Gospel DNA Snapshot

Tracking Gospel-Centered DNA Practices to Celebrate & Improve

TIMES12 doesn’t clone a particular church model when planting or sending. However, we are fervently committed to the biblical practices in our shared Gospel-Centered DNA when starting and strengthening churches. That means we center on Jesus and the gospel in everything we do. Jesus stays our primary focus as we make new disciples, grow faithful disciples, and multiply leaders (to stay) & planters (to go). We encourage every church plant and sending church to practice these shared commitments fruitfully while cultivating health. Each church will practice our shared Gospel-Centered DNA in a way that fits their cultural context and a planter or pastor’s unique gifting, vision, and team. That said, we do provide Snapshots to track the practice of Gospel DNA to help each local church celebrate progress and improve.

As you do this Snapshot, remember that there are different seasons of planting or leading a sending church. That means some ministry areas may not be fully developed yet. That does not mean there is a problem or that things aren’t going well. Answer the snapshot questions accurately and provide comments under each element of the Gospel DNA to remind yourself about what to celebrate and what still needs to improve. The final part of this Snapshot involves identifying three top priorities to pursue as you lead your church into the next season.

NOTE: There is a Save + Continue Later button at the very bottom of this page if you need to save your work and finish it later.

Gospel DNA Snapshot

"*" indicates required fields

Your Name*

Your Email Address*

Church Name*

Church City, State*

Church's Age (Months/Years)*

Centering on Jesus & The Gospel

FOCUS ON JESUS - focus on the person & work of Jesus in the biblical story so people trust & treasure him above all
MOTIVATE BY GRACE - motivate loyalty to King Jesus & biblical truth by the gospel of grace

PRAY PERSISTENTLY - keep asking the Father to advance Christ’s reign by the Spirit’s empowering

(Mk 1:14-15; Mt 13:44; Lk 11:1-13; 24:25-27; Jn 5:39-40; Eph 1:13-14; 4:15-16, 20-21; Col 1:5-6, 18; Titus 2:11-15; 1 Jn 4:7-12).

% of your church that is actually centering on Jesus & the gospel in their daily life?*

(Best realistic estimate)

Is there a team/group interceding for your church regularly each week (e.g., weekly for at least an hour)?*

Yes

Rate how it is going overall with CENTERING ON JESUS & THE GOSPEL (last 12 months).*

1 (Weak)

3 (Medium)

5 (Excelling)

Comments

Making New Disciples

CONTEXTUALIZE - learn personal stories & cultural worldviews to convey the gospel with clarity

EVANGELIZE LOCALLY - connect, serve, and share the gospel with unbelievers

ENGAGE GLOBALLY - engage globally to help multiply disciples & churches among the nations

(Mt 4:19; Jn 4:1-45; 1 Cor 9:22-23; 2 Cor 5:15-21; Lk 15; 24:44-53; Acts 1:8; 4:31; Rom 15:14-33; Col. 4:2-6).

# Number of professions of faith/water baptisms (last 12 months)?*

Does your church provide ongoing training to help believers to love the lost & share the gospel personally?*

Yes

Is your church engaged in partnering globally to help multiply disciples and churches among the nations?*

Yes

Rate how it is going overall with MAKING NEW DISCIPLES (last 12 months).*

1 (Weak)

3 (Medium)

5 (Excelling)

Comments

Growing Faithful Disciples

BAPTIZE & ROOT - baptize & root new disciples and church members in gospel essentials

ACTIVATE THE BODY - activate Christ's body to serve with gospel unity and diversity in holistic mission

MULTIPLY DISCIPLE MAKERS - develop abiding disciples who make new & obedient disciples of Jesus

PREACH & SHAPE WORSHIP - preach Christ-centered expository sermons & engage worshipers

TRAIN FOR KINGDOM-LIVING - train believers to keep integrating the reign of Jesus into all of life & mission (e.g., home, work, finances, sexual purity, suffering, mercy, evangelism, forming disciples, justice, ethics, etc.)

(Mt 28:18-20; Mk 3:13-15; Lk 10:38-42; Jn 15:1-8; Eph 3:14-21; 4:1-16; Col 3:14-17; 4:12-13; 2 Tim 3:16-4:2).

