Church Planting Day 7: Teams, Structure, and the Future

Today wrapped up the teaching portion of my Church Planting class – tomorrow is class presentations. Each student will spend 3 to 5 minutes presenting to the class the vision and direction for a potential future church plant. This is something that some will use in just a few months, and for others, it may be a few years away, but either way, it should be useful information.

We’ve spent the last 6 days discussing the beginning stages of church planting, so as we wrapped it up today, we talked about the future: teams, structure, and thinking ahead.

We began class with a 12-minute video from my friend, Chris Norman, who dropped some science on us. I even took some notes from his video as he discussed how people play a huge part in the development and direction of the church. He talked about the importance of working hard to move people into positions where they thrive, not just filling ministries and staff positions with warm bodies. He also reminded us of the importance of planning ahead, but being more committed to the Lord than to your schedule. At the end, he gave a very wise warning about the importance of maintaining marriage and family life. Ministry is one of the few positions that if you neglect your home life, you disqualify yourself from the very thing you’re pursuing. Great stuff from Chris!

TEAMS

As we tackled the subject of teams, I discussed some practical ways to empower, encourage, and equip people for ministry. After all, according to Ephesians 4, one of the main jobs of a leader in the church is train people for the work of the ministry. It’s a joy to help people find the area(s) in ministry that they thrive in. That may take extra work with some people, but it’s worth it!

Empowering people involves providing an opportunity to serve and giving them a voice and a hand in the ministry.

Encouraging people involves reminding them of the value of what they’re doing as part of the church. We should all keep going even when it feels like nobody notices, but our goal at Awaken is to never give people that excuse!

Equipping people is similar to empowering them, but while empowering is more personal, equipping is more practical. This involves making sure they have the right tools and training to get the job done as effectively and efficiently as possible.

STRUCTURE

In the structure part of the class, we discussed 3 Biblical examples of how necessary teams are to the growth and support of an organization.

We talked about Exodus 18, how Moses had to raise other leaders up “to bear the burden with him,” and I encouraged the class to pray for those people and be those people!

We also looked at the New Testament church in Acts 6, when they got to the point where needs were being overlooked. Peter and the disciples could have arrogantly decided that they were the leaders and no one else, or they could admit they needed help. Thankfully, they chose the latter, appointed Godly, Spirit-filled men, and the church thrived!

The final example came in 1 Chronicles 35 during the reign of King Josiah. About halfway through the chapter, it says that the singers, gatekeepers, and Levites were all “in their places” doing what they were called to do. The result? The Passover hadn’t been celebrated like that in over 400 years! When we are in our places, doing what we’re called to do, God will do unprecedented things among us!

FUTURE

The goal of the final portion of the class was to lay the groundwork for whatever lies ahead. We discussed the importance of considering the context of your church plant because even though it worked for another church, doesn’t mean it will work for you, in your context, in your city. We talked about thinking outside the box and not just doing what’s always been done “because that’s how we’ve always done it.” We also discussed the need to plan ahead and constantly cast vision to the team and church.

It’s been an amazing journey, and I’m exhausted. I’m excited to hear the presentations tomorrow, and even more, the fruit that comes from this class. I believe great things are ahead!

Church Planting Day 3: Where do I start?

Where do I start? That was the main question we answered today during Day 3 of Church Planting Class. We began with the unglamorous and often unmentioned side of Church Planting – the business side.

Some authors have paralleled Jesus to a CEO and try to pull business principles from His ministry. Although He was the greatest leader the world has ever known and we have endless things to learn from Him, I don’t like viewing Him as a CEO and I definitely don’t think His Church should be viewed as a start-up business. We’re His bride, not His project.

However, for any church to have longevity, there are certain legal and structural guidelines that must be followed. Everything from the incorporation process (including bylaws and a board of directors) to 501(c)(3) applications and payroll. Jesus said to “render to Caesar what is Caesar’s” and like it or not, “Caesar” may be more involved than many people realize!

