iMAP
Individualized Missional Action Plan
Charting a Course to an
Effective Multiplying Church
Julian and Tiffany Newman
A Customized Interactive Training Program
Table of Contents
PRELIMINARIES…………………………………………………………3
PLANTER………………………………………………………………….4
PERCEIVING (accurately) THE SPIRITUAL
REALITIES OF MY COMMUNITY……………………………….9
PIONEERS…………………………………………………………………39
PARTICULARS………………………………………………………….66
PUBLIC (i.e. Going Public), Part 1……………………..99
PUBLIC (i.e. Going Public), Part 2……………………….106
PLACE……………………………………………………………………110
PRIORITY……………………………………………………………….119
PIPELINE OF RESOURCES………………………………………120
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Preliminaries
On the pages that follow are seven key components of a church plant:
PLANTER
PERCEIVING (the reality of my community)
PIONEERS
PARTICULARS
PUBLIC
PLACE
PRIORITY
They provide the foundation for planting a healthy multiplying church. Because each church
planter and each church plant are different, chances are you could add a component or two to
this list. That’s great! This is not an all-encompassing list, just a good place to start.
Think about a house you’d love to live in. If it’s your dream house, it probably looks great from
the outside—but long before the externals are ever put in place, a foundation is built. The
foundation of a house rarely gets noticed. You’ve probably never walked up to a house and said,
“Wow! That house has a GREAT foundation.” It just doesn’t happen. Yet we all understand that
a house can look fantastic from the outside, but if it doesn’t have a quality foundation it’s only a
matter of time before that house starts having problems. Depending on how poorly the
foundation is built, even a dream house can come crashing down. Sure, building the foundation
of the house is never “flashy” work, but if gets done right, it can provide a lifetime of support for
everything that sits on top.
Throughout your iMAP experience we will be dealing with foundational issues. Some of what
we’ll cover will cause your heart to beat fast with excitement… you’ll have an adrenaline rush
that has nothing to do with Mt. Dew. Other portions may not create that kind of response in you
spirit. But what is true about each of these segments is that THEY ARE FOUNDATIONAL. If we
ignore one of these, eventually we’ll be doing some repair work.
A house built on a poor foundation will last for a while without any problems, until a storm comes
along and reveals what’s truly under the surface. In the same way, a church plant can get away
with ignoring one of these foundational issues…for a while. But church planting “graveyards” are
filled with churches whose leaders assumed they could ignore one of these issues for a while until
it reared up and brought them down.
You’re better than that! You’re a better leader than that! The dream God has placed in your
heart for a healthy multiplying church is too important for it to be brought down by ignoring one
of these important foundational pieces. So, for the next few days we’ll be giving our attention to
them and doing all we can do to help you lay a foundation that will provide decades of support
for the church God has laid on your heart to plant.
For what it’s worth, I can’t wait to come back and visit your church. To see all the externals that
everyone else sees and celebrates. To meet people whose lives have been changed and will
continue to be changed by the power of God. That’s the end result of a church built on a
foundation that will stand the test of time. I believe in you and I’m honored to spend this time
with you!
So, without any further delay… LET’S GET THIS PARTY STARTED!
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Planter
Do My Strengths Make a Difference?
If:
I believe Jesus has uniquely placed in me Spiritual Gifts, talents and personality
traits that join together to make a God-given Strength…
I have passed through the church planting assessment process…
I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jesus has called me to a certain place to
plant a church…
Then:
It only makes sense God wants to use the Strengths He has placed inside of me to
plant a church.
Obviously He also desires to use the Strengths of those fellow Pioneers who join us in the
journey of planting the church. The goal is that all of us will be operating out of our
Strengths a majority of the time.
If the idea of “Strenghts” is new, simply go to the Gallup organization www.gallup.com
and purchase a book that has within it a code to take the Strengthsfinder evaluation. This
tool will help you understand how God has wired you up and how He desires to use you as
you lead others. Another fantastic resource concerning Strengths is a short video series
(that could be showed to the Pioneers) called “Trumpet Player Wanted” by Marcus
Buckingham.
Too often, as a church planter, we have a tendency to look at “successful” models of
church planting. Those who have planted churches that have grown quickly and “gotten
a lot of press” are awesome, but that does not mean we should be exactly following their
example. We can learn from them, certainly, but that does not mean we need to copy
them. The goal isn’t to be a “mini-me” of someone else, but to play to the Strengths
God has given US to build the church He has called US to plant. Obviously a Godly person
does this all with great humility. I humbly offer my Strengths to the Lord and ask Him to
use them in a way that would glorify Him, bring others into a relationship with Him as
well as help our church plant reach it’s full redemptive potential.
It is worth taking the time to discover our Strengths as well as the Strengths of those on
our team and ask God how He wants to use those strengths to plant a church that
glorifies and honors Him by bringing people to Jesus.
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Maintaining Spiritual, Emotional and Relational Health
In the Midst of Church Planting
Jesus Christ is the Lord of the Church. Without Him, we can do nothing. But for reasons
we may not fully understand until we get to heaven, He chooses to use people who come
together as a team to plant churches.
He wants to use you to help build His Kingdom. Everything rises and falls on Spiritcontrolled leadership.
It is essential that a PLANTER keep himself/herself in a position where God’s anointing
can rest on their life. Too often, the work a PLANTER does for God destroys the work
God wants to do in them. All too often, PLANTERS live out of balance. We don’t take
time in solitude to listen to His Spirit talk to us. We don’t take adequate time off.
Typically, the only people who keep a balance while planting a church are people who
are in high levels of accountability. Do you have someone (a coach, a good friend,
mentor) who lovingly asks you questions about the state of your heart, how your family is
doing, and what kinds of life-breathing activities you are maintaining?
Moral or leadership failure in an established church is bad enough. In a church plant, it
often equates to a shut-down of the church (In some cases, the church continues on, but
never overcomes the failure of the founding pastor. The church remains small and
spiritually ineffective).
One of the critical lost arts in the ministry of church planting is maintaining healthy
boundaries:
The church planter’s home becomes the center of all kinds of meetings;
The church planter’s family leads large segments of ministry;
The church planter’s “smart phone” is always on, meaning he is
constantly checking email.
The church planter is always available by cell phone,
never really taking a day off.
It’s easy for the church plant to begin to “take over” a PLANTER’S life. Their family life,
their spiritual life, their emotional life…the whole thing! Even the best pastors of today
have a tendency to get into “Super-Pastor” mode. Only through loving accountability
will we maintain healthy boundaries and activities that will allow us to “stay in the
game” for the long haul without getting burned out.
One of the best ways to keep our life in balance is by choosing some spiritual disciplines
that are key for us (personally) to stay close to Jesus and giving ourselves to them
regularly, NO MATTER WHAT. Not in a legalistic manner, but in the same way that we
don’t let anything crowd out our “date night” with our spouse. Spiritual disciplines offer
us the key to live a life that shows we are trusting in Jesus and not in ourselves.
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True Confession… from a fellow church planter
In our first church plant, I went the first five and one-half years with all kinds of energy—spiritually, emotionally, relationally—I was
doing great. Then I hit a wall. I wasn’t going through a midlife crisis (I was only 32!). I was just feeling the effects of not maintaining
balance in my life. In many ways, I had allowed the church to become my life. That’s an occupational hazard for all church leaders.
It’s almost a given for church planters.
One of the worst days in my life is when (in hindsight) I realized what I had done to my wife. It was early January. For days she had
been dealing with a devastating headache. She’d actually been in the hospital for a few days; but, as we were to learn later, hadn’t
received the correct diagnosis. After coming home from the hospital, her headache persisted. I made a phone call and a doctor friend
got us an appointment for my wife the next morning with a neurologist. After examining her, the neurologist immediately had her
checked into the hospital; she was much worse than we had even thought. In fact, over the next few days, my wife’s life was literally
hanging in the balance. Truth be told, we almost lost her. If God had not intervened, I’d be a single church planter today. The most
intense days of this episode took place over a weekend. Yet, on that Sunday, I was still in the pulpit of our church plant preaching and
downplaying the events. After all, “the show must go on.”
Within two weeks of that event, Mary was back teaching in our children’s ministry.
I didn’t take time to slow down a bit and give her a break. I allowed the demands of the church to dictate how we responded to my
wife’s serious illness.
My dropping of the ball in this situation led my precious wife down a road of depression … and no wonder. I had clearly stated by my
actions that my true love was the Church … not her. It was months before I realized how messed up I had been. I shouldn’t have
preached the morning she was in the hospital. Mary shouldn’t have gone back to the children’s ministry so soon.
After five and one-half years, I took a month’s sabbatical and spent a lot of money in Christian counseling repairing the damage I had
done to my marriage and, specifically, to my wife. I had no one to blame but the person in the mirror. I tearfully asked for Mary’s
forgiveness, and she graciously gave it. It was a tough lesson to learn, but one I hope never to have to learn again.
As church planters, we must remember this is God’s Kingdom. He can advance it all by Himself—He doesn’t need us.
He chooses to use us. But He expects us to do ministry in a way that honors Him—not in a way that strokes our own egos.
As we are leading a church plant, it’s vitally important to keep other aspects of our lives fresh—to know what breathes life into us,
and to make sure we add those activities to our schedules. It’s important to set boundaries. As someone has said, those who are
always available are rarely inspirational. Take a day off every week.
In simple terms, don’t build your church on the back of your spouse or family. In other words, don’t make them always have to
pay the price for the church plant. If you have some true emergency come up on your day off, make up for it and more on another
day in the next week.
I’m learning. Recently, a concert was taking place in a church not far from ours on a Sunday morning. I told Mary to skip our church
service and go to the concert she wanted to see. It was the first time Mary had ever skipped church (when she was in town) in ten
years of church planting. She more than deserved it.
Value your spouse. Value her enough to not talk about church stuff all the time. Do things that breathe life into her! Let her know
how grateful you are for her support and love.
One of the ways I have supported my wife is by making appointments for her to meet with church spouses she admires. Mary has met
with some famous and not- so-famous church spouses, and has gleaned an incredible amount from these times. I fail a lot when it
comes to being the spouse I want to be, but I’m working hard to improve.
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Providing Adequate
Prayer Support for Our Church Plant
Church planting leaders tend to be “activists”. And activists are not known for their
contemplative lifestyles. Simply put, prayer is not always the first thing on their minds, but it
should be. In the end, we can have all the financial backing and slick marketing tools available,
but that does not ensure success. Prayer, however, can make a HUGE difference.
So, where’s the balance between the necessary prayer support and a church planter’s natural
bent towards activism?
First, set for yourself a realistic goal of how long you’d like to pray in any given week for your
church plant. The Holy Spirit can help you come to what is His desire for this season in your life.
Next … recruit and continue to recruit prayer partners to join you in prayer. Contrary to what
you might have thought, you don’t have to have hundreds of prayer supporters, just a few truly
committed people. These few “green berets” of prayer are what I call High Impact Prayer
Warriors.
The best-case scenario is to find a few individuals with the spiritual gift of intercession and ask
them to invest in
your life and in the
church plant you’ll
How to get the most from your intercessors…
be involved in by
praying for you.
Prayer
Walks/
Prayer Drives
Once you gather a team of intercessors, set them up as a Facebook or e-mail
list. Update them once a week with specific prayer requests. Also, let them
know how their prayers are making a difference. Prayer supporters will be
much more likely to pray for you IF they have a sense of what is going on in
your life and in the life of the church plant.
If you happen to have someone who has the spiritual gift of discernment
Chances are you’ve
within the gift of intercession, give them permission to let you know what
heard of someone
“insights” they get from the Holy Spirit concerning the church planting
doing a prayer walk.
venture.
You might have
even been part of
some yourself. The key to effective prayer walks (or prayer drives) is to have people who are
spiritually discerning. According to 1 Corinthians 12:10 The Spirit gives some people the ability
to know the difference between good and evil spirits. There are people who can prayerfully
walk or slowly drive through an area and sense what is going on in the Spirit realm. Knowing this
helps us to pray and minister so much more effectively. Often church planting teams will gloss
over this process as unimportant or too subjective. But smart church planters realize we are not
fighting against flesh and blood; and, therefore, they take the time to know how the Enemy is
specifically working in a particular area. Do not feel bad if no one on the team feels incredibly
comfortable in this area. Instead, make some calls to organizations like “Youth With A Mission”
or other ministries that would have people who are comfortable praying and seeking God’s
wisdom for the areas of Community/Church Name you feel called to reach. If your area is simply
too large to cover by walking it…then consider doing it via vans/cars.
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My Action Plan:
□
My strengths:
□
How I will play off those strengths (i.e. what will I definitely be doing in this
venture that will utilize my gifts/talents)
□
Spouse strengths:
□
How my spouse will maximize those gifts:
□
Any spiritual disciplines I need to give myself to:
□
Desired time in prayer per week:
□
People I’d like to contact to be High Impact Prayer Warriors:
□
I’m going to ask the following people to help me “Prayer Walk” around a strategic
area of my church planting area.
□
The date of our “Prayer Walk” is going to be:
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PERCEIVING (accurately) THE SPIRITUAL
REALITIES OF MY COMMUNITY
Church planter and author Neil Cole writes about the attitude a church planter should
have as he comes into a community in his book, “Organic Church”
For the first seven weeks that my family was in Long
Beach, we were homeless. A couple we knew had a
house they wanted to rent to use, so we packed up and
prepared to move, only to find that the previous
tenants had changed their mind about leaving, and so
we found ourselves without a home. We stored all our
earthly possessions at my office and slept on borrowed
beds and couches or in motels. We were a traveling
band of nomads, wandering in the wilderness with a
dog, a cat, a bird, and three children. For two weeks
we stayed in a motel, but we couldn’t keep the pets
there. They stayed in my office. So several times a day
I would take my dog for a walk. I remember one night I
took the dog to the top of Signal Hill, surrounded by
the city of Long Beach. While the dog was sniffing
every bush, I had a heated discussion with God. Why
had we been dislodged from our home? I asked Him
what He was trying to say to me, and he answered.
In that night I heard the city, and God’s voice spoke to
my heart. I heard wives and husbands screaming at
each other. I heard dogs barking, cars screeching,
sirens blaring, and guns shooting. I heard the things that Jesus hears when He listens to the city,
and I began to weep. In that moment, the Lord broke my heart for the city and the people of the
city enslaved to darkness. I begged God to set the captives free and establish His kingdom in
Long Beach as it is in heaven.
Has your heart been broken yet by God’s heart for your area?
If so, I want to hear about it. If not, what do you think you need to do?
What are the things you think God “sees/hears” when he looks and listens to the
community where you are planting the church?
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The following article was written by, Rick Warren, pastor of Saddleback
How to recognize spiritual receptivity in your community
Pastor, you’re surrounded by dirt.
To be more precise, you’re surrounded by soil – all kinds of soil. In
If you want
your community, you have people who are ready to respond to the your ministry to
Gospel and people who aren’t. Your job is to isolate the good soil and maximize its
plant your seed there.
evangelism
effectiveness, you
Jesus clearly taught this notion of spiritual receptivity in the Parable of need to focus your
the Sower and the Soils (Matt. 13:3-23). Like different kinds of soil, energy on the right
people respond differently to the Good News. Everyone is not equally soil. That’s the soil
ready to receive Christ. Some people are very open to hearing the that will produce a
Gospel and others are very closed. In the Parable of the Sower, Jesus hundred-fold harvest.
explained that there are hard hearts, shallow hearts, distracted hearts,
Rick Warren
and receptive hearts.
If you want your ministry to maximize its evangelism effectiveness, you need to focus your
energy on the right soil. That’s the soil that will produce a hundred-fold harvest. Take a cue
from those who work with actual dirt. No farmer in his right mind would waste seed, a precious
commodity, on infertile ground that won’t produce a crop. In the same way, I believe careless,
unplanned broadcasting of the Gospel is poor stewardship. The message of Christ is too
important to waste time, money, and energy on non-productive methods and soil. We need to
be strategic in reaching the world. We should focus our efforts where they will make the
greatest difference.
If you look closely, you’ll see that even within your church’s target group there are various
pockets of receptivity. Spiritual receptivity comes and goes in people’s lives like an ocean tide.
People are more open to spiritual truth at certain times than at others. Many factors determine
spiritual receptivity. God uses a variety of tools to soften hearts and prepare people to be
saved.
So who are the most receptive people? I believe there are two
broad categories: people in transition and people under
tension. That’s because God uses both change and pain to get
people’s attention and make them receptive to the Gospel.
People in transition: Any time people experience major change, whether positive or
negative, they develop a hunger for spiritual stability. This has occurred in America during the
last several years. The massive changes in our world have left us frightened and unsettled and
has produced an enormous interest in spiritual matters. Alvin Toffler says that people look for
“islands of stability” when change becomes overwhelming. This is a wave the Church needs to
ride.
People are also more receptive to the Gospel when they face changes like a new marriage, a
new baby, a new home, a new job, or a new school. That’s why churches can generally grow
faster in newer communities where new residents are continually moving in than in stable,
older communities where people have lived for 40 years.
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People under tension: God uses all kinds of emotional pain to get people’s attention:
the pain of divorce, death of a loved one, unemployment, financial problems, marriage and
family difficulties, loneliness, resentment, guilt, and other stresses. When people are fearful or
anxious, they often look for something greater than themselves to ease the pain and fill the
void they feel. I claim no immaculate perception on the list I want to share with you. This is not
a scientific study. But based on my many years of pastoring, I offer the following list of what I
believe have been the 10 most receptive groups of people that we’ve reached out to at
Saddleback:
1.
2.
3.
4.
Second-time visitors to your church (unbelievers who come, regardless of the reason)
Close friends and relatives of new converts
People going through a divorce
Those who feel their need for a recovery program (any type: alcohol, drugs, sexual,
etc.)
5. First-time parents
6. Terminal illness of self or family member
7. Couples with major marriage problems
8. Parents with problem children
9. Recently unemployed/major financial problem
10. New residents in the community
A great benefit of focusing on receptive people is that you don’t have to pressure them to
receive Christ. I tell my staff: “If the fruit is ripe, you don’t have to
yank it!”
Your church might make a goal of developing a specific program or
outreach to each of the most receptive people groups in your
community. Of course if you begin to do this someone is likely to say,
“Pastor, I think that before we try to reach all these new people we
should try to reactivate all the old members that have stopped
coming.” This is a guaranteed strategy for church decline! It doesn’t
work. It usually takes about five times more energy to reactivate a
disgruntled or carnal member than it does to win a receptive
unbeliever.
It usually takes
about five times more
energy to reactivate a
disgruntled or carnal
member than it does
to win a receptive
unbeliever.
Rick Warren
I believe God has called pastors to catch fish and feed sheep – not
corral goats! The truth is that some of your inactive members probably
need to join somewhere else for a number of reasons. Growing
churches focus on reaching receptive people. Non-growing churches focus on re-enlisting
inactive people.
Once you know who your target is, who you are most likely to reach, and who are the most
receptive people in your target group, then you’re ready to establish an evangelism strategy for
your church. So my suggestion to you is this: start checking the soil.
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Tension, and Transitions
in our Church Plant Community
TENSIONS faced by people in the Community/Church Name community:
(i.e., paying the bills, loneliness…)
TRANSITIONS faced by people in the Community/Church Name
community: (i.e., graduating college, getting married…)
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A Powerful Tool to Help a Church Planter Discover the
Greatest Needs of the Community where the Church is
being Planted
This next section is a brief survey of the powerfully helpful tools that are
available through Compassion by Design, an excellent ministry launched by a
fellow church planter – David Mills. For more information, you can go to
their website (www.compassionbydesign.org/needs-assessment.html
and perhaps attend a training event.
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A Pathway for Missional Ministry
Sent…Student…Servant…Storyteller
Developed by Tim Roehl
Sent...
We approach ministry as missionaries...sent by God, blessed by Him to be a blessing to others! Our
commission is as old as God’s covenant with Abraham in Genesis 12 and an extension of the Great
Commandment of Matthew 22:36-40 and the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20.
We are sent by the Lord of the Harvest! When we understand His sovereignty, sufficiency and
authority, we can do with humble dependence and supernatural confidence! (See Luke 9, 10)
Christology...we are clear about Who sends us...committed completely and commissioned with His
authority.
Missiology...we understand our own ministry profile and the people of the mission field which the
Lord of the Harvest has sent us to redemptively serve.
Ecclesiology...we understand the form of “church” needed to bring Christ to culture!
As you seek God’s wisdom for your ministry, you need to remember these key points as shown in
Numbers 13:
 Like Moses did with the 12 spies, it is important to “spy out the land” before you go in. This is
called spiritual mapping.
 Like the 12 spies, you need to be able to identify the strongholds of the enemy.
 Like Joshua and Caleb, you must also identify the “redemptive gifts” of the area.
 Remember, God is greater than the enemy!
 The process can be described in several ways:
 “Student...Servant...Storyteller.”
 “Discerning listening, divine appointments, determine needs, develop ministries, deploy
teams...”
 “Leaving our own, living among, listening to, loving redemptively, linking to community.”
Spiritual Mapping






Pray! Ask God to give you understanding of the strongholds of the enemy, the needs of the people,
and the redemptive possibilities He has in mind.
Review the past. As you understand the history of an area, you can begin to discern the spiritual
influences at work. What important events have taken place? Who were the pioneers of the
area…what were their intentions?
Look at significant places. Look for monuments, the layout of the area, statues, spiritual
places…anything that might help you identify spiritual influences and idols.
Look for the seats of power. Get to know the government, business, education and religion centers.
Who are the key people in positions of power in the area?
What are the practices of the community? What are the main festivals, celebrations? What types of
activities do many people participate in, such as sports, community groups, drinking, etc.?
Learn about the spiritual problems you need to address. What holds people back from finding God?
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
Find out what people believe in your area ...what people believe influences how they behave. What
do they believe about:
* God
* Jesus Christ
* The Bible
* Heaven
* Hell
* Salvation
* Sin
* Church
* Eternity
*…and other particular religious practices, such as praying for or to the dead, idols, etc.
As you get to know the area, prayerfully make a list of:



The spiritual strongholds in your area (such as hopelessness, fear, poverty, self-righteousness,
pleasure seeking, tradition, addiction, etc.)
The problems you must begin to address to meet the needs of the people.
The redemptive gifts God wants to bless the area with…His possibilities! What ministries can
you develop to meet those needs?
A spiritual stronghold is an ingrained attitude of hopelessness based on a lie from Satan.
A redemptive gift is a supernatural release of power from God that brings His redemption to people
in an area that liberates people held captive to sin by those strongholds.
Student...
Get to know the people of the community. We learn from the people God has called us to serve
through discerning listening, spiritual mapping, strategic intercession and divine appointments in order
to determine the needs of the people. Walk among the people, asking God to show you their needs
through His eyes. Talk with people in public settings, humbly seeking friendships as one who wants to
learn. Talk to neighbors, business people, political leaders, educational leaders and others to learn
about your community. Learn about the employment, education and economic status of the people of
your area.
Key questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Who knows what we need to know?
Who are the “sphere of influence leaders” in this area who can give us perspective on the needs?
Who are the people of peace God wants us to meet?
Who are the intercessors and other spiritual leaders of this area that we can join with in ministry?
What are the strongholds holding people back in this area from knowing Jesus?
What redemptive gifts does the Lord want to release to this area?
Blending who we are (our “ministry fit” based on our leadership styles, spiritual gifts and skills)
with our the needs of our mission field, how should we express our vision, values and mission
(V,V,M)?
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Check the “S*o*I*L”... (Sphere of Influence Leaders)
Do more research to discern needs in the community asking the question, “What’s not being done in
our area that we could do?” Listen especially to key leaders in various spheres of influence such
as:
a. Education—school leaders
b. Law Enforcement—police chief, sheriff, etc.
c. Government—mayor, city/county officials, city planners, etc.
d. Spiritual leaders—pastors and parachurch leaders…our Kingdom teammates.
e. Business leaders—Chamber of Commerce, Rotary, etc.
f. Social service agencies
g. Media—publishers, radio/TV, etc.
h. Subcultures—leaders in niche groups like partiers, bikers, ethnic groups, etc.
i. Realtors and builders
j. “People of peace”—those who have influence in the area whether they have a “title” or not and
can open doors to large networks of relationships.
k. The “Bishop”—the most influential spiritual leader of the area to learn from him and get his
blessing.
l. “Divine appointments”—watch for the people God sends to you!
Here’s a sample survey you can use with these “sphere of influence” leaders. Remember, be gracious
and be brief. If they appear interested and want to give you more time, take advantage of their
generosity and learn much.







How would you describe this area to a new person just moving in? What are the greatest
strengths?
From your position as a leader of influence in this area, what do you see to be the biggest
needs?
What are some ways a church that wants to be a servant to our area could partner with
agencies like yours to help others?
What advice would you give me as a new spiritual leader in our community?
Who else would you recommend that I talk to that could help me learn more?
Is there anything I can pray about for you or your family? Is there any way I can serve you?
Thank you for your time! May we keep you updated on our progress?
8. Listen to, link with and pray with your Kingdom partners. What other churches are in the area?
What is their condition? Is there spiritual unity among pastors? What issues do they feel hinder the
work of the Kingdom in their area? Find your teammates and pray!
Action Points
1. What territory are you claiming for God? What needs have you discovered? What essential
ministries can you develop to meet those needs? What will your Kingdom contribution be to His
greater work in the area?
2. Describe the area as we have outlined above in terms of needs you will meet, ministries you will
develop and teams you will deploy.
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Servant...
We begin to demonstrate God’s love in practical ways...meeting needs in tangible ways in order to
gain credibility for our message. We join the team of leaders and churches God has already
assembled to reach that area. A key principle is “Where people congregate, we will operate.”
Key questions:
 What needs did we hear consistently from our interviews with sphere of influence leaders?
 What gifts and skills do we have as a team?
 What needs does Jesus want us to address?
 What churches or community groups can we join in meeting needs?
 What events can we connect to in order to meet people where they are already gathering?
 In light of what we’ve learned, what essential ministries do we need to develop?
Storyteller...
We prayerfully discern our “Ministry Focus Group”—the group God has called us to intentionally
invest in for Kingdom purposes—and learn how to best communicate the Good News to them.
Key questions:
 Who is our Ministry Focus Group (MFG)? This is the people God has called us to reach that
best fits our passion, gifts and skills. Although the Gospel is for everyone, we recognize that
we will be most effective ministering to those with whom we have affinity.
 What would be Good News to our MFG?
 What style of “church” will minister to our MFG most effectively?
 What kind of teams do we need for our essential ministries to function?
 How can we creatively, consistently and clearly communicate the Good News to our
community in order to bring people closer to a saving knowledge of Christ?
 What does “Harvest-focused, Holiness-fueled” look like in our area?
Key Questions as You Develop Ministries and Deploy Teams
 What is your unique Kingdom contribution in this area?

