Church Planting and Lessons Learned

I didn't set out to be a church planter, a guy who starts churches from scratch. It just happened. Church planting is a young man's game. And I now only qualify as being young at heart.

And after some years of starting churches I realize my perspective is changing, and I've learned some things along the way.

Our first church plant was indirectly based on a church model that wasn't ultimately sustainable. And, if that model had been sustainable, I wasn't good enough to do the sustaining. I'm an okay preacher, but no one downloads my podcasts. I don't have any podcasts for you to download. I don't write books.

Our little church is now growing. A couple of people (really, just a couple) have asked me in recent days, "What are you doing different?" My answer: "nothing." (I won't be writing any books on church planting success, unless it's entitled" "Just Show Up.")

Now in our second church plant, I realize I've had to learn some things, some vital lessons. And these lessons have caused me to ask questions of myself:

1) Isn't it possible that there can be more than one right way to plant a church? (I'm not sure I necessarily have a corner on the methodology market.)
2) Is it really reasonable to think our church is the first one to "do it right" in our city? (Two problems with this: a) we're not the first, and b) we don't necessarily do it right.)
3) Am I confident that my chosen priorities and methods are what the people in this city need? (No, I'm not always confident.)

...and 4) When does a church plant stop being a church plant? (Maybe when we stop using church plant as an excuse for a lack of maturity.)

We're in a season at Radiant Church Juneau where we are learning what it means to be disciples of Jesus. Strangely, I'm learning along with everyone else. The more I know, the more I know I don't know.

We're learning that having more than one leader is a good thing. (My own capacities now need to intentionally emphasize quality over quantity. It's an age thing.) And here on a Monday morning, I am perhaps more encouraged by the guys stepping up to help lead than I am over anything else going on in our church.

Finally, I am learning that mission drift, losing sight of the role and purpose of the church to become and make disciples, is what moves any church from purposeful vitality to static irrelevance. I fear this more than anything.

It may be that our church will continue to grow. It won't be because of me. The credit for that will go to the One who is the real King. It's His church. Jesus said He would build it. And He's telling me to continue learning my lessons...and not get in the way.