Advice to Church Planters (Part 1)

My friend Jason Lantz who leads an amazing missional expression of the Church called Love Canton asked me, if I could do it all over again, what are 1-2 main things that I would remind myself about starting a church focused on making disciples. It is for a Church Planters Boot Camp for Stadia that I will briefly participate in. I thought I would share my thoughts on my blog as well, so here it goes...

Discipleship is the Mission, it is not something you can "add later."

Intentional Discipleship is the Mission
This was my gut assumption and is why I left my career in computers and electronics to start a church. I love worship gatherings, I love communicating the gospel, and I love the arts. But my gut assumption when starting the church was this - a church that disciples through life on life relationships and a shared mission. At first I had no idea what that would be like, but it was that internal, Holy Spirit, nudge.



Quick Story: I remember the first time I stood before a church planting board and gave my church plant's pitch. I had no idea what I was doing. I was nervous as all get out, and I started wondering why God ask me to do this. A large portion of my pitch that day was pertaining to 'intentional discipleship." When they asked me about how I was going to do that. I had little to no idea... I'd say, "Uh... it would be discipleship... [long pause] life on life stuff.... [another pause] and it would be intentional, you know?" Thinking back I'm not sure if I was making statement or asking a question. Need less to say the board told me I need to 'think through my discipleship strategy." They were right.

All I knew at the time was discipleship is life on life, moment by moment, struggle by struggle learning. It was intentional in that I was calling people to trust God and act upon what he was telling them. That was it. I really wish I could have learned by being a part of a discipling church culture, but I wasn't. My assumption is that many church planters have not either. And that's okay, start learning.

Don't Add It Later
You need to be intentional about discipleship from day 1, otherwise you will have to move mountains, lose people, and hinder the mission of the church to make it a part of you ministry later. Shouldn't it be the foundation of our ministry. After all discipleship is our mission right? Make disciples who make disciples. Build on that.

Practical ApplicationFind a discipleship community to participate in for a season. A huddle of another community or something. If you cant find one start one that is small and work on it. Don't be afraid to fail, God is full of grace. Just follow the Spirit, and look to the scripture. This leads to my second thought... (see tomorrow's post)