Starting a Church without Losing Your Soul
From Ed Stetzer , President of LifeWay Research and LifeWay’s Missiologist in Residence
Let’s look at two practices that can help planters avoid a spiritually dry and disillusioned ministry.
Spiritual Renewal
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But you need to put some of the responsibilities into the hands of others (even if they will not do it as good as you think you will) and give yourself more time for with God. Guarding your life with regular times of prayer, solitude, and Sabbath where you sit unhurried before God will ensure a rich and abundant reservoir of spiritual life and power. Planters who fail to keep their time with God a priority will invariably suffer in their personal walk and the church plant will feel the profound effects as well.
Theological Reflection
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Planters must practice theological reflection to maintain biblical integrity in their perspective of ministry. Socrates said, “The unexamined life is not worth living.”3 I wonder if the unexamined church is not worth starting. Integrating theological reflection into the vision and methods of a church plant will help both the leader and the people.
Ask questions like:
- What is the purpose and mission of the local church?
- What does it mean to be a Christian?
- What does a genuine disciple look like?
- What is authentic worship?
- What does Christ require of us, and what does faithfulness to Christ look like?
- How do we implement these biblical mandates successfully in our cultural context?
These and other like questions form a biblical baseline for planters. Then the baseline becomes the goal rather than building up one’s personal sense of fulfillment. Plus the baseline keeps the pressure off of the planter and on the vision to keep the church on course.
One of the planter’s most important roles is leadership. Wise leaders understand their role in shaping the vision and culture of the church. They also understand the need to remove oneself from the pressures of ministry and experience renewal and reflection. Planters who do this are personally and professionally healthier than planters who do not. And, they lead healthier, more biblical and more sustainable churches.