Two MUST for church planting

I have been in church planting world for a while, here in Toronto in the past 5 years and back in Albania for some time (even we didn’t call it church planting). I’m reading continually, listen podcasts, been in some conferences. Many are like to to find the successful ingredients to make it happen. We ask people who have grown their church size, how they did it. We take notes, we share notes and we copy. Sometimes we are successful, other times we are not, so we go to the next conference or listen to the new guru of church planting. Some of us, give up. The rest continue, depressed, hopeful but always looking for that line where it is written – Arrival. We want every initiative to be be successful – we have invested and sacrificed. We want other people to tell us “you are one of the successful ones, you will come to our next conference and tell your story”.

How are know that? I’m there. I hear many pastors asking that dreadly question: “how many do you have?”

So I am asking myself for a long time: “Why I’m in this?” My simple answer and real is “bring the lost to the Kingdom”. I’m just the tool, the Spirit is the one who convinces them to repent. And unless the Spirit intervenes with or without me, people are cold.

So what can I do to bring people in? Specially the cold ones?

I have figured it out. Two things:

1- Love God

2-Love People

Love in undeniable but it is the most difficult thing to give if we don;t have it. And unfortunately, people notice it. THey might not word it out correctly, but we know that we lack in love.

If we truly love God as we say, pray and sing, we will do things differently for Him.

If we truly love people, specially the rude pagans, we have patience and we don;t work on our services but work on our patience to see seeds planted, watered and finally giving fruit.

If we call church planting-church gathering is not enough to conquer the darkness, even with the best worship team and the best communicator. Church planting must be church starting where Christ is not yet known. So don;t forget the two ingredients and take patience with you. He is with those who do it.