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: Read more…
I’m just curious.
I have ideas and definite opinions on this attached to definite figures, but I’d like to hear from you whether versed or not in the whole business of starting new churches. How much money should be required to start a new church?
I’ve been observing friends and colleagues who are planting churches around the country lately, from the suburbs to the city to what i’ll call the ‘hood. I don’t think “the hood” needs much definition; it’s usually neglected by the city, developers (unless gentrification is happening) and it’s often peopled by persons of color (although not always). Crime can be often an issue, and life there aint always easy, and poverty is common. At any rate, the question is, what are the implications of planting a church there? Read more…
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Still fresh from licking my wounds after closing down missio (interestingly the last few posts have been about church planting) I find myself actually open again to the idea of planting again someday. Mind you, I would never ever plant again the way we did it before. Not to discredit our work and those who’ve travailed with us – not a second was wasted nor regretted in my view. But this baby’s got some mileage and if I’m ever gonna do it again, the process has to be a lot more efficient, more streamlined and success has got to be guaranteed. Because failure is just WAY too costly, and I’m not alone in testifying to that. Failure’s great – it teaches you things – but yeah – you’re not smart if you like to make the same mistakes over and over again. Read more…
While it’s still been only recently that we shut down missio (last December) it is an anniversary of sorts in that the prior summer was when it really started to hit home: This isn’t going to work. It was the pits. And while it sounds cliche, it’s true, failure in starting a new church is like experiencing a death in the family. It hurts for a long time, and does things to your head, messing up your confidence, shaking some of that youthful cockiness you may have once had. Perhaps it’s for so much good. But in the end it still hurts – and you wonder if you’ve got damaged goods. Read more…
My trip to the east coast has elicited much reflection & conversation about pastoring and starting new churches. I met with no less than 3 church planters while there and heard the glories and the “crap times” as one put it. I’m no church planting hotshot but i’ve got invaluable experience on several things that make it or break it for “church entrepreneurs”. Read the following at your own discretion; it will either discourage you or embolden you greatly. Read more…
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