“What will it look like?”
I grew to love answering “I have no earthly idea.”
All I could say was that if a bunch of cloggers and bluegrass musicians showed up, well… we’d be the clogging church.
Bob Hyatt tells all in Why YOU should plant a church.
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We attempted a church plant last year, unfortunately it was unsuccessful, for a number of reasons. We learn so much and will try again in 2007. Not every church plant work, but we will not give up.
but its the people that make up the plant . . . right? and i bet the people are still there,
I failed this year also…. mostly out of lack of support…. now I am not complaining or whining here as an oppurtunity opened up to become ministering partners with a new Vineyard that is starting here in Billings. I my be the only “PM/E/e” person there… yet I have found that this can open possibilities for me in the future to be able to tap into other resources i could not afford on my own.
Pressing on,
iggy
I’m finding, myself, that it takes a lot of energy and time, strengthening those relationships, both of which I run very low on with three kids and a hubby, and a job, and a place. We’re totally okay with investing that time and energy and are being creative in how we can mix family with relationships, and everything, which helps with time and energy a little bit. I guess my question is how do you find the kind of support you need in order to give your all into it? Right now we are trying to let all of the churches we have been involved with about what we are doing and how they can support us whether it be by prayer, encouragement, discernment, financial, or whatever they feel led to do. But now I feel kind of stumped on what next.
We already have a tiny group we are reaching out to and building relationships with, mixed with non-believers, confused believers, and believers. Very artistic our God is.
i wonder if there is support for you (in all its forms) with that tiny group?
sounds like resources are ahead of you rather than behind you.
Maybe, but the group is still so fresh, and not a plant yet, but a bunch of seedlings. I’m sure if it’s our plant to tender and grow, God will provide. Probably in the strangest unheard of place possible, He likes to surprise us 🙂
Thanks for the shout-out Andrew. I always appreciate it…
Thanks for this link, Andrew. I have begun to ask myself if most people say “church planting is hard” because conventional models require you to work your butt off to get a “stable core” ASAP to provide money and labor. But in an organic model without a building (the great money-sucker) or a “service” (the great time-and-energy-sucker), isn’t the bar considerably lower?
I also wonder if the emotional bar can be lowered by saying, “I don’t need to make a ‘successful’ church that will endure for generations. I just need to do what God is telling me to do now. Even if it’s gone in a year, I need to be faithful to God here and now.” I still believe in planning, but instead of grand plans, what if we prayerfully watch for what emerges the way Bob describes?
yes – i like that