What redemptive gifts has God given your church?

What needs have you discerned that you are to address?

What essential ministries must you have?

What teams will you develop and deploy?

Who are the key leaders you need to build, lead and multiply those ministry teams?
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Missional vs. Attractional—you need to be both…but missional first!
Missional
Engage culture
“Go”
“Sent…serving”
Heart first
Personal/relational
Do ministry/start churches
Incarnational
Harvest-focused
Community based
Wesley’s methods & theology
“Belong…believe”
Attractional/Traditional
Escape culture
“Come”
“Come to us…listen to our teaching”
Head first
Program/institutional
Start churches/do ministry
Proclamational
Believer-focused
Church-centered
Wesley’s theology
“Believe…belong”
Missional Pathways: Four Ways to Leverage Missional Ministry

“Taste and See”—small and large group opportunities for people to get to know you and
your church’s vision, values and mission.

“Go and Serve”—going out (sometimes partnering with other community groups) to serve
redemptively. “Where people congregate, we will operate.” Demonstrate God’s love in
practical ways.

“Learn and Grow”—short term seminars or groups to meet felt needs.

“Get to Know”—creative ways for people to connect relationally.
Keys: these strategies do not need to be done sequentially, but sensitively blended in order to
leverage each activity and building momentum.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Two demographics sites you might find helpful:
http://www.ministryarea.com/ (paid site)
http://www.city-data.com/ (free site)
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Sample
“Marketing Survey”
1. How long have you lived in the McCordsville/Fortville area?
This is another very
helpful tool that you
can use at popular
hang-out spots to help
you better understand
and breat the “code”
of a city.
___________________________________________
a. If you relocated in the last two years to the McCordsville/Fortville
area, where did you move to the area from?
______________________________________
2. Do you have children?
Yes
No
a. If so, how old? ______________
You have now
reviewed the
Compassion By
Design material…
Are you going to
buy this kit?
Are you going to
conduct
interviews?
Who will your first
seven interviews
be with?
Who on your team
can help you
conduct these and
other interviews?
3. Do you attend church regularly (Twice a month or more)?
Yes
No
4. What are three things you consider important in a church.
Spiritual Growth
Friendships
Community Service
Children’s Ministry/Nursery
Youth Ministry
Worship
Relevant Biblical Teaching
Other ____________________________
5. Why do you think some people don’t attend church? (Circle 2)
a. They don't have the time.
b. Lack of relevance to their lives.
c. Lack of motivation.
d. They Find Spiritual help elsewhere.
e. They feel church just wants their money.
f. Other___________________________
6. Do you read the Fortville/McCordsville Reporter?
Yes
No
7. Our church is considering ways to serve this community. Do you have any
suggestions?
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How A Planter Enters A Community
From “Church Planting Landmines” by Tom Nebel and Gary Rohrmayer
A church planter’s time can get swallowed up just recruiting the already
convinced. If church planters are not disciplined in networking and
spending time with unchurched people, they can end up starting a church
for the churched instead of a church to reach the community. We
recommend that our church planters spend at least 50 percent of their
work week in networking and developing pre-Christian contacts.
Remember that you are a missionary to your community
…five ways church planters can enter a new community.
1. They need to enter it as an intercessor, praying for the community
2. They need to enter as a learner, grasping the historical, cultural, and social dynamics
of their community.
3. They need to enter it as a servant, finding ways to be involved in community life that
reflect the heart of a servant.
4. They need to enter it as a friend or an ally, strategically and intentionally building
friendships throughout the community.
5. They need to enter it as a story-teller, continuously sharing the gospel and the vision
for the new church.
Upgrade your networking skills
Networkers are effective listeners and are continually learning about the nuances of
their communities and the leaders who serve them.
Networkers are willing to try something new.
Be available to those experiencing life transitions.
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The Holmes-Rahe Scale
Holmes & Rahe (1967). Holmes-Rahe life changes scale. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, Vol. 11, pp. 213-218.
The Holmes-Rahe Scale reminds us what putst people under the greatest amount of stress.
Life Events
Life Crisis
Units
100
Death of spouse
Divorce
73
Martial separation
65
Jail term
63
Death of close family member
63
Personal injury or illness
53
Marriage
50
Fired at work
47
Marital reconciliation
45
Retirement
Change in health of a family
member
Pregnancy
45
Sex Difficulties
39
Gain of new family member
39
Business readjustment
39
Change in financial state
38
Death of close friend
Change to different line of
work
Change in number of
arguments with spouse
Mortgage over $100,000
Foreclosure of mortgage or
loan
Change in responsibilities at
work
37
44
40
36
35
31
30
Life Events
Son or daughter leaving home
Life Crisis
Units
29
Trouble with in-laws
Outstanding personal
achievement
Wife begins or stops work
29
Begin or end school
26
Change in living conditions
25
Revision in personal habits
24
Trouble with boss
Change in work hours or
conditions
Change in residence
23
Change in schools
20
Change in recreation
19
Change in church activities
19
Change in social activities
Mortgage or loan less than
$30,000
Change in sleeping habits
Change in number of family gettogethers
Change in eating habits
18
Vacation
13
Christmas alone
12
Minor violations of the law
11
28
26
20
20
17
16
15
15
29
Your score is:
Taken from http://www.geocities.com/beyond_stretched/holmes.htm 3-30-2007.
You can take the automatically scored test there.
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Seeking Wisdom from Other Spiritual Leaders
The Bible says there is “wisdom in many counselors” (Proverbs 11:14). The more we can
learn from spiritual leaders of an area:
The more we can learn about the spiritual climate of an area
The more we can learn about what others have found as beneficial or not!
The less likely we are to spin our wheels and to make the same mistakes others
have made in the past
Contact 5-7 pastors in the area and ask to take them (individually) out to lunch. Tell
them who you are and what you’re doing in town and tell them you’d like to glean from
the wisdom they have gained after serving faithfully in this area for a number of years.
Existing pastors to a new area will tend to have various reactions to a new church coming
to town. Sadly, not all will be Kingdom-minded. That’s o.k. don’t let it bother you, just
breathe a pray for them, asking the Holy Spirit to bless them anyway.
Other pastors, however, will be excited to meet with you and ready to offer anything
they can to help you in your quest to learn as much about the spiritual and social climate
of an area. In fact, you might end up being surprised how Kingdom-minded some of
these pastors are.
Here’s an idea of the kinds of questions that you might want to ask during this time:
Since you’ve been here, what have you noticed about the spiritual climate about
this area?
What are the types of ministries which have been most successful in the life of
your church?
Do churches in this area tend to work together? Is there a strong sense of unity? Is
there a evangelical pastors association that meets?
What do you believe are the most important things for me to know about this
area?
At the end of your lunch time, ask the pastor if there’s anyone else they feel like you
should visit with to help you get an accurate picture of the spiritual climate of the
community you both are working in.
BE CAREFUL! For some church planters it’s all too easy to spend time with other
Christians and then wonder why it is that God is not blessing the new church with fresh
converts who were far from God when the church started. Make sure you’re spending
one lunch a week with a total pagan for every lunch you spend with a pastor in the
area.
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Networking… Following Promptings of the Holy Spirit
A key aspect of building the church will be through people who you meet and invite.
Remember the story of Philip in Acts 8? The Holy Spirit guided him to the Ethiopian
Eunuch who after receiving Christ ended up (according to church history) having a
profound affect on the spiritual culture of the continent of Africa. All this through the
simple obedience of a man following a prompting from the Holy Spirit.
The key for church planters is to keep their ears tuned to the Holy Spirit and their eyes
constantly on the lookout for people God may be putting in their path to influence in a
positive way for the Kingdom and to invite to your church.
Most people today are turned off by cold-call (door to door) evangelism (both those
evangelizing and those being evangelized). Sadly, however, many Christ-followers go to
the other extreme and live for years of their life never having a spiritual conversation
with anyone about the difference Jesus Christ can make in a person’s life.
The “middle ground” is when a passionate pursuer of Christ follows in the footsteps of
Philip (and Peter in Acts 10 and so many others) and takes the opportunities that God
places in front of us. A GREAT habit for a church planter to get into is to pray every time
they get in their car, “God, I want to be used by You today. I don’t want to miss any
divine appointment you have for me today. Please help me to be sensitive to Your Spirit
as you talk to me throughout the day and as you show me opportunities to be your
ambassador today.”
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My Action Plan:
□
I feel God has “broken my heart” for the area where we are planting the church,
or (if not) we have ideas about how we might place ourselves in a place where He
can do that.
□
I have read the “Compassion by Design” material included in the iMAP and have
lined out a strategy to effectively evaluate the needs of my community. The first
seven people I will meet with are:
1. ________________________
2. ________________________
3. ________________________
4. ________________________
5. ________________________
6. ________________________
7. ________________________
□
I have identified a person from our launch team who can help me conduct these
and other surveys? ______________________________
□
I have written out a plan for me to effectively network into my city and those who
do not know Christ.
□
I have made a list of the 5-7 pastors I want to meet with during the first 30-60
days of arriving on site to glean from them wisdom and insight about the spiritual
and social climate of the area.
1. ________________________
2. ________________________
3. ________________________
4. ________________________
5. ________________________
6. ________________________
7. ________________________
□
I have identified the place for our “creative survey” project, have sought and
received permission to do it there and have the date on my calendar for when this
event will take place.
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Pioneers
Recruiting Pioneers
Potentially some of the best friends you will ever have in your life will be the people who join
you in this adventure of planting a church. It’s like a church version of “Band of Brothers.”
You’re going to go through an experience that will shape you perhaps like nothing else ever has.
To be honest, you’ll feel every emotion from incredible joy and elation to days of disappointment
and sorrow.
Because of the scope of work in a church plant, you can never have too many like-minded launch
team members. Which is why you should consider recruiting ANYONE who you think might be an
asset to you in planting the church. You might be surprised just who will come and help you
plant a church… really! The key is recruiting correctly.
How?
First, pray. Ask God to send people who will complement your skills and compensate for your
weaknesses (I know, you don’t have very many ). Ask God to give you quality people who will
make the church plant more effective in building His Kingdom.
Next, talk to anyone who might fit on your team. Make phone calls and say, “Hey, why don’t you
consider moving to help us plant this church.”
(I remember making that call to one couple who lived 1,200 miles away. They were in a church
they liked, in a climate they liked…life was going well. I thought to myself when I made that
phone call, “I’m an idiot for asking.” I was so blessed less than four days later when I got a phone
call back from them saying they had prayed about it and felt God was calling them to join us!)
It’s important that during this process you describe (as clearly as possible at this stage) the
church your team is about to plant to those you are prayerfully recruiting. If we are asking
them to join us in this venture, they need to understand why it is worthy of their consideration.
What should compel them to join you? This gives you an excellent opportunity to hone your
vision casting skills. The church you’re describing, does it put them to sleep or make them sit
up in their seat with excitement? Also, as you talk about the church plant, you’ll be naturally
sharing the vision and values of the church, something we’ll deal with next.
If they are on the same page with the values of your church, consider making the transition
easier for them. For instance, if the people you are recurring live out of the area, and are
serious about praying about joining you in the church plant, consider taking some of the “startup” funds you receive from a sponsoring agency and use them to pay for:
A visit to your city so they can prayerfully consider it while seeing it with their own
eyes.
Their moving expenses if they decided to join you.
Is this expensive? Consider the cost in comparison with having to hire staff. It’s a lot less
expensive to pay for a dedicated volunteer who will end up heading up an area of
ministry to move than it is to pay that individual a salary.
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Name Please…
What’s in a name? Depends on who you ask. For some, not much, for others… a lot.
Some people take great stock on the name/title we give them, others don’t really care.
The problem is, sometimes the very people who we think could care less really do care
and vice versa.
Throughout the church planting process you will have the opportunity to name some
things:
Your church;
The different ministries you begin;
Your leadership team.
Believe it or not, one of the more important names you’ll ever come up with is the
name you give the initial group of people who help get the church up and going. This
section of iMAP has to do with this group. They are the pioneers; the entrepreneurial
types who are going to come alongside you and work very hard to get a church from the
conceptual phase to reality. What should we call them? Does it matter? At first,
probably not, but eventually it might.
For instance, if I call them a “leadership team,” some might shy away, not seeing
themselves as leaders; others might assume they have a right to do anything they
want to in the name of the church because they are part of the “leadership team.”
If I call them a “core group,” it works great at the very beginning, but when we hit
launch, then people who are new might begin to feel like there is an “elite” group
(“core group”) and then there’s everyone else. Sounds petty. It IS. But believe me,
it’s real. It happens. And it happens at a lot of church plants. Without meaning to,
some church planters have set up a “class system” in the church. Instead of the poor
and rich there are “core group” members and everyone else.
So, what’s the solution? Come up with a name the fits your personality or the personality
of the group of people and stop using it the day you actually launch the church. One idea
is to call these heroes “Launch Team Members.” The concept is that these are the
individuals who are going to get the church plant to launch. That’s their role. It has a
beginning AND end time. These individuals will be instrumental in getting the church off
the launching pad. Without them, we’ll never get there. But once we get to launch,
then everyone is on the same page together. This allows people who come on the first
Sunday, or shortly thereafter to quickly get involved without feeling like they are second
class citizens.
see Matthew 20:1ff
Also, during the recruitment phase, there are some quality, needed people who might
agree to be part of a launch team to help us get the church off the ground—but they
won’t necessarily be willing to make the commitment to stay long-term due to distance,
comfort level issues, family ties to their old church, etc. Calling them part of the
“launch team” gives them a natural and comfortable “out” should they wish to take it.
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It is hard to overstate the importance “launch team” members will make in the days and
weeks prior to our launch service. They help set the DNA and the tone for a
new church. Relating patterns that are developed during the pre-launch
phase will continue into the life of the church.
Because of the importance of this group of people this section has been developed to
help the church PLANTER get the most out of their PIONEERS. We’ve described it this
way:
A Healthy Launch Team
1. Knows each other
2. Is pursuing God passionately
3. Respects their leader
(We gain trust by “face time” and showing genuine concern for their
lives.)
4. Has Agenda Harmony
5. Lives Missionally
6. Understands Each Other
7. Knows and operates in their Spiritual Giftedness
A healthy launch team… knows each other
This one might come very naturally. Make sure the launch team is having plenty of
opportunities to hang out with each other and having fun. All work and no play makes
for some very bored launch team members! “Hang” time is not wasted time, it’s
valuable to grow deeper, healthy and committed relationships that will pay off over
the long run. It also offers us an opportunity to understand each other better. The
sky’s the limit here: BBQ’s; movie nights; football parties; ice-cream sundae nights;
etc. Sometimes, during these times, it’s cool to ask a question that helps everyone
get to know one another better such as…
Team Building Questions
My favorite pastimes are:
People who know me know when my feelings
have been hurt because I act in this way:
My favorite movie of all time is:
I connect best with God (can feel His presence
the most) when I’m:
When I was a kid I dreamed of being:
I find it easiest to relax by:
Name someone who has had a positive
influence on your life.
People who know me know when I’m angry
because I act in this way:
If I had a free day to do anything I wanted to
do and money was no hindrance, I would:
One childhood memory that you can
remember vividly.
Talk about a significant event that’s taken
place on your spiritual journey:
Favorite food/dessert:
Favorite TV show:
If you could re-live one day of your life
because it was so fantastic, what day would it
be?
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A healthy launch team… is pursuing God passionately
We teach what we know, we reproduce what we are. That’s why Jesus’ disciples
experienced such incredible transformation in their lives. It wasn’t just Jesus’ teaching that
impacted them so greatly, it was His LIFE. Like Jesus, the PLANTER’S life sets the tone for
the spiritual atmosphere of the PIONEERS who in turn set the spiritual atmosphere for
everyone who comes after them.
PIONEERS need to have a pastor they can respect spiritually. Don’t spend all your time in
launch team meetings just covering core values, church strategy or skill development. Spend
significant time helping them to develop a passionate relationship with Christ.
When all is said and done, the very best launch team members are not those who have all the
“skills” of a perfect layperson; but the ones who are passionately in love with Jesus Christ.
As a good friend of mine says, “Lovers will out-work workers every time.”
Here are some statements to think about when pondering spiritual transformation:
Is the life I’m inviting others to live, the kind of life I’m living myself?
95% devotion to Christ is 5% short.
Spiritual transformation should be normal for every believer, not for the “super
spiritual” elite.
The tendency for some launch teams is to spend so much time relating and doing ministry
that
they
neglect
their
spiritual vitality.
Spiritual Pathways
Remember,
you’re
not
launching
a
business
enterprise; the PLANTER and
PIONEERS are not coming
together to invent a new
gadget; you’re not coming
together to win the Super Bowl
or World Series.
You’re
coming together to launch a
community of people who have
been charged with changing
the world through the power
of Jesus Christ. That can only
happen our spiritual lives are
operating on all 8 cylinders.
One of the ways PLANTERS can help PIONEERS in their
relationship with God is to help them discover their Spiritual
Pathway. Gary Thomas, in his book Sacred Pathways talks
about how most Christ followers have a natural bent in how
they best experience the work of God in their life. Some
people love to be out in creation; others love to worship;
others love to study God’s Word; others feel God’s presence
most when they are with others in a small group setting; others
feel God most when they are serving someone and still others
sense His presence when they are involved in a sacred ritual
like communion or prayer service. Whether you use Gary’s list,
your own list or a combination (which is the case for this
paragraph), chances are great you could really encourage the
spiritual lives of your launch team members by encouraging
them to find their spiritual pathway and figure out a way to
There
is
much
more make sure they are getting a good dose of this regularly. In an
information in the “Public” attempt to serve you, an entire lesson on spiritual pathways
section of the iMAP concerning that can be taught at a launch team meeting has been placed
the end of your iMAP workbook.
building the discipleship processatas
you plant.
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A healthy launch team… has agenda harmony
One of the most common factors of energy-drain in a church plant is a lack of agenda
harmony. Although the phrase is fairly self-explanatory, to make sure this section has
agenda harmony  let’s give it a definition. What we mean by this phrase is that launch
team members are on the same page, headed in the same direction, looking for the
same results.
Imagine you’re a member of a crew (boat) racing team. Imagine instead of a leader who
calls out the rowing times, everyone is allowed to row at whatever time and in whatever
direction they want. Some even choose not to row at all. Still others choose to drag
their oar in the water, slowing the progress of the others and causing the boat to go in
circles.
A few years ago I was privileged to be on a crew team. We were well led and our leader
told us exactly when to row and in what direction…we flew across the water. It was a lot
of fun and the energy we were putting into the rowing was maximized. That’s the same
experience church planters have when launch team members are on the same page. Yes,
there will always be opposition from the enemy, but God’s promise is that He will build
His church and the gates of Hell will not prevail against it. (Matthew 16:18)
Too often, it’s not a direct attack of the enemy that gets in our way, it’s the subtle
attack that he brings through the lack of our agenda harmony. Our goal in this section
is to help the PLANTER achieve maximum agenda harmony among the pioneers, which
sets the stage for maximum agenda harmony in the overall church after launch.
If you are a church planter who is coming into an existing launch team who have hired
you to be their church planter, we recommend you read the information on Agenda
Harmony Issues in Existing Launch Teams which appears in the appendix.
Often, agenda harmony issues are small variations of values and beliefs. “Little things”
that don’t seem to matter much such as:
Meeting locations
Worship styles
Preaching methods
Leadership approaches
Naming the church
When to launch
Etc.
But left unchecked, a lack of agenda harmony can seriously impair a church plant’s
ability to effectively fulfill its mission.
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Often, a church planter has a sense that there are agenda harmony issues, but they push
those thoughts aside. This happens for any number of reasons:
Sometimes the PLANTER is overly optimistic. Being idealistic is a trait
among successful church planters; they want to believe the best in
others. In the area of agenda harmony, church planters hope launch team
members will eventually “come around” and adopt the church planter’s
views on whatever the subject may be.
Sometimes the PLANTER is intimidated by a strong leader. This is
especially true when the person with the agenda harmony issues is a
major donor or influencer within the launch team. Simply put, the
church planter is afraid of dealing with them head on; so they avoid the
subject and pray silently that somehow, miraculously, everything will be
o.k.
Sometimes the PLANTER is simply afraid of conflict. Perhaps the planter
has never learned conflict resolution skills so they try to pretend there’s
no problem brewing on the horizon. Often our spouses try and warn us,
“So and so isn’t on board with us.” But we don’t heed their words and
like Brer Rabbit, we head into the danger zone where we eventually get
in big trouble.
Like a windshield on a car, over time a little crack in agenda harmony can become not
just unsightly, but a significant hindrance to progress. Precious energy that should be
spent to get the church off the ground is instead spent working through factions within
the launch team.
But this doesn’t have to be. Your church plant doesn’t have to be negatively effected
by agenda harmony issues. Wherever you are in your church planting process, you can
move towards agenda harmony among your core of leaders. Here’s how:
Regularly cast vision by painting a “preferred future.” Describe the church you
believe the Lord is calling the launch team to plant. Make it clear. Those who
are under your leadership should know exactly the direction you’re headed in…
and (this is key) why you’re heading in that direction.
Often a church planter describes his/her core values but doesn’t give the
corresponding reasons why these core values are important. For instance, if
a church service on the weekend is going to be targeted towards the unchurched, a wise church planter explains the biblical values that provide
the foundation for why a church would have this as an ambition (see Luke
19:10 for inspiration ).
Rooting core values in biblical principles helps give the church planter
credibility and can, on occasion, help those with differing views to come
under the church planter’s leadership umbrella.
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Take the Agenda/Values survey. This is an excellent idea regardless if you sense
any agenda harmony “issues” among your launch team. This tool is one of the
most valuable tools a church planter can have.
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Dear
,
Don’t be nervous about this survey at all. It’s not a test of your
spiritual maturity, Christian fitness, or analytical prowess. It’s just
a tool to make sure there aren’t any glaring differences between our
ideas of church, theology, etc. It’s better to discover any significant
values differences now, rather than six months down the road when
you’ve gotten yourself neck-deep in relationships and ministry at a
new church. If we find some area of major disagreement, it doesn’t
necessarily mean we need to part ways, it simply means we differ
and it’s better to address it now than later.
Anyway, do the three surveys below by yourself, NOT with your
spouse, and mail it back to me in the stamped envelope provided.
You can compare notes with your better half after you’ve both filled
out the survey, if you desperately desire to do so.
Admittedly, this survey doesn’t cover the entire scope of potential
differences among Christians. A couple of thousand years of church
history can’t be contained in three pages. But this should get us
started. If we find out down the road that you believe dancing is
nearly equal with homicide on the ol’ list of sins, then I hope we
can abide by a classic Christian principle…
In essentials, unity…
In non-essentials, liberty…
In all things, charity.
By His Grace and for His Glory,
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Agenda/Values Survey
Name_______________________________
This is a survey to help us discern how compatible you may be with the direction of (Community/Church Name)
church. Please record your views as accurately as possible, not what you think someone might want you to say.
Read each statement and indicate if it would be a high priority, low priority, or somewhere in between. If you feel any
form of explanation is needed for your response, please star that statement and include your notes on the back of
the page. Please note that while some of these statements may seem to be mutually-exclusive (i.e. contemporary v.
traditional music), that is not necessarily the case. You are not limited to a certain amount of “High Priorities”.
1. Significant variety in the church service
High Priority
1 –
2
–
3
–
4
Low Priority
– 5
2. A highly relational senior pastor
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
3. A worship service that would relate to the unchurched
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
4. Singing traditional hymns
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
5. A pastor who is a gifted communicator
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
6. Public meetings (worship services) presented with excellence
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
7. A church open to stylistic innovation and change
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
8. Being able to use my gifts to strengthen the church body
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
9. Women serving as elders
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
10. Elders setting the course and providing leadership
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
11. Significant giving to overseas missions
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
12. Birthing additional churches from our own
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
13. Singing contemporary worship music
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
14. Meeting local community needs
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
15. Adult discipleship classes
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
16. One-on-one mentoring relationships
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
17. Quality children’s ministry
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
18. Quality youth ministry
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
19. A pastor who regularly visits people’s homes
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
20. Small group ministry
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
21. A pastor available for personal counseling
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
22. An active women’s ministry
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
23. An active men’s ministry
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
24. The opportunity to speak in tongues during a worship service
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
25. Expressive worship
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
26. In-depth, verse-by-verse teaching during the worship service
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
27. Sermons that would connect with my unchurched friends
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
28. A church that encourages formal attire
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
29. An orderly and traditional worship service
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
30. An informal, cutting edge worship service
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
31. A congregation consistently growing in size
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
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32. A church that effectively trains people for ministry
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
33. A church with strong pastoral leadership
1
–
2
–
3 –
4
–
5
34. Slow change rather than rapid change
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
35. A church that plans and sets goals
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
36. Church leaders who never hurt or offend anyone
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
37. A pastor serving as head elder
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
38. A church that is action-oriented
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
39. A church that is prayer-oriented
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
40. A church intent on building up believers
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
41. A church intent on reaching the lost
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
42. A church with a lecture format for teaching/learning
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
43. A church with interaction and discovery for teaching/learning
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
44. A church where everyone has input regarding decisions
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
45. A church with strong leadership that sets the direction
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
46. Training classes for new believers
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
47. A church assisting parents in Christian education and formation
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
48. A church that takes responsibility for Christian ed. and formation
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
49. A worship band
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
50. A church that practices a Biblical pattern of church discipline
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
51. A pastor who spends most of his time with people
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
52. A pastor who spends most of his time in his study
1
–
2
–
3
–
4
–
5
MINISTRY SURVEY
Choose five (5) items that are MOST IMPORTANT to you. Rank them in order of priority
(Highest=1). Yes, all are important, but choose only five.
___Teaching the Bible
___Community/fellowship
___Ministry to children
___Discipleship/training believers
___Small Groups
___Music
___World missions
___Counseling/pastoral care
___Assimilating new people
___Evangelism
___Planning and goals
___Ministry to youth
___Addressing social causes
___Prayer
___Administration (finances, buildings, etc.)
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THEOLOGY SURVEY
Read each statement below and respond with one of the following numbers:
1 …….. I believe that strongly
2……… I believe that
3……… I’m uncertain
4……… I don’t believe that
5……… I know that isn’t true
1. The Bible is the inspired Word of God.
2. The Bible is without error.
3. The Bible is the ultimate authority for my life.
4. Jesus is the Son of God.
5. Jesus is God.
6. Jesus died, was buried, and rose from the dead.
7. Jesus was born of a virgin.
8. Jesus is coming again.
9. The Holy Spirit is God.
10. The Holy Spirit enters into a person when they believe.
11. The sign that a person has been filled with
the Holy Spirit is speaking in tongues.
12. If I’m good enough, I can go to heaven.
13. If I trust in Jesus for salvation, I will go to heaven.
14. Once a person has put their faith in Jesus,
heaven is a certain future for them.
15. God exists as three separate persons –
Father, Son (Jesus), and Holy Spirit – yet, He is one.
16. It was necessary for Jesus to die on the cross.
17. There is a real place called Hell.
18. Every human being is a sinner.
19. Infants should be baptized.
20. You cannot be saved without being baptized.
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What do you do if you sense someone is not completely on board with the
vision/values of your church plant?
First, be proactive. It does a PLANTER absolutely no good to burry their head in the
sand—to pretend (or hope) that a PIONEER will get on board someday. You can, and
should, pray for unity among those on your launch team and those who start coming to
the church once you launch, but this does not mean that you won’t have to deal with
agenda harmony issues. Don’t be discouraged! Even those in the early church had to
deal with agenda harmony difficulties (Acts 6:1ff).
If you sense that someone is not on board, set up a time to get together with them
and just be honest. Tell them what you’re sensing and ask them if they can give any
insight what you’ve been feeling. One of the tools you can use in this kind of
conversation is the chart you’ll find below. You can easily draw it on a napkin at a
restaurant or coffee shop and ask them to honestly mark where they are on the chart.
How do they feel about YOU personally?
OK
OK
How do they
about the VISION
the VALUES of
church
you
launching?
feel
and
the
are
Not Sure
Not Sure
Quadrant 1: Work with these
people; they believe in you and
the mission. Monitor for signs of
erosion.
Quadrant 2: Spend time
with these people; looking
for ways to build your
relationship.
Quadrant 3: Look for ways to
inform and educate these
people. Give them
opportunities to see the model
in action.
Quadrant 4: Short-term
missionaries at best. Be up
front about your differences
and perhaps outcounsel
them to other churches.
Although this is a bit
“confrontational” in nature, it certainly will get you to the heart of the issue without a
lot of wasted time. It’s very important that you do not defend yourself in these kinds
of conversations. If you defend yourself, all that will happen is that tension will grow
between you, you won’t accomplish anything. If they are not sure about you or the
vision of the church you certainly can ask if they have any questions you could answer for
them to help give insight… but this is not the time to get upset. If they honestly say they
have questions about you/the vision, you might ask them, “Do you think you’re going to
be able to give yourself to this body of believers in a way that will allow you to be fully
involved? If not, you might want to consider going somewhere else. You are too valuable
and Kingdom advancement is too important for you to sit and be frustrated.
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How Christians Should Enter Launch Teams

You don’t come in with seniority. Every member comes in just like
everybody else—as a seeker that is following Jesus Christ.

