ASAP in Church Planting: What should I do first? #churchplantingfaq
When starting a new church or anything else, getting off to a good start is very important. A great question I’ve been asked several times this year – “What should I do first?” I wrote about what to do BEFORE starting a church and what to do in THE FIRST YEAR of a new church. But what should I be most concerned about in the very beginning, the first quarter, of a new church planting project. Looking back at my three first quarters of church planting projects, here’s what I’d do before I ever start to think about finding a building, getting a 501(c)3, or hiring a worship leader.
1. Gather partners.
Before getting on the field, you should have been developing a network of partners for prayer, financial support, etc. Establishing good communication patterns at the very beginning is essential. Every Monday email, closed Facebook group, hard copy E-newsletter, discipline on reporting if you’re partnering with an organization that requires a monthly report. Get in a rhythm of sharing with your partners early. And continue to work your plan to develop & establish good partnerships.
2. Meet some new people.
Establish yourself as a people person immediately. Build some relationships, get to know your neighbors, stick your nose in some conversations at a coffee shop, & share the gospel. If you get into month 3 or 4 & you don’t have some relationships on the field, the walls will start closing in & the loneliness will begin to stifle you. And these relationships will hopefully give you some soundbites to communicate needs to your partners & some potential core team members as well. I used Dan Morgan’s KISS method as a strategy for meeting new people: Know a name, get Involved, Share your Story, Share the Gospel.
3. Gather at least one circle.
Three keys to church planting: Gather, Gather, Gather. To grow the church, you’ll need to effectively gather CIRCLES (small groups), ROWS (worship gatherings), CROWDS (special events). Right now, focus on gathering one circle by inviting some of the people you meet to a Bible Study. You may be blessed to have a launch team from a sending church to help you form a circle. If so, work hard to keep that circle open to the unchurched. Or start a second circle for the unchurched. The more circles the first year, the better.
4. Meet with a coach/mentor.
Most church planters have read widely before getting on the field. You’ve got a ton of ideas. You’ve kept up with what others are doing. You need to establish some relationships with people that can help you focus on the best courses of action right now. A good coach or mentor will hold you accountable, help you process & sort through plans & ideas, & give you honest feedback. Eventually, you’ll have a team inside your church that can help with some of this, but now you need trusted advisors on the outside that believe in you, love you, & want to see your church succeed. In my experience, the closer to the field your working that they are, the better. Don’t wait until you need some advice. You need it now whether you know it or not. Establish a pattern of meeting with someone in the first month.
5. Establish patterns of devotion & rest.
One hour each day, one day each week, one weekend per month, two weeks per year. Plan out when you’re going to spend time with God, what will be your day off, date nights, vacations. Running past your devotional life & seasons of refreshing will lead to a quick flame out for most church planters.
So, a good checklist for the first 3-6 months of church planting:
- How many partners do I have? Have I communicated with them effectively?
- How many names do I know in the community?
- How many circles have I started?
- Who is my coach or mentor(s)? And when do we meet?
- Have I rested well this quarter?
What’s Up With the Local Baptist Association?
In Louisiana, there are 32 Associations of Southern Baptist Churches. Each Fall, my job as Church Planting Strategist with the Louisiana Baptists allows me to attend 6-8 of their annual meetings. This year, I attended meetings in several different parts of the state. I love Associations & Associational Annual meetings, because I love LOCAL. And it’s in the local that you can get a glimpse of the Southern Baptist Convention at the ground level. For those of you who don’t know, Associations are basically regional networks of Southern Baptist churches that affiliate based on their geography. We have associations with as few as 15 churches and as many as 120 in Louisiana. Each Association has a Director (the DOM), a slate of officers, and ministry teams that have various functions from church revitalization to disaster relief. Each Association has 2-3 Executive Board meetings each year. Executive Boards are made up of pastors and members of local Southern Baptist churches. Each Association has one Annual Meeting, usually in the Fall, where business is conducted and budgets are set for the following year. Churches voluntarily give a set amount or percentage of their budgets to the local association.
Here’s a few encouraging observations after attending about 15 Associational Annual Meetings over the last few years:
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Young Pastors are showing up, serving, and asking questions when they have opportunity.
Two of the largest associations in our state had moderators that were under 40 last year. Younger pastors seem not only interested in, but excited about being part of what’s happening locally and in supporting their local association.
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The Southern Baptist Convention is growing at the Associational level.
Every Annual Meeting I attended this year had new congregations affiliating and being voted in as member churches. The Association is where you join in Southern Baptist life. Connecting at the national and state levels is through voluntary financial contributions. It’s great to see churches choosing the deeper connection and accountability that local affiliation provides.
