If You Say So

"If you say so, I'll let out the nets." (Luke 5:5)  This scripture hit me square between the eyes this past week.  It reminded me that timing is everything when it comes to building a launch team.  Over the last 5 months we have been focusing heavily on building relationships and connections in our community.  God has opened many doors for us to meet people who are interested in knowing more about our church.  Starting in January we will be meeting with our Launch Team in our home once a week to build the foundation for the months leading up to launch.  

Building a launch team from scratch has been such an exciting adventure.  We've learned the value of patience and transparency when building relationships and connections in our community.  When we meet people the first time (and often the second and third time) we are very intentional about spending this time getting to know them, finding out their interests, hearing about what they do for a living and where they have come from.  We never want to give the impression that we are in our community solely to build a church.  We are in our community to be in our community, plain and simple. God has called us to this community and we want to help make it better in any way we can.  The first way to do this is to KNOW our community.

With that said, we have known that the time was quickly approaching us when we were going to have to ask the "BIG" question - "Will you join us on this adventure?"  I've been wrestling with the timing of our "BIG ASK."  I didn't want to damage any growing relationships by being to "pushy," and yet the reality is that we have to build our team. 

That's when Simon's words in Luke 5:5 resonated with me.  I'm sure he was tired of doing the same thing over and over again with no results - throw the net in, pull the net out, no fish.... throw the net in, pull the net out, no fish....  

Now Jesus shows up and says, "Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch" Luke 5:4). Simon's response is remarkable- "Master, we've been fishing hard all night and haven't even caught a minnow.  But if you say so, "I'll let out the nets" (Luke 5:5). If you say so....

Timing is everything.  Simon and his buddies had been fishing all night with no results, but when the Master said "go" it made all the difference in the world.  The fish were ready to practically jump into the nets.  

As church planters, we must always be ready to "go" when God says "go."  If you are like us, you have researched methods, you have developed your own strategy and are working through that.  But don't ever underestimate the power of going when God says "go."  We must be so in tune with Him that when He leads us we are ready to move.  

As for us, God is saying "go" in regards to asking the BIG question.  We have built relationships and connections and now it's time for us to ask those we have connected with to join us on the adventure of a lifetime.  We know that as we put our nets out God is going to fill them to overflowing time and time again.   He is going to build our launch team, He is going to build our church and most importantly, He is going to build His kingdom.  

He is building your church too!  He wants to use you and stretch you.  He wants to show you His power in miraculous ways.  He wants to open doors for you in unexpected ways.  Just get ready to put out your net as soon as He says so.

Be encouraged today!

Press Forward

I can imagine the looks Elijah must have received when he declared to Ahab, "Go, and enjoy a good meal!  For I hear a mighty rainstorm coming!"  A rainstorm?  Are you kidding me Elijah?  Do you not remember that we have been experiencing a "little thing" called a DROUGHT?!  There were no clouds in the sky, no droplets of water to suggest that even a slight mist was on the way.  I wonder what was going through Elijah's servant's mind when he was instructed to go and look out toward the sea for rain.  Did he grumble the entire way about how ridiculous this little exercise was?  Maybe not the first time he went to look toward the sea for rain.  But what about the second, third, fourth - seventh time he went to look for rain?

Picture this scene with me - (Story taken from 1 Kings 18:40-46, embellished by me)

Servant: "Elijah, I've looked three times now and there are no clouds in the sky that would even give a hint that rain is on the way."
Elijah:  "Go back, look again.  God is true to His word and rain is on the way."
Servant: "Elijah, I'm not sure what I'm supposed to be looking for, but whatever 'IT' is, I'm not finding it.  I've been six times now and still nothing.  When are you going to say enough is enough?"
Elijah: "Go again, don't give up.  Rain is coming."
Servant: "Elijah, Elijah - there is a tiny little cloud peeking over the horizon, could this be it?"
Elijah: "Praise God!  What looks like something small for the moment is going to turn into a mighty storm.  Hurry, go tell Ahab he better get out of the way, rain is coming!"


This passage of scripture preaches a mighty truth for us!  We are on an adventure of planting a brand new work and are walking in the midst of a drought.  The drought is no surprise, but the reason we are planting a church in the first place!  We are walking into a community that is thirsty and desperate to experience the One, true God.  It's our great responsibility to keep the faith that one day it will rain again.  


