By Dustin Neeley: There is a reason why you hear pastors say that want to resign every Monday morning – because it is often true.

In some ways, this is even more true for church planters.

In addition to the inherent stresses and struggles of ministry, most planters also carry the additional burdens of tight finances, a lean or non-existent staff, no permanent facility, and the uncertainty of whether or not their plant is even going to survive. Add in some spiritual warfare, unmet expectations, a wife, and a few small kids to provide for and you can get pretty discouraged pretty quickly.

But for most of us, that solution would be disobedient and unwise. Instead, we have to find a way to push through the discouragement and keep on fighting the good fight. Consider these five things that can help you deal with the inevitable discouragement that comes our way as planters:

1. Anchor yourself in the Scriptures.

In the midst of the unavoidable ups and downs on the sea of church planting, we need an anchor to hold us in place. The Word of God provides that anchor. While our emotions change with our circumstances, the Scriptures do not. Digging into the Scriptures just to preach a sermon is not enough. We have to cultivate and protect a regular devotional time in the Word to be well anchored to weather the storms to come.

2. Be honest with God.

For me, trying hard to just knuckle down and push through isn’t always helpful. It just makes me feel angry and fake. I recommend being honest with God and going to Him with the good, the bad, and the ugly parts of our souls. After all, He knows them all anyway. This keeps us emotionally healthy, allows our hearts to remain pliable before Him and keeps bitterness at bay.

3. Lean on your team.

Though many planters plant alone, this is not optimal. We need others around us who can hold up our arms just like the ancient Israelites did with Moses at a pivotal point in his ministry (Ex. 17:10-13). Your wife can help to a degree, but we need other pastors who know the weight we carry. These can be men we raise from within or ones we “borrow” from other solid churches for a season. A solid coaching relationship also plays a vital role in staying encouraged and maintaining perspective.

4. Start talking to yourself.

No, not like that. And if you do, you might want to see a doctor. Instead, talk to yourself like the psalmist does in Psalm 42:5-6 when he writes, “Why are your downcast o my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”  He knew the benefit of taking control of the internal situation and submitting himself afresh to Jesus. We would be wise to do the same, especially in the most difficult times.

5. Count your blessings.

Don’t let the familiarity of this counsel cause you not to follow it. As leaders, we are usually so quick to see all that is not being accomplished that we neglect to praise God for what is being accomplished. I have found this to be a profoundly helpful discipline in my life and in the life of my team. You should pick it up if you haven’t. You will be shocked at what a difference it makes.

For most, wanting to quit is an inevitable part of the planting process.

It is how we respond that makes all the difference.

By Dustin Neeley: There are some qualities that are in the job description of church planting. The church planter should be a qualified minister and have an entrepreneurial mindset. There are also overlooked qualities that are mentioned less often but are very important to becoming a successful church planter.

1. Have an Intimate Walk with Jesus

Just because you are a church pastor, many will assume that you have a close, intimate relationship with Jesus. Maybe you do. However, maybe there are days that you preach out of the Bible so much that you don’t bother to crack it open when you aren’t doing work. Your relationship with Jesus is not something that should be taking the backseat. You need to be making a strong effort every day to fill up on God’s word so that you can do the Lord’s work. If you’re not walking intimately with Jesus, your church planting will suffer. It can often put you in a direction where you are being spiritually drained at work. The attacks from Satan will be stronger. You may start to put your identity into your church plant and think that it’s about you. You also start to think that it’s your responsibility to make the church plant a success. Make sure that you’re doing it for God, and with God.

When you start to think that you’re too busy to spend time reading the Bible, the enemy slowly chips away at your soul. Make your time with God a priority. It may help to make a to-do list every morning and put time with God as the number one thing on that list. Make Him your number one priority. Another helpful strategy to maintain your intimacy with Jesus is to practice the Sabbath. Take one day a week, perhaps the Monday after preaching, to disconnect from work related activities. Vow to not do anything regarding work, and create a church culture that knows and respects that you take one day to really be present with your family. It may also help to get away or get out of town. Go spend time alone with God in nature. Spend time in complete prayer without distractions.

2. Have an accurate assessment of who you are and where you are

It’s crucial to know your strengths and your weaknesses. If you know your strength is in preaching, realize that you may need to hire staff to cover the areas of your weaknesses. A lot of church planters don’t have an accurate assessment of who they are and what their capabilities/limitations are, so they often overestimate their ability to succeed in every area.

It’s also really important to know your season of life. Know exactly what you have on your plate right now, what your limitations are, and know what you can handle. It may not be the right season for you to be investing your time and money into a church plant. That’s an important thing to know before diving in. Know your current season.

You should also know where you are. The location will of your church plant will differ from other people’s church plants. With this, some factors will be different beyond your control. Know what success for you is going to be different than another church planter’s version of success.

3. A successful church planter must be flexible

As a church planter, flexibility is a must. There are going to be so many ideas of what you want something to look like, and it will turn out completely different. It’s critical that you be able to adapt to the new strategy. Assess your own flexibility quotient. Know your flexibility, and look at areas of growth. Find people who master this area well and ask for advice on how to become more flexible.

