I was recently asked for any suggestions I have for planting a church in a different community from where you currently live and know. There is a group of 25 plus people who are leaving the comforts of home in California traveling to the state of Idaho to plant a church. I love that kind of faith.

If you don’t know, Grace Community Church is my hometown, so I am very familiar with our community, but I planted a church before this one in a city in which I didn’t know anyone well, so I have some experience in this area. Still, as I thought about these suggestions, I really believe they are shared for any church plant (perhaps even any church.)

Of course, these are given assuming you have a clear calling as to where you are to plant, but here are some of my suggestions for planting a church a another community. There are probably hundreds of others, but these were the first 7 that came to my mind:

Learn the culture – Every city, every village, and every group of people have their own unique identity. What matter’s most? What do they celebrate? Where do people live and play?  What do they do for fun?  What’s their language?  What are the traditions unique to this area?  What history do they value?

Learn the market – Are schools an option for a building? Is the community in a growth mode or a declining mode? What are the major problems, concerns and needs of the community? Who are the leading employers?  What are the demographics?

Learn the competition – Before you get too excited…it’s not other churches. It’s anything that has the people’s attention you are trying to reach besides a church.

Buy Into the Community – Immediately find ways to get personally involved in the community with volunteer investment. That could be through the Chamber of Commerce, schools, festivals, etc.  Give back…believe it or not, that gets attention.

Have a prayer team – There should be a group of people praying for this community, the church plant, and the leaders on a daily basis. Who are those people?

Develop patience - It is harder than you think it will be. It just is. Church planting…really any ministry…takes a tremendous toll on you physically, mentally and even spiritually.

Protect your family – Just as church plants are stressful on the planter, they are equally challenging for the planter’s family. This may be especially true in a relocation, since much of their support system is being replaced. Protect your family by discipling your time and not losing them as your primary focus. As much as possible, involve them in the work so they understand it’s value and get to share in the rewards.

Church planting is tough, but like all actions of faith and obedience, God uses the sacrifices to reach hurting people and change their life for His glory.

Planters, let me hear from you…what would you add to my list?

Craig Groeschel addressed the tension of the differences between generations. It was one of the most powerful messages I have ever heard on generational differences. I believe this message is desperately needed in the church today.

Craig addressed the older and the younger generations.

Advice to the older generation

• Invest and believe in the next generation.
• Don’t resent the next generation…invest in them…
• Find it your calling to help the next generation succeed.
• They aren’t the church or the future. They are the church today.
• When you delegate tasks you create followers, when you delegate authority you create leaders.
• Give them permission to make mistakes.
• They are different, not wrong…
• When we invest in the
• Don’t try to give them the way…
• Embrace the season that you’re in…
• You do not have to be cool to lead the next generation just be real.
• Don’t underestimate what God wants to do through this generation…

Advice to Younger generation

• Honor the generation above you…
• They know more than you think they do…
• This is a generation that doesn’t honor well…
• One reason God’s not doing more in the church today is that there is no faith in
• When we truly honor God we’ll honor those in authority over us…
• If you want to be over, learn to follow…
• Respect is earned, but honor is freely given…
• Be teachable…
• We honor the men and women who have gone before us…
• You are a little bit entitled as a generation…
• You are the most cause-driven, mission-minded generation in recent history…
• You crave authenticity…
• I believe in you…
• Don’t you dare think small…
• Don’t insult God with safe living and small dreams…
• If you will come under authority and be teachable you can be the greatest generation in history…

This post will not at all do justice to this important message for the church. I hope you will get this message from the Catalyst. Click HERE to get to that site.

Christine Caine from Hillsong in Australia is full of energy on a stage.  I love her accent and she’s wildly popular with the Catalyst audience, but more importantly, Christine is passionate about Christ.  Christine talks fast, so there aren’t many notes here, but what she had to say was powerful.  (You’ll want to get this message for personal inspiration.)

Christine’s passion today is for those people caught in human trafficking.  She shared that 27 million people today are caught in slavery…more today than any other time in history. (Interestingly, we often think of this as a foreign issue, but Carlos Whitaker shared in a video that the city of Atlanta is one of the worst sex-trafficking cities in the world.  I heard recently that Nashville is another major city…and our church is considering how we can respond to that need. Consider THIS WEBSITE for more information on human trafficking.)

