4. One of the biggest favors you can do for your church is say “no” to things that might pull the church off of its founding vision and philosophy.
Especially in the young and vulnerable days, lots of people will have lots of ideas about what the church should be, how it should be run and what you’re doing wrong.
It’s OK to listen, but be EXTREMELY careful not to allow the vision of others to co-opt the vision God gave you when you risked everything to start the church.
Peter thought it wrong of Jesus to go to Jerusalem and die. The Israelites wanted to go back to Egypt. A majority of spies said the Israelites couldn’t take Canaan. Wise leaders listen but are willing to discern God’s voice amidst the people’s.
5. One of the worst things you can do for the church is compare yourself to others.
Our young church (yet to celebrate our 3-year anniversary) has grown rapidly, but for some, it hasn’t grown rapidly enough.
I’ve had people compare us to church plants started by celebrities that boomed the day they were started, megachurches and other traditional plants that are ahead of us on certain things.
Don’t fall for it. Listen to me here: Comparisons will kill you. They will make you paranoid and potentially drag the church off course as you pursue someone else’s vision.
You are right to study what others are doing as a means of gathering new opportunities and strategies for ministries. But, don’t even think about comparing yourselves to others.
6. Who is fighting with you is more important than who is fighting against you.
There will spiritual opposition to any new church. Nearby churches will be suspicious. Dying churches will be afraid and, like Saul seeking David’s death, try to do you harm. If your church breaks denominational norms, expect bullets from that direction as well.
However, if God is for you, who can be against you? Add to that a team of loyal, gifted, spiritually-minded friends to go into battle with, and you’ve got more than enough to fend off the wiles of the Devil. God will give you what and who you need to do what He’s called you to do.
7. You will play hurt for the first several years.
Every church planter walks the journey with the shrapnel of spiritual warfare embedded in their innermost parts. Embrace it as a good soldier.
God rarely calls people to do easy things. If conflict, temptations, abandonment, personal criticism or extremely challenging ministry situations are not things you are willing to accept—you should do something else.
I don’t mean to make it sound like it’s all pain. It’s not. There is great joy involved in the beautiful fight of starting a new church. However, the pain is constant enough that you’ll need to be prepared to “play hurt” quite a bit.
Marriage under stress? Sick? Discouraged? Tempted? You must overcome by the power of the Spirit.
Out of answers? They’ll come when God’s ready to give them to you.
Within the first couple of years, the church is disproportionately dependent on the lead planter. There will be a lot of “toughing it out.” Embrace it. I’m not saying ignore major warning signs. I’m warning ministry hypochondriacs that a lack of toughness in the lead planter can kill a new church.
