Counties Church Planting

 For over 125 years Counties equipped churches to plant and revitalise
local churches that glorify God
and impact communities

We believe that every person, in every county should be within reach of a church that makes Jesus known to them.

A church bringing faith, hope and love to every community.

We equip you in four key areas:

  • Church planting

  • Developing leaders

  • Gospel impact

  • Supporting network churches

A group of people standing outside a historic stone church, celebrating. The cover page features titled 'Ignite' with the subtitle 'Spark passion for the gospel across the UK' and an additional caption about a new era for a 170-year-old church.

Church Planting

Counties works with you to help plant, revitalise and grow healthy reproducing churches that glorify God and impact communities in villages, towns, cities in every county.

  • Inspiring local churches

  • Equipping teams

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Inspiring Local Churches

Counties uses a process of church planting that has grown out of M4 Europe’s experience of church planting activity over the last 30 years. Your Church plant will become an example of:

  • planting

  • revitalising

  • growing

People gathered in a decorated church or community center for a worship service or event, with colorful bunting hanging from the ceiling and a person speaking or singing in front of a wooden backdrop with flowers.

M4 Team Process Feedback

Equipping Teams

The M4 Process is unique because it is team focused.

In 2007 a group of church planters and leaders from Norway came together to pray, talk and explore how they could develop a church planting process that trained not only the church planter but also the whole team.

Since 2009, M4 Europe has helped initiate

  • over 300 church plants

  • planting movements in 17 nations

Group of six people standing together in a room, holding a large action plan presentation board, with a presentation slide on the wall behind them titled 'M4 TEAM PROCESS'.
A middle-aged man wearing a light blue button-up shirt and dark pants, standing outdoors on a dirt path surrounded by greenery and trees, smiling at the camera.

“We're delighted to bring this successful training process to the UK and Ireland.

We believe that church planting is God's initiative and that it's Christ himself who builds His church.

Therefore the authority of the Bible is essential for the content and message of the M4 Process.

We want to see a multiplying movement of missional churches, leaders with a Kingdom mentality that seek relationships first and are open to changes and improvement when they walk into the future together with God and His church."

Martin Erwin CEO

M4 Team Process in the UK

  • Open to all denominations / streams. Not ‘owned’ by anyone.

  • A collaboration of experienced church planters in the UK, investing into people who are pursuing the mission of God with a vision to begin new local churches

  • M4 UK and Ireland is led by Luiz Cardoso, Regional Director in cooperation with Martin Erwin (CEO, Counties UK evangelism network); Rev. John Townley (National Leader of Free Methodist Church UK and Ireland); with input, and expertise from M4 Europe Church Planting Movement

Developing Leaders

Counties trains future church leaders and team members, from diverse backgrounds and ages to plant healthy churches.

Counties’ training programmes are designed for you to be:

  • equipped to boldly share the gospel

  • encouraged to be authentic and genuine leaders

  • welcomed into a friendly and trusted community

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Planter Orientation Programme

Counties helps develop future church leaders through recruiting and equipping a new generation of leaders to plant thriving churches.

The Planter Programme is a planting-specific course designed to prepare you for church leadership. The Planter Programme has a specific focus on personal leadership development.

The programme is delivered by practitioners and equips you with the ministry and operational tools needed for leading a church in the 21st century.

The Planter Programme is currently an exclusive programme for Counties Planters on M4 Team Process.

A smiling young man in a plaid shirt sitting at a table, with a bright background that includes green storage bins and bottles. Overlaid text reads "The journey of a new Church Planter" and "SUMMER 2019 IGNITE SPARKING PASSION FOR THE GOSPEL ACROSS THE UK."

Leadership Development

Counties evangelists lead in a wide variety of roles:

  • Pastors and Bible Teachers

  • Chaplains

  • Children and Families Workers

  • Youth Workers

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Counties provides proven leadership development for young adults at One2Lead (16-25) and the FirstServe Gap Year programme for primarily 18+years.

After completion, those seeking to lead a plant are supported through the preparation stage of planting, aiming to join the M4 Team Process and commendation as a Counties Planter.

A smiling man in a checkered shirt and jeans standing next to a piano in a vintage-style room.

“Though I have a vision and passion, I need the practical support for my ministry. The training and mentoring from Counties Church Planting means I am ready to stretch myself as God calls me to do His mission.”

Caleb Mathewos

Social Impact

Counties trains churches to engage their communities whilst keeping the Gospel central. So you can provide practical support and love to the most vulnerable in our communities.

Primarily through Neighbourhood Chaplains, and together with Schools initiatives, we help you engage local communities with a range of trusted

  • people

  • training

  • resources

Group of nine smiling adults standing on a small porch outside a brick building, wearing matching maroon jackets and name tags.

Neighbourhood Chaplains

In 2017, in response to the loneliness epidemic, the team at Counties launched an initiative called Neighbourhood Chaplains. Starting with one Community Chaplain in a Bedfordshire market, Neighbourhood Chaplaincy has grown into a national network of churches and other charitable organisations working to see lives restored through the Gospel, communities rebuilt and to inspire a fresh movement of practical love for those in need.

Network Support

Counties supports Planting churches and Counties Planters. The network aims to connect at three levels of relationship

  • planters with a regional cluster (including the annual residential retreat)

  • their leadership teams with a bi-annual Counties Conference

  • their congregation by running a Counties initiative regularly

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Stories of COUNTIES

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