When it come to beginning anything Jesus was very clear that we must consider the cost. On one occasion he used the example of building a barn and said that the farmer must first consider the cost. Paying the price was an important consideration of Jesus when it came to the Kingdom. As much as twenty-five percent of what he had to say related to resources. There was a reason he was so insistent about issues related to resources.
Far too often we have observed in the life of a church planter, what we refer to as “vision intoxication”. Once a church planter begins to get a vision for planting they become so intoxicated and excited with their new ideas that they do not think clearly. They will write up a 90 page full color prospectus, pack their U-haul, and begin the journey of raising resources to plant the church, and at the same time take care of their family. They will speak to a couple of different mission agencies (the ones with the most money) which may make some type of nominal financial commitment to the plant or indicate that they are interested in supporting them. Because they are intoxicated with vision what is said and what they hear are two different things thus resulting in them moving to the field prior to raising adequate resources. Several months into the plant, they have run low on funds, their spouses have put the kids in childcare and taken a job and the planter is working night shift at a local retail store. The demands of church planting have begun to spin out of control. It is not long after this that the planter and family, too spent to go another mile, are packing up their things and heading back home. The project fails, the kids are confused, the spouse is bitter, and the planter is burned out. Sound familiar?
Unfortunately, this scenario happens more then we want to admit in church planting. Many begin, few survive and even fewer thrive over the course of two to three years. Those that are most successful understand that the success of the church plant is related directly to their success in the area of finances. This is reflected in a number of areas.
- They prepare for and manage their own finances well.
- They understand and count the financial cost up front.
- They raise the majority of their financial support before moving on the field.
- They work hard at developing financial resources from the harvest after they are on the field.
With this in mind there are three critical questions that every church planter must answer prior to planting: 1) What do I need? 2) How much will it cost? and 3) Who will pay for it?
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