Church Pitfalls (Part 4) - Church Leader Insights

Bob Franquiz, Guest Blogger:

#4 – I was trying to be someone else – Here’s what I didn’t realize when I first started in ministry, that Jesus didn’t save us to clone us. God created you to be you. When we started our church, I was 26 years old, and I was desperate to know how a Senior Pastor acted. So I did what I knew: I wore a tie every Sunday, I taught the way I was taught to, and I said “Praise the Lord” and “God bless you” in all the right spots.

What was the result? I was miserable. I hate wearing ties. I had different ideas about teaching and communicating than my instructors and all the Christianeze was about to make me puke.

So I decided to be myself. I put away the ties. I started communicating in a way that was suited to my gifts and I started talking like a normal person. In the end, I was much happier and the joy of ministry came back when I decided to be me.

If you’re interested is hearing about some other Church Planting Pitfalls, check out this resource Nelson Searcy and I did on the subject. If you’re a church planter interested in coaching, click here to be part of my new tele-coaching network exclusively for church planters! I have a couple of spots left.

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.