Five Critical Mistakes of Church Planting

Planting new congregation's of the Lord's church is a labor of love. For many it can start with great ambition and vision, but when it comes down to implementing your vision, mission and values it is real work. That is one reason I believe that the term "church plant" is appropriate. You have to prepare the soil, plant the seed, nourish the young plant and consistently work the soil if you wish to reap a harvest.

In my 25+ years of ministry I have been involved in several new church plants in the U.S. and overseas as well as working with revitalizing struggling congregations. During that time I have made more than a few mistakes and watched as others make their share. Here are five critical mistakes that mission teams make in trying to plant new churches. These are in no way comprehensive, but I believe they are a pretty good start.

1. Lack of adequate planning. Too often most of the planning centers on two objectives: 1) Finding a place to meet; 2) What will our worship service look like? Those who wish to expand the kingdom and plant new churches need to consider how they will minister to the church and community, where the necessary finances will come from, what will the culture be within the family and what is their vision for ministry and evangelism?

2. Copying the efforts of others. It is a good idea to study successful church plants, but it is a mistake to copy their formula verbatim. Ministry and evangelism has a cultural component. I am not suggesting that we change the gospel, but that we build our ministry around the needs of the congregation and community (contextual ministry). Each new congregation needs to research the needs of their community and their approach to evangelism within that context.

3. Failing to be flexible. During the planning stages congregations write mission and vision statements, plan their outreach and ministry programs, define their times and methods of worship only to discover some of their initial efforts don't work. Don't be afraid to make changes. I have worked with congregations where we changed our mid-week service to Tuesday night, held workshops in community centers (rather than at the church building), and failed miserably in our initial evangelism efforts, only to improve the process over time.

4. Installing formal leadership hastily. To take a phrase from Jim Collins in his wonderful book, Good to Great; "you need to get the right people on the bus and the wrong people off the bus." While there is a place for everyone to serve in the Kingdom (I Cor. 12, Rom. 12), putting the wrong people in leadership can destroy a church plant (or any congregation). At the Spring Meadows congregation we spent months discussing the "how to's" of installing leadership before we ever established the congregation. So far God has rewarded our efforts with godly shepherds and faithful servants.

5. Under-estimating God. One of the memorable lines in our current work came from one of our elders. After nearly doubling a contribution goal we set one Sunday our good brother said, "We are not very good at goal setting." We must always remember that God is in control, that God must recieve the glory and that our efforts are to expand HIS Kingdom. Paul reminds us that "He is able to do immeasureably more than we can ask or imagine, throught the power that works in us" (Ephesians 3:20).

What are some of the mistakes you have seen in planting new churches?

Using Technology #1

Over a decade ago I wrote an article for the Gospel Advocate entitled, "Surfing the Internet with the Gospel." At that time I thought it was cutting-edge stuff. The article provided basic information on how to use email, bulletin boards and discussion forums to spread the Good News.

A lot has changed in the past decade and innovation is happening at a pace that is hard to keep up with (both in cost and simply the speed of change). In the next few articles I would like to look at a few ways that churches can use technology in a cost effective and ministry focused way.

As workers together in God's kingdom, we have a fiscal responsibility towards good stewardship. Technology is a great tool for the advancement of the kingdom, but it must be balanced with responsible spending and a clear understanding of the desired outcomes. That being said, let's start by looking at some inexpensive ways to use technology in our churches.

Distribution Lists: Email accounts and listserves can be set up with little or no cost to the congregation, but they can have great benefits to the work. In our congregation we have distribution lists for our leadership teams, our deacons, the men in the congregation, women in the congregation and other sub-groups. Distribution lists have been used effectively for years in other organizations, but they provide a great resource for information sharing, communication and congregational updates.

Websites: I am almost ashamed to put this in this article, but believe it or not there are still churches who do not have a website, or if they do - they fail to update their information. I can't speak for other areas, but a significant number of new people in our community found us through an online search. If you have a website here are a few (very few) basic rules to follow. 1) Allow someone to maintain the website who has some experience and will keep the information up to date; 2) Make your site easy to navigate with the most important information at their fingertips (contact information & directions to the building); 3) Make the website interactive. Put surveys, community information, audio downloads and other resources on your site. Please add your suggestions for effective websites at the end of this article.