Elijah, after proclaiming to Ahab that it would rain again, climbed to the top of Mount Carmel and fell to his knees in prayer.  Only then did he ask his servant to go and look towards the sea for rain.  
I can see Elijah on his knees, head barely raised as he instructed his servant to go once more and look towards the horizon for evidence of God's promise.  It's almost as if he had one ear pushed towards God and one ear tuned in to his servant.  Elijah pressed the matter again and again until he saw the cloud and rain come.  He kept going back until God delivered His promise.  


God has given us a promise.  We know beyond the shadow of a doubt that He has called us to Beaumont, Texas to plant a church.  Our future church is depending on us.  We cannot afford to idly sit by hoping that one day God's mighty presence will rain upon us.  We must fall to our knees in prayer; we must press the matter once again.  We must move forward until what we see holds in alignment with the vision God has given us for our church.  When we don't see God, we look to the horizon and wait for evidence that He is working.  And when we don't see that evidence, we fall to our knees until we have the strength to look once again for His hand at work.  Giving up is not an option.  It will rain again on our community and lives will be forever transformed by the hope found only in Christ Jesus.  

Are We Into Mega-Churches or Mega-People?

A great church leader once said to me, "I don't want to pastor a mega-church, I want to pastor mega-people."  What an incredible statement!    


As we work to build our launch team, our prayer is that God will raise up mighty warriors that will stand beside us as we march into enemy territory.  


I wonder how the warriors from 2 Samuel 23 must have felt when David mentioned he would like some water.  I can just see them standing in a group in front of David, nudging each other in the arm, then all collectively deciding to march through enemy territory to grab their fearless leader a drink.  It would not have been beyond reason to hear them utter these words... "Uh, excuse me sir, would you mind putting down that sword for a minute, our leader is thirsty and we need to get him a drink," "I know this is not our territory, but we really need through, so if you wouldn't mind, could you step aside for just a moment." 


Instead we read that these mighty men unapologetically and boldly "broke through" (one version says they "penetrated") the Philistine line and drew water for their leader.


As church planters we are looking for warriors.  We are working to connect with people on a level that will gain their trust and faith in us.  We recognize that we are marching towards the enemy line and there will soon come a time when we are asking our team to begin to break through and penetrate the lines that have been drawn by the enemy.  We need people who will unapologetically walk into enemy territory and draw out those Satan has tried to lay claim on.


We are praying for mega-people who are not afraid to walk this journey of planting a baby church with us.  We are praying for warriors.   


Be encouraged today! 

Defend Your Pea Patch

What an incredible honor it would have been to make it into the Good Book.  What an even greater honor to have the word "Mighty" tagged to your name.  2 Samuel 23 describes to us the story of some mighty men.  I'm especially drawn to Eleazar and Shammah.  At a place where there was a field of barley Eleazar "stood his ground" and "struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword."  Shammah was standing in the middle of a field of lentils (peas) when the Philistines attacked.  He "took his stand in the middle of the field" and struck down the Philistines that day.   Two men, both making 2 verses in Scripture and both described as mighty. 

You would think of all the people to have their stories told in the Bible, others might have seemed more qualified than a couple of fellows that defended a barley field and a pea patch.  What made them so mighty?  It wasn't like they were defending a great kingdom or even a valuable piece of land.  It was a pea patch for cryin' out loud!  But this barley field and pea patch represented so much more to these men.  These fields represented food for their families.  It represented the hard work and labor of those who took the time to plant the crop, nurture the crop and bring in the harvest.  They recognized that these fields were worth fighting for.  It might not have looked like much, but it was theirs.  

The amazing reality to this story is that you and I are defending our pea patches too, thousands of years later.  If you are like us, sometimes your pea patch feels insignificant.  We are living in the pregnant stages of planting our church and working to nurture this baby church towards a healthy birth.  God has given us a very clear vision and we are moving forward with His direction.  But even at this stage of the process we find ourselves holding strongly to our vision and standing our ground in the direction we feel God is leading us.   


For us the questions that arise are mostly in regards to why we have chosen to hold off on our launch date until we have certain pieces in place.  We have learned not to be defeated when we must defend our pea patch.  We now understand more than ever the importance of knowing that you are called of God to plant a church and staying disciplined in your prayer time with God.  This is warfare, and we listen to one general and one general only.  Because the reality is, at the end of the day, we are the only ones that must answer for the direction of our church.  Our pea patch might not look like much right now, but it's ours and God has given it to us to defend and nurture.

