from God’s perspective?” For our journey your four endvisions will be:
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A description of a disciple-making disciple
A description of a multiplying church
A description of a well prepared leader
A description of your center that identifies its core values
A strategy is a process for moving people or an organization, from point “A” (where they are) to “Z”
(where God wants them). Defining your “Z” (where you are going) is a critical first step. It will become a
tool for making intelligent and consistent decisions. For our conversation, your endvisions are the
desired outcomes of your process. We believe that a healthy center develops leaders for church
planting who have the capacity to plant and lead a multiplying church that places an emphasis upon the
multiplication of disciples, small groups, leaders, and churches. To get at this in another way, your
endvisions answer the following questions:
1. How does God define a healthy disciple-making disciple?
2. From God’s perspective, what kind of church produces disciple-making disciples?
3. From God’s perspective, what does an individual who has the capacity to plant and lead a
church that focuses upon multiplication look like?
4. What are the values that will shape and direct the work of a center that develops leaders who
have the capacity to plant and lead multiplying churches?
Many people start developing their centers by asking, “What training do we need to provide?” We
would suggest that this is the wrong question to start with. We start from “Z” and work backwards in
our process. If you do not start with your endvisions you will not have a way to measure success nor will
you be able to operate with intentionality. By defining your endvisions you know where you’re headed
and then, at some point in the future, you will ask, “What training is needed to develop an individual
who has the capacity to plant and lead a church focused upon the multiplication of disciples, small
groups, leaders, and churches?” You will know what a disciple-making disciple looks like. You will have
the capacity to provide the right training. You will know what a multiplying church looks like. You will
use this information to shape the development of your planters. This information will also provide your
planters the direction they need in developing the church God is calling them to plant – a multiplying
church which places an emphasis upon the multiplication of disciples, small groups, leaders, and
churches.
Is there a danger that we might be too prescriptive?
For some there seems to be an inherent danger in defining what a disciple-making disciple looks like and
what a multiplying church looks like. They believe that we are limiting the ability of the planter to
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develop a contextualized plan or possibly limiting the work of the Holy Spirit. First, remember these
descriptions are from God’s perspective. They should be theologically sound – rooted deeply in
scripture. Therefore they should be universal. Second, in our research we discovered that most centers
were prescriptive. Planters chose to do a residency in their churches or to participate in their networks
because it was prescriptive. They saw traits either in the church itself or its leadership that they wanted
to integrate into their lives and ministries. In our conversations with the leaders from these centers they
believed they were experiencing God’s favor because their churches were built upon solid principles
rooted in scripture and were compelled to share them with others. Finally, some of the centers we
interviewed understood and accepted the fact that their strategies worked in very specific places or
among very specific audiences – and they were comfortable with that. Their developmental process
contained both principles and practices that were specific to their context or audience.
Three Roles – One Individual
Before we begin walking you through the process of writing your endvisions we want to share with you
two underlying assumptions that shape our process and many of the assignments we will share. Number
One: We believe that every leader in church planting serves in three roles. First, they are a disciplemaking disciple. They do so out of obedience to God’s Word and because they want to be an example to
the body of Christ. They are a model (which is shaped by the model provided by Christ) that others can
use to shape their own disciple making efforts. Second, they are missionary church planters. They
believe that they are called by God to plant a church in a particular place or among a specific audience.
To do so requires that they practice certain missionary behaviors. Finally, even in the embryonic stage,
they are gifted and called by God to lead a church that is built upon the multiplication of disciples, small
groups, leaders, and churches. Disciple Maker, Missionary, and Church Leader – three roles – one
individual.
We acknowledge that some individuals are not called to be missionary church planters and that some
are not called to lead/pastor a church (all of us are commissioned to make disciples who make disciples).
For this project we are operating under the assumption that we have one individual who should always
be serving in all three roles at the same time.
The Five “C’s”
There is a second underlying assumption that has influenced our process and that will shape many of
your assignments. Number Two: We believe that a healthy center addresses the development of the
whole leader. They do so by creating processes and environments that address the calling, character,
competencies, convictions (missiological and theological), and the contextual fit of the leaders God has
entrusted them to develop – all in an effort to make sure they have the capacity to plant and lead a
multiplying church.
We suggest that you combine this concept with the three roles mentioned previously. In other words at
some point in your journey you might ask the following questions:
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What role does calling play in the life of a disciple making disciple? What role does calling play in
a missionary? Is the calling of a missionary church planter different from that of a pastor who is
leading a multiplying church?
What are the character traits possessed by a disciple? Are they different from those held by a
missionary or a pastor?
What are the competencies needed by a disciple making disciple? By a missionary? By a pastor
of a multiplying church?
