This is the phase where a church and VM begin to connect through initial contacts (phone, email, in person). It is marked by its informality and getting to know each other’s values, vision, and beliefs. After an unspecified amount of time the prospective pastor expresses his interest in pursuing a more formal relationship and moves into the next phase. No membership, applications, or financial contributions are required or expected during the Courtship phase.

A church which is interested in pursuing partner church status should follow the steps listed below (New church plants have the option of following a different set of guidelines-the policy statement is available through VM offices ):

1. Pastor’s Application —The pastor must first apply as an individual member (Level 3-Covenental Member) of Vanguard Ministries. Applications may be accessed through the ministry website, www.vanguardministries,org or by calling the VM offices. Applications are to be returned via the website’s online form or by mail. A $25 application fee must accompany any application.

The application will be processed by the VM offices. If the pastor has never received an ordination he will meet with an Ordination Council to review his application.

2. Pastor’s Tithe —In lieu of the normal dues structure for Covenantal membership the pastor shall begin to pay his personal tithes to Vanguard Ministries. This shall continue throughout the engagement term. Once the church is confirmed as a Partner Church the pastor’s tithes shall continue to be sent to VM in addition to the 5% church dues. (The only exception to this applies to some cases when churches that are less than 3 years in age and the church’s annual unrestricted income is less than $75,000. This provision is an effort to subsidize the young church plant during its formative years when the pastor’s tithe comprises a significant portion of the church’s income.)

3. Confirmation Date —A date for confirmation of the partner church status should be agreed upon by the pastor and the apostolic leader. The confirmation date should be established from 3 to 12 months from the initial agreement (longer engagement periods are discouraged but may be allowed in special cases).

4. Relationship Building —The purpose of the engagement phase is to build a relationship between the pastor, leadership team, and congregation and VM. If an apostolic overseer has not been in relationship with the engaged church prior to Phase I, then the International Director, the Apostolic Team and the Executive Team shall prayerfully select a prospective Apostolic leader for the new church. The Apostolic Leader and the pastor will begin to develop a relationship using all necessary means over the first few months.

• The Apostolic leader and the pastor should work together to arrange opportunities for the church’s leadership team to meet with him and his wife. The purpose is to get acquainted and to discuss anything relative to the church or VM.
• A weekend of ministry at the church should be arranged to initiate the relationship between the apostolic leader and the membership. Appropriate communication with the church body should accompany such an introduction. The church should cover all travel expenses and contribute a love offering for the apostolic leader’s time.
• At any time during the engagement process either party (VM or the prospective partner church) may express concerns regarding the compatibility of the Apostolic Overseer and Pastor match. The International Director and Executive Team may choose to make changes in the assigned overseer to ensure the best possible chemistry.
• By the end of Phase I either party may opt to terminate the engagement. Each party will meet together and decide the best course of action. Unity and harmony is the goal of the meetings and discussions. The pastor may choose to maintain his individual membership with VM (under the standard provisions of the VM Membership structure).

5. Coaching for Pastor —During the engagement phase the Apostolic leader will provide the personal coaching for the partner pastor. In some cases a TLC certified coach may be matched to provide as needed coaching during the Phase 1.

6. Church Application —During the engagement phase the pastor or his assignee will submit to the VM offices a completed church application. This application is different from the pastor’s application filed at the start of Phase I. The purpose of this application is to provide VM and the apostolic leader all the necessary information about the church’s history, leadership, structure, programs, mission/vision, finances, constitutional issues, etc. (The information provided will be considered confidential and will not be made public without permission.)

After the confirmation date the church has completed the engagement phase and becomes a Partner Church. By this time both parties should have expressed any concerns or compatibility issues. Any remaining issues should be discussed openly before the partner status is finalized.