Jamie, over on his blog, e-mailed me asking for advice on planting a church (I prefer to call this “seeding missional communities”). I responded with the following “advice” (in bold) and Jamie responded. My advice was simple and unoriginal. Yet it was advice I WISH I HAD TAKEN MUCH EARLIER in my church planting ventures. As I read it on his blog again, I thought others might find it helpful. And let’s pray for Jamie and his wife Kim in this noble and blessed venture for Christ and His Kingdom.
For what its worth here’s my church planting advice compacted into one paragraph and Jamie’s interaction.
Church Planting Advice From David Fitch
DF: “DON’T DO IT ALONE. In today’s post-Christendom, I believe you must have at least two other couples or single people to be ministry partners in this, equally committed to the leadership and development of this little community over a span of five years.”
JAMIE : This is encouraging, as it was the first requirement Kim & I made when we started conversation about the plant. It does scare me that we won’t find those others, but I have to hold on to hope. In fact, if any of you feel a tug in this direction, drop me a line.
DF: “HAVE A VERY CLEAR UNDERSTANDING THAT MISSIONAL COMMUNITIES require several years to germinate, and so success will not be measured by numbers. That the real incredible stuff happens after fostering a life together of support, encouragement and discernment of where God is calling you to minister in the neighborhoods.”
JAMIE: Having spent the last 6 years nurturing our little missional community in our ministry, this is a lesson we understand very well. As a YWAMer, I obviously believe there is a place for short term dynamics, but there are some areas (like this) where it isn’t an option. I guess it was good I didn’t know any better, because I expected it to take that long!
DF: “HAVE A SURVIVAL PLAN. Finances and visions of grandeur destroy church planters, their health, marriages and well being. Live simply, have a way to support yourself that is sustainable (bi-vocational maybe?). Plan so finances won’t be a huge drain on you all the time.”
JAMIE: Again, being YWAM missionaries has helped prepare us for this. Not only are we used to living and ministering for very little, simply living is a way of life in our mission. We have much to learn, though, especially as we move forward with those living outside the YWAM context.
DF: “LEAD THROUGH HUMILITY, GRACE AND MODELING SERVANTHOOD. Always be ready to minister prayer and the forgiveness of Christ. Don’t be afraid to show anyone the way of dying to self that leads to life, even the poor.”
JAMIE: One of our core values here is rooted in this truth. We have a long way to go in walk it out well, but our neighbours have been patient, yet rightfully demanding teachers. I am forever grateful to be knocked off my pedestal on a regular basis!
DF: “INVEST IN OTHER LEADERS walking with them, praying with them, guiding their imaginations towards God and His Mission. This multiplies ministry exponentially.”
JAMIE: This is the area that I feel particularly challenged in. It is a combination of my own need to do it better and a seriously lack of self-confidence. I also know that leaders have hurt me in the past, so I am often gun-shy about repeating those same mistakes myself.
DF: “MAKE REGULAR TIMES OF PRAYER (that can last at least an hour – say on a long walk) out of which you struggle to give up your dreams and allow God to work in whatever small seeds you’re planting that day. You’ll look back in 5 -6 years and can’t believe what God did.”
JAMIE: Prayer is another area that I struggle. I am constantly talking to God through inner dialogue, but the discipline of prayer must extend far beyond that. I have tried many different ways to overcome this barrier, but it is something that will require more time, patience and discipline.
DF: “I believe everyone should plant a church at least once in their lives. For it is here where Pentecost can be most purely experienced in this lifetime. We really have no idea the amazing things God will do (often subtley) with our feeble offerings when placed under the Reign of Christ.”
THANKS JAMIE FOR THE ASKING THE QUESTIONS AND BEING WILLING TO SERVE CHRIST IN THIS WAY.
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Thank you again for your help in this. It has been very encouraging.