What are the convictions that guide a disciple maker? A missionary? A leader in a church? Are
they the same for each role? How do these convictions impact the life and ministry of the
individual in each role?
Does this individual fit the context (people or place) he has targeted for his church plant? If not,
what specific cultural nuances from that place or among those people shape the work of a
disciple maker? A missionary? A leader? What cross cultural skills does he need? Is he capable of
working cross culturally?
The answer to these and other questions like them will influence your processes and should shape the
development of a personalized learning plan for the leader’s God has given you to develop. A holistic
approach built upon the five C’s will help ensure that they have the capacity to plant and lead a
multiplying church.
Writing Your Disciple Making Endvision
The purpose of our churches—our commission, is to make disciples. But what is a disciple? How do you
make disciples? Is it a reproducible process? What are the defining characteristics or attributes of a
mature, multiplying disciple? What are the measurable outcomes that give evidence that an individual is
a fully devoted follower of Jesus Christ? Can you measure the growth and development in a disciple’s
life? If so, how? What are the competencies or skills needed by a disciple who makes disciples? Where is
the best place for their development to occur? What relationships are needed to foster their growth and
development? What about accountability – what role does it play in the multiplication process?
The answers to these questions and possibly others serve as your first endvision – a description of a
disciple-making disciple. Almost all of the answers can be found in scripture… some may be determined
by context. We do believe that the answers will not only shape the processes used by your center to
develop leaders for church planters, they will shape the churches your planters will plant.
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They will shape your process for cultivating leaders for church planting. A healthy process for
developing leaders from the harvest is dependent upon a vibrant and biblically based disciple
making process. Think of it as your “farm system” for developing leaders.
They will shape your selection or assessment process. If an individual does not give evidence
that they are a disciple-making disciple how can they challenge others to do the same? How can
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they lead others to follow their example if they are not following the example provided by
Jesus?
They will shape your development process. If your assessment reveals that the individual has
not integrated disciple making into their life and ministry you will need to create a
developmental plan that addresses this issue first and foremost. If there is evidence, do they
have the competencies needed to create and implement a church-wide disciple making strategy
for their congregation? Does the context to which they feel called require some adjustments to
their process? Do they know how to develop a disciple making strategy that flows from and
reflects their context while remaining faithful to scripture?
They will shape the support you provide for those that you send out. If the purpose of a local
church is to make disciples how will you assist your leaders in tracking their progress? In what
ways will this quest to make disciple-making disciples redefine the scorecard for your planters?
What support do they need to assure that they have everything they need to make disciples
who make disciples?
We also believe that they should help you determine if you are ready to begin developing a
center. Is your church a great example? Is the multiplication of disciples at the heart of what you
do? If not, you may want to pause and address this first.
The goal of your center is to develop leaders who can plant and lead a multiplying church – a church that
effectively multiplies disciples, small groups, leaders, and churches. Helping your planters develop a
biblically based, and not program based, process for making disciples will help them plant healthy
reproducing churches. It helps them develop realistic expectations and scorecards. We are convinced
that it will also set them up for multiplication and possibly, a movement of God.
Let’s return to the two assumptions mentioned earlier (3 Roles and 5 C’s). Let’s give you some examples
of how these will shape your quest to develop leaders for church planting by looking at the role of
disciple maker.
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What, if any, calling does God place on the life of a disciple-making disciple? I would suggest
that there isn’t a calling but an obligation. It is an obedience question. All believers are
commissioned to make disciples by Jesus in Matthew 28:18-20.
What are the character traits you would look for in a disciple-making disciple? My first thought
goes to the fruit of the spirit listed in Galatians 5:22 but you could also study the Gospels and
seek to identify the character qualities displayed by Jesus.
What are the competencies (skills) needed by a disciple-making disciple? The first thing that
came to mind was 1 Peter 3:15, “Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks
you to give the reason for the hope that you have.”
What are the convictions that guide the life and ministry of a disciple-making disciple? I would
think that full and accurate understanding of the gospel and the kingdom of God would be
essential.
How does context influence the work of a disciple maker? The gospel flows best along relational
lines. Therefore, the ideal situation is that someone from a specific culture is sharing the gospel
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with someone from that same culture – with someone they know or to whom they can relate.
But that is not always the case. How do you share the gospel with someone who is of another
faith? How can you help them understand and receive the gospel? The answer may cause you to
add a new competency to their training – how to share the gospel with people from a specific
faith. Again, the best person for this example would be someone who has come out of that
background, someone who understands their faith.
As you can see the five “C’s” give you great platforms for crafting questions whose answers will help
shape your process for developing leaders for church planting. Each role (disciple maker, missionary,
and church leader) will have its own set of attributes, and therefore, questions.
