What do you do when you feel angry, bitter, sad, or offended? Most people, including church planters, go into masking and medicating mode. They deny or cut off their emotion and distract themselves with something else. The “something” may not be a bad thing in itself like watching a movie Read more…
What does a church do when the struggles they are facing are forcing them to consider closing? Churches in this predicament feel as though they are stuck in quicksand. Before the quicksand of closing unexpectedly swallows them whole, they have to consider three options: Preparing for Closing The first option Read more…
Each church plant has its own unique story in regards to its beginning, its church planter, and its process, but there is a general outline for church planting that Church Extension Ministries (CEM) follows to make sure that we’ve prayerfully thought through every aspect to give a Mission Church a Read more…
“I wish I had this when I was planting was my recurring thought during my boot camp experience,” said Tim Zuck, Mentoring Assistant and former church planter. On November 7-9, Pastor Tim Zuck (from Forks Community Church in Forks Township, PA) and Christian Lefko (Church Planting in Residence at New Life BFC, Oley) Read more…
If you are involved in church ministry including church planting ministry, you know the feeling of discouragement when yet another Sunday morning verbal announcement for volunteers yields no results. Pastor Wayne Rissmiller from Calvary BFC in Sinking Spring, PA shared a more effective way to recruit volunteers at a recent Read more…
When Church Planter Josh Dupiche was feeling the Lord calling him into church planting ministry, he knew he needed ministry experience. So he found a small church and he got involved. By participating in small church ministry, he was able to try new aspects of ministry that he wouldn’t have Read more…
The Holy Spirit is the divine Person of the Godhead that church planters can depend on to lead them to discover their purpose and potential. However, God also uses human agents to assist his children. In church planting, we designate these human agents as “church plant coaches.” How is church Read more…
Congratulations! You are ready to be a Church Planter or Church Planting Intern! There’s just one more thing to do: raise support. If your stomach just flip-flopped and your skin went clammy, then this is the handbook for you. We will walk with you through this process. Over and over Read more…
At Training Day held on September 12, Keith Seary form Harvest USA shared with your Church Planters, and some guests information about “Ministry to Sexual Strugglers” and “Gender and Transgender Identity.” Keith is on the Staff of Harvest USA and ministers in the area of men’s ministry. Harvest USA, a Christian organization Read more…
As a church plant, you are in the building stages of every aspect of church life including ministry to children. Here are three ways to minister to children in Sunday morning worship when you don’t have a fully developed children’s ministry yet. 1. Provide a children’s sermon. Early in our Read more…