Last week I shared some thoughts on raising funds for a new church plant (click here for that post), and today I’d like to tackle another issue that’s vital in starting a new church… LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION.

Once you’ve confirmed the call of God to plant a church, securing a meeting location is one of the most important – and sometimes most challenging – tasks on your agenda.

Here are a few “do’s and don’t's” to finding just the right place for your new church to meet:

• DO clarify your target area. Has God called you to a specific community or neighborhood?  Is there one part of town where you just know you’re supposed to be?In searching for a meeting location, you don’t want to venture much further than 5-10 minutes outside of your target area, so you need to have that target area fairly well-defined.
• DO look for locations that are familiar to the people you’re trying to reach. Ask around and observe people’s patterns, then use that to give you some ideas.Since you’re brand new, people won’t be familiar with you so you want to make sure they’re at least familiar with your location.  The familiarity factor is why some of the best meeting locations for a church plant are schools, movie theaters and community centers.
• DO ask God for eyes to see beyond the “obvious.” Sometimes an answered prayer for “fresh eyes” is just what you need to find your next meeting location.There is a tendency to lock in on one or two potential meeting spaces to the neglect of dozens of others.  Block out some time, take a drive and ask God to open your eyes to the possibilities.
• DON’T make a rush decision on a meeting location. Your new church’s meeting location is very important and not to be decided lightly.If God has called you to this area, then He has also picked out just the right meeting place for His new church!
• DON’T ever stop looking for meeting locations. It’s a good idea to keep a running list of potential places to meet for as long as your church is portable.You never know when a sudden growth in attendance, a school board policy change or an excessive rental rate hike might have you scrambling for a different space, so it helps to stay ahead of the curve.

Church planting is an exercise in faith… And sometimes it’s in that moment just before you give up that He’ll lead you to the location you were hoping for all along!

P.S. If you’re starting a church I want to give you more than $85.00 of Church Planting Resources for FREE.  Click here to download yours today!

I get the distinct pleasure of investing in a lot of church planters through our ministry here at Church Leader Insights.  In fact, we give away thousands of dollars worth of resources to church planters every week (click here for more info).

That means I get to hear all sorts of stories – some good and some bad – and answer A LOT of questions.

One question that we’re asked pretty regularly involves funding a new church plant – especially in a “less than ideal” economic environment.

Here are a few tips that will help you raise the funds that your new church will need to launch and become healthy as soon as possible:

• Pray over, plan and polish your vision and strategy before you start trying to raise funds. Nothing says “I won’t be a good steward of your financial support” like not having a plan.  The more serious you are about the process, the more likely others will be to take you seriously.
• Put together a list of everyone you think might possibly have a heart for what you’re doing, complete with their contact information. You never know who might be willing to support the new work until you begin asking. Intentionally carve out time on your calendar to call, call, visit and call some more.
• Ask clearly and boldly! Remember that you’re giving people an opportunity to invest in God’s Kingdom work – don’t back into the question about financial support or say no on their behalf. Paint the picture of what God is doing, ask boldly, and await their answer.
• Don’t let ‘no’ defeat you. If God has called you to start a new church, He has also made available just the right resources to fulfill that calling.  When you’ve clearly and boldly asked and someone says no, move on to the next person on your list.
• Be creative to expand your list of potential supporters. When someone says ‘yes’ and agrees to support your new church, ask them if they know of two or three others who may be willing to partner with you.  When someone believes in you and your work, they may very well know others who will too.
• Don’t burn your bridges. That church that wasn’t willing to partner with you two months ago (before you had anyone else on board), may be willing to help now that they see others doing so.  A ‘no’ today doesn’t necessarily mean a ‘no’ forever.
• Over-communicate your gratitude. When someone agrees to partner with your new church send them a handwritten thank you note immediately.  That shows that you truly are thankful and serves to reinforce the commitment they just made to the new church. And send another note (with an update on the work) each time you receive a check from them.

A mentor of mine told me many years ago that, “If you’re the lead pastor (or church planter), you ARE the chief fund raiser for your church… Get over it!”

If you truly believe in the new church that God has called you to start, then you’ll be asking people to come to your church, give their lives to Christ, give financially, serve in the church, join the church and so on and so forth.

You might as well use this time to learn to be a “Master Asker.”

P.S. My friend and Coaching Alum Jimmy Britt mentioned this and a lot of other good tips for church planters in a recent post on his blog — Click Here to Read.

