Home Pastors Pastor Blogs 7 Top Issues Church Planters Face, Issue #4: Systems, Processes and Cultures

7 Top Issues Church Planters Face, Issue #4: Systems, Processes and Cultures

Todd Wilson, Director of Exponential, and I partnered together on a research project to determine the most important issues facing church planters as expressed by our panel of experts and a group of planters (be sure to read the earlier posts for more on the sample and methodology).

Thanks to Catalyst and to the Gospel Coalition, and churchleaders.com for highlighting the series. We appreciate your desire to help all kinds of planters.

I am actually planning to sharing more about it at my pre-conference at the Exponential Conference as is Todd at the Velocity2011, ChurchPlanters.Com conference in North Georgia. Over the past weeks I have been reporting the results through a series of blogs. If you are new to the series, let me encourage you to read the series, which includes information about the same, focus, and purpose. There are 4 parts:

  1. Introduction
  2. Issue #1: Leadership Development and Reproducing Culture
  3. Issue #2: Financial Self-Sufficiency and Viability
  4. Issue #3: Launch Team Development and Mobilizing Volunteers

Planters usually begin their planting journey with great intentions. Their strengths tend to be relationships and their passion is often looking toward Sunday mornings. With certain exceptions (large start-up teams, ideal locations, well funded) churches will not maintain the momentum that most church planters seek are wanting. Start up is not easy, but it is often when the church has the most receptivity in the community. Openness and response from open people create a sense of momentum. But, that momentum must be transferred to systems. In new contemporary churches, intentional systems, processes, and cultures are critical to long-term impact in new contemporary churches.

My friend Darrin Patrick explains that in an interview we did a few months back. In regards to church planting, I asked him, “Why do most churches stay small?” Darrin explained:

Largely because most pastors don’t know how to build systems, structures, and processes that are not contingent upon them. Most pastors can care for people, but don’t build systems of care. Most pastors can develop leaders individually, but lack the skill to implement a process of leadership development. When a pastor can’t build systems and structures that support ministry, the only people who are cared for or empowered to lead are those who are “near” the pastor or those very close to the pastor. This limits the size of the church to the size of the pastor.

Yet, now it seems that most planters know the importance of creating healthy systems, processes and cultures in the type of churches we have been discussing. In most cases, their focus is to reach lost and other unchurched people and see the church grow numerically and in spiritual maturity. Nowadays, most planters link a growing church with healthy systems, processes, and cultures. The terms, though different, are often used interchangeably. In this study, the most commonly cited areas of importance for these systems include reproducing leaders; generosity; externally focused, missional living; small groups; worship planning; strategic planning; and evangelism.

Rather than focus on those systems right now since those each require a long blog post, let’s look at five key considerations when addressing the issues of systems and processes.

1. God’s Part and Our Part — Healthy systems, processes and cultures enable and facilitate growth, but don’t cause it. The Apostle Paul explained that we cooperate with God in the planting and watering of the seeds, but that it’s God who makes the seeds grow. “I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth” (I Cor. 3:6 HCSB). Establishing healthy processes, systems and cultures is part of that cooperation.

2. A Fix-It Mentality — Most planters tend to ask good questions regarding systems and processes including, “How do we reach more people?” or “How do we keep moving forward? The answer may include the creation or revising of a system or process. But a narrow focus can lead planters down the wrong path when they conclude, “If we just fix [fill in blank], then we will grow.” Issues are often much deeper.

3. Assessing Health — Systems, processes and cultures will emerge from the pre-launch phase. The only question is whether they are healthy or unhealthy. Will they create leverage for growth and momentum, or will they create barriers and obstacles, adding to a planter’s stress?

4. Pre-Launch Behaviors — The pre-natal phase in a mother’s womb is vital to an infant’s health after birth. The things a mother does and does not do during this time have lasting impacts. Likewise, the things a planter does and does not do during pre-launch phase have lasting impact for years to come. Planters either intentionally create leverage through the establishment of healthy systems, processes and cultures, or they risk creating barriers and obstacles.

5. Urgency and Accountability — When building a new house, most localities require an occupancy permit before a family can move in. A permit guarantees that the basic systems (i.e. water, sewer, electrical, lighting, etc.) are healthy and functioning. There is no equivalent standard or requirement in new churches. As a result, many new churches are birthed with the equivalent of no water, no electrical and no lights. Basic systems might include disciple making, evangelism, leadership development, and volunteer mobilization. The “Tyranny of the Now” and the lack of accountability structures impacts a planter’s ability to create healthy processes and systems in three ways:

  • Capacity — Everything tends to fall on the planter’s shoulders. Although the planter would like to slow down and “do it right,” a planter often gets caught in the urgent accepting, living with unhealthy systems. Many planters recognize the dysfunctional cycle, but get stuck in it, further adding to the stress and discouragement.
  • Choices — Leaders make daily choices to focus on production or production capacity (in the work or on the work). Sometimes it seems that production never stops, easily consuming all of the planter’s time. Sunday to Sunday pressure alone can be overwhelming. Making wise choices is one of the keys to managing the roles. Building healthy systems, processes and cultures is a function of good strategic planning around available capacity.
  • Time — Time is one of a planter’s most precious resources. Starting a new church involves hundreds of tasks. Most of these tasks do not involve connecting with lost people or building healthy system. That can be a stretch for a lot of planters and a great source of stress.

Systems, processes, and culture are essential. Sustainability and fruit are almost always advanced when a planter understands that importance.

My next blog will unpack issue #5 of the top issues planters face: Casting Vision and Avoiding Mission Drift.

Previous articleWho is Your “And”?
Next article30 Ways to Stay Alive to Missions
Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., is the Dean of Talbot School of Theology at Biola Univeristy and Scholar in Residence & Teaching Pastor at Mariners Church. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates; and has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books. He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America, is the Editor-in-Chief of Outreach Magazine, and regularly writes for news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. Dr. Stetzer is the host of "The Stetzer ChurchLeaders Podcast," and his national radio show, "Ed Stetzer Live," airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates.