Witnessing Tips for the Shy Christian

“I’m super introverted, really shy, and would rather be alone than with others. Sharing my faith is hard for me!” I hear this all the time! This does not describe me, but it is close! I am comfortable in front of people, need human connection, and desire relationships with others, but…

I tend to get overwhelmed in very large groups.

I do not speak first in places where I’m new or unfamiliar.

I have an “on” personality and an “off” one. When I’m speaking, leading, teaching, or representing my work I’m “on.” This tends to drain me. The “off” Toby can be found alone in my car, at home, or with people that I can literally say anything without judgment. I’m filled up in this way.

Most people can describe themselves in this way (sort of!). Many times we use our personality as an excuse to not share the gospel. We talk to strangers about everything, but the one thing that really matters. We don’t have to a pastor, an evangelist, or be gifted in sharing our faith. We are all called to share! (See Matthew’s gospel and how he bookends his work with Jesus’ statements in 4:19 and 28:18-20. We are called by Him to follow and to obey Him!)

Here are 7 different methods of evangelism you might try as a shy Christian:

  1. Tract Distribution: Let’s pretend you are on a fixed income, do not leave the house very often, and are not confident in your ability to share the Gospel. Tract distribution may be the ministry for you! If you only give out 10 per week and only one person came to Christ for every 1,000 tracts you gave out, you’d have won a person to Christ every 2 years doing this ministry! The GNFY! tracts only cost around .07 each. This is a yearly cost to you of only $37. Imagine if 75 people at your local church did this. In the span of 10 years, your church would win over 750 people to Christ simply by sharing a tract. You might say, “That’s not very realistic.” You might be right, but what if I’m half/quarter/eighth correct? Still pretty good! Frank Jenner is a great example of this type of ministry!
    • Leave them at the gas pump.
    • Give them to a waiter/waitress with a generous tip.
    • Hand them to people at the doctor’s office. One of my mentors would visit the oncologists office each week to pray for the patients and hand out Good News For You! booklets. Everyone was so happy to see him and receive a book.
    • Set up a “Free, Take One” box at funeral homes, hospitals, and with friends who own shops.
    • Put them in library books as a bookmark for the next person.
    • Give them to people who knock on your door. Keep a small stash by the door and be ready! My friend Matt has an evangelism rule he calls, “The Homestead Rule.” If you step on his property, he is going to share the gospel with you.
    • Ask your cashier, “Did you receive one of these today?”
  2. Prayer Evangelism 
  • Prayer bookmarks-Use my Fisherman’s Prayer bookmark to record up to nine lost/unchurched names on one side and four evangelistic prayer points on the back.
  • Ask people, “How can I pray for you today?” As you pray for their need/request, include the gospel.
  • Invitation to pray via social media
  • Prayer/evangelistic thank you notes
  • Organize an evangelistic prayer team at church before the service
  1. One on One Discipleship/D-Groups
  • Intentionally training other believers to share their faith (you are encouraged too!)
  • Start a cohort with others-read a book together (one chapter a month with a different person leading) You might choose theology, missions, evangelism, leadership, or any other topic. I’ve used Brock’s Good News For You! seven-week Bible study and have done this one-on-one and in groups of 5-10.
  1. Booth Evangelism-Set up a table and offer free gospel materials at: (Okay, maybe this one pushes the limit for you, but maybe not! Set up a table, provide materials, take a seat and smile.)
  • Set up at your local mall.
  • Outside gas stations and Dollar Stores (My friend Ryan got permission to set up outside a Wal-Mart and was able to share the gospel freely!)
  • Community events such as festivals, health screenings, or parade
  1. Social media evangelism 
  • Post your testimony and ask those interested to PM you for more information.
  • Share evangelistic videos produced by others.
  • Share evangelistic Bible verses.
  1. Neighbor Evangelism
    • Most of us don’t know our neighbors very well. Use www.blesseveryhome.com to pray for five different neighbors everyday. As you pray for them, you can use their platform to help you keep track of those you’ve prayed, shared, and discipled.
    • Use the major holidays throughout the year to drop off a gift, ask for prayer requests, or share the hope you have in Christ.
    • Pay attention to special events in the lives of your neighbors: births, graduations, new movers, etc. Congratulate your neighbor, offer help, and use a Pocket Testament League Gospel of John to share the hope you have in Christ.
  2. Online Platforms
    • NeedHim.org provides a great way for you to share your faith by text, chat, or if you are feeling saucy; by phone! It takes about an hour or so to sign up and you can chat for an hour in the evening, before work, or take 30 minutes on your lunch break to practice sharing with people from all over the world.

Church Planting Helps Us All Grow

4 Ways Planting a Church Helps Us All Grow

I recently had a meeting with a few partnering church pastors who were enthusiastic about a new sister church being planted several miles from their location. One of the pastors said, “We are glad they are planting in our town! They will reach people in ways we aren’t equipped or unable to. We need to learn from them and work to be an excellent partner!” Praise the Lord!!

These existing church pastors understand their communities are over 80% lost/unchurched and are working to build upon the strengths of their local body to do their best to make a Kingdom impact. They also understand they can work with others to see a better Kingdom impact. One of the best-known ways to reach a community with the gospel is by planting a new church. Here are four ways all churches in an area benefit from a local church plant:

All benefit evangelistically

When a new church is planted, they are excited to share the gospel with as many people as they can in ways you’ve tried and ways you haven’t thought of yet. Seeing the evangelistic zeal of others often prompts us to be more evangelistic. We get encouraged to hear another church is seeing people come to Christ and being discipled. We want the same excitement in our church! 

All benefit numerically

As the new church shares the gospel and begins to grow, so do their partnering churches and neighboring churches, as all are excited to be a part of what God is doing. People want to join in where there is excitement! Seeing new churches being planted prompts us to think about our context. “Can we start a new discipleship group or a Bible study?” “Do we need another ministry where members are more gifted or there is a community need?” This excitement can lead to Kingdom growth for all. What if our church isn’t seeing numerical growth? We praise Jesus that He is blessing a sister church and their efforts! 

All benefit spiritually

When new churches are regularly being planted in our community, we can partner together to grow spiritually. Believers in all congregations are digging into scripture and learning how the first churches and missionaries multiplied themselves. They cry out to God on behalf of the lost and the communities around them. They are also are growing more robust in the Lord. Planting and partnering with plants tend to cause believers to hone the gifts they already have and help them desire to be challenged in others with which they are weak.

All benefit missionally

Part of our worship of the Lord is being faithful missionaries to our own families, neighborhoods, workplaces, communities, and beyond. Learning to understand better how communities are reached through church planting helps us all grow to be better missionaries. Acts 13:1-5 is one of my favorite missional passages that describes a church purposely sending missionaries out and bringing a young intern (Mark) with them. 

If you would like more information on developing a strategy to plant a church or partner with a church planter, please contact me by filling out the form here. Here is the link to the Kentuckytoday.com article featured on 18 Feb 2022.

A Conversation with Pastor Jake Davidson: Covocational/Bivocational Church Planting

Covo and Bivocational Church Planting: 3 Lessons From Jake Davidson

In the fall of 2021 I interviewed church planter Jake Davidson of New Beginnings Baptist Church in Pembroke. NBBC is a part of the Christian County Baptist Association and is partnering with the association, the KBC, and others to reach the lost with the gospel. As we talked, three main principles kept coming to the top: church planters must be Focused in their Evangelism, Be Thankful in their Covo/Bivocational Work, and always Learning.

Jake is a very evangelistic pastor. His sermons are centered around the gospel, he teaches evangelistic principles to those attending NBBC, and schedules time each week with his church to go into the community and share their faith. One member told me, “before coming to NBBC, I wasn’t sure how to share my faith or how people would receive me. After going out on Wednesdays with my pastor, I feel confident to share with anyone!” Jake and the church are praying that the Lord will give them relationships with those in the military community as Pembroke is very close to Fort Campbell. Pastor Darrell Crawford of Living Hope Baptist in Hopkinsville is very excited to be partnering with Jake and NBBC as their sending church. “Jake loves sharing the gospel with people. If you’re not sharing the gospel, you can’t plant a church.”

Jake and his wife Ashley are very grateful for the business that the Lord has allowed them to run from their home. Jake says this has not only provided for their needs, but has given them a way to work together to raise their children at home. “There is no way we could have started this church without having the freedom to work like we do. The Lord provides for our needs through our church, partners like our sending and supporting churches, the KBC, and our business. It’s through our business that that the Lord gave that we are really able to provide food and keep our household running.” Together, they design and build custom seat cushions using the Etsy platform. You can support them at https://www.etsy.com/shop/TheDavidsonDesign.

