WHAT’S NEXT?

Author: JEREMY ROWLAND

Walking a new church through the early years
 
1. Focus on three priorities
 

• Evangelize 

Go ye therefore and teach all nations” (Matt. 28:19). Even if you had a good attendance during your start, you should spend most of your time evangelizing. You will lose the first “scaffolding” people within the first three years.

• Mobilize

“For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry” (Eph. 4:12). Concentrate on developing people.
 
Ground people in doctrine through teaching, preaching, and personal discipleship. This is one major reason to start the church with all the services.
 
Implement people into serving. Meet with each visiting family and go over general information about your   church such as church description, ministries, and membership. Have new member orientation meetings and cover doctrine, purpose, and areas of service.  
 
Begin to train and delegate. People who are involved will stick with you. Most of the people at the beginning will be workers, wanting to pioneer with you so prayerfully put them to work
 

• Advertise

“Now when this was noised, the multitude came together” (Acts 2:6).  Let everyone in the are know that God is working in your church. Use every means possible to saturate the area with info about the new church. It will take several years for people to notice that your church is in the area.
 
2. Follow a purpose
 
Develop a Scripturally based purpose statement and follow it as you grow. It will help you keep on the right track and avoid pitfalls.
 
All ministries of the church should comply with the purpose.
 
Show the purpose regularly.
 
3. Fine Tune the program

Try to start out with all services as this helps people know you are stable, permanent, and are serious about the Bible. This will also help the church to mature more quickly.
 
Be short – people are not expecting a long service so don’t disappoint them. Services should be less than an hour.
 
Don’t lag – start on time and have the music, announcements, etc. planned and rehearsed. People will be more apt to come back if the service was well organized.
 
Have sermons prepared. Good messages can make up for lack of other ministries. People are like sheep and will return if they are being fed.

• Ministries

Be clean and prepared.
 
Don’t try to have too much – a children’s ministry and nursery the two most critical ministries at the beginning.
 
Have regular fellowships. Building relationships is crucial during the early years.

• Plan ahead

Use a calendar and plan the year.
 
Print your plans and give them to people.
 
Share your vision, plans, and goals regularly. Talk about short-term and long-term desires. This will build a desire in people to want to stay with you.

• Be positive

There are many benefits to starting a new church so dwell on them.
 
Negativism will quench the Spirit and kill the church.

• Be people oriented

Show hospitality- “Given to hospitality” (1 Tim. 3:2). 
 
People do not want to know how much you know but how much you care so be personable.

• Be faithful

Moreover it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful” (1 Cor. 4:2). Attendance will fluctuate and    people will be fickle, but God and His Word will never change!
 
Faithful to God. Have a personal strong relationship with the Lord.
Faithful to family. Have meaningful relationships with your wife and family. Take time to enjoy each other and grow with the Lord together.