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Strategies are not monolithic and that’s OK with everyone.
Each association seems to go about the work a little differently. Some are more institutional, other are more organic and network like. Some are more pastor focused, others are more missions focused. Interestingly enough, they all work when the people agree and engage. There’s no sense of competition or “why don’t we do it more like…” among associations.
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Much great work is being done that you and I will never know about.
The southern baptist association is not a big conference topic and the small church pastors, or big church pastors in smaller towns, that are usually more engaged in associational life, may never write a book or speak at a major conference. However, the innovation and creativity and passion for the local mission always amazes me when I’m able to gather with a local association.
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Generational gaps in methodology appear to be closing.
A few years ago, there seemed to be present among younger and older pastors an “us” vs. “them” mentality toward the how to’s of church and outreach and ministry. That gap appears to be closing. The older generation is amen-ing and cheering on the younger. The younger generation are asking question of the older. All are seeing the culture changes shaking our foundation as bigger than fighting for my preferred methodology or philosophy.
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Local churches are meeting each others needs through their associations.
When churches experience conflict, face property damage, pastors experience debilitating health issues, churches experience the loss of a pastor, etc., it’s beautiful to see the local associations of churches work toward providing for their sister congregations.
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There are questions about the future, but the Local Association is not going away.
Attendance at associational meetings seem to be growing, not shrinking. Shifts are taking place to make associations more nimble and flexible for the sake of the mission. Thom Rainer reports that there are only 575 out of 51,000 southern baptist churches that have over 1,000 in attendance. Dr. Chuck Kelley reported that 90% of all SBC churches have 250 people or less attending worship on any given Sunday. Nearly 70% of all SBC churches have 100 or fewer in attendance each week. It’s these churches that need and are seeking the fellowship of fellow pastors and missions leaders at the associational and state level. Institutions are adjusting. There are questions about the future, but these networks do not appear to be going anywhere.
Find out more about the Baptist Associations in Louisiana HERE. For an overview of Southern Baptist life and where Associations fit in, check out this Presentation.
Here’s a few of my pics from Annual Meetings this year.
In the Wake of a Godly Family
I recently became the owner of a small boat that will primarily be enjoyed on a river with many very large boats. So, I’ve had to learn how to maneuver the wakes of these vessels. The smoothest ride is provided when you can be behind a large vessel so that you can be IN their wake. Outside that wake will be a rough ride. There’s a parallel here to life and family. We’re all experiencing the wakes of the people that have gone before us. The Bible says that we can make it easier for those coming behind us, by the way we live our lives.
“the offspring of the righteous will be delivered” Proverbs 11:21
“in the fear of the Lord one has strong confidence, and his children will have a refuge” Proverbs 14:26
“The righteous who walks in his integrity – blessed are his children after him” Proverbs 20:7
Last week was the funeral for one of my mother’s older brothers. Marty was 73, and he was the first of Joe & Jack Francis’ eleven children to pass away. This gave me an opportunity to thank God for the grace of being a part of a Godly family and the wake that I now follow in. Joe and Jack, my Grandparents, were married over 50 years. They built a successful business which they were able to pass on to their sons. They served God faithfully as deacon in several local churches. They were known for their radical generosity. They set a compelling example and prayed for their family. Now, eleven children who have been self-sufficient and are living well. Thirty grandchildren and forty-five plus (I’ve lost count) great-grandchildren are thriving. And the great-great grandkids are the pride of the bunch. It’s not perfect, but to be a part of this family is to know that you’re a part of something special.
Joe & Jack Francis
Often times, when things go well for me, often in spite of me, I believe that its because God is keeping His promises to and answering the prayers of Joe and Jack Francis, and to those before and around them who devoted themselves to His purposes and to passing on a godly legacy to their future generations. I’m grateful for the kind wake that they have left for me and my children behind me. Praying that I can keep sailing smooth for my future generations.
Consider what kind of wake are you leaving for those who will follow you. God can redeem any story. If your fore-bearers were negligent, let it START with you.
Francis siblings. Last pic with Marty.
Francis Family reunion a few years ago.
The Gravitational Pull of Any Church #quotes #booksworthreading
The gravitational pull of any church is toward insiders, not outsiders. Left unattended, your church will become a place where preference
s of the members trump passion for the mission. There are two primary ways to address this drift:
- In every decision, focus on what you want to reach, not on who you want to keep.
- Commit to losing yourself for the sake of finding others.
people automatically respond with “What about me and my needs?
… People who focus on helping others and honoring Christ soon discover that their needs are met far more deeply than they ever experienced otherwise.
