Dear CNC,
The last 17 months of interim leadership has been a joy, a privilege, and a gift to me. Your passion to spread the gospel is contagious and seeing Jesus transform thousands of lives through local church and camp ministry has been remarkable.
What I love the most about CNC and Trout is we have not wavered from our mission of reaching more kids, teens and adults for Jesus. That is the heartbeat around our region and it will not change. Praise the Lord we are dialed in on Matthew 28.
Now, as we prepare to vote for Dr. Andy Kumpel, our Regional President candidate, I want to express 100% support for Pastor Andy. He is someone I look forward to following, serving and helping drive his vision forward.
The future of CNC, its relevance to the local church, its commitment to starting and strengthening churches, its commitment to providing excellent camping ministry, is positioned well. May Jesus get the glory as we move forward together.
Thank you for your strong partnership with Converge North Central.
In Christ,
Wick
Interim Regional President
CAMPING
Ministry happens year-round at this “meeting place with God.” Here’s what a mom had to say about connecting with her daughter at a recent fall retreat: “We had some good discussions with devos and she opened up about struggles of middle school.”
Serve Team & Project 365
Big thank you to our Serve Team volunteers and Project 365 supporters. With their funding and volunteer help we were able to tear down and start to rebuild the aging Elk cabin, repainted a barrier fence that required 30 gallons of paint (!), stained two cabins at Timber Ridge, and updated the lighting at the Barn.
Serve Team is an incredible way to experience Trout and give back. They work hard and play hard. Look for more Serve Team opportunities in the spring.
Project 365 is a simple way to support ongoing improvements at Trout. Members donate $1 per day—and it adds up to make a big impact! Reach out to learn more about Project 365.
Your support and partnership makes Trout possible. Thank you.
STARTING
Church Planters Assessment Center: A Peek Behind the Curtain
The Converge Church Planters Assessment Center is an intensive four-day event designed to encourage and evaluate church planting candidates. Staffed by trained assessors, the center brings together candidates and assessors from across Converge, as well as from partnering groups and denominations.
Each assessment center typically hosts about 12 candidates or candidate couples, along with a team of assessors who represent the candidates’ sponsoring or sending agencies—these may be churches, networks, or Converge regions. In most cases, someone from their potential sending agent, coach, or parent church representative will attend as an assessor. The center is also staffed by a core team consisting of a director, a counselor, and an administrator.
What happens at an Assessment Center?
For the Candidate
Exercises and Presentations
Candidates participate in several exercises and presentations, including:
- A mini-sermon
- Sharing their call to ministry and church planting
- Presenting their philosophy of ministry
Each presentation is followed by a Q&A session. Candidates also engage in:
- A case study (ask anyone who’s been through the Converge Assessment Center about Don Johnson)
- An evangelism exercise
- A Bible knowledge quiz
- A Listening Encounter
Spouses fully participate in all these exercises as well.
Assessments
Both the church planter and their spouse complete four assessments:
- The Portrait Predictor
- The Golden Personality Profile
- The Leader Portrait
- The ACE Test
These assessments are administered by Strategic Team Makers, a long-time partner of Converge and the assessment center. Many CNC churches also use the first three tools in their hiring processes and team-building efforts.
Interviews
Candidates go through several interviews:
- Micro Interviews: These begin the week and are conducted in a round-robin format. Candidates respond to a series of questions about their ministry experience, leadership style, and more.
- Assessor Interviews: Two assessors meet with each candidate couple for a deeper dive into what emerged during earlier presentations, exercises, or in their registration paperwork.
- Counselor Interviews: Led by the professional counselor on the assessment team, this final interview provides additional insights and support.
Final Project
On the last day and a half, candidates and their spouses work together on a capstone project: creating a plan and presentation for a hypothetical funding agency committed to planting 10 churches over the next 10 years.
Debriefs, Teaching, and Inspiration
After many activities, the team gathers for feedback, debriefing, and teaching moments that highlight how each exercise connects to the realities of church planting. Each day also begins with a time of worship and prayer.
For the Assessors
Assessors spend the week getting to know the candidates: reading their applications and references, sharing meals, observing their exercises, and engaging in interviews and informal conversations.