For more inspiration and direction, read the book of Acts. Acts shows a large need for flexibility and shows ways in which the strategy is adjusted as needed. It’s also important to prepare yourself for the worst. Bad things will happen in your church, but through these things, God will do good. He will shape His people to be more like Jesus and

By Dustin Neeley: 

There are many resources provided to Christian pastors that instruct how to lead your church well or lead your family well. However, there seems to be a lack of advice when it comes to leading yourself well. If you’re not leading yourself well, you can’t lead your family or church well. Here are five steps to help lead yourself better as a church planter.

1. Don’t neglect your own personal spirituality

Many times pastors are consumed with worrying about other people’s faith. They are worried about if their church is evangelizing or spending time with the Lord. It is not often that pastors stop to think about their own spirituality. When was the last time you had an intimate moment with Jesus when you were in prayer or reading the Bible? When was the last time you felt like He was speaking to you personally? As pastors, we can’t let our own personal spirituality take the backseat. In order for us to do our jobs well, we need to be having those intimate moments with the Lord. We can’t assume that our spirituality will take care of itself because we are taking care of others. Our relationship with God is crucial to leading ourselves, and, in turn, leading others. It begins with our own walk with Jesus.

2. Manage your time, as well as your energy

It’s not just about getting things done but getting things done well. Responsibilities as a church planter seem limitless, so it is important to know where you draw your energy from to be most productive. Do you know how you are wired? When do you produce your best work? Are you most productive in the mornings or at night? Learn to manage your time and maximize the hours that you are most productive. Manage your time but also your energy to do what you need to get done, at the right time. This will help your productivity as well as your creativity.

3. Learn to redeem the time

In the ministry world, a lot of our time is filled with meetings. When you’re running from place to place, from person to person, you find yourself waiting on people. When people are running late to meet you for a meeting, don’t let that time go to waste. Redeem that time. Always have work with you and work while you wait. Whether you bring a book, tablet, or smartphone, have work related business with you so that you can make up for some of the time that could go to waste.

If you’re traveling a lot to meetings or drive from place to place, redeem your travel time. Listen to a podcast or Scripture as you drive. Learn to be intentional about your time.

4. Take inventory

Take some time to work in your church before you work on your church. Make a to-do list, separating the responsibilities you are a part of. Then divide those responsibilities into three sections: a delegate section, a stop doing section, and an evaluation section. Consider getting some things off your plate so that you can excel at the things you have to do. Follow up on the things you delegate to others. By delegating, you are allowing others to use their gifts and talents to fulfill tasks.

5. Take advantage of your unique schedule

It is a good thing that you don’t have to clock in and clock out. Take advantage of the time you can spend with your kids when you’re home. Give your wife some time off during the day to do what she wants to do, and spend that time at home for a couple of hours. Have a system, put the time in, and do the work that God wants you to do.

The most important person that you lead in your church plant is yourself. If you lead yourself well first, you will be able to lead others well second.

By Dustin Neeley: 

Many people share in the success stories of their church plants. Many church planters are quick to tell you the great things happening at their current campus. As encouraging as those stories are, it’s equally as important to hear about the mistakes that people made in their church planting so that we can learn from them. Here are five mistakes and the lessons I’ve learned as a church planter.

1. Don’t underestimate the difficulty of church planting, and don’t overestimate your own ability.

This point is a two-in-one, because there were really two lessons learned here. Don’t overestimate your own ability. Sometimes it’s easy to think that success from your current position at a church will carry over into your new idea. Some people even have the idea that they are God’s gift to church planting and will be able to succeed simply because they want to. It’s crucial to humble yourself to yourself, to the church, and before the Lord. Remember why you are church planting in the first place. Be faithful, be fruitful, and listen to God.

Don’t underestimate the difficulty of church planting. Ministry is hard, but, in some ways, church planting is even harder. When there is no building, no money, no resources, and no people, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the impossibility of the task at hand. However, it is in these moments that you find your true hope in the gospel. Church planting is difficult and hard work, and the more you prepare yourself for that, the better off you will be.

2. Don’t neglect your physical health.

When responsibilities start piling up left and right, it’s easy to push your physical health to the side. You start working out less, eating more fast food, and feel your energy slowly spiraling downward. Pounds pile on, and you don’t have the energy to get yourself into shape. However, church planting is very demanding physically. It will take a toll on your body. If you’re not eating well, sleeping well, and exercising often, it’s going to be harder for you. You have to prioritize your health. Church planting is a marathon, not a sprint, and you need to treat your body like you’re training for one.

3. Don’t work all the time.

Working all of the time will wear you out. In the beginning of church planting, you may be working long hours. Like 60-80 hours a week. But this lifestyle is not sustainable. You will quickly wear out and feel drained. This will eventually take a toll on your marriage and family life. When you’re home, put your phone down and be present with your family. Establish parameters that will help you cut your work life from your family life.

4. Don’t care too much about what everyone else thinks of you.

When planting a church, it’s important to realize where you place your identity. If you put your identity into the church plant, you will succeed with the church plant and fail with the church. In order to do your job well, your identity must foremost be rooted in the gospel.

5. Don’t serve from ecclesiastical whiplash.

If you’re going to make changes within your church, do it prayerfully, slowly, and deliberately. You have to be careful about how you share this information with your church. If they feel like they are being jerked in different directions with conflicting ideas and messages, they are going to be less likely to support the ideas.