GlocalNet

Connecting for Glocal Transformation

IF I WERE STARTING A CHURCH TODAY . . . .

I’m often asked this - so here’s some things I’d say:

1.  I’d get off in a room alone with God and maps of the world, verses God has given me, words he’s given me, pray and seek God radically BEFORE reading any books on church planting and/or going to conferences.  I’d get his will in my heart first before finding mentors, teaching, and training.  I’d ask him to break my heart for the world and his kingdom.

2.  I’d then develop a small prayer team of no more than 5 people - of different races, etc. praying for me.

3.  I’d write out everything I sensed God saying and things that resonated with me that I’d heard others speak and write about. 

4.  I’d find the person emulating ministry in the most similar way I sensed God speaking - and another person in the most opposite way I heard and ask them lots of questions off and on.

5.  I’d begin to ask God to pull the team together to begin by engaging the local community beyond religious work.

6.  I’d go to a multi-ethnic area and pull a multi-ethnic team together.  That means if I was in DFW - south Irving. 

7.  I’d have my discipleship model in place before we began and lead our initial leaders through it before we did anything else - then have them multiply it throughout the church. 

8.  I’d pick a hard place in the world to work before “going public” or “going native” in the neighborhood and everyone who came on board would know that’s part of who we are up front.

9.  I’d worship a minimum of an hour a day from Day one - so I’d recognize all God was doing and be ready to respond. 

10.  I’d expect and get excited on the unexpected.

There’s probably a lot more - this is just some -

Comments

  • Daniel Yang says:
    Apr 27, 2009 at 01:50 PM
    Bob,

    Detroit has been said to be the most ethnically segregated regions of the United States. In building a diverse leadership team, do you think that if the leaders lived on average 20-30 minutes away from each other, this would be too big of a hurdle to start a leadership team with?
  • Bob Roberts says:
    Apr 27, 2009 at 02:03 PM
    Not in a big city - unless you are narrowing your boundaries for impact.
  • jordan says:
    Apr 27, 2009 at 04:00 PM
    Daniel I agree totally. It can take 20 minutes for me to get to NorthWood if the train goes slow. ha!. Not a big deal though you probably will have to initially pick a specific area one of you lives in to initially impact.
  • Adam Mabry says:
    May 9, 2009 at 07:59 PM
    Challenging, and great for me to read at this stage. I'm about a year or so out from a plant in Boston, and this is refreshing. Thanks.

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