If you are planting a church, God has given you an incredible task.  You might not feel like you are making enough headway or moving as quickly as you had hoped, but be encouraged with the reality that God has given you this baby church to nurture and grow.  Be rock solid in the direction you feel God is leading you in and then stand firm.  And if you aren't sure where God is leading you, take time off to spend a day or two of uninterrupted time listening for God's voice.  

We all know what is at stake.  We must stand up, stand strong and fight for these baby churches that we have the incredible privilege of leading.  It is my prayer that our "pea patches" will grow to produce a mighty harvest of lives that will experience the transforming power of Christ; and that our cities will never be the same because there were some pastors that were just crazy enough to believe that God could take something out of nothing and turn it into an incredible display of His power and grace.

Be encouraged today!  

It's Our Lifeline

This has been an exciting week for us.  It's been a week where God's hand has been so evident.   Chris and I are both discovering that prayer is like a holy drug - the more you experience it's power, the more you want to participate in it.   I think many of us would agree that when it comes to prayer we are tired of status quo.  Can you imagine what our churches would look like if we began to pray passionately for our cities and the people we live in community with every day?  Can you imagine what our personal journey with Christ would look like if prayer became a priority for us instead of something that we give our leftover time and energy to? 


We are seeing what can happen when prayer becomes the focus and not the afterthought.  This past Monday we asked our prayer force to pray very specifically for the needs we were facing this week (we do this every Monday)  Less than 10 hours after the e-mail was sent to our prayer force one of our prayer needs was met.  By the end of this week all three of our weekly prayer needs have been met AND THEN SOME!  God went above and beyond what we asked for in prayer and  reminded us that His heart is moved when we are passionately seeking after Him.   


I know that we are all on a very uncertain journey as church planters.  There are days when we question whether or not we have it in us to see this journey through to the end.  Many of us have heard the statement "If you are a church planter, you are in danger."  We are walking into Satan's playground and trying to reclaim what he has stolen.  We can't afford for one moment to walk into the enemy's territory without the covering of God's holy presence.  We need prayer warriors that are willing to stand in the gap for us and pray continually that we would gain new ground as we journey toward planting a baby church.  We need to be prayer warriors!   


I'm so thankful for our prayer force.  If we were given a choice between prayer supporters and financial supporters, we would take prayer supporters every time.  We wholeheartedly believe that the momentum that is building for our church plant is a direct result of the faithful prayers of our prayer force.  Prayer is our lifeline.  I would encourage you, if you haven't already, to build a prayer force around you.  Communicate weekly with them, give them encouraging updates and be very specific with the things you want them to pray for.  I believe God wants to pour His power all over us, He's just waiting for us to ask!


Be encouraged today!

Where is Your Red Dot

When you first begin the journey of church planting, if you are like us, you might feel a sense of anxious expectation as you are trying to meet people.  I remember one time, while driving past our community pool on the way to dinner, we saw some people in the pool and seriously contemplated turning around, throwing our swimsuits on the boys and running to the pool in hopes that the people would still be there.  There is a certain validity to this pressure we feel that stays with us during this phase of meeting people and making ourselves know to those around us.  It's that pressure to seize EVERY opportunity, no matter how you have to rearrange your life to make it happen.  Although this pressure is a valid feeling, we have recognized that we need to seek out ways to meet people and nurture relationships while also identifying key relationships and pockets of people that are going to take more of our time and effort to cultivate.  


At times it feels like you are all over the map when it comes to building relationships.  If you are like us, you have driven around your city to identify local businesses, restaurants and coffee shops you want to frequent.  You've also probably looked at what clubs and organizations in the city you can get involved in.  We pray every single day for open doors and opportunities to share who we are.  We have found that in this city the culture is very free when talking about church and faith.  So, for us, when people ask why we have moved to the city or what we do for a living they are not turned away when we share openly who we are and what we are doing.  Actually, we have found without exception so far, that once we have answered who we are, the conversation opens up and people begin asking us many other questions about the church plant.  This doesn't work everywhere, but where we live, our transparency has opened doors for us as we build relationships.  We realize that this doesn't mean everyone we talk to will walk through our church doors, but we do recognize that at some point our name and what we are doing might come up in people's conversations.   


