Cold Hard Facts On Church Planting, PART 7

I hope you're still with us on this important church planting journey.  I just received a message from a planter celebrating 5 years at his current plant.  He stated that he wished he had such a list when he launched.  Please read and process these facts.

17. You'll  have to suffer through some major disloyalty in the process of building the right team. 

This is one of the most difficult lessons that a church planter will have to learn.  However, I say with confidence that you really need to embrace this process.  Let me say right up front that not everyone who leaves the team or the church for that matter are your enemy.  Sometimes people move away and often times the Lord will lead folks into a new ministry endeavor.  But here's the real facts.  Staff members WILL burn you.  It's something that you have got to endure but you will rarely see it coming.  Let me interject here that my lovely wife ALWAYS saw it coming but I was too proud to listen to her godly advice.  When we went through our name change, music change and ministry philosophy overhaul, we not only lost a few families, we lost valuable staff members.  Sometimes they leave quietly, but sometimes they will go on a "this place sucks and you need to leave with me right now" campaign. However it happens, just know that it is going to happen.  It may be a super smooth transition or it may totally rock your world and congregation for a long time to come.  Here's a rule I've developed: Find the people that stick with you during the most difficult times and somewhere down the road, hire them.  In the process of developing the right team, whether that's two people or a hundred people, make sure that loyalty to the vision as well as to each other is a core value in the relationship.  More on this when we get to team building later on the list. 

18. It's easier to raise money than it is volunteers. 

Now don't get me wrong, money certainly doesn't come easily these days, especially in new ministries.  We've already dealt with our ongoing need for more resources.  However what most guys will find is that it takes tons more energy to get people to volunteer for ministry than it does to get them to give some money.  When people give in an offering it has a way of appeasing their conscience and allows them to get comfortable just sitting as a consumer.  We have a deep and biblical responsibility to move people from consumerism to kingdom-minded service.  You'll have to come up with creative ways to get people involved in the work.  Teaching on spiritual gifts won't be enough.  I know this because I had that mindset.  People hear what you say and even get excited about pinpointing what their gift is, but in the end they sit on their talents.  Traditional church has ruined us by teaching that the pastor and paid staff are the ones that need to be doing the ministry.  That is a totally unbiblical concept.  It is the people within the body that must take up the responsibility of serving.  One caution here: You as a Lead Pastor must passionately preach on this subject and make it a deeply important principle or you will never be able to move forward.  

19. People that say "We are never leaving" already have one foot out the door. 

I know you love to hear people brag on the church, talk about the worship and tell everyone what a splendid communicator you are.  But I've learned the hard way more times than I can count that when people have to verbally tell me "we're never leaving" they're actually making themselves feel better about the eventual departure that they are already planning.  If you think that's too harsh, then just enjoy the accolades and don't call me when it happens.  As a matter of fact, just this week I had a family call me and say, 'You are the greatest preacher we know and we love what God is doing but we are looking elsewhere."  Mind you this is the same family that told me that they'll never look elsewhere because only God could lead them to a church this wonderful.  I'm learning to listen to that type of talk as if the one speaking is Charlie Brown's teacher: Womp womp womp womp womp.   People that really love your church and truly have no intentions of leaving won't have to tell you.  They will show up, give to the Lord of their resources, not allow others to criticize the vision and ultimately serve their butts off. Actions speak louder than words.