Reading: Church Planting Landmines by Ben Ingebretson

Church Planting Landmines
9 Mistakes to Avoid
Based on the book by Tom Nebel and Gary Rohrmayer

Ben Ingebretson M.Div.,M.A.
Blind Spots

No church plant begins expecting to fail.

What you know you don’t know and what you don’t know you don’t know.

The value of studying failures vs. studying success.


#1 Ignoring Personal Health and Growth
Midlife in ministry   Ages 35-55.  
Abusing finances, power and sex.
Pride
Physical health
Neglect of family


Disarming landmine #1
Maintain a coaching/mentoring accountable relationship.
Maintain spiritual disciplines.   Walk with God.
Retreat daily…weekly…monthly…annually.

Be a life long learner.  
#2 Lack of Leadership Development
The temptation to be “the leader” rather than “the leader of leaders”
Failure to identify potential leaders.
Failure to train and raise up leaders.
Failure to create a leadership development culture in the ministry.
Disarming Landmine #2
Develop a working definition of leadership.
Pray the lord of the harvest…Luke 10:2
Look for Christlike, teachable, faithful, obedient, available, willing servants.
Training them intentionally.   I do…you watch.  We do.  You do…I watch.  
Coach them monthly.   

#3 Leadership Backlash
A surprising negative reaction from a leader to your leadership.  
People not on board with your vision
People who have a prior experience.
People who you have not carefully evaluated
People who are not able to follow.
People who see problem but are not loyal
Disarming Landmine #3
Discern if they are on board with your general vision and values.  If not…caution.
Discern of they are personally supportive of you.  If not…caution.
Do not give away titles prematurely.  “Elder”
Do not form an internal board prematurely.  
Test people before you “title” them!  

#4 Personal Evangelism Entropy
Pre-launch of church planting usually requires high evangelism work.
Caring for new believers can be time intensive.
Launching regular weekly worship can be time intensive.
Weariness can cause the planter to limit their relationships to believers.   

Disarming Landmine #4
Update your time management skills.
Develop a “spiritual mentor” team for new believers so you can stay focused on evangelism.
Pray for new contacts and stay connected to places where you can meet them.  
Ask your people to introduce you to their non-believing friends and demonstrate evangelism.
#5 Corporate Evangelism Entropy
If the church does not evangelize it will die.  Still evangelism entropy can creep into a church within a few weeks of their first public service.
People are swept up in “urgent” needs of the body…meetings, pastoral care, logistics.
People neglect the real areas of priority… assimilation, leader develop., evangelism!
Disarming Landmine # 5
Teach your people to pray for their non-believing friends.
Train people to share their testimony.
Train people to invite outsiders.  
Train people to maintain relationships with non-believers.  

#6 Inadequate Assimilation
If you reach them you must also keep them.  Evangelism and discipleship go together.
If you reach them and do not keep them you must ask why?  
People may not return because they:
      did not feel welcome  
      did not understand the message
      did not receive a personal invitation
Disarming Landmine #5
Seek to get feedback from those who do not return.  Why did they not come back?  
Invite people to a follow up gathering small group.  Share a meal.
Develop a welcoming team that is responsible for showing hospitality.
Review your preaching and be sure it is understandable to a new attender.

#7 Fear of Money
Most pastors do not want to talk about money thinking it will scare people away.
It is not about what the church needs, it is about what God wants!   Generosity!
Failure to talk about money keeps people from deep discipleship growth.
 The pastor works without support and the ministry cannot reach it’s potential.
Disarming Landmine #7
Stay biblically grounded:
      God owns it all!   (Genesis 1)
      People are stewards, not owners. (Matt. 25)
      Stewardship is a learned behavior. (I Tim.6)
Teach stewardship regularly.   
      Time, talent, treasure
      Earn, give, save
Be an example and then “ask”.         
      
#8 Underestimating Spiritual Attack
Tough times come to ministry because:
      a.  We live in a fallen world.
      b.  We make foolish choices
      c.  We make sinful choices
      d.  We face spiritual battles.   Ephesians 6
2.  Church planting will suffer from all the above reasons.   Spiritual battle often comes as discouragement, fear or physical opposition.
Disarming Landmine #8
Develop and maintain your prayer team.
Do not give a “foot hold” to Satan.  Confess sin, stay humble, walk with Christ.
Times of fasting and prayer.
Times of prayer for healing and deliverance.


#9  Premature Launch
Most churches do not grow large because they do not plan on it from the start.
Moving too quickly to public worship takes all the energy and resources of the people and pastor.
The pastor often feels the urgency to have worship services when they should feel the urgency for evangelism and discipleship.

Disarming Landmine #9
Establish small groups as simple and reproducible “house churches”.    
Develop multiple house churches before a larger public gathering.
Develop multiple house church leaders to build your leadership team structure.
Focus on evangelism, discipleship and personal relationships with non-believers.
Start public worship after several house churches