In anticipation of becoming a multi-site church, I have been reading all that I can get my hands on about beginning well. This is one of the best that I have read and here are a few of the insights.
Ronnie
mistake #1 – Neglecting the Great Commandment in Pursuit of the Great Commission
Our relationship with God has to remain #1
Mistake #2 – Failing to Take Opposition Seriously
There is not typically a lot of support from other pastors and Christians.
Mistake #3 – A Love Affair with One’s Fantasy Statement Blinds the Planter to the Mission Field
We must know who we are trying to reach and make plans accordingly.
Mistake #4 – Premature Launch
Launching too soon with too few people only produces a few more.
Mistake #5 – Evangelism & Reaching New People Cease after the Grand Opening
Many new starts do a great job reaching people until after the launch, then they go into maintenance mode. This can’t happen.
Mistake #6 – No Plan for the Other Six Days of the Week
Most of the planning goes into the Sunday morning Celebration service. Lots of planning has to go into connecting people the other 6 days of the week.
Mistake # 7 Fear of Talking about Money Until it’s too Late
Leaving out the message of possessions and money for fear of offending new people is to leave out part of the Gospel, do it to your own demise.
Mistake # 8 – Failure of the Church to Act Its Age & Size
New starts must focus on doing a few things well, only expanding as the body grows.
Mistake #9 – Formalizing Leadership Too Soon
Time needs to be taken to choose leaders, focus on workers and let the leadership develop over time.
Mistake #10 – Using the “One Size Fits All” Paradigm for the New Church
We must take the time to develop a plan to meet the needs of our community. Things other churches have done could work but we are not cookie cutter.