5. I would have gathered a much larger team with closer friends.
I think in order to gather a team, you have to have things working for you.
Your timing has to be right, and your location needs to be strategic.
I think I missed the best timing when we didn’t plant after being nine years at a church we loved and what was ultimately our first ministry transition in 1998. Because of missing the timing, I think we missed the best opportunity to gather a team with our closest friends that would have followed our lead.
6. I would not plant two hours away from my hometown or home church.
We planted two and a half hours away from my hometown and the church that sent us, which meant no one went with us.
I read some bad info in my 20s that said a church planter should plant a minimum of 100 miles away from their home church. We know today that was written by someone who was territorial not apostolic.
7. I would not have quit.
When I meet with church planters today, I encourage them not to quit like I did.
Good things will happen if you are persistent, but you have to stay encouraged.
I allowed myself to become discouraged.
8. I would not have launched prematurely.
Our family experienced five major life changes in a one-year period.
We moved to a different city, we purchased our first home, we got new jobs, the kids went to different schools, and we decided to pull off the biggest challenge of all on top of that in planting a church.
Dumb.
I should not have launched right away, and, in fact, that was the plan, but I got impatient. I’m pretty good at that.
