Dwight Huffman is the strategy coordinator for Western Canada. He has developed a church planting method for his area called the Alberta Strategy. His method focuses on three distinct phases – scouting, pioneering and settling. All three phases recognize the importance of typical church members.

Scouting is the process of exploring new communities to discover God’s activity and to identify strategic contacts. A strategic contact has been identified when he or she expresses interest in hosting a pioneer group. Activities used to discover a strategic contact person might include prayer walking, relational interviews, community assessment, community barbeques, block parties, acts of kindness, sports clinics, and community service.  The Scouting process is considered complete when the strategic contact or contacts have been discovered, and the information has been passed on to the Strategic Coordinator for that region or people group.

Pioneering is a three-phase process that begins with the building of a trust relationship with the strategic contact in a new community.  A major portion of time will be spent gathering and networking new relationships for the purpose of building community around the Word of God.  The role of a Pioneer is also to discover the readiness of the group to move towards becoming a Church Plant.  At this point, the Pioneer partners with the Strategic Coordinator to identify a Church Planter. The more urban the area, the more likely there will need to be multiple Pioneer Groups.  The Pioneering process is considered complete when the Church Planter arrives on the field.

In Settling, the Church Planter is responsible for leading Pioneer groups to become healthy, reproducing, cooperating CCSB churches.  It involves organizing and constituting the existing group to appropriately relate to the Community, the Provincial Government, and the CCSB.  It also involves discovering, developing and deploying new leaders for the church.  The Church Planting process is considered complete when the group identifies itself as a church, and relates to the CCSB.

"Colorado has a unique opportunity with Canada,” says Ron Clement.  We’ve been considered a pioneer state for so long.  We’ve learned to be dependent on God and to maintain that dependence.  Now is a difficult time in Canada’s culture.  It is critical we step up efforts to spread the gospel."

TEN WAYS YOU OR YOUR CHURCH CAN PARTNER WITH WESTERN CANADA

• Adopt a city or region.  Research the area on the internet and begin praying for the Lord of the Harvest to send workers to the area.  Begin your research at http://www.ccsb.ca/.
• Partner with a First Nations people group or tribe, coordinating your efforts with the First Nations Peoples strategy coordinator.
• Become a Strategy Coordinator.  Churches with a passion for Canada can take responsibility for tracking status and mobilizing missions in an unreached part of Canada.
• Send college students to Crossover, a summer mission’s experience.
• Send high school students to Mfuge in Calgary.
• Plan a scouting vacation.  Contact the strategy coordinator in the area you plan to visit and ask for ways you can help.  It can be as simple as asking questions or as practical as picking up trash.
• Pray to the Lord of the Harvest so send workers to Canada.

For more specific information about partnership missions in Western Canada, contact Ron Clement at 303-771-2480 ext. 236 or by email at rclement@cbgc.org.