The Foundation of Church Planting: An Origin Story of a Church Planter

I’ll never forget the moment when I knew beyond the shadow of a doubt that God was asking me to plant a new church. I had been ignoring and pushing back against it for a couple years, but I could no longer escape the very real sense that I was at a crossroads and had a decision to make. In that life-changing moment, I would finally surrender all of my fear and doubt to the loving care of a heavenly father who already held me securely in His hands.

Embracing the Call

I had been a part of several other church plants in varying roles. It was as if God had been training me and building into my DNA the desire to start new things. The path had been laid out clearly over the last ten years of my life, but I was still struggling in my own efforts to find the right time, the right place, the right people, and the right kind of courage.

I was waiting for some magical or miraculous moment that could have included an angelic being with a solid gold trumpet heralding loudly that this was the time to rise triumphantly into my bold new future. But no. That type of moment throughout history is few and far between. I just needed to say “yes” to what I already knew the Lord had been leading me towards. 

My Behind the Scenes Journey

This passionate worship leader and pastor had spent countless hours over the years praying and worshiping in empty sanctuaries in Utah and Ohio when no one else was around. I had poured out my heart and dreams on those stages and as I walked endlessly, over and over, through those rows of pews and chairs, praying over the people in those churches. 

I was a prayer warrior worship pastor who did my most passionate work when no one else was looking or even knew what I was doing. In those alone times in those huge rooms, I would feel the presence of God all around and I was captivated.

What I wasn’t yet sure of, though, was if He was captivated by me. I received the call very early on in my life of leading worship. I received it in my heart and rooted it down within the deepest part of my inmost being. I held on to it even through a speech impediment, even though I was incredibly shy, even though I was terribly uncomfortable on stage. I still believed that one day I would lead people boldly into the presence of God.

Embracing Obedience in Uncertainty

Now, at the crossroads of a decision I could no longer ignore, I needed to find that deep-rooted belief that God had called me from a very young age to step into new things, to do hard things, and to trust that His ways are always higher than mine. 

I had been searching for the perfect situation, the assurance of a paycheck, the imploring of friends and colleagues to take action. Those things never came. I realize now why they didn’t come. Faith. God was teaching me more about trusting in His plans for me and my family. It was time for me to trust and obey.

God wasn’t asking me to think logically about this decision. He was asking me to have faith. He wasn’t asking me to strategize and plan and raise money for this endeavor. He was asking me to simply obey him with my “yes.”  He was waiting for my faith to turn into obedience. 

Pressing Onward

I learned a very valuable lesson over the next few months. As I said yes privately and publicly, I underwent an assessment at the provision of the EFC-ER Multiplication Team, the body in our part of the Friends movement that oversees church planting. I learned that by worldly standards and current thoughts about what church planters were supposed to be good at, it was not recommended that I plant a new church. Perhaps in a few years, with a little more experience, I would be ready.

I was momentarily embarrassed and began to question my aforementioned experience. Then, something that had been buried and rooted in me at a very young age sprouted up out of the soil of my heart to remind me that the Ultimate Planter is also the Faithful Sower. I rejected the concept that I wasn’t ready or good enough. I held firmly to the belief that God was calling me into this and that He would provide everything I needed to make it happen. Rarely in the Bible did God ever use someone who had it all together or knew all the answers before He chose them.

Thanks to two very good pastor friends, I was encouraged to keep pressing into what the Lord had called me to. Over the next few weeks, I prayed and allowed myself to dream. The Lord began to do marvelous things as I leaned into His ways and let go of my own. He brought three other couples and a young woman along with my family into this new adventure. Without strategy and funding and everything you’re “supposed” to have in place when planting a church, we set forth in obedience and faith. 

What’s the Secret?

Prayer was the foundation of it all. Prayer continues to be the most important part of our DNA as a house church network. We spend a lot of time praying. And we do it together.

If there’s one thing I would implore church planters to do, it would be to pray. Before writing a single line of strategy on a page, pray. Before being concerned about where the paycheck is going to come from, pray. All the inspiration and direction you need will come from those times when you surrender to the Lord your way in exchange for His way. 

Ready to take action? Join us in intercessory prayer for the International Friends Church Multiplication Conference November 13-15, 2024. Follow along with our prayer posts by clicking HERE.