ENTREPRENEURS AND FEAR

Entrepreneurs are very interesting people. I work with entrepreneurs in both the vocational ministry world and the business world. I love them. It is true that most people perceive entrepreneurs to be “risk-takers” but I’ve learned that most entrepreneurs are also thoughtful planners!

Yes, they take risks that the average person would not take, but they are more like the wise builder and the wise king of Luke 14:28-33 than probably most people realize. The best entrepreneurs that I have known are not fool hearty people who act impulsively, throwing caution to the wind. They measure the risk. They plan. They envision the end result. But what makes them entrepreneurs is they act with courage and determination.

Do they feel fear? Most of the entrepreneurs I’ve know say “yes.” But fear does not stop them. In fact, they find that acting in the face of fear is exhilarating! They are alive, passionate, ambitious people. Most of them think and plan, but then they act. And once they act, they typically never look back. They remind me of Paul in Philippians 3:12-14.

Church planters are kingdom entrepreneurs. They think, plan, and pray. But then they pull the trigger! They step out. They take risks. They trust their calling and they trust God’s faithfulness. Their fear does not stop them or cause them to look back. Their fear keeps them on their knees and pressing ahead with passion!

How to Train Church Planters

Last fall I had the privilege of doing research and writing for the Leadership Network on the subject of "Models for Training Church Planters." In this article we explored various models that different ministries used around the country. We also touched on some of the critical aspects of planting healthy, reproducing churches. We then explored some of the critical issues surrounding new churches and how these are addressed or overlooked. I concluded with an overview of the Leadership Pipeline that I am helping churches institute in order to raise up leaders from within their congregations.

We've gotten great reviews from readers! If you would like to read this article, email me and I'll be glad to send you a copy. Email me at glenn@nciglobal.org.

A Great Spiritual Formation Resource for Churches

One of the ministries that we partner with is Ascending Leaders. The founder is Dr. Mike Johnson, a great friend. I highly recommend that you check this out. This is a powerful tool for making missional disciples in the church! The website is www.ascendingleaders.org.

Insoluble Problems

One of our planters just sent me this quote by John W. Gardiner: "We are continually faced with a series of great opportunities brilliantly disguised as insoluble problems." I love that!

One of the challenges that I'm facing right now is helping one of my client churches find 3-6 prospective church planters for Austin, TX. Can you help me? This is for a non-denominational church who wants to resource good candidates! Please reply to me at glenn@nciglobal.org if you have any interest, if you know anyone who might have interest, or if you know someone I should talk to who might know someone who might have interest!

Hope to see you next week at the National New Church Conference!

Got Time to Plant?

Almost every church planter I work with struggles with time management. That's understandable! We have a dream of something new and hundreds of ideas to implement. Then, of course, there's people! Relationships are the core of what we're about, and relationships take time! How do we find the time?

Scripture tells us to be "making the best use of the time, because the days are evil" (Ep 5:16). Stress is a sign that we may not be making the best use of our time. What do we do?

The bottomline is this. We only have 168 hours in a week. You can't get more. You can't save it up. You can't postpone it. Time happens. God expects us to be faithful stewards of those 168 hours. In other words, God never expects (nor desires) for us to try to do more than we can do in 168 hours a week. And, He doesn't want us to destroy our health by not getting adequate rest, exercise, and proper diet. He doesn't want us to neglect or damage our families. What He desires is simply that I be a good steward of the time I do have, and trust Him for the rest.

So the pressure I sometimes feel is a sign of either poor stewardship or a lack of faith, or both. My daily task is to make sure I am being a faithful steward - of my time, my family, my health, my calling. Jesus did it and I never see Him in the Scriptures running around frantic like I sometimes do. He's not wringing his hands, uptight about me handling all the demands; because those demands that are stressing me aren't coming from Him.

Slow down. Take a breath. Learn to live a quiet and peaceable life in the midst of church planting. It can be done! Need help? Get a coach!

Houston - Emerging Culture Seminar!!!

InterVarsity is sponsoring this excellent seminar on April 10th. Jimmy Long, author of "Emerging Hope" will be presenting on emerging culture in North America. I highly recommend his book and this seminar!

This seminar will be held at Grace Presbyterian Church in Houston. The time is 9:30-3:00. This is a $75 value that IV is offering to pastors, church planters, and Christian leaders for FREE! Thank you IV staff!!!

For more information contact Lanae Webel, the regional IV director at lwebel@gmail.com or call 713-426-2871. Also, check out http://www.ivpress.com/videos/emerging_culture.php.

