My ideas for a perfect North American Mission Board....
- I think it would be better for NAMB to start Well funded church starts with a minimum of 3 full-time staff members @ the beginning.
- Fund the church starts for at least 5 years! (I can't tell you how hard it is to see your bank account at zero and you only have 6 months left of funding.)
- Building Church Planting in the New Start's DNA. Have them start a daughter churches.
2. NAMB needs to be the Evangelism Guru's of the SBC.
I have several friends who work in the Evangelism @ NAMB. I have never been around people with such a passion for souls as them. It is frustrating and dishearting to develop an Evangelism Strategy for the SBC (THE NET) yet have Lifeway push FAITH. Nothing against FAITH but Lifeway's mission is to sell books not create evangelism strategies.
3. Provide Free Top-notch Multi-Media for small to medium sized churches.
Let's face it, usually only the mega-churches can afford top-notch media. I would welcome top-notch free video clips, powerpoints, and direct mail that would help us reach our community.
4. Continue to Dream Big.
Don't allow number crunchers to scare NAMB from trying daring ventures! I would rather fail and try then to do the same old boring things that don't win people to Jesus!
I don't have all of the ideas in the world, but I am encouraged to know at least one trustee is listening to us! I hope this is helpful.
posted by Kevin Bussey at 4/18/2006 11:08:00 PM
12 Comments:
Dear Brother Kevin,
I like what you've written, especially #1. But how do you get the new administration not to be judged by quality of new church plants rather than number of them?
Love in Christ,
Jeff
Kevin,
Regarding #1...Here in Maryland/Delaware, we have a assessment process for church planters that is second to none. We assessors spend a good bit of time with you and help you determine if you can do a "hot start" (just you and your family) or a "cold start" (got to have a team or core group from another church). And we won't let you do a hot start if you're not equipped to do so.
We actually have a 90% success rate for church plants here!
Our assessment process is second to none and if you don't pass assessment, you don't get funding from the state (I'm not sure about NAMB, but I don't think so).
Anyway...it's the adoption of assessments like this that would help in the planting process and develop better plants rather than just lighting up a bunch of plants and seeing what happens.
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David,
That's great to hear about Maryland/Deleware. I went thru the NAMB assessment. In our case we had the #'s as far as people. Unfortunately we were attracting mostly college students and they don't pay the bills.
In Georgia, where we planted, they bragged about starting 120 in one year. That is crazy. They would give any planter $5K no matter what. That is a waste of $ in my opinion. Why not plant only 5 churches and a year and commit $200K a year for 5 years. I'll bet the success rate would be 100%. Not only that but use the Church plant as a breeding ground for starting more churches. Bring in college and seminary students to serve as interns, etc.
Less is more!
Love ya dude but got to totally disagree with #1. yes, they need to start less churches and give the planst more but 200 grand for 5 years and three staff guys? Give me a break, that isn't going to happen and to be honest, I don't think it should.
I personally borrowed 25 grand to start Ridge Stone and all of our staff raised their support. Our mother church gave us 6 families (who left after three months) and 10 grand.
I woldn't trade those days of being broke for anything. I depended more on God then ever before. We had another plant start at the same time with a TON of money and didn't make it.
I am convinced money has nothing to do with a successful church plant. Ed Stetzer has done the research and it backs this up.
Guys that know how to make it, will make it.
Of course, I wouldn't have turned down the money...actually yeah I probably would have.
They need to do more but there has to be an element of risk and faith there as well.
Just my 2 cents.
Gary,
I won't argue with you-obviously it worked well for you. Maybe it has more to do with the mother church's help.
We didn't have any physical help from our sponsor. I'm grateful for the $, but I would have taken people anyday.
I wasn't knocking your work here in any way bro. You guys were pioneers in this area that is hard. However we had 6 families from our mother church who did nothing but hinder us. They left about three months in and it was the best thing to happen to us.
I think the bottom line is God does what he wants whether there are people or money. I have seen plants be succesful under every circumstance and I have seen families fail under circumstance.
Gary,
I didn't take it that way. You are in another class, my friend. I am grateful for what God is doing at the Stone!
I'm praying that our church starts many new works in the near future!
I liked #1. that is a thought completely new to the process.
I think you are on to something there.
Kevin,
I think there is some merit to your idea about having multiple staff at the beginning of the church plant. One of my former pastors planted a church, and they started out with two staff members (him and another pastor). I believe that this contributed to the success of their plant, because my former pastor's personality, interests, and giftedness would make it very unlikely that he could plant a successful church on his own. I know that I could never plant a church on my own, but if I was surrounded by a well balanced team then I believe we could.
As far as funding, I believe there should be a flexible approach. Some churches become self-supporting more quickly than others. For example, a church plant in Franklin, TN (one of the wealthier suburbs of Nashville) would probably become self-supporting more quickly than a church plant between Adams and Kentucky Streets here in Bowling Green (an inner city neighborhood adjoining a university campus). Unfortunately, organizations tend to develop one-size-fits-all policies that do not take into account individual circumstances and contexts.
Tim,
You make some great points. I just through out a number. Gary is probably right that is not realistic. However, there may be some places that will never be self-supporting.
For example, Hill Country Bible Church in Austin, TX started a church on the campus of the University of Texas. They realize that college students will never be able to pay all of the bills so the church has committed to underwrite the church. Hill Country has a church planting training center and they pay a planter's salary for the 1st year while they are in training. The second year they have a budget from members who are going to plant the new church.
I can't even spell. I meant I threw out a number! :)
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