Cold Hard Facts On Church Planting, PART 6

Tonight we are only going over numbers 14-16 on our list. I feel that these points are extraordinarily important, so I want what we discuss to sink in thoroughly. 

14. If you build it, they won't come. 

There is a common misconception that if you tell people you're gonna start a church then masses of people will just show up automatically. I must confess that I had this same very strange fantasy 7 years ago when we made plans to launch Global Vision. When you are fired up and zealous over your calling you have a tendency to think that everyone else will be as well.  The old baseball movie Field of Dreams taught us that "If you build it they will come."  At this point in my ministry and church planting "career" I say "Really, are you kidding me?"  There's is no doubt that God draws and directs people to your church but you better get into your heart right now that it is absolutely foolish to think folks are just gonna see your sign and start pouring in.  I don't care what type of building you have, music you play or specialties you offer, it takes HARD WORK every single day to get people to show up.  And once they do, it's as equally difficult to get them to stay.  The problem seems to be that everybody wants a ready-made ministry and very few people want to stick around and build something from scratch.  When you do find that handful of people who see the need and are willing to stick it out, don't let them go.  They are the most valuable people in your ministry. So again, I'm stressing to you: Don't expect people to haphazardly show up.  You'll have to 'Go out in the highways and hedges and COMPEL them to come in." 

15. Most people are coming for only 1 reason. Find it and perfect it. 

This statement may seem strange, but it's true nonetheless. Here's what I mean.  It's difficult if not impossible for a church to be excellent and the absolute greatest in every area.  Some churches have unbelievable music and semi-decent preaching.  Some churches have unbelievable preaching and semi-decent music.  And on the rare occasion you get both of those at the pinnacle, you'll probably have issues in the nursery of in the children's ministry.  Because something is always gonna need improvement, you'll always be in tweak mode.  However, figure out what the most outstanding area of your ministry is and totally perfect it.  If you have one major draw card ability, then people will put up with less than great in other others.  Now this does not give you an excuse to look stupid in other areas.  You should always be raising up new leaders with a "No Junk for Jesus" mindset.  But let's be honest, you really have one major area of giftedness from God.  Guess why? It's because THAT VERY THING is what makes you attractional.  Use it. Perfect it. 

16. No matter what kind of weekend you have, late Sunday nights will be bad. 

If you're a Pastor, especially a church planter, then this principle on the list needs very little explanation.  No matter how many people show up, no matter how big the offering is, there's something about this type of ministry endeavor that leaves you feeling like a complete and total failure weekend after weekend. Deep down you know you're making a difference. You keep telling yourself that its not about the numbers, yet when people don't show up it destroys your spirit. In my experience, we can have an "off the chain and marvelous attendance, but for some stupid reason I keep thinking about all the people who weren't there. And to add insult to injury, my bad perception starts making up the reasons that they missed. We could've had Day of Pentecost results and by bedtime I'm under my Juniper tree mad at the world. Thank God I've begun to realize that I'm "accepted in the beloved" and God "builds the house". And don't ever forget that when you wake up the next morning everything will seem bigger than what it really is.  Know this: Monday is A BIG FAT LIAR. 

Cold Hard Facts On Church Planting, PART 5

As we continue down through our list of church planting facts, I'm only going to cover one principle in this post.  There's a simple reason for this. It's Saturday evening when I'm typing. I just returned from preaching one of our services and I have four more to preach in the morning.  Enjoy.