So back to the map - we are finding now on this leg of the journey that while we are still building relationships in many different capacities (this must be an ongoing process,) there is a certain place on the map on which we must narrow our focus.  These are our red dots on the map, where all roads must lead to.  These relationships are the people we have met who have expressed an interest in walking with us on this journey.  These are the individuals we pray will become passionate about our church and in turn will begin telling the people in their area of influence about the journey they are on.  


For us, these relationships have been developed through a few avenues.  Some have been through sports interests, others through socio-interests (ladies groups/mens groups) and others have been community involvement groups.  Our city seems to be filled with young families that have moved here in the last 5 years.  Our city is set on a port and has endured two devastating hurricanes in the last several years.  The chemical plants have recuperated and are gaining momentum, which means they are in a hiring stage.  With hiring comes families moving into our city.  Many of the people we have met are people who have lived in our city less than 5 years.  


We are constantly asking ourselves, "Where is our red dot?"  As we are meeting people we try to identify the key individuals that we need to spend more time with.  We ask them to have lunch with us or invite them over to our home.  We open ourselves up to them and take the lead in being transparent with them.  We try very hard not to be overanxious.  We know we must let relationships happen naturally.  The most important factor is that people know we are genuine in our desire to know them and where they are at.  We don't see them as tools we are going to use to help build our church.  We want to invite them on a journey with us that we feel is going to be exciting and challenging, but incredibly rewarding.  


Enjoy the journey!  It is so exciting to be moving in a direction that doesn't yet have an end destination;  
we get to be a part of something that is bigger than we could ever humanly comprehend.  Find your red dot and go after it.


Be encouraged today!

Have A Seat

Sometimes I wonder why we are surprised that our society is hesitant to the gospel.  We've focused so much on the packaging that often times people miss the present wrapped inside.  We've tried every gimmick, punch line and strategy known to mankind to "hook" people into coming through our church doors.  "Anything we can do to get our name in the community" is our motto.  


The church world loves events.  Honestly, I love events.  There is a certain buzz that comes with planning an event as you work with volunteers to put your best foot forward in the community and present your church as a relevant part of people's everyday lives.  We will invite perfect strangers off the street to come to our event and brainstorm until we are blue in the face on creative ways to successfully advertise our big day.  


As church planters there is no doubt that we will plan events as we work towards launching our churches.  Our everyday vocabulary will include words like, "block parties," "windshield surveys," and "preview services."  These are all incredible tools for us as we work to become a known presence in the communities in which we are launching.  My fear, however, is that we put the cart before the horse when we fail to focus first on the relationships we must bridge in our community.   


The second week we were in Beaumont I opened my calendar and attempted to schedule our first block party (never mind the fact that we are a "parachute drop" church plant.)  I felt the pressure to schedule a block party because that's what I heard you were supposed to do when planting a church.  I quickly came to the realization that it was not a realistic goal at that particular moment (yeah, I know - obvious, right?)  I wonder how I might have felt that day had I opened my calendar and worked on scheduling specific places I was going to go the next week to make connections with the people in our community.   


God is challenging us each and every day to have a seat in our community.   He is focusing our attention on taking the time to stop and talk to people around us.  We know our neighbors names and their stories.  We know the names and stories of people who months ago were perfect strangers to us.  We get excited when someone from our community "friends" us on Facebook.  We love walking in to a restaurant and having the person behind the counter ask us how the church plant is going.  It gets us jazzed when a new friend asks if we would like to volunteer for a community event coming up.  


The church events will come and go and the day of launching our church will be here before we know it.  What I'm left wondering is whose lives are we going to touch through the process of planting our church?  Are we allowing ourselves to be transparent to those we hardly know to the extent that they can see our intentions as genuine?  


It is our deep desire that real, relevant relationships would be at the core of Northpoint Community Church and that connection would be a reality that is happening outside our church doors as much as inside our doors.  It is our prayer even now that as events take place they would serve as a catalyst for us to connect on a deeper level to people we already know in our community.   


Don't miss this simple truth.  Let's have a seat in our communities from the very beginning.  If we do not take the time right now to be in our communities and bridge the relational gap with those we meet everyday, we never will.  It doesn't get easier from here, it only gets more complicated.  One day we will be leading a staff and a church full of people.  One day we will be charging ahead with church events and ministries.  So have a seat, look around you and don't miss those God-appointed conversations waiting to happen.  