You are going to follow the pastor. “Agenda harmony” is a priority for a new
church and the church planter sets the agenda. “We believe God has called
the pastor and given him a vision. There is not room in a new church for
competing visions. It’s just too fragile. A tug of war over values and vision
can kill a new church,” Marcus says.

A new church plant is not the place to “get well.” If someone wants to join
a launch team, it needs to be someone who is spiritually and emotionally
healthy. “This is not the place to get well. A new church plant needs
leaders who have togetherness in their lives,” Marcus says.

A new church plant is not the place to sit back and watch. Effective launch
team members have a servant attitude of “all hands on deck.”
Building Unity
As a PLANTER chances are good you’ve read through the book of Acts several times.
Remember Acts 2:42-27? During that time in the church’s development in Jerusalem,
they were experiencing unity and God was advancing His Kingdom through them on a
daily basis. Sometime during the pre-launch phase a wise PLANTER will gather the
PIONEERS around and (after having proactively dealt with agenda harmony issues) talk to
them about unity.
Unity is the glue that holds a church plant together in the early days. The following is a
unity “facts of life.” Feel free to use it as a lesson with the launch team.
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Potential Launch Team Lesson on Unity
God called us here…this is not an accident
We’re all different… Personalities are different… Backgrounds are different…
Because we are different, opportunities exist to get crossways w/each other. Even the disciples got crossways with each
other. Remember when James and John’s mother went to Jesus asking for special treatment in where her sons sat in
heaven? The rest of the disciples got irritated and Jesus had to sit them all down and have a discussion.
Paul in his letter to the Philippians earnestly pleads with the followers there to be unified.
Often we forget that what we have in common is so much more important that the smaller things that we may not always
see eye to eye about.
Jesus’ prayer, just before His crucifixion on the cross was filled with a Godly desire for us get along.
Father, protect them by the power of your name—the name you gave me—so that they may be one as We are
one. John 17:11
My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, 21that all of
them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may
believe that you have sent me. John 17:21
What happens when don’t heed Jesus’ prayer? All too often we fall into gossip and the Holy Spirit, through His inspiration of
scripture, again and again calls us to a life of non-gossip.
Though some tongues just love the taste of gossip, Christians have better uses for language than that. Don’t talk
dirty or silly. That kind of talk doesn’t fit our style. Thanksgiving is our dialect. Ephesians 5:3
Careless words stab like a sword, but the words of wise people bring healing. Proverbs 12:18
Since God chose you to be the holy people whom he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy,
kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. 13You must make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the
person who offends you. Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others.
Colossians 3:12-13
Gossip separates the best of friends. Proverbs 16:28
Every time we gossip, 3 things happen:
We sin!
We bring poison into our ranks…
The enemy is allowed a foothold.
We hinder the cause of Christ.
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Consider having your launch team sign a “Unity Covenant” like the one below; sealing
with their signature a commitment to healthy relationships. This is the kind of
commitment that pleases the heart of God and allows Him to bless a church plant.
Unity Covenant
…make allowance for each other’s faults and forgive the person who
offends you. Colossians 3:13
I commit to living a life of believing the best in others; of forgiving others
when I have been hurt and keeping silent about my hurt except to the
person who has hurt me (Matthew 18:15). Even then, I commit to speaking
the truth in love. I commit to a life of non-gossip.
(signatures)
(date)
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A healthy launch team member lives MISSIONALLY
Here are some resources to help them do that
Idea: #1
Go to our website specifrically designed for church planters (cpresource.org) and
you’ll find a section called “Pre-Launch.” One of the resources there is a great
message by John Ortberg about having spiritual conversations. Consider giving that
mp3 out to your launch team and having them listen to that.
Idea #2
Consider reading through (as a launch team) or doing a few launch team lessons based
on the Bill Hybel’s book, “Just Walk Across The Room” or a much less known (and
probably for good reason) the book I did called “5 Things Anyone can do To Introduce
Others to Jesus.”
Idea #3
Have them read the Neil Cole quote from earlier in this material, then do an exercise
based on the question: what do you think Jesus sees when he looks at your
community?
Idea #4
Go through the video curriculum known as “Perfect Blend,” available
through Wesleyan Publishing House (www.wesleyan.org/wph)
The reason many potential church plants do not ever reach
survivability is because the launch team does not know how to
effectively live missional lives and so they spend all their time
doing the “work” of the church plant (i.e. administrative tasks)
and never seriously focus in on reaching their non-Christian
friends for Christ.
What SPECIFICALLY are YOU as the church planter going to do to
ensure this doesn’t happen in your situation?
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A healthy launch team… understands each other
We all have different strengths we bring to the table. The better we understand
each other’s personalities and strengths, the more we can appreciate them.
Instead of allowing our differences to be a cause for frustration or friction, we can
actually learn to celebrate the differences and learn to appreciate them.
There are many different ways to get to know each other. Some are free, others
cost a little, others cost even more. Still, we should never underestimate the
value of knowing how others face life. Some personalities are naturally more
outgoing others are more shy; some personalities love change, others naturally
resist it; some personalities love details, others detest them. Learning how
another launch team member tends to approach life can help you in developing
team morale and avoiding team stress.
Here are some tools to ascertain the personalities of your launch team.
Personality Plus – This is the more commonly known tool that has words:
Sanguine, Phlegmatic; Melancholy and Choleric. The positive side of this test
is that it often is a fun exercise for the team to go through. The negative side
is that it doesn’t give you as much detailed information (because it is not
scientific in nature) as other tests. You can order these tests for $1.00 a copy
from CLASS services by calling them @ 1-800-433-6633 or by emailing them at
info@classervices.com
www.advisorteam.com has a test that can be taken on line by launch team
members (at their convenience) and then the results are sent to whoever is
designated as the administrator. The test is more scientific and therefore a
bit more insightful than the personality plus test mentioned above. The cost
for taking this test is $14.95/person.
MBTI (Myers-Briggs personality test). This test is administered by professionals
(trained counselors). Although this is the more expensive route to go, it also
provides the most insight into other launch team members.
Other personality profiles include:
DiSC, Learning Styles and Enneagram
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A healthy launch team… knows and operates in their
Spiritual Giftedness.
Want to know how to get PIONEERS to be so fired up and excited about ministry that they
rarely need the encouragement of the PLANTER (even though you’ll give it to them
often), and that without having to ask, every thing gets done? Too good to be true? No.
It’s what happens when a launch team PIONEER serves in an area matched to their
spiritual giftedness/talents.
According to Ephesians 4:11, it is the PLANTER’S responsibility to help PIONEERS
discover, develop and deploy their spiritual gift. (For an excellent discussion on spiritual
gifts, see Rick Warren’s Purpose Driven Life, pages: 227-280).
Today there are a number of quality gift assessment tools available for your use.



