About once a week, or sometimes more frequently, I get an email from someone who says they feel led to plant a church. They almost always have the same questions.
What do I do now? What’s my first step?
After answering dozens of times, I decided to put my thoughts in a post.
Step one: Run as fast as you can!
Just kidding. Although that does give you a testimony like Jonah. And just kidding again.
Here are 5 immediate steps I would recommend:
Check your heart
Are you sure planting is what you are being called to do or is it a desire because everyone else is doing it? We need lots of church planters, but we also need people willing to help established churches thrive.
Make sure you know what you’re getting into is actually what God’s drawing you into.
Check your spouse’s heart
Church planting is not a sole venture. No ministry is for that matter. If you are married, you will need to be on the same page with your spouse.
Trying to do this without complete buy in from both parties will destroy one or the other – the church plant or the marriage.
Determine where you feel called to plant
Much of your future steps will depend on this one. I think God gives tremendous latitude in this. We need churches in lots of places – small towns and big towns. But this will be one of the most difficult decisions you make if you don’t know.
I once thought I wanted to plant in New York City. But when I spent time talking to God about this, I sensed Him pointing me in another direction.
Find others interested
If you tell me you can’t find anyone – and I hear it often – I’d question how successful you are going to be. As in 1 Kings 19, in my experience, God is always “reserving” (1 Kings 19:18) people who He plans to use in the vision He is shaping in you.
To build a body you need those who are part of the body to start.
Find experienced help
It can be a denomination, another church, or an experienced pastor or mentor, but don’t do church planting alone. Let me say that a little clearer. DON’T DO IT ALONE.
Too much has been learned about church planting to miss out on someone else’s experience.
It’s hard work to change what’s established already but so is church planting.
I really like to see a church built on nearby meadows or some grass lands. It looks nature-friendly, serene and more spiritual.
Do you have all the skills and training you need? Are you fully prepared? If I had done a little more preparation then I would have achieved a lot more a lot sooner.
Good word. I wrote a post called “17 months to launch”. Take your time.
HI Ron;
When concerning church planting or as some may say planting churches, we have to consider the cost involved.
The Lord told His disciples they are to count the cost. For the Lord prepares us. Remember the parable of the builder and the king wanting to go to war. Both the builder and the king had to count their cost involved. There is definitely a price to be paid. It is important for us that we make absolutely certain, where the Lord is leading.
The cost is not just monetary or financial alone. There are other matters to consider, besides financial gain. When our motives just concern financial gain, we may have to check our motives. When concerning church plants; We have to be willing: – 1) To relate to their society.
2) Their social standing.
Paul said; he became all things for all men so that he would be able to share the Gospel with them, even if only one would be saved. His ministry, even cost him his life. He suffered much for the Kingdom of God.
This may mean you live in more than one culture. Which may make us participants of a dual or multi culture. We therefore may have to adopt those nations, ethnic and people groups, cultures which may be foreign to our own culture, cultural, racial background.
For there is a definite price involved. Are we prepared to give up our own kindred, nationality , family or people. When the Lord called Abraham, He told him to leave his people, country, land for the promise, which he received from the Lord. Jonah had also been required, of the Lord to leave his people and go to Nineveh. A nation, city foreign to his roots.
We need to hear specifically from the Lord, when we become involved with any church plant initiative. The price is high, which is true, yet when we act in obedience to the Lord's direction, His calling the reward is greatly worthwhile. We are not only to evangelize, we also need to make disciples of all nations. The whole earth is sure to be filled with the fullness of His Glory.
God's original blueprint, plan is to draw all mankind, all nations toward Him. When involved in church planting, we are to show our chosen community, God's Love toward them. Remember He first loved us! He also chose us, to be His representatives, (we may even say His Ambassadors;); toward their society.
There is still much to say, icw this topic. The Lord needs us to become His ambassadors, to the nations. Are we willing to pay the price? The rewards are able to stretch throughout all eternity. Remember the Lord is able to do far abundantly above that which we think or imagine. He anoints us to act as church planters. He also equips us, to fulfill the calling, He places on us, ie on our our lives. Surely the whole world we be filled with His Glory.
Together In the Lord's Harvest
Ian R Lottering
founder/administrator
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dd2013-10-25
Good stuff. Thanks for helping this post.
I wish your work will always have convenient and high yield, thank you for sharing the information.
Ron,
Not only do all of the above need to be checked and completed but we need church planters with a desire and heart to evangelize the people they are seeking to reach.
Another question not asked many times when someone is struggling with planting a church is, "What people, community, town, or city does God want me to evangelize?" I think planting a church has become the focus while ignoring the people in the community.
The apostle Paul was not a church planter as some say. He was a missionary evangelist with a goal and purpose was to make disciples of Jesus Christ. The church was the out come, or result of the intentional evangelistic teaching and preaching by Paul.
We can see that Paul's strategy was evangelism at the beginning with disciple making including making more evangelistic disciples. Paul had to first win souls before starting churches from Jerusalem to the capital city of the world, Rome.
God's plan for making disciples over the span of thirty years across 1,500 miles by sea included that disciples be won first and then the new believers became part of the universal church and later grouped into "house churches."
Good word. Thank you for adding to this post.