When to plant a church...and when not.

Spring is the season to plant...for farmers.  That way, the crop can receive the healthy resources of summer weather in order to grow and be ready for fall harvest.

Likewise, there is also a season for church planting.  This time of year is usually not good for launching, but it is good for planting starter seeds.  September-October are better months for launching, while December is not; although a "preview" Christmas worship service can often be helpful to introduce the vision.  Advent "missional moments" are also great ways to engage your presence into the public before launching in January-February.  Remember, the healthiest germination period between sowing and launching is often 6-9 months.  So, what you do TODAY will impact what seasonal resources you receive in ripening for a fall launch!

At the annual Exponential East gathering, Bill Hybels shared two terrible reasons to plant a church and two good reasons:

Terrible Reasons:
1). It's perceived as the trendy, cool thing to do.

2.  It's perceived as easy, or a quick thing to do.  You can't, however, just jump from t-ball to the major leagues.  (allow me to add a third bad reason: because you're looking for a job!)

Good Reasons:
1).  You are so bound in the Holy Spirit to do so (see Paul's words from Acts 20:22, "Compelled by the Spirit, I am going to Jerusalem, not knowing what will happen to me there..."), that it feels like high treason against God to deny!

2). No other existing ministry is doing (or going to do) what you are suppose to do in your domain to redeem the lost.

Friends, let's stop planting churches as primary split-offs from another denomination or church, and start planting churches with the missional mindset to share the gospel into the cracks and crevices of our local communities.  Let's stop thinking that if we put together a new worship service in town the unchurched will automatically come into the gathering.  They won't.  Instead, let's start churches as movements in the city--- as people of faith who are soaking into the everyday marketplace and daily demonstrating the love of God which is ours in Christ Jesus.  The unchurched, or the unbelievers, will see Jesus on you and want the same hope.  Let's start churches that first focus on maturing disciples in order to make more disciples that make even more disciples.  Then, we can start gathering for worship.  Then, we can concern ourselves with facilities, tax ID numbers, constitutions, programming and equipment.

Need some help to plan(t) well?  I can do that with you.  After all, I've discovered churches that use a church planting coach always succeed at some level.  Sadly, I have also experienced churches that have chosen not to use coaching.  They are struggling, much like farmers who plant and reap in the wrong season without any skilled equipment.  My email: dan@lcmc.net.  My cell: 507-403-3940.

NOTES: This week I travel to Madison, Oregon and Wisconsin Rapids, Wisconsin to meet up with a group of planters organizing a planting network for Wisconsin.  How cool is that?!  Thursday-Friday I wrap-up my time of teaching church planting at The Master's Institute Seminary, where the LCMC has at least one person already working in the mission field of planting Missional Communities.