Planting Space

Once you complete the surveys you need to figure out your next steps. You can begin by asking your team what “aha moments” they had. Compare what you learned with what skills, gifts, passions, or resources you have at your disposal.
If you think you have an area where you can meet a need, [...]

When New Life Christian Church did our needs assessment we were able to conduct over 200 interviews. These interviews were with school principals, police, politicians, community association leaders, all the people who are involved in making our community what it is. We were shocked about the access we were given. The reality [...]

So once you decide you decide you want to do a Needs Assessment to understand the needs of your community, you will begin by preparing for a community survey.
You’ll start by studying the process. Consider starting by attending a free conference call to learn more. Find some training. Get some coaching. [...]

I’ve been speaking with Dave Mills of Compassion by Design a lot lately. He helps church plants, and others, assess and meet the real needs of their communities. He has convinced me that a “Community Needs Assessment” should be one of our “non-negotiables” for church planters to do prior to launch. This [...]

If one of the main reasons church planters start new churches is to reach people who aren’t connected to other churches, why do so many church planters lose this focus so quickly after launch? The demands of “maintaining the machine” and “feeding the sheep” steal away the time and energy that was previously focused [...]

Rick Warren had a great podcast a couple weeks ago titled, The Importance of Evangelism for Church Growth. It was a great listen. He and Pastor Ed Young Jr. talk about how they do evangelism. Lots of great practical stuff. My favorite quote:
When you grow a church by transfer growth you [...]

Ben Arment of Reston Community Church just blogged two entries I think all church planters should read: If the restaurant is flopping, change the menu and RestonBaby.com Hits the Bigtime.
Short version: You need to find something that your community needs… then figure out how you can meet that need. It may take trying several [...]

A couple church planters I’m working with recently did gas-buy downs. Basically this means they paid the gas station to lower the price of gas for people. Both had positive feedback. Here are a few details:
How much per gallon did you buy down the gas?
Planter 1: .30 for regular; .34 [...]

I just wanted to briefly share about one of the easiest outreach events I’ve ever been a part of. My wife and I live in a neighborhood that has monthly events. This past Sunday they had a concert in the park featuring a local swing band. I offered to help out. [...]

One mistake I have seen church planters make is not fully understanding their insurance policy. This really hit home at New Life last week as we had a scare about exactly what is and what is not covered in regard to our moon bounce (bounce house). As more and more church plants and [...]