# of total covenant church members?*

# of ministry teams / groups you currently have serving those inside or outside the church?*

Approximate % of your church body that is represented by a primary ethnicity/race?*

(Verses all other ethnicities/races in your church body)

# of discipleship bands of “a few” being formed into obedient disciples of Jesus who make disciples?*

Does your church consistently provide Christ-centered expository preaching and engaging worship?*

Yes

# in worship gatherings weekly? (average/week of adults and children over the last few months)*

# of any increase/decrease over the last 12 months?*

Rate how it is going overall with GROWING FAITHFUL DISCIPLES (last 12 months).*

1 (Weak)

3 (Medium)

5 (Excelling)

Comments

Multiplying Leaders (To Stay) & Planters (To Go)

MULTIPLY LEADERS - develop & multiply disciple-making leaders (to stay)

MULTIPLY ELDERS - develop & multiply disciple-making elders/pastors (to stay)

MULTIPLY PLANTERS - develop & multiply disciple-making church planters (to go)

(Lk 6:12-14; Acts 13:1-4; 14:20-23; 20:17-38; Eph 4:11-13; 1 Tim 3:1-13; 2 Tim 1:3; 2:1-2; Titus 1:5-9; 1 Pet 5:1-4).

(MULTIPLYING LEADERS) *

*Leader = a point person for a team or group, not just a worker on a team or member in a group.

# of different “point leaders” currently leading a team or group?*

# of new potential “point leaders” now being trained or apprenticing alongside an existing leader to prepare to lead a team or group?*

(MULTIPLYING ELDERS)

Do you have a biblically functioning elder team?*

Yes

Do you have any aspiring non-vocational elders or vocational elders/pastors currently in an intentional training or preparation process?*

Yes

If yes, how many?

(MULTIPLYING PLANTERS)

# of church planters coached by you or someone from your church’s team? (during the last 12 months)*

# of church planters from your church that planted or started preparing to plant during the last 12 months?*

Rate how it is going overall with MULTIPLYING LEADERS (TO STAY) & PLANTERS (TO GO) (last 12 months).*

1 (Weak)

3 (Medium)

5 (Excelling)

Comments

Cultivating Health (Financial, Organizational, & Personal)

FUND SUSTAINABLY - raise planting funds then help the church become generous & self-sustaining

LEAD EFFECTIVELY - build clarity, cohesive leadership, & good systems

GROW PERSONALLY - prioritize your walk with Jesus first, then your work of planting & pastoring (utilize TIMES12’s gospel-centered resources, coaching, training, collectives, events, soul care retreats, & partnerships)

(Ex 18; Lk 8:1-3; 10:7, 38-42; 1 Tim 5:17-18; Phil 1:27; 4:14-20; 2 Cor 8:20-21; Jn 17:3, 20-23, Acts 6:1-7, 14:24-28; 20:2-4).

Is your church financially self-supporting from just internal giving of tithes/offerings?*

Yes

(Note: Self-supporting = defined by us as internal giving of tithes/offerings can cover at least 1.5 full-time pastors and necessary operational expenses; in other words, the church does not require external donations for this, even though one may still choose to raise additional funds externally)

What is your total annual budget of your plant/church?*

% of the total annual budget that currently comes from internal tithes/offerings by your church?*

Explain below whether or not your plant/church has a strong cohesive leadership team that’s aligned toward a shared vision and goals. Include whether or not you have simple systems that work well to help your church serve people and achieve vision.*

Explain below whether or not the lead planter or pastor prioritizes their walk with Jesus above their work of planting or pastoring (e.g., practicing spiritual disciplines daily in the Word and prayer for their own walk with Jesus, not just preparing talks for others, weekly sabbath, etc.).*

Rate how it is going overall with CULTIVATING HEALTH (last 12 months).*

1 (Weak)

3 (Medium)

5 (Excelling)

Comments

Celebrate and Improve

As you answered the Snapshot questions about the various elements of Gospel-Centered DNA, you’ve surfaced areas to celebrate that are going well and other areas that need to improve as you move forward in the next season of the church. Pray, praise God, and share these with your team, coach, or mentors.

CELEBRATE: Use the spaces below to list three areas to celebrate in your plant/church. What can we celebrate?

#1 - Celebrate*

#2 - Celebrate*

#3 - Celebrate*

IMPROVE: Use the spaces below to list three areas to improve in your plant/church. What should we improve?

#1 - Improve*

#2 - Improve*

#3 - Improve*