I’ve had several conversations over the past few weeks in which I’ve been asked, How do you start a church? There are a lot of ideas about how to start a church with virtually every well-known church planter writing a book or two about the process they went through. I’ve read enough of these books to know that nobody has the right answer. The reason is that there’s no such thing as a single right and most effective way to plant churches. Some church planters never intended to start a new church, it just happened; other have tried several different models in several different places but have repeatedly come up short. Church planting requires a different strategy for different people in different places.
But in any case, it seems necessary to me to have at least the basic framework of a strategy/process in place within the first few months. The first year of a church plant is vital to creating the DNA of a church. Exactly like DNA in the biological sense, the DNA of a congregation determines everything about that congregation: what will it look like, how will it function, how will it deal with changes and trials, who will be a part of it, etc. I’m inexperienced, but I suspect that most church plant attempts greatly underestimate the influence and importance of a church’s DNA. So in planting a new church here in Portland, I’ve been spending a lot of time thinking about DNA and how best to proceed so that this future congregation will be set-up for success and effectively minister to the community.
I’m not out to start a church simply for the sake of having a new church in town. If that were the case, I’d be getting into a conversation with everyone I run into and telling them about this church and Jesus and trying to get than to sign up. Instead, my goal is to create something that is lasting, that doesn’t rely on me, and engages society for transformation. I want to develop a DNA that reproduces itself automatically – that initiates and creates new ministries without the “leadership” ever knowing about them until after they’re established.
I’m basically working on a three-year plan with year 5 in view. While I have been engaging in conversation with and developing relationships with a few non-Christians, my focus has been on seeking out potential future leaders. I expect our first small group to be primarily made up of disenfranchised, immature, and committed Jesus followers who I feel have tremendous leadership potential. I still have a goal of seeing this group come together in January 2010, and I believe that goal is still obtainable.
This first group will be taken through a study of our identity statement, picking it apart to understand it and grab on to the Biblical/theological basis for it, how this plays out in everyday life, and the implications for “doing” church. Following a couple months looking at that, the next study would start walking through the CRC’s “Three Forms of Unity” (Heidelberg Catechism, Belgic Confession, Canons of Dordt). As scary as they sound, these documents merely act as our statement of faith; this is what we believe, our theological positions and views. In the CRC all pastors, elders, and deacons are required to sign a document that states their commitment to the doctrines contained within these documents. Therefore, studying them with this group serve a two-fold purpose: an introduction to the theology of lifeStream Church, and preparing future leadership for service.
While studying the “Three Forms of Unity,” I will be trying to identify at least one person who stands out as a Godly leader. Essentially, this person will be the first elder. I’ll begin meeting with them during the week in a mentoring-type relationship, in which I make them aware of my desire to see them step up and take a more prominent role in the church plant. I’ll continue to lead the group through the “Forms of Unity” study, occasionally turning things over to the other leader.
When the “Three Forms of Unity” study comes to an end, the group can then select a topic of study that they are particularly interested in. At that time, I will also turn leadership of the group over to the person I had begun tag-teaming with. I’ll continue to participate in the group, however, I will slowly begin to pull away; my attendance will become every other week, then once per month, then nothing, leaving the group entirely in the hands of the other leader. However, while I may not be directly involved in leading the group, I will continue to meet with the group leader at least twice a month, continuing to mentor him/her as they develop their leadership skills.
My prayer is that sometime around the switch from studying the identity to the “Three Forms of Unity” a second group will start-up, and I will begin this same process with that group, ultimately turning them over to a “home-grown” leader who will join the first in our bi-monthly leader’s meetings. The process will repeat again a third and fourth times. The result is that by January 1, 2013 we will have been holding services for at least 3 months (Sept. 2012 “launch”), 4 small groups meeting at least twice per month, and at least 3 qualified “elders” who subscribe to the “Three Forms of Unity.”
The three elders will then be going through the process of identifying other leaders within the small groups they are leading, and beginning to develop a mentoring relationship with them. The bigger picture here is that I as the leader will be discipling a group of leaders who then disciple other leaders in an ongoing process of leadership development.
By the time a fifth small group becomes necessary/needed, the first leader, has either raised up someone to lead that group through the identity and “unity” studies, or turned their group over to someone else so that the first leader can lead the new group. In this way, lifeStream Church’s vision is reproduced and spread in a more grass-roots, organic way than would happen if I was always the one to cast it.
Eventually, this process would be part of the DNA and would naturally and automatically repeat itself with very little oversight from me or any other future pastor.
For myself as the lead pastor, the next three years are characterized by small group gatherings and leadership development. As lifeStream Church approaches the 3 and a half year mark, my involvement with small groups becomes minimal as I focus more on what will essentially be a leadership small group. And then by year 5, counseling engaged and newly-wed couples, discipling new converts and those seeking baptism, and preparing Sunday services will dominate my time every week.
I covet your prayers as I work to make this a reality. If you would like to receive our monthly newsletter or be a prayer partner, email me at jason.devries[at]att.net. I will also be working on a vision “packet” that will outline our identity/vision statement and offer a chart and explanation of the strategy that I discuss in this post.
Filed under: Church, Church Planting, Discipleship, Leadership, Ministry