Christine believes it’s time for us to step out of our comfort zones and reach the hurting and broken world.  She said, “No one has to make you do anything.  We do what we want to do.”

Christine continued, “We have a world where many people are preoccupied. They are not trying to be lost.  Our job as a church is to go and seek that which is lost.  Our job is to reroute people on the journey of life.”

Her encouragement to the church is to get radical and passionate again about the lost and make a decision to go into the dark world with the light of Jesus.

Her profound and closing challenge was that “God has never called us to do the church…He’s called us to be the church….”

Who is with me responding to the challenge?

Scott Harrison, founder of Charity Water, shared his heart to get clean water around the world.  There are many good organizations sharing this passion.  Surely as believers, we can address this situation.

Consider these facts Scott shared:

• 1 billion people in the world do not have access to clean water
• In the United States, the average person is responsible for using 150 gallons of clean water per day.
• The goal is to get people who have none 5 gallons per day.
• People carry dirty water for miles, just to have some.
• 80% of disease is related to unclean water.
• Children are especially vulnerable to lack of clean water.
• Half the world’s schools do not have clean water.
• 40 Billion hours are wasted trying to get clean water…more than all the work hours in the
• Typical well costs only $5,000 and can produce 5 gallons of clean water every 90 seconds.
• Water changes communities by bringing hope and dignity to a community.

Read more startling facts HERE.

Learn more about how you can help HERE.

I love people who combine passion and heart with action to address a real need.

What’s your passion?  What are you going to do about it?

Yesterday we announced that Grace Community Church is going multi-site. We will be one church that meets in two locations, adding our second location at Kenwood High School. (I wrote more about it HERE.)

As expected, we couldn’t answer all the questions in the time we had yesterday. This post addresses some of the most common questions I or members of the staff have received since yesterday’s announcement.

Will we still meet at Rossview?

Absolutely, this change is to allow us to continue to grow so we can fulfill the mission to “encourage growing followers of Jesus Christ”, so we will continue to offer three services at Rossview and we will be adding a fourth service at Kenwood.

Does this mean we are not building a building on our property near Rossview?

Not at all, it means that right now, because a building is not an option financially, that we are finding another way to create more room to reach people for Christ. We want to be financial responsible and not acquire debt beyond our means, while continuing the level of ministry God has called us to do. The plan remains to build on our property when the timing is right and the proper finances are in order.

When we build a building, will we close the Kenwood campus?

The plan is not to close what we feel God wants to do in that community. Anyone who has lived in Clarksville long knows that geographically we are spread out from each other. About 600 people pass Kenwood every Sunday to get to Rossview. There are approximately 75,000 people within a 5-mile radius of Kenwood. We think that’s enough to support a campus.

Will there be additional staff hires?

At this time, no staff hires are planned to be specifically assigned to either campus, but growth at Kenwood could allow for that eventually. We certainly want to minister effectively to the people in that area. We launched the church five years ago with volunteer leadership in many areas and we still empower many volunteers to lead. Kenwood will require even more volunteers to assume key positions, partnering with the existing staff we have.  Due to our co-pastor strategy from the beginning, our staff is accustomed to working in a team environment and is working a plan to share the responsibility of two campuses.

Have we considered a Saturday night service?

There probably aren’t too many options we haven’t considered, but this one would be hard to do in our setting. Every time we use the school, it requires a school custodian to be there. Sundays are a stretch on their schedules, but Saturday would be even more so and are not an option at this time. Additionally, school activities would consistently conflict with church schedules on Saturdays.

Why don’t we just build a smaller building than originally planned?

While that sounds logical, it isn’t practical. The size of a building with only the square footage we are using at Rossview is still a very large building and right now would be outside of our comfortable reach financially speaking. We can’t justify building something less in size (or even the same size) when our growth rate is what it is today and we are already maxing out the space we have at Rossview.

Will the same things be offered at each campus?

Yes, the Kenwood campus, other than some changes in color schemes due to school colors, should look almost identical to the Rossview campus. There will be excellence in Grace Acres (preschool), Cross Street (children’s) and worship.

Is each campus going to have it’s own pastor?

No, both campuses will continue to see the same faces that are seen at Rossview. Thankfully, the distances are close enough to easily commute between the two. On a typical Sunday, some of the staff (including the pastors) will be at each location.