Like anything though, there must be a balance. If you overlook the business side of the church, it won’t last. But if you run the church entirely as a business, it will prevent you from taking steps of faith. After all, there have been quite a few times in just my 3 years of planting Awaken that I’ve undertaken a project or outreach that didn’t exactly measure up on paper (The Uprising)!

In addition to the un-glamorous business side of the church, we also talked about the practical side of how to figure out where to go, and some things to keep in mind when you first get to your city.

We watched a quick video from a friend of mine, Chuck Musselwhite, who is one of the leaders of the Calvary Church Planting Network (CCPN) that helps train up and mentor prospective Calvary church planters. I also passed on some helpful links:

CCPN: http://calvarychurchplanting.org

Here you can get resources to either be mentored as a church planter or mentor other church planters. You can also listen to and watch sessions from their ReEngage Conference that they had last year. You can hear great, practical stuff from Brian Broderson, David Guzik, Ed Stetzer, and more!

Calvary’s main website: http://calvarychapel.com

On Calvary’s main site, you can check out the church locator to get an idea of an area of the US or the world where they could benefit from a Calvary. You can search within a 1,000-mile radius by zip code, state, or city!

Calvary Chapel Association: http://calvarychapelassociation.com

Once you have a place in mind and/or you’ve already moved there or begun the process, you can go to the CCA site to begin the affiliation process. By selecting the region of the US or world that you’re in, you can find out which pastor(s) to contact to get the ball rolling on affiliation with Calvary Chapel.

We also covered some practical things to think about before and during the launch of the church. We discussed the importance of a vision statement that’s concise and catchy, that communicates why your church exists. We talked about the pros and cons of different types of church planting timelines: denominational, interest meetings, preview services, and the route I took, “Hit the ground running!”

One of the most practical part of the day was a 15-minute personal project where each person scoured the Bible for practical examples of people who used what was in their hands to benefit others and glorify God. There were tons of great examples which led to great discussion: things like David’s slingshot and harp-playing skills, Esther’s position as queen, Tabitha’s clothes-making skills, the boy who gave Jesus his lunch, Moses’ staff, Paul’s prison sentence, and so much more. Some of the examples seemed positive, others seemed negative, but the point was simple: God uses ordinary things for extraordinary purposes.

On Tuesday we had covered inadequacies and fears that many people have going into a church plant or ministry. The goal of the exercise in today’s class was to help us all understand that we are probably much more equipped then we realize. We refuse to allow a perceived need to prevent us from preaching the Gospel. We’ll embrace our limitations, get creative, and use what’s in our hands to benefit others and glorify God.

On deck for tomorrow: hermeneutics & homiletics!

Church Planting Day 2: The Calling and the Equipping

Teaching for 3 hours and 45 minutes each day is akin to each Sunday at Awaken. The difference being that after 3 Sunday services, I have a day off and 6 more days to recover before I do it again. Not here. It’s a sprint…but I’m loving it!

Today, we talked about the calling and equipping for ministry, as we took a look at some personal and Biblical examples. I shared about how God began to train me up for teaching, pastoring, and planting a church when I was 16 at a summer camp. For me, that was the start of my journey into ministry from starting a youth group, to leading a high school Bible Club, to eventually serving on staff at a summer camp and becoming a youth pastor.

Yesterday, I handed out a questionnaire to the class, asking about what they’re hoping to learn from the class and what some of their fears and obstacles are in church planting. A recurring theme in the responses I got is that people are stressed about their own inadequacies in ministry. Nobody is going to show up, there’s no money, feelings of inadequacy and inability, and so much more. I referred back to one time when I got to teach to the staff guys at the summer camp I served at, and I taught on God’s grace being sufficient in our weakness. We also discussed guys like Moses, Gideon, and Jeremiah – all great men whom God used in powerful ways, but all who felt inadequate for the task at hand.

We discussed how resources, teams, funds, and buildings are great tools, and God may bless us with them at different points along our journey, but ultimately, God has given us all that we need right now to take the next step. Gideon, for instance, ended up using less than 1% of his original army (from 32,000 soldiers to 300) to defeat an army that was innumerable. The driving point was this:

The resources and team you think you need may be the very things that prevent you from giving God the glory!