Peace,
Jamie
david,
been following you for some time now. i resonate with so much of what you write about.
i am in the infancy stage of putting together ministry philosophy for a future church plant prospectus. i am in the middle of reading hirsch/frost “the shaping of things to come…” and reading some thoughts about missional communities from the likes of drew goodmanson at kaleo in san diego and michael stewart at austin stone in austin. it’s really challenging me to think deeply about the type of dna that i want in the lifeblood of this church. it’s opportune that you are posting your thoughts on this issue. maybe, providential…
i know alot of the discussion regarding this issue is that we don’t need to plant any more church services – which is what many new church plants essentially are – but rather stimulate a future church gathering with the types of missional communities – I assume – you are describing. in other words, the goal is not to eventually turn these missional communities into an attractional worship service but rather sustain a larger gathering through these organic, incarnational, reproducing communities.
i would love to see you unpack your ecclesiology dna. Since church planting is essentially starting from scratch, how would you philosophically start so as to keep the heart of mission at the forefront of your church?
here are some questions i have:
what is a church to you biblically? what happens when you have a few communities that could start coming together for a larger gathering? at what point do you cross that threshold? does it involve a corporate gathering of some kind? what do those gatherings look like? how do you keep the missional community dna from being taken over by the mentality that we ‘go’ to church? can a church be attractional and missional/incarnational? if so, what is your definition of attractional? how are missional communities different from house/cell churches? aren’t there things that a larger gathering of missional communities can do that individual missional communities can’t do?
i hope you get the gist of my ‘line’ of questions. i see the supreme value in not planting another church service, but it seems that at some point, when you do begin to gather as a larger group, the missional dna has a tendency to shift towards a ‘we go to church,’ rather than a ‘we are the church’ mentality. it seems almost impossible given the past and current culture of the Evangelical church – even if you try to do the right thing on the front end.
thx in advance for any help you would be so kind to give!
one more question:
wouldn’t there be a size limit to the type of larger gathering that could maintain of sense of commonness, community, and mission? in other words, what is the threshold to plant other churches/sites before you get so large that you’ve become primarily attractional and minimally missional?
brad .. whoah … alot of questions, great questions … I’ll jst gve a few quick hits here … and then maybe you can drop by some time you’re in Chicago? … and then there’s always my book which spells out in detail a basis for an ecclesiology.
On the gathering, I believe the gathering is essential for spiritual formation of missional communities. Some of my co-workers in missional stuff disagree, but I see the organic gatherings litrugically driven as simply powerful shapers of individuals into the Body for His mission. There areother reasons why I think the gathering is a part of wht it means to be incarnational. Having said that, it is very difficult to keep it from going attractional giving the overwhelming forces of American consumer society. I hope to blog on some things we’re talking about doing at our place (www.lifeonthevine.org) to keep this attractiona things from happening.
I do believe a larger gathering (250 or so) is possible, and everyone still know each other, and for local missional orders to inhabit neighborhoods … BUT ANY LARGER THATN THIS … I think you are presented wih some insurmountable hurdles to being a incarnational missionally driven community.
I’m learning more and more about these things as I go.
Blessings on your labors
I want you to know that I pray for you and your ministry daily. I pray that God will fill you with strength and power as you strive to be missional and emerging. God will pour his countless blessing on your life.
In Him,
Kinney Mabry
1 Tim 4:12
Kinney,
special thanks for your partnership in prayer … hope we meet along the way.
DF
I learned the “Don’t do it alone” the hard way. Though there was another person whose gifts of service were most vital, I didn’t have someone with whom I was in full partnership in the project we launched, especially in terms of making those “executive” decisions about the teaching direction, etc. and doing the “mundane” things like setting up chairs, etc.
I assumed that one of our group would step up, or that God had someone just over the horizon, but neither happened. After 18 months, I pulled the plug, unable to bear the burden alone. It’s been two years now, but the Christian organization that rented us the space allowed me to keep the key to the building. I carry it in the hope that the “Silas” to my “Paul” is still waiting in the wings, but unless they step forward with a similar vision or similar passion, I’m simply a guy with an extra key on his keychain.
However, I have no regrets about the 18 months I invested and the good time we had in God’s word and as a small community. But don’t go it alone!