They touch on grace, legalism, mercy ministries, hiring staff. Fabulous stuff.

From Zac Allen of Austin Bible Fellowship as shared at the July PlantR Meeting. PlantR is a Austin, Texas-based “trans-denominational network committed to helping church planters plant and reproduce healthy missional churches”

• Celebrate every season that God gives you
  you are never more of a church just because you are bigger
  what assets do you have with 20 people that you won’t have later?
• Church planting will cost you your life
  you kind of go undercover and off the radar for 12-18 months
• Raise enough money
  you think you’ll gather a group of people faster than you will
  once you launch, you want your focus on the ground, not with one foot in support raising
• Learn your voice
  If you teach the way you were taught, the best you will ever be is high mediocre.
  Worry more about saying what will change people’s lives than about saying the right thing.
• Sniff out wolves
  People come with agendas to fulfill their life long dreams.
  Say no to a network that might cause you to compromise the vison that God has given you.
• Humility should be the defining characteristic for your life.
  Book recommendation: Humility by Andrew Murray
• Success is found in faithfulness
  We are completely dispensible
  If your church does not survive, that needs to be okay.
  Some of you don’t need to plant. Some of you won’t survive. And that’s okay.
• You can’t reach an area that you don’t live in.
• Hold people with an open hand.
  God has not called anyone to your church for life.
  If people leave your church, it’s because of you. Learn to be okay with that.
• Unity is the most understated apologetic of the church.
  Unity = spiritual power. It holds huge weight to a watching world.
  Will not walk with unresolved conflict with anyone in this church.

From Bob Thune of Coram Deo in Omaha, Nebraska

I believe that being a good learner (and therefore a good teacher) doesn’t mean knowingwhat to think, but knowing how to think.

…

So read the what-to-think stuff. But dwell in the how-to-think stuff. The three books below are a great place to start. I’m sure thoughtful commenters will recommend others. But I’m writing this, so my opinion gets front page.

Dynamics of Spiritual Life: An Evangelical Theology of Renewal by Richard Lovelace – a theology of renewal… one of the best books you’ll ever read on how the gospel brings renewal to people and churches.

The Gospel in a Pluralist Society by Lesslie Newbigin – don’t be throwing around words like ‘missional’ until you’re familiar with Newbigin’s work and understand why it’s a watershed.

Renovation of the Heart: Putting On the Character of Christ by Dallas Willard – Willard isn’t the most Reformed of theologians, but he’s a master of spiritual formation. And if your goal isn’t to form people spiritually as Jesus would want them formed, then you shouldn’t be planting a church. Don’t read Willard as a how-to manual; read him as a wise mentor who will force you to think about spiritual formation.