Sometimes God strips things away from us so that He can receive the glory and our ministries and churches can continue on a miracle basis.

We had a great time discussing the qualifications for elders in 1 Timothy 3. We learned that although the context is specifically for elders/pastors, most of the qualifications are basic things that all Christians are held to: not drunkards, not lovers of money, gentle, hospitable, self-controlled, etc.

We ended the class with a video interview of my wife sharing her viewpoint on church planting. She talked about ways she supports me as her husband and pastor, as well as ways she’s seen God provide and teach her along the way. It was great to have her (virtually) in class for part of it!

We also talked about the importance and logistics of balancing church with family and marriage. Just like you have to put your oxygen mask on first in an airplane, the same thing needs to take place for your family in ministry. If your marriage and family fall apart, you lose your ministry too. To be effective long-term in ministry, you have to start with your first ministry: your family.

Unity within the church and between other churches is another vital step to reaching a city. We discussed practical ways to fight for unity and build bridges.

It was another great day. Tomorrow we discuss the business side of church planting and answer the question, “Where do I start?” Can’t wait!

Therefore vs. Nevertheless

As we study verse by verse through the Bible at Awaken, we often take a few moments to focus in on just 1 word or phrase that sheds new light on the passage.

Therefore…

One word that has come up a lot recently is the word “therefore.” Therefore is a foundational word that builds what is about to be said on the foundation of what’s already been said. We’ve seen it in Joshua, James, and Romans recently. In each case, the author/speaker used God’s faithfulness and goodness as the foundation by which to command obedience. “God has done all of this, therefore…“

Nevertheless…

On Sunday, I taught a follow-up message to our study through Joshua. I called it “Prone To Wander,” based off that famous line from Come Thou Fount. The idea was that although Joshua ended on a high note of commanding and committing to faithfulness, Israel quickly began a downward spiral into sin and compromise.

“Nevertheless” works differently than “therefore.” Nevertheless starts from scratch and completely bypasses the sinful behavior that was mentioned.

The difference between the 2 words played out perfectly in Judges 2…

So are you a “Therefore” or a “Nevertheless”?

Bible In 90 Days 58: HEBREWS

Today is day 88 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

Do you remember the days of show & tell? You brought in your favorite toy/pet/food to show your class and reveal your awesomeness for owning that thing. In a way, the book of Hebrews is like show & tell with Jesus. It displays how much better He is than the Old Testament system, priests, and sacrifices.

Hebrews is a daunting book to read, but especially to recap. There is so much to be said that it’s impossible to do it justice, but here’s one of the main themes… JESUS IS BETTER.

He’s better than the angels (1:4);

He’s better than Moses (3:3);

He’s better than every high priest (5:1-3, 7:27);

He has a better covenant (7:22, 8:6, 8:13);

His Tabernacle and offerings are better (9:1-14);

and He made a better sacrifice (10:1-4).

Hebrews reveals that the Old Testament system, although functional in its day, has now been superseded by the One who it was all pointing to in the first place: JESUS!

In other words, if the Old Testament was a rotary dial phone, Jesus is an iPhone. (Of course we know He’s cooler than that, but you get the idea.)

Using the Old Testament and its worship systems as a background, the author of Hebrews paints a picture of Jesus as the Great High Priest who is better than all those who came before Him.

But it doesn’t stop at just lifting up Jesus, it does what any Bible book should do and it points to the response we should have in light of how great Jesus is. For instance, Hebrews 4 says that since our High Priest is Jesus, we should “hold fast our confession” (cling to our faith in Him) and approach Him with confidence. Hebrews 10 echoes some of the same thoughts…

“and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” – Hebrews 10:21-23

Continuing with that theme of faith-filled living, the author dives into numerous Old Testament example of faith in Hebrews 11. Many people call this chapter “The Hall of Faith” because it’s such an amazing display of men and women who did amazing things “by faith.”