PDA's: I resisted getting a blackberry or I Phone as long as I could, now I am wondering why I waited so long. I have always had a bad case of "outoftouchaphobia," but now it has reached chronic proportions. Having voicemail, email and web access at my fingertips 24/7 has its drawbacks, but I feel as though I am right on top of what is happening in the church and in my community.

There is a lot more that needs to be covered, but these are some low-cost ways to begin using technology in our churches. Please drop me a line and let me know what areas of technology are serving your churches, what your favorite toys are, and recommendations you have for responsible use of technology.

Three Steps for an Effective Ministry

All too often we complicate the basic tenants of ministry. We adopt every new idea and trend that is coming down the pike, or we overload our congregation with programs that don't have a clearly defined purpose. Today, I want you to consider 3 basic steps to establishing an effective ministry.

Step One: Take time to identify your congregation's gifts and talents. You will be far more effective in your work if you use the talents people have rather than trying to plug them in where they don't fit. One of the most dysfunctional ministry models out there is to develop programs and then look for people to fill those roles.

If you learn to identify the skills and talents in your congregation, then you can begin to build your ministry programs around the talents you have. One of the best resources I have found for helping members find their gifts is the book, "Life Keys," by Kise, Stark & Hirsch. If you would like a copy of the worksheets I have developed using Life Keys leave me a note and I will send copies of the congregational worksheets.

Step Two: Research the needs of the congregation and community. Start with your own church family. Ask them to help you indentify needs in the church family and in the community. Study your community to see where there may be gaps in community services. Is there a need for Christian counseling, healthcare clinics, financial planning services, marriage workshops, etc? Allow the church to be the light in the community by providing needed services.

Step Three: Look at your members talents and the needs in the church and community and begin to build ministry teams to meet those needs. You won't be able to fill every need, or you may not have the manpower or skills to develop certain programs now. Your work will be far more effective if you build your ministry around your members strengths. If you approach your work correctly, in time your work will prosper and you will develop new people for new programs.

Fireproof a Dynamic Marriage

This past Saturday I spent two valuable hours attending the new movie release FIREPROOF. Not only was it refreshing to attend a movie without profanity and gratuitous sex and violence, but to watch a film with a tremendous message of hope, commitment, and faith.

Three weeks ago Debbie and I began attending the dynamic marriage course at the Spring Meadows Church of Christ. During our first few weeks we learned about our deepest emotional needs and Love Busters (actions and behaviors that negatively impact your marriage). Debbie quickly noted a correlation between some of the themes in the movie and some of the great lessons we are learning in class. Let me share just a few with you.

First, when there is an emotional vacuum or a negative environment in a marriage, people begin to find other ways to meet their emotional needs. Sometimes these are withdrawal, or pursuit of a hobby or activity outside the marriage. More often than not, the withdrawal can lead an individual into an affair or emotional connection to another person.

Second, many of the Love Busters mentioned in class played out in the movie. The visual representation of these actions in the movie helped us to see the negative impact of these love busters. The angry outbursts, annoying behaviors, disprespectful judgements and selfishness all played a powerful role in the struggles this young couple faced. I also appreciate that the movie did not ignore the hard topics like the affects of pornography and unfaithfulness in the film.

Finally, the message of hope that comes through is encouraging. Despite the detoriation that had taken place; when a person surrenders to God and then seeks to meet the needs of their mate wonderful things can happen.

Fireproof is a good movie because it doesn't take a Pollyanna approach to marriage. It shows the hard work that goes into making a marriage great and emphasizes the role that God must play in creating successful marriages.

I would like to encourage all the readers of this post to do three things. 1) Go and see Fireproof. If for no other reason than the fact that we need to support movies with a positive message. If we want good movies to make it to the theaters, we need to support the effort. 2) Encourage everyone else you know to go and see the movie (especially in your churhces). 3) Seek opportunities to improve your marriage. The Dynamic Marriage course from Family Dynamics (www.familydynamics.net) is a great place to begin, but look for opportunities to do all you can to make your marriage great.

Trent Wheeler

Integrated Ministry

"But when you do merciful deeds, do not let your left hand know what your right hand does..." (Matthew 6:3).

When Jesus gave these instructions concerning our giving and good works, I don't believe he intended for every ministry in the church to stand alone. After 25 years in ministry in missions, it continues to trouble me how we carve out our own little area of work and never make an effort to integrate it into the overall programs of the local congregation.

