FAQ

Acts 29 is a global community of healthy, multiplying churches.

Acts 29 does not plant churches, it supports church planters by offering decades of experience-proven training, guidance, and tools for planting churches designed to grow and thrive. We also provide a rigorous and relational assessment process, a busy calendar of global events, opportunities for networking, and other invaluable resources.

Acts 29 has a single focus: church planting. Acts 29 is not a denomination. We are therefore open to dual-affiliation but ask that you inform the organizations that you are already affiliated with about your desire to join Acts 29.

Beginning in 2022, Acts 29 is offering funding to any new church plant that joins Acts 29 in the United States through our assessment process. New US churches will be eligible for a $25,000 start up grant upon joining Acts 29, and have the possibility of another $25,000 grant later in the life of the church based on pre-determined criteria.

Member churches are encouraged to engage with Acts 29 at training events, by praying for local and global needs, and by partnering with other Acts 29 churches. Talk to your elders for more ways to engage. Churches seeking to join Acts 29 should apply through our existing church assessment track.

Please visit the find a church page on our website to search for local Acts 29 churches and pastors, or submit a form through the website requesting further information.

Acts 29 assesses both church planters and churches for membership. To learn more, visit the Join area of the website.

Before becoming a member church of Acts 29, the elders of your church will need to agree to enter into a covenant with Acts 29.  Details of the covenant can be found here.

Acts 29 is a network of churches—it’s the church and not the individual that becomes the member.

If you are uncertain about whether to be involved in church planting, please take time to discuss this question within your local church. To aid you in this, Acts 29 has developed core competencies considered essential for church planting. We also offer church planting residencies for further exploration. 

The Acts 29 assessment process is for the lead planter. If there are co-planters, details can be discussed with the local assessment coordinator. If you are an existing church, we expect the lead pastor to initiate the assessment process, but the assessment will engage the whole eldership team. 

We believe church planting to be a theologically driven initiative. With that in mind, we ask that you not only agree with the theological distinctives, but actively embrace, teach and uphold them across your eldership and leadership team. 

If you have already planted your church or currently lead an established church, then you can apply at any time. If you are a first time planter, it’s best to apply when you are 12-18 months away from planting, in the process of putting together a core team and have clarity around the location of your plant—in most situations we would expect you to have relocated.

We ask that those applying to our church planter assessment or existing church assessment tracks are over the age of 28 and have had a minimum of three years ministry experience as an elder in their local church.

Networking. Engagement in your local network and region is essential before beginning the process. This can be done by attending local training events and getting to know local pastors.

Additionally, the eldership of your church needs to be in agreement with the Acts 29 Covenant before the assessment process begins.

Acts 29 is serious about maintaining and investing in high-quality assessment that brings significant added value to those who undergo the process. As such, Acts 29 does charge for assessment to cover these costs. The cost of assessment varies from network to network. 

Please contact your network or regional director for information on cost and financial aid that may be available if the cost is prohibitive.

Please contact your assessment coordinator or network/regional director for a paper copy of the assessment process.

Each network/region has an assessment coordinator who will walk you through the process and answer any further questions that you have.

From an initial application, it should take your church no more than six months to complete all online assignments and be ready for the final assessment. Following a successful assessment conference, churches will become member churches within a year, subject to the completion of any conditions set during the assessment.

Only Acts 29 assessment staff and your assessor team will have access to your personal information. In light of the sensitive nature of the information provided, special measures are taken to ensure it is treated confidentially. Full details of our privacy policy can be found here.

Please contact your network or regional assessment coordinator.

As a diverse, global network we seek to provide assessment in multiple languages, and one of our key priorities is to translate the process into more languages. This is a slow and delicate endeavor. We will do our best to accommodate your needs. Please contact your network/regional director to talk this through further.

Please apply to be assessed through the network you are planning to plant in. We have a specific cross-cultural assessment for those seeking to plant into a different cultural context.  Please contact your network or regional director for more details.

A lot! Find out more here. 

Yes. If you are applying to our existing church assessment track, or our church planter assessment track, all elders within your church must be in agreement with the Acts 29 Covenant. 

If you have any questions about this, please contact your network or regional director.