I’ve been preparing to facilitate a couple of workshops at the Exponential Conference next week about simplified communication and social media. I’m traveling with Theresa, Jami & Tim (who will be teaching a couple of workshops about leveraging pop culture and empowering volunteers). We’re all praying that our participation will help encourage and equip church planters to deal with the practical realities of their world. What’s a church planter? My understanding in an oversimplified nutshell: pastors who are typically entrepreneurial and bi-vocational visionaries with very little resources for their start-up.
Here’s the deal. The closer I get to the event, the more unprepared I feel. I couldn’t figure out where the anxiety was originating from and then it hit me. Apparently, there’s more that’s “different” about this group that I don’t know about. Everyone talks about “church planters” with an assumed understanding that there are special attributes we all know about. They’re obvious to anyone in ministry—but me. WHAT ARE THESE SECRET ATTRIBUTES?? If I ask, people will learn how clueless I really am. But, it’s more important that I understand my audience before I spend time with them. So, whatever—I just decided to just ask.
Finish this sentence: You know you’re a church planter when…
- dperdue you preach in a shirt that looks like this http://bit.ly/bAU0Wa
- claytonfaulkner you tell jokes that start: "A priest, a rabbi, and Ed Stetzer are at a bar..."
- chadrowland Every Sunday you answer the question, "When are ya'll building a church?" That's when you know.
- ecraigwhite you associate the smell of a school gym with church services.
- ryandupre cement floors and desks start to look like comfortable places to sleep.
- pastorshrek when every empty building screams out..."New location"!!! And you can look at a dump, and fix it in your mind on the spot.
- wscottbloyer when the first thing you think of is would they fund us?
- 6stringworship you can turn a gym into a church in 20 min or less
- patricksprague your denomination drops you for doing a bible study in a pub.
Finish this sentence: The heartbeat of a church planter is…
- pastorjeffmyers ...irregular.
- paulwirth those disconnected from Jesus
- david_norman seeing the Gospel advance
- louicanchola ADVANCING THE KINGDOM OF GOD!
- bezner ...the city reflecting the Kingdom.
- KevinConnell Walking in step w/ the Spirit & having the courage 2b obedient
- mbull many. It takes many "planters," not just one.
- ktackel reaching people for Jesus
- jasonshafer people
- daveingland The heartbeat of a church planter is to be the hands & feet in a community; to faithfully serve those he has called us to serve.
- jakeschwein HOLY DISCONTENT
- jacklumanog evangelism and multiplication for the Kingdom
- sammahlstadt sustained by love and pumping mercy through society's veins
- svcckim reaching people don't know Christ. Relationships & Opportunities
- DanielGutierrez Jesus
- claytonbell Seeing God's kingdom come on earth as it is in heaven. Particularly through those who don't current know Him.
- kstrandlund relentless love for Christ, His people, & their Calling
- dkrichards passion for the ppl that they've been called to intimately know Christ, a passion for the mission & vision God's given them!
- corbettreeves the need to create a new culture.
- ndstrupler focusing on what matters the most.
- Phil Graves Connecting people with their creator.
- Kim Robilotto Reaching those who don't know Christ by connecting with the community
- Joanne Brewer having a vision and lifting jesus up being surrounded by leaders with the same vision as yours
- Eddie Joe Irish enjoying going where no church has gone before, a brave spiritual pioneering spirit and vision, and a core of like-hearted souls included at least one person in the group who can run Quickbooks, balance a budget and pay the bills on time.
- Michael Williams not being content with status quo church as usual, but called, driven and Spirit led to create culture where it doesn't exist, to love and push forward in hard and gray places, with no pride or personal gain, but for the Kingdom.
Finish this sentence: The difference between pastor & church planter is…
- skstarkiller deacons
- sammahlstadt an income!
- Joel_Dryden shouldn't be, however the status quo is maintenance vs. development; weeding vs. planting; fear vs. hope; limits vs. open source.
- bezner ...24 months. After two years of planting you ARE a pastor.
- TallyWilgis ...in the types of problems they must overcome to be effective.
- joshploch whether they cut the donuts or leave them whole
- mikekuder a steady paycheck! :-)
- Michael Williams ...my initial thought is different places in life and different timing with God's call. Different parts of the body.
So there you have it. What’s missing? What else do I need to know?
My brother, Matt Holley, sent this to me and told me I should answer these questions:
1. Finish this sentence: You know you’re a church planter when…
the phrase "it can't be done" permanently leaves your vocabulary.
2. Finish this sentence: The heartbeat of a church planter is…
the development of authentic community
3. Finish this sentence: The difference between pastor & church planter is…
Pastor's minister to a community. Church planters create and develop new ones.
Posted by: Aaron Holley | Apr 21, 2010 at 03:22 PM
Awesome. Love the honest descriptions. Also, the idea that they change to "regular" pastors after two years is rather enlightening. I've got some friends that I thought of as still planters, but maybe viewing them as pastors makes more sense now. Cool. Hurray for admitting a lack of knowledge and learning something new.
Posted by: Michelle | Apr 16, 2010 at 01:20 PM