Be encouraged today! 

Great Resources

When you're planting a church it seems like your ears and eyes are always open as you look for solid information and tools that are going to help you in this journey.  If you're looking for a "model" to follow, you will come up short.  Every church is different, every city has different needs and sub-cultures.  But there are great resources that can offer encouragement and direction as you and God work through what your church model is going to look like.


Here are some of the resources on our short list that we have found encouraging and helpful:
(give us your comments and let us know what resources you have found that are helping you!)


Church in the Making (Ben Arment): Could hardly put this book down.  Ben does a great job of laying out the church planting process and "reality checks" you must take while on this journey.


Simple Church (Rainer and Geiger): Most church planters have the rare opportunity of creating the church culture for their new church.  Through this book you are able to see that less is more.   This book encourages you to work diligently toward defining how you are going to take people through the discipleship process and more importantly, how you are going to communicate this process to your church.


Living Your Strengths (Winseman, Clifton and Liesveld): This is a must read!  At the end of the book there is a code that you can use to take the strengths finder test online.  As we build our team we will make it a priority that every one of them takes this test.  


nazarenenewchurches.org:  A place to begin for start-up resources, demographic studies, training events and networking.


newchurchspecialties.org: NewStart Assessment Center is very helpful!


collisionmedia.tv: Designed our website and promotional material.  They have a special place in their hearts for church planters and seeing them succeed.


dcpi.org: Church Planting essentials are offered through nazarenenewchurches.org and are definitely worth your time.


cp4us.org: Tons of information.  We especially love the "5 Hard Truths for Church Planters" by Dustin Neeley.


creationswap.com: Awesome graphics and many are free.  If you are looking for graphics to add to a blog, website, e-news or mailer this is a great place to start.  FREE is always music to a church planter's ear.




Be encouraged today!

You Are Not Alone

"You are not alone!"  The reality of this statement is one that, as a church planter, I find myself clinging to. There are many days that the weight of the task at hand is heavy on my shoulders. There are many days, though, that the momentum builds within my soul as I look ahead and dream of what's to come.  I have to constantly remind myself that I am not alone.  I have to remember to continually reach out to those who can offer help along this journey.

HE IS WITH YOU   

God hasn't called you to the wilderness only to leave you stranded, but He is inviting you on a faith journey like none other.  He has asked you to step into the unknown and walk blindly towards an end that isn't yet in sight.  Don't forsake your time with Him- make it a priority.  I realize each day in a fresh and new way that my ears must be so closely in tune to Him that when He whispers it is heard.  I can't take for granted my time spent with Him; it is critical, it is vital.  Without this time with Him I end my day filled with discouragement.  Paul put it this way in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 when he says, "…pray continually."  Never stop praying!  There is too much at stake to walk through your days without His Almighty presence.  The enemy trembles when you are on your knees, the deceiver's lies are silenced when you are in constant communion with your God and he is powerless against the bold prayers you offer up with a trembling heart.  YOU ARE NOT ALONE!  So never walk through your days as if you are!  Lift your eyes towards your God and walk forward in His Almighty presence.

LOOK AROUND YOU

Whether you are planting a church from a sponsor church or starting a church from scratch, there are people around you in whom God is stirring up within the desire to be a part of this new adventure with you.  It's our job as church planters to help cast the vision behind what God is calling us towards.  These individuals will be an incredible support and encouragement for you.  You need to know in those moments when you feel defeat that there are people behind you that believe in what you are doing and are cheering you on.  

We have the privilege of being a part of a district (South Texas District Church of the Nazarene) that is passionate about seeing new church plants thrive.  From the very beginning of our journey we were afforded the opportunity of visiting churches within our district to raise awareness and support.  We have been so blessed by these churches that have given sacrificially and offered their time and prayers.

We did not want to be alone in our prayers! In just a few short months we have a prayer force of over 150 and that number grows with every church we visit.  God's heart is stirred when His people pray. We know that we can't lose sight of the reality that prayer MUST be at the very core of the foundation of our church.  We feel that this is the very first line of defense for us.  We need all of the prayers we can get and this dedicated group of individuals is praying weekly for our work.  Every Monday we send them an updated prayer needs list for the week.  We are very specific about the prayers we ask them to pray.  If we are meeting with a family, we ask them to pray specifically for that conversation.  If we are working to build relationships in the community, we ask them to pray specifically for the places we will be going that week.  We still have a lot to learn on this journey of church planting, but one thing that we have learned is that without a prayer force you are behind in the game.

