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Planting a church is an exciting endeavor, often involving uncertainty and struggle. As a church planter, you have the vision and passion to reach the community along with a to-do list that’s a mile long. From finding a place to meet to spreading the word about your new church, a lot goes into launching a new church.
Thankfully, you’re not alone. Many groups and organizations like Subsplash have years of experience helping church planters succeed and can offer insights.
So, if you’re already a church planting pastor or dreaming of starting a new ministry, here are time-tested tips to help you along your journey.
Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. —Galatians 6:9
Starting a new church is often challenging, slow work. If you lose sight of why God called you to start this church in the first place, you’re more likely to lose heart and become discouraged. Take some time to reflect and write down the “why” driving you to plant this church.
Write these down and read over them frequently. This can breathe new life into you when you’re not seeing the progress you’d hoped for.
“Effectively casting vision never comes to an end. It is a discipline.” —Derwin Gray
The vision of your church should be clear and compelling—it’s the reason behind everything you do. Spend time refining and articulating it. Write it down and read it out loud to hear how it sounds. Discuss it with trusted mentors, family members, and friends. Make sure it’s something you can clearly articulate and easily share with anyone.
You might think your vision is evident to all. However, you’re the one who sought God’s direction to develop that vision. You’re the one who has the passion and drive to set out on this journey. It’s easy to feel like everyone should know the vision if you communicate it once or twice.
Unfortunately, it isn’t that simple. You’ll need to constantly restate your vision to volunteers, attendees, community members, staff, founding leaders, elders, and more. Say it in different ways in various contexts.
Putting your vision statement on the church’s website, in the bulletin, in email newsletters, and on the church’s social media pages creates a level of public expectation and increases internal accountability. Discuss how your new church’s vision is impacting your community during volunteer or staff meetings. Present it during visitor orientation meetings or new member classes. Keep repeating it until you’re tired of hearing it, and then repeat it some more.
“There is no growth without change, no change without fear or loss, and no loss without pain.” —Rick Warren
Church planters must be willing to adapt and change course when necessary. For example, one method for inviting and attracting people to a service might not be as fruitful as you’d hoped, while another open house or community event might go better than expected.
Learn from each event and church service. Host a retrospective session with your core team after the first few months or after a big event. Find out what lessons can be learned by listening to what went well and where there’s room for improvement.
Don’t let your pride or ego get in the way of hearing (and accepting) difficult feedback. The long-term success of your church depends on your willingness to be humble and adjust when needed.
“Coming together is a beginning. Keeping together is progress. Working together is success.” —Henry Ford
Surround yourself with a team that complements your strengths and weaknesses. A healthy, diverse leadership team isn’t a room full of “yes men” who will carry out your vision without question or pushback. It’s wise to have people on the team who will, with respect, challenge you and hold you accountable as needed. Remember, even Peter faced accountability from Paul. “When Cephas came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he stood condemned” (Galatians 2:11).
If you’re a big-picture visionary who doesn’t like to-do lists or details, you need a couple of planners on your team. If you are passionate about preaching but can’t carry a tune, you’ll want at least one musician to lead everything related to worship and music.
Don’t be afraid of people who are better equipped than you on a particular topic or who have more experience. Choose your team wisely and balance it out with people of various backgrounds, ethnicities, skill sets, and more.
“What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow.” —1 Corinthians 3:5–7
As in any church, people are going to come and go. Some will stay, some will leave, and some will return. If you plant a church in a community that is more migratory, such as a college or military town, then you’ll see people come and go regularly.
It’s vital, however, that you don’t automatically assume you’re the reason people are coming or leaving the church. Get feedback if possible, but trust God to be the key driver of who attends or not. If people go, be sure to release them just as graciously as you received them in the first place.
“He must manage his own family well and see that his children obey him, and he must do so in a manner worthy of full respect. (If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?)” —1 Timothy 3:4–5
Ministry can be all-consuming. However, your family is your first ministry responsibility. You can’t preach with integrity about marriage, parenting, and a healthy home if you aren’t giving your best effort to those closest to you.
What does this look like?
While it might be hard to accept, anyone could replace you as the church planter or pastor. However, no one can truly replace you as a parent and spouse.
“Discipleship is not an option. Jesus says that if anyone would come after me, he must follow me.” —Tim Keller
The Great Commission makes it clear that your primary goal is to make disciples. Ensure that every aspect of your church, from programs to preaching, is designed to help people grow in their faith along their discipleship journey.
Develop clear paths for new attendees. The discipleship journey could start with someone’s initial visit to the following steps:
“We want to avoid any criticism of the way we administer this liberal gift. For we are taking pains to do what is right, not only in the eyes of the Lord but also in the eyes of man.” —1 Corinthians 8:20–21
Financial problems can quickly destroy a new church startup. Develop a clear budget and stick to it. Check out these best practices for church finances that can help keep your church safe from fraud and money trouble.
Do not unquestioningly trust any single individual to handle the church finances. Too many churches have become victims of financial fraud by relying on a single person to balance the books, record offerings, make bank deposits, pay bills, open accounts, and more.
Run background checks on potential staff or volunteers who will handle church finances. Establish documented financial policies and strictly-followed procedures to maintain accountability. Financial strain can be a significant source of stress, so manage your resources wisely.
“I am amazed at the wonders of technology and am grateful for the ways in which we are able to use it to share the Gospel around the world.” —Billy Graham
In today’s world, an online presence is essential. You probably don’t have a big budget for creating a new website, church logos, and other online marketing materials. Get started with Subsplash’s products for church plants, including a drag-and-drop template for church websites, an online giving platform, and a mobile app.
Find some team members or volunteers who can handle social media for the church. You’ll want to establish a social media plan to use the most frequented platforms for your community and start posting information about the church.
“If Satan cannot distract you with worldliness, he will overwhelm you with weariness. Indeed, how easy it is to wear ourselves out; even good works done without recharging ourselves in God can drain us of life and energy.” —Francis Frangipane
Launching a new church can be tough, and you’ll face challenges. Pastor burnout is a real problem that can sneak up on you if you’re not paying attention. Persevere, seek support from other leaders, and remember that God is with you on this journey.
Here are some practical steps that will enable you to last for the long haul that is church planting:
Remember, launching a new church requires vision, planning, and patience. Trust God for wisdom and seek counsel from experienced church planters. Make plans and be willing to adapt as needed. Church planting is a marathon, not a sprint, so manage your energy and expectations accordingly.
As God leads more people to your church, take that stewardship responsibility seriously—whether that means two new people this week or two hundred. Successful church planting requires both practical wisdom and spiritual depth in leadership, so keep these principles in mind as you embark on this exciting journey.
Church planters and their teams need lots of resources to succeed, and while we might not be able to volunteer or play the drums at your services, we have created some helpful resources for you, such as:
Our team is also here to support your new startup church as you begin to use technology. By partnering with Subsplash, you’ll have someone to walk you through each step of setting up important tools such as your online giving, church website, mobile church app, live streaming, and more.
To learn more, [.blog-contact-cta]connect with one of our ministry consultants today![.blog-contact-cta]
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