Purpose Driven Life’s SHAPE which is available on the web @ www.pastors.com
Wesley Spiritual Gifts Questionnaire available through Fuller Seminary Press @
www.fullerseminarybookstore.com The cost is 3.15/per survey.
Three Colors of Ministry available in various places on the web including
www.ncd-international.org/books.html
Until your church purchases membership software, you might consider using an Microsoft
Outlook file or whatever address software you use to keep track of spiritual pathways and
spiritual giftedness of member of the launch team. Keeping those written down will
allow you to go back to them when you’re in need of a certain spiritual gift or you’re
wondering if a job you’re considering someone for would match their giftedness.
Another valuable use of your launch team meetings is to allow one of your other launch
team members with the spiritual gift of teaching to lead a Bible Study. In fact, some
church planting experts recommend the lead church planter only lead the study for the
first six weeks, and then hand it off to someone else while they concentrate on
multiplying small groups and networking other people into the groups.
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Building Up Leaders from the Launch Team
According to Dr. Ed Stetzer’s research project provided at the back of your iMAP, if the
church planter provides leadership development training for new church members,
the odds of survivability increase by over 250 percent. Of those church planters who
provided leadership training to church members, 79 percent of their churches
survived compared to only 59 percent of church plants survived among those who did
not provide leadership training.
Chances are your launch team is filled with potential leaders. Men and women who will
some day lead significant areas of ministry in the church.
All they need is
encouragement and training from you.
Some of your leaders will be found through the spiritual gift tests you give. Other
leaders will just rise to the top naturally. Others will be opinion leaders in the group
simply because of their backgrounds or because of their personalities. Opinion leaders
are not necessarily people you will put in positions of leadership; but they are men and
women you can begin to develop into Spirit-led leaders.
All your leaders (gifted, position and opinion) should be trained…and be trained by you!
Erin McManus, Andy Stanley, Patrick Lencioni, and John Maxwell have enough leadership
materials to last any church for decades.
Consider having a once-a-month Starbuck’s meeting where you teach leadership skills
to your leaders. Make it a “must” for present and potential leaders. Talk about
leadership often. Help people see the importance of leadership in the life of your
church.
The more leaders you build up, the more you’ll be concentrate on ministering from your
area of strength while effectively delegating other ministry to those who can provide
leadership for it.
Eventually, some of these very leaders may end up being the Elders of your church.
Here’s a potential progression plan:
Launch Team Members
Leaders of Ministry
Advisory Team
Elders / Action Team Members / Board Members
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Once you can watch a person in a ministry function provide leadership for that ministry,
then you can see first hand how they handle leadership responsibilities. From here, if
they appear to be good leaders, you can invite them to join the Advisory Team. A group
of individuals who meet on occasion to discuss the mission/values/direction of the church
and help to offer you advice concerning decisions which need to be made. When the
church plant goes from “pioneer” status to “established” status, you can make these
Advisory Team members your Elders / Action Team Members / Board Members,
depending on what terminology you prefer to use.
There are 2 MUST READ chapters in Nebel/Rohrmayer’s book on Church Planting
Landmines that give incredibly helpful and practical advice about leadership
development in the early days of a church plant—chapters 2 & 3. Church planters,
please read these!
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Specific Ideas for Launch Team Meetings
Start with “the end in mind.” What do you want your pioneers to “be” by the time you
hit launch Sunday? If your goal is that they would be spiritually meat eating missionaries
to their culture, then be strategic in how you spend times at your launch team meetings.
For instance:
□
Go through a few books together between now and launch Sunday. Potential
books would be:
Breaking the Missional Code – Ed Stetzer
The Life You’ve Always Wanted – John Ortberg
It – Craig Groeschel
Rediscovering Church – Bill and Lynn Hybels
You undoubtedly have better ideas of books you would like to take your team
through, that’s great… use those instead. The point here is that you be
proactive in making sure they are learning the things that are important to you
as their leader for them to know, be and do.
You can go over a chapter or two a week while you also do other things as part
of your meeting.
□
As you continue to add people to the pioneers, spend some time each night on a
“getting to know you” exercise, like you would any other “small group” situation.
□
Depending on the maturity level of your group, you can either do this as a large
group or you can break up the group into smaller groups and ask them to talk
about any spiritual goals they are working on or want to work on over the next few
months.
□
Agenda Harmony / Unity Lesson
Biblically right ways to confront your brother/sister in Christ.
□
Spiritual Gift Discovery Night
□
“Matthew Party” instruction nights… Matthew Party nights
□
How to effectively share my faith
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□
Hired hand vs. Owner mentality
The difference between the two is that a hired-hand just does the work that
they’ve been asked to do and no more… they really feel no responsibility for the
ultimate success of the organization. An owner, on the other hand, feels a sense
of responsibility for the success of (in this case) the effectiveness of the particular
ministry of the church they are serving in.
□
Recognizing and responding to spiritual warfare.
A study on Ephesians 6:12ff
□
Keeping Your Marriage Strong during the Launch Process
□
Vision nights! Do several of these!
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My Action Plan:
□
I’ve prayed and asked God who He wants me to recruit to join me on this venture.
□
I’ve written e-mails; called or somehow contacted people I feel the Holy Spirit is
leading me to recruit to this team.
□
I have written out a training plan for my PIONEERS to effectively network their
non-Christian friends.
□
I’ve decided on a name for our PIONEERS.
□
I have written out a specific plan and have put on my calendar how and when we
will teach the launch team about missional living.
□
I’m going to use a personality/temperament tool and I’ve ordered it or told the
PIONEERS how to access it online.
□
I’ve handed or sent out the AGENDA / MINISTRY / THEOLOGY surveys to all
PIONEERS.
□
I have decided to use/not use the Unity lesson and Unity covenant described
within.
□
My first leadership “get-together” is scheduled for
□
I have read chapters 2 & 3 of Church Planting Landmines
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Particulars
Details…what are the Important Ones and how to Handle Them
PLANTERS tend to be entrepreneurial types. Dreamers. Big Picture people. Innovators.
Initiators. As a whole (not trying to type-cast here) they tend to not be completers.
Many PLANTERS enjoy starting a project and then moving on.
But as we said at the beginning, details are foundational!
They are
critically important to the success of a church plant.
For the best time line materials for church planters that I have ever seen, go to:
http://www.churchplanting4me.com/onlineplanning.htm
Remember when Jesus wanted to have His Last Supper with His disciples? Think of all the
things that came out of the encounter:
Communion
Foot-washing
The “high-priestly prayer” of John 17
“You are the vine…” of John 15
Having this meal was critical. It was important to Jesus. But He didn’t arrange the
details. He sent a couple of the disciples ahead to prepare the meal for the rest of the
team to enjoy later that night. He made sure the details were taken care of, but He
didn’t do it Himself. That’s a WONDERFUL example for a church planter to follow—
especially when there are hundreds of items to accomplish during the pre-launch and
launch phase!!
You don’t have to get involved in all the details; as a matter of fact—you’d better not!
If you do, you will stifle the gifts and abilities of your launch team members, and
you’ll spend all your time on details instead of networking and recruiting. Your
responsibility as a church planter is to make sure the details are taken care of, not to do
it yourself.
One of your first leadership tests will be whether or not you will delegate
details effectively. Notice the word delegate—not dump. The difference
tends to be in how a PLANTER hands off the baton of responsibility to someone else. In
order to delegate effectively a PLANTER sits down with an individual and walks them
through WHY this is important to the team. WHAT exactly needs to happen. WHEN it
needs to happen. And finally, any issues with HOW it needs to happen. If a PLANTER
takes the time to do this well once, chances are, he/she will never have to do it again.
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Effectively delegating details to launch team members can be one of the most liberating
things a church planter does for everyone involved. It liberates the church planter from
all the detail work; and it liberates the launch team member to be a vital part of the
church-planting process.
Here are some
easy ways to proceed:
Immediately after giving a spiritual gift assessment survey, identify those who
have the spiritual gift of administration or service somewhere in their spiritual gift
mix. These will be some of your biggest allies. But, even if someone doesn’t
have a spiritual gift of administration or service, give him/her a detail on the
following list. Their apparent ability and marketplace expertise will help to
dictate what you hand off to them. If they accomplish their task quickly and
with a great attitude, reward them with another one!
Thank them profusely! Tell everyone on the launch team what this particular
person did and have everyone give him/her a hand!
Ministry Action Plan Post-It Exercise
Write out on each post-it a specific ministry you believe God wants to see launched
within the first year of the church plant. One ministry per post-it note.
Now… take 12 post-it notes and write a month on each post-it.
Take your post-its put them under the month you believe these ministries should be
launched.
The following pages are an example of Converge pre-launch “check list” developed by a
fellow church planter)
IMAP-Personalized for Julian and Tiffany Newman-68-
Port Huron Church Planting Activities Check List
Number: Title:
1040 Select coach
1050 Lay groundwork for partnerships and support
1060 Begin self-study/reading materials
1070 Contact other church planters
1080 Determine church distinctiveness
1090 Determine staffing approach
1130 Milestone: Choose Launch Date/Month
1140 Milestone: Strategic Partnership Plan
1150 Define partnership options
1160 Establish expectations for documenting partner commitments
Develop informational brochure/packet for fundraising or
1170 partnering
1180 Identify potential partnering organizations or churches
1190 Contact potential partners
1200 Recruit first 10 prayer partners
1210 Formalize partner commitments
1240 Milestone: Initial Computer Setup
1250 Obtain church computer
1260 Determine basic software package
1270 Purchase basic software package
1280 Install basic software package
1290 Establish Internet Access
1300 Milestone: Internet Prayer Team
1310 Develop strategy to recruit the next 100 prayer partners
1320 Select and setup group email program
1330 Develop prayer team email signup forms
1340 Recruit prayer team point of contact
1350 Initial recruitment of prayer team members
1360 Provide tutorial/training on use of group e-mail program
1370 Setup initial prayer e-mail template
1380 Initiate weekly prayer team emails
1390 Milestone: Initial Planning Products
1400 Issue Preliminary Launch Plan
1410 Issue Preliminary List of Actions and Milestone Dates
1420 Educate CP/Coach on schedule tracking tools
1430 Conduct Initial planning meeting
1440 Milestone: Initial Demographic Study
1450 Obtain internet demographic information
1460 Provide Church Marketing Solutions demographic report
1470 Obtain Chamber of Commerce demographic information
1480 Visit target area
1490 Provide initial carrier route information
1500 Define initial target area
1510 Define initial 'Average Target Family'
1520 Milestone: Initial Web Site
1530 Select initial key word web name
1540 Purchase initial key word web name
Lead: Cost Range:
CP
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$100-$300
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$0
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CPS
CPS
CPS
CPS
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CP
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CPS
CPS
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CPS
CP
CP
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CPS
CPS
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$2500
$0
$0-$2500
$0
$120-$600
$0
$0
$0-$120
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$200-$500
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$25
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1550
1560
1570
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1590
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1990
2000
2003
2007
2010
Setup initial web site
Setup web based church calendar
Issue preliminary on-line checklist
Milestone: Philosophy of Ministry
Review and understand Alignment Model
Develop church purpose
Develop church beliefs
Develop church values
Develop leadership approach
Adopt team/structure philosophy
Adopt process philosophy
Develop church priorities/strategy
Develop member expectations
Develop discipleship/next step process
Milestone: What does opening day look like?
Visit other churches
Issue written opening day document
Milestone: Staffing Plan
Rank potential staff positions based on church strategy
Determine likely number of staff to be added
Identify positions to pursue
Determine hiring timeline
Determine use of interns if any
Issue written staffing plan
Milestone: Outreach Plan
Review and understand outreach event effort/cost levels
Develop outreach philosophy
Establish standards/expectations for number and type of events
Provide list of possible outreach/service events
Determine initial schedule of events
Determine special equipment needs and purchase timeline
Issue written outreach plan
Milestone: Marketing Plan
Review and understand marketing techniques effort/cost levels
Develop marketing philosphy
Provide list of possible marketing ideas
Determine initial marketing techniques
Determine initial marketing costs and lead times
Issue written marketing plan
Milestone: Networking Plan
Develop list of possible community contacts
Develop strategy for networking with community contacts
Issue written networking plan
Milestone: Initial Equipment List
Provide initial worst case equipment list
Assess list to determine purchase criteria and dates
Determine initial purchase list
Milestone: Budgeting and Fundraising
Assign cost numbers to task list
Assign likely dates to each expenditure
Compile budget through launch
CPS
CPS
CPS
CP
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CPS
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CP
CPS
CP
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
$120-$400
$0-$40
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$20000
$0
$0
$1500
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
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2020
2030
2040
2050
2060
2070
2080
2090
2100
2110
2120
2130
2140
2150
2159
2160
2170
2180
2190
2200
2210
2220
2230
2240
2250
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2280
2290
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2370
2380
2390
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2410
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2450
2460
2470
2480
2490
2500
Develop a fundraising plan of action
Milestone: Launch Plan
Develop customized launch plan actions
Determine spousal role in actions
Determine administrative/volunteer support of launch plan
Issue Launch Plan Version 1
Conduct Final Planning Meeting
Update On-Line Checklist
Issue Integrated Schedule
Milestone: Organizational Establishment - Part 1
Obtain PO Box (address)
Select Church Name
Prepare Articles of Incorporation
File Articles of Incorporation
Prepare Federal Identification Number filing
Obtain Federal Identification Number
Establish Church Checking Account
Milestone: Church Planter Onboard/Onsite
Plan downtime for move
Church Planter moves onsite
Church Planter onboard full-time
Obtain church phone line
More reading resources - part 2
Milestone: Familiarization with Target Area
Provide list of major neighborhoods
Visit major neighborhoods/areas
Visit other local churches and new church plants
Milestone: Final Demographic Study
Converse with at least 50 locals
Obtain Percept Report
Develop soft demographic survey
Conduct soft demographic survey with at least 200 locals
Finalize 'Average Target Family'
Review and update philosophy of ministry
Milestone: Branding
Develop brand identity
Develop tag line
Design logo
Milestone: Update Outreach Plan
Understand what events are currently in the community and
successful
Determine best events to meet community felt needs
Determine which events to do
Update schedule of events
Update project schedule with events
Identify list of special equipment for events
Determine which equipment to buy
Update equipment list
Milestone: Update Marketing Plan
Determine area specific 'best marketing' techniques
Determine which marketing to do
CP
CP
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CPS
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CPS
CP
CPS
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CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
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CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CP
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$15-$100
$0
$0
$75-$200
$0
$0
$0
$30-$60000
$0
$0-$10000
$0
$0-$100
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$95-$800
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$5000
$250-$1000
$0
$0
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CPS
CP
CPS
CP
CP
CP
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$9000
$0
$0
$0
$0
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2510
2520
2530
2570
2580
2590
2600
2610
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2660
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2680
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2700
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2800
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2890
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2950
2960
2970
2980
2990
3000
3010
3020
3030
3040
Develop a schedule for marketing
Update project schedule with marketing
Milestone: Organizational Establishment - Part 2
Obtain non-profit bulk mail permit
Obtain state sales tax exemption
Milestone: Contact Potential Facilities
Provide facility selection checklist
Prepare list of all possible meeting places
Establish contact at each possible location
Get on waiting list at each possible location
Send introductory letter to each facility contact
Attempt to meet with each facility contact
Milestone: Establish initial community presence
Obtain church office space
Initiate ongoing marketing presence
Initiate other 24/7 opportunities
Milestone: General Advertising
Design and order business cards
Design and order brochures
Obtain list of all local yellow page ads and closing dates
Determine which ads to place
Design yellow page ads
Place yellow page ads
Milestone: Contacts w/Key Community Leaders
Identify list of key community leaders andorganizations
Contact each key community leader
Meet with key community leaders
Send letter and marketing materials to each leader
Identify area church leaders
Determine whether area ministers have regular meetings
Meet with area church leaders
Identify list of area Civic Associations
Join local civic associations
Milestone: Facility Selection
Generate list of promising meeting locations
Rank facilities using the facility selection checklist
Obtain and assess demographics near top 3 facilities
Make final facility selection
Confirm number of worship services
Obtain Church Insurance Policy
Milestone: Initiate Launch Team
Develop strategy for recruiting the first 10 people
Develop written expectations for launch team
Identify and recruit first 10 launch team members
Conduct first Launch Team meeting
Milestone: Expand Launch Team
Develop strategy for recruiting the next 50 people
Identify/recruit the next 50 launch team members
Vision/Values/Beliefs Write-up
Develop basic 101 level course
Conduct basic 101 level course with the launch team
CP
$0
CPS
$0
CPS
$0
CPS
$300
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$0
CP
$0
CPS
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0-$12000
CP
$0-$1000
CP
$0-$10000
CPS
$0
CPS
$75-$300
CPS $1000-$2500
CPS
$0
CP
$0
CPS
$0-$200
CP
$0-$2400
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CPS
$0
CPS
$0-$500
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CPS
$0-$1500
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0-$50
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0
CP
$0-$200
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3050
3060
3070
3080
3090
3100
3110
3120
3130
3140
3150
3160
3170
3180
3190
3200
3210
3220
3230
3240
3250
3260
3270
3280
3290
3300
3310
3320
3330
3340
3350
3360
3370
3380
3390
3400
3410
3420
3430
3440
3450
3460
3470
3480
3490
3500
3510
3520
3530
3540
3550
Milestone: Financial Systems
Setup payroll for staff
Identify church budget categories for tracking
Establish church budget in financial software
Develop reimbursable accounting process
Provide Reimbursement Form
Implement reimbursable accounting process
Implement donor relationship management system
Milestone: Database Systems
Develop visitor information process
Select and Purchase church database system
Setup and implement church database system
Milestone: Full Web Site Ranked on Search Engines
Select and purchase domain name based on church name
Link new domain name to web site
setup e-mail accounts with new domain name
Determine major content and functionality for web site
Develop and publish world class web site
Link site to other prominent community sites
Get site listed high on major search engines
Milestone: Small Group Plan
Determine specific small group model to use
Establish goal for number of small groups at launch
Develop training plan for leaders
Issue written plan for small groups
Milestone: Initiate Small Groups
Identify and recruit small group members
Start first small group
Start second small group
Milestone: First Touch Materials
Determine marketing giveaways
Design marketing giveaways
Order marketing giveaways
Determine 'first touch' materials
Design 'first touch' materials
Print 'first touch' materials
Milestone: Newspaper Advertising
Develop list of major local newspapers and publications
Develop list of newspaper editors and religious section contacts
Establish relationship with each editor and POC
Prepare press release and draft articles
Design newspaper ad
Place Recurring Ads in Local Newspapers
Milestone: Home Owners Associations (HOAs)
Develop list of local HOAs
Obtain contact information for HOAs
Establish contact with each HOA
Determine schedule of events for each HOA
Design HOA newsletter ad
Place recurring ads in each HOA newsletter
Sponsor HOA web sites
CPS
CPS
CPS
CPS
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CP
CPS
CPS
CP
CPS
CPS
CP
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CPS
CP
CPS
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CPS
CPS
CP
$0
$0-$840
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0
$0
$25
$0
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0
$0-$1000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$3000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$2000
$0
$0-$750
$0-$10000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$2400
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$2000
$0-$1000
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3560
3570
3580
3590
3600
3610
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3870
3880
3890
3900
3910
3920
3930
3940
3950
3960
3970
3980
3990
4000
4010
4020
4030
4040
4050
4060
Milestone: Publicize Event Schedule
Identify all possible publicity outlets
Select publicity methods
Implement publicity methods
Milestone: Outreach Event Preparation
Provide event planning checklist
Design outdoor banner(s)
Print outdoor banner(s)
Develop strategy for connecting with people at events
Milestone: Level 3 Community Event # 1
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Level 3 Community Event # 2
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Level 2 Community Event #1
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Level 3 Community Event # 3
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Level 3 Community Event # 4
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Level 2 Community Event #2
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Staffing
Provide draft staff policy handbook
Customize staff policy manual
Provide hiring and interviewing resources
Add second staff member
add third staff member
add fourth staff member
90 Day Stretch
More reading resources - part 3
Milestone: Plan for creating environment
Develop smell/aroma strategy
Develop taste/hospitality strategy
Develop background sound strategy
Develop sight/indoor signage/appearance strategy
Develop touch/greeter strategy
Provide launch Sunday checklist
Review and verify opening day document
Customize launch Sunday checklist
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CPS
CPS
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CP
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$1200
$0-$300
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$60000
$0-$60000
$0-$60000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
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4070
4080
4090
4100
4110
4120
4130
4140
4150
4160
4170
4180
4190
4200
4210
4220
4230
4240
4250
4260
4270
4280
4290
4300
4310
4320
4340
4350
4360
4370
4380
4390
4400
4410
4420
4430
4440
4450
4460
4470
4480
4490
4500
4510
4520
4530
4540
4550
4560
4570
4580
Design and print template for weekly programs
Design and print newsletter templates
Develop space utilization plan
Update equipment list
Milestone: Outdoor Signage
Determine best location for signs
Determine best sign type for given locations
Determine process for placing and removing signs
Determine outdoor signs to purchase
Design outdoor signs
Purchase outdoor signs
Milestone: Ministry Team Processes
Identify list of desired ministries and ministry teams
Identify basic processes for each ministry/ministry team
Develop leadership matrix for opening day
Assign lead person for each ministry/ministry team
Develop written charter for each ministry/ministry team
Finalize basic processes for each ministry/ministry team
Identify equipment needs for each ministry/ministry team
Initial worship band formed
Initial setup and breakdown team formed
Initial children's ministry team formed
Initial frontline team formed
Milestone: Purchase and Assemble Equipment
Distribute equipment list to launch team and prayer team
Determine spare equipment and supply list
Develop final equipment purchase list
Approve final equipment purchase list
Join National Church Purchasing Group
Purchase equipment - CPS items
Purchase equipment - Church Planter items
Stage and assemble equipment
Milestone: Worship Service Planning
Plan first 6 months sermon topics
Plan first sermon series services
Write first sermon series sermons
Develop order of service form
Join WCA
Obtain CCLI/BMI/ASCAP License(s)
Obtain MPLC/CVLI License
Milestone: Level 3 Community Event # 5
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Level 3 Community Event # 6
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Level 2 Community Event #3
Plan event
Market event
CPS
CPS
CP
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CP
CPS
CPS
CP
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
$0-$2000
$0-$1500
$0
$0-$10000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$3000
$0-$3000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$5000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$500
$0
$0
$0
$10-$40000
$10-$40000
$0-$4000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$250
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
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4590
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4690
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Conduct event
Milestone: Level 1 Community Event #1
Plan event
Market major event
Conduct first event
Milestone: Level 3 Community Event # 7
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Level 3 Community Event # 8
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Level 2 Community Event #4
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Level 1 Community Event #2
Plan event
Market event
Conduct event
Milestone: Direct-Mail Campaign
Create carrier route maps
Define target area
Determine number of homes in target area
Determine number of different cards in series
Design cards
Print cards
Label cards
Deliver cards to post office
Milestone: Final Preparations
Review launch Sunday checklist
Review visitor information process/plan post-launch follow-up
Plan post-launch informational meetings
Conduct Practice Service(s)
Fasting
Prayer Vigil
Milestone: Launch
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CPS
CPS
CP
CPS
CP
CPS
CPS
CPS
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
CP
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0-$1000
$0-$5000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0
$16000
$0
$0
$0
$0
$0-$600
$0
$0
$0
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Money…how much you’ll Need and where to Get It
You know that passage of scripture where Jesus says how foolish it is to start a project
without knowing whether you have the financial wherewithal to finish it? (Luke 14:28)
That verse should be one of the hallmark verses for a church planter.
Yes, there are low-budget success stories out there in the field of church planting. But
those are the very rare exceptions, and usually include someone who had financial means
from somewhere (savings, inheritance, etc).
In a vast majority of cases, church plants are not cheap. That’s why it’s so important to
do it right the first time. Often there is no money and no morale left to try and “relaunch” a church plant.
Remember, as the church planter, you are the chief fund-raising person
of this project. It’ s NOT your D.S.’s responsibility to raise the funds.
It’s not yo’ momma’s responsibility…the leadership function of raising
funds sits squarely on your shoulders. Obviously the Holy Spirit will guide us, He
is the one who will make the funds come in, but that does not mean we can sit idly by
and expect the funds to come in. We will have to be working a strategy to make sure the
money is there.
You’ll find suggestions on the following pages…but one critical thing to remember is to
continually thank people, churches, districts and denominational officials who support
your church plant! Genuine gratitude, sincerely expressed, adds to the joy people feel in
giving to your church plant, and can increase their desire to give again.
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Whenever we enter into a church
planting venture, one of the key
aspects of “getting it done” is
funding the project. We know that
God has no shortage of funds and
His Kingdom is not strapped for
cash. It is also true that where
God guides He also provides. But
this does not mean we can sit and
do nothing and expect money to
flow in to our church planting
project without any effort on our
part. One of our key
responsibilities in planting the church is raising the funds for it. Simply put, it is the job
of the leader, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, to be the chief money raiser. It is
not a job we can abdicate to others and if we ignore this responsibility, we do so at our
own peril.
Funding
Your
Church Plant
Funding the church plant is not a complicated job. It simply takes giving attention to
each of the potential income streams of a church plant.
Personal Fundraising
According to Stadia representatives and ELI’s Craig Whitney, most church planting
networks are now requiring church planters who work with them to raise approximately
$150,000 to be given over a three or four year period (see eli’s website for more
information: www.elichurchplanting.com Only after a planter raises this amount, will
they ten release their matching funds. Their conviction is that if a church planter is truly
called, they will do whatever it takes to raise the money and if God is in this venture, He
will help them to raise it.
One of the chief responsibilities of a leader of any church is to be the
primary fund-raiser. If a church planter cannot convince anyone to
give to the church planting project, they might not be effective in
casting vision or communicating the passion God has placed inside
them about this church plant. The church planter must care enough
about the project to raise the funds for it. A look into the life of
Nehemiah is a primary example. God wanted the walls of Jerusalem
to be rebuilt and He wanted to use Nehemiah to complete this job.
But Nehemiah realized something very quickly: if the job was going to get done, he was
going to have to raise the resources to accomplish the task (see Nehemiah 2:7-9). For
help in this process, go to www.cpresource.org and under the blog section, listen to the
interview with Jon Wiest. Another great resource is “Funding Your Ministry” by Scott
Morton.
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Core Group Tithe
Once the core group has been meeting for a while (a month to six weeks) it is not
unreasonable to ask them to fill out a card that indicates how much they will be
giving to the church on a monthly basis. This card can be turned in the next week
and each card can be unsigned – if the church planter is more comfortable with
this approach. A basket can even be passed around where people put in their
financial commitment cards, like it was offering. If many of the launch team
members are coming from an existing church, you might consider encouraging
them to gradually move their tithe from their existing church to the church plant
over a 2-4 month period of time – lessoning the shock to the mother church.
Don’t forget to add your tithe to this amount!
Parent Church
If you are a daughter church, it is best if you know how much the parenting church
is planning to give you over the first year of your church planting project.
Obviously all parenting church relationships are unique. Some parent churches
work into their regular budget an amount to give each month over the year, others
give a certain amount to a church plant in one lump sum. Still others take up an
offering on a Sunday morning. If the latter is the case, it is best if the
congregation can know in advance that such an offering is going to be taken so
they can discuss as a family how they want to respond to this exciting investment
opportunity.
District / Zones
One of the greatest sources of frustration for church planters is a
misunderstanding between themselves and the district they are in as it relates to
the amount of money that is going to be invested into the church plant over the
first year. Simply put, in a vast majority of cases, there is not clear enough
communication between the two entities. In more and more cases, districts are
setting up “milestones” church plants must achieve in order to receive the money
the district has earmarked to invest into the church planting project. All of these
things are not hindrances or negative as long as everyone is on the same page
going into the church plant. Solution. Simple. Make sure there is crystal clear
communication about exactly what is going to be given, when it will be given and
whether or not certain milestones must be met in order for the funds to be
released.
Denomination
Check with the E&CG department about any grants presently available for church
plants/church planters.
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Funding Worksheet:
Personal Fundraising Goal (first year): ________________
Amount Pledged: _____________
