Planting a church seems like an awesome thing to do. It’s an exciting thing for many to even think about. However, one question does need to be addressed by the aspiring church planter. It’s this:
Are you a church planter?
What does that mean?
There was a time when denominations and networks of churches got behind and supported anyone who wanted to plant a church. However, what we discovered was not just anyone can plant a church. Now what we look for in a potential church planter is has God “wired” the person to plant a church? What does that “wiring” look like?
First, church plant leaders score as D’s and/or I’s or on the DiSC temperament tool.
Second, they score as ENTPs on the the Keirsey Tempearement Sorter II.
Next they entrepreneurial, hard chargers, self-starters, etc. (If you want to know more see my books Planting Growing Churches or The Nuts and Bolts of Church Planting.) In addition they have the support of their families-especially their spouses.
So, does this describe you?
If not, that doesn’t mean you can’t be on a team and support the lead planter.
What do you think? Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.
January 12, 2012 at 1:49 pm
I sincerely worry about the tendency to support only those church planters who fit specific personality profiles. While I agree that not every person is called or gifted for church planting, your recommendations seem to go far beyond the bounds of Scripture. We are given a list of requirements for church leadership in 1 Timothy, and we rightfully expect leaders to exhibit the fruit of the Spirit in their lives, but we have no warrant for demanding a certain personality type.
Spiritual giftedness is not the same as natural talent, and it seems from the stories of the Bible as well as church history that God often delights in making use of people we would not have expected. I worry that by following modern personality profile methods, we may find ourselves ruling out the very people whom God has called and will bless.
January 13, 2012 at 12:51 am
I think you’ve left out one incredibly important factor: church planters MUST be evangelists! I’m not saying they have to have a bent for it, a love for it, or anything else. But they have to be willing to do the work of an evangelist. There are FAR too many “church planters” out there who are dithering about doing studies, making contacts, etc. and somehow waiting for evangelism to happen. Nobody should have hands laid on them to be a leader in a church, far less a CPer, until they have demonstrated a willingness to do the work of an evangelist.
BTW, I agree with the
January 17, 2012 at 1:26 pm
I’m currently a missionary with MAF. I initially thought we’d be doing church planting at a remote Native reserve in Canada. But through some serious health issues, God redirected us to MAF Learning Technologies (http://www.maflt.org).
I have a back ground in Computer Science, Educational Technology and Missions, which is exactly what LT is about.
But I continue to have this nagging desire to be part of a church plant. Because of my profile, I’ve wondered if I’m the guy to be “The Guy” in a church plant. But I also keep wondering if I am. So I really appreciate Sam’s comments.
On the other hand, it occurred to me recently that satan might try to entice you toward a ministry you might not really be well suited for, to pull you away from where God has called you.
January 18, 2012 at 10:43 am
My devotional this morning on 1 Tim 4:1-16;2 Tim 1:3-7 is worth considering in this discussion (http://todayintheword.com/GenMoody/default.asp?sectionid=ABECA3F4F745454090BB3C5F613C9CE7). I wonder if Timothy was “wired”.
January 25, 2012 at 9:24 am
Hey Brad,
I’ll offer you what very little wisdom I have to offer.
I sincerely believe that God wants to guide you to do His will (James 1:5 says that God answers the prayer asking for wisdom), but in His wisdom He sometimes only reveals the next step forward instead of the next few miles like we would prefer.
It seems to me that if you are praying for God’s guidance, meet the qualifications for an elder laid out in 1 Timothy and Titus (as much as anyone does), feel a call to church planting, and have other Christians who know you confirming that they see such a calling and gifting in your life, then those are some signs that should be taken seriously.
Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
I read this to mean that if we truly pursue Christ and His will, He will shape our desires to do what He wants us to do. While our old sin nature can mislead us with its own desires, I really trust that God will guide you as you ask Him to.
You might also be interested in this article:
http://www.vineyardusa.org/site/blogs/cutting-edge/there-such-thing-church-planter-personality-type
I hope this helps,
Sam