IT’S OK TO BE ABOUT THE NUMBERS. REALLY.
When I was young, I would enter my grandpa’s house through his garden. It seemed he could make any plant grow. His garden was always bursting with colors and the floor was always wet as he kept his garden properly watered and cared for. While my grandpa was a great gardener, I did not receive that gene. I’m definitely not a botanist. I’m guessing many of you aren’t either. I can’t seem to keep the simplest of house plants alive. I do know that planting and growing a new plant from seedling to a fruit-bearing tree takes time. It takes patience, energy, key resources and key ingredients in order to develop into a thriving, life-giving organism.
This sure sounds a lot like a church plant. (I bet you saw that coming.) It starts with an idea, grows into a calling, and before you know it you need to tend and cultivate your new entity into a life-giving local church. People are now looking to you and expecting you to have a handle and expertise on every aspect of your church.
(Deep breaths. Deep. Breaths.)
Church planter, you’ve got this!
With this one simple idea, we hope to help simplify and do away with the anxiety of planting your own seedling of a church.
This simple idea might feel crass or downright profane to a church planter. But here it is… Ready?
Be About the Numbers.
That’s right, we said it. Be about the numbers.
Consider this: numbers represent people—people being reached, resources to serve your neighborhoods, and means to carry out your mission.
So, here are 3 things to set numerical goals around:
1. How many people?
Know how many people you want to reach and set goals around that number. Be realistic, though. Stretch goals are great, but missed goals can be a real downer. Your town of 3,600 might make a goal of reaching 1 million people a bit difficult at first. Set a realistic goal with a realistic timeline of how many people you want to be a part of your church.
If you plan on planting more churches, set a numerical threshold before you start planning to plant another church. These targets may change over time, but we encourage you to set targets that you know you will be excited to reach.
2. How much money do we need?
I’ve seen pastors squirm when discussing the topic of money. Money doesn’t need to be a hang up. If you believe in your mission and your calling, others will too.
You will want to know how much money you will need to get started, to stay in operation, and then to achieve your mission.
You need not go it alone. Setting financial targets is a chance to get people in your community to rally around a mission that will tangibly impact and grow your community. There are tons of people who want to join these types of efforts. (More on this coming in future posts.) As you consider creating your budget, we’d love to help provide guidance and would be happy to meet with you virtually or in-person. Let’s talk today and subscribe below to find out more.
3. How much time before we get there?
Let’s be careful not to get too far ahead of ourselves. There are a lot of steps between where you are and where you want to be, so let’s enjoy the journey.
Set target dates for important milestones:
You’ll want to set a date for your launch team to begin meeting.
Be sure to set dates for your first prayer gatherings.
Set a date for your first in-person meeting.
And then set an ambitious date for when you plan to reach attendance or membership goals.
Church planting networks are great at providing guidance and we’d love to introduce you to some of our friends who do just that!
Pastor, Church Planter, this takes time. We want to encourage you to be a recipient of the grace you preach so freely on Sunday mornings. Though our thumbs are far from green, we can happily link you with a guide who will help ensure your church plant (or even your well-established 150-year-old church) can thrive for years to come.
Article By: Jordan Gandara, Dime Customer Success Manager