Jake is also an avid learner. He is working to complete his MDiv from Gateway Seminary and gave this advice to anyone in ministry: “I highly encourage other bivocational pastors to keep getting as much education as possible. It’s grown me spiritually, taught me how to exegete scripture, and how to lead. God uses the current classes I’m taking for situations I’m encountering. I’m thankful for the KBC’s partnership with Clear Creek Baptist Bible College and their Certificate Program for Bivo pastors. Programs like this one and the one I’m going through are excellent for church planters.”

Jake mentioned the amount of spiritual warfare he encountered was unexpected. “Satan will go after you, your wife, and your family. God has grown us through it and has blessed our family. If you are praying about planting a church, be ready for spiritual warfare. Satan will attack you.” When asked how Kentucky Baptists can partner with him and the church, he said, “We ask for and need your prayers. We are small and don’t need much right now. Evangelism is free and we have plenty of work to do, but we need prayer partners.” If you’d like to sign up to pray for planters like Jake Davidson, please visit http://www.kybaptist.org/pray4.

Please see the full KentuckyToday article here.

“Too Small to Send?” 7 ways every church can train church planters

Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied. (Acts 9:31 NKJV)

Chapter nine of Acts provides the account of Saul’s miraculous transformation through the power of the gospel to Paul the Apostle. He went from breathing threats and murder (9:1) against the disciples to being called Brother Saul (9:17) by Ananias. This new believer, anointed by the Lord to boldly bring the gospel to the nations, was strengthened by the church and IMMEDIATELY going to preach Christ in the Jewish synagogues. What an amazing transformation!! What a testimony from a group of believers supporting, loving, and encouraging one who is sent!!

How can the rural or smaller church do the same today? Is it possible that a body of 20-60 believers encourage, equip, and send in the same way? Let’s take a look at Acts 9:19-22:

So when he had received food, he was strengthened. Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus. Immediately he preached the Christ in the synagogues, that He is the Son of God. Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?” But Saul increased all the more in strength, and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.

How can the smaller church partner with a planter or one who is sent/being sent (I use the phrase “being sent” because all churches are tasked with not only supporting/sending, but making disciples. Every church needs to do their best at identifying and training the next generation of leaders.)? Here are some principles that all churches can follow:

  1. Every church can provide strength to those sent/being sent. (So when he had received food he was strengthened) Every believer needs to learn more about scripture, the gifts that God has given them, and have a safe place in which they can do these things. Every church can provide ways to practice ministry while encouraging, equipping, and giving helpful feedback to those eager to learn. If the Lord has not provided your church with a hungry disciple, open your doors to local/regional church planters who want to learn how to preach, teach, or evangelize. Give them much love, grace, and be a place they will remember with fondness 20 years from now!
  2. Every church should provide an atmosphere of learning/training. (Then Saul spent some days with the disciples at Damascus) Churches big and small should be practicing a 2 Tim 2:2 ministry of looking for and teaching faithful men (women) who are able to do the same. This starts with creating a learning/training culture. Does each leader have an “apprentice,” is there an expectation that the church will assist financially with those who may desire theological or practical ministry training? By creating this type of atmosphere, those who may feel an internal call from the Lord will not be left guessing if their local body will support them outwardly. While you are praying for one among you to be sent, putting steps in place that allow you to partner with a “sent one” in the neighboring town/county.
  3. Every church can encourage those gifted in missionary work to practice their gifts. (Immediately he preached the Christ) Give those who are learning an opportunity to preach, teach, lead, or organize. Give them some basic guidelines, act as a coach, and praise them for a job well done! When the task is complete spend some time asking questions like, “What went well?” “What would you have done differently?” “Did you achieve the goal you set?” Paul was very gifted in preaching, discipling new leaders, and defending the faith because he boldly practiced. Ask those who are mentoring new disciples in the church next door to include your church in some of their exercises. They will get a chance to practice and you will get a chance to learn how others are training disciples.
  4. Every church should learn about and understand their context. (in the synagogues) Paul knew the Jewish culture better than those around him (Phil 3:4-6). How well do you know your Jerusalem? Order a free demographic study from your Baptist convention, do a “windshield survey,” or do a 300-500 home door to door canvasing in the spring or fall. Better yet, do all three and sit down with some key leaders to review what each of you have learned to share collectively with the church. You will be surprised how many churches think they know their context, but are surprised of what they find when they dig. Help those in your church who feel led to “go” understand the basics of cultural exegesis. You can partner with the church planter in your area by offering help for his door to door efforts by going, writing follow-up cards, praying, or simply asking their sending church how you can help.
  5. Every church needs to focus on preaching and teaching a biblical gospel. (that He is the Son of God) We get the cart before the horse when we create a plan and tack this on to the end. Paul understood who Jesus was and clearly preached the gospel to the Jewish people. He also had a group of believers who encouraged him as he was doing so. Is your church clearly articulating the gospel in Bible study classes, small groups, one on one, and in the worship service? If you asked each of those attending on a Sunday morning, “What is the gospel?” what would they say to you? The gospel is a first tier issue and should not only be clearly communicated, it should be expected that those who are training for ministry be able to articulate is as well. Ask a sister church to send you one of their apprentices, planters, collegiate ministry assistants, or new disciples to do a training on sharing the gospel. Your church will be blessed and encouraged as well as the one teaching.
  6. Every church can encourage believers to embrace their personal testimony. (Then all who heard were amazed, and said, “Is this not he who destroyed those who called on this name in Jerusalem, and has come here for that purpose, so that he might bring them bound to the chief priests?) I felt out of place for the longest time in the church due to my testimony. I didn’t run wild in the streets as a teen, steal my neighbor’s car for a joy ride, or spray paint the school purple. My testimony prior to my conversion was not spectacular. It took me awhile to be okay with the fact that my testimony is my testimony. One day while on lunch break I was flipping through the radio and stopped on a radio preacher. While he preached I grew convicted that while I had told people I was a Christian, I had not truly received Christ and was not born again. The weight of my sin was so heavy that I cried out to God for forgiveness in my truck and was born again. Your testimony is probably different and it’s yours! Embrace it. Learn to share it and encourage others to share theirs. An easy way to find those who are “faithful men/women” (2 Tim 2:2) is to think about evangelism and discipleship in a two-part manner. 1). Has the person you are talking to been born again? You are sharing the gospel with them and learning where they are with the Lord. 2). If they are born again, are they currently being discipled by another, or are actively involved in a 2 Tim 2:2 ministry? Sit down with your local church planter and encourage them in their evangelism/disciplemaking ministry? Ask them about books they are reading, sermons to which they are listening, and favorite mentors they currently have in person or virtually.
  7. Every church can help those sent grow continually. (But Saul increased all the more in strength and confounded the Jews who dwelt in Damascus, proving that this Jesus is the Christ.) This one is very easy because it’s super practical. Your church can help the one among you who is called to go by buying him/her books, paying for all or a portion of a conference, or hosting a weekly/monthly study or encouragement group. You can ask them what the Lord is teaching them and praise them for being obedient to His calling. Amazon cards, Logos Bible Software gift cards, or a scholarship for an online class is super helpful! Your church can support your own 2 Tim 2:2 apprentice or send some love to a sister church who is doing a fabulous job with sending disciples.

Here is the link to the Kentuckytoday article…the shorter version. 🙂

Pastor Appreciation: Church Planter Edition

Looking for some ideas to encourage your pastor or group of elders? What about the church planter your church sent, supports, or that is in the town next door? Idea lists abound this time of year! Here are a few…

https://get.tithe.ly/blog/pastor-appreciation-month

https://www.lifeway.com/en/articles/homelife-pastor-appreciation-five-ways-to-say-thanks

7 Last-Minute Ideas for Pastor Appreciation Month

What not to do… 😉

What NOT to Get Your Pastor for Pastor Appreciation Month

What church planters want…

They want:

  1. Prayer. Please pray for them AND let them know you are praying for them. This is a good month to sign up to receive an email a week with a different planter and their prayer request. (www.kybaptist.org/pray4)
  2. A weekend off. Sending church or partnering churches…offer to preach for them. Take the initiative and ask them which weekend works for them. When you arrive, thank the church for their hard work, praise their pastor, and quietly leave a gift for the pastor and family.
  3. A gift card or gift related to a hobby they enjoy. Not one you think they enjoy, but one they actually enjoy.
  4. A meal away from home. You might need to watch some kids and do some sleuthing about his (and wife if married) favorite restaurant. Be sure to be generous enough that you know the entire meal and tip will be taken care of with the gift.
  5. Clothes! Find out where he enjoys shopping and get him a gift card.
  6. A money tree! These are fun and the planter and family can spend it on whatever they want.

