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It’s amazing how some traffic comes my way via the most interesting google searches. I thought the above title was an interesting search that led to my blog so I’ll elaborate. Dave Ingland’s a neat guy I got to know thru networking and he recently interviewed me on his blog about closing a church plant. I purposely didn’t toot this horn only because honestly, I’m not proud of it. But truth be told I am hearing more and more day after day how some leading figures out there had somewhere in their past the painful experience of closing down a plant, only to get it right further down the road. Experience really does help. And Don Robinson, who was a planting coach to me from the North Pacific Conference of the ECC once told me it’s about the right combination of the right planter for the right locale at the right time with the right people. I think he’s spot on. At any rate, here’s the interview:

1. On a scale of 1-10, how confident were you in your call to plant a church?

In this question if I were to emphasize the word “confident” I would say 5 and upwards (being quite self-confident, perhaps in this case, overly); if I were to emphasize the word “plant” I would say 5 and downwards. I was very ill-experienced in the area of church planting.

2. Were you launched from a parent church, denomination, church plant group, or independently?

We started out independently with the intention of joining up with the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination. We received a great deal of support and coaching from Quest Church in Seattle however.

3. Where were you strongest in your resources (finances, people, equipment, etc.) at time of launch?

Almost none of the above. I think our vision was strong, but woefully inadequate in almost all of the areas mentioned above. Just goes to show that it takes more than just a visionary to start an institution, and that is what we are trying to start now is it not? Edifices. Institutions. In this I am unapologetic and don’t do too well with all the anti-institutional rhetoric. I believe there is weight to the “institution” of the church, and am somewhat sacramental in my outlook. We’re not planting symbols here, but meaningful institutions with mediating sacraments. I hold a high view of baptism. The Eucharist. And exposition of the Word. Thus the place of the Church as institution is important.

4. Where were you the weakest in your resources at time of launch?

I think the previous answer pertains

5. Where did you expend most of your time and energy following your launch date?

In an assortment of activities. I am now convinced that there are certain things done that don’t contribute to the starting of a new church, e.g., creating a perfect website, amassing an online following, blogging my ears out, preparing sermons for 20+ hours. These things draw attention but don’t gather people, nor do they create a church culture. I think one of the first objectives of a church planter is to facilitate chemistry (a Holy Spirit thing). Chemistry leads to culture. And on this I think Stevens and Collins have a lot of good things to say in their book “The Equipping Pastor: A Systems Approach”.

6. What was your biggest disappointment?

Failure sucks.

7. Was starting the church plant, or shutting it down the hardest for you?

They were both equally difficult in different ways. Starting was hard work, and shutting down left a dull ache that continues to last to this day.

8. Would you consider (or have you considered) church planting again? Why or why not?

Yes I have. It took me a while to get to this place, but I realize that if there were certain “definites” in place I would do it again, e.g., a parenting congregation that exhibits evidence of the Spirit’s move towards starting a new church, trust gained by the congregation, a sending team of 50 people at least, comprised of stable and contributing members of the community, and of course, time. I liken this approach to all the difference between a half-court throw-up where you’re just praying for it to go in, and a step-by-step slam dunk where there’s no chance of missing. The difference is this: in the prior you are saying “God this is my plan; now show up!”; in the latter you are saying “Spirit I see this is where you are moving; let me go there.” The problem is we all like the glory and glamor of the ESPN highlight reel when the truth is most half-court throw-ups miss the mark. If I were to do it again I would look for some of the “guaranteeors of success”. Guaranteeors. Is that even a word? It should be.

9. What is the one thing you’d tell someone before they got involved in church planting?

You need two things: people and a (well-conceived) plan. If you’ve neither of these, DON’T START. I know of a guy in one city who’s been planting for ten years now. The church still hasn’t gotten viable yet, and is about 50 people. I mean, here’s a guy who’s blown 10 years of the prime of his life trying to start something that shouldn’t have started in the first place. That’s the epitome of trying to force God into your vision. I take quite seriously Bonhoeffer’s statement that he who loves community destroys it. Your ideals of community can be quite idolatrous.

10. What can we as the local church do to be more supportive of church planters?

I think that says it all: be supportive of church planters. Probably the best thing is to catch the concept; once more larger churches understand this notion and become willing to send out their people they’ve understood the missionary vision.

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