You want to plant a church! Awesome! Below are 6 of the knockout factors for church planting. By knockout I mean if you lack one of these then slow down maybe you don't need to be the lead planter and frankly I have seen to many great guys crash and burn when it comes to church planting.
Visionary Capacity - You have the ability to see things before they happen...you envision the future. A question I often ask for assessment of this capacity is "Tell me about something you have envisioned and started from scratch?" If you can not answer that question with a number of good healthy examples then there's your sign.
Intrinsically Motivated - There is something within you that motivates you to work hard and complete well the good, the bad, and the ugly. You have the "responsibility" gene. Like one of our team members told me the other day, "I can't help but do things right. I don't know anything else". Go Colson...you are awesome!
Connects with Disconnected - You are a missionary. You are constantly connected with people outside the church. You understand them...you seek them out...you hang out with them...Connecting with the disconnected is no a theory or something you "ought" to do...you absolutely do it. You could list 4 or 5 people you are connecting with right now.
Builds Team Well - You are wired to lead. You have a track record of people following you. You accomplish stuff by building good teams and delegating responsibility well. You can name a number of teams that you have created from scratch. You are constantly working yourself out of a job. You don't do things by yourself.
Spousal Support - Your wife loves you and loves the idea of church planting. She feels a call to do this...at the same time she understands balance and family. She would be the first to say you need to do this and we are going to do it together. Don't forget to ask her before you launch out.
Builds Relationships Well - Since church planting is about people the ability to build relationships is a must. What does your relational circle look like? While you don't have to be an extrovert...you do have to build intentional relationships and to do so you need to have a track record of healthy relationships. If you find yourself constantly in conflict...constantly weighed down with needy people...constantly drained by others you might want to reconsider.
Thanks to Charles Ridley who first gave us this list....Just a reminder that if you don't have these six competencies then you might be wise to reconsider your role in planting...
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