They all set an example for us because they were ordinary people who God used to do extraordinary things. They weren’t superhuman by any means – they sinned, but they also loved Jesus and trusted Him to work in their lives despite their faults!

Hebrews 12 continues with what we can do since Jesus is so great. We can endure sacrifice, chastisement, and more.

Although it’s very simple, I believe this verse from the final chapter of Hebrews paints a simple, but magnificent picture of Jesus…

“Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.” – Hebrews 13:8

In a world of constantly changing systems, leaders, public officials, rules, and loopholes, it’s refreshing to remember that at least one things stays constant: JESUS. He’s all we need and He’ll always be all we need.

Coming soon: 2 Sunday services

Today at Awaken, we tackled Joshua 3 – an epic chapter of faith and trust in the Lord and His power to fulfill His promises.

Without knowing any details about what was ahead, Joshua told Israel to pack up camp and head to the Jordan River. It was flooding when they arrived and crossing it would be impossible…unless God did it Himself. Following God’s vague instructions to have the priests bearing the ark of the covenant step into the Jordan, they witnessed a miracle! The Jordan River parted and all 2 million Jews walked across on dry land!

In addition to challenging everyone to step into their own Jordan River (whatever that looks like in their lives), we also had a practical way to take a step of faith as a church. Like Joshua and Israel, we don’t know much about the future except that we’ve prepared and God is with us. And since we don’t know much about what’s ahead, all we can do is take the next step in front of us. For us, that means adding a second Sunday service in a few weeks.

Except for Easter, today was the biggest service we’ve ever had at Awaken. We had chairs all the way to the back wall of the sanctuary! So…

Sunday, July 31 will mark our first Sunday with a 9am & 11am service. They’ll be identical services which will double our seating capacity and our serving capacity. Here’s more info…

Bible in 90 Days 19: PSALMS

Today is Day 46 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

You did it! Psalms is not only the longest book of the Bible, but it also contains the longest chapter in the Bible: Psalm 119.

Not only is it a landmark to make it all the way through Psalms, but yesterday (day 45) marked the half-way point of our journey through the Bible in 90 days! We’ve been at this for a month and a half now – don’t give up.

Real. Raw.

Psalms (for the most part) is a very refreshing read. It’s almost like reading David’s journal that he took with him while he was in the field with the sheep or in a cave hiding from Saul. Or, if it were written in our day and age, it would be like reading his blog. It’s very real, open, and honest. At some points, you can almost hear the tears hitting the paper.

David isn’t the only author though – there are many others: Solomon, Moses, Asaph, and quite a few anonymous authors. They all write from their hearts. They question, they doubt, they worship, they pray, they sing, and they cry. They hit the whole range of human emotions.

The Psalms vary not only in content but also format. There are Messianic Psalms that point ahead to the coming Messiah, historical Psalms that look back at Israel’s history as a nation, didactic Psalms that give practical instruction, and so much more. Back in the day, Psalms was used as the church’s hymnal. Can you imagine if the worship leader at your church started rocking out with Psalm 58?!

Just be me.

I guess what I love about the Psalms the most – on a very practical level – is that they free me up to just be me. The Psalms remind me that even great men of faith went through some very trying times, and yet, in the end, they always saw God’s faithfulness displayed.

I also love being reminded to look for God in everything. You can see God through nature, through His faithfulness in history, through His promises to deliver, through the job that He provides even through some of life’s darkest moments, and in so many other ways. That’s a great reminder for me, because I can easily get accustomed to seeing God only in certain areas. I need to be reminded to look everywhere for Him. He’s displaying His faithfulness everywhere I look.

If you were to pick a favorite Psalm, which one would it be?

I think I’d choose Psalm 136 – “His mercy endures forever.”

 

Bible in 90 Days 6: JOSHUA

Today is Day 18 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

Yesterday we finished up Joshua and began the book of Judges. Both are action-packed books, but we’ll just talk about Joshua for now…

Joshua had a pretty daunting task in front of him: take over for Moses. Not only was Moses known as the most humble man who ever lived, but he also had talked to God face to face, and led God’s people out of Egypt, through the wilderness, to the Promised Land. Joshua had his work cut out for him!

