8. No matter how much money you start out with, money will continue to be your biggest practical challenge.
We started out with virtually zero money. We received one check of outside support from another church—and we didn’t even ask for it. Everyone else either said “no” or said they’d like to help out and never did.
I was talking to a fellow planter as we were starting and asked him what his three biggest challenges had been. He said, “Money. Money. And, money.” He’s right.
There are many reasons for this. People will walk away when they are unable to co-opt the churches direction, creating deficits or deflating progress.
If you grow, needs will outpace the growth of offerings because new people don’t give much but require much of a church. It’s one of those good problems to have. People are always more important than funds, but funds help a church serve people.
Embrace your role as missionary fundraiser. It is yours—and it’s vital. Planters who start out with outside funding often fail to develop this gift—and it bites them down the road when outside support ends.
In a way, New Vintage Church’s need to support itself from day one has been a veiled blessing. It would have been easier to do it another way and would have helped us grow even faster—but long-term, I think it will help us.
9. The people you start with won’t be the people you end with.
At least, not entirely. I know it feels like the people who are with you when you start are all as deeply committed to this as you are. By and large, they aren’t.
God will bless you with some people who really are profoundly committed and stick with you through those early years. Most won’t.
Don’t let it get you depressed or take it overly personally.
I’m thankful Bill Hybels opened my eyes to this before we started, or I could have become more discouraged than I got when some of the people that started with us early on didn’t stick. Most of the people we started with are still here. But, several aren’t.
Hybels explained why this is part of a normal church cycle. But, it still hurts. Give thanks for those that stick with you. Honor their commitment appropriately—for they are a beautiful treasure to the church, indeed.
10. Your highs and lows will be higher and lower than they are now.
If I were to rank my 10 favorite stories of life-change I’ve seen in ministry, seven or eight of them would come from New Vintage. If I were to rank my 10 lowest ministry moments, five or six of them would come from New Vintage.
New Vintage Church is not three years old yet, and I’ve been in vocational ministry for 18 years. What I’m saying is, NVC has made a disproportionate impact on my life and ministry—in a positive way.
I don’t believe NVC’s impact on me has to do only with tough “circumstances.” It’s that you invest yourself in a church plant in ways you just can’t when you are new to an existing church. Here I’m referring not just to the church as an “organization,” but rather the people themselves. There is a love and concern for EVERY person that is palpable to a planter. This accounts, in part, for the extreme highs and lows of starting a new church.
I could probably do five more, but I suppose that’s enough for now. Would I do it all over again? ABSOLUTELY!
To those of you thinking about starting a new church: May the Lord’s wisdom cover your discernment, grant you courage and clarity, and bless every effort of yours that aligns with His Will.
