In interacting with one another, the ethos is one of graciousness and wanting to have a warm open posture towards churches which are not 100% like-minded, but are willing to journey towards our vision of a healthy church.

Churches that want to journey towards greater health but aren’t ready to commit to joining the family of church can do so as friends of ours. They are welcome to all events, are relationally-supported and are encouraged by partners, but are not held to the same level of commitment required. This enables us to have clear distinctives that all partners are held to and are accountable to; yet still have an avenue where churches that are exploring partnership have a chance to look in, and be influenced, before they are necessarily willing to commit.

Conferences & Gatherings

These will be open to all within the churches but elders will specifically be asked to attend. The host church will have the ability to have many of their members there. Lead pastors of the churches to meet twice a year hopefully.

Monthly Calls

Monthly group skype calls for lead pastors to encourage each other, and to discuss matters of church health.

Church Visits

Churches sending groups to churches, and churches hosting leaders from the movement of churches. Sending people / staff / interns to other churches to serve / grow / learn.

Resources

Clear teaching and resources on the 8 values.

Mission

Working together on mission projects and/or trips, and planting churches together.

What are partner churches committing to?

1. Holding to the Statement of Faith and the commitment to work towards fully embracing the 8 values.

2. Elders being biblically qualified according to the requirements of scripture in 1 Tim 3 and Titus 1.

3. Join our relational and partnering activities together (calls, conferences, leadership times).

4. Being committed to a meaningful partnership where churches are genuinely willing to invite others in the Resound family of churches to visit and give perspective into their church for its strengthening.

5. A willingness to support and help partner churches in the areas that our churches are able.

What does accountability within Resound look like?

The NT describes elders as being the highest authority in a local church; therefore Resound has no formal authority over the local church at all. However, joining Resound involves the elders of the church voluntarily agreeing to hold to the 5 commitments above; as well as extending a standing invitation to the leadership of Resound to speak into their churches, particularly in areas with regard to the 8 values. However, any advice, recommendations and/or perspective given to the elders is still up to the elders of that church to consider, adopt or reject as the case may be.

How do finances work?

Central costs +

Resound would aim to run on a lean budget and only do things that the central organisation alone can do to serve the churches.

The central organisation of the Resound will not become a funding agency that holds funds and gives to plants or churches. Rather, local churches will have the privilege and responsibility of directing their finances to support others in Resound. The reason for this is that we are not trying to create a super administrative structure that serves churches, but rather for each church to feel the weight of funding and supporting other churches. This means that the action takes place at the local churches which are empowered to support churches rather than simply to delegate it to Resound's leadership. This helps to retain local church autonomy and the governance of elders in the mission of their churches.

Having said this, as Resound grows it will need some administrative support (eg: for conferences) and services (website) which will require some funding. Every year Resound organisation will have a budget published which we hope partnering churches will commit to funding.

Commitment from partnering churches +

Partnering churches could contribute to these central services by either making pledges at the beginning of the year, once the proposed budget for the following year has been put together and presented.

We encourage partner churches to, in response to the gospel, be committed to giving generously of their funds to missions (the advancing of the gospel outside of their local church). Whilst churches are free to give as and where they feel lead to do so, it is encouraged to direct the majority of funds towards churches and ministries that are more like-minded.

Whilst understanding that there is no biblical requirement to do so, some of our churches aim to follow the biblical principle of the tithe and therefore aim give at least 10% of their funds towards such missions endeavours.

A sense of partnering together +

The fact that partnering churches do not contribute a % to a central fund does not mean that partnering churches are not collaborating together on planting churches. A meaningful way of collaborating will be to put budgets together for church plants and then go to churches to ask for who wants to contribute towards these projects.

Would there be training & development of new pastors?

Theological Training of pastors happens at the local church level. We recommend theological education for pastors, and believe this can happen whilst people are serving in the local church through online or part time courses, and specific training on our 8 values will be done by leaders of Resound.

I’m interested in being part of Resound. What’s the next step?

Email us at info@resoundchurches.org and we’ll be happy to chat more with you!

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