We\u2019re just shy of 14 years old as a church. It seems like just yesterday there were six of us around a kitchen table committing to planting, not knowing if anyone else would even join us. But they did. Through regeneration and relocation, God birthed a body to the glory of His name in the power of His Spirit.<\/p>\n
That passage of time has given me reason to ponder a question I\u2019ve received frequently during this first season of ministry: \u201cWhat do you wish you had done differently?\u201d or even \u201cWhat things would you not change if you did it all over again?\u201d<\/p>\n
However the question is asked, it always prompts me to take a look in my rearview mirror and think about the ups and downs, failure and victories, good and bad, wins and losses. In mentally rummaging through this trip, I began itemizing the things \u2014 both positive and negative \u2014 that made those miles unbelievably delightful or unbearably dutiful.<\/p>\n
First and foremost, church planting is a supernatural endeavor, a work of the Spirit of God. This understanding should pervade everything we do. Natural elements like strategy, demographics, location, finances, personalities \u2014 all that may have a part in the equation somewhere, but the hard truth is that nothing of any real value will occur if God\u2019s Spirit doesn\u2019t empower, anoint, and gift the people for the task of making disciples.<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why the church planter and church planting team have to exhibit incredible discernment and courage in following God\u2019s leading. Yes,\u00a0God\u2019s<\/em>\u00a0direction! Not yours, the latest author\u2019s, the trendiest speaker\u2019s, the popular podcaster\u2019s, or the techiest Tweeter\u2019s. So ask yourself: Can you detect clearly the voice of the Shepherd? Do you hear God\u2019s Spirit as He speaks and leads?<\/p>\n Here\u2019s why those questions (and others like them) matter: Church planting is currently in vogue; it\u2019s trendy and popular. Thus the church planting market is flooded with tips, tricks, and tools to do exactly that \u2014 plant a church \u2014 in \u201cthree easy steps.\u201d But without the breath of God upon our souls and efforts, it\u2019s a dead, religious exercise. Should you read books on church planting? Yes. Attend seminars on launching a church? By all means. Seek a mentor to help you with leading a new body? For sure. But all of those fall a far, distant second to the preeminent voice you need to hear (God\u2019s!) and the indispensable power you need to have (His Spirit\u2019s!).<\/p>\n This is the single overarching, non-negotiable conviction I \u2014 we \u2014 had as we took the step of launching a new church:\u00a0God\u2019s voice above all other voices.<\/em>\u00a0It has affected so many things, usually in a counter-intuitive manner. Things as \u201cbig\u201d as where we initially met or as \u201clittle\u201d as why we wrap up our children\u2019s ministry each November and April. Things that relate to how we give our offerings or when we take Communion. Things that pertain to how we structure our services or why we hire the way we do. Each of these things has a story, and each story tells how God uniquely and powerfully led this specific faith family. It\u2019s what he was \u2014 and is \u2014 calling us to be and do.<\/p>\n