Core Group Tithe (first year): ____________________
Parent Church (first year): _____________________
District/Zone (first year) ______________________
Denomination: ____________________________
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Some Principles on Raising Money
from Jon Wiest
1. You are a missionary: I think you have to approach church planting the same way you would
approach missions. You are about to embark on being a missionary to your community and in order
to do that effectively, you need resources. It is crucial to approaching fundraising with the right
frame of reference. You are a missionary and you need financial partners. It’s important to have
statistics on the number of unchurched, lost, agnostic, etc in North America to prove your point.
North America is a HUGE mission field and you are a missionary.
2. Biblical foundations: Again, I approached fundraising with a biblical frame of reference. An
awesome book that will walk you through EVERY biblical reference for fundraising is “Funding Your
Ministry”. It’s a Navigators resource and gives you the biblical confidence that you will need to
approach people.
3. What is Your Vision: People respond to vision and they will respond to YOU! If you are passionate,
they will be passionate. If you are excited, it will excite them to give. If you believe that God will
cause this church to grow, they will believe that God will cause this church to grow. The clearer and
more compelling your vision, the greater the chance that people will support you. People want to
jump on board with something that is working. Don’t underestimate the importance of this point.
4. Prayer: I think it is important each step of the way to be in prayer that God would change people’s
hearts. Pray that God would cause people to give....
5. What are You Trusting God for? I think it’s important to set realistic goals of what you need to get
the church up and running. Don’t simply consider the first year, but also plan to fundraise through
year two and three. I think a two year commitment should be minimum for fundraising. The fact of
the matter is, if you have a quick launch, you can just pack the money away into a WIF fund or
investment to build a little nest egg for your first facility or staff hire. But be sure to write a figure
down. Are you trying to raise $10,000 a year, $100,000 a year, $30,000 each year for three years?
Make sure you know what your goals are.
6. Non-Profit Status: You need to make sure at this point that you have a PO BOX, your non-profit
status worked out with The Wesleyan Church and a name (church name) to send money. This is
important!!
7. District and Denomination: Districts are going to be able to offer a lot more than the denomination
and they need to hear a clear vision. Make this presentation really rock! They need to see that you
are working to raise personal funds above and beyond simply grants and district money, and they
need to see that their investment is going to be worthwhile. Yes…souls will be saved, but MONEY
will also be put back in the district. Simple math. If the district invests $50K a year for two years
that’s 100K. But, if your church takes off (and we know it will ) then in just 5-10 years they will get
their money back in USF and then all future years are nothing but “profit” . At this point, I would
suggest paying 100% USF from the beginning. It speaks highly of you as a team player and the
gesture could garner a lot more money on the front end. And let’s face it, money on the front end is
going to mean more than money later on.
8. Develop a LONG support list: I am a huge fan of writing letters to everyone and their brother when
it comes to fundraising. Brainstorm everyone you can possibly think of at this point. You should
come up with at least 200 families. Use Facebook, My Space and other social networking sites to
develop a list. You probably already have that many friends on your page. Remember to include
family, friends, parishioners, mentors, teachers, churched or unchurched. Now look at your list. The
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9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
more personal the touch, the better. A well crafted letter articulating your vision is nice…..but
which of these families should you follow up with a phone call? Which of these families should you
schedule a face to face? Do the work of mapping out your strategy and then get to it. Work the list
ruthlessly. And don’t underestimate people’s capacity to give. I had 250 families I mailed to. Of the
250, I personally called 100 of them and I personally sat down (face to face for a 45 minute meeting)
with around 30 of them. I then followed up with a second letter to everyone and finally, a third
letter to everyone again. Include self-addressed envelopes with postage and let them know you
really want a response either way. After all, you wouldn’t want them to waste a stamp .
Church Visits, etc: A couple of suggestions at this point. Visit every church you have ever attended
and request that the pastor give you time during the service OR an hour prior to or after service to
share your vision with others. It’s very important to go to these visits prepared with information on
your vision and a CLEAR way to donate to the church. Also visit as many churches in your home
district AND as many churches in your new district (if different) as you possibly can. If you can’t visit
each church, at least include them in your mailing list.
Big Asks: There will undoubtedly be a few cases where you need to make a BIG ask. While the
average person may only give $25 a month or something, you need to have a big goal on your
pledge card for people to shoot for. When we sent out support letters and pledge cards we asked
for 20 “Anchor Donors”. An anchor donor gave $1500 a year for two years. We only ended up with
15 (which translates to $45,000 for two years), but it gave our high capacity people a big goal to
shoot for. In some cases, if you know of any deeper pockets, you may ask for $5,000 or more.
Again, review my first and second point before you make these requests. You are in the most
important profession/ministry that exists on planet earth. This is a far greater work than some new
business venture or investment opportunity. You are giving people the chance to invest in the
kingdom of God and the salvation of souls for all eternity, a church that will last throughout the
generations. How cool is that? Ask boldy!
Keep Cultivating the List: When you reach your launch, send out another letter with testimonies,
pictures, inspiring stories, etc. When you reach 6 months, send out another update. At your one
year anniversary, send out another update. Keep informing people of the church, keep people
praying, and keep on asking for financial support, thanking those that are already giving and
challenging others to step up to the plate. Remember, you are a missionary and you need to
approach your new assignment as Chief Fundraiser. The fact of the matter is, you are going to be
fundraising the rest of your life in ministry (building campaigns, new additions, new staff, missions
conferences). You might as well get used to it!
Create Positive Pressure: When you are making asks, be sure to include a story or two of how
someone else stepped up. I call this positive peer pressure. If your donors know that other donors
and other friends are stepping up to give, then they are more likely to give. Don’t have a beggar
mentality (“if only you would help me because NO ONE is supporting me). Instead, do just the
opposite (“I have had three people step up and pledge over $1000 this week because they believe in
this vision. God is doing great things”). This positive peer pressure will create results.
Over Budget: If you think you will need $50,000 then plan to raise $75,000. You might not need the
extra money right away, but money in the bank saves you the stress and struggle down the road if
things get tight. You need the freedom to minister without the added stress of finances. Church
planting is tough enough already.
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14. Launch Team and Tithing: The very SECOND that someone commits to your launch team, they need
to start tithing to your church. OK, maybe not on the spot, but a big part of initial fundraising is the
tithing money coming in from your team (prior to launch). You also need to be tithing to your
church when you are beginning this process. Don’t delay. Start today!
15. Challenge Others to Join You on Staff: I had an individual approach me at the beginning of our
launch and suggest, “Jon, I would like to join your team. If I raised $20,000 a year for the next two
year and donated all the money to your church could I work part time!” I think at that point, I
scratched my head and said, “Say what??” Let’s face it, people want to be a part of something much
greater than themselves. And if you are planting a church, it probably means you can cast vision.
Consider asking a few key people to be missionaries with you. You need a worship leader? What if
you called a buddy and asked him to raise $15,000 a year for two years to lead worship and help out
with outreach. He raises the money through the church plant and you now have a part time
worship leader that you pay $15,000. Your friend has networks that you don’t have and churches
that you didn’t attend. He can raise the money. He just needs the challenge.
16. Car Washes, Bake Sales and other Worthless Ventures: OK, straight up. If you are wanting to build
community, get to know some people, or feel good about yourself, then these are good ventures.
However, if you want to raise cold, hard cash, these are time killers. I would stay away from a lot of
small fundraising ideas that take a lot of time and organization and instead really hone in on oneone-one meetings and appointments. Again, just my experience.
17. Moment of Decision: Finally, after you have worked all of these steps and you are still $10,000 short,
you need to offer a moment of decision for all of your supporters. A simple phrase, “What can you
invest in this mission/church/project/vision”? People are “slippery” and even though they have
good intentions, often don’t follow through. You need to make sure that at the end of the day they
are confronted with a decision. “Are you in….or out”? It will force people to decide. Now, some
will ask for a few days to pray about it or talk it over with their spouse (I recommend meeting with
both husband and wife by the way) and if so that’s fine. So ask, “Can I call you next week and talk
about your decision”? This is tough to do, but you really need to press for a moment of decision.
18. Falling Stocks: The market is struggling. An investment in the stock market is going to lose people
money. I know the economy is rough out there, but it only proves the earlier point…the greatest
investment people can make RIGHT NOW is in people, in ministry and in the church. I could
probably go on and on and on with a lot more advice, but here are my first 18 thoughts, shooting
from the hip. Hope this helps!! Good luck and God bless. God is on your side, he wants you to
succeed and your vision is awesome! Just share it and God will take care of the rest.
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Missionary Support Raising
By Marty Reiswig
I've received a few requests for explaining how we raised support to be missionaries to the Denver area.
Here's a brief rundown. Please know that we didn't do this perfectly… there were a lot of mistakes and
offenses along the way. So if you're looking for what we did combined with what we should have done,
here it is.
It's a combination of faith and action. Pray your guts out. Work your face off. Pray for every phone call,
email, letter, and meeting. Work hard to connect with every person you know, giving them the opportunity
to join in your ministry. And be forewarned... it will be hard.
Remember, you're not begging for money, you're inviting people to join your ministry team. Is it biblical? I
believe so. But that's another article. If you're not sure that it is, stop now and figure that out before
moving forward. This is going to take absolute confidence that this is what God wants you to do.
There's a debate that goes like this... "People will support a project, so sell your project. No, people will
support their friends, so make friends and ask for their donations. No, do neither, just pray and let God
speak to people to give." Here's what I would say... People are most likely to give to a person AND a
project. In other words, your relationship with them is your foot in the door, but they won't give if they
don't believe in your project at least to some degree. If you didn't have a relationship, they would likely not
even listen to your proposal. But if you don't have a project that interests them, they likely won't give. At
least not for long. So raising support is a combination of building relationships and giving a clear project
proposal.
In a very small nutshell, here's the process my wife and I followed for raising our missionary support:
1. Compile a list of every person you know… Christian or not. Jar your memory by thinking in
concentric circles, categories, and timelines.
 Concentric circles - Close family, close friends, distant family, distant friends (facebook, twitter,
email archives, etc.), acquaintances, public figures
 Categories - work contacts (be mindful of work rules), personal services like dentist, chiropractor,
hair stylist, etc.
 Timelines - list everyone you remember having a basic relationship with from elementary through
college, from your first sports team till today, from your first baby sitter through the people you've
babysat for.
 Build a database (address book, spreadsheet, etc.) of everyone's contact information.
2. Initial contact
 The initial contact is rarely the time to give your pitch. All you're trying to gain from the initial
contact is their correct contact info and their awareness that you'll be sending them a letter. The
mode of communication in this initial contact might be determined by how long it's been since you
last talked, what your strength is (writing or talking) and how much time you're willing to invest on
each lead. I used email for close contacts and phone calls for more distant contacts so we could
have a chance to catch up before I informed them of the coming letter.
 It is critical in the initial contact to remember that it is your relationship with this person that gets
your foot in the door. Call an elementary teacher, "catch up" as friends recalling the old days and
the annoying kid in class, ask what they're doing these days, etc. Let them know that you're starting
a new chapter in your life or your transitioning into something new and exciting and that you just
want to send them a letter explaining what it is. Remember, skepticism is natural (they'll assume
your selling Amway, Mary Kay, or something else) so be prepared to hear "I'm not interested" or
blatant "No" now and then.
3. Teaser and meeting request letter
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
In the initial contact, you let them know that you'll be sending a letter. Now you send that letter. I
don't recommend email for this… a printed letter with a handwritten note, real signature, and
handwritten address on the outside carry much more weight than an email.
 The letter's primary intent is to give an exciting, intriguing vision for the project and to request a
meeting time to discuss it further with them and get their input on what you're doing. DO NOT
disguise this as a survey or a solicitation of their ideas on your project only to bait and switch them
into a request for money. Essentially, "It was nice talking to you by phone. Thanks for letting me
send this letter. Here is the tip of the iceberg of our dreams for this project. We need a prayer team
and $xx.xx to get the project started. I want to talk to you more about this in person. I will be
contacting you in two weeks to set up an appointment.
4. Phone call following the letter
 Did they get a chance to read the letter? If not, no problem, I'll call back next week. ALWAYS keep
the ball in your court. Never let them say, "We'll think about it and get back to you." I would
respond, "Oh don't worry about doing that, I'll make a note to call you next week. When is a good
time to reach you?" See how I kept the ball in my court?
 "Oh, you read the letter, great, thanks! Can I buy you a coffee or lunch to tell you more about it?"
 This is when you start getting No's. That's ok. They're not rejecting you, or even God. We're
trusting that the Holy Spirit is leading. DO NOT let the contact feel like they're letting you down or
severing your relationship. Offer to buy them coffee anyway or at least stay on the phone asking
about their life, how you can pray for them, if they'd like to join your email newsletter list, etc.
 This is also when you start getting Yes's. Try hard not to let them skip the face-to-face meeting. You
want them to fully know the project, have time to pray, and really commit to joining your ministry
through giving. Remember, this is not a request for a one-time donation… this is a request to joining
your support team for the long haul. It doesn't matter to you if they care more about me or more
about the project, but I want to communicate fully about both.
 Set an appointment with the right person/people and do it soon. Try to make it in the next 5 days.
5. The meeting
 This is your real, full project proposal. Be clear, concise, and compelling. It doesn't have to be slick,
but you do need to know what your project is going to accomplish and for whom. Some people will
be moved by what your doing, others will be motivated by who you are doing it for. But nobody is
motivated by an unclear mission or an ambiguous audience.
 Ask the real question. Do you want them to support you financially? Then ask. Do you want them
to pray? Ask. Whatever you do, don't leave that meeting without asking. Something like, "So, do
you have any other questions, or would you like to talk about how you can help? We are looking for
X number of people willing to give $X amount each month to help us accomplish our mission.
Would you like to be one of those people?" Some kind of direct question.
 Try to close the deal but don't be a jerk. You know what I'm talking about. Remember the times
you've been pressured and don't do it.
 Have a way for them to make their commitment and start giving immediately and automatically. A
commitment form or a giving form, or something. Some people will want to give by check, others
by credit, but I recommended to most people that they do it by credit/debit. That way it happens
every month without them having to do a thing. I would often reference the guilt I felt when I
forgot to send a check to a missionary I supported and how I never want them to feel that way. The
goal (if God is leading them to join your team) is to walk away with their giving information and a
monthly amount commitment.
6. After the meeting
 Send a handwritten note thanking them for their time (regardless of their decision) and of course for
joining the support team if they did.
 Be realistic and honest about what communication they will receive about your project as a result of
being on the team. Quarterly newsletters, monthly emails, or something that tells them how you're
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
doing personally and how the project is going. Consistent communication is the key to consistent
missionary support.
It's easy to put your supporters on the back burner once your project gets started. So make
reminders for yourself to contact them individually now and then, make visits to their homes, etc.
They are your fuel line, so don't neglect them too much. It helps me to consider them shareholders.
They're investing their hard-earned money into your "business" and deserve to know what's going
on and be given a lot of respect and appreciation for their teamwork.
If you want to know the practical nuts and bolts like how we communicate with our supporters (blog/RSS
email), how to set up automatic credit/debit giving, etc. Please feel free to contact me. I don't have all the
answers, but hopefully I can save you some bumps and bruises along the way.
Departing words: Jaclyn and I spent nine months raising support… full time. It's wonderful and terrible. It's
frustrating and grueling. It's hard. But God will be faithful to provide. So don't give up… trust God. Raising
support is one of the worst and best things I've ever been through.
May God bless you and provide for the mission He's given you.
“Interestingly enough, according to research released in
early 2008, the fastest growing church plants had a stewardship
plan from the beginning and were subsequently financially self
sufficient much earlier than church plants that were
struggling. 83% of church plants that were considered “fast
growing” (i.e. had hit 200 by the end of their second year)
became self supporting by the end of the first 24 months. The
largest percentage reached the mark within the first 6 months.”
Stewardship Training
Ever since there have been church planters there have been different philosophies
concerning stewardship training in the life of a church plant. Some church planters think
nothing of teaching stewardship (I even heard of one church planter who started a
stewardship series on Mother’s Day!) while other church planters run from the subject
like it was poison ivy. Whether teaching on the subject of financial stewardship comes
natural for you or is a learned behavior, at the end of the day you (as the church planter)
do have a responsibility to teach the people under your leadership the principles about
stewardship, including financial stewardship. Jesus talked more about money than He
did heaven or hell; that should be a wake-up call for us.
Too often church planters deal with the financial portion of the stewardship issue in
reaction mode. The church is low on funds and so they immediately feel “the call” (i.e.
the pressure) to do a series on money. Under this kind of system, the church planter
feels pressure for people to give more and all too often this pressure comes out as
frustration/panic in the voice of the church planter as he/she is preaching.
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A much better response is to think strategically about either weaving financial
stewardship principles into messages throughout the year or by doing a series every year
on stewardship that includes financial stewardship. The truth is, one of the leading
causes of divorce today is stress caused by financial issues (i.e. debt); so the more you
talk about the biblical way of handling money, the better you serve the people under
your leadership.
To Know or Not to
Should you know what people give?
Know…That is the Question
Some church planters feel passionately that they should NOT know what people give
because they are concerned that this knowledge will translate into them treating
individuals differently as a result.
Other church planters see the giving issue so closely aligned with a person’s discipleship
process that they feel a certain responsibility to know who is giving and who is not
(especially when it comes to their leaders).
In the end, the decision is yours to make. Prayerfully consider what information the Lord
wants YOU to have as you lead this church under His direction and then go forward
accordingly, being careful not to judge other pastors who choose the other side of the
issue from you.
Money… once you get it… how to Report It!
Those who are giving financially to your church plant have a right to know where the
money they are intrusting into God’s work is going. There is a FASCINATING scenario that
is lived out continually in churches… the more open the leadership of a church is about
the finances, the less people care. The opposite is also true, the more secretive a
church or it’s leaders APPEAR to be, the less trustworthy people are and often the less
they will give. The solution is quite simple, print out and make available a copy of a
financial report every month. All you need to do is put it on whatever information table
you have and write something in your program/bulletin that it’s available on this
particular Sunday. What you’ll probably find is that the first month or two, people will
take them, but after that, you’ll end up throwing most of them away. THAT’S O.K.!!!
The key here is that you are making it clear that the financial books of your church are
continually open which will infuse confidence in the life of your givers and cause them to
feel good about the money they are giving. (Even the most disciplined Christ-follower
wants to know that their personal stewardship plan is being given to a church that is also
trying to be good stewards of the funds that are given them).
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Money…once you get it…how to Spend It!
First of all, think outside the box every chance you get! What do I mean by that? Steve
Sjogren was the pastor of Vineyard Christian Fellowship in Cincinnati before handing the reins off
to someone else to lead the church while he focuses on servant evangelism. During the early
days of exponential growth of Vineyard, new pastors coming on staff were handed a laptop
computer and told, “That’s your office.” Simply put, there was not enough office space available
at the small facility where the church was meeting, so pastors had their offices in their homes
and came together once a week for staff meetings. As a result, they had a lot of their meetings
with people in restaurants.
I once heard of a church planter who spent $10,000 setting up an office. The church plant failed,
and the furniture had to be sold for pennies on the dollar. An office does not bring people to
Christ. People bring people to Christ. An office
Practical Ideas
is a tool.
Church planters tend to be gadget people.
Laptops, cell phones, palm-pilots (or trios),
iPODS, etc. Gadgets aren’t bad, but they sure
can be expensive.
For most church plants, there’s a finite amount
of money you’ll take in during the start-up
phase. It’s very important to spend this money
wisely!
Once you have a handle on how much money
you’ll have to work with, be very careful about
where the funds go. Think about the long-term
implications of spending too much money
thinking you’ll have 400 people show up on your
launch Sunday when, in reality, you only have 75.
“Set up the cheapest offices possible. Unless
you have a philosophical reason not to, try
having it in your home.
Buy quality sound equipment, but only buy
what is necessary. You can always purchase
more microphones later. I didn’t skimp on our
speakers, but I was careful how much money
we spent on our drum set. We’re presently
meeting in a high school and using most of the
high school’s lighting equipment. We can do
this because we have developed a quality
relationship with the high school (more on
that later) and the drama teacher. Using their
lighting equipment saves us thousands of
dollars because we don’t have to buy our own.”
Start-up funds are something you’ll never get a second chance to spend. Once they’re gone,
they’re gone. It makes so much more sense to hang on to them as long as possible, only spending
them when you absolutely have to, rather than spending a whole lot of funds hoping the people
who come in the door will justify the expenditure.
There’s one thing about money PLANTERS sometimes forget: People on the Launch Team are
watching how you spend the church’s money. Your credibility is either going to go up or down
based on what they see you do. People will not give sacrificially to churches that are not led in
a fiscally wise manner.
Think carefully about your expenditures. If you purchase something that is the right thing to do
but may be questionable in the eyes of some, go the extra mile and explain to those who you
think might need an explanation, why you purchased what you did.
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The following 24-month sample budget is a bit fictitious, but offers an idea of the kinds
of things you might want to consider when planning your church plant’s early budget.
Clearly, you will need to modify it for your own use. As you can see, this is a ministry
funding budget that allocates money according to specifically timed, strategically
planned purposes. The format used shows monthly anticipated expenditures based on
the detailed timeline developed for the sample church plant. Please note the salaries
listed here presuppose that a church planter is going to be bi-vocational in order to
maximize start-up funding and networking.
I’ve also included an example of a budget that another church planter used in his church
plant proposal.
Working on a budget will help you know what expenses you’ll have and how best to
handle them.
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1st year Budget
June – February
March
April
May
Housing
secured
Arrive on sight
Continue to
build launch
team
Follow-up
on
new contacts
Prayer support
team raised
Church name
chosen
Preview
service
location
selected
secured
Easter
preview
service
2nd
preview
service (Mother’s
Day)
Ask launch team
to begin to read
through training
books
Chris and Mary
Move on-site
Logo selected
Continue
to
build
launch
team
Continue to
build Launch
Team
Class 101
Continue to build
launch team
Begin to build
launch team
Checking
account
opened
Conduct
spiritual
surveys
community
Advertising
Continue to build
launch team
Class 201
P.O. Box and
permit
secured
Sound system
purchased
Evaluation of
preview
service
Discover people
with leadership
gift
Spiritual gift
discovery and
deployment
Office
equipment
purchased
Small
group
leaders
training
“Matthew
Parties”
begin
Expose
launch
team
to
successful likeminded churches
in the area
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
Support Staff
$800
$800
$800
Office Equip
$50,000
Printing
$400
$400
$400
A.V. Equip
$8,000
$4,000
$4,000
$400
$400
$400
$1,000
$1,000
$2,000
$1,000
$10,600
$9,600
(Prior to Moving on Site)
Launch
team
meeting places
secured;
Visit
and survey local
churches
Cast vision
new church
Action
Completed
Steps
for
Launch team
to conference
at
Willow
Creek
Salary1
and
of
Asst. Salary
(Books)
Program Supplies
Direct
Mail
Advertising
$400
$350
/
$5,000
Facility Rental
$500
Lakeshore Kidz
Conference
$4,000
Travel
$2,500
$800
Monthly Totals
$2,500
$4,800
$400
$67,100
$95,000
Total For First Year:
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2nd year Budget
June
Launch
continues
meet
team
to
Build
team
launch
Select
morning
site
Sunday
service
this is in white to
give
a
little
Leadership
Training
Action
Completed
Steps
Ministry Teams
Established
(Promise Land,
Worship Team,
Greeting Team,
Parking Team,
Follow-Up Team,
Set-Up Team,
Audio/Visual
Team, Resource
Table Team)
July
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
July 4th Picnic
God’s
Kids
blow-Out
(VBS)
Launch
Celebration
Service
Celebration
Service
Celebration
Service
Launch team
continues to
meet
and
grow
Develop
follow
materials
up
Launch
Lakeshore Kidz
Class 101
Offered
Class 201 Offered
Staff come on
board
Design mass
mailing
Launch FollowUp Ministry
Small groups
Launched
Class 301
This
is
in
white to give
a
little
Leadership
Training
Finalize
preaching
schedule for
1st
ministry
year
“This is
Lakeshore”
Willow Creek
Conference
“This is
Lakeshore”
Leadership
Development
(throughout)
Leadership
Development
this is in white
Begin ministry
evaluation
this is in
white, Launch
Team
Celebration!!
Advertise
Maximize
Follow Up
Possibilities by
(Provide
Promotional
Material on
Children’s
Ministry in
Upcoming
Lakeshore
Community
Church)
Salary
$2,000
$2,000
Finalize
Ministry
Teams and
Leaders:
Lakeshore
Kidz
Greeters
Team Set
Up/Tear
Down Team
Sound Team
Worship
Team
Follow-Up
Team Small
Group Drama
Team
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
Asst. Salary
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
Support Staff
$800
$800
$800
$800
$800
$800
Office Equip
$250
$250
$250
$250
$250
$250
Printing
$400
Banners
Purchased
$400
$400
A.V. Equip
Program Supplies
$200
$200
$200
Direct Mail
$200
$200
$200
$1,500
$500
$250
$2,000
$13,250
$2,000
$7,650
$2,000
$5,000
Lakeshore Kidz
Facility Rental
$2,000
Monthly Totals
$7,150
$2,000
$6,750
$2,000
$27,800
$7,000
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2nd year Budget (continued)
Action
Steps
Completed
Dec
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Advertise for
Christmas Eve
Super Bowl
Party
Friend Day
Big Event
Easter
Lakeshore Kidz
Christmas Eve
Community
Service
Small Group
Leader’s
Training
Class 401
Offered
Promiseland
Conference
Lakeshore Kidz
Class 101, 201,
301, 401 Offered
Gift Wrap
Outreach
Class 101
Offered
Class 201
Offered
Class 101, 201,
301, 401
Offered
Small Groups
Baptism
Celebration!
Class 301
Offered
Small Groups
New Community
New
Community
Launched
(Frequency to
be determined.
This
would
affect
our
Facility Rental
Budget)
New
Community
Salary
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
$2,000
Asst. Salary
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
$1,500
Support Staff
$800
$800
$800
$800
$800
$800
Office Equip
$250
$250
$250
$250
$250
$250
Printing
$400
A.V. Equip
Program
Supplies
Direct Mail
$200
$400
$200
$200
$5,000
$400
$200
$200
$200
$5,000
Lakeshore Kidz
$500
Facility Rental
$2,000
$2,600
$2,600
$2,600
$2,600
$2,600
Monthly Totals
$12,150
$7,350
$7,750
$12,850
$7,750
$7,350
Second Year
Total:
$124,800
Total for two
years:
$219,800
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Church Planting Budget Worksheet for Fiscal Year 06-09
Church Name Port Huron Plant
Pastor Scott J. Babin C.B.C.
Year 1 06-07
Acct.No.
INCOME PROJECTIONS
101
Tithes and Offerings (contribution income)
102
District/Denominational Support
103
Parent Church Support
104
Faith Support Raised by Pastor(s)
105
106
Building Fund Contributions
Faith Promises for North American and World
Missions
107
Interest on Checking/Savings Accounts
108
Other
$
Year 2 07-08
$
Year 3 08-09
$
$26,000
$50,000
$5,000
$80,000
$50,000
$10,000
$100,000
$50,000
$10,000
$81,000
$140,000
$160,000
$14,229
$500
$7,200
$6,800
$2,833
$1,000
$28,458
$1,500
$24,400
$28,560
$9,667
$2,700
$29,881
$500
$1,800
$1,800
$3,133
$5,200
$10,267
$5,200
$10,780
$5,460
$250
$250
$20,000
$250
$21,000
$1,500
$3,000
$4,000
$1,000
$2,000
$3,000
$4,000
$4,000
$3,000
$3,000
$4,000
$4,000
$800
$800
$300
$500
$1,000
$1,500
$3,000
$1,000
$1,200
$1,500
$3,000
$1,000
$0
$2,000
$300
$300
$250
$500
$1,000
$3,000
$500
$1,000
$1,000
$500
$1,500
$3,000
$750
$1,500
$1,250
$500
ARC?
Total Projected Income
CHURCH STAFF
201
Pastor’s Salary
202
Pastor’s Moving Expense
203
Pastor’s Housing and Utilities Allowance
204
Pastor’s Health Insurance
205
Pastor’s Wesleyan Pension Fund Contributions
206
208
Pastor’s Travel Expense Reimbursement
District Conference/Ministerial Retreat
Expenses
Pastor’s Social Security Allowance and Other
Benefits
209
Church Office Secretary’s Stipend
210
Payroll Expenses (federal and state taxes)
211
Workmen’s Compensation Premiums
212
Staff Salary
207
$24,400
$30,000
$10,150
$2,800
MINISTRY EXPENSES
301
Advertising (direct mail, telemarketing, etc.)
302
Promotional Literature and Printing
303
Postage
304
Office Supplies (paper, toner/ink, etc.)
305
Office and Computer
Equipment/Software/Service Agreements
306
Telephone/Internet
307
Worship Ministries and Copyright Licenses
308
309
Evangelism and Lay Ministry Training
Christian Education and Discipleship/Small
Groups
310
Leadership and Teacher Training (Boot Camp)
311
New Member Training
312
Children’s and Youth Ministries
313
Hospitality and Fellowship Ministries
314
Other
IMAP-Personalized for Julian and Tiffany Newman-93-
NORTH AMERICAN AND WORLD
MISSIONS
401
District Assessment/Denominational USF/EIF
Participation
402
Local Compassion Ministries
403
Daughter Church Fund (for future church
plants from our church)
406
Other
501
FACILITIES
Meeting Place, Office and Storage
Rental/Lease
502
Maintenance (buildings and grounds)
503
Property and Liability Insurance
504
Meeting Place Utilities
505
Equipment (instruments, sound, lights,
transportation, etc.)
506
Legal Fees
507
Building Fund Savings
508
Other
Total Projected Expenses
$500
$1,000
$58,395
$3,000
$5,000
$500
$1,000
$20,800
$22,000
$2,000
$2,000
$15,000
$3,000
$200,602
$198,722
Average Monthly Expenses
Staff salary estimates = $38000 +
insurance
$20,000 Cash + $10,000 Allowance
+ $4000 Pension + $4000 S/E Tax
IMAP-Personalized for Julian and Tiffany Newman-94-
Keep your hands
Off
the
Money by finding a Trustworthy Treasurer!
It’s a very reassuring thing to a lot of people who have their guards up concerning a
church’s handling of money when you can get up and say, “I don’t handle the money
around here. We have a treasurer/bookkeeper and they take care of making sure your
money is well secured. We have a reimbursement system that has several layers of
checks and balances.”
What do you look for in a trustworthy treasurer? Here are some qualities of a great
treasurer:

