A To-Do List For Church Planters

So often churches are known for what they’re against, rather than what they’re for. Today I’m going to give you a “To-Do” list for church planters (and launch teams). Here are things that we must do if we’re going to successfully plant a church that impacts the Freiburg area.

1. Be a dreamer – Dreaming makes us like God! Genesis 1:3 He sees things that aren’t even there and speaks them into existence.

• The scariest thing about being a church planter is that you’ve got a blank page… there’s absolutely nothing written on it but God’s dream for your church. The risk of failure is a very real part of the game. But the potential rewards are huge!
• The exciting thing is that you’ve got a blank page… there’s absolutely nothing written on it but God’s dream for your church. This is God’s invitation to dream BIG!
• What could we do if money, people, and facilities were no object?
• What do you dream about? If you can’t see it you’ll never have it! As I was praying about Watermark God spoke to my heart. He said, “Somebody’s got to be the first one. Someone has to start the ball rolling.”

2. Be flexible – We are attempting to prepare for any problems that may arise, but things rarely turn out like you plan. We MUST be flexible.

• Acts 16:25-28 happened because Paul and his team were flexible when God wouldn’t allow them to go into certain areas with the Gospel (Acts 16:6-10).
• What if we have 200+ people at our launch? (They won’t come if we don’t invite them!)
• What if the sound doesn’t work?
• What if we have too many kids?
• What if the coffee pots don’t work?
• We need to think through the “what ifs” as much as possible. But we need to be able to “read the defense” and adjust as necessary.

3. Be an innovator – This is a natural result of being flexible. Never stop looking for better ways to do what you’re doing… and even what others are doing.

• Revelation 13:8 Jesus was “the Lamb that was slain before the foundation of the world.” God came up with a creative solution before the problem even existed.
• We have to constantly look for a better, faster, cheaper alternative to what we’re doing now.
• When you stop innovating, you start declining. And you become nothing more than a worker bee.
• Leaders think; workers do.

God once told me that church planters are like Him… they create something out of nothing. We need to pray that God’s creativity which is resident in us (through the Holy Spirit) would come alive in us.