If you are looking to bless one of our Kentucky Baptist church planting pastors this year, please contact me or check out this list online.

Discipleship “bait”

Several years ago a godly man gave me a sheet of paper and asked me to “read it and let me know what you think.” The paper was something like the below link I have included. It didn’t take me long to realize that he had threw out some bait and that I was going to bite down hard!

This “baiting tactic” is not a new one. Fishermen use it. Hunters do so; legally and illegally. And salespeople sometimes use a bait and switch. Bait can be seen as a counterfeit to the real thing, a trap, or even something with which to lure a possible sale or next meal. Bait can also be seen as something that piques or gauges interest; a helpful bait!

As a Christian I use various types of bait as I try to share the Good News of the gospel with those who may be far apart from Christ. It may take the form of a spiritual interest question or two. Gospel tracts are great pieces of bait. Those who have zero interest in spiritual things will tell you “no” right away to the offer of a tract! A simple question may serve as bait. The other day we had the windshield repair man working on one of our cars. He was super outgoing and talkative. I took the bold approach and asked him, “are you a Christian?” As soon as he answered conversationally, I could tell his heart was not ready for further spiritual conversation.

Using bait in a potential discipleship/making relationship is equally important. Remember the Great Commission from Matthew 28? Not only are we to go, but we are to make disciples:

And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. (bold are mine for emphasis, reflection, and serve as wonderful tools as you take one through this verse while describing active disciplemaking.)

For far too long I behaved as if this verse was optional, or for a specific set of believers; but not me. I never would have said that if confronted, but this is how I behaved practically. I am learning to treat discipleship with the same urgency as evangelism! Not only are the majority of people I meet far from Christ, those who have been born again (Jn 3:3) are not being discipled by a more mature believer nor are they discipling others in an intentional manner. Therefore, it’s safe to assume that almost everyone we meet will fall into either the category of “needs evangelizing,” or “needs to learn about discipling.”

One of the ways that I gauge interest regarding discipleship with new Christians is by asking basic questions: “What are you reading in the Bible right now?” “Are you attending a local church?” “What are you doing to grow in your faith?” Simple questions such as these enable me to guide the conversation and not only see where they are as a believer, but discern whether or not they are open to spending time with a more mature believer for the purpose of growing, fellowship, and eventual multiplication.

I often use the document below when discussing intentional disciplemaking with believers. The godly man who shared an earlier version with me said something like, “take a look at this when you get a chance. If it resonates with you, let me know and I’ll show you what another godly man has shown me.” Since then, I have updated this document to my own liking. It seems that each year I add or subtract as I prayerfully work to better clarify the need for believers to be in a one on one discipling relationship with a new or less mature believer. I have passed it out at discipleship training conferences, emailed it to pastors and friends, and am seeing wonderful results! Christians are hungry to learn to disciple another Christian! Most believers have not been taught how to disciple someone else and are intimidated. This simple training helps! I am now seeing disciples train disciples, who train disciples (2 Tim 2:2)!

Dr. Randy Craig from http://www.disciple-makers.org has graciously allowed me to publicly post this document that first came from his and Dr. Billie Hanks Jr.’s material. Please let me know if I can share more with you or if you’d like to join in on a Zoom call describing how to be a disciple who makes disciples. Blessings! Toby-Matt 4:19

2021one-on-one-discipleship-bait.docx-1Download

Practical Help for the New Church Planter

Those new to church planting ask a lot of questions. And they should! Here are a few ways I encourage new and prospective planters/replanters as they begin their journey.

1. Begin with prayer.

Pray while you read scripture and discern your calling. Pray that the Lord will make you a bold evangelist. You will not find a mandate to plant churches in scripture, but a mandate to evangelize and make disciples! Are you already doing this? Pray with your spouse and family. Do they feel the same calling? Are there any issues that you need to work out? Pray with your sending and/or partnering church(es). Are you seeking godly counsel from those who know you most and are willing to support you? Start a prayer network. A church planting mentor of mine told me that I needed at least 100 people willing to pray for me before I began. I would encourage you to do the same. It is best to speak in person or on the phone. A one-on-one connection is so encouraging! Church members, family, friends, coworkers, and neighbors are a good starting point. Ask them if they will allow you to send them a short monthly update. Utilize video, social media, a basic web site and other tools to allow people to pray for you. Keep it simple and set up a template to use each month. If I have to scroll through an email outside of work, I am very unlikely to read it all. Keep it short and sweet! A few helpful articles are found here and here.