Spiritual Maturity. This is not a position for a brand-new Christian. If
necessary, ask someone from a like-minded church in the area or from another
church in your denomination that is close to yours.

Tither. Someone who handles the church’s resources should be setting an
example for others to follow.

Financially Trustworthy. You must be able to trust them explicitly. We once
had a church treasurer who was a trustworthy person in every other area of his
life; but, for some reason, they never quite got around to paying the church’s
bills. The money was there; they just didn’t have the time to take care of the
church business with everything else going on in their life. We first learned
there was a problem when the phone company called and said our phone was
about to be disconnected. Until that day, we had no idea there was even a
problem. Needless to say, we valued the person’s involvement in our church,
but made a move to a different treasurer.

Close-mouthed.
They will have access to sensitive and confidential
information. It’s very important they don’t allow this information to “leak” to
anyone except you or those you designate.

Likable. For your own mental health, MAKE SURE your treasurer is someone
you like. You’re going to be working with this individual a lot; it’s important
that your relationship be mature and enjoyable.

Someone comfortable setting up and filing reports with the IRS. At the
beginning of a church plant, there are various reports that need to be set up.
For instance, Federal Income Tax Reports and State Income Tax Reports.

I highly encourage you NOT to choose your spouse as the treasurer. In a
vast majority of the cases, this only causes tension between the church
planting couple. If your spouse is a CPA and working in this capacity is as easy
as falling off a horse; then, obviously, there are exceptions to this suggestion.
But, for the most part, it is simply not worth the toll it takes on your marriage
when your spouse is the treasurer. Besides, who needs the questions that
might arise if all the funds are handled by your spouse?
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You’ll also need to set up an account with the Wesleyan Pension Fund. You can find out
more about how to do that by contacting them through the website:
www.wesleyan.org/wpf.
There are quality church financial software products on the market today. For instance,
look at: www.ccissoftware.com. Many churches are still using Quick Books® & Quick
Pay® to take care of their financial software needs.
One final note about money:
Financial Accountability
is key.
We’ve already made this point within this section. There’s just one more thing that needs to be
said: Make reports available regularly. Wise PLANTERS publish a balance sheet or a profit and
loss sheet on a regular, i.e. monthly, basis. Many people will never look at them, but a few
will. What I have found is that those who do are also my largest contributors. They want to know
where their money is going, and they have every right to know. I want them to know. If we’re
trying to hide something, it’s usually not good. That’s why wise church planters have a continual
open book policy where people know they can ask any question they want to ask about the
finances at any time.
Reimbursement Request Form
DATE of
Purchase
VENDOR (Store)
DESCRIPTION
Church
ACCOUNT
AMOUNT
$
$
$
$
TOTAL
AMOUNT
Payable to: ______________________________
$
Date Paid: ________________________
Address: ______________________________________________
City, State, Zip: ________________________________________
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Funding Guidelines for New Churches
The Evangelical Church, Harvest Ministries
Overview
As we continue to plant more churches across The Evangelical Church, we are learning
many lessons. One key area is how we distribute funds for new churches. The plant
could be funded by one parent church, several partner churches, the Annual Conference,
support raised by the planter or a combination of several funding streams. No matter
where the monies come from or how they are mingled, there are some important issues
to address and principles for us to apply.
Key Funding Issues
Wherever money is involved, there will be differing perspectives and attitudes of how to
handle funds. How we handle money can be a source of wisdom or great stress for those
involved. Among the key issues:
Trust—make sure our relationships strong and healthy as we deal with funding issues.
Control—who is in charge of the money? Where will it reside? When and how will it be
distributed?
Accountability—set up wise systems that make sure the monies are handled with
integrity.
Timeliness—make sure the monies are distributed in a timely way that allows the church
planter to implement his plan without needless stress.
Funding Principles
Here are some principles we will adhere to as we deal with funding issues:
1. “Don’t have too many cooks in the kitchen.” As we plant churches, the key leaders in
the mix are the church planter, Coach, Conference Superintendent and Director of
Harvest Ministries. If there is a key parent church, the Senior Pastor of that church is
also in that mix of leaders. However, the more people trying to make financial
decisions, the more complicated things become. Keep the decisions to a few key
leaders.
2. “Let the key leaders (planter, coach, supervisor) determine how and when to best
use the money.” Those that understand the church planting process should be the
ones who make the decisions as to the distribution of the money.
3. “Make sure healthy systems are in place.” A good working budget, financial systems
that ensure safety and integrity and clear lines of communication and accountability
are needed.
4. “Plan your work and work your plan.” The church planter, coach and supervisor
should develop a plan for the plant with key checkpoints, benchmarks and a working
budget. Monies can be distributed as the plan is implemented. Agree upon these
issues from the beginning to be clear about expectations.
5. “Keep the lines open.” Make sure there is good communication between those
involved in handling the money.
6. “Trust, but verify.” It is wise to make sure accountability without micromanaging is
taking place.
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Funding Practics
1. The planter is responsible for developing a working budget. Initially, the budget will
need to be basic and flexible as situations can change in the planting process. Other
leaders must allow the planter to work out those figures as he and his team see best.
The coach and supervisor can also offer advice in the process.
2. When money is pledged by a parent church or churches, the funds should be disbursed
as agreed upon. Those decisions should be made up front.
3. The new church does not have to be fully organized as an Evangelical church in order
to receive funds. In fact, it is better to not have formal leaders too soon. The new
church can be “covered” by the federal ID of the parent church or the Conference.
There does need to be systems in place to ensure financial integrity and clear lines of
accountability and communication.
4. In all things, pray together, work together, believe together, work together and
celebrate the harvest together! After all, this is not about money, but about reaching
lost people for Christ!
Be a Saver and “Giver” /“Investor” From Day 1
Some of the most successful church planters I know made a choice from day one in their
church plant to living the 10-10-80 principle with their church’s finances. Trust me, you
CANNOT do this once the church is 6 months old… it’s just too tough. This is a discipline
you MUST decide to give yourself to from before there’s even a bank-account.
Prayerfully consider:
Setting up a fund where 10% of everything that is given is placed. This fund is
then used to bless other church plants including the ones you multiply out
from your own church plant.
Setting up a savings account with 10% of everything that comes in is placed.
This is what you use when the church plant has a “tough month” financially.
Doing this will greatly decrease the amount of stress you feel over the long
haul.
Live (set the church plant’s budget) on the 80% that comes in.
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My Action Plan:
□
First Year’s Budget Completed
□
Second Year’s Budget Completed
□
A Realistic View of All Income Has Been Established
□
We have an accurate understanding from about the exact amount the District
will be investing into Community/Church Name during the first two fiscal years.
□
A survey of the launch team members has been conducted so we have a good
idea what they will be contributing.
□
Our support coming in from outside sources (friends/family members, etc) is
presently budged at: _________________________________
□
We have secured a church treasurer
□
We have set up financial accountability procedures so people know how to be
reimbursed, and they also know how the church is doing financially.
□
We know when/how we’re going to weave financial stewardship into the overall
teaching strategy for year one.
IMAP-Personalized for Julian and Tiffany Newman-99-
PUBLIC, part 1
The Right Time to Launch
When is the perfect time to launch? There’s probably no such thing, but here are some
things to think about.
An Easter Launch?
Many churches try to launch at Easter. Here are some things to think about if you’re
going to do that. Easter is a time when many families spend the day together. Because
they are spending Easter with their parents, many grown adults start the day going to the
church in which they grew up, because that’s where their parents still attend. Even if
they are interested in checking out your church, their time with their family on Easter
might keep them from coming.
Also, depending on when Easter falls in any given year, Easter is often just six weeks or
so from summer. That barely gives a church plant time to gain momentum before they
enter into the black hole of summer. Summers stink for church planters! The
attendance swings at your church will be greater than those at a Cubs game. You just
NEVER KNOW how many people are going to show up. Many would argue that it’s best to
have more than six weeks under your belt before entering into the “long days” of
summer.
Have churches made it when they started on Easter? Absolutely. The key is to have
enough people on the launch team (through a mothering church or just incredible
recruiting) so that when you go into the summer, you don’t feel like all the wind was just
taken out of your sails. Even if you’re running several hundred people and 60 people
don’t show up because it’s a beautiful summer day, you’re going to feel it! Does this
happen in established churches? You bet! But it’s a much larger momentum killer for a
church plant that doesn’t have the history of “bouncing back” like an established church.
What About a Fall Launch?
Many people choose to launch in the fall because it gives them ample time to build
momentum prior to summer. It also allows them to have “built-in” energy boosts
throughout the year. First, there’s the launch. Then there’s Christmas Eve (which we’ll
talk about next) and then there’s Easter. All those times are nicely timed out so a
sermon series can be done in between each one. People are also thinking about their
kids’ education and development. One of the leading factors that leads people to the
doors of your church is their desire for quality spiritual (moral) training. You can offer
that! A fall launch also allows you to work during the summer to prepare as a launch
team for the people that will be coming in the fall. People tend to have a little more
time to help in the summer than in the early spring. The days are longer, and they have
a vacation day or two they can use. Also, it allows for some great launch team
community time at a picnic or two throughout the summer.
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What About a Christmas Eve Launch?
According to George Barna, an unchurched person is more likely to attend church on
Christmas Eve than any day during the year, including Easter! That means they are
already pre-disposed to attending a church. Many unchurched people “feel like they
ought to go to church” on Christmas Eve, much more so than on Easter. And, a growing
number of people are willing to “check out something new” on Christmas Eve, especially
if it sounds like it won’t be boring. Some churches have “launched” with a Christmas Eve
service, but had a “Grand Opening” the first part of January (staying away from the first
weekend). This still gives ample time prior to summer and allows launch team members
easy invite opportunities, “Hey, you’re probably going to church on Christmas Eve
anyway … why not come to this new church I’m part of?”
Every situation is unique. You have to decide what’s best for you and go for it! The
decision might be based on what people do in your area around the Christmas or Easter
Holiday. For instance, in some places people leave in droves for Easter (going back to
their parents’ homes, going on Easter break, etc.), but everyone is there for Christmas.
In other places, the exact opposite is true. Find out what is reality in your setting by
asking around. And when I say ask around, I mean ASK AROUND. Don’t just ask your
launch team. You don’t want to base your decision on your launch team, because
they’re going to be there regardless (we hope!). Get your launch team to ask their coworkers and friends, “Hey, what do you tend to do for Easter/Christmas Eve…do you stay
in town or do you leave for somewhere else?”
Here are some other barometers to help you know when it’s time to launch.
Launch Team Understanding and Buy-In of Vision
It’s important for you to sense that there is agenda harmony among the launch team. If
they are fuzzy about the vision of the church, then when new people walk in the doors
and start asking about where this church is headed, you’ll have launch team members
giving erroneous or wrong answers, bringing confusion. If there is clear agenda
harmony, then no matter who someone asks, a newcomer will receive a clear, accurate
answer.
Healthy Launch Team
Launch teams are made up of people. People are not perfect, they never will be.
Because of that, there’s no such thing as the “perfect” launch team. However,
sometimes launch teams, for reasons too involved to go into here, are made up of
people who are more insecure and more dysfunctional than what is needed to build a
healthy church on. Remember, the PIONEERS are an important piece of the foundation
and if this foundational piece is not healthy, it can GREATLY impact the future stability
of the plant itself. Sometimes the wisest thing to do is to wait a little while until God
can bring about His work of maturing the PIONEERS. Having said that, THERE IS ALSO A
FINE LINE with this. The type of dysfunction being described here is quite rare. If you
wait until your launch team is perfect, you’ll never launch. One more reason to be
listening to the Holy Spirit!
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Key Ministries Have Leaders
Often the church planter thinks she/he can do it all. They can’t! And when they try,
they end up dying of a heart attack or getting burned out. Pray God will bring you
“just the right people” for your church plant. If you are four weeks away from
“launch” date and have no one on the radar to lead up your children’s ministry, you
might want to think about delaying just a bit until you can get that important ministry
covered.
We Have Thought Through our Follow-Up
In the meta-model, this is made simple, “get people in a small group as soon as
possible.” There are different ways to guide people to a small group, but the end
result is ultimately the same.
Think through the process before you launch. Think realistically—how is a seeker going
to respond when they come to your first service? At first, everything is going to be new
to them. Chances are, they will not receive Christ at your first service. But they might
at your second or third. If they do, what are you going to do with them?
Because of their personalities, church planters tend to think about big picture
stuff…and that’s great! But, they are notorious about letting things fall through the
cracks. It’s important to put on your “systems guy” hat long enough to think through
what you’re going to do with people after they receive Christ. What will their next
steps be? Get those in place prior to launch.
We’re Ready to Meet EVERY Week
Once you start a weekend service, there’s no going back! People will expect you to
keep it up…every weekend…forever. Make sure you have the manpower and the
wherewithal to meet every weekend.
In this section, the goal is to help you Think Before You Launch!
Jim Griffith has published a list of the ten most common mistakes church planters make
(to see the other nine, go to the appendix). Number three: Churches launch before
they’re ready.
Don’t be afraid to move your launch date slightly if you sense that’s what is necessary for
a healthy launch.
Remember, the goal is NOT launching a church; the goal is creating
enough momentum to get a church plant into orbit. Critical mass is
essential!
For an excellent book about how to launch large with critical mass, read the book
“Launch” by Nelson Searcy and Kerrick Thomas.
As we said earlier, this is a fine line. We can’t put off the launch date indefinitely; but,
on the other hand, a premature launch can cause the entire project to fail. The Holy
Spirit, your spouse, your coach, etc. will help you know when it’s right to launch.
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Getting the Word Out—Marketing
So here you are. You have a launch team God has brought together.
You’re a few months away from your official launch. What do you do to get the word
out?
A vast majority of the people who come to your church will come as a result of
invitations from their friends. Remember the story from your PRELIM work about Wayne
Cordeiro’s preview service where 700+ people showed up? That happened through word
of mouth, just friends telling friends.
The most important advertising you will ever do is when you teach the launch team
and then the congregation how to be contagious Christians. That will make all the
difference in the world. Along with any other advertising pieces you produce, make sure
you include an advertising piece your launch team can easily give out.
The key is to customize an advertising plan that is best suited for YOUR church in
YOUR area. Having said that, there are a couple of marketing firms out there that would
LOVE to help you.
Outreach Marketing (www.outreachmarketing.com)
Breakthrough Church (www.breakthroughchurch.com).
Church Marketing Solutions (www.church-marketing.com)
CMS offers free resources for church planters.
These are just three of the many firms wanting your advertising dollar. Work with the
representative from these firms for your area and find out from them someone who has
had a successful launch in the last 12 months using their product. The typical response
these days is ½ of 1 %. The response rates go up slightly if you will agree to do multiple
mailings.
Another key aspect in church planting today is Website Development.
People can learn a lot about your church by sitting at their desk and looking over your
website. What they find there will either attract them or, in some cases, repel them
from coming to your church. Still, it’s an excellent opportunity to make a GREAT first
impression. Hopefully you have a “web-savvy” person as part of your launch team. If
not, don’t be afraid to spend some dollars here. The higher quality website you have,
the better first impression you will make on those visiting your site.
Three great web development people are: terrybybee@skittily8onk@gmail.com; the folks
at www.ekklesia360.com, and the guys at www.mustardseedstudio.com
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While your computer person is building your website, here’s an article about web design.
Top 10 Web Design Mistakes
Usability guru Jakob Nielsen revealed his Top 10 Web Design Mistakes and
church web sites could learn a thing or two. For the most part it's the basics:
1. Legibility Problems
2. Non-Standard Links
3. Flash
4. Content That's Not Written for the Web
5. Bad Search
6. Browser Incompatibility
7. Cumbersome Forms
8. No Contact Information or Other Company Info
9. Frozen Layouts with Fixed Page Widths
10. Inadequate Photo Enlargement
Many people add Servant Evangelism to their outreach efforts. Strictly speaking, SE is
not an evangelism tool. It is an overall ministry commitment to reach out in Christ’s love
to your community. SE starts with a commitment to love our communities in practical,
Christ-like ways. If we expect to do an Act of Kindness event on Saturday and have
people show up the next day to our church, chances are we’ll be sadly disappointed.
Still, SE can be a powerful tool among others to get our name out in the community.
Passing out water in the summer, hot chocolate in the winter, washing cars, washing
toilets, replacing light bulbs, raking up leaves—all in the name of Christ—can be a
powerful witness to our communities. The more we get our name out in the community,
the more they’re likely to look us up when they have a spiritual need in their life.
Servant evangelism has been made popular by Steve Sjogren, a church planter himself.
His two best books on the subject are “Community of Kindness” and “101 Ways to Reach
Your Community.”
Social Networking…
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Optimizing Your Main Attraction Event
What is your main attraction event?
What is the main event you will be inviting people to?
Brainstorm about the details that need to be covered in order for you to have four of
these events?
Where will this event be held?
What support items will you need to be in place?
In your mind, walk through every detail of the event.
What details need to be covered?
Preview Services
Many churches today are still having success using preview services to their advantage.
This is a huge piece of the strategy outlined in the book “Launch.” Here’s what they are
and how they might help YOUR team.
Preview services are meetings held however often you decide. Often they are once a
month or once every six weeks. Some churches have chosen to hit holidays as preview
services (such as Christmas Eve). Preview services give everyone a “sneak peek” into
what the new church is going to be like; your launch team and new attendees both.
Preview services also give you an opportunity to use a facility a time or two and decide if
it’s right for you. Sometimes a room that seemed perfect when the launch team checked
it out ends up having real problems when a larger group of people are there. A preview
service allows you to find this out prior to sinking in a lot of money into staging and
advertising that is specific to that venue.
Preview services allow the launch team a sense of what it is going to be like to set-up
and tear-down each week without having to immediately dive in to the weekly routine of
it. Often during this time ingenious PIONEERS figure out ways to streamline the process
and make it easier for everyone for the long haul.
Preview services also give you an excellent opportunity to invite non-Christian friends to
come and check out what you’re doing and give their honest feedback (covered in a few
pages) before going completely public.
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“Splash Events” – Making a Splash In a Smaller Community
Newspaper articles
Rent out the bowling alley
Rent out the movie theater
Rent out the community pool
Pass out water at big events
Door-hangers
Business Cards
Baskets to Police-Officers, 4th of July
Baskets to Teachers
Rent out Roller-skating Rink
Make a “presence” at ANY big event
For more information, contact Wayne Otto @
ottothechurchplanter@yahoo.com
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PUBLIC, part 2
3 … 2 …1… Launch
The day you’ve been praying, working and dreaming about is finally here!
This is the real thing!
Because you’re smart, you’ve had a run-through service the week before. Your only
desire in this service was to set everything up and make sure that everything was going to
run smoothly the next weekend.
Someone has said:
Fifteen years ago, when a person visited a church, they expected community
and were surprised by excellence. Today, they expect excellence and are
surprised by community.
What does this mean for us? It means we need to figure out both sides of that equation.
How can we put on the very best service we’re capable of maintaining, while at the same
time not turning it into some kind of performance? People want excellence, but they
also want community. They want to connect. How are you going to help them connect
during your service and after it? This is all part of the trumpet God is asking you to
fashion.
They Came… Now What?
It’s easy to overlook. You’re so excited about trying to get people in the door for the
first time that you totally forget to think through what you’re going to do with them once
they’ve visited your church. What’s your follow-up strategy going to be? How do you
want to thank people for coming? Do you:
Do nothing?
Have a baked gift delivered to their home?
Give them a bag of “goodies” and information about your church as they
leave on Sunday morning?
Invite them to a “Getting to know our church” event?
Something totally different. 
A combination of the above. What you choose is to do is totally up to you, the key is
just to think through it before you launch.
Celebrate!!
Not just your launch… although that’s important too. Make sure you have a celebration
event to celebrate your PIONEERS for all the hard work they have put in to get you to this
point. Do something special for them that shows you’re appreciative.
Celebrate yourself by finding time in the first four weeks to get out of town for two days.
Why? Because you’ll need it! It shows your commitment to a balanced life!
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Simple Church
This story is real. A church planter called about six weeks prior to
their scheduled launch in a panic and said, “I’m not ready, I’m going
to have to postpone our launch date.” When I asked why they said,
“I’ve spent all my time preparing for our launch and no time
developing a discipleship strategy to help people grow in their
relationship with Christ after they launch. I can’t do that to people.”
This doesn’t have to be you!
In this groundbreaking book, Rainer and Geiger have demystified why
some churches are great at turning out high-capacity, Kingdom-minded
Christians, and why others are not. As a church planter, you and your
leadership team have the opportunity to put into place a CLEAR and
SIMPLE process of discipleship. Please, BEFORE YOUR CHURCH GETS
JUMBELED with all kinds of programs, buy and then read Rainer and
Geiger’s book and then (most importantly) implement a discipleship
program that “fits” your church. To whet your appetite, here are a few of the key points from
the book…
MAIN POINTS / IMPLICATIONS
Clarity – Ability of the process to be communicated and understood by a first-time guest.
(Understanding always precedes commitment).
Movement – The sequential steps in the process that cause people to move to greater areas of
commitment.
Alignment – The arrangement of ALL ministries and staff (paid and volunteer) around the same
simple process.
Focus- A commitment to abandon everything that falls outside the simple ministry process.
Some Churches that are Doing Discipleship Well…
Hayward Wesleyan Church http://haywardwesleyan.org/
Heritage Church http://heritageqc.com/
New Denver Church http://newdenver.org/
Mountain Park Community Church http://www.mountainpark.org/
KEY QUOTES
Read about discipleship. Allow God to breathe into you what a disciple at your church should
look like. Once you have had these times with God and others, narrow your definition of
discipleship down to a few key points. After you have invested appropriate amount of time, you
should be able to fill in the blanks to the following statement. Disciples at our church are:
_____________________, ________________, ___________________, and _____________. Now
it’s time to discuss how it happens. After you have chosen a few key aspects of discipleship,
place them in sequential order. Discuss with others how people progress through the aspects of
discipleship you have listed. Talk about how spiritual formation takes place. (p. 237)
In the midst of complexity, people want to find simplicity. They long for it, seek it, pay for it,
even dream of it. Simple is in. Simple works. People respond to simple. (p. 8)
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Apple was able to take advanced technology and make it simple. The iPod is more expensive and
offers less performance than many of the devices sold by competitors, but it dominates the
market. It is simple… the outward design has only one cicular button. It has four touch points
surrounding the circle and one touch point in the middle, but it looks like one button… and
people respond to it. (p. 9)
Real Simple (www.realsimple.com) has been the most successful magazine launch in a decade.
(p. 12)
Churches with a simple (thought out) process for reaching and maturing people are expanding the
Kingdom. Chu8rch leaders who have designed a simple biblical process to make disciples are
effectively advancing the movement of the Gospel. (p. 14)
Simple church leaders are designers. They design opportunities for spiritual growth. Complex
church leaders are programmers. They run ministry programs. Church leaders who are designers
are focused on the end result, the overall picture. (p. 26).
To have a simple church, you must design a simple discipleship process. This process must be
clear. It must move people toward maturity. It must be integrated fully into your church and
you must get rid of the clutter around it. (p. 26)
Christ formed in people is the goal. (p. 62)
The simple process is more likely to resonate with each person if it is made visual. People are
more likely to remember it. Recollection increases movement. People will not live out
something they cannot remember.
Choose a visual illustration for your process. Get some wise and creative people around a table
and come up with one. Or borrow (steal) one from another church. However you do it, just be
sure your visual illustration has the following components:

The illustration should be reflective of your process. The illustration must fit. If your
process has three steps, your illustration should reflect that.

The illustration should show progression. Remember the simple process is about
moving people toward greater commitment. The genuise in the baseball diamond
illustration started by Rick Warren is that he diamond shows movement from base to
base.

