When starting a church anyone who is the primary leader or in a full-time-ish role needs to be properly equipped.  In this section of ChurchPlanting.com we will be sharing pieces of equipment that are either essential or important in order for a start-up leader to accomplish their work efficiently. 

Consider this handful of agreements about this discussion: 

1.  Each item on this list is a tool for efficiency, not a ‘gadget.’ 

A gadget is something silly and unnecessary.  Someone once gave me a 99 cent green dart gun with a round fly swatter where the suction cup is usually located.  It was supposed to be a more efficient fly swatter.  Of course, the flies flew faster when this green contraption was shot at them, only now they were laughing as they flew.  This is a bona-fide gadget. 

A tool for accomplishing vital work more efficiently is something one uses exactly the way any professional uses a needed tool to accomplish their craft.  Hammers, scalpels, laptops of the right make and size – they are all necessary tools. 

2.  There are specific tools shared here (not any laptop, but a specific laptop for example) on purpose. 

This is based upon years of personal experience as well as coaching hundreds. 

3.  The assumption with all tools mentioned here – start up leaders realize it is essential to be ‘among the people’ as was often observed of Jesus and the Apostles. 

There is a need for mobility.  With the ability to move fluidly to and fro between appointments among those being connected with is essential.  What can be done now as launchers is amazing compared to our counterparts twenty-five years ago. 

If you are not yet convinced of the need to be defined by being ‘among the people’ constantly, perhaps you need to do some more reading on that matter first before tackling the specifics of which piece of equipment to purchase first, etc. 

Smart Phone

First in line in your tech investments is a smart phone. 

For many reasons this is an absolute must.  With the ability to receive emails, type emails, take notes to yourself, make calls and even take photos – many of these skills are essential for a church starter. 

The name of the game in effective starting is connecting – networking. 

I will later make a very strong case for going with a Mac laptop (the more recent ones with the Intel chip that will allow you to run both Windows and all Mac software on them).  All things considered, in light of the probable thousands of contacts you will have within a few months as you meet people and their friend’s friend’s friends… you will be spend a good amount of each day simply adding names to your database then syncing smart phone with laptop to stay current. 

Thus, I highly recommend going with the iPhone specifically.  At this writing there is an 8 gig memory – many times larger than the next largest memory around.  This will probably be raised to 16 gigs shortly.  My current listing of close to 6,000 names I need quick access to has never come close to working on any phone system previously in spite of many promises from phone salespeople (avg. age 18.5 years – trained to say “Sure we can” to any question asked of them…) 

So iPhone it is.  You won’t be sorry.