One Regret As a Church Planter

If I have any regrets from my time as a church planter, it's...

confusing the work to do ministry
with the work of ministry

We set up and tore down every week in a hotel ballroom, a school, and then a movie theater... and the people who did it were amazing. I'll never forget their partnership in ministry.

But when I think back to the times when we met for special events in an actual church building with no set-up required, there was always a spirit of rest and warmth that hung over us.

Setting up portable environments is vital. We can't start churches in an excellent way without it. But there should be a constant re-engineering to reduce the work to do ministry.

Trouble is... we'd much rather have the work to do ministry than the work of ministry because it's easier. Seriously. We might sweat a bit more lugging bins into the building each week.

But doing the work of ministry brings those awkward phone calls, relational sacrifice, prayer, unmet expectations and heart-ache. Ugh, most of us will take "church pit-crew" duty any day.

Comments

[Brian Ayers]

Ben:
A great reminder... and not just for church plants!

Those of us who work in a large churches with their own big buildings don't have to set-up all the things that we would if we met in a school or theater, but there are still plenty of things to worry about; plenty of things to seal our attention and energy if we are not careful. We too have to be intentional about making sure we do the work of ministry and not just the work to do ministry.

[Matt Brough]

Preached yesterday on gifts using Ephesians 4 - apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastors, teachers are to equip the saints to do ministry. A lot of the time we get it the other way around - the saints do the grunt work, expecting the staff to do the ministry. We are trying to make a real shift in our small church plant to get the people to do ministry, rather than "just volunteering" to set up, or greet, or whatever on Sunday mornings. That's all important stuff, but its only about enabling ministry to happen. Great Post!

[Sam Mahlstadt]

wow. great insight on the "to do" of ministry. it's generally financially necessary for a church-plant, but it seems to be the status quo of many new churches, meet in a rented facility...because that's what you do. then there's churches like Elevation Church and National Community Church doing it so well and being effective in the spotlight, even when they don't "need" to meet in rented facilities. Batterson says it's part of NCC's DNA. I wonder how many other churches meeting in rented venues can honestly say that. could it be a new trend to not meet in a "church" building? maybe if we were more generous with our buildings and did more than hold services and office hours in them, our effectiveness would increase.

[jamey johnson]

Ben, I still come across leaders who don't really care about the "environment." Set-up and tear down...why? Let God be God, and be happy you have a space!!! I'm bring a little dramatic, but environment does matter. And it does take a great team of people to set up great environments. Blessings bro.

[Allan W.]

I read this a while ago and wanted to come back to it.

Our heritage has some drawbacks, but I do love the way my church (pumpchurch.org) does a capella worship. While our parents may have done it for obscure theological or traditional reasons, we embrace it because we love it - we love how inclusive it is and how it brings us all together.

After working with and visiting churches that do "big worship", what I haven't realized is how simple and portable it makes church. Our setup is minimalist (we're sort of a startup, and meet in a house); a projector and a PA and we're set.

Don't get me wrong - I love worship in all forms, instrumental or not (our generation could really care less. It's just not an issue for us). However, I'm starting to see the benefit in simplicity. It does leave our key people more time to minster and fellowship.

PS - Matt, love your comment, lots to think about there. Great thread!

[David]

Ben - I fully get the heart of your post and support it 100% -- kind of a Business replacing Love sort of thing.

But I'd like to throw in another slant. What about those who really dig manual labor (set-up, etc.). In our church-plant (1997), the team that did set-up deeply connected as the did what they all loved, labor, as an act of service to God and others. When the building was built, some asked if they could still do set-up or early-hours cleaning or something. They just enjoyed physical labor as serving.

If they weren't connecting with other humans, then I'd be leary of activity over love/'ministry.' But for many of these men and women, the ones who aren't huge talkers in particular, it was a most-enjoyable way for them to serve (most were in some form of tight-community connection, also).

Diggin' your blog in Seattle,
David

[Allan W.]

David, great points. It'd be interesting to see that shaped into a ministry unto itself, for those who like that sort of service and as a community-builder for that group. Just putting some proactive thought into it could really make it something.