Look around you.  Seek out the leaders within your sponsor church or denomination that can help support your efforts.  Keep them well informed and bring them alongside you in this journey.  We are in this together! We need to pray for unity.  Healthy churches that are following after Christ desire to see the bigger picture.  Seek out these churches, share your heart with the pastor and ask for the opportunity to raise support through their congregation.  You don't have to do this alone - you shouldn't do this alone.

Be encouraged today!

A Day in the Life Of...

As a church planter what does your day look like?  If you are a church planter you have, no doubt, tried to answer this question many times over.  I find myself sometimes thinking back to the "glory" days when I was on staff at a church.  Everyday I could look forward to going into the office to talk and dream ministry with the fellow "staffers."  There were people to be ministered to and needs to be met.


For the church planter this dynamic looks completely different.  Your church office might be at home, at a coffee shop, at a rented office space or it might change from day to day.  Your schedule looks different for right now - it isn't spent preparing for staff meetings or sermons.  Hopefully, your time is spent meeting new people anyway you can think - whether that is through frequenting the same local businesses, playing a pick up game of ball at the park, joining "clubs" throughout the city, registering your kid for a sports league.. you name it!


I think I'm getting better at embracing this new reality.  God is continually challenging me and my ideas of ministry.  I realize that as a church planter I have the rare opportunity to help create the culture and mindset of our church.  This is an opportunity and a great responsibility that I don't take lightly.  I've always talked about how important it is to "be in our community" but I must confess that now there is not other option BUT for me to be in the community around me.  There's no one walking through our church doors.  People don't have our church on their radar yet.  So, if God is going to use me to build His church, I better close my "office" doors and get out there, where the God-appointed conversations are happening.


Now with all of this said, here are some of the things we have done so far that might help you answer the question, "As a church planter, what does your day look like?" These are some of the projects we have worked on and the things we spend "our days" on right now. I hope this can help give you some ideas on where to start.  Don't forget though, these are just ideas.  Start each and every day on your knees.  God is steering this ship, you just need Him to tell you were to paddle today.

• Design and go "live" with website and Facebook page.  We made the decision to begin with a website and Facebook page.  I cannot tell you how many people we have met that have gone home, friended us on Facebook and seen our link to our website and church Facebook page.  The next time we meet with them, their first question usually is, "So, you and your husband are planting a church in the area?"  Although the website and Facebook page are bare bones right now, we are intentional about utilizing it to explain who we are and how to get involved.
• 2-3 Sundays a month - speaking at churches throughout our area to raise awareness and support.
• The Sundays that we are at home are spent visiting area churches to get a "feel" for the church culture in Beaumont. 
• Men's Basketball Night.  We intentionally bought a home in a neighborhood that has a community pool, basketball court pavilion and tennis courts.  Our pool has been a great tool for us.  We pray every day that God would send us "God-appointed" conversations, so we don't consider it a coincidence when the HOA president comes up and sits down for a chat around the pool.  We've had multiple conversations with people asking us who we are and what brought us to Beaumont.  HINT: be prepared to give a 30-second concise answer.  It might be your only chance.
• Scheduled our first community window survey.  We already have a building for the church plant, so we know our target community.  If you don't have a building yet, you have a greater challenge ahead as you target your key communities. 
• Met with administrator from Lamar University.  We have discovered on Lamar's website that there are some Christian fraternity and sorority houses on campus.  We are very interested in meeting the leaders of these groups and seeing how we might partner with them.  
• We have enrolled our son in Little League Baseball.  There are over 500 kids in his particular league.  OPPORTUNITIES are abundant to meet people and connect.  
• Our church building is directly across from a brand new elementary school.  Chris has introduced himself to the principal/vice principal.  We will "love" on this school throughout the year and make ourselves available to them.
• We have some "20" somethings that we know from a previous ministry we were a part of in the area several years ago.  We will begin a "game" night with them this fall and hopefully through our encouragement they will bring more and more of their friends. (Free, home-cooked food is always a bargaining chip with young adults.)  We hope to establish a small group the beginning of next year with our "game" night "20" somethings.
• Chris has met with the director of a homeless shelter in the city (Chris' eyes light up when you start talking urban ministry.)  One of our dreams is to have the CEO of a corporation worshipping beside a man without a home, realizing together that they are connected through the transforming love of Jesus Christ.  Now that's exciting!
• We are planning a major renovation for our church building next year.  Even though we own the building, we are nowhere near ready to begin meeting there.  At this point, we are working on identifying who our core team members are.  Because we are a parachute plant, we do not have any key players from a sponsor church to build a core group with.  Our core group will be built out of the relationships we are making with people right now.  With that said, we have the time to create a game plan for our renovation.  Over the next several months we will work with contractors and architects to design the set up we feel is going to create the church "culture" we feel God is calling us towards.
• Clubs and organizations.  We are getting involved in many of the community clubs and organizations - Mom's clubs, Sports clubs, Non-profit organizations, School clubs, Boy Scouts.  Connections must be made first and people must see that we are concerned with what concerns them and want to be a part of their lives.  We pray often that our motives would be transparent to those we are meeting.  Our main priority is to build relationships.
• RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS, RELATIONSHIPS.  I could add to this list all the time as we continue to seek out ways to meet people in our community.  This is absolutely the most important task we have right now. 

