Ever wonder why many church planters do not make it or their new churches fail? Believe it or not, there are some common reasons.
The most common reason may be that the person trying to get a new church started may not be called by God to launch and shepherd one. This would include lacking the qualifications and spiritual gifts needed to multiply churches.
Another common reason is seen in the church planter who tries to launch a new church while flying solo. Church planting takes teamwork and that includes the need to have a number two person whose skill sets and gifts complement the lead planter's skills and gifts.
A false start or premature launch can be a huge mistake made by a church planter. There is an adage that says, "A premature birth requires intensive care," and the premature baby church is much more likely to not make it after the first couple of years following launch because the help and support is not available. And sometimes, even having the greatest help and outside support will not guarantee a healthy new church.
Still another all to common mistake that church planters make is not laying a firm foundation of prayer support, both from people and churches outside the church and from within the new core group. Have you ever watched a baby try to get up and walk by itself without someone first holding both hands and giving a gentle lift tiny step-by-step? Prayer provides the gentle lift and support needed for the new church to learn how to walk.
Some church plants and church platers that do not make it try to do a full-service ministry. This is often due to the lead church planter not keeping the church focused on the few essential ministries that are needed for health and growth. It is common in a church plant for many people to have their own idea of what new ministry is needed. There is the need to let the church leadership as a whole or the congregation rather than individuals get the church's direction from the Holy Spirit.
Some church planters make the mistake of not establishing healthy boundaries for themselves from the get-go. With a lack of adequate boundaries, church planters can easily burn out or lose focus on what the Lord wants to do. "Seeking first God's kingdom" all too easily becomes "seeking next God's kingdom."
After many years of working with church planters, I've discovered that many do not take advantage of good coaching. Like Saul of Tarsus, those who are called to multiply churches need a Barnabas, someone who comes alongside to help and encourage while not seeking any personal gain or glory. Without the wisdom and encouragement of a coach, there's a danger that the church planter will not make it.
A big mistake made by church planters is recruiting a leadership team too early in the process of ministry. In the early stages of new church development, transitional, informal leadership is needed before more permanent leadership structures are put in place. Calling early leaders of a new church "Elders" may cause an eventual revolt against the visionary leadership of the church planter. Either vision drift or redirection away from the initial God-given vision and values for the new church is also much more likely.
Another mistake for church planters is to make the ministry model of another existing church the model for the church plant. Some planters and pastors think the quick answer to church growth is to seek to become just like the apparently successful megachurch down the road or even three states over. No other pastor or church planter can be and do like Andy Stanley or Rick Warren. Fads and failures result from trying to be someone and something other than yourself.
The one big thing that distinguishes most existing churches in North America from church plants is found in the exercise of faith. It takes a whole lot more of faith to plant a church and multiply churches than it does to lead an existing church that has many resources. The mistake that many church planters make is to try to launch and grow a new church the same way that you lead and grow a church that's been around for a few years. If you plant churches, you need Ephesians 3:20-21 faith. You need to believe that God is able, but you are not in your own knowledge, strength and resources.
If you want to dig deeper into the subject of church planter or new church problems and failures, you are encouraged to read the excellent small resource book, Church Planting Landmines: Mistakes to Avoid in Years 2 through 10, by Tom Nebel and Gary Rohrmayer.
What has helped you most in preventing or overcoming these mistakes in ministry? What other mistakes would you avoid?