Writing Your Endvision for a Multiplying Church
For this time, for this day, God has only one instrument, the church. Whatever God wants to do here on
earth He will do through His church. With more than 70 percent of our SBC churches plateaued the
question begs to be answered, “What kind of church does God use for His glory?” A purpose driven
church? Seeker sensitive or seeker driven? Contemporary or traditional? One with a full band or with a
piano and an organ? One that embraces expository or topical preaching? Attractional or missional?
God uses a church focused upon the multiplication of disciples, small groups, leaders, and churches to
change the world – regardless of their style or orientation.
To put it simply – God is most glorified when disciples make disciples... When a small group gives birth
to a new small group. When a leader raises up another leader... When a church births a new church...
When one disciple, small group, leader or church births another and then their offspring gives birth it is
called multiplication and it has the power to foster a Spirit-empowered movement of God.
If you had 80 believers and your desire was to reach 5,000 new people with the gospel how long would
it take? I am terrible at math but I know this much – based on our current effectiveness in North
America it would take a long time! But a church committed to the multiplication of disciples could reach
those 5,000 people in just 3 ½ years if each disciple multiplied every six months!
Therefore, a multiplying church achieves success when every disciple is making disciples... When every
small group is reproducing itself... When every leader is developing new leaders... When their church
plants new churches as a result of this work! Therefore, church planting is a natural byproduct for a
multiplying church – it flows from the multiplication of disciples, small groups, and leaders.
The writing of this second endvision may be the most challenging and we believe, the most critical.
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You are developing leaders for church planting. This endvision should guide the development of
your church planters. It defines a church from God’s perspective. The two must be intertwined.
You are developing leaders to plant multiplying churches. This endvision should influence the
development of your processes for leader development.
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The majority of leader development processes are connected to a local church. This endvision
should describe those churches. A developing leader must experience how a healthy church
focused upon multiplication works within a specific culture and be lead to identify the principles
that foster multiplication being lived out by that congregation. This endvision may help you
determine if your church is ready to create a center and if not, it will identify those areas where
you need strengthening.
This endvision must move beyond identifying the characteristics and values of a multiplying
church – it must identify the principles that aid in the planting and leading of a multiplying
church. What are the principles from scripture that lead to multiplication?
In crafting your endvision we suggest that you start with these questions:
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What is a multiplying church?
What are the measurable objectives for a multiplying church?
What are the principles from scripture that foster multiplication?
What are the principles from church planting movements happening around the world that
foster the multiplication of disciples, small groups, leaders, and churches?
What are the values of a multiplying church?
What are the systems in a multiplying church?
o What are the attributes that define each system?
o What are the measurable outcomes for each system?
In the future you will use this information to identify the competencies and convictions needed to plant
and lead a multiplying church. They will shape the training you provide. It should also be used by your
planters to define the church God has called them to plant and to aid them in developing their strategy
for fulfilling the vision God has given them.
Writing Your Endvision for an Individual with the Capacity to Plant and Lead a Multiplying Church
Your goal is to develop leaders who have the capacity to plant and lead a multiplying church. What does
a leader with this capacity look like? That’s the question you will answer in the writing of this endvision.
We would suggest that not only do you describe this leader – but that you do it in ways that are
measurable. In other words identify the character of a well prepared leader and establish a set of
measurable outcomes for each of the attributes you identified. Remember you are seeking to identify
God’s description of a well prepared leader. It comes from scripture. Some are clear – 1 Timothy 3.
Others might be extracted from the descriptions of Jesus found in the gospels, from how He lived His
life.
We also want to remind you that you are seeking to identify the characteristics of this leader in five
areas – calling, character, convictions, competencies, and contextual fit. You are also developing a
leader who serves three roles at the same time – he is a disciple maker, a missionary church planter, and
a leader in a multiplying church. Three roles – one individual.
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Why is this exercise important?
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Because it identifies a well prepared leader from God’s perspective. He establishes the standard.
He defines success.
Because it will aid you in the making of disciples and eventually, the development of leaders
from the harvest. You know where God wants them to be, you have identified His expectations.
Therefore, it provides clarity and reduces your workload.
Because it will aid in the development and implementation of your selection or assessment
process. It helps you determine who is ready for you to invest in and helps you create a
development plan for those who are not ready to move forward at this time.
Because it will give your developmental process clarity. You will know what the convictions and
competencies needed by an individual to plant and lead a multiplying church. It will define your
process by providing a clear set of developmental objectives and their measurable outcomes.
Finally, it will help you in clarifying the roles of those involved. Many of the processes we
examined use networks, a residency program and coaches to develop their leaders. This will not
only help you determine your developmental objectives, it will clarify who does what. In many
cases you will assign responsibility to outside parties to assist you. This endvision gives you the
information you need to determine if their services align with your objectives.
