Church Planting Residency

Support Tory Arnesen

In the Summer of 2017, Tory Arnesen joined Terra Nova as our first official Church Planting Resident. We believe this Residency Program will help bridge Tory from his seminary training to having a pastoral foundation that is honed within the local church by developing his spiritual life & calling in the context of community alongside seasoned pastors and other residents.

We would encourage you to learn more about our vision and strategy for our Residency Program here. Below you can interact with and learn more about Tory’s Residency process, timing and the people involved. We’d love to invite you to invest into Tory’s future by supporting him for the next 1-2 years as he is equipped with the tools for an effective and enduring ministry in the Northeast.

Meet Tory Arnesen

Church Planting Resident

Tory is from Princeton, NJ and attended Messiah College to study Criminal Justice, but the Lord set him on a path to ministry during his senior year. This past Spring, Tory graduated from the Liberty University School of Divinity in the Biblical Studies Program, Pre-PHD.

For the past 5-years, Tory has led young adult groups in Princeton, NJ and Lynchburg, VA, been in Student Government Leadership, served as a Graduate Assistant, and served as an interim pastor at Bunker Hill Church in Princeton, NJ for 5-months.

Tory is passionate about knowing the Lord and making Him known. He desires to see the Lord save and revive countless souls in the near future. This is what has led Tory to Terra Nova’s Residency Program; so the Lord can enable him to faithfully serve as a pastor in the Northeast for the long-term.

Meet Tory Arnesen

Church Planting Resident

Meet Ed Marcelle

Church Planting Director

Ed is the founding pastor of the Terra Nova Network, including its first two churches in Troy and Saratoga Springs, NY. He has served as a regional church planting director for MissionNortheast and the Acts 29 Northeast for ten years. Ed has assessed, coached, and consulted with dozens of church planters and denominations throughout the Northeast and Canada.

Born and raised in Albany, NY, Ed returned in 1996 with his family, upon his graduation from seminary, to the Albany area to plant King’s Chapel. Ten years later, he led the launch of Terra Nova. Terra Nova has thrived in the intervening years and multiplied to two churches in 2013. Leadership Development within the church has played a critical role in surfacing and preparing leaders of the churches – including the newest Terra Nova Church in North Adams, MA. Ed has worked to build a culture of leadership “catch and release” at Terra Nova that has now developed into this Residency Process.

Ed holds a Master of Arts in Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. He and his wife Diane have been married for 27-years and have four grown children who know live in three different states.

Meet Ed Marcelle

Church Planting Director
  1. Session 1
    Church Immersion
  2. Session 2
    CHURCH OVERVIEW
  3. Session 3
    CHURCH NETWORKING
  4. Session 4
    Church Planting
  • Visionary Leader | Mission & Vision
  • Directional Leader | Core Values & Strategy
  • Culture Builder | Community & Language

This session’s focus is for the Resident to be exposed to and immersed in the life of Terra Nova. It will be heavy on observation and follow up Q&A discussions with key leaders and pastors. It is less about work being done and more about foundation building for future ministry.

  • Discipleship Philosophy & Structure
  • Church Oversight & Organization
  • Worship & Sunday Gathered Operations
  • Self Assessments & Life Maps

The session’s focus is for the Resident to see various aspects of church life. As a leader, you may not be gifted in each area or be involved in each area – but you will be responsible for their leadership and oversight. There is no better way to learn ministry than rolling up your sleeves to serve and learn from those who do much of the leg work.

  • Gather Core Team / Leaders
  • Network & Denominational Assessments
  • Network with Local Churches

This session’s focus is to begin to build relationships with the Church Planter to his future core group, leadership team, other local churches and the networks/denominations he may become a part of. All the while, receiving coaching and guidance from local church pastors.

  • Develop & Cast Vision
  • Gather Core Community Regularly
  • Formulate & Launch Fundraising Plan
  • Core Leadership Development

This session’s focus is to start assembling all the pieces of the Church Plant – its people, its place & its provisions – with a goal of launching within 12-18 months. The completion of the Residency is met with the beginning of a Pastoral Cohort Training & Care Program led by Elliot Grudem.

