Funding and Support
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We currently encourage our church-planters to either attend a Body-Builders training event conducted by Navigators  or to work-through Bob Dillion’s Book People Raising to learn how to raise financial support.  Planters must raise at least $2000/month in order to qualify for matching funds from the AD (in addition to other pre-qualifications and ongoing bench-mark qualifications).  It is best for planters to have raised at least this much prior to beginning their planting efforts.  In some cases, planters may prefer to be bi-vocational.  Sources of funding qualifying for matching funds include:  individual donors, support churches, businesses gifting your plant, core-group tithes and offerings. 

Gate-Keeping - Once a planter is approved, they may initially use the Allegheny District as the gatekeeper of their giving; however, we strongly encourage the planter and plant to get their legal affairs in order (see the legal matters tab) quickly, to establish their own treasurer and financial secretary and to set-up a checking account.  Once the Church-Plant has established these, they may receive their own donations and keep their own records for tax-giving purposes.  They must then file a monthly report with the district treasurer to receive monthly matching funds. 

Matching Funds will match dollar for dollar up to $2000 for the first year, and up to $1000 for the second year.  These funds are REVOLVING in nature.  In other words, we expect that our church plants will begin to tithe back into the Church-Planting Revolving Fund after their public launch.  In the case of house churches, it will likely be the case that the planter will have to be bi-vocational unless he has established and is overseeing a number of qualifying and reproductive house churches who give to support him as their lead pastor.