Planting a Church With Resonate

Resonate can help you join with local partners to bring the transformative gospel to the world through new churches. Church plants who partner with the CRCNA are committed to mutual mission and values, but are not limited by a particular style or model.

We've developed an accessible process for church plants to be affiliated with the CRC—what we call being a partner church plant. To become a partner church plant, you will need to start with the following steps to develop a Partnership Agreement:

The first step is to speak with Resonate's regional team in your area and talk about initial steps and potential opportunities. You can find out more about Resonate's team members in your area by visiting our regional page or contacting our church planting team. Your regional staff person can also connect you to a classis representative if you are not already in contact with your classis.

We use a combination of online and in-person assessment options to help you discern your church planting journey and continue to grow and learn. A regional or local mission leader can recommend assessments for you and work through your results with you.

One of the most vital steps toward a launch is developing the core team of ministry partners that will provide local support and oversight for your church plants. This team includes representatives from supporting partners, including from the parent/calling church and the classis. This partnership team will meet regularly for accountability, to review the church plant’s benchmarks and budget, and to encourage and support the planter. The partners also agree to support the plant in various ways, which may include grants, administrative support, prayer, tangible goods, volunteers, etc.

The church planter, calling church, and any other partners should create and sign an MOU to clarify expectations for a unified and healthy partnership. This MOU resource is available for you to adapt and use; it includes a template, sample, and FAQ.

Additional resources for parent/calling churches can be found on our resources page

For church plants in the US, MissionInsite demographic reports and coaching are available through regional staff. For church plants in Canada, we recommend contacting Diaconal Ministries Canada about a Community Opportunity Scan.

You can begin working on your Partnership Agreement application at any time, although the above items will all be required before approval. Click here to create an account with us and begin your Partnership Agreement.

Partnership Agreement resources:

  • Click here if you’d like detailed instructions on how to create an account and complete a Partnership Agreement application.
  • A PDF of the Partnership Agreement form can be found here for your reference. However, to submit a partnership agreement, you must create an account and complete the online form.
  • Benchmark guidelines
  • Budget guidelines and template

See the Partner Support & Resources page for more information about the support that is available to Resonate partner church plants.