Carey Nieuwhof in his incredible new book Lasting Impact: 7 Powerful Conversations That Will Help Your Church Grow.
Things Spiritual Infants Say #discipleship #spiritualmaturity
How can I know where I am or where those I’m trying to disciple and lead are spiritually? Try listening. My last post was about Things Spiritual Giants Say. A few years ago, I posted about Jim Putman’s great book Real-Life Discipleship: Equipping Disciples Who Make Disciples. In the book, he breaks down five stages of spiritual maturity by what will be common phrases for a person at each stage. Jesus said, “The mouth speaks from the overflow of the heart” (Matthew 12:34 HCSB), so our words reveal our spiritual condition.
Spiritual Infant
- “I don’t have to go to church to be a Christian.”
- “I pray and read my Bible. That’s good enough for me.”
- “I didn’t know the Bible said that.”
- “Jesus helps me be a good person. I don’t need church.”
- Characterized by ignorance, confusion, dependence, worldly perspective.
- Needs personal attention of a spiritual parent, teaching and modeling the Christian faith, accountability to develop new habits.
Spiritual Child
- “My church isn’t taking care of my needs.”
- “I didn’t like the music today. If only they did it like…”
- “I love my small group; don’t add more people to it.”
- “I’m not being fed at my church, so I’m going to a church that can meet my needs better.”
- Characterized by self-centeredness, pride, idealism, spiritual highs and lows.
- Needs relational connections to a church family, help to start feeding themselves, teaching about identity in Christ.
Spiritual Young Adult
- “I love my small group, but there are others who need a group like this.”
- “Randy and Rachel missed church today. Their kids have the flu, maybe our group could make meals for them. I’ll start.”
- “I have some friends I’ve been witnessing to. I think I could lead a Bible Study for them with a little help.”
- “In my devotions, I came across something I have a question about.”
- Characterized by action, zeal, God-centered, others-centered, independent, desire to serve others.
- Needs opportunities to serve, ongoing relationships that offer encouragement, accountability and skills training.
Spiritual Parent
- “This guy at work asked me to explain the Bible to him. Pray for me.”
- “Our small group is going on a mission trip, and I have given each person a different responsibility.”
- “We get to baptize someone from my small group today. I want them to get plugged into a ministry right away.”
- Characterized by intentionality, reproduction mindset, dependability, desire to see others mature.
- Needs ongoing relationships with other disciple makers, a team approach, accountability and encouragement.
So where are you? If you’re moving toward spiritual maturity you may want to get this book or the training manual to learn more about how to be a spiritual parent and make disciples who make disciples. Here’s a few other great quotes from the manual:
- Every Christian is commanded to participate in the mission to make disciples.
- Your work is complete when the person you are discipling can make a disciple.
- The church was not designed to be a group of spectators who attend weekly lectures; it was designed to be a trained army with a powerful message.
- We cannot change the definition of discipleship to sit and listen and then expect to make disciples as Jesus did.
- Don’t mistake Bible Knowledge, years of church attendance, physical age, education, and so forth for spiritual maturity.
- A church is successful when everyone is in the game, maturing into disciples who can reproduce disciples.
- Relationships create the environment where discipleship happens best.
- Serving produces players, not spectators. Service helps a disciple develop and mature.
Things Spiritual Giants Say
I’ve known what I’d consider a few spiritual giants in my life. These are spiritually mature people who I’ve looked to for encouragement & as an example of faith and discipline and spiritual growth. In thinking about what leads to spiritual growth, I got to thinking about their stories and their paths and what I’ve heard these people say about their own growth. What were the catalyst for them? Here’s a few that I remember:
“I surrendered my life to Christ when I was __ years old.”
Spiritually mature people can point to a time when they began their journey with God and they see that event as a catalyst for almost everything in their lives.
“I was reading the Bible the other day and…” or “It’s like the Bible says…”
Spiritually mature people have devotional habits like Bible reading that give them a foundation for decision making and life.
“I met ____ and they helped me understand God’s will more clearly.”
Spiritually mature people often point to catalytic relationships that spurred them on in their spiritual growth & pursuit of Christ. A pastor, a small group leader, a godly friend or family member.
“I was on a mission trip in ____ and…” or “I got involved in the ____ ministry of my church and…”
Spiritually mature people are always on mission. You’ll find them on mission trips, leading ministries, opening their homes, cooking, serving, sharing, giving.
“Life took a turn for the worse, but God & my church family gave me strength.”
Spiritually mature people often experienced hardships and tragedy, but they can point to the good and to God’s providential hand at work in the situation. And they can often testify that the hardship was a catalyst for growth and for deeper dependence upon God and others.