Don't Miss the Nat'l New Church Conf.

I am planning to attend the National New Church Conference in Orlando the week of April 23rd. I want to invite you to join me there! This will be the largest gathering of church planting leaders in North America. The line up of presenters is unbelievable. Check it out at http://exponentialconference.org/.

I hope to see you there!

Some Upcoming Training!

Dear Friends,
Just want you to know that we will have our Essentials - Third Day Training in Houston on March 22nd. We are also having our 2-day intensive "The Essentials for Starting a Missional Church" in Austin on March 23-24. Check out our website for more details, http://www.newchurchinitiatives.org/events/index.htm.

Also, don't miss the National New Church Conference in Orlando, April 23-26. Click here for more details, http://exponentialconference.org/.

Hope to see you in Houston, Austin, or Orlando!

A Powerful God: Draw Close!

O Lord my God, you are very great; you are clothed with splendor and majesty. He wraps himself in light as with a garment; he stretches out the heavens like a tent and lays beams of his upper chambers on their waters. He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind. He makes winds his messengers, flames of fire his servants. He set the earth on its foundations; it can never be moved.

These words are from Psalm 104:1-5. They remind us of God's power and greatness. As church planters, we take risks. We step out in faith trusting God to do things that only He can do. At times we feel fear and anxiety. "What if God doesn't come through?" we ask ourselves. "What if I leave a secure, salaried job and this doesn't work?" "What if no one comes?" On and on our flesh and our adversary put these kinds of questions and doubts in our minds.

The psalmist goes on and reminds us further that God provides for all His creation. These all look to you to give them their food at the proper time. When you give it to them, they gather it up; when you open your hand, they are satisfied with good things. (104:27-28)

As I've reflected on this psalm this week I thought back to significant steps of faith that I've taken in my life. Over the past 15 years I can identify at least 6 bold steps that required me to trust God in profound ways. Church planting was one of those experiences, and they all had to do with obeying God in the start up of new things.

God can be trusted. He is greater than any challenge we face. If He set the earth on its foundations, starting a new church on this earth is a piece of cake for Him. Our fears do not reflect a lack of power or desire on God's part, only a lack of intimacy with Him on our part. Draw near to Him!

Finding Joy & Gladness in Church Planting

This morning I've been reflecting on Psalm 100. The psalmist tells us to "Shout for JOY to the Lord" and to "Worship the Lord with GLADNESS." Sometimes, though, I just don't feel joy or gladness. Why? What do I do?

Verse 5 gives us a clue: "KNOW that the Lord is God." The truth is that God is in control at all times - He reigns, he's all-powerful, and He is good - so of course, I should come to Him with joy and gladness. If I'm not experiencing joy and gladness it is because I have forgotten (or maybe never really known) that He is good and He is in control!

Joy and gladness is not a result of my circumstances but a result of God's nature and character, and my deep awareness of who He is. So the psalmist says "Know that the Lord is God." He concludes with "For the Lord is good and His love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations." If I really believe this (deeply), I will have joy and gladness no matter what challenges or trials I face in church planting. Be encouraged! Be joyful! Be glad!

The Essentials for Starting a Missional Church - 2007 version

This coming week we will be offering the "2007" update of our core course, "The Essentials for Starting a Missional Church." This will be in Houston on Thursday (22nd) and Friday (23rd).

This training is different from most church planter training in that it challenges you to think about your ecclesiology and to consider what a missional church really is. We make a careful examination of Western culture and it's influence on our understanding of the church. We explore the critical theological issues behind the concept of "missional" church.

What's new in 2007? We have updated our units on "Calling" and "Evangelism," and we have made major changes to our unit on "Putting the Plan Together." Plus all of our bibliographies have been updated with the latest and best resources for church planters.

If you're an alumni, you can attend at no charge, but please make a reservation so we will ensure a space for you. For more information see http://www.newchurchinitiatives.org/events/index.htm.

Are We Coaching or Mentoring?

This week a friend of mine asked some questions that provoked my thinking about the difference between “coaching” and “mentoring.” Most people (including myself) seem to use these words synonymously, but is there a difference? I believe there is a difference, as does most of the literature on the subject.

The NASA Business Coaching Handbook gives a good distinction between business coaching, training, mentoring, consulting, traditional supervision, and counseling. See http://nasapeople.nasa.gov/training/coachmentor/businesscoachingHR.pdf.

