Well, clearly the benefits of church planting are church growth, which hopefully equals (although not always) kingdom growth. Church planting is the story of the early church and we would have a very different church landscape here in the UK without church planting. However, church planting is not without its difficulties. As one newly retired Baptist Minister put it, of all the ministries he had been involved in over 30 years, church planting was the toughest.
So making sure you have the right core group to start with is important. Having a large enough team, so that if a few leave you will not be too small a team, is vital. People’s circumstances can change or people can leave as the challenges get harder.
You need to be prepared for that. Then spend time as a team praying, researching and talking to others. You need to give consideration to the right venue in the right location. Who are you trying to engage with in this church? What relationship will you have with a mother church, if any? Where will your funding come from? How will you maintain accountability, support and from whom?
Church planting is a journey, and like any important journey you prepare for it as best as you can. There is a saying in endurance sports which might also apply here, called ‘controlling the controllable’. There are some things you can control and some you can’t. Plan for those you can and trust God for those you can’t. And finally, enjoy the journey without getting too fixed on the destination.
CLICK HERE FOR THE NEXT PART
What's next?1. Introduction |