So there you have it, in a nutshell.  I hope this helps you and encourages you.  Right now our efforts are almost completely spent on getting to know people.  It's discouraging at times, and more times than I care to admit I question whether or not this is going to make any difference at all.  Wouldn't it just be easier to open our church doors and let people come to us?  UGH.  Did I just say that?  Isn't that the mentality I've been fighting throughout my ministry?  And if we are really honest with ourselves, isn't this the mentality the church world has been fighting for years and years?  But now, here, where I'm on the playing field, the easy way is tempting.  God reminds me often that if I truly want to be the pastor of a church that is pushing believers beyond their comfort zone and leading them to passionately seek out building relationships with those outside the four walls of our church, then I HAVE TO do the same thing at the pregnant stage of our church.  I have to fight for a relationship-driven mindset, not a ministry-driven mindset.  

Be encouraged today church planter!  We are in different boats but we have the same captain.  Work on those relationships, open yourself up to anyone who might welcome you in.  Don't be afraid, this is a God thing.  Just get your paddle and start moving! 

Put flesh on this for me, PLEASE!

What does this look like?  Where do I start?  Who do I target?  Please put flesh on this whole process for me, please!  If you are a church planter you have found yourself asking these questions.

We moved into Beaumont, Texas the weekend of the 4th of July.  I have to tell you that there were quite a few mixed emotions for us.  We pulled up to our house late at night, no welcoming committee from a church, no strong men to help us move furniture, no food awaiting us from the best cooks in the congregation.  It was just us.  Most of our moves before this one have been to cities where we had accepted a position on staff at a church.  The silence was deafening.  

The loneliness was real.  

The "What have we done!?" questions quickly flooded both of our minds.  We had both left successful ministries for the unknown territory we felt God pulling us towards.  But at that moment all we saw was the fact that we were in a brand new city, with only one couple that we had made contact with and a city full of people that we didn't know.

After spending an entire week getting settled (something that you NEED to take the time to do) we began to try to wrap our minds around what was ahead for us.  Let me save you some time by telling you, "You can't wrap your mind around it!!"  It's impossible to put flesh on something that has yet to be born.  There are models you can follow, training that you would be wise to seek after, but in the end every church plant looks different.  The demographics are unique, the opportunities are different and God is calling each of us to help build a church that is designed as a "One of a Kind."

So with this in mind, how do you begin putting the pieces together?  We are learning that it literally is a day to day process.  As a church planter, you don't yet have the luxury of walking into a church with dedicated church members, thriving ministries and dedicated staff.  If you are a church plant that has a sponsoring church you are a little ahead of the process.  You will hopefully begin with a core team of individuals that, with your leadership, will help you begin to work towards your launch.  If you are a "parachute plant" (like we are) you have a little more work ahead for you.  You must work diligently the first several months to a year to establish relationships and identify key people who you feel can be instrumental in helping you launch.

There are no shortcuts to this process.  Jesus took the time to teach His disciples and help them wrap their minds around what ministry looked like.  In the same way, we must not get in a hurry to force relationships around us.  God is calling us to make disciples, He's not calling us to find warm bodies that can help us with the tasks that lie ahead before we launch.  Relationships take time, they take effort.  Building relationships takes you, as the church planter, putting yourself out there time and time again, willingly making yourself vulnerable to people you barely know, if you know them at all.  It takes seeking out every opportunity you can find to build relationships with people.

