The Call to Church Planting - Part 1

By Nelson Searcy

call•ing \kô'lĭng\ noun  1 : a strong inner impulse toward a particular course of action especially when accompanied by conviction of divine influence

The sad reality is that the majority of church starts fail within the first year.  The main reason this happens is a lack of clear calling by the church starter.   A clear calling to start a church is the most important ingredient in the planting of any new church.  Successful church starts begin with a personal calling rather than a personal choice

You should take time to clarify your calling in order to enable confident leadership.  When you know that God wants you to do something, then you can act boldly and decisively.  While there will be moments and even periods of uncertainty, your calling will keep you moving forward—and it’s often all you have in that first year.

Let’s ask a hard question: Do you know for certain that God has asked you to start a new church?  This question is not about going into ministry or being a pastor or helping people, but about your call to start a church.  This call is very different from the call to pastor an existing church or work with youth or work in a ministry-related organization.

Ask yourself: Is the idea of starting a new church my idea or God’s idea?  New churches should not begin because of good ideas.  New churches should begin because of God ideas.  Are you called by God to plant a new church?

To help you answer this question, let’s examine some common sources of Improper Calling.

Common Sources of Improper Calling

• Unemployment
• Anger or resentment at another pastor
• Disgruntled staff
• Easier than searching for an existing ministry position
• Parent or grandparent
• Ego
• It’s the "in" thing

There are, of course, dozens more.  The key is to carefully examine the source of your calling.

In marriage counseling at The Journey, I often try to talk people out of getting married.  Why?  It’s easier to call off an engagement than a marriage and, while it hurts in the present, it prevents a lot of pain in the future.  So it is with the start of a new church.  If I can talk you out of starting a church, it’s going to hurt a little now, but it’s going to save you, your family, and the people around you a lot of hurt in the future.

Have you allowed an improper voice or emotion to push you toward beginning a new church?  If so, back away now -- spend some more time with God in prayer.  Seek the advice of someone in ministry who knows you and can help you gain some perspective.

Just as there are improper sources of calling, there are also proper sources of calling.  Let’s examine these in more detail.

Common Sources of Proper Calling

Prayer and Bible Study – God confirms his call in our lives through prayer and Bible study.  People who are called often feel that God confirms his calling ‘every time’ they pray or read the Bible.

Surprise – Sometimes people are surprised by the calling because the idea of ministry is so far from their plan for their lives.  This surprise leads to a 180° turn in career and life focus.

Holy Discontent – As stated earlier, anger or resentment at a church or a pastor is a source of improper calling.  However, there is a sense of holy discontent around a proper calling.  This discontent is more focused on what could be done to improve the situation in a town or community versus all the things that are wrong.  There is also the holy discontent that comes when you have ignored God’s calling in your life, and you realize you will not find fulfillment until you surrender to his will to start a church.

Burden for the unchurched – The proper call to start a church is always accompanied by a desire to reach the unchurched.  If your desire to change the Christians in your community then you are most assuredly NOT called to start a new church.  However, if you have strong passion to reach the unchurched, then you may be hearing properly from God.

Godly counsel – Are people around you confirming your call?  They may be surprised, but in their hearts they can confirm that God has called you.

Continue to Part 2