With only 3 weeks until my upcoming One Day Launch Conference in Orlando on April 13, excitement is building! I have been sharing Church Planting Tips for the last few weeks to get us ready for this great event.

Today’s topic is one of the most requested. Church planters list funding as one of their biggest struggles. In my book Launch, there is some great practical solutions for the church planter willing to take the steps.

Today I am going to highlight the benefits of finding good “Partners.”  To do this, you need to shift your focus from Individual Partners to Church Partners.

Your primary source of funding over the long haul will likely come from churches, not individuals. Partnering with churches has many advantages over partnering with individuals. For one thing, churches are more financially stable in the long term. If you recruit a large church to support you, it may be able to invest $10,000 to $15,000 for a number of years without any problem.

However, individual, even those who are financially successful with a strong source of support on the front end, will have personal rises and falls in their finances that may hinder them from supporting you year after year. Churches are much more capable of making investments that span a number of years.

Churches can also offer more than just money. They can provide coaching, mentoring, staff assistance, procedural advice, training materials and a host of other resources for you. Often, they are not only able to raise large amounts of money, but they are also able to rally large numbers of people who can pray for you.

A word of caution on recruiting partners: Don’t put all your eggs in one basket. Beware of having only one church partner or individual who agrees to cover your costs. If you have only one church partner and that church experiences setback, you’ll find yourself in trouble. Even the most stable churches experienec setbacks. Having a single financial partner is a recipe for disaster.

In our experiences with at least  a half-dozen churches that have used a single financial backer, all have turned out poorly. The best way to ensure that your new church is not dependent on one source is to diversify and recruit several partners.

I hope that you will have success in finding individuals who will support you, but I really want to encourage you to be intentional in dealing with churches and securing them as your partners.

Churches understand, from a perspective of experience, where you are and where you are trying to go. They are best-equipped to support you – financially and otherwise – along the journey.

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. – Eccles. 4:12

You will need funding for your Launch. I suggest you learn now how to raise it! 

Zig Ziglar has said, “Money isn’t everything, but it is right up there with oxygen.” I will be devoting some of our time together at the upcoming One Day Church Planting Launch Conference in Orlando on “Funding.” 

The funding element alone will make this conference well worth your time and investment to be a part of it.

You’ll learn from my personal experience and the experience of having coached hundreds of other successful church planters. I will teach you the key principles for “Launching Large” PLUS the latest lessons learned in launching and growing an effective church plant.

This one-of-a-kind event is perfect for church planters and key team members of existing church plants or pastors and teams looking to effectively start new churches.

As a bonus, there will be a special lunch time “Round Table Discussion” with effective church planters from my Advanced Coaching Network.

Here are the details:

The One Day Launch Conference For Pastors, Church Planters and Teams
Location: Royal Plaza Hotel Walt Disney World, Orlando, FL
Date: Friday, April 13, 2012
Time: 9:30am – 4:30pm

Hurry – space is limitedto the first 99 registrants!

$49 for one person; $79 for three people from the same church/new church team (Call for further group options – 1-800-264-5129)

Note: Special hotel rates are available for conference attendees (information will be emailed upon registration).

P.S. Don’t miss out – click the link below to register your spot now for the One Day Launch Conference in Orlando – Friday, April 13.  The last one sold out!

Register for the One Day Launch Conference in Orlando!

© Nelson Searcy. All Rights Reserved.

About Nelson Searcy

Nelson Searcy is an experienced church growth strategist, pastor, church planter and coach, consulting with churches around the world. As founder of Church Leader Insights and the Renegade Pastors Network, he has personally trained more than 3,500 church leaders in over 45 denominations through live events, seminars and monthly coaching. Nelson is also the Founding and Lead Pastor of The Journey Church, with locations across New York City and in Boca Raton, FL. Nelson and his church routinely appear on lists such as “The 50 Most Influential Churches” and “The 25 Most Innovative Leaders.” He is the author of over 100 church growth resources and 18+ books, including The Renegade Pastor: Abandoning Average in Your Life, Ministry and The Difference Maker: Using Your Everyday Life for Eternal Impact, and At the Cross with the People Who Were There. He and his wife, Kelley, have one son, Alexander.