While you wait!

What can a church planter do while you wait? 

Do you dislike wasted time? Have you had a delay while waiting to deploy as a church planter? Have you felt there are steps you CAN take even though you aren’t in the new community yet? You might be waiting to relocate to your target city, to sell your house or need time to find employment or wind up a job. There is packing and moving your stuff or getting rid of stuff! Kids need time to settled in school, supermarkets need to be found and bird-dogging a favorite coffee spot to slide into every day or so! All this and more could be a part of your waiting experience.

                    Are there things a planter can do? There sure ARE!

1.     Develop your prayer team. Prayer is, as Jack Hayford puts it, “…is invading the impossible.” Spiritual warfare is the most underestimated part of starting a new church says planting leader Tom Nebel. So start right away gathering and discipling your prayer team. Your need them to be hammering the beachhead with heavy artillery prayer long before your landing party arrives! (p.30-36 First Steps)

2.     Begin your fundraising network very early. It is simple and is an ongoing part of any church plant. The bible says, ‘Where your treasure is there your heart will be also.” Peoples hearts AND funds will be drawn to your new church.  Have you offered your friends, business partners, family members and workmates an opportunity to support you? Your mission is a cool privilege and opportunity for financial partnership.  Think like a missionary! (p. 37-45 First Steps)

3.     Start an in-depth study of your planting community’s history and dynamics. Every city has a reason it was founded and a spiritual culture. There are racial, social, economic, religious and political foundations that define a community make its personality. A key to knowing how share the gospel is knowing what your city connects with and how. Remember the Apostle Paul on Mars Hill? Dig in! And share you findings with your prayer team! (Wikipedia gets you started!)

4.     Get going with networking. Start to call, write and visit the Mayor, Chamber of Commerce, local business’s, schools, police department as well as other churches and NPO’s. Service agencies abound and are always ready to meet new potential partners. As a giver and a servant and you will be received with open arms! First impressions count so make them awesome! Have your business card ready to offer! (p. 46-50 First Steps)

5.     Prayer walk your city or community often. Walk with your eyes open for needs AND assets of the city. Talk with local people asking how you can pray for them or city.  Transformation begins both in you, your team and the city and people you are called to. Ask God to enlighten your heart to what He is already doing!  God is already at work and you are a new part of His plan. (See Guidelines for Prayer Walking)

6.     Dream of what this church will look like. God will start to put people, both pre-Christians and followers in your life. (see Spiritual Journey Guide) Seek God with fasting and prayer for clarity. Write down your impressions and those of your launch team. Gary Rohermeyer (author of First Steps) says, “Gods dreams are always bigger that ours because he loves lost people more than we do.” Read Romans 16 about Paul’s lifelong launch team! (See p.23-26 Church Planting Intensive Manual)

Talk with your pastor. If she or he is mission minded they will help you. Caution, some pastors don't like to release people to planting. In that case look for a mission minded community that will honestly help you process what God is doing with you. This is a picture of Judy and I with Don and Winnie Frazier, our pastors. They were and are honest and encouraging mentors that helped us identify our mission and how to get to it! 

To go deeper on any of these subjects contact me (Ron Steslow) rsteslow@gmail.com and refer to your “First Steps” Manual!  Lets help more people  call Heaven home! Luke 10:2