The illustration should help simplify. Don’t chose an illustration that makes your
process seem complicated. Here is the rule: If you have to explain a lot of symbols
and hidden meanings in your illustration, it is too complicated. The point of your
visiual illustration is to help people grasp the reality. (p. 118-120)
Begin with your clearly defined process (i.e. not any programs).
 Choose one program for each phase of your process.
 Design each program for a specific aspect of the process.
 Place the programs in sequential order. (p. 141-142)
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My Action Plan:
 We have thought through the details of our “Attraction” event and have made a list of
everything we’ll need.
 We have thought through the barometers that indicate our readiness for a successful launch
and although we are open to the possibility of this date changing if it becomes clear we
should do so, right now our Launch Date is set for: ______________________
 We have provided the PIONEERS with a training strategy to help them feel more comfortable
in sharing their faith.
 We have decided on a marketing “strategy” and know the company we are going to be using.
 We have developed a website.
 We have developed an advertising piece that our PIONEERS can give out to their friends
during the pre-launch period.
 Our “splash events” have been decided upon and we have contacted key individuals to make
them a reality.
 We have developed a follow-up program for first time guests who visit our church; it is
outlined here:
 I know how we are going to celebrate the PIONEERS for all their hard work in getting us to
this point; I’m going to
.
 I have scheduled a time for us to get away soon after launch so that I can live out my
commitment to a balanced lifestyle; it is on my calendar and the dates are
.
 I have purchased / read / applied Simple Church by Rainer and Geiger.
 After seeking God’s help, I can now clearly define what it means to be a disciple, a high-
impact Christ-follower in the church we are planting.
That person is (describe):
_________________, ____________________, _________________, _______________.
 The programs we will need to have in place in order to accomplish this process are:
________________, _______________________, ______________________...(I caution you not
to write the words, “Small group” here. Chances are everyone will use small groups, the
question is, what will your small groups be covering that will accomplish the task of
discipleship?)
 I have come up with a visual illustration of this process to make it as easy to understand as
possible.
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THE PLACE
The Building
Where you meet can say a lot about you. It represents you to the people you’re trying to
reach. There are a LOT of options concerning renting a facility. Churches have been
planted in every conceivable place. The key in finding a building that will work for your
church plant is to ask and adequately answer the questions you’ll find below.
The critical aspects of the building are:
□
□
□
□
□
□
Its ease of access to your target audience.
Your ability to set how many chairs you want set up.
The willingness of the staff to work with you.
Its reflection of your focus and style of ministry.
Its availability on a consistent basis.
Its cost.
The chart below is a reminder of all the things that go into a person’s
experience when they visit your church plant.
APPROACH
GREETING
PRINT/WEB
MINISTRY
CONNECTION
THE
EXPERIENCE
NAVIGATION
AUDITORIUM
KIDS’ AREA
www.ideationsc.com/fbo
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Improving Your First Impressions
(Adapted from CMTC Resources)
We put no stumbling block in anyone’s path, so that our ministry will not be discredited.
Rather, as servants of God, we commend ourselves in every way.
2 Corinthians 6:3-4
America has entered a post-Christian era and from now on we are planning to train
future pastors as foreign missionaries assigned to an alien culture. Haddon Robinson
Seventy percent of all people who visit a church make up their
mind about coming back – BEFORE the pastor gets up to speak.
Barna Research Group
FIRST THING GUESTS WILL HEAR
Answer machine / voice mail
Warm, friendly
Clear information
Professional-sounding
FIRST THING GUESTS WILL SEE
1. Signage
Updated logo
Use of colors
Bulletin – no typos, proper grammar
Keep publications simple and readable
2. Facility
Parking – Do they know where to park?
Exterior - Do they care about the facility? Is it clean?
Interior – Is it inviting and attractive?
Bathrooms – Are they well marked? Have you checked them?
Nursery – Is it well marked and clean?
Special information – Is it highlighted?
3. Greeters
Do guests feel welcomed or assaulted?
Balance of male and female
Balance of ages (youth=vitality; age=stability)
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4. Nursery
Clean
Safe!
Child-friendly
Secure procedures (registering children)
Consistent, trained workers
Brochure explaining procedures
5. Children’s Workers and Programs
Enthusiastic
Kids first!!
Committed, prepared, creative, etc.
Safety procedures in place (check in, check out, etc.)
“Three of four parents say a church that provides religious
training for their children would be of interest to them.” George
Barna
6. Atmosphere
Background music
Lighting
Smell—coffee brewing
Conversation—silence is threatening!
Décor (plants, use of color, etc.)
Seating and space (Is it comfortable?)
7. Platform Personnel
Warm and enthusiastic (match the person with the assignment)
Genuine
Assume there’s always somebody in the audience who doesn’t
know what you’re talking about.
8. Language and Labels
Avoid “insider” language
Clear and all-inclusive announcements (vocal and written)
Updated terms (Sunday School – KidZone, Adventure Land;
Bulletin – Program, etc.
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9. Music Communicates
Match the listening tastes of the audience
Energy
Lyrics (must be able to hear the vocals)
Competence
Don’t assume. Remember: non-Christians don’t make a habit of
listening to Christian music, singing in public or praying out loud.
10. Expectations
Singing as a group is not part of our culture
Singing – in what other settings do people stand and sing as a
group? (birthdays, sporting events)
o Do they know this song?
o Do we expect them to sing?
o Do they think we expect them to sing?
Praying
Giving
Standing, shaking hands, raising hands
11. Other communication forms - The sermon is not the only medium. All people
respond well to beauty in art.
Drama
Videos
Slides
Painted pictures
Emotionally evocative
Non-threatening
12. Pastor
After 22 minutes, you lose your audience!
Understand your audience’s world (exegete the culture).
Spend adequate time preparing.
Verbiage – Use language the common person understands.
Disclosure – You’re human. Let your people know you struggle
with sin, too.
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13. Service Times/Pace and Mood of Service
Consider having service times other than Sunday morning.
Sunday mornings are becoming one of the very
“unscheduled moments” of a family’s life.
Reflect community preferences (keys to your community).
few
14. Genuinely Experience God
Non-churched people want a deeper, more tangible and
significant experience with God. (George Barna)
People want to see that Christ makes a difference.
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Building in Feedback
How are your services… really?
You might think they’re cool… but are they really?
How are your sermons… are they effective?
What do people think about where you’re meeting?
As leaders, you want an objective opinion about
The services
The sermon
The site
How do you get it?
Ask!
Find someone you know who has not attended your church yet and offer to buy them
lunch at a great restaurant in town if they will visit your church with a careful eye and
help you see what you aren’t seeing. You want to know what was their experience was
really like. Companies pay huge sums of money to find out what people think about their
product. It’s not a bad idea for churches to spend a little money finding out what people
are thinking about their church experience.
If people are offended by the Gospel, that’s between them and God. If they’re offended
by the condition of the bathroom in the facility you’re using or the condition of the
nursery, that’s something we can do something about.
When we ask someone to evaluate a sermon, we’re asking them to tell us what they
thought about the content and the delivery.
We should want to improve our
communication skills continually. They are skills that have been deposited into us by
God, and He desires us to increase their worth. (Remember the parable Jesus gave about
the talents?)
Sometimes we’re just so close to a situation we can’t “see it” like an outside person can.
Their set of eyes can help us improve areas that will make coming to church a better
experience for other non-Christians.
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Sample Evaluation
How did you hear about today’s service? (Circle)
Friend - Coworker - Letter - Advertising - Other
Rate how easy it was to find parking: 1 2 3 4 5
Rate how easy it was to find your way into the facility: 1 2 3 4 5
Rate how friendly the people were who met you as you came in: 1 2 3 4 5
Rate how clean the facility is: 1 2 3 4 5
If you brought children with you this morning…
Rate how easy it was for you to find our children’s area: 1 2 3 4 5
Rate the friendliness of the children’s staff who greeted you and your children:
123 4 5
Was the room warm and safe-feeling?(Circle one) Very Much So - Somewhat - Not
at All
Rate the following elements of the service based on how they connected with you
personally?
Group singing:
(I really did not enjoy it) 1 2 3 4 5 (I really enjoyed it)
Drama:
(I really did not enjoy it) 1 2 3 4 5 (I really enjoyed it)
Message:
(I really did not enjoy it) 1 2 3 4 5 (I really enjoyed it)
Rate the length and
Just Right
Too Slow
Too Long
Too Short
Too Fast
flow of the service:
_______
_______
_______
_______
_______
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Rate the light of the room:
Bright Enough - Not Bright Enough - Just Right
Rate the sound quality: (Circle)
Too loud (which part?) _________________
Too soft (which part?) __________________
Just right
What
did
you
most
enjoy
___________________________
about
your
experience
this
morning?
What 1 or 2 things would you most want to see changed in your experience this morning?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Do you think you will return to in the future?
Absolutely!
Perhaps
Probably Not
Should you choose to return, what would be the compelling reason?
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
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My Action Plan:
□
We have chosen a site for our main “attraction” events.
□
I have given someone on the Launch team the “Improving Your First Impressions”
and asked them to go through it with our church in mind, offering any suggestions
on how we might make our first impressions more effective.
□
I’ve asked someone who has never attended our church to come to our church and
evaluate our service using the tool I have adapted from the one in the iMAP book.
IMAP-Personalized for Julian and Tiffany Newman-119-
PRIORITY
Imagine someone came up to you and said, “I’d like to add some money to your wallet.”
Now, imagine that someone came up and said, “I’d like to multiply the money in your
wallet.”
Assuming there was no foul play involved, we would always choose to have our resources
multiplied instead of just added to.
The same thing is true when it comes to church planting. We can either think addition or
multiplication. When we think multiplication, it’s not just what can be accomplished
through our one local church, it’s what can be accomplished through the multiplication of
other churches through our church.
According to a church plant study conducted in 2007, church plants that reproduced
themselves in the first four years of existence were twice the size of church plants that did
not.
“When it comes to church planting, many churches are hesitant to get involved out of fear
of what it might cost them. The feeling is that if people go to help start a new church or
monies are sent to help start a church these resources will be lost to them. This is the
wrong perspective. The act of sending people or finances must be seen as investment, nor
loss—and there is a huge difference.” Phil Stevenson
Three great books on this subject:
The Ripple Church, by Phil Stevenson
Let Go of the Ring, by Ralph Moore
The Multiplying Church, by Bob Roberts
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PIPELINE OF RESOURCES
(not already mentioned)
One of the best websites for church planters in existence:
www.churchplanting4me.com
Links to many helpful church planting websites are available at: www.newlifeministriesnlm.org/contents-cp.htm
Great church planting forum: www.cpforum.com
International Centre for Leadership Development and Evangelism:
www.GrowingLeadership.com
A website with links to articles focusing on church planting:
www.thinkcoach.com/examples/churchplanting/
Dynamic Church Planting International: www.dcpi.org
Building Your Church The Right Time – Brian Tome – Tape Series: www.willowcreek.com
Video’s Available:
www.sermonspice.com
www.emergentwesleyan.com
www.nooma.com
Creating a Buzz:
www.churchmarketingsucks.com
Church Budgets and Such:
www.churchfromscratch.com
Membership
If you are in the Wesleyan denomination, than church membership will eventually become
a part of your maturing process to become an “established” Wesleyan Church from pioneer
status. Every church planter makes a decision on how high they are going to hold up the
value of membership. In the two churches I have had the privilege of planting we have
chosen to hold the bar of membership high. All those who cross the line into membership
go through a 90 page workbook that covers our core values and ensures that each member
has a basic working knowledge of their faith. Our Membership Workbook is available
simply for the asking.
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Home | NewThing
The Foursquare Church
A Church Planter's Paradise
2006 National New Church
Conference: Orlando, Florida
How To Start A Church : We Have
Everything You Need To start A
Church
Free Resources for Church Planters
http://www.forefront.org/index.ph
p
Church Marketing Sucks: Church
Plants, 88% Drop Out Rate & (gasp)
Sex
Crossings Church: A Brand Spanking
New Church
Gary Rohrmayer’s Site
Discover Church Planting - Church
Planting Village
CoachNet International Ministries |
Empowering leaders to start, grow,
and multiply healthy churches
Church Jobs for Christian
Employment.
North American Mission Board
Easy Demographics - Free Site
Church Planting - Real Hope for the
World
Home - Church Planting Village
EFCA Home Page > Church Planting
Homepage
http://www.newthing.org
http://reachmore.foursquare.org
http://www.church-planting.org/index.html
http://www.startingchurches.com
http://www.startchurch.com
http://www.pursuantgroup.com/leadnet/
advance/aug06s2a.htm
http://www.forefront.org/index.php
hhttp://www.churchmarketingsucks.com/
archives/2006/09/church_plants_8.html
http://www.brandspankingnewchurch.com
http://yourjourney.org/waterNew/
default.asp?x=1&DID=1189
http://www.churchplantingvillage.net/site/c.iiJTKZPEJ
pH/b.784519/k.8941/Discover_Church_Planting.htm
http://www.coachnet.org/en
http://churchstaffing.com
http://www.namb.net
http://www.easidemographics.com/images/logo.gif
http://www.churchplanting4me.com
http://www.churchplantingvillage.net
http://fusion.efca.org/planting
http://seacoastchurch.org/Street Life
WorldWide Entertainment Group| Street Life
WorldWide Outreach
http://godaintmadatyou.com
Goodmanson.com
http://missionalnetworkweb.com/
Church Leader Insights with Nelson
Searcy
Welcome to glocalnet website
Passion 4 Planting
Church Planting Presence online
Assessment Center
Church Plant Coaching - Launch
Ticket
Church Plant Media - Website Design
Welcome to LifeChurch.tv
Demographics
Signs & Communication
Web design
http://www.goodmanson.com
http://missionalnetworkweb.com
http://www.churchleaderinsights.com
http://www.glocal.net/v2/index.php
http://www.passionforplanting.com
http://www.thecloudnetwork.com
http://churchplanting4me.org/pricing.htm
http://www.launchticket.org/article.php?id=2
http://www.churchplantmedia.com
http://www.lifechurch.tv/Default.aspx
http://www.perceptgroup.com/
www.ideationsc.com/fbo
www.cloversites.com ($1000 initially, $20 monthly)
IMAP-Personalized for Julian and Tiffany Newman-122-
Jim Griffith’s list of Top10 Mistakes
Church Plant(ers) Make
1. Planter takes spiritual warfare too lightly. When it is illogical or irrational, it is
demonic.
2. Attempt to plant a church that reaches everyone rather than a specific target.
3. Premature Launch — church is born before it is fully formed.
4. Recruiting stops after grand opening.
5. Have no plan for the other six days of the week.
6. Fear of talking about money with people until it is urgent.
o Set up a rainy day fund in plant from day one. Keep 1K in it.
7. Not differentiating a church plant from an established church. "Remember —act
your age." "You will not get everyone who comes in the door —do not start a
ministry just to keep one family."
8. Formalize leadership too early, i.e. create a board. Instead, introduce and
empower potential future leaders by saying something like this, "This is John, and
he is going to be helping us with this task for awhile/few months."
9. Once project is up and running, planter fails to adjust and tweak to match people
coming.
10. Church does the right thing at the wrong time:
o Good idea, but timing is off.
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Top Ten Mistakes Church Planters/Pastors Make by Perry
Noble
http://www.perrynoble.com/2007/05/22/top-ten-mistakes-church-planterspastors-make
#10 - Refusing To Dream Big
I hear TONS of excuses from pastors who say, “But I can’t do this and I can’t do that because I am
not in Chicago or Atlanta.” NEITHER ARE WE!!! God is NOT limited by geography! Come on, when
He sent His Son into the world–He sent Him to Bethlehem, NOT Rome!!! DREAM BIG…and take
small steps to get there.
#9 - Trying To Be Someone Else
I’ve fallen into this trap before–pastors, understand that there is a unique calling on your life to be
YOU! We should ALL learn from other leaders and other ministries…but at the end of the day we
MUST be ourselves. I will never be as smart as Bill Hybels, as creative as Ed Young or as happy as
Joel Osteen, but I will be the best Perry Noble I can be.
#8 - Not Growing As A Leader
If you are not growing then you’re dying…and so is your leadership.
#7 - Refusing To Take Risks
Too many churches grow to a certain size and then fall into “safe mode.” There is a safe place for all
Christians…it is called HEAVEN…and until we get there we need to do all we can to continually kick
the devil in the mid-section!!! We are called to do a lot of things–but never to play it safe.
#6 - Letting People With Money Dictate The Vision
I have a theory…and so far it has been true with every church planter that I know. Within the first
year a “big money” person will threaten to leave the church over an issue related to the vision…and
you will either beg them to stay or let them walk. I have seen first hand that if you don’t allow them to
leave then God will leave!!! We are told in Scripture to FEAR GOD…and that’s it. If you allow people
with money to dictate your decisions then you are nothing more than an ordained prostitute.
#5 - Not Teaching About Money
Too many church planters were told somewhere along the way that you can’t teach on money–that it
is offensive and will run people away. I believed that for a long time; in fact, I believed that until we
did our FIRST money series last year here at NewSpring…and OUR ATTENDANCE INCREASED
throughout the series. People want practical help with their lives…and the Bible has a TON to say
about money; therefore, the church should as well. AND STOP APOLOGIZING for it…we don’t
apologize for preaching on adultery…why should we apologize for speaking on money–especially
when Jesus said what He said in Matthew 6:21 and Matthew 6:24!
#4 - Listening To The Wrong People
Christians are the ONLY people in the world who will buy a book and read it…and the author has
never done what he has written about…all he has is theories. NO ONE in the secular world would do
that crap! Seriously, if I wrote a book on surgery and then tried to say, “Buy my book…my wife is a
doctor,” there isn’t a doctor in this country that would think my book was necessary for
success…but many church planters are victims of that exact scenario. That is equal to asking your
bankrupt brother-in-law for financial advice…it just doesn’t make sense.
#3 - Too Much Prayer and Not Enough Planning
I know church planters who are in constant prayer mode, asking God to “do it all.” And five years
later they are in the same place…it takes a PLAN!!!
#2 - Too Much Planning And Not Enough Prayer
AND…I have seen the opposite! I will say this–EVERY leadership mistake that I have ever made was
because I was not listening to the Lord.
#1 - Forming A Leadership Team Too Quickly
I have discovered that when you plant a church that you will attract every freak within a 50 mile
radius. SO…delegate slowly! Allow people to serve…but do not appoint people to leadership
positions until you are confident that the person is a leader, loves Jesus, gets the vision AND loves
the church.
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Top Ten Church Website Mistakes
1. Incomplete church address. Include your city, state, and zip code on the website’s front
page. A home page with only “First Baptist Church” could be anywhere in the U.S.
2. An unusual and difficult to remember website address. A
www.FirstPresbyterianTulsa.org address is far better than a www.pfctok.org address.
3. No contact information for a human being. Provide a staff name and telephone number.
4. No information about the church’s denomination or affiliation. If people have to guess,
they often look elsewhere for a church!
5. Outdated information and small print. Poorly maintained church calendars and old
content give a boarded-up windows impression.
6. Jargon or insider abbreviations. One church lists WBSAM. Only an insider knows the
translation—Women’s Bible Study on a weekday morning.
7. No outside-the-building information, such as where to park, or enter the building for
worship, or find handicapped access.
8. No inside-the-building information, such as nursery location, pre-school childcare, or a
separate children’s worship during services.
9. Inappropriate content. Confidential information such as prayer lists with members’
names, illnesses, and surgeries; children’s photos without their parents’ permission
(whether or not they are identified); new members’ photos without prior consent; staff
photos that detract from their professional image; and home telephone numbers.
10. E-mail addresses. “Spiders” or web crawler computer programs read through web
page content looking for e-mail addresses. These programs then send ads and other
SPAM that floods inboxes. Protect your staff and volunteers by creating a user link for
sending emails.
Your congregation’s website ministry is important, but it is not the only important ministry.
Websites cannot replace all other forms of communication. People without internet access
are also partners in your church’s mission, so don’t exclude them from your
communication.
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How can we evaluate our website’s effectiveness?
1. Consult expert resources such as the following:
www.congregationalresources.org
Web-Empower Your Church: Unleashing the Power of Internet Ministry
(Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2006) by Mark M. Stephenson
2. Meet with a group of eight to ten young adults who began attending your church within
the last six months. Ask each of them to name one thing “I wish I had known when I was
considering a visit to this congregation.”
3. Does your website information touch the head, heart, and body? Does it give me the
facts I need (head)? Does it tell me the church’s mission or vision (heart)? Does it tell me
what I can do to answer God’s call (body)?
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Five Things I Would Tell A Church Planter
by Perry Noble
“...what we did have was God’s vision–and a belief that God was going
to use this church to change this community–...”
One of the questions that was sent in to me is, “What would you tell someone who is about to plant a
church?” I have had a lot of lunches with church planters and so I have been able to sit back and think
through the things I have told them…here are a few…or maybe more than a few…
#1 - Have a vision!!! AND it needs to be more than, “We went to a conference and BLANK church and want
to do exactly what they are doing!” THAT IS NOT VISION–that is admiration–STOP IT!
We CAN learn from other churches–but if YOU are called to plant a church then I am quite sure that God
doesn’t want you to replicate someone else’s vision–He WILL give you your own.
Oh yeah…if you don’t have a vision–DO NOT PLANT A CHURCH! I have met way too many po’d staff
members who don’t like the way things are going in their church…and so their solution is to start one of their
own and split the church where they are…that is not vision, it is DI-VISION, something that Scripture doesn’t
speak to highly of!
#2 - Stick to your vision! I have a philosophy…and so far it has proven true. I think ever church planter will
be tested in a HUGE way in regards to vision within the first year. Usually this test comes about as a result of
a big giver not liking the way the church is going and threatening to pull away if things “do not straighten up.”
LET THEM WALK!
“But Perry, they have a lot of money!” You may be right–BUT GOD HAS MORE!!! You can either trust Mr.
Bigbucks or trust the Lord!
ALSO…you will attract a lot of church hoppers…they have been to 17 churches in the past 10 years–and all
of those churches have hurt them. (Yes, it is ALWAYS the church–it’s never them–even though they are the
ONLY consistent variable in the chaos!) AND–they will tell you that they are finally glad they can be a part of a
church that is doing it “right;” however, you must understand that “doing is right” is “doing what they want,”
and as soon as you pursue God’s vision and not theirs–they will scream them loudest!
Let them scream…let them walk–stick with your vision.
#3 - Stop trying to run off all the Christians! I did this…I think a lot of planters say this, “We don’t want any
Christians around here!” STOP–think–how stupid is that statement? Again…I did this…and God has taught
me a valuable lesson…
I tell planters that there are Christians in the community that you are about to plant in…and they have been
praying for a church plant in that community for years. In fact, you going there to plant a church COULD be
the result of their prayers. SO…DON’T SAY, “If you are a Christian then leave!” That’s stupid!
Christians bring maturity–leadership–oh yeah, they give! What you do not want are religious people–you
should tell them to leave…but STOP saying, “We are not a church for Christians!”
#4 - Stop making excuses! I hear it all the time, “Perry…if we had what you had we could grow. We don’t
have staff, money and a building.”
This comment makes me want to punch a planter…
In the throat! :-) (You knew it was coming!!!)
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Folks–just seven years ago the total contents owned by NewSpring Church were stored in a three foot by
seven foot closet! EVERYTHING!!! We had NOTHING…seriously–we didn’t even have a sound system–we
borrowed it every weekend from the college we were meeting at.
We didn’t have staff…we didn’t have a building…we didn’t have lights…we didn’t have a cool children’s
area…we didn’t have a lot–BUT–what we did have was God’s vision–and a belief that God was going to use
this church to change this community–we had a passion for excellence and a desire to see people meet
Jesus…and here we are seven years later.
Church planter–if God did it for us…He can do it for you! Do what you can with what you’ve got and dream
big!!!
#5 - Meet with other pastors and ASK QUESTIONS!
OK…I am ranting now…but let me share with you my philosophy on “being mentored.” I have the privilege to
meet with some mentors several times during the year…and when I do I have a pen and a notepad with a ton
of questions…and the overwhelming majority of the time I ask a ton of questions and then I shut up and
write!!!
Some church planters I have met with don’t have this philosophy. I literally went to lunch one time with two
guys who were going to plant a church–and I DID NOT TALK the entire lunch…well, except when I ordered
my food. I am serious…that’s it!!! These guys told me all about what was wrong with the church in general
then told me what they were going to do and thanked me for my time–it was one of the weirdest experiences
of my life.
I tell church planters, “Meet with every pastor you can–AND ASK QUESTIONS! Don’t waste their time! Don’t
tell them all the things you think is wrong with their church–they don’t care!!! Ask questions!”
That’s about it for now–maybe more to come later…
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Top 10 Things You Should Know About Unchurched People
… if you want them to hear what you’re saying
By Kem Meyer, communications director at Granger Community Church
1. People don’t care about the church database.
Talk about what makes life better for the guest, not about behind-the-scenes software or
systems. When you say “Remember to check-in to F1” or “Sign-in to the database,” it
communicates it’s all about us and our processes, not about the guest. And, they could care less.
Keep it simple and focused on the guest. Say “Remember to check-in to get your name tag." Or,
“door prize” or “food” … whatever makes the check-in about them. Don’t talk about the
database or F1.
2. People aren’t motivated by your need. They’re motivated by theirs.
It’s about great things that are good for the guest, not about what you, or the church, needs.
When guests hear “We really need small group leaders” or “We really need your help with this,"
they hear desperation and selfishness. Again, this communicates our need; it’s all about us. We
want to make it about the guest. Instead, say “Here’s a cool opportunity you’ll want to hear
about” or “You might want to check out this one-of-a-kind experience” or “Come find out the fun
ways you can be part of the behind-the-scenes." This makes it about the guest, not us, and it
motivates them to act.
3. People don’t care about their next step until they know they’re valued where they are
now.
Encourage next steps, but affirm what people are doing now. When someone hears “you need to
step it up” or “it’s time to go deeper,” it communicates that they aren’t OK where they’re at
and they’re not as good as they should be. Of course, that’s not your intent, but it is the filter
many of our guests receive it through. Instead, we can encourage people to “take their next
steps." Try “This might be your next step” or “what is your next step?” or “here are some next
step opportunities for you to consider." But remember, everyone’s next step looks very different.
One person’s next step might be to invest more serving time or to volunteer at a higher impact
capacity, but for another, it may be to finish out the evening without leaving early. And, each of
these next steps is equally important.
4. People don’t know who you are, no matter how long you’ve been around the church.
Introduce yourself, every time. If by chance there is just one person in the group that doesn’t
know you and you just get up and start talking, it communicates two things. One, it
communicates exclusivity (everyone’s already in the club except for you) and two, it
communicates that you are “all that” in assuming that people automatically know who you are.
So, take the time to introduce yourself and why you’re the one standing in front of the group (if
necessary).
5. People multi-task and can’t remember squat.
Visually support your verbal announcement to make it attention-getting and memorable. It’s
human nature to tune out the talking head in the front of the room as you look through your
purse, write notes to your friend or mentally run through your to-do list for the week. And, if
you’re lucky enough that people are listening to you when you’re talking, there is no guarantee
they will remember what you said when they walk out of the room and back into their life.
Whenever possible, visually support your verbal announcement to grab and hold attention, clarify
information and raise the interest level of your audience. It doesn’t have to be fancy or
elaborate; you can reinforce your verbal announcement with a printed program, PowerPoint
slide, table tent, postcard, basic signage, etc. But, remember, don’t read directly from your
visual aids. They exist as a separate component that reinforces your announcement.
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6. People are turned off by lack of preparation.
Prepare to cast vision for the opportunity by rehearsing it so your audience “catches it” within 90
seconds. If it’s important enough to announce, then it’s important enough to prepare for. Your
vision-casting should answer these questions. What’s so special about this opportunity? Why
should I spend my time on it? How is it going to make me and my life better? In no more than 90
seconds.
7. People relate when you talk about them or people like them.
Tailor your announcement to your audience. Whenever possible, taking the extra minute to
customize a broad message to a specific audience make a bigger impact. Even if the message
doesn’t change, but you find a way to highlight a unique component for your specific audience, it
makes all the difference. For example, if you’re talking about the food drop to a group of moms,
tell them about the opportunity to include their entire family. Help them see how they can
specifically use the information you’re sharing.
8. People feel left out and frustrated when you use insider’s language.
Avoid the use of acronyms or insiders language. Don’t assume everyone is in the know, because
most people aren’t. For example, instead of talking about MC3, talk about GCC’s food pantry.
Instead of talking about Oasis, talk about your gathering for middle-schoolers. Once people are
on the inside, feel free to use the insider’s language. But, it’s never cool to use it in
announcements for large groups, connection events, first-serve opportunities, etc. When you do,
you can bet that you’re alienating guests. [The specific ministry examples used here are for
illustrative purposes only.]
9. People aren’t impressed with your theological vocabulary and holy dialect.
Use normal, everyday language. When we use phrases traditionally associated with Christianity,
guests either don’t get it or will run from us so they don’t “catch it." These phrases are weird and
scary to guests (actually, to the majority of people): “demonic spirit,"“binding the hands of
Satan," “forces of evil” and the overuse of an entire list of “blessed” phrases. Keep it simple,
keep it real and avoid over-spiritualizing your conversation.
10. People love stories, not lectures.
Use stories and illustrations whenever possible. Don’t just read the information. Make it yours.
Bring in the human interest. You’ll draw people in, spark interest and engage that personal
connection. Then it’s no longer a boring announcement, but a conversation they don’t want to
miss.
As Communications Director at Granger Community Church, Kem Meyer draws on more than 15 years of
marketplace experience in corporate communications and Internet strategy. Before joining the staff at
GCC in 2002, she was a marketing specialist at Moody's Corporation, a billion-dollar credit research and
risk-rating company with offices in 18 countries. Read her blog 'Less Clutter and Noise" at
kemmeyer.typepad.com.
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Agenda Harmony Issues in
Existing Launch Teams
Here’s the scenario. A group of people come together to plant a church. These groups are formed a
variety of ways:
Sometimes this “core” of potential launch team members leave another church frustrated for
any number of reasons. They band together and agree to plant a church. A district gets
involved, sees the opportunity for a church plant and begins the hunt for a church planter.
This is what my friend Phil Stevenson calls a church “splat” which is somewhere between a
split and a plant.
Other times a launch team is brought together because of proximity. There’s a need for a
church in a town where a Wesleyan church doesn’t presently exist or there’s a need for a
church on the other side of town.
Some of these situations are extremely positive. A parent church decides it wants to
daughter a church in a neighboring community and so launch team meetings are held. The
PLANTER is usually chosen by the mothering church; the launch team; the district or a
combination of all three.
From the very first launch team meeting, whether the PLANTER is there are not, vision and values begin
to be articulated. People begin to formulate mental pictures about what this new church will be. If the
PLANTER hasn’t been hired yet, that means that other people’s visions/values are being shared. This is
natural. It happens.
All too often a PLANTER comes into a group like this and begins to cast a vision for the church HE/SHE
feels called to lead, assuming the PIONEERS will naturally get on board. Unfortunately that is not always
the case.
Check in with these kinds of church plants after a few months have past and unfortunately the verse that
describes them best is: Everyone was doing what is right in their own eyes. In extreme cases, instead of
rowing together, launch team members are rowing in opposite directions; trying to stop the progress of
others by sticking their oars in the water (yes this happens); or just pulling their oar in and refusing to row
altogether.
The point is, the longer a core group meets prior to hiring a church planter, the greater the potential for
eventual problems with agenda harmony down the road. This is because vacuums are always filled, both in
science and in church leadership. Scientists tell us that black holes are like giant vacuums in space, pulling
everything in their path into them. When a future church plant is in its developmental stage and there is
not a church planter yet on site, those who are in place will naturally begin to fill leadership vacuums.
Strong personalities will often rise to the surface. It would be nice if those with strong personalities were
also always under the full control of the Holy Spirit. But unfortunately, we all know this is not the case.
Does this mean that a PLANTER should never go into an existing launch group situation? No. What it
does mean is that out of all the segments in the iMAP experience, this is going to be one of the most
important. You will need to work harder than the average planter to ensure that everyone is on the same
page heading in the same direction. The tools that follow will be helpful.
You’ll also want to consider getting together one-on-one with existing launch team members and have
loving, respectful, but authentic conversations about where you feel God is leading this church in the
IMAP-Personalized
forface.
Julian and Tiffany Newman-131future. As a rule, the clearer you describe it, the less agenda harmony
issues you’ll
StrengthsFinders Brief Definitions
Achiever
People strong in the Achiever theme have a great deal of stamina and work hard. They take great
satisfaction from being busy and productive. (partners well with Focus)
Activator
People strong in the Activator theme can make things happen by turning thoughts into action. They are
often impatient. (partners well with Strategic)
Adaptability
People strong in the Adaptability theme prefer to "go with the flow." They tend to be "now" people who
take things as they come and discover the future one day at a time. (partners well with Focus, Strategic,
and Belief)
Analytical
Seeing yourself as objective and dispassionate, you like data because it is value-free. You search for
patterns and connections in the data to prove or disprove theories and strategies. Others see you as logical
and rigorous.
Arranger
You are a conductor. When faced with a complex situation involving many factors, you enjoy managing all
of the variables, aligning and realigning them until you are sure you have arranged them in the most
productive configuration possible.
Belief
People strong in the Belief theme have certain core values that are unchanging. Out of these values
emerges a defined purpose for their life.
Command
People strong in the Command theme have presence. They can take control of a situation and make
decisions. (partners well with Woo and Empathy)
Connectedness
People strong in the Connectedness theme have faith in the links between all things. They believe there
are few coincidences and that almost every event has a reason.
Consistency
People strong in the Consistency theme are keenly aware of the need to treat people the same. They try to
treat everyone in the world with consistency by setting up clear rules and adhering to them. (partners well
with Maximizer and Individualization)
Context
People strong in the Context theme enjoy thinking about the past. They understand the present by
researching its history. (partners well with Strategic)
Communication
You like to explain, to describe, to host, to speak in public, and to write. Ideas are a dry beginning. Events
are static. You feel a need to bring them to life, to energize them, to make them exciting and vivid. And so