His job was to take God’s people into the Promised Land (Canaan), and conquer the cities within. All the land was theirs, the people there were theirs, but God wanted them to take a step of faith and pursue their enemies.

Just getting into the Promised Land was a step of faith…literally. They were blocked by the Jordan River, so God told Joshua to have the priests step into the river so that the water would stop. Imagine the first guy in – what a man of faith!

They had already spied out their first enemy: Jericho. It had huge, impenetrable walls that would have intimidated anyone…unless you’re God. God laughed at Jericho’s walls and came up with a game plan on how to prove He was behind the defeat. After 7 days of marching (not battling) around Jericho’s walls, the men of Israel shouted, and just like London Bridge, Jericho came falling down! They rushed in and plundered the city.

They learned a hard lesson after that. Ai was a much smaller, less-intimidating city, so they weren’t scared to go to battle there. However, on their first attempt, they got beat down. What happened?

Sin happened.

God had told them not to take anything from Jericho, but Achan didn’t listen. Because of his sin, 36 Israelite soldiers died in battle and Israel couldn’t beat Ai. Not for long though. Sin was rooted out and destroyed, and Ai was severely beat down. And so were the kings of…

Bethel,

Jerusalem,

Hebron,

Jarmuth,

Lachish,

…and 24 other kings.

They spared us most of the details in Joshua, but you get the point – it was a bloody book.

The second half of Joshua relates how the land was divided between the 12 tribes of Israel. It’s a bit boring to read, but of course that’s because it’s not our land and we’re removed from the action. If a similar list of land that we were to inherit was compiled in our day, we’d be pretty interested. It is, however, the pinnacle of the book and the fulfillment of a promise that began back in Genesis 12!

I love Joshua 21:45. It describes not only the first 6 books of the Bible, but also the rest of human history…

“Not a word failed of any good thing which the Lord had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass.” – Joshua 21:45

As if the book wasn’t good enough already, it ends with an epic conclusion. Joshua gathers the whole nation together and charges them to choose whom they will serve. If they want to serve the false Canaanite gods, they’re more than welcome to do so. However, history tells them Who the real God is and that is Who Joshua and his family chooses to serve.

Missing Moses by just a decade, Joshua dies at the ripe old age of 110. He died doing what I want to do when I die – challenging people to follow after God!

Like the book of Joshua, life is a constant battle. We make progress when, by faith, we take God at His word, and follow His lead regardless of how impossible things may seem. However, we fight against ourselves when we get greedy and allow compromise to sneak in. Don’t tolerate it.

“Choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve!” – Joshua 24:15

We begin a verse-by-verse study through the book of Joshua this Sunday at Awaken Church, called “Divide & Conquer.” Join us on Sundays at 10am or download/watch the teachings in our teaching archive.

Bible in 90 Days 5: DEUTERONOMY

Today is Day 16 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

We made it all the way through the Torah, the first 5 books of the Old Testament! Congrats! That’s 187 chapters in just over 2 weeks! You’ve already passed the mark of where most people give up on reading through the Bible. Keep up the good work!

Deuteronomy is often called “The Book of Remembrance” because Moses recounts the last 40 years of Israel’s history and trek through the wilderness. They had been in that same location before, but because of their unbelief, God delayed their entry. It’s like in P.E. at school when you didn’t follow the rules and the coach made you take a lap. God made Israel take a lap too…for 40 years.

Deuteronomy is a very important book of the Bible. It’s so important that when a new king took the throne, they were supposed to write out the whole book by hand and read it every day for the rest of their lives (see Deut. 17:18-20)! Not only that, but Deuteronomy is the one book of the Bible that Jesus quoted from when He was tempted by Satan in the wilderness!

Moses spends most of the book giving out God’s laws again, promising God’ faithfulness again, and reminding them to be faithful to God… again.

Deuteronomy 12:32 sums it up well…

“Whatever I command you, be careful to observe it; you shall not add to it nor take away from it.”