What will a “launch team” for the new campus do?

That’s a great question. The launch team for Grace Community Church when we began the church five years ago did everything that was required to make a Sunday work. That included greeting at the doors, set up and tear down, working the parking lots, working in all areas with children, and giving up prime seats and parking spots to be as visitor friendly as possible. The Kenwood launch team will cover the needs of that campus. It will be exhausting, but rewarding, just as the original launch of the church was for that launch team.

What can I do to help?

Right now, the biggest needs are to raise the additional $150,000 needed to buy everything for the Kenwood campus and pray for the launch and all the details that still need to be completed. This Sunday (October 10), you will be able to sign up for the launch team. There will be launch team meetings and trainings in the near future.

Any more questions? Thanks for loving people enough to step outside your comfort zones and think outside the box. God is getting some tremendous glory from your hearts to serve this community.

I get lots of emails asking how we do certain things as a church. I usually figure that when several people are asking the same question that it represents a larger audience wanting to know the same answers. This post is an example of that thought.

Recently I was asked what suggestions I have for a church planning to start meeting in a school facility. Grace Community Church has met in our high school for three years now and it has been a blessing to us and the school, from feedback I have received. Here are 7 suggestions for churches meeting in a school. Most of these are more philosophy than actions, but with them as our paradigm it helps direct our actions.

Grow volunteers – Being in a borrowed facility forces the church to rely on lots of volunteer labor to set up and tear down each week. This can be stressful on people, but it also creates an opportunity to raise up new volunteer leadership. Our church would never happen without the countless hours of donated time, but in the process volunteers have sharpened their leadership skills and realized the joy of investing in God’s Kingdom and seeing the results it brings.

Love the school – We support the school we are in more than just on Sunday morning. We support their activities, we attend their ballgames, and we try to meet needs the school has as we are made aware of them.

Realize it’s not a rental situation – You may be paying rent, but more than renting a space you are borrowing a facility that has another intended purpose. We realize that the school building’s primary purpose is to educate children during the week. We know we are an added burden to the facility. We see it as a win/win for our school, but we don’t take it for granted that we are secondary in importance at the school.

Be a blessing – At the end of our time in the school, whenever that may come, our goal is that we will actually be missed by the school…and not just for the money we bring to the table. We have as a goal to be a blessing to the school. With that as a goal and mindset, it forces us to find ways to help the school outside of the money we pay for usage.

Don’t interrupt school – We respect the facility as a place for education and we never try to use our influence at the school to trump a school activity. We know we are a secondary use and so we gladly bow out if a school situation arises. Our school doesn’t do much on Sundays, and if it did that may create problems, but the few times there has been a Sunday conflict we have tried to be accommodating to the school’s needs more than our own. We would rather be inconvenienced than for them to be because of us.

View your money as a contribution - It changes the perspective of our staff and key leaders when we see our money going to make the education process better, not just as a rental line item on our income statement. Schools are always struggling to fund adequate resources and we think our money helps. That makes writing checks so much more pleasant!

Acknowledge critical players – The relationships you have with school officials is critical to making any agreement work. There are some people who make meeting in a school a positive or negative experience. That may include school district officials, the school administration, teachers, and custodians. We especially are sensitive to the teachers who teach in areas where we meet in the school, because we realize we are sharing space with them. Our experience is that the custodian plays a large role in our success in the school, so we try to respect and show appreciation to them.

Have you been a part of a church meeting in a school? What did you do to make the arrangement work?

I had an awesome opportunity a few weeks ago to spend a couple hours with Rick Warren and a dozen or so other pastors. Rick was in town to speak to a conference and Ed Stetzer arranged for him to meet with us. Obviously, this man is a mega-influencer just because of the book, the publicity he has received, and the impact he has in the church world and society. He is becoming a statesman for the church around the world.

It was a humbling experience. I didn’t choose the seat of honor (I promise), but I ended up sitting next to him in the meeting. Rick talked randomly and conversationally with us and I took notes as fast as I could. There are so many principles I took from our time, but here are 12 random things I gleaned from him: (Some are quotes…I put them in quotation marks…some are random points of information I heard from Rick’s talk.)

“We need to be reproducing churches. We need to reward multiplication of churches, not size of churches.”

“The model of Saddleback is to take people from “come and see” to “come and die”…as Jesus modeled.”

