Tweet One of the most feared sermon messages, at least from personal experience, appears to be a message about money. Still, giving is a part of a maturing believer’s experience….
Recently I spoke to a group of church planters. My assigned task was to share the “3 most important steps to launching” a church plant in my opinion and experience. After the times of prayer…when you know you have a God-given assignment to plant a church…what next?
Here is what I shared. I believe these are similar for beginning any project.
One thing pastors love is church visitors. Really, what we like even more is church visitors who become regular church attenders, but that process starts with visitors. It’s always a mystery why some visit and never come back. The reasons may be the subject of another post, but one thing I’ve learned, much of the chance for return depends on what type of visitor the visitor happens to be.
I have discovered there are basically 5 types of visitors to a church:
I see a growing interest in encouragement to sacrifice everything for the sake of the Gospel. I love that kind of passion. We see so many examples of it in Scripture and many are listed in the chronicles of faith in Hebrews Chapter 11. There have been a few times in my life where I’ve sensed a specific call to do something so drastic, so seemingly bizarre, so faith-stretching, that even thinking about those decisions today seems scary.
I wonder, however, if that expectation is unrealistic when applied to all of us at all times. Is it okay, should God allow it, to live a “normal” faith at times…to not feel like everything is on the line…but rather feel like you’re in a safe place…depending on a regular paycheck, in a steady job, with a healthy church…for example? Would that be considered okay and still be considered radical in your faith?
Just asking…
Recently I was reading John 7:1,
Tweet Recently, I shared with Grace Community Church the purpose of the church. I’m not sure we always get it right. What do you think the purpose of the church…
Just a quick reminder…
If you only follow the rules others set for you…
If you only do what others call “safe”…
If you never risk it all…
If you never step out of the norm…
There’s a chance….
We have had an incredible journey these last five years as a new church. God continues to amaze us. I am consistently asked the story of starting Grace Community Church. Specifically other planters want to know what we did prior to launch. I’ve been asked enough that I thought it was worth sharing here.
The vision for Grace was placed on my heart 10 years before this process began. There were three of us sharing the vision, but the other two moved, I wasn’t in full-time ministry at the time, so the dream basically died…at least to me.
That’s when our timeline begins in May of 2004:
It’s Monday morning…
I have spoken with many pastors who share a common struggle with each other. If it was a good Sunday…one where God’s Spirit was at work…during the 24-hour period from Sunday noon and Monday noon…they face doubt and frustration.
Yesterday was one of those days for me. I know I was speaking truth. I know God was working, but I was teaching on marriage to many who are undergoing tough times in their marriage. It was hard and I felt as though I was adding insult to injury to many. I left feeling down and allowing the enemy to discourage me.
I am blessed to have several in our church sensitive to this issue…or sensitive to God’s Spirit in their own life. Yesterday afternoon I received this email from someone in our church:
Dear church planter (and others)…
In the growth phase, everything is changing, life moves at rocket pace…
Somedays you don’t know whether you are coming or going…
It’s a bit overwhelming, stressful, even a bit scary at times…
I hear this often from new church plants and fast growing churches…
I feel (and identify with) your pain…
I see part of my calling to help church leaders during this time…
I pray you protect your heart and your family…
But…