P.P.S. If you’re planting a church right now (or in the near future), I want to give you more than $85.00 in Church Planting Resources – including “Funding Your Church Plant.”  Click Here to Get Your Resources Now.

Since we planted The Journey and especially since my book Launch: Starting a New Church from Scratch came out, I’ve gotten a lot of inquiries and questions about what’s involved in starting a new church.

One of the more frequently asked questions is about Demographics.  It’s normally asked something like this: “I know I need to learn more about the people in the area where we’re starting a church (age, family makeup, income, etc.) but how do I get that information?”

Here are four solid sources of demographic information:

1) Your denomination.  If you’re affiliated with a denomination, you can check with them to see what’s available — many denominations will provide you with demographics free of charge.  For example, Southern Baptist churches can obtain free demographics through the North American Mission Board.

2) Another free source of demographics is ZIPskinny.com.  This site is helpful for seeing basic demographics and projections.

3) The Leavell Center of Evangelism in New Orleans offers a more comprehensive set of demographics for a very reasonable cost.

4) The best reports that I’ve seen can be obtained from The Percept Group.  They’re a little more costly, but they are easily the most extensive and useful on this list.

Church Planter: Let me encourage you – no matter where you get your demographic information – make it your aim to learn everything you possibly can about the people God has called you to reach.

This will have far-reaching benefits, from promotion and advertising to ministry strategy to planning your preaching, all combining to help you and your new church be as effective as possible!

P.S. Are you planting a church?  I’d like to give you more than $85.00 of church planting resources to help you in getting started.  Sign up for yours by clicking here.

I’m wrapping up a my 3 part series of posts today about those characteristics that are essential for a church planter to be successful. You can read the first 2 posts here and here.

Drum roll please… Here are the final three:

7. Must be Motivated and Driven to Succeed

I spend a lot of time in my church planting resources (The Call of a Church Planter, Launch, The Launch Conference, etc.) talking about clarifying your CALL to plant a church.

I do that because – like every seasoned church planter I know – there have been many times, situations and obstacles over the years that would have served as the perfect opportunity to quit if it weren’t for knowing that God called me to do this.

And once you’ve clarified your call, you can harness that as motivation to do whatever it takes to make this new church a success.

8. Must be Willing to Embrace the “Inner Entrepreneur”

One of the reasons that church planting has had such an abysmal failure rate is that it requires a different skillset than most other areas of ministry.

You can be a great preacher, care-giver and Bible study leader and still fail at planting a church because you have to be able to start something from nothing.

There is no boss to set your hours, hand you a to-do list or scold you for slacking off — if you’re not a self-starter, your church planting experience is likely to be unpleasant (and brief).

9. Must be Enthusiastic about this New Church

Somewhere along the line, God called you to play a role in the frontlines of writing redemptive history, helping people cross over from death to eternal life by planting a church.

With that in mind, there is no excuse not to be passionate about what you’re doing.

This isn’t about a certain type of personality so much as it is about enjoying the work to which God has called you.

Be passionate about your city. Be passionate about the people God has called you to reach. And beyond all that, be passionate about doing whatever it takes to introduce people to Jesus!

What are some other characteristics that you think belong on this list? Click the “Ask Nelson” button on the right side of this blog and send me your addition to the list.

P.S. Are you currently planting a new church? I’d like to give you more than $85.00 in Free Church Planting Resources. Get yours by clicking here.

Yesterday I started a series of posts (click here to read Part 1) about the characteristics of a successful church planter.  Here are the next few:

4. Must Display Confidence and Optimism about the Task at Hand

I am constantly amazed by how many church planters (and pastors) I meet who are pessimistic and insecure. It makes me wonder who they’re working for.

Church Planter, if the God of the universe has tapped you on the shoulder and called you to start a new church… walk, talk and act in the confidence that He knows what He’s doing (even if you’re not always completely sure)!

5. Must be Diligent

There are seasons in church planting where it feels like your church is never going to grow. Other times, you’ll wonder if there will ever be enough money to do what you think you need to do.

You need to develop the persistence to keep doing the right things and calling out to God to do what only He can do. The breakthroughs that follow these periods are some of the greatest joys of starting a new church. And you’ll only experience them if you’re persistent

6. Must be a Voracious Learner

In all of the hustle and bustle of starting a new church, one of the “easiest” ways to save a little time is to cut down on your reading and training opportunities. This is a move that will come back to bite you sooner than you realize.

If you’re not growing, your church won’t grow for long.

We live in a time when there are more books, resources, audio training and coaching available for pastors and church planters than ever before… now is the time to develop lifelong learning habits that will serve you for the rest of your ministry.