13. Your preparation was entirely inadequate. 

It's real simple: No matter what seminary training you've had, how many books you've read or how many conferences you've attended, nothing can truly prepare you for the highs and lows of church planting. There's just something about the absolute thrill of just "going for it" that you can't learn any other way.  I certainly think you should be well informed and strongly educated but in the end you'll have no idea what you are doing until you step into the actual role of planting the church.  And once you do, you'll still have no idea what you are doing. There is truly nothing more exhilarating, exciting, uplifting , discouraging, menacing and ridiculous than launching from nothing. As the old timers have always said, "Experience is the greatest teacher". When it comes to learning all you can before you launch, you should indeed save yourself a lot of headache and learn from as many others as possible. However, MAKE SURE you get information, tips and teaching from someone who has actually done or is doing what you're wanting to do. Just because some guy claims to have knowledge in an area doesn't mean he's ever tried out his area of "expertise".  It's like a fat man selling diet pills. I'm not buying pills from a guy that their not working for personally. At the end of the day all you really need to know is what Jesus tells us at the conclusion to the story of the Good Samaritan. It's as simple and Biblical as it gets. "Go and do Thou likewise". The quickest way to learn is to start. So, if your called to it, then get to it.

Cold Hard Facts On Church Planting, PART 4

I trust that you have been keeping up with this important post day by day.  Today's thoughts are worthy of a few moments.  Please share these helpful principles with someone that you know can greatly benefit from them.  Now, let's go to work.

9. You'll always have a money problem. 

If you ever have the notion that one day your church will grow so fast and the people will give so much that you will reach the pinnacle of financial success, well you should wake up real quick before you head towards disaster.  You will always have issues of needing more money.  As a matter of fact, if your church operates like a New Testament church should, then you'll be investing so much money back into your own people that the needs will always be greater than the resources can cover.  One thing you should learn immediately is to be super wise with God's money but DO NOT let money be the main factor in your decision making.  The budget, the bills and the building CANNOT take the place of the vision and calling that God has placed within you.  Now don't get me wrong, offerings will get better and financial stability should be sought from a stewarding standpoint but don't keep kidding yourself that you or the church will be independently wealthy one day.  I'm convinced that if a church only saves money for the purpose of having a nice savings account it's showing that it's totally selfish and not impacting through investment in the community and around the world.  One more word on this to YOU as the Lead Pastor/Planter: DON'T HANDLE THE MONEY. Better to hire an outside accountant than to not be "above reproach."

10. New churches are breeding grounds for authority vultures. 

Whenever a new church is started you should deeply stress the fact that you are after those within the community that are not currently plugged into another body of believers.  What you will quickly find is that many people from across town will show up to see what you're all about because they aren't happy in their present church.  I'm telling you now, DON"T TAKE THEM.  If they are running down the other church and the other leadership, to which God says they should be submitted, then it will only be a matter of time until they are doing the very same thing to you.  Church trouble makers seem to be "grown" by the devil these days.  It's your vision and if you give your God-given vision over to the hands of disgruntled people that only want control, then it will be your fault when the whole thing blows up in your face.  I'm gonna be strong here, but you better get some "Faith-Nads" and not let authority hungry people rob you of the blessing of building a great work.  The quicker you learn to ask people to leave, the better off you'll be.  That sounds mean, but you'll thank me one day.  Gone are the days when I put out a sign that says "Everyone Welcome".  It should say "Everyone that needs it and wants it are welcome but those that need to be seen and want to always be heard stay away".  If God called you to lead, then LEAD.  Any Pastor can accept disgruntled sheep from another church but only a real leader can step up and ask them to go back and fix their fragmented relationships.

11. You create your own shackles & limitations. 

This principle works in many areas of life but certainly stands out in the area of church planting.  It really speaks for itself.  You're not coming into existing traditions, preconceived ideas and a set way of doing things. Because of that, you should take great advantage of the freshness of launching from scratch.  It's certainly true that "it's easier to give birth than it is to raise the dead." In church planting it is the planting team that sets the pace, creates the culture and Biblically moves forward.  If you pattern yourself totally after another church, then eventually you will reach the same limitations that they have. Be the church that God has raised you up to be.  The new church will be born as an original, so don't let it die as a copycat.  Get a structure set up and in place that would be successful for 1,000 people when you only have 10 people.  Church growth always catches up to the size of the vision but can never exceed the size of the system.  This has been an extremely difficult lesson for me to learn.  But as our roots get deeper and our infrastructure gets better, the church gets bigger.  It just does, period. Be free and openminded up front.  Don't do something in the beginning that's gonna greatly hinder you when you get a few years down the road.