Their definition of “Business Coaching”: A coach concentrates on personal and professional success. How effective is the individual at achieving their goals and getting what they want out of life? Coaching is future-focused, aimed at identifying and understanding barriers and designing strategies and action to eliminate those barriers and improve effectiveness. Knowledge resides with the individual being coached.

Their definition of “Mentoring”: A mentor provides knowledge, information, and personal advice based on his/her experience. The focus is on passing on guidance that helped the mentor be successful in a similar situation in the past. The experience resides with the mentor.

I like this distinction and it is consistent with other literature on the subject. This is what I teach in our basic course for church planters “The Essentials for Starting a Missional Church.” However, in practice, I am realizing that I probably do more “mentoring” than “coaching.” When I work with experienced pastors and experienced church planters, my role is more of a coach. When I work with inexperienced church planters (which is the norm for me), my role is more of a mentor and trainer. When I am working with churches and organizations that want to become more effective in church planting my role is more of a “consultant.” For more on this see the NASA Handbook, page 4. There you will find an excellent chart describing these various roles. Another good resource is the book Connecting by Paul D. Stanley and J. Robert Clinton (NavPress).

See And Experience The Miraculous

One of the things I love about working with church planters is that these are men and women who live on the edge, learning to trust God in deep and powerful ways. This morning in my devotional reading I read 2 Kings 4. I love all these stories about Elisha because he too was a man who trusted God in deep and powerful ways.

When I read stories like the widow who had to pay a debt (4:1-7) I think of some of the unconventional ways that God provides for the financial needs of church planters. When I read about the Shunammite's son (4:8-37) I think about how God shows favor to his planters and how God performs miracles in families and individuals through the ministries of these new churches. When I read about the "stew" in 4:38-41 I think about how the enemy tries to poison people and undermine church planting teams, yet God brings life out of potentially horrible relational situations. When I see the feeding of the hundred (4:42-44) I'm reminded of how God always provides, always!

Church planters and others who are doing new missionary type works have to live on the edge of faith; and if God doesn't come through, they're sunk! But that's when we see God and witness His miraculous power. I love our sovereign, omnipotent God and I love church planters - a great formula for experiencing the miraculous!

One Of My Church Planting Heros

This weekend I had the privilege of speaking at the midwest regional conference of the Church of God out of Findley, OH. This is a small denomination that has embraced the value of "Healthy, reproducing churches." They asked me to speak several times on church planting, particularly as it relates to our increasingly diverse American landscape. These were wonderful people and it was a great time.

One of the church planting leaders in this group is Fran Leeman. Fran planted and pastors Lifespring Community Church in Plainfield, IL. Fran is one of my church planting heros.

One of the things I appreciate about Fran is his passion to be the church that God wants them to be. This is sometimes difficult living in the shadow of such mega-churches as Willow Creek and Community Christian. Those are great churches, but all of us have a tendency to measure our success by comparing ourselves to mega-churches. Consider 2 Corinthians 10:12.

Fran has faithfully pastored this young church, experiencing many ups and downs. As I ate lunch with him yesterday in Champaign, IL, I listened to him talk about person after person whom he (and others in his church) have reached out to - men and women who were far from God, some who had no clue who Jesus was or what Christianity was all about. I listened to him talk about the lay leaders (some of whom were also sitting at our table) and he described their journeys from a pre-Christian era to today when they were each taking significant roles of responsibility and leadership in the church. My heart was deeply moved. In fact, my eyes water by just recounting the experience with him yesterday.

In American culture where we measure success by size, it is easy to miss how God measures success. A few years ago I heard of a local pastor who had led his church for over 30 years, growing it from several hundred to several thousand in that time. At his retirement he made a statement like this, "In my 30+ years of pastoring we have learned to grow large churches, but I'm not sure we yet know how to make disciples."

Large churches are a great blessing to our cities in many ways, and I highly value their contribution to Kingdom work. However, I hope we can measure success not by the size of our church but by the lives that are transformed through the power of the gospel. Fran's church is not large (though it may become large in the future), but he is a success. He has story after story of life change that have emerged from his church and ministry, and he shares them humbly. He is one of my church planting heros.

ACCELERATE! It Happened!

This past Friday and Saturday approximately 150 church planting leaders (mostly from the city of Houston) gathered together for worship, inspiration, and instruction at Accelerate! My friend, Ed Stetzer, was our key note speaker.

Ed challenged us to plant Biblically faithful, culturally relevant, counter-cultural communities of faith! It was a rich and powerful time! However, the most amazing part of the experience was that the leaders of the three largest denominations in our city drafted a "Church Planting Manifesto" in which they covenanted together to plant churches that will transform our city. It was a covenant that honored their differences theologically, yet affirmed their unity around church planting and saturating our city with the gospel. It truly was an historic moment!