“Can I help you with anything?” or “Can I pray for you about anything?” or “How are you doing?”
Spiritually mature people are focused on others. Visit with them and you’ll leave with more than you came with – spiritually and maybe physically. Always giving, always pointing to others.
So, are you and I on the path to spiritual maturity?
- Can you point to a time when you began a relationship with God?
- Do you practice daily devotional habits that shape the way you live?
- Do you have catalytic relationships that challenge you? Or are you in the right place for these to happen?
- Are you on mission? Are you serving others through your church or some other way?
- Have you allowed the circumstances and hardships of your life to aid your dependence on God and spiritual growth?
- Are focused on others or yourself?
Like a Blur… A Church Planter’s Sunday
His office is his dining room table. His pulpit is a music stand. His breakfast on Sunday is adrenaline & coffee (& maybe Red Bull). On Sunday, he’s often a Pastor / Worship Leader / Sound Guy / Church Secretary / Church Administrator / Children’s Minister / Janitor. He can type the bulletin, enter the power point presentation, run the sound board, make copies, make coffee, change diapers, repair sound equipment, setup the chairs, preach the sermon. He uploads the sermon to iTunes & then to Facebook WHILE greeting every guest, thanking every volunteer, cleaning up a few spills, downing another Red Bull. First one there, last one to leave. Grateful for my church planting brothers this morning.
(adapted from personal experience & from the experiences of those I know on the front lines of planting new churches in North America).
The Bane of Thankfulness #devo #wesley
You have abundant reason to praise God, both for spiritual and temporal blessings. Beware of indulging gloomy thoughts: they are the bane of thankfulness. You are encompassed with ten thousand mercies, let these sink you into humble thankfulness.
John Wesley, in a letter published in the Works of John Wesley
The Dragon Slayer vs. The Fly Swatter
The older I get, the more clearly I can see the big things – DRAGONS TO SLAY – that the little distractions – FLIES TO SWAT – keep me from working on. There are a lot of little flies out there that can keep us distracted from giving our lives to a mission bigger than ourselves & that will outlast this world. I want to live out my life Slaying Dragons & not just Swatting Flies. Here’s a few on my list:
DRAGONS TO SLAY:
- A majority of the world & my community are facing eternity without Christ.
- Discipling & capturing the heart of my kids.
- Loving my wife as I love myself.
- Overcoming my own selfishness & sin so that I can experience personal spiritual growth for myself & others.
- Financial discipline & good stewardship.
- Encouraging those who are losing hope.
- Leading a church that makes disciples & glorifies God.
- Living healthy so that I can be my best for God & my family for the longest possible time.
- Fatherless kids without mentorship.
FLIES TO SWAT:
- What other people think about me, my work, & my tribe.
- The latest gadgets & gizmos.
- “Must see TV.”
- The Facebook Newsfeed. (A swarm of flies of Biblical proportions on there!)
- Taking refuge (beyond just general enjoyment) in the things of this world – food, entertainment, etc.
- Being satisfied with the way things are.
- What people are NOT doing.
- Relying on my own strength instead of God’s power.
- Petty issues that bring divisions between God’s people.
Are you swatting flies or slaying dragons?
What Should I Wear? #devo
This is a key question to ask for those who want to be an effective witness for Christ. Are you serious? The clothes I wear impacts my impact on others? Well, maybe, but I’m talking about what ATTITUDE & DISPOSITION you wear everyday. In today’s world, your disposition & attitude are a tremendous opportunity for evangelism. People are so beat down & discouraged & negative. If they see the joy of the Lord in you, they’ll want to know what the heck happened to you. People of salvation should be the most joyful people around. We have ETERNAL LIFE! Direct access to the God of the universe! The promise that Jesus is living in us & is with us ALWAYS! & so much more. I’ve met a few people that have said to me “I’m a Christian” & I thought about responding to them with, “Well, you better tell your face about it.”
Colossians 3:12-13 says, “as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, PUT ON a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you.”
If you WEAR compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience, forgiveness, you WILL stand out wherever you are today AND overtime someone will want to know how & why you’re different. (Check out THIS GREAT LIST of other things that the Bible says we should PUT OFF & PUT ON).
Even Christians who are experiencing less than joyful circumstances often will be recognized by the inner joy they carry. Joy is in believers, not because of what’s on the outside, but because of what’s on the inside. Like a bird that sings during a hurricane. His song reflects what’s inside, not what’s on the outside.
So, what are you wearing today? Put on Christ-like character & the joy of the Lord & get ready to make a difference!
This is a summary from part of Sunday’s message at Bridge Church. Get the audio here.
Lane Corley 