Planting a church is like taking a journey without knowing what to expect.
If this is your first time planting a church, there are things you should know before jumping in. Never step into this river without being sure that God is calling you to.
Already, the church planting journey is filled with loads of challenges. As such, you must be ready physically, financially, mentally, and most of all, spiritually. In this post, we will discuss 10 things that you should know before you plant a church.
What Every Pastor Should Know Before Planting a Church
The success of your new church depends on how well you do with the planting process. Without sufficient knowledge, this process is already in danger of failing. Below are some things you should know before you plant a church:
Seek God’s face for guidance
The church is God’s business, His arrangement. What this means is that you are just a steward and must seek His face all through this journey. Before you even conceived the idea of church planting, God already knew what you need.
One of the biggest secrets of church planting is depending totally on God. Make Him know that you need His direction for where to plant the church, strategies, funding, etc. Understand that He is in charge of the planting, you are only a vessel.
Speak to mature Christian leaders
According to Proverbs 11:14, “Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counselors there is safety.” One of the resources God gives us is “people.” Make judicious use of the mature Christian leaders around you.
We suggest that you connect to at least one senior colleague for mentorship. Ask them to share their experiences with you. It is better to learn from their experiences than to go through the same rigors. Also, find church leaders in the new community where you plan to plant the church. Get close to them so that they can offer you the necessary help.
Gather information
Knowledge is power. Church planting requires you to be vast on topics like church communication, congregation management, fundraising, etc. All of this knowledge doesn’t come by impartation or the filling of the Holy Spirit. You must spend time studying for this project.
Gather as many church planting materials as you can for study. In doing this, you should be wary of outcome-based, pragmatic books. Most of them end up misleading the reader. Also, check out websites dedicated to church planting such as Church Multiplication Network and North American Mission Board. Finally, connect with experienced church planters to glean from their wisdom.
Complete online pre-assessment
Do you feel the leading or call to plant a church? You should check online for church planting pre-assessments and complete as many as you can. These assessments help you to discover if you were truly inspired by God to set out on this journey.
Taking any of these assessments helps to check if you are wired for church planting. With this, you know what aspects of your life you still need to work on before setting out on this journey.
Ensure your spouse and family support you
Church planting is a rigorous process. Interestingly, it takes more toll on your spouse and family than it does on you. If you are married, you should discuss your calling with your spouse. Let them know what your calling entails, if you need to move, and where you will be moving to.
Church planting is not a journey that you want to start with a half-hearted spouse. They must have your back 100 percent. Carry them along through every stage of the process. Also, speak to your other family members like kids, parents, siblings, etc. Their support is paramount to your success.
Be clear on your objectives
What is do you want to achieve through this process? Defining your objectives is very important to achieving success in church planting.
When you know your objectives, you can come up with a clear and sustainable strategy. It is these objectives and strategies that you share with your family members and team. While doing this, remember that it is God’s business and you must depend on Him all the way.
Recruit a team
Great job! You now have your objectives and you have done some background work. It is time to get hands to help you achieve your objectives. You can’t handle church administration, digital donations, church communication, by yourself. Recruit an efficient team and delegate responsibilities according to their abilities. Spend time praying with your team as much as possible.
Invest in a Church Management Software
You don’t have to wait until you establish the church before investing in a ChMS. A Church management software makes your church planting job far easier. For example, with a church app like ChurchPad, raising digital donations is pretty easy. Such apps also help to handle several administrative tasks in the church.
Find the best ways to raise funds
Church planting is a capital-intensive project. You need a lot of money to plant and run a church. As you seek God’s face for direction on how to establish the church, research the best ways to raise funds.
If you already have a congregation, your task is slightly easier. It gets more complicated if you are starting from scratch. A donor management software can help you with digital donations. People tend to give more when they can do it conveniently.
Make decisions about real estate
Your new church needs a place for services. Would you prefer to rent or own your property? If you want to own a property, would you plant or build? How much do you plan to spend on real estate?
You must provide answers to these questions and many others before you dive into church planting. Don’t make these decisions by yourself. Speak to your mentor, team members, and other experienced church planters.
Conclusion
As we have mentioned above, church planting isn’t a straightforward journey. However, the tips we have listed above should help you make the process easier. Check out ChurchPad as its features will help you in the church planting process.