“You only listen to people you like. Be likable.”

Rick has the gift of faith. He sees things God wants to do that others can’t and has faith that it can happen. (That’s what leaders do!)

Until a few years ago, Rick read a book a day. He is a consummate learner.

Rick Warren is passionate about equipping pastors and leaders for the next generation and wants to spend the rest of his life equipping pastors.

“The ministry is not hills and valleys, but like a railroad passing through two extremes all the time.”

When he wrote “Purpose Driven Life” God told him “It’s not about you”. He never knew how many times he would be tested by that word from God.

Rick’s prayer every Saturday and Sunday before he preaches is, “Remind me that I belong to you…not this church…and this church does not belong to me”

“Jesus hung out with lepers…today that would be people with full blown AIDS”

“If you want your ministry to last, pastors need integrity, humility, and generosity.”

“Satan tempts us to use the strengths and gifts we have in a way that gives us glory instead of God.”

I realize Rick has his critics. Honestly, until you’ve sat where I sit and had a chance to hear his heart, I wouldn’t judge his ministry. He has some incredible plans for the next phase of his ministry and the influence of Saddleback Church in the years to come. I left more impressed than before I arrived. He’s the real deal.

Has the ministry of Rick Warren had an impact on you, your ministry or church?

One of my best rules (suggestions) for church planting is don’t try to be a lone ranger. That may work in western movies, but not in church planting. (And even he had Tonto…which makes me question his name…but that’s another post…)

If God is birthing a vision in you, the chances are great that He is birthing the same or similar vision in the hearts of others.

Find those who share your passion for reaching the lost and as you share your vision with them….after you’ve prayed together tons…then, if God is in it…form a team…  To be successful you will need buy-in from other people.  You may even need to give your vision away to people you trust.  (Read a post about that thought process HERE.)

I hear from those claiming to be church planters with a vision who say they have no one to help them plant.  My best advice would be to wait until God reveals those people who are ready to share the burden with you.

There will be lonely nights out on the range of church planting…you’ll be glad you have others around to encourage you to stay the course….

Church planters….do you agree?  How did you find those who were willing to support your God-given vision?

Is fear an appropriate tool for motivation?

We see it in many segments of society.

Rental car companies use it to sell extras to a rental contract. The skilled agent can make me doubt my insurance. The risk isn’t any larger than when I normally drive, but I sure feel that way after their spill.

We do it to help people lose weight or live healthier. When I see the effects of obesity on the body I’m more inclined to want to stay in shape.

We use fear to get people to wear seat belts, slow down and to deter drinking and driving. The crash dummy has been made famous saving lives by inducing fear.

So, I have a fair question:

Is fear an appropriate motivation tactic for the church?

I would love your thoughts and opinions. I’m a proponent of the “kindness of God leads to repentance” approach to witnessing, but if fear is such a great motivator should we literally be scaring the Hell out of people?

I love a good discussion…so what do you think?

When we were in Sierra Leone Africa earlier this summer we saw some of the most unique and beautiful beaches I have seen anywhere in the world. Interestingly, the people don’t seem to appreciate or enjoy the beauty they have right next to them as much as one would think they do. I can’t help but think if I had this beach in my backyard that I’d be on it frequently. We baptized people at the beach who lived a few hundred feet from the water yet had never been in it before.

On one trip to the beach, as I stood mesmerized by the beauty of perfect blue skies, sand, ocean waves, boulder-sized rocks and mountains in the background, I couldn’t help but ask a native pastor friend if he knew how it all was formed. I know the Creator, but the rocks that line the ocean appear to have developed by volcanic activity and i wondered if one was nearby. I ask him if he knew the make-up of the rocks and how they formed…and if he knew of any volcanoes in the vicinity.

He looked at me with complete sincerity and said very simply, “God is great!”

I was quickly humbled in my search for answers and reminded of a few truths:

1. It is the glory of God to conceal a matter; to search out a matter is the glory of kings. Proverbs 25:2
2. God asked, “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me, if you understand.” Job 38:4
3. Too many times we look for answers, when “God is great” is enough.

I may not have had to go to Africa to be reminded of this truth, but I’m glad I picked it up while there! Are you looking for answers when the only answer you need is God is great?

Just curious, where’s the most beautiful beach you have ever seen?