In the Beginning of the Creation Phase
The Creation Phase is how every church, company, business, and organization begins.
In the beginning, there is no real organization. But there is passion, hope, and a vision.
We can easily look at any church or organizational success in the Creation Phase and see how strategy drove progress. Success rarely happens by accident. Perhaps a great example for us church leaders is the earliest phase of creation: God’s creation of the world.
As the story goes from Genesis 1:1-2 (NIV), “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.”
Initially, there was no organization, but there was a vision: Humanity in the image of God and a place conducive for life perfected. To get to this desired destination, God behaved strategically and intentionally, first creating light, then land and sky, and ground and the seas. Next, God allowed fruit, trees, and vegetation to spring forth. Then God introduced the cycle of days with a greater light for the day and a lesser light for the night. Next came living creatures in the seas and skies, followed by all that would live on land. And finally, humankind.
Look at that order of operation. This was highly strategic, intentional, and planned. Why did God work his plan in this order? To accomplish the grand creation of humanity, several steps needed to come first in exact order to create what was required for human life. It’s intentional. Well thought through. The order wasn’t accidental. Quite the opposite, in fact.
Creation Phase Church Strategy
As mentioned in the previous post, strategy is relatively simple in this birthing phase. It’s primarily about systems and steps. Even rudimentary systems can bring some clarity to the chaos.
And that’s what creation needs: Clarity in the chaos. What strategies and plans must church leaders or planters introduce to see their churches through the Creation Phase?
Let’s divide this conversation into two creation segments, prelaunch and post-launch.
Church Strategy During Prelaunch
The goal for every church planter or campus pastor should be a healthy, thriving church. Unfortunately, too many church leaders are enamored with launching services over creating a sustainable church.
Last year, I spent some significant time with my friends and client, Rivertown Community Church (RCC). Paul Smith asked me to lead the launch process of their fourth campus just south of Tallahassee, Florida.
We formed a small launch team and began the process 14 months before our targeted
launch date. Yes, you read that correctly. Why did we start planning that far in advance? Because our goal was to create a healthy, sustainable campus, not launch a location.
During prelaunch, here is how strategy is best used:
1. Form a Launch Team
At RCC, we created a team consisting of the to-be campus pastor, senior pastor, executive pastor, communications director, and me as the launch facilitator. This group gave us the decision-making authority to guide the process while providing access and resources from within the church to support the launch.
Collaborative work is often much more effective than individual efforts, as a team brings diverse experiences and thoughts that cannot be matched alone.
