Some Core Group Expectations
Building a core group is vitally important to planting a church. It’s also one of the areas that intimidates me. I love sharing my vision for a gospel-centered church in Ann Arbor with others, but the mechanics of turning that sharing into a somewhat cohesive group are fairly unknown. A post like this one from the Sojourn Community Church Church Planting Blog is very helpful to me, as it includes some examples of expectations for members of a core group.
As church planters bring together their core group it would be beneficial to write up a document that deals with correct and incorrect expectations members of the core group may have. The church planter should lead the core group in reading and praying through the list of expectations in the document. This process may help prevent unneeded or premature departures from the core group when personal expectations are not met.
Here is a sample list of expectations that could be included in such a document. The expectations listed below have been adapted from a document developed at Fellowship Memphis in Memphis, TN.
As a member of the core group I need to understand that:
- Church Planting is exciting, but it will also bring times of pain, frustration, and disappointment.
- Even though gospel renewal may be taking place in the church, not everything will be as I think it should be. The church will not be a perfect church. Not every expectation will be met.
- At times the leadership may choose to focus on a particular ministry or take the church in a slightly different direction than I would take it. In these times I should stand behind the leadership, believe the best about them, and trust that they are prayerfully leading the church as Christ leads them.
- Sacrifice is the norm, not the exception.
- Organizational and leadership structures will be fluid. I may be in charge of one ministry one year and another the following year depending on the need. Someone from the outside may be brought in to lead the ministry I was leading. I should not have “pet projects” that I feel I have to lead myself. Moreover, I may never have a leadership role in the church. Being in the core group does not guarantee me a position at the church. The church needs to place in leadership those who are best qualified not just those who have been around the longest.
- Many times my ideas will not be chosen. I should be OK with that. It is about God and his glory; it is not about me.
- I need to be careful not to expect that the church plant will look like the churches I have been a part of in the past. Each context is different and requires different types of churches. What works in one location may not be the best approach in another location.
- I need to examine my motivation for joining the core group. Is God calling me to the core group for this season of my life or am I just trying to escape a current situation? Am I following a personality or ministry philosophy?
As you can see many more expectations could be added to the list. Some of the expectations may be general while others may be more specific to your situation. Letting members of the core group know what to expect up front will inevitably lead to a healthier core group, which in turn will help the church be more effective in reaching its community with the gospel.