1. Family Camp: Registration for
   
   family camp is now open. There are two options, June 29-July 4 and Labor Day weekend. These fill up fast, so tell your families now.
2. Summer staff: Are your students looking for summer jobs? Tell them about
   
   working at Trout for an adventure that’s so much more than just another summer job.
3. Serve Team: Teams of volunteers help us get ready for summer camp starting in April. If your church has volunteers looking for opportunities,
   point them to
   Serve Team.

What happens at a Church Planting Assessment Center

I’m writing this while attending the Converge Church Planters Assessment Center as an assessor.
We’ve got 11 candidate couples and about 20 assessors from all over the country. One of the couples is even from CNC! It’s a packed three days—starting early, ending late, and full of incredible conversations and experiences.

So, what actually happens at an assessment center?

The candidates go through a whirlwind of activities designed to help them—and us—figure out if church
planting is the right path for them. Here’s a quick rundown of what they do:

• Micro Interviews (short, focused Q&A sessions)
• Ministry Presentations, where they share a mini-sermon, their call to church planting, and their philosophy of ministry (with more Q&A)
• Personality and Leadership Testing (because knowing yourself matters!)
• Case Studies, covering team-building, momentum, agenda harmony, and—most importantly—the calling from God
• Bible Knowledge Survey (no pressure, right?)
• Evangelism Exercise
• Ministry Interview
• Counselor Interview
• Church Planting Strategy Project and Presentation

And in between all of that, we have discussions and presentations about what it really takes to plant
a church. Honestly, at times, it feels like a church service. Candidates are challenged to understand who God made them to be, how He’s calling them, and what it truly costs to step into church planting.

Now, the assessors aren’t just watching and taking notes during all this—we’re deeply involved. But
our real work kicks in after the candidates finish their assessments. That’s when we gather to review everything we’ve heard, observed, and discussed.

We go through notes, compare insights, discern, and pray—a lot. We’re looking at how each couple aligns
with the core building blocks of church planting. And after much discussion (and even more prayer and discernment), we put together a personalized report for each couple.

The report gives one of three recommendations:

1. Recommend
2. Recommend with Conditions
3. Not Recommend

It also highlights specific growth areas and provides guidance on where they might be best suited
for ministry.

This whole process has been refined over the years with wisdom, best practices, and, most importantly,
prayer. The goal? To speak truth into the candidates’ lives and help them discern their next steps.

If you’re curious to learn more about the Church Planters Assessment Center, reach out to Joel Nelson
at
jnelson@converg​enorthcentral.o​rg.

One of my social media follows is Dave Adamson (@aussiedave). After spending seven years as the Social Media
Pastor at North Point Ministries in Atlanta, he returned to his native Australia, where he continues leading and serving in various ministries. He wrote a book called 52
Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know and has been posting threads on different Hebrew words on his Instagram feed. These posts have become
a daily devotion for me.

Lately, I’ve been working on a project about sabbaticals. (A little teaser here—it’s not ready yet, but coming soon!)
So, the ideas of sabbaticals and rest have been floating in and out of my mind for the past few weeks. That’s why I was especially interested when I saw @aussiedave post a thread on Instagram last week about the surprising truth of biblical rest.

Here’s a summary:

We often think of “rest” as doing nothing. But an ancient Hebrew word for rest reveals something deeper.

The Hebrew word we translate as “rest” in the Bible is nuach,
which comes from the same root as the name Noah.

Adamson explains that the story of Noah teaches us something unexpected: true rest isn’t about escaping work—it’s about
finding peace in faithful purpose. Rest isn’t just relaxation or comfort; it’s sacred alignment and purposeful peace.

In our fast-paced world, we chase rest in many ways. We download apps to help us be more mindful and contemplative. We
book vacations to unplug. We schedule “me” days for self-care and a slower pace.

But Adamson poses an important question: “What if we’re looking for rest in the wrong places?”

Real rest isn’t about stopping everything. It comes when our actions align with God’s purpose, when our steps follow His
lead, and when our work flows from faith rather than pressure.

Consider Noah. The ark came to rest in
the seventh month—echoing God’s rest on the seventh day.

What if real rest isn’t about doing nothing, but about doing what truly matters?

Check out @aussiedave. Be looking on the sabbatical resource coming soon. Do what truly matters. Find rest.

My presence will go with you and I will give you rest. Exodus 33:14

Come to me, all who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28

Feb 24-26, 2025

Pastor’s Prayer Retreat Trout Lake Camps Pine River, MN

Feb 24-25, 2025

EBA Cohort Eagle Brook White Bear Lake campus, MN *Scholarships available, contact

Joel Nelson*

Feb. 28-March 1

2025 CNC Biennial Eden Prairie, MN

April 3-4, 2025 EBA
Cohort Eagle Brook Apple Valley campus, MN *Scholarships available, contact

Joel Nelson*

April 7-9, 2025

Everyday Pastor’s Gathering Gary, SD

October 23-24, 2025 Fix The Finances 2.0 St. Paul, MN (Save the date)

Lake Sarah Baptist Church Director
of Family Life Ministries Slayton, MN (job opening)

Calvary Church

High School Director White Bear Township, MN (job opening)