In the writing of this endvision we are asking you to focus on just three of the 5 C’s: Calling, Character,
and Contextual Fit. In the next exercise we will address the convictions and competencies needed by a
leader with the capacity to plant and lead a multiplying church. That exercise requires the completion of
the first three endvisions in order to be successful.
In this endvision then you will want to answer these and other questions: What does a well prepared
leader (disciple maker, missionary and church leader) look like? How does scripture define their
character? What are God’s absolutes? Are these measurable? If so, how? What are the things from
God’s perspective that disqualify an individual from being a leader in church planting? What does the
Bible say about calling? How do you know an individual is called by God to this role? Are their
measurable or identifiable attributes in someone who is called by God to church planting? In what ways
should his family embrace this calling? If you are developing leaders for a specific context or audience
are their certain identifiable characteristics that would indicate that the individual “fits” the context or
audience? If your planters come in with a fairly clear understanding of where they feel called to plant a
church how do you determine if they fit that context? Finally, what are the values that you believe a
leader who participates in your process should embrace?
In this exercise your goal is to identify the minimum standard a planter must meet for involvement in
your process and what the final product will look like – what a leader with the capacity to plant and lead
a multiplying church looks like from God’s perspective.
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Writing Your Endvision for Your Center That is Built Upon Its Values
In our research on church planting centers we identified a wide assortment of entities committed to the
development of leaders for church planting. If we concluded anything it was that there is no such thing
as normal! As we conducted our research some commonality did surface. Their work focused upon four
activities: the cultivation of leaders, a selection or assessment process, development or equipping, and
the provision of support. A collection of contrasting philosophies emerged as well. We identified
extremes and saw that many fell somewhere in between them. From an outsiders perspective it was
easy to see the variety and differences. Every entity, whether or not in writing, had their own set of core
values which defined who they were and how they accomplished their work.
Your center’s values are unique. Most will flow from your endvisions and the members of your team.
Some will flow from your context. But they must be unique to who you are and possibly to your context
or audience. Here are several reasons why defining your values is so important:
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Values define who you are. They communicate your distinctiveness
Values will help potential church planters determine if they want to participate in your process
Values communicate what’s important and allow you to invest your resources strategically
Values result in behavior – the right behavior
Values energize those involved in developing leaders
Values clarify how you will go about your work
Values determine where the ministry is headed
In this process it is important to understand that values typically are not created – they are identified. In
other words they already exist. Your task is to surface the values of the group as they relate to the
development of leaders. Each participant must look inside to identify their values and then look at their
behaviors to determine if they are real or aspired. Surface the values held by the individuals on your
team. Write them down and then narrow them down. Another approach is to identify organizations that
are actively involved in developing leaders and identify their core values. Then, as a group discuss each
of them and see if you can affirm the identified values based upon your own personal beliefs, what you
believe scripture to say and your context. Another approach is to examine the contrasting philosophies
we identified in our research and extract your values from them. Although people disagree on how
many values to have we suggest that you keep the number small. Remember these are the core values
that will define who you are.
Be sure to read the documents Contrasting Philosophies and Two Basic Approaches. Here are a few
suggestions which might help you identify your center’s core values:
 Determine if your center will be focused upon the development of church planting leaders who
are sent to the place where God has called them to plant a church or will it be related to
developing leaders who are called to reach a specific place or people group?
 Is your vision driven by a quest to advance the kingdom in one particular city?
 What role do you see your center playing in the life of a church plant – will you be the parent or
a partner?
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Is this the ministry of one church or organization or do you see multiple partners playing a vital
role in developing and implementing the strategy? If this is a collaborative work how do you see
each partner contributing?
Will your processes and resources be driven by principles that are applicable in most contexts
and models for church planting or will they be model and possibly, audience/context specific?
In our research on centers we identified two basic approaches for church planting and leader
development – one built upon the multiplication of disciples, small groups and leaders and the
other upon the development of men called by God to launch a church. How do you see these
two approaches contributing to your endvision? Can you envision how embracing both
approaches will enhance your work? In what ways?
How does your description of a disciple, a multiplying church, and a prepared church planting
leader shape your center?
What absolutes like theology, missiology, models, etc. will define who you are as an
organization and shape the type of leaders you will develop? Be sure to read the document
Missional Foundations.
Conclusion
In this part of the process your goal is to define success from God’s perspective. He calls us to make
disciples but what does a healthy, reproducing disciple look like? From God’s perspective what does a
church committed to the multiplication of disciples, small groups, leaders, and churches look like?
Remember, you are developing leaders to plant and lead healthy, multiplying churches. From God’s
perspective what does a healthy, well prepared leader for church planting look like? Finally, you are
identifying the values that define who your center is as an organization and how you will conduct your
ministry. All of these will be critical components as you move forward.
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