Church Planting Gets Even Harder After Launch

In my work with Stadia, I primarily help church planters through the planning phases prior to the start of the church.  I take planters through a skeletal lists of 350 tasks.  As the plan develops the list grows.  Church planters have to work on things like fundraising and researching the community that they have likely never done before.  Many have to build a team from scratch in a community where they are new.  It’s hard work.  But launching doesn’t make it easier.  In fact, for a while, it makes it even harder.

One piece of advice that I give each planter is to take some time off before launch.  I advise that you want to start the church with a full tank.  The reason?  Because things are about to get a lot harder.  Hopefully many people who are far from God will begin connecting and Christians who didn’t have a church home will plug in.  All these people that make up a church can turn the best laid plans into a mess.  Most church planters have 6 – 9 months to prepare that first service and then 1 week to prepare the next.  The weekly grind, combined with lots of new people, combined with financial stress, combined with a shortage of volunteers can drive you crazy quick.  The first few months of a church plant can be a roller coaster.  Be prepared for it.  Here are a couple of ways to prepare ahead of time.

1. Plan out the first 3 months of sermons and write the first six sermons before starting.
2. Make sure your assimilation system is top notch and practice before the grand opening.  Connecting people is crucial and you don’t want to be figuring it out as you go.  Those first few weeks you will see as many new visitors as many mega-churches, but you won’t have a whole staff of people to follow up like a mega-church.
3. Train and prepare leaders.  Don’t do this on your own or you will burn out quickly.  Prepare your staff and volunteers for the exciting and busy season to come.  Delegate, delegate, delegate.  Remember that it’s not about you.  Your role is to help other people do ministry.  Adopt the Home Depot motto, “You can do, we can help.”
4. Take time off for rest and prayer.  Whatever replenishes you, take time off before the church starts and do it.  Hit the grand opening with a full take of gas.
5. Talk with other church planters who have launched in the last year.  Ask them about how the first few months went and what they would do differently.
6. Get other churches to help by sending teams in.  Most planters do this the first couple of weeks.  Plan to do it the first few months.  Remember, you’re a baby church and babies need help.