We made more than 7 mistakes. Trust me.
Church planting is one of the most effective ways to reach people for Jesus Christ, to lead people to grow in their faith and to develop leaders.
The fact that 40% of church plants fail or close the doors – within the first 4 years of their start – causes us to realize there are some things we should consider carefully.
We have been working with ARC to support them in Church Planting and to prepare us to be more effective in planting churches.
At Oasis church we will celebrate our 28th Anniversary in April. We currently have about 3000 people coming to Oasis. But had ARC been around when we started – we would NOT have met most of their crucial requirements.
A house is built by wisdom and becomes strong through good sense. 4 Through knowledge its rooms are filled with all sorts of precious riches and valuables. 5 The wise are mightier than the strong, and those with knowledge grow stronger and stronger. Proverbs 24.3-5 NLT
“If I’d only known then, what I know now…. “
You’ve probably heard that one before.
On one hand I guess we are evidence that God’s grace CAN cover a multitude of foolish decisions – but that doesn’t always happen. Why put yourself through bad ideas and needless frustrations?
If you are going to be a part of a church plant, here are some mistakes we made that you should consider.
1. Not Having a Church or Pastor Supporting Me
Starting a new church the ‘wrong’ way is a bad decision.
- Starting a church without your current pastor being aware of it is evidence that something is clearly wrong.
- We had no mentor; someone who believed in us or we looked to for guidance. This cost us years of trouble and lack of direction. We lacked a person who had wisdom about pastoring whom we could look to as an example. We found those pastors later but it did not help us have a wise start.
- Don’t be A Lone Ranger. We had left our previous church months earlier and had been ‘looking around and visiting other churches while we planned to start our church. I had no support. I had little advice and no one to offer us the blessing of support.
- It’s wise to serve in a church – in a capacity that allows you to see how it all works – to have access to the planning process and decision-making – before you launch. This can make a huge difference. It’s easier to think you can do it from the sidelines – but being in the game is a ‘whole nutha level.’
- It is not difficult to leave one church gracefully but so many people can’t seem to figure out how to do that. Leaving your current church gracefully is a huge issue. Don’t tell others how much better your church will be than the current church. Don’t be divisive, dishonest or dishonoring. It hurts a lot of people, including you and your family. As best as you can be honoring of former pastors.
2. Not Having a Clear & Impassioned Vision
Create and convey a vision that is clear – that people can understand.
Have a vision that grabs your heart and will inspire others. Declare a vision that is ‘follow-able’, one that your team will be able to ask and answer, “How do we know when we are getting a win?”
We did not understand this.
We had very spiritual goals but they were sort of mystical and immeasurable. A goal of ‘loving people’ or ‘reaching people for Jesus Christ’ is a great cause but not an effective vision.
Read other vision statements of growing churches or similar churches to the kind you want to start. See what resonates with you or what puts into words the feeling you have in your heart. Then – borrow some it!
We have altered ours over the years. Our first vision statement was too long, had a lot Christian-eese in it and honestly sounded more like reciting the pledge of allegiance than a mission of the heart and a call to action. These questions can help you develop your vision:
- What is the problem that you want to solve?
- What is your holy discontent?
- What keeps you up at night? What do you feel that you must do through your church plant?
- What is it that you feel that if you don’t do, you will miss God?
3. Not Planning The Launch Date with Wise Timing for Your Family Life
Holly and I started our church in April 1984 and we got married January of 1985.
We had a new church – which takes a lot of time, focus and energy – AND
a new marriage which takes a lot of time, focus and energy.
What can I say? Love is blind.
I thought both would be a piece of cake. FAIL.
The timing we chose made both beginnings twice as hard as they needed to be.
My marriage and my church almost fell apart – a couple of times.
They probably should have been about one year a part.
If you want to plant a church four months before or after your first baby is due to be born, please wait. Give yourself a year.
The amount of emotional investment for church planting is massive. Plan wisely. If you are unsure about your family situations, sickness, loss of friends or family members, new beginnings – ask your Pastor for advice. This could be different for each person but be wise.