12. Your location probably sucks. 

Does that sound too bold? Well, if your more conservative or traditional, then your location probably stinks.  There, does that feel better? Regardless of how you say it, I guarantee that for 90% of new plants it is the absolute truth.  Global Vision was affectionately known as Mobile Vision for the first 3 years.  We moved an astounding 16 times and spent $250,000 on a failed building program before being given a church building.  In hindsight, I was young, proud and stupid but we survived it and have leveraged it for the glory of God and the good of our congregation.  In real estate they say the 3 most important things are 'Location, Location, Location."  That sounds nice but it's not reality when it comes to a brand new church with no people, no momentum and no money.  I promise that if you are totally committed to what God called you to do and you gather a handful of people that will follow the vision, then you can meet in a barn, a storefront or a funeral home and still make it through.  A meeting place is what you make of it.  Stop complaining that you don't have the right facility and start rejoicing that you can reach people that can convert wherever you meet into an amazing worship experience that will radically impact lives.  Oh yeah, One more thing.  Quit comparing yourself to the big church down the road.  They started in a living room too. Don't get consumed with what they have.  Get consumed with what you don't and raise up a team to make it happen.  Your biggest liabilities can turn around and become your strongest asset.

Cold Hard Facts On Church Planting, PART 3

Well, we've made it to numbers 5 through 8 on our list.  Let's jump right in and go to work on these ideas.

5. Church planting will take more from your family than you've anticipated. 

This is the most personal aspect of our church planting list.  I don't think guys realize how much effort and hardship goes into launching a brand new church.  I'll make this part extremely simple but I'm not gonna sugar coat it. If your wife is not 100% behind you starting this work, then wait.  God may be using her to temper your zeal and enthusiasm.  I'm telling you straight, if she is not sold on it, you will have massive heartache and the people will be able to tell very quickly that she is disconnected.  Now after an agreement has been reached and you are both surrendered to this calling, then and only then do you begin pressing forward.  The time constraints are difficult.  In the earliest days you will be taxed with discipleship and raising up new leaders.  It seems endless and if you don't start the process of delegation early it will actually prove to be impossible.  If you have children, the planting process may take longer because your priorities are to them first.  You better quickly grasp the reality that you can't save your community and let your own family go to Hell.  If you're not careful and well planned then your wife will begin to feel that the new church is the "other woman" in the relationship.  This is non-negotiable and it happens to the best of men with the best of intentions.  More plants fail because of family strains than any other reason.  Don't go into this blind and ignorant.  Who cares what you eventually construct if in the process you totally deconstruct what matters most.

6. The music department will be your biggest headache. 

Now you need to take this statement for what it is, a simple observation.  I'm not throwing your music people under the bus.  However, if your journey is like that of most new churches then you've had difficulty building this area from scratch.  Many guys are the worship and teaching Pastor in the early days. It takes a while to find the right talent and even longer to find the right dedication.  We had to go through several years of trial and error with our music ministry.  Music is "that" subject in church that brings out the worst in some people.  You'll constantly hear it's too loud, it's too soft, it's too fast, it's too whatever, whatever, whatever.  It's a never ending process that has no resolution in pleasing everyone.  One thing that you should always remember is that your church has a specific context so you need to align your methodology with that context.   One of the greatest days of my life was when we arrived at a place that I could show up at church to preach and I knew the music and media would be smooth without my involvement.  It takes a lot of of what I call "tweakage". Those whom God calls to work and minister in music are wired differently than your average person.  By the way, that's a good thing.  Take time to learn how they think and reinforce to them that they are important team players and you believe in them deeply.  Don't expect them to accomplish what you want unless you're willing to invest and give them what they need.      

