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4 Naïve Mistakes in Church Planting

Dan Steel

The broader culture of the church-planting world—shaped by the books, conferences, and Twitter feeds—often fosters optimism and dreams, which is good, but it must also contend with the sobering reality of ministry challenges.

One problem in the church-planting world is that the stories we hear, the books we read, and the people we admire are often anomalies. They are the outliers. The rare success stories capture our hearts, help us dream, and inspire our actions but may not reflect the norm. And before you accuse me of lacking faith or being a party pooper, let me be clear—I know the Lord can and does accomplish extraordinary things. I believe we should pray bold, daring and outrageous prayers, trusting our Father in Heaven to bless and bring abundance in the things that truly matter. He can and does work miracles. It’s just that, dare I say, such extraordinary events are not His usual way of working.

Ed Stetzer and Warren Bird, in Viral Churches, point out that after two years, 92% of church plants still exist; after three years, 81%; and after four years, 68%. However, that still means nearly one-third of church plants close within 48 months, and the growth of most remaining churches will not have been exponential. Crowd growth might be quick, but kingdom growth is often painstakingly slow. Painfully slow, especially in a world enamored with speed, immediacy, and quick results.

We tend to admire the anomalies. Whoever it is on your bookshelf, conference stage, or Twitter feed who has grown a ragtag group of believers from 20 to 20,000, planting another 200 churches along the way—that’s who we assume (or hope or dream) we will emulate. Yet, over a quarter of the leaders I spoke to for the Wise Church Planting book admitted their early naïveté. They had assumed it would be easier, that growth would be faster, or that their churches would become larger. The broader culture of the church-planting world—shaped by the books, conferences, and Twitter feeds—often fosters optimism and dreams, which is good, but it must also contend with the sobering reality of ministry challenges.

Here are four common areas of naïveté often mentioned by the struggling planters:

1. Romanticized Expectations

As we’ve noted, Western culture is drawn to success stories. We admire the anomalies.

As Zack Eswine writes in The Imperfect Pastor, “You want to do large things, famous and fast. But most things that truly matter require small acts of overlooked love over a long period of time.” Church planting—indeed, all kingdom work—is slow work. Slower than we’d like. Jesus Himself often used agricultural metaphors: seeds, thorns, and the slow, often frustrating process of growing and bearing fruit. As you plant, hold on to this reality. Be patient. Growth is incremental, and the work of cultivating healthy, sustainable churches takes time. There are no shortcuts.

2. Underestimating Personal Cost

To extend the farming metaphor—agriculture is exhausting. A friend of mine who took over the family farm lives a life marked by early mornings, late nights, bruises, blisters, and constant fatigue. Church planting is no different. Saying “yes” to planting a church means saying “no” to other opportunities. It demands personal sacrifice and will likely cost your family as well. Many planters I spoke with were surprised by the toll it took on their marriages, relationships with children, and overall health—even those who had prior ministry experience. Be prepared for the reality that planting will bring discomfort, exhaustion, and moments of hardship.

3. Overlooking Spiritual Opposition

In church planting, it’s easy to fall off either side of the horse. As C.S. Lewis famously said, “There are two equal and opposite errors into which our race can fall about the devils. One is to disbelieve in their existence. The other is to believe and to feel an excessive and unhealthy interest in them.” We may downplay or dismiss spiritual opposition entirely, or we may overemphasize it to an unhealthy degree. The truth is, when you plant hope-filled countercultural, grace-saturated communities of light in a dark and lost world, it will not go unnoticed by the Enemy. Don’t be naïve. Expect opposition. Yet, take heart—our Enemy is defeated and restrained. He prowls, yes, but he is on a leash, toothless before the victory of Christ.

4. Neglecting Personal Godliness

In recent months, we’ve already discussed the importance of character and godliness in leadership. Under-shepherds are called to resemble the Chief Shepherd, filled and shaped by His Spirit, bearing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, and kindness (etc). And yet, in many corners of ministry, we’ve often prioritized competence over character or gifting over godliness, with disastrous consequences. Do not be naïve. Who you are in private will inevitably shape your public ministry. A lack of integrity or godliness will ripple through your church, leading to messiness, broken trust, and, ultimately, leading to failure. Commit to cultivating and tending your own walk with Christ as you shepherd His people. Walk with Him daily.

Meet the Author

Dan Steel

Dan Steel has been involved in church plants—in one way or another—for the last 25 years. He currently resides in Oxford, UK with his wife (Zoe) and 2 kids (with 2 away at university). He’s an elder at Magdalen Road Church and the Principal of Yarnton Manor. He’s the author of Wise Church Planting, a global research study seeking to listen to and learn the lessons from struggling planters.

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