you turn events into stories and practice telling them.
Competition
When you look at the world, you are instinctively aware of other people's performance. Their performance
is the ultimate yardstick. Like all competitors, you need other people. You need to compare. If you can
compare, you can compete, and if you can compete, you can win.
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Deliberative
Life is something of a minefield. Others can run through it recklessly if they so choose, but you take a
different approach. You identify the dangers, weigh their relative impact, and then place your feet
deliberately. You walk with care.
Developer
People strong in the Developer theme recognize and cultivate the potential in others. They spot the signs
of each small improvement and derive satisfaction from these improvements. (partners well with
Individualization)
Discipline
Your world needs to be predictable. It needs to be ordered and planned. So you instinctively impose
structure on your world. You set up routines. You focus on timelines and deadlines. You break long-term
projects into a series of specific short-term plans, and you work through each plan diligently.
Empathy
People strong in the Empathy theme can sense the feelings of other people by imagining themselves in
others' lives or others' situations. (partners well with Command and Activator)
Focus
People strong in the Focus theme can take a direction, follow through, and make the corrections necessary
to stay on track. They prioritize, then act.
Futuristic
"Wouldn't it be great if . . ." You are the kind of person who loves to peer over the horizon. The future
fascinates you. As if it were projected on the wall, you see in detail what the future might hold, and this
detailed picture keeps pulling you forward, into tomorrow.
Harmony
People strong in the Harmony theme look for consensus. They don't enjoy conflict; rather, they seek areas
of agreement. (partners well with Command or Activator)
Ideation
People strong in the Ideation theme are fascinated by ideas. They are able to find connections between
seemingly disparate phenomena. (partners well with Activator)
Includer
"Stretch the circle wider." This is the philosophy around which you orient your life. You want to include
people and make them feel part of the group. In direct contrast to those who are drawn only to exclusive
groups, you actively avoid those groups that exclude others.
Individualization
People strong in the Individualization theme are intrigued with the unique qualities of each person. They
have a gift for figuring out how different people can work together productively.
Input
People strong in the Input theme have a craving to know more. Often they like to collect and archive all
kinds of information. (partners well with Focus)
Intellection
People strong in the Intellection theme are characterized by their intellectual activity. They are
introspective and appreciate intellectual discussions.
Learner
People strong in the Learner theme have a great desire to learn and want to continuously improve. In
particular, the process of learning, rather than the outcome, excites them.
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Maximizer
People strong in the Maximizer theme focus on strengths as a way to stimulate personal and group
excellence. They seek to transform something strong into something superb.
Positivity
People strong in the Positivity theme have an enthusiasm that is contagious. They are upbeat and can get
others excited about what they are going to do.
Relator
People who are strong in the Relator theme enjoy close relationships with others. They find deep
satisfaction in working hard with friends to achieve a goal.
Responsibility
You take psychological ownership for anything you commit to, and whether large or small, you feel
emotionally bound to follow it through to completion. Your good name depends on it. If for some reason
you cannot deliver, you automatically start to look for ways to make it up to the other person.
Restorative
You love to solve problems. Whereas some are dismayed when they encounter yet another breakdown, you
can be energized by it. You enjoy the challenge of analyzing the symptoms, identifying what is wrong, and
finding the solution.
Self-Assurance
In the deepest part of you, you have faith in your strengths. You know that you are able -- able to take
risks, able to meet new challenges, able to stake claims, and, most important, able to deliver. You have
confidence not only in your abilities but in your judgment.
Significance
People strong in the Significance theme want to be very important in the eyes of others. They are
independent and want to be recognized.
Strategic
People strong in the Strategic theme create alternative ways to proceed. Faced with any given scenario,
they can quickly spot the relevant patterns and issues. (partners well with Activator)
Woo
People strong in the Woo theme love the challenge of meeting new people and winning them over. They
derive satisfaction from breaking the ice and making a connection with another person. (partners well with
Relator and Empathy)
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Discovering the Way I'm Spiritually Wired Up
(Modified from a Message from Willow Creek)
Let's say I give an art assignment to a 4th grade class and I say, "I'd like you to draw
trees." Some students would take all hour long and methodically draw, in intricate
details an oak tree. Other students would carefully draw a pine tree or maybe even a
palm tree. Still other students would spend 35 seconds drawing a stick with a bunch of
green circles at the top and say, "there, I've drawn your tree…now what!" And
technically speaking, all of those students would be right. They all did what I asked
them to do, but they all did it differently. Why? Because they all have different
personalities.
Our personalities affect everything in our life. They affect how we approach our work,
how we want to spend our free time, whether or not we are easily embarrassed. I think
most of us realize how our personalities approach things differently. If I said that in
order for you to live past today we were all going to have to jump out of a plane with a
parachute on our backs…some of you would say, "Where's the plane, let's get going."
Others of you would be terrified. One response isn't more right over the other it's just a
sign of personality differences.
I'm not sure we understand how our personality affects our relationship with God. Here's
what I know. And stay with me, don't let me lose you in the next 3 minutes, because
what's coming is going to be really helpful for you, but I've got to set it up first.
Too many Christians I know have never been able to establish and maintain a vital
relationship with God. As a matter of fact, in the survey we did a few months ago, only
41 people out of the 159 who did the survey, said they would consider their relationship
with God intimate and growing. And here's what I bet happens when we're taking that
survey. We're sitting there, and we get to the question:
If you have invited Jesus Christ into your life, how would you describe your
relationship with God.
And we say: “I’d like to say that it's intimate and growing, but it’s not.”
And here's why I think that is: What we tend to do is to look at the person or persons who
we respect the most in their relationship with Jesus Christ and we assume that our
relationship with God should mimic theirs. Even though the person whose relationship
with God we respect may be vastly different in personality than we are, we still assume
that theirs is the right way. So we give ourselves to the same approach our spiritual
mentor has, and for a while maybe it works. But eventually, in many cases it feels like
we're trying to put a round peg into a square hole, and invariably we get frustrated and
give up on spiritual growth, and then we get a bad case of the guilties. We start asking
ourselves questions such as: "Why can't I love God like they do? Why can't I walk with
God closely like they appear to do? What's wrong with me?" Let me see a show of hands,
how many of you have ever had these kinds of thoughts?
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I can remember working for a person whose passion for God burned red hot. And I can
remember saying to myself, "I have to duplicate what he's doing if I'm ever going to be
that kind of person." And for years I tried and I beat myself up for not being as spiritual
as he was. But then as I got exposed to other Christian leaders whose walk with God I
also came to deeply respect, I realized that the way they developed and maintained their
relationship with God was vastly different than the person who had mentored me. Their
relationship with God was just as passionate, but the way they got there was vastly
different. Before long the variety begin to amaze me. And then a few years ago, an
author by the name of Gary Thomas came out with a little book called: Sacred Pathways.
In his book, Gary talks about various pathways people have in developing their
relationship with Jesus Christ to a deeper level. Now, let me make it crystal clear,
because I don't want there to be any doubt. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth and
the life, no one can come to the Father except through Me." John 14:6 Opening up
our hearts to a relationship with Jesus Christ is the only way that our sins can be forgiven
and that we can stand in front of a holy God on judgment day without anything to fear.
Our good works won't do it, believing in Buddha or Muhammad won't do it. The Bible
makes it very clear that only a person who has opened up their hearts to Jesus Christ will
be allowed into heaven.
But after a person has said, "Jesus Christ, I know I'm a sinner, I know I need to be
forgiven, will You please forgive me? Will you please apply the credit that was produced
by Your death on the cross to my overdrawn moral account so that I can spend eternity
with You?"— after a person has done that, their relationship with God has just begun.
They are now in for what is supposed to be, what God wants to be, the adventure of
their life. Developing an authentic, passionate, incredible relationship with the God of
the universe, the God who created them.
We all start our relationship with God the same way, through Jesus Christ and what
He did on the cross. But we may go about developing our maturity in slightly
different ways depending on our personality. And what we're going to do briefly this
morning is look at 7 of the most common pathways over the last couple of thousand
years, people have taken to develop their relationship with Jesus Christ. And my hope
this morning is that you might identify your unique pathway, develop that pathway and
then watch your relationship with God go to levels you had only dreamed of before this
morning.
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Different Pathways to SPIRITUAL MATURITY
1. RELATIONAL PATHWAY
This person flourishes in their walk with Jesus Christ when they do it with others in
community.
Have you ever noticed that some people, by wiring pattern or by background or
temperament, find it difficult to be alone? They just don't like to be alone much.
For folks who are wired up this way:
Solitude feels like solitary confinement. It's suffocating and frustrating to them.
Bible studies done in isolation produce very little joy. They feel like homework
assignments, empty of any real growth.
Serving alone is a fate worse than death.
Sitting alone at worship service is enough to ruin the entire experience.
But include other people, and watch what happens. These individuals begin to flourish
spiritually, almost overnight.
Because they are in a group of people praying, they feel like they can pray like never
before. When they study the Bible with a few other Christians they come away enriched
almost every time.
They love to serve as long as they can do it as a team.
Their worship is twice as enjoyable if they get to sit with other Christians and engage in
worship together.
What good fellowship we enjoyed as we walked together to the house of God. Psalm
55:14
We work together as partners who belong to God. 1 Corinthians 3:9
And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage and
warn each other, especially now that the day of his coming back again is drawing
near. Hebrews 10:25
Imagine if this person’s spiritual mentor was someone who said that the best way they
have found for spiritual growth is through solitude. Spending long amounts of time by
themselves. This person would begin to feel obligated to do that, but would it ultimately
be helpful for them in the long run? No! Why? Because the true test of spirituality is
not long bouts of solitude.
For people like this, that is just a set-up for spiritual
frustration. It's a question of whether or not we are growing in our love for Jesus
Christ and for others around us. That's the issue. They need to do life with other
Christians…when they do that, their spiritual life really takes off!
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2. INTELLECTUAL PATHWAY
This is the kind of Christian whose mind must be fully engaged before any significant
spiritual progress can occur.
I don't know if you have ever sat through a testimony time where people talk about what
God has done in their life, but people with this kind of pathway, when they sit through
those times quietly ask themselves, “Where’s the beef? Where's the substance? These
stories are all heart warming and stuff, but I need some data, I'm dying over here! Get
some intellectual information going."
These are the kind of people who prefer to have big thick Bibles (take your black one
with you) with all kinds of references that will take them through all different areas in
the Bible.
They gravitate to events where their minds will be challenged. This much is true about
them: Their heart and their wills will never engage fully until their minds are completely
convinced. But this much is true as well. When a person with an intellectual pathway,
finally gets their mind convinced of something, watch out! There is no stopping these
folks! Something incredible is going to happen.
Paul, a guy who wrote most of the New Testament, said this in his most theological book
called Romans: We’re never going to change the world until we transform minds.
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your
mind. Romans 12:2
A wise man is hungry for truth. Proverbs 15:14
I devoted myself to search for understanding and to explore by wisdom everything
being done in the world. Ecclesiastes 1:13
I searched everywhere, determined to find wisdom and to understand the reason for
things. Ecclesiastes 7:25
Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul,
and all your mind’.” Matthew 22:37
Some of you are like this! (Morris Terveen…John Scheetz…Mark Fuhr)
These people need to keep their minds challenged. If they don't they are probably going
to dry up spiritually.
Lee Strobel – His mind had to be convinced.
If this is your personality, stop apologizing. Love God with all your mind…and watch
what that does to your daily union with Him!
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3. THE SERVING PATHWAY
Some people can't seem to catch their spiritual stride and stay consistently close to
God until and unless they are quietly and consistently serving God in a significant say.
They aren't so much the thinking types…they're the doers.
They read their Bibles and pray and attend church like the rest of us, but if you were to
ask them "when do you feel closest to God? When do you feel most centered and most
joy filled and most alive in your relationship with Jesus Christ?" They probably will not
answer: When I'm deep in prayer. Or when I'm studying theology." They'll probably say:
"When I'm serving, then I know that I'm an instrument in the very hand of God. When I'm
helping out somewhere then I feel alive and very close to God."
So you see, it isn’t enough just to have faith. Faith that doesn’t show itself by good
deeds is no faith at all—it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, “Some people
have faith; others have good deeds.” I say, “I can’t see your faith if you don’t have good
deeds, but I will show you my faith through my good deeds.” James 2:17-18
So we built the wall and the whole wall was joined together to half its height, for
the people had a mind to work. Nehemiah 4:6
I thank Christ Jesus our Lord that he has trusted me and has appointed me to do his
work with the strength he has given me. 1 Timothy 1:12
Think of someone who loves to serve. If you were to ask them, “Why do you do it?” they
would probably say, “Because I never feel as close to God as I do when I'm serving God in
some way.” If you were to take serving away from them, you'd close the door on his
pathway.
If this is you, don’t feel guilty about it!!! Make sure you serve on a regular basis! It will
lead you into the presence of God.
4. THE CONTEMPLATIVE PATHWAY
For many years there have been a relatively small group of people who have felt like
they've been marching to the beat of a different drummer.
Rather than filling up their calendars with relationship opportunities or serving
opportunities, or getting sucked into business, contemplatives, guard their alone times
very seriously. They love to be alone!
People and activities tend to drain them. They feel like they could spend almost
limitless amounts of time in solitude. Just being in the presence of God is enough.
They have an enormous capacity for prayer and private worship.
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Often these folks have very sensitive spiritual antennas and they can discern the work of
God wherever they are. But they always feel a little out of step with the rest of the
Christian community.
They wonder why so few are moved when they see something of beauty.
They're usually the ones who run out of gas frequently and who don't change the oil in
their cars for 2-3 years because they're always thinking of stuff.
They're also the ones who compose the songs that stir our hearts, or write the books that
make us think new thoughts about God.
Jesus awoke long before daybreak and went out alone into the wilderness to pray.
Mark 1:35
When Jesus heard what had happened, He withdrew by boat privately to a solitary
place. Matthew 14:13
If this is you, I want you to know its o.k. to spend time contemplating things!!!
Next, the polar opposite of the contemplative:
5. THE ACTIVISTIC PATHWAY
This person is at their best at a speed of Mach 2. Hair parted, white knuckles, gasping
for breath!
These are the action folks.
Because of the way these folks are wired up they need a challenge intensive
environment that chases them to the absolute edge of their potential. And when they
are right at that level, they feel very, very close to God. In fact they invoke His name
with great sincerity: Oh God…Help!!!
Know anybody like this? (Don't look at me like that.)
If you don't understand people like this, they will drive you crazy. Because you almost
fear for them. To people who are not like this, activistic types seem to be consistently
biting off more than they can chew, and often casual onlookers might feel sorry for them
and attempt to bail them out, until they realize:
They LIKE to live like this!!! They are choosing this pace!
No third party stuffed a rocket in their pants and lit the fuse.
They are not victims!!! They like riding rockets!
These are the people who catalyze others into action as well.
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People like this feel closest to God when they are way out on a limb and the only way for
victory is divine intervention! When they have given everything they had to give and
collapse on their pillow at night and say: "God that was my best!" that's when they feel
closest to God.
After David had served his generation according to the will of God, he died. Acts
13:36
But now I said to them, “You know full well the tragedy of our city. It lies in ruins,
and its gates are burned. Let us rebuild the wall of Jerusalem and rid ourselves of
this disgrace!” Then I told them about how the gracious hand of God had been on
me, and about my conversation with the king. They replied at once, “Good! Let’s
rebuild the wall!” So they began the good work. Nehemiah 2:17-18
Now, if you’re wired up this way…remember we all need balance. Insanity is overrated.
But give it your all!!
6. THE CREATION PATHWAY
The naturalists. The tree huggers. The green believers.
Maybe you've known people who spiritually "come alive" whenever they get
themselves into God's creation. Be it the mountains, the plains, the deserts, the beach.
Being in these environments dramatically increases their awareness of God.
I often hear or read of people who gain direct spiritual meaning from what they behold in
nature. For instance people who love the mountains will stare and massive rock
formations and become overwhelmed by the rock-solid faithfulness of the God they
serve. Or they worship His unchanging strength. Desert loving folks hike through the
midday sun and then come to an oasis that offers them some shade, water and
refreshment and they reflect on the promises of God to restore our dry, dusty souls.
You ask this kind of person when it is they feel closest to God…it's a no brainer. Ask
where they would most enjoy having their devotions, where they would most enjoy being
with a small group of other Christians or where they would most like to just stop and
reflect for a while about their life and they would say: "somewhere in creation."
This shouldn't be much of a surprise to us since God created man and women and put
them in a garden.
O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills the earth! Your glory is higher than the
heavens. When I look at the night sky and see the work of your fingers—the moon and
the stars you have set in place—what are mortals that you should think of us, mere
humans that you should care for us? O Lord, our Lord, the majesty of your name fills
the earth! Psalm 8:1,3-4,9
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If you're like this, you need to increase your time in nature. You need to spend more
time where you feel God’s presence so strongly.
7. THE WORSHIP PATHWAY
These are people whose hearts are kept tender towards the Lord by spending
adequate time listening and participating in worship music.
I recently heard about a guy who had been a Christian for 20 years and who had spent all
of that time in the same church in the same denomination; and the whole 20 year deal
left him feeling pretty empty. He experienced some growth through the teaching that
he heard, but at the end of 20 years his head was full but his heart was empty. Then a
friend invited him to another church on the other side of town. A church that worshiped
in spirit and in truth…in fact…a lot of spirit. And this hard-core business man guy, said
that for the first several services he attended at that church, he bawled like a baby
throughout the whole worship time. He couldn't understand what had happened to him,
in fact he thought maybe he had blown a gasket. Eventually he figured out that his heart
had been so starved for God-honoring worship that when he finally experienced it, it was
like dam broke inside of him. He eventually joined a church like that. These days,
whenever he has a yearning to be close to God, when he has a full heart and he wants to
express it, when he has a tough business decision to make and he wants to be sure he
gets it right, he takes a 1/2 dozen worship CDs, goes driving in his car, and usually winds
up alongside the road or in a gas station somewhere because the presence of God is so
real in that car…that he can no longer drive. I've felt that.
I think David, the guy who wrote most of the book of Psalms (songs) was the ultimate
example of someone who was wired up like this!
Praise the LORD, I tell myself; with my whole heart, I will praise his holy name. Praise
the LORD, I tell myself, and never forget the good things he does for me. Psalm 103:1-2
David’s pathway was worship!
If this is who we are, we need to design a spiritual formation plan that includes a lot of
worship.
Every once in a while if you were to come by the office early in the morning before any
of the staff or volunteers get there, there's a good chance you would hear me with my
less than wonderful voice, singing worship songs to God. The computer I have on my
desk has a CD player in it and I will just sit there sometimes, early in the morning, long
before anyone else is around, singing the kinds of songs that we sing here on Sunday
mornings. This is part of how I keep my heart tender towards the Lord. I am powerfully
moved by music.
SPIRITUAL GROWTH ASSIGNMENTS
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1. Identify my pathway that most seems to fit me and my wiring pattern.
It might be more than one.
Resist the temptation compare your pathway with other people's pathway, or to say
“That’s what I wish I was.” That's called pathway envy!
I wish I was more contemplative…I really do! They think the deep thoughts. But then
I realized with the help of the Holy Spirit, you know what, I'm no monk! I am never
going to be a desert father. I want to fly over the desert at the speed of sound, get
somewhere and challenge people to live their lives completely and wholeheartedly for
God.
Don't waste your life comparing yourself with someone else or trying to stuff yourself
into someone else’s mold. Learn your pathway and be o.k. with that.
Write it down in the space
2. Lean into it.
Experiment with it!
Give yourself to it!
It’s vital to your walk with Christ.
3. Develop an appreciation for all the pathways and what they can offer me. Even if
they are not my primary ones. They call can teach me something.
Imagine the difference we would all make, if we were all in vital union with Jesus Christ.
Imagine the lives that could be changed around us.
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April 06, 2007 GALLUP NEWS SERVICE
Just Why Do Americans Attend Church?
Those who don't attend have variety of reasons for their behavior
by Frank Newport
PRINCETON, NJ -- More than 40% of Americans claim to attend church or synagogue regularly, and
only about 15% say they never attend. Easter is one of two times a year, along with Christmas,
when pews are filled to capacity in many churches, bringing to mind the question: Just why do
Americans attend church?
Researchers have spent a good deal of time over the years investigating American churchgoing
behavior, developing theories that range from the sociological benefit of religious ritual in promoting
group solidarity to the practical benefits derived from participation in community social gatherings.
And, of course, there are those who argue that the reason for church attendance is quite simple: It
is the rational response of humans who feel the need to worship a real and powerful God.
Researchers know a lot about the types of people who are most likely to attend worship services in
the United States today. There is a strong relationship between age and church attendance, with
older Americans much more likely to attend than younger Americans. There is a strong gender
effect, with women of all ages more likely than men to attend. There are region-specific effects, with
residents of Southern states and of Utah much more likely to attend than New England or West
Coast residents. There is a race effect, with black Americans much more likely to attend church
services on average than white Americans. And there is an effect within specific religious
denominations, with members of evangelical non-Catholic Christian denominations and Mormons
more likely to attend than those who identify with traditional mainline Protestant denominations.
These relationships can lead to inferential hypotheses attempting to explain why people attend
church. As a prominent example, it appears reasonable to hypothesize that older Americans are
more likely to be religious and attend church because they are more immediately facing the prospect
of death. There has been speculation as well about a possible evolutionary basis for the gender gap
in church attendance.
To come at the fascinating issue of church attendance in a slightly different way, a recent Gallup
Panel survey asked Americans about their usual church-attending behavior, and followed up with an
open-ended question asking them to explain their attendance or lack thereof in their own words.
There are a number of ways to measure church attendance. This particular survey used the following
scale:
How often do you attend church or synagogue -- At least once a week, almost every week, about
once a month, seldom, or never?
2007 Mar 26-29
* Less than 0.5%
Once
a week
35
Almost
every
week
10
About
once a
month
10
Seldom
28
Never
16
No
opinion
*
The responses to this question in this survey are roughly in line with Gallup trends. The average
responses for this measure for all of 2006 were 31% reporting attending once a week, 12% almost
every week, 15% about once a month, 28% seldom, and 14% never.
Those who reported attending at least once a month -- 55% of the current sample -- were asked to
explain why they attend.
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(Asked of adults who attend church services at least monthly) What is the most important
reason why you attend church or synagogue? [OPEN-ENDED]
BASED ON 562 ADULTS WHO ATTEND CHURCH AT LEAST MONTHLY
For spiritual growth and guidance
Keeps me grounded/inspired
It's my faith
To worship God
The fellowship of other members/The community
Believe in God/Believe in religion
Brought up that way/A family value/Tradition
Other
No reason in particular
No opinion
2007 Mar 26-29
%
23
20
15
15
13
12
12
4
1
*
* Less than 0.5%
NOTE: Percentages add to more than 100% due to multiple responses.
Most of the explanations churchgoers give for church attendance are straightforward and in line with
what might be expected. Some Americans indicate attending church for explicitly religious reasons
("to worship God," "it's my faith," "believe in God"), while others have a somewhat more general,
spiritual rationale ("for spiritual growth," "keeps me grounded and inspired").
Sociologists have theorized over the years that Americans may attend church because such behavior
serves explicit social functions, i.e., the ability to socialize with other members of the community,
making business contacts, developing friends, and maintaining one's presentation of self and status
in the community. Those reasons may be accurate in some ways, but they are not explicitly
acknowledged when churchgoers are asked to self-report on their reasons for their behavior. Only
13% of churchgoers provide this type of rationale in the current survey.
Women are more frequent church attenders than men, but the reasons men and women give do not
differ significantly. Women are slightly more likely to mention that they attend because of a need to
keep grounded and inspired, and for social reasons, but the differences are not large.
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(Asked of adults who attend church services at least monthly) What is the most important
reason why you attend church or synagogue? [OPEN-ENDED]
2007 Mar 26-29
Men
Women
%
%
For spiritual growth and guidance
24
23
Keeps me grounded/inspired
14
23
It's my faith
18
14
To worship God
12
17
The fellowship of other members/The community
9
16
Believe in God/Believe in religion
15
9
Brought up that way/A family value/Tradition
14
10
This table looks at differences between the largest two groups of churchgoers in the sample:
Catholics and non-Catholic Protestants (including those who say they are Christian but do not specify
any Christian denomination).
(Asked of adults who attend church services at least monthly) What is the most important
reason why you attend church or synagogue? [OPEN-ENDED]
2007 Mar 26-29
Protestant/
Christian
Catholic
%
%
For spiritual growth and guidance
25
17
Keeps me grounded/inspired
16
28
It's my faith
14
21
To worship God
16
13
The fellowship of other members/The community
17
3
Believe in God/Believe in religion
13
11
Brought up that way/A family value/Tradition
11
15
The biggest difference between Catholics and non-Catholic Christians in self-reported reasons for
church attendance occurs in the area of fellowship. Few Catholics mention that they go to church in
order to have the fellowship of other worshippers or because of a sense of community, while this
rationale is given by 17% of non-Catholic Christians. Catholics, on the other hand, are slightly more
likely to say they attend in order to be kept grounded and inspired, and because it's their faith.
Reasons for Not Attending Church
Americans who say they attend church only seldom or never -- a little over 40% of the adult
population -- give a variety of reasons for their non-attendance.
(Asked of adult who seldom or never attend church services)What is the most important
reason why you do not attend church or synagogue? [OPEN-ENDED]
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BASED ON 439 ADULTS WHO SELDOM/NEVER ATTEND CHURCH
2007 Mar 26-29
%
THOUGHT-OUT, RATIONAL REASONS
Don't agree with organized religion/
what they preach
Don't believe in going to church
Atheist/Don't believe in God
Church wants/asks for too much money
24
16
10
3
PRACTICAL OR "DEFAULT" REASONS
Don't have time/Don't get around to it
Don't have a church I connect with
I'm lazy
Poor health/Disabled
Family members are different religions
Other
No reason in particular
No opinion
21
9
6
2
1
5
6
3
There are two groups of reasons why Americans seldom or never attend church. The first is what can
be called "rational" reasons, or reasons based on more explicit decisions or patterns of belief. These
include such things as disagreement with organized religion and what it preaches, a basic lack of
belief in going to church, and a straightforward statement of being an atheist or not believing in God.
The second set of reasons are practical, and don't by themselves signify any specific opposition to
attending church, but rather an acknowledgment that respondents' life situations get in the way of
their going to religious services. These include such basic responses as "don't have time" or "don't
get around to it," not having a church they like, being lazy, and a few other specific reasons.
Bottom Line
There are no great surprises in these self-reported explanations for churchgoing behavior. Americans
who frequently attend church services tend to mention either an explicitly religious rationale for their
attendance ("to worship God") or one that deals with the spiritual dimension ("to seek spirituality or
inspiration"). A relatively small number of churchgoers say they seek a sense of community or social
interaction with their fellow worshippers.
Those who seldom or never attend church can be split into two groups: those who have fairly welldeveloped reasons for not attending ("I don't believe in God," "I don't agree with what organized
religion teaches") and those who are willing to admit that they just don't get around to it, don't have
time, or are just plain "lazy."
Those who study religious behavior often focus on more underlying reasons for church attendance,
such as habit, socialization, need for community, business, development, and validation of one's
status and standing in the community. These reasons are infrequently given by church attenders
themselves, suggesting that the explanations attenders give are more accurate, more easily at hand
cognitively, or more normatively acceptable.
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Survey Methods
Results for this panel study are based on telephone interviews with 1,006 national adults, aged 18
and older, conducted March 26-29, 2007. Respondents were drawn from Gallup's nationally
representative household panel, which was originally recruited through random selection methods.
For results based on the total sample of national adults, one can say with 95% confidence that the
maximum margin of sampling error is ±4 percentage points. In addition to sampling error, question
wording and practical difficulties in conducting surveys can introduce error or bias into the findings of
public opinion polls.
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12 Keys to Successful Networking and Recruitment
How To Recruit Your Launch Team For Your Church Plant
by Henry Judy, Lead Pastor, Life Point Church
www.cpforum.net
I am a people person. Always have been, always will be. However, as a church planter I found it slightly
intimidating approaching people to ask them to be a part of the team that actually launches Life Point Church.
I knew I had to organize a system to help me accomplish this.
What I came up with is a combination of 12 “Keys”, that help me create a method of attracting people to the
launch team. These 12 keys are pulled together from a variety of sources over time but here they are
organized.
1. Remember: You are on a God Hunt. You are looking for the people God wants to partner with you.
Pray
Pray
Pray
2. Never say or do anything that will tarnish the “Image of the Desired Future.”
Vision can be very easily tarnished by what we say.
When people ask questions, always answer them with pictures of the desired future.
3. Always have two or three “next steps” for this person in your mind before you begin the conversation.
• The purpose of recruiting conversations is to recruit. Many people will “buy in” in steps. So you want to have
several events that could act like steps to involvement. FYI – Attending a Bible Study may be much too risky a
next step.
• Next steps revolve around the bottom line rather than the event. IE: “This person needs to be exposed to the
vision rather than schedule follow up meeting.” Once you identify the bottom line, you can keep chipping away
at the next step until you get it done.
• Identify next steps and write them down.
For someone you meet in line at McDonalds
For a Christian you have met
For someone who has attended 3 small group meetings.
Etc.
4. Always Listen for Agenda Harmony
• Develop 3 to 5 Napkin Drawings
• Develop simple drawings that you can draw upside down on a napkin or place mat that help you describe
the desired future.
• One of these drawings should be done in such a way that you can ask the person to place an “X” where
they think they are at in the picture.
5. Remember: You are in Sales
• Many pastors resist this idea.
• A salesperson’s job is to introduce people to products that can be useful in their lives.
• Our product is Christ
• 4 basics of product sales -- You must:
• Know your product
• Be able to communicate your product
• Believe in your product
• Use your product.
In America, our culture expects the salesperson to ask for the close of the sale. Have confidence in Christ and
ASK people to join you.
6. Attempt to keep the conversation on “YES” rather than “NO” statements
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• This is a way to build trust
• Do not be phony
• Work on identifying points of agreement between you. (sports, community, children, etc.)
• It will take 5 yes’s to overcome one NO statement.
• Work the yes’s to points of agreement concerning the vision of the new church.
7. Explore the level of commitment by moving from safe to unsafe territory. Once you have found the unsafe
territory, retreat one step back into safety.
• Ask questions that move from safe common ground to more vision specific ground. At some point you will
probably sense the person feeling a little unsafe. At this point, acknowledge the feeling of un-safety and step
back on step to safe ground.
8. Ask meaningful questions that communicate you respect this person.
Prepare a list of 25 meaningful questions you might use in a recruiting conversation.
Ask: “Hypothetical Question:
What would a new church in this community need to do in order for you to WANT to regularly give money to
support its ministry?”
Ask: “Hypothetical Question:
How significant would these ministries that we just talked about concerning you giving money -- need to be for
you to want to volunteer 2 to 4 hours a week to see them happen?”
9. Always ask for the person to go the next step in commitment before leaving a conversation
• Americans are conditioned for you to initiate progression. Think about how every major purchase is handled.
The salesman moves us forward. We do not want to be like salesmen, but must realize that the culture
expects us to believe enough in what we are doing to invite them to “buy in” at a significant cost.
• The “next step” is never the final step. Give people small significant challenges.
• Ask for one thing that is doable rather than the whole boat load which will set them up for failure.
• Keep a stack of stamped post cards with you. After the meeting, immediately address a card and write a two
sentence note thanking the person for the time and affirming their next step.
10. Always ask for the names of two or three other people before leaving a conversation
If the names are at a peer level with this person, they trust you
If the names are at a subordinate level with this person, they do not trust you
If the names are at a superior level with this person, they are promoting you
11. Use a contact management system – preferable index cards rather than computer
• Put every contact on an index card – include address and phone
• Identify if they are in the Gifted, Target, Core, or Community Leader category
• Identify and note “what is the next step with this person.”
• Write dates of contact on the note card
• Pray over these cards daily.
12: Remember it is a numbers game
• For every 10 people you ask only one will say yes
• The more you ask the more who will say YES!!!
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