7. Any success you have will be frowned upon with suspicion. 

If and when God begins to abundantly bless your church plant you can't bank on one thing: Other people, especially other Pastor's, will deeply criticize you and give people a negative taste in their mouths.  DO NOT let this stop you.  It's natural for people to be sarcastic and judgmental of something that's new.  When you first launch most people will ignore you.  When it really takes off those same people will want you on their team.  But when it starts clicking on all cylinders and major growth happens, those same people will tear you to shreds.  It's the coping mechanism for carnal folks.  People will automatically label you and the church as "compromisers" when more and more people start showing up. As church planters we should absolutely rejoice when another church in our town is experiencing explosive growth.  The test of why you're in it to begin with is how you feel when God does for another church what you've been praying He'll do in your own.  

8. Most plants fail in year 3. 

I've spoken with countless church planters that can attest to this simple fact.  There is something about the hurt, pain, disappointment and mis-spent energy of those first 3 years that can overtake your entire life.  It may not make it six months.  But if you press on you'll find that at the 3 year mark you'll face the biggest temptation to bail.  The financial stress can be daunting.  The building search for some can be relentless. The criticism can be crippling.  The "will this ever work" thoughts can be enough to make you throw in the towel.  However, if you can convince a handful of people to give their lives to the vision that God has placed within you, then the sky is indeed the limit. 

Cold Hard Facts On Church Planting, PART 2

As I stated in our first blog, I want to take 4 or 5 of these principles on our list and open them up to discussion and explanation.  Keep coming back every day to see it all unfold.

Cold Hard Facts in Church Planting....

1. Your website IS the entry point to your church. Without it, you'll merely exist in your head but not in your community. 

If you underestimate the power of a functional website you are without a doubt limiting your outreach capability. Money invested in this area will more than pay for itself in visitors and returnees. Even people that live too far away to attend your church want to know what's going on in your ministry. A website creates buzz in the community and also gives you a major voice without you even saying a word. At Global Vision we've found that at least 95% of our visitors have first "surfed" through our website before showing up. That being said, having video sermons will prove to be an added bonus that will definitely impress newcomers. It also gives first timers an idea of the service style, dress code and a peek into a building that they'll already be foreign to. Remember: Video is the new audio. 

People also want to know where the church stands theologically. Social media connection is such an unbelievable power source in these days that it cannot be ignored. Your "branding" is very important. When people recognize your logo online then it'll be remembered when they see it out in the community. Much more could be said but I'll move on with a very important word. DO NOT use "free" website pages. It lengthens your web address and screams "We are cheap". 

2. The first few people that tell you "If you start a church, we're in, will actually never show up. 

Every church planter in the world has probably heard this phrase. I know for me it was used abundantly. It's a nice way of making you feel more confident and God may even use it to increase your resolve about launching. However, most of the people that make that statement do not have a pioneering spirit and when the "rubber meets the road" on actually starting a new church they will conveniently forget their commitment.  It's easy for a friend to get excited about your passion to plant, but its not so easy to convince their families to leave a "stable" church environment for the not so certain success of a new church. So in essence, you'll hear it quite a bit. It'll stroke your ego and allow you to create a "launch" list, but don't hold your breath. It's kinda like, "If I had a million dollars..."  It's easy for folks to say what they would do in the "IF" zone. Reality has a strange way of leveling the playing field. 