I've heard it said several times that planting a church is much like riding multiple trains on multiple tracks, hoping that in the end they all arrive at the train station simultaneously.  While you are riding on the track of relationship building, you also must be riding on the track of developing your ministry plan.  Ok, we know this by now, right?  So now comes the whole, "put flesh on my ministry plan" challenge.  What we are discovering is that our ministry plan is there to serve as a reminder of why we are planting a church in the first place.  In our ministry plan we chart out the demographics of our city and what our timeline is going to look like.   We share our vision and our calling in our ministry plan and what we hope our church will one day look like.  But what our ministry plan is NOT is a day to day checklist for us to mark off at the end of the day with everything we accomplished.  Now hear me out.  You have to know where you are going, and you have to have order in your day and things you want to accomplish.  But building relationships in this very pregnant stage of church planting is not something you can mark off on a checklist once it is accomplished.  We've discovered that there are many days that we question if what we accomplished today amounted to anything more than a hill of beans (insert my Texas accent here and you've got this phrase down.) These are the days where you spend time getting to know someone, or a group of "someone's," and wonder if you made any impression on them at all.  Never forget that God can transform lives during the church planting process and you can see great victories long before you open the doors of your church.  What you are doing right now is making a difference.  You are helping build a church block by block.  It takes time, patience and perseverance.  Keep moving and don't give up!

The Journey Begins

I love road trips.  There is just something about packing up for a trip, loading the car, making sure everything is in place and then heading towards a new adventure.  One of our favorite places to go for vacation is Destin, Florida. We absolutely love this place.  And the closer we get to Destin during our road trip the more giddy we become. We start talking about what we think our vacation rental is going to look like, how blue the water is going to be and what restaurant we are going to stop at first.  The anticipation makes the trip not seem so long. 

I'm discovering that starting a new church is much like our beloved road trips.  Just a little over 3 months ago we accepted the opportunity to come down and begin a brand new work here in Beaumont, Texas.  From that moment, we began to pack up (mentally and literally) for this new adventure, we began to dream HUGE dreams of what God could do if we would just be available to Him and then we set out towards our destination.  But we are discovering quickly that there are many scenic stops along the way.  We are the first to admit that we still have so much to learn.

For many church planters I believe that it is the scenic stops that can frustrate us.  


If patience isn't your strongest quality, well, let's just say that church planting will help you perfect this quality very quickly.  Oswald Chambers spoke incredible words when he said, "We must never put our dreams of success as God's purpose for us.  What we call the process, God calls the end.  His purpose is that I depend on Him and on His power now.  God is not working toward a particular finish; His end is the process- that I see Him walking on the waves, no shore in sight, no success, no goal, just the absolute certainty that it is all right because I see Him walking on the sea.  It is the process, not the end, which is glorifying to God." What freeing words for a church planter!  I have to remind myself often that church planting is like no other process I have experienced in my years of ministry.  It doesn't look the same, feel the same or even work in the same realm of reality.  Planting a church takes a completely different outlook.

I love the Message version of Matthew 16:17-18, "My Father in heaven, God himself, let you in on this secret of who I really am.  And now I'm going to tell you who you are, really are.  You are Peter, a rock.  This is the rock on which I will put together my church, a church so expansive with energy that not even the gates of hell will be able to keep it out."  This declaration take an enormous amount of pressure off of the church planter.  It isn't you or me and our talents and abilities that are going to build His church.  God has declared for all to hear that He will put together His church in His time and on His terms.  And THIS church will be able to withstand even the strongest attacks thrown against it from the very gates of hell.  I don't know about you, but this is the kind of church I want to help build.  I don't need to be the architect, I don't need to be the general contractor - just give me a hammer, tell me where to hit and I'll get to work.


The journey has begun, the Master Draftsman has drawn out the plans, it's time to go.  But know this, you only get to see the plans that apply to the here and now.  Don't expect to see the final draft.  Your tasks will be handed to you piece by piece.  Don't be discouraged.  Don't worry that you don't know all the details.  Just trust that TODAY God has work for you to do.  The upside...you get to see God make something out of absolutely nothing!

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