When the formal activities conclude on Thursday evening, the assessors retreat to their designated space for a focused time of prayerful evaluation. Each candidate couple is discussed in detail, drawing on observations, assessment results, interviews, and team insights. The goal is to discern—through prayer and collaboration—whether the essential elements for successful church planting are present.
Central to the process are the Sixteen Building Blocks of Church Planting, which form the foundation of all the assessment center activities. Outcomes are based on how well candidates demonstrate these building blocks, even if some are still in the early stages of development.
The assessors then prepare a personalized and thorough assessment report for each candidate couple, including recommendations and potential next steps. This entire process typically takes five to six hours.
The Final Morning
On the final day, the group gathers one last time—often encouraged by a message from the pastor of the host church. Each candidate couple then meets with an assessment staff member and a representative from their sending agency or parent church. Their personalized report is reviewed, questions are addressed, and regardless of the outcome, their calling and ministry gifts are affirmed.
From there, the sending agency or church begins working on the next steps with the couple, equipped with clarity and direction.
A consistent prayer among the assessors is that God would use their insights and time at the assessment center to speak into the calling and ministry of each couple. They also pray that the couples leave with renewed passion and a clear sense of the next steps God has prepared for them.
For more information about the Assessment Center contact Joel Nelson.
STRENGTHENING
Together 2026
June 23–25, 2026
Washington, D.C.
Converge North Central is one of many regions that make up the Converge movement. Nationally, Converge churches can be found in nearly every state, with global workers serving around the world.
This coming summer, every Converge pastor, leader, and missionary is invited to Converge Together 2026—a historic gathering to celebrate 170 years of mission, strengthen one another, and get fueled up for the future.
With the theme “Now to a God Who Still Moves,” this three-day event in Washington, D.C. will feature powerful stories from across the movement, ministry training designed for a variety of contexts, and opportunities to expand your network of friends and partners in ministry. Hosted at First Baptist Church of Glenarden, this gathering will feel like a family reunion—an inspiring time to worship, learn, and connect. You’ll return to your ministry refreshed and ready to see Jesus change lives wherever you serve.
There’s tremendous value in coming together as a movement from across the globe to worship, learn, and share. It’s also a great opportunity to reconnect with longtime friends and colleagues, as well as make new connections. Bring your family and consider arriving a few days early or staying a few days afterward to enjoy everything the D.C. area has to offer.
To help remove some of the financial burden of attending, CNC will reimburse up to $154 each for you and your spouse if you register before December 31st, 2025. After you register, you’ll receive information from the CNC office with instructions on how to be reimbursed.
Check out theTogether 2026 video and visit the Converge Together webpage for more details.
EVENTS & OPPORTUNITIES
October 23-24, 2025 Fix The Finances 2.0 St. Paul, MN
October 29, 2025 Retired Pastors and Missionaries Event at Bethel St. Paul, MN
November 11-13, 2025 S2 West Conference Phoenix, AZ
June 23-25, 2026 Converge Together 2026 Washington, D.C.
Calvary Baptist Church Lead Pastor Madison MN (job opening)
Community of Nations Lead Pastor Roseville MN (job opening)
STRATEGIC PARTNERS
At Bethel, we prepare students to step into their calling with clarity, direction, and purpose.
The Bethel Career Commitment provides a clear path forward. If a graduate has not secured a job offer or acceptance to graduate school within six months, we offer meaningful support through The Studio for Vocation and Calling to help them take the next step. They may be eligible for up to eight graduate-level credits at no cost in select Bethel programs or transitional employment opportunities at Bethel, based on staffing needs and availability.
This reflects our confidence in the education and formation students receive—an experience shaped by rigorous academics, deep faith formation, and a strong, Christ-centered community. It’s all part of how Bethel equips students to launch confidently into their next chapter.
PRAYER
Dear Jesus,
Today we pray for our pastors who are teaching this weekend. May your gospel be proclaimed boldly, clearly, and with humility throughout our Converge North Central region. We thank you that you go before all things and that in you, all things hold together. Strengthen our pastors, protect their families, and watch over every church staff member. Our heart’s desire is to see more people follow you and become disciples. We ask that you would move in a powerful way this weekend for your glory. We pray this in your name. Amen.