3. At least 40% of those you launch with will be gone at the one year mark. 

This is without a doubt the most negative reality of our church planting list. It seems a bit harsh and shocking but its a true "phenomenon" nonetheless.  This is not to say that those that start with you but don't stay with you are bad people. The fact is simply that as a new church grows, or doesn't, people's attitude towards the church begins to change and the "new car smell" seems to go away.  Sometimes there will be an actual problem within that first year and because the church has never withstood anything before it can seem chaotic and people start bailing.  At other times newcomers feel like they came to help you out on loan from another church.  That can be a good thing but it doesn't keep the feeling of abandonment from being just as strong.  Why 40% seems to be the magical number isn't scientific, but it does show itself to be true.  Some plants will experience less of a drift if they start with a really solid team.  However, some plants will experience a much bigger increase in those that depart. Just remember that not even God Himself kept his entire "launch" team and He created them.  He lost 1/3 of those that He started with.  Strange analogy for sure, but you get the point.  Don't expect everyone to stay. As a matter of fact, just expect that everyone will eventually leave.  It'll soften the blow when it happens as well as motivate you to go reach a bunch of brand new people.

4. The first 5 years are totally practice. Period. 

Don't get offended by this statement.  Simply accept it for what it is.  Church planting is totally trial and error.  It takes the first 5 years to work out the kinks, get settled into the right location, figure out who you are as a body and get an idea of who's willing to stick it out for the long haul.  The first 5 years will also reveal as to whether the planter is going to be able to survive the road ahead.  If there's going to be a major conflict or crises that threatens the life and stability of the new church, it normally happens within this time frame. I'm not saying that the people you reach and ministry that gets accomplished in those first 5 years isn't valid or important.  I'm simply stating that it takes that long of a run to transition into a church with acceptance from the community as well as those that attend. After 3 to 5 years, the congregation will begin to take on the personality traits and heartbeat of the leadership.  If you're past the 5 year mark, you know this to be true and if you're not, then dig deeper and keep pressing forward.

Cold Hard Facts On Church Planting

I'm going to do a series of posts based on the following list that I've comprised in regards to church planting.  Those that believe there is some type of glamorous life that attends starting a church from "ground zero" have clearly never been involved in such a daunting task.  I'll un-package each of these ideas day by day.  My intention will be to cover 4 or 5 points each day.  For the first posting however, I only want to begin with the list. It'll make a great conversation starter to this new blog and certainly provide lots of food for thought.  These truths are simple, proven and undeniable. So if you want the straight up brass tacks and cold hard facts of launching a brand new church, read on....

1. Your website IS the entry point to your church. Without it, you'll merely exist in your head but not in your community. 

2. The first few people that tell you "If you start a church, we're in, will actually never show up. 

3. At least 40% of those you launch with will be gone at the one year mark. 

4. The first 5 years are totally practice. Period. 

5. Church planting will take more from  your family  than you've anticipated. 

6. The music department will be your biggest headache. 

7. Any success you have will be frowned upon with suspicion. 

8. Most plants fail in year 3. 

9. You'll always have a money problem. 

10. New churches are breeding grounds for authority vultures. 

11. You create your own shackles & limitations. 

12. Your location probably sucks. 

13. Your preparation was entirely inadequate. 

14. If you build it, they won't come. 

15. Most people are coming for only 1 reason. Find it and perfect it. 

16. No matter what kind of weekend you have, late Sunday nights are always difficult on a planters spirit. 

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

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

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

20. If the planting personality leaves too soon, the church won't survive. 

21. Starting a church with mostly family will serve to be a fatal mistake. 

22. If you're committed to reaching un-churched people , prepare for "churched" people to misunderstand you. 

23. If you are unclear on your vision, then the people are totally ignorant of it. (DNA)

24. The "exception to the rule" plants will make you feel like a total failure. 

25. Numbers is a book of the Bible that has nothing to do with your Sunday average attendance. 

26. If you do something too long people start making it Biblical. 

27. A denominational name for your plant horribly limits who you'll be able to reach. 

28. Get used to hearing "Pastor, the church has just changed and we need to leave". 

29. Multi-site will prove to be one of your best decisions. 

30. You'll need to learn to play hurt without calling a time out. 

31. You're going nowhere without a team. 

32. You've got to get people used to the idea that "Our church exists for those who aren't here yet". 

33. What you celebrate, God will accelerate.