Learn more about financial needs and breakdown in the FAQ below

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I've had the privilege of knowing Ed Marcelle for almost a decade. He is passionate about seeing lives transformed by the Gospel. I remember hearing Ed talk about opportunities to be multiple churches in multiple locations and watched him pray and hustle and it's now a reality. It's a joy to serve Jesus with Ed in Acts 29.

Matt Chandler Acts 29 Network
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Pastors don't often have a ton of close friends. They have even fewer pastors that really care for their souls. Ed is both to me: a dear friend and faithful pastor. I'm extremely thankful for him. I am also thankful I get to work alongside him to see Jesus' gospel advanced through planting churches.

Elliot Grudem The Leaders Collective
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I am so glad to partner with the Terra Nova Network. Ed Marcelle is one of my heroes. He reliably shares the wisdom that God has given to him, and he readily shows the love of our Lord. I’m looking forward to seeing how God uses Terra in the future; and together we pray that many people will come to meet, know, and follow Jesus.

Brent Allen Converge Northeast
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Over the last ten years, its been a privilege to watch Terra Nova make disciples and see God’s work multiply in other places. I am grateful for Pastor Ed – his leadership and heart for God . I not only respect him as a tremendous Gospel influencer but also love him as a dear friend.

Hal Haller Baptist Convention of New York
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Ed Marcelle is one of the most genuinely reflective leaders I know. He preaches thoughtfully, he leads wisely, and he thinks deeply. I’m honored to call him a friend and a partner in ministry, and I’m grateful for the influence of Terra Nova Church throughout the Northeast.

Bob Thune Coram Deo Church

More About Terra Nova

Our Story & Vision

We are a family of growing Christ-centered and missionally minded churches with a heart for the Northeast. So, we are launching this new church-planting residency designed to invest into the future church in a place centrally located within the Northeast.

We are a family of three churches: Troy, NY, Saratoga Springs, NY and North Adams, MA. The church was launched in 2006 in Troy with a vision to be a family of independent, yet deeply interdependent churches working together in the Northeast. You can read more about our Story and see how we envision the family of churches working together. Currently, around 450 people consider one of the Terra Nova churches their home church.

 

FAQ

FAQ Frequently Asked Questions

Why is a Church Planting Residenty needed in the Northeast?

Recently, Barna has released several reports that show the Northeast region of the United States as America’s mission field. The top seven post-Christian cities in America are in the Northeast. And four of the top five least Bible-minded cities in America are located in the Northeast, with the Capital District of NY (Terra Nova’s home) topping the list.

These stats break our heart for our home. The Northeast has a rich spiritual heritage, and we long for revival here. We believe God has called us to be a future minded church that invests into young leaders for the sake of the next generation of the church.

How long is the Residency Program?

We anticipate the Residency Program to span 12-18 months.

How much are you looking to raise to pay for the Residency?

The Residency Program will cost approximately $75k annually. The main expenses include a Resident’s full-time salary, a part-time salary for the director, and some ministry operation and development costs.

The costs will be covered as follows:

  • $35k will be invested by Terra Nova Network.
  • $25k to be raised from churches/networks.
  • $15k to be raised from individuals.

As part of the Residency, Tory will be asked to help raise the support from churches, networks and individuals under the coaching and guidance of the Terra Nova elders.

Is my support for Tory a tax-deductible gift?

Yes, Terra Nova Church holds its own IRS 501(c)3 approval letter and all gifts given to support Tory are tax deductible. You will receive a tax receipt at the end of the giving process. If you set up a recurring gift, you will be emailed a tax receipt automatically when each gift occurs.

Can I set up a recurring gift?

Yes. When you give you will be able to chose to either make a one-time donation, or a set up a recurring gift.

What are the Beliefs & Values of Terra Nova?

You can learn much more about us HERE. You will be able to interact with our Statement of Faith and explore what we believe about the Gospel, Core Values, Discipleship, and how we read the Bible.

What does Terra Nova mean?

Terra Nova is Latin and literally translated would be: Terra (ground, earth) and Nova (new fresh)

Our name is meant to serve as a constant reminder that our future is unwritten, but that we desire to remain following the Lord as we plant churches for the next generation. Personally and together we desire to follow Him into fresh ground, or new earth … Terra Nova.

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