P.S. Are you currently planting a new church? I’d like to give you more than $85.00 in Free Church Planting Resources. Get yours by clicking here.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – starting a new church is an heroic venture and, if God has called you to it, there’s nothing else like it.

I was reading this post and it sparked that there are also 9 Characteristics of a Church Planter:

1. Must Complement Vision by Working toward Goals, Setting Up Accountability and Maintaining Discipline

God-inspired vision is essential in starting a church that will make an impact for His Kingdom. However, vision alone (like talent) is never enough.

Church Planter, you must be able to set goals and work toward achieving them, hold yourself accountable (and enlist others to help you do so) and demonstrate the discipline to stay focused on doing the little things to pursue that vision in the midst of challenges and pressure from all sides.

2. Must be Willing to Change without Losing Determination

Show me a church planter who has never failed and I’ll show you one who has never taken a risk. The key to long term effectiveness is “failing forward;”

When something doesn’t work or circumstances change, you must be willing to adapt without losing hope or throwing in the towel. Like the old Timex watch commercials, can you “take a lickin’ and keep on tickin’?”

3. Must Understand and Embrace True Creativity

Creativity is sometimes pigeon-holed into how flashy your postcards are or how fancy your website is, but true creativity is essential to success in church planting. Inflexibility has been the downfall of many a new church.

You have to be creative in managing your time, solving problems, connecting with those you’re trying to reach and communicating God’s Word to your people.

Check back tomorrow, when I’ll be sharing the next 3 characteristics.

P.S. One of the best ways to hold yourself accountable is to be a part of a network of other pastors who are committed to growing as well.  My next Senior Pastor Tele-Coaching Network (it begins on February 18) might be a good fit for you – click here for more information.

P.P.S. Are you currently planting a new church? I’d like to give you more than $85.00 in Free Church Planting Resources. Get yours by clicking here.

Are you planting a new church?

Following God’s call to start a new church is a heroic task and I have a standing offer to give you more than $85.00 in church planting resources for FREE!

Your free resources include:

	The Call of a Church Planter ($23.95 Value)
	Funding Your Church Plant ($23.95 Value)
	Launching Large ($13.95 Value)
	Starting Small Groups from Scratch ($23.95 Value)

To sign up for your FREE Church Planting Resources, simply click on the link below and follow the directions:

FREE STUFF FOR CHURCH PLANTERS

This is Kerrick Thomas (Executive & Teaching Pastor at The Journey and co-author of Launch and Activate.

Nelson asked me to address a key question that we are often asked by church planters: When should we begin small groups?

Our standard answer to that question is to wait until you have over 100 people attending before beginning small groups, but I thought I’d go a little further today to elaborate on the “why” behind the “when.”

So, why wait to start small groups?

Reason #1 - When you are first starting a church, you should  not expend the energy required to get small groups started in the first 6 months regardless of how big you grow.

There is just too much to do for a church planter that early in the process.  We recommend get your other systems under control at the beginning of the new church before moving on to small groups.

Systems like the Worship Planning System, the Assimilation System and the Evangelism System are foundational to a healthy start of a church, and they deserve your focus and energy before Small Groups.

Reason #2 - When you have fewer than 100 people your church basically is a  small group.  Everyone knows everyone anyway – so the importance of  small groups is minimized.

It’s okay to start small groups if you are still under 100 if you’ve been going for over a year.  Ideally you would have grown past 100, but even if you are running 50-80 people you can begin small groups and see positive spiritual fruit.

The whole idea behind holding off boils down to this:  It’s best to wait to begin small groups until you can implement and facilitate them effectively, right from the start.

I hope that helps!

Blessings…

Kerrick

P.S. Adam Bishop and I are about to begin a brand new Small Groups Pastor Tele-Coaching Network in just a few weeks.  For more information and to download an application, CLICK HERE.

This is Kerrick Thomas – I serve as the Executive Pastor at The Journey Church in NYC and co-author of Launch: Starting a New Church from Scratch. Here’s an answer I sent recently to a church planter that Nelson asked me to share today:

Q: We started our church this past Easter and we’re only running about 20 people.

I realize now that I didn’t do enough promotion/marketing for a large launch. I only used free newspaper press release and a christian radio station. We are have a hard time during the summer months and I need to raise money to restart our marketing (we’d like to do a 10-15,000 piece mailing, cable TV advertising, etc).