2. Read, read, and read!

Read the Bible. Read it to receive instruction and encouragement regarding evangelism and disciple-making. Read it to receive wisdom as you focus on a target area/group. Read it to learn how to multiply yourself. Read it to remind yourself that wolves in sheep’s clothing WILL enter and cause destruction (some are wolves and others may be “well-intentioned dragons”). Read it to learn about biblical church discipline, polity, ecclesiology, soteriology, and biblical evangeliziolgy (Dr. Thomas P Johnston MBTS).

Read church planting books, blogs, articles, and journals. Reading these can help you steer clear of potential mines and trouble. Learn from those who have went before you!

Read material on disciple-making. Read books on overcoming discouragement. Read material that encourages you to care for your wife and family. Read for enjoyment and to refresh yourself. A friend of mine once told me, “I don’t have time to read.” When I asked him if he had time to watch TV at night, he changed his mind. Get up 30 minutes early and cut out 30 minutes of television at night. Read!

3. Evangelize regularly.

Make it a practice to share the gospel. Paul encouraged Timothy to “do the work of an evangelist” (2 Tim 4:5). Really, you are not a church planter; but an evangelist and disciplemaker. Churches come as a result of people being born again and desiring to grow, worship, and praise the Lord together. There’s no need to be legalistic, but set a goal for yourself. 1). How many times can you realistically share the gospel each week? 2). How many books would you like to read this year on the subject? 3). How many easy personal evangelism guidelines can you set up (Some of my guidelines are sharing the gospel with servers, using the homestead rule [if someone sets foot on your property-share the gospel!], and always keep gospel tracts on or around you.)? Friend, new churches reach more people for Christ than older, established ones! When pastors and elders create an evangelistic environment, believers will follow and lead their friends toward repentance and receiving Christ!

4. Disciplemaking

I believe each church planter should be discipling their families AND those the Lord has given them within the church. General disciplemaking can be done in small groups (Bible study), or D-groups. Christians should be looking for those that are “hungry’ as one of my mentors would tell me. I argue that these should be discipled in a one on one manner. I am not against using one on some or one on many disciplemaking models with those who are teachable (2 Tim 2:2). I am just convinced in the reproducible power comes with one on one disciplemaking. A wonderful example is found in the ministry of Dawson Trotman. Please check out this article and listen to the accompanying recording online. Every church planter needs to be pouring into faithful men who are able to teach others. Some good resources include scripture alone, the basic Bible study material at CGI, and the A Call to Joy/A Call to Growth Discipler’s Pack. I like the Call to Joy/Growth material because it takes a believer through the basics of the faith and shows them 1). how to feed themselves, 2). evangelize, and 3). models reproduction. It is a very good “train track” to guide you as you learn how to both be a disciple and disciple others in their faith.

5. Mentor/Coaching/Cohorts

Each of these have different purposes and I will encourage you to study the differences on your own. The purpose of my mentioning them is that the church planter be open to learning from those who have been there, receive regular feedback, and to join a small group of guys who are currently going through the same thing. Your state convention (Southern Baptists) or local association are good resources to get you started. If there are no church planting cohorts in your area, join one by video or start one: you are prone to that sort of thing anyway, right?!?!

6. Organize

Organized church planters often have an easier time getting started. The principle of “organization” just makes sense. When my home is organized, I am able to enjoy it more. I am able to find things in an organized work space. I know where to go this week because my calendar is clear and organized. As you begin to seek the Lord and pray regarding a future church plant, begin by organizing your time with the Lord in order to protect it from being overrun by other activities. Organize a concerted effort to evangelize and make disciples. Organize the beginning steps of understanding your context (order a demographic study, do several windshield studies in your car, begin to talk to local pastors and Associational Mission’s Strategists, speak to people about their perceived needs for their community, etc).

I hope these have been helpful for you as you seek to learn about your call to plant a church. I would love to be an encouragement to you on the journey the Lord has placed before you. Please reach out to me if you have any questions and I will do my best to answer them or point you to a resource that may help. Blessings to you as you serve our King!