Launching a church can feel similar to starting a tech company. The initial excitement is palpable. Ideas are plentiful and the team is agile. Yet, as the start-up phase ends, the real challenge begins. Now, the focus shifts from high-energy launches to strategic, sustainable growth.   Revisiting the Vision   The initial vision sparks movement. Yet, as your congregation grows, it needs refining. The goal is to inspire a diverse group. You won’t overhaul your ideals but adapt the message. This ensures it resonates more broadly and bridges the gap from founders to new members.   E ..read more

The Power of Encouragement Encouragement isn’t just a nice gesture; it’s absolutely critical when you’re starting a church. It charges up your volunteers, fires up enthusiasm, and keeps everyone pushing forward when things get tough. When the people leading the charge make a point to really pump up their teams, they’re not just keeping the wheels on; they’re hitting the gas pedal on the whole operation.   The Practical Need for Encouragement   The Bible tells us to “encourage one another and build each other up” (1 Thessalonians 5:11). That’s not just good advice; it’s a game-changer ..read more

Christian discipleship is what happens when people live daily with Jesus. Jesus drew incredible, mammoth church-sized crowds during His earthly ministry. But many people had different agendas. The Gospels reveal that Jesus excused more people from the crowds than He kept. The exit door to the Kingdom swung open as disappointed disciples trudged out en mass: “After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him” (John 6:66 ESV). Jesus asked the twelve disciples who lived with Him, “Do you want to go as well?” (John 6:67 ESV). Jesus loved them but wanted the ..read more

From the book 101 Things You Can Do to Help Grow Your Church by Bill Tenny-Brittian   Be Inviting   Over the years, many studies, surveys, and polls have told us that the vast majority of people in the US would be willing to go to a church event if a close friend or relative invited them. And by the vast majority, I mean in the mid-80 percentile.   How’s that working for you?   Most church members that I’ve met have told me they’ve asked pretty much everyone they know to join them for church, and pretty much everyone has replied, “Thanks, but no thanks.” Now, to begin with ..read more

I recently worked with a client who is transitioning from serving as the Lead Pastor of an established church to serving as a church planter. He noticed that his sermons, which were well-received in his old context, seemed to be missing the mark in his church plant. He wondered why, and it led to a fruitful discussion of some of the differences between preaching and teaching. The terms are often used interchangeably, but in this context, let’s define preaching as challenging your listeners to respond to God by explaining the scriptures in context. And let’s define teaching  ..read more

There are some things visionary leaders hate to hear. They make us cringe. Mostly because they distract the team from the vision and from being healthy attempting to achieve it.   Visionary leaders hate to hear:   “We’ve never done it that way before.”   Well, of course you haven’t. See, here’s there thing about leadership. Leaders take you somewhere new – somewhere you haven’t been before. That’s in the definition of what we do. Granted, there are times we need to rest, slow down the pace, and celebrate current wins. All that is part of a healthy team, as well. But if we want t ..read more

When we start this adventure of church planting, we typically have visions of community, transformation, and significant Kingdom impact. Yet, amidst these hopeful aspirations, we must brace ourselves for an undeniable truth: suffering and challenges are not mere possibilities; they are certainties. Let’s explore not only the inevitability of these hardships but also their integral role in the process of planting a church.   Understanding the Inevitability of Suffering   “Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds.” – James 1:2. This scriptur ..read more

About three thousand years ago, Israel was once again in a bad place. They had this pathological spiritual pattern: after having some big spiritual breakthrough and getting their act back together with God, time would pass, and they would forget about Him and go back to doing their own thing.   Can you relate to that at some level? Sheesh…I can.   And so the fierce armies of the Midianites and Amalekites swarmed over Israel like locusts—tens of thousands of soldiers—taking their food and grain from Israel and then burning the rest just for kicks. The people of Israel built shelters ..read more

Easter’s come and gone. You’ve had a great service and maybe even a record turnout. The energy was electric, the worship was on fire, and the message of resurrection hope was proclaimed loud and clear. But now, Easter Sunday is in the rearview. So, what’s next? How do we keep the momentum going and not let this be a once-a-year spiritual high?   Start with Heartfelt Thanks   First things first, let’s not forget to say thank you. Everyone who walked through your doors on Easter made a choice to be there, and that’s worth celebrating. Get personal here. Shoot them an email, a handwritt ..read more

There are a lot of smart and hard-working people out there.  Some are both. Have you noticed that power and influence often seem to only be in the hands of a few who use this influence for personal gain or the destruction of others? There is a smaller percentage of influencers who genuinely seek the betterment of others.  These are “Ideators” – a simple word to capture the strengths of these inspired influencers.   Ideas Lived Out   Ideators are those who realize that the world is really all about ideas being lived out (not just put on paper or talked about around a big tab ..read more