We have a good location, worship and we are able to sustain as we have jobs. I feel our biggest issue is we need to get the message out better, but money is the issue. We meet in a nice school gym and we are wondering how important the environment is, as we have had a number of visitors, but we believe either from the environment or because there isn’t enough people, they aren’t coming back.

I guess my biggest question is ‘What is the best way to do a restart?’ Any thoughts and help would be appreciated.

A: First of all – if you haven’t yet - I would encourage you to pick up the church planting book that Nelson and I wrote called “Launch: Starting a New Church from Scratch.” It has our thoughts on almost every question you ask in your e-mail. You can pick it up here:

http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/0830743103/thejouchu-20

I think you would find it helpful if you haven’t read it before.

Now to answer some of your questions:

1) My first thought is that if you are starting a brand new church – your goal should be to reach the unchurched and those who don’t know Jesus. Because of that – I would strongly urge you not invest your valuable and limited evangelism budget on Christian radio. Most everyone who listens to Christian radio is already connected to a church. If it was free then that is okay.

2) I think you are right that you should re-start if you are averaging 20 people each week and don’t have funds. What we recommend in Launch is 6-weeks of monthly services that lead up to the launch of weekly services. And during that time – you make an effort to raise money (we give suggestions in Launch), reach people, create systems and get better and better at all aspects of the Sunday service.

Even if you’ve already launched weekly services – it’s not too late to give it another shot. We’ve had churches who did monthly services and launched weekly and didn’t do well. Then stopped weekly – did 6 more monthly – re-launched and now are successfully reaching people.

What if you moved back to monthly services beginning the week after school starts in your area. Do 6 monthly services until February. Use that time to do the things I mention above. And ramp up the promotion/evangelism for your launch with each succeeding monthly service. And then use most of your funds to promote the launch of your weekly services in February 2010. (Be sure you don’t launch on a holiday).

The good part of that is that Easter will not be too far away and Easter gives you a chance for a 2nd big day and sort of a 2nd launch before summer arrives.

You would just need to take the group of people you have now and cast vision to them about the new vision and make them into your new “Launch Team” with the goal of launching with more people in February, 2010.

Now – that’s just my initial thought. Obviously I don’t know all the details of your situation.

3) Finally you ask about the environment. It’s hard for me to comment on without seeing it. But a few thoughts:

• (a) Location is most important. It your location well known to your target audience, easy to get to, is there enough parking, etc. Is it in the center of the area you are trying to reach.
• (b) I’ve seen many churches grow in school gyms and auditoriums. Ask a friend that you trust to come to a service as a first time guest (as if they didn’t know you) and ask for their feedback. But gyms can be very welcoming.
• (c) To make a school atmosphere more welcoming – be sure you have friendly greeters, good signage outside and inside and use pipe and drape to make the atmosphere more warm and welcoming. If you only have 20 people in a full sized gym it might seem weird – but there are things that you can do to make the gym feel smaller, more intimate and eliminate the weird feeling.

Again – those are just my initial thoughts. I hope they are helpful and at least get you to thinking. Again – I think a careful reading of Launch would be helpful if you are not familiar with some of the principles we include there.

Know that we’re praying for you!

God bless…

Kerrick

P.S. Are you planting a new church?  I’d like to give you more than $75 in free resources to help you — CLICK HERE.

When The Journey first got started we signed up for a program that offered us a free color laser printer from Xerox – it was a great deal and it really helped us.  There was only one catch to the program: we had to buy the ink from them.  But we would have had to buy ink anyway!

On top of the free printer itself, they were really on the ball with tech support (included as part of the program).  It was a great way for us, even as a young church, to be able to print in-house with good quality (and color).

Here’s some info on the program:

Since 1999, Xerox has given away over 10,000 color printers to nonprofit and religious organizations. This free printer program was designed to help ecumenical and nonprofit organizations like yours afford a high-quality, in-house printing solution that produces vivid color materials that get attention and engage church members, donors, volunteers, students and the public. Print your Sunday bulletins, programs, newsletters, prayer cards, sheet music, educational materials, letterhead and more…for less!

If you are selected for the program, you will receive:

• A new Xerox Phaser® 8560/DN business class color printer
• Free 3 year warranty with onsite service and technical phone support
• Free delivery of the printer
• High-quality ink at competitive prices

To see if your church qualifies, complete a no cost, no obligation application at www.FreeColorPrinters.com and enter the referral code 769703

P.S. If you’re a Church Planter looking for free stuff, I’d like to give you more than $75 in resources to help you get started – CLICK HERE.