Recently I was doing some training for a church in Alabama. The campus ministry was struggling with a sponsorship program for new university students. The idea was to match each new student with a local family, but it continually ran into administrative difficulties in keeping the program going. During the workshop, we integrated the women's ministry with the campus ministry in this one area. The women's ministry agreed to take charge of administering the program, and knowing these ladies convinced me there wouldn't be any lapses in organization or operations.

During our weekend together we took each ministry team through a complete evaluation of their work programs that included identifying needs, resources and outcomes. Once all of the information was charted, we looked at how each ministry contributed to the mission of the local church; how it overlapped with other ministry programs and how the teams could share resources and support each other's work.

It was encouraging a few months later to return and see how the teams were working together. Taking an integrated approach to ministry helped to conserve resources and improve outcomes. More importantly, the ability to see the ministry of the church as a whole gave the membership a real sense of accomplishment.

I would love to hear from our readers concerning how your congregation is integrating ministry programs to meet the mission of the local church.

Christ & Culture

It was the fourth Sunday in a row for Olua Kemi to bring her prayer before the church in Abuja. Kemi has waited for years in hope that God would open her womb and give her a child. Now she has taken her petition before her brothers and sisters in Christ.

Four weeks of prayers and still no answer from God. What Kemi's Christian family doesn't know is this afternoon she will visit a spiritual advisor and pour out offerings to her ancestors. While syncretism and pagan worship is taught against in our African churches, it is still practiced on a regular basis.

Kemi is caught between Christ and culture. She wants to have faith, she longs for an answers to her everyday problems, but she is immersed in a culture of paganism and idolatry. Like Christians around the globe she caught in conflict between two worlds.

Let me share another story with you. Rachel is a single mom living far too close to the poverty line. She just came out of an abusive relationship and is struggling to keep food on the table for her two children. Every day Rachel struggles with depression, dispair and low self-esteem. She attends a 12 step program at her church, goes to a Christian counselor once a week, and faithfully attends services every time the door is opened.

Saturday night Rachel has a date with a brother in a neighboring congregation. Her self-esteem soars to know that someone might be interested in her. After a quiet dinner at a nice restaurant the couple return to her home, where Rachel's date ends up spending the night.

Kemi and Rachel may live in dramatically different worlds, but they have one thing in common - they share the struggle of living for Christ in a culture of sin. Kemi is surrounded by idols and talisman; Rachel is drowning in a sea of sexuality and promiscuity. Both women respond in a similar way: Kemi begins to doubt if God is hearing her prayers and Rachel isn't sure if the church understands her heartache and loneliness.

The challenge in both situations is to develop an outcome-based ministry. The church needs to find practical answers to life's daily problems. Our preaching and practice needs to be application based. We need to put tools in the hands of church members that help them cope with the cares and concerns of the world.

I am not suggesting we change the gospel, but that we deliver it in a manner that helps people to live for Christ and trascend an ungodly culture.

What Happens when Men Lead?

On Monday, August 18th we are going to begin our own journey through the wilderness. We live in a day when a lot of time and attention is given to the topic of Leadership. Men like Stephen Covey, Jack Welch and Tom Peters have all written volumes on the subject. Charisma, motivational skills, and time management have all been addressed in great detail.

What really happens when men step up in the church and seek to exemplifiy true "male spiritual leadership?" Not the boardroom style, or charismatic leader that sways multitudes, but true biblical leadership that serves from the foot of the table. Leadership that is immersed in humilty, honor and integrity.

In our time together on Monday mornings we will have a short devotional and discussion on what God seeks in male leadership and we will devote time to prayer and support for one another as we venture out to lead in our homes, churches, community and workplace.

We will begin on Monday, August 18th at 6:30 am and look at a how God shaped Moses to lead a nation out of bondage.

Contextual Ministry

Why is it that a minister or minstry program can be tremendously effective in one location and impotent in another. Churches and preachers are notorious for jumping on the latest trends only to realize that they don't work in their neighborhoods.

The problem comes because many congregations have never stopped to look at their work and ministry in the context of the local community and church. Each congregation has a unique makeup and the community they serve has different needs.

This blog is designed to help congregations and ministers look at their community through new eyes and try to see the opportunities and challenges that God has placed before them in context.