These leaders signed the manifesto and then invited everyone to join them in signing it. I do not yet know how many signed on but it looked like the majority of the participants. God was present! I'm still in awe of what happened. May this be the beginning of a new wave of church planting in Houston, and around the world.

Why We Do This

This morning I was meditating on Psalm 84. As I was reflecting and praying over this passage I realized that this is why we plant churches. The psalmist says "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord Almighty! My soul yearns, even faints, for the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh cry out for the living God." (84:1-2)

He goes on to say "Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked." (84:10) We plant churches so that more people might experience God, so that they might discover and experience His presence forever.

As I read over this passage I realized that something in my soul cried out "Yes, I yearn for God's presence just like the psalmist did." I treasure these moments when I am acutely aware of God's presence. I want the people I minister to to increasingly experience God. I want them to know the joy of His presence and to have the opportunity to experience this for the rest of their life (here and in eternity.) "O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you." (84:12)

Coaching: A Discovery Process

Coaching focuses on promoting discovery. A good coach will not tell you what to do, but instead will ask you the right questions to help you discover what you need to do. As Christians we have the added benefit of the Holy Spirit indwelling us to guide us into truth. A skilled coach will help you find untapped potential within yourself. A good coach thinks about you and your needs. He focuses entirely on you.

Jane Creswell (a coaching expert) says "The best image for coaching is a vehicle. The word coach derives from an old British word meaning 'horse-drawn carriage.'" She encourages us to think of the coaching process as a journey, "one in which you are caught up in the process as you move toward a specific, targeted destination." The goal of the coach is to help you find direction and enjoy the ride, while maximizing all the resources at your disposal. The skilled coach helps you be the best you can be.

I said it before, every church planter needs a coach. In fact, I believe that every pastor needs a coach. Do you have one? If not, get one!

Are You Sure You Want to Plant a Church?

Several months back a friend of mine said that half of the church planters he works with in his state quit within 18-24 months of starting their new church. I can only imagine a hundred reasons for this phenomena; one of which is a lack of clarity about one's own calling to church planting - the kind of clarity required to sustain you through the hard times.

People plant churches for a lot of different reasons - some very good, and some probably not so good. The truth is that church planting is HARD WORK and on top of that there will always be spiritual resistance from the evil one. Just before Christmas I was talking with a local church planter who spoke about losing over half of his core team before the church was a year old. (This is not uncommon - again for many reasons.) When the going gets tough, the faint of heart quickly begin to re-assess the risks and commitments required to plant a new church!

Almost every church planter I know experiences some measure of this kind of questioning, including myself. One of the key scriptures that has helped me is found in Psalm 73. Here's what God says to us:

Yet I am always with you; you hold me by my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, and afterward you will take me into glory. Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. (73:22-26)

Meditate on these words and let them encourage your heart!

Merry Christmas

I hope everyone has a wonderful Christmas as we celebrate the birth of our Savior into this world. I am aware that many of my friends are suffering grief or pain as we enter this holiday weekend. Our family has the incredible blessing of getting to be together. We pray for our dear friends and we trust that God will bring peace, comfort, and grace in this time. I am deeply grateful for a wonderful year of coaching many men and women. I am grateful for our NCI staff and many new church plants that we had the privilege of serving. I am grateful for my family and our material and physical blessings. I am most grateful for the opportunity to know many of you who read this and to serve together in God's Kingdom work. Merry Christmas.

You Need a Coach

Every church planter needs a coach. However, not just anyone is an effective coach. Granted, some people are good coaches intuitively, and they may not even know that about themselves. However, my experience has been that most pastors are not really very good coaches - although they could be with intentionality. But if it is not a person's passion to coach and help others through coaching, then they are not going to be a very good coach!

When my children were small I use to coach their sports teams - one coach with a dozen kids. However, when they grew older their teams required more coaches than just myself. In fact, when an athlete competes on an olympic level, there may be 4 or 5 coaches for one athlete. Professional golfers all have a coach to help them continue to improve their game. If you want to be the best you can be, you need a coach! If you want to be a good steward of the talents and opportunities God has given you, you need an intentional coach!

One of the things our staff team is intentional about is becoming increasingly highly effective coaches. Do you have a coach? You need one - we can help you! Is God calling you to be a coach? We can help you. I have a couple of coaches myself, do you?