In Deuteronomy 31, Moses passes the torch onto Joshua, who will lead Israel across the Jordan River, into the Promised Land. Joshua is a bloody book of conquest and war…but more on that in the next blog post!

Imagine young Joshua up there, in front of 2 million+ Jews, standing next to a legend in the faith, 120-year-old Moses. What a humbling/scary situation. Joshua sets an example of faith and dependence on the Lord. Although the task is too big for one man to handle, he accepts the responsibility and boldly steps forward to fill Moses’shoes (sandals).

I wish we had a recording of Deuteronomy 32 – it’s Moses singing a song he wrote! I don’t know what kind of a voice he had, but that is beside the point. He once had the wealth and fame of the world’s most powerful nation at his fingertips, but he gave it all up for the most grueling, yet rewarding years of his life – leading God’s people out of Egypt, through the wilderness, to the Promised Land.

He wasn’t perfect, but he gave it his all.

Deuteronomy sets a good precedent for us. At times, it’s important for us to sit back and recall all the God has done. Despite the ways we’ve been unfaithful, God remains faithful. That’s what He does! Have you thanked Him for that lately?

Bible in 90 Days 4: NUMBERS

Today is Day 13 in our journey through the Bible in 90 days.

We finished up Numbers today and moved into the final book of the Torah, Deuteronomy.

Numbers was an adventure for sure. Thankfully, it’s not a math textbook like its title makes it seem.

There were plenty of numbers though – the first 2 chapters were all about the census that God commanded Moses to take of the people. I wonder if he was even shocked to find out that he had been given charge over 603,550 people! I know I would be!

603,550 is the number that Numbers 1:45 and 2:32 gives from the census, but that didn’t count everyone. That was only 11 of the 12 tribes (the tribe of Levi was not included in the census) and only included males twenty years and older who were able to fight in the army!

So, their army was made up of 603,550 men, but if you included women and children in that number, there were probably about 2 million people in the wilderness, under Moses’ care! That’s more people than live in Wyoming, Vermont, and North Dakota combined! Just imagine being put in charge of over 2 million people. Moses had to rely on God, which is exactly where God likes for us to be – forced into complete submission to Him.

In Numbers, God also dealt out the responsibilities of the Levites and a few other groups. The whole nation celebrated their second Passover together (imagine the volume of unleavened bread and wine they went through!).

Nobody likes a whiner. Especially God…

Although God’s people started whining (which made God really mad), He still provided for them and took care of them.

Not only did the nation as a whole complain, but so did Moses’ siblings, Aaron and Miriam. That also didn’t make God too stoked. God hates when we complain. In effect, you’re telling Him that what He’s given isn’t good enough.

The whining continued when the spies went into Canaan and saw how “scary” the enemies were. Their fear got the best of them, and they successfully persuaded almost everyone else that God wasn’t quite strong enough to get them into the promised land. Again, God wasn’t happy, so for each of the 40 days they had spied out the land, God sentenced the doubters to a year of wandering the wilderness. 40 years later, their sons and daughter would be back and enter the same land they thought they wouldn’t be able to enter.

Other cool things…

God promised to provide so much quail for them to eat that it would come out their nostrils. Yummy. Nose quail.

Korah, who challenged Moses leadership, was swallowed by the earth. Apparently it was hungry.

God told Moses to speak to a rock, but he was mad, so he hit it. Bad choice. Goodbye, Promised Land.

Balaam and his donkey got in an argument. For real.

Numbers is an action-packed book, but also an attack-packed book. God’s people revolted against Him often. Sometimes He gave them a little taste of what they deserved, but over all, He was very kind and forgiving. He continued to provide. God was able and willing to do great, miraculous things for His people, but they didn’t believe Him, so He didn’t.

It gives a good view of how rotten humans are and how faithful God is.

Is that your story? Are you a doubter? a whiner? a pessimist? God is able to do things you can’t even dream up. Will you let Him be God and provide for you in miraculous ways, or will you cower away and miss out instead?