Jeff Jackson Live

My friend Michael from Oak Leaf Church in Cartersville, GA recently wrote a post about submitting to someone else vision before promoting your vision.  I have never thought about this concept but it make lots of since.  He talked about youth pastors venturing out and planting churches because they don’t want a boss telling them what do to.  He suggest to his readers that they should submit to someone else vision first.

This shows lots of wisdom because when we submit to someone’s vision we learn first hand how to lead the people that will follow the vision that God has given us.  If your thinking about planting a church, attach yourself to a church plant a sell out to the vision and learn.  If you are looking for a team to join hit me up and we can learn how to plant churches together.

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1.  Heart – Church planting is shaping up to be the most difficult thing I have ever done.  There are things in life that aren’t for the average person and church planting is one of them.  A church planter has to be able to lead when others can’t see the path, paint a picture that has never been painted, inspire believers to do the ministry and not just be satisfied as spectators.  Heart as been the only thing that has brought be through when I felt like quitting.  Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the LORD. Psalm 31:24

2.  Incredible Wife – Church Planter…if you don’t have a wife that is on board with your vision…DON’T PLANT!!!  I can’t stress this enough…your wife will make or break your ministry.  Thank God, I have a wife that will put up with my crazy ideas and emotional roller coaster.  I love you, babe!

3.  Sacrificial lead team – Your lead team, elders, etc are a vital part to the success of your plant.  Be slow to recruit and don’t be afraid to expect COMPLETE buy in from your team.  Your team members, if recruited right, want the reins and opportunity to lead.  Hold loosely what God has given you.  I have been blessed with a team you loves God and our people.  I never ask for a favor because we are equals in the equations.  FYI if you’re a micro-manger, your not a church planter.

4.  Melatonin – This isn’t a joke.  I have not been sleeping through the night for a few years now and it started to directly affect my family and ministry.  My mom introduced me to this dietary supplement and I feel like a new person.  If you don’t have problems sleeping through the night you still need rest.  Rest is essential for battle – Psalm 3:5, 6

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Darrin Patrick from the Acts 29 networks gives us some great inspiration. If you are a church planter or want to plant this video is a must watch. If you are interested in planting we have tons of opportunities in the State of Indiana. Hit me up if you want more information. Also here are some great questions to ask if you are praying about planting a church.

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The reality is American evangelicals close more churches each year than we open new ones.  Like it or not, we are a post-christian nation.  This is why it is so important to plant churches.  I have read stories and met guys that had all the good intentions in the world for their church plant but for some reason or another they failed.  Here are three reason that contribute to the closure of new churches:

1.  Lack of Vision - Habakkuk 2:2-3 tells us to write the vision clear so it is easily understood and able to spread.  There are churches that I have walked into and no one knows the vision of the church.  No one can even articulate a version of the church’s vision.  Problem?  YES!  Vision is key to any church growth but vital for a church plant.  I heard once that if your staff is tired of hearing about the vision then your people will get it and if your people are sick of hearing the vision then your community will get it.  We want our communities to GET IT so preach it until you are blue in the face.

2.  Moral Failure - want to ruin your church plant?  Then have a moral failure.  NOT only you but your staff’s moral failures can ruin your plant.  It is important to have accountability in place to keep you clear of immorality.  Also since your staff can bring it down be slow to hire and give titles.  Your church  plant will thrive without fancy titles.

3.  Lack of Execution – Church planting is fought and won in the trenches.  This is probably one of the hardest components to church planting.  Most church planters are 60 foot view guys.  Let me explain, most guys are entrenched with vision and forget to seek and identify the steps to take to complete the vision which gives them a 60 foot view.  If you are a big picture thinker then you need to surround yourself with execution people, clipboard nazi and self proclaimed bean counters.

Church planting is our only hope so make sure you are ready for the pressures of church planting and educated yourself on the things that can bring it down.

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I believe we need to plant churches like it is going out of style not only because its biblical but because its our only hope.  Here my top 5 reason why we need to plant churches.

1. Hands down most effective evangelism tool - in major denominations around 80% of the recorded salivations came from churches that where younger than two years old.  What does this tell us…? Church plants are more effective.  This doesn’t mean that established churches don’t have there place, they DO and they can have a big impact on the culture of church planting.  Lots of larger and more established churches can fund church planting.
2. We are commanded too! -  the results of the great commission ministry is discipleship and discipleship leads to congregationalism aka church.  So, if we are making disciples we are planting churches.  Right?  Its a natural progression.
3. Lots of lost people - the last stat I read was that there were over 120 million unchurched people in the United States.  This make us the largest mission field in the Western Hemisphere and the fifth largest field in the world.  Hmm, think we should be starting new churches?  Especially since we close somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500 churches each year.
4. Church plants reach younger people – A key characteristic of church plants is that their attenders tend to be younger than churches generally, with more than two-thirds (69%) of adult attenders being aged 15-49 years, compared with only 48% at churches generally.
5. It is the most exciting thing to do on the face of this planet (yeah I’m partial) – need I say more!!!

The fact is we need a reality check.  If we don’t plant more churches than close each year our children won’t have a church to attend.  Actually we need a GUT check.  If you feel like God is leading you to plant then I encourage you to begin the process of becoming a planter.  Here are some good questions to ask yourself before planting.

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I am apart of a coaching network at Oak Leaf Church led by Michael Lukaszewski and a few sessions ago we went over a leadership lesson for completing a task.  I took this lesson and expanded on the concept.  When completing a task you can complete it three ways:

1. You Can Do It…out of desperation – There are times when, as leaders, we must just get the job done.  But this is not scalable and your ministry will not grow if you are always the one completing the tasks.
2. You Can Delegate It…out of dictation – Delegation is a common misconception in leadership.  We think we are leading if we are delegating our tasks out to someone else.  This is not biblical if you don’t believe me read Ephesians 4!  I understand that sometimes we have to delegate when we are in a pinch but this is not scalable.
3. You Can Develop A Leader…out of desire – When we are developing other leaders we are extending the life cycle of our church (and don’t kid yourself…every church as a life cycle) and its biblical, if you don’t believe me read Ephesians 4! Developing leaders will allow you to sleep well at night.

Do not hold the ministry God has given you with a tight fist.  “Do it” only if you have to, “delegate” on occasion and always “develop” other leaders.

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We have so many talented people at Journey Church.  This week I had the distinct privilege to read  a very creative rendition of the Great Commission found in Matthew 28 by one our many talented people, Cole Harper.   I was talking to Cole prior to Sunday and we started talking about how the church in America has lost its first love and how we have distorted what the Great Commission embodies and have deduced the commission from our Savior Jesus Christ to something that is more focused on buildings, lights and HD videos cameras and a passionless life not focused on people who need Jesus.  Before all the emails and comments start coming in, I am not suggesting we can’t use buildings, lights and HD video cameras to promote the Great Commission but what is our motive, OUR kingdom or HIS Kingdom?  Without further ado, the American Spoiled Version of the Great Commission by Cole Harper.

Go therefore and make disciples of already lukewarm Christians, baptizing them in the name of cool buildings, consumerism and the fear of lost people, teaching them to ignore both the Gospel and that lost people go to hell. And behold, I am with you always [assuming your sound system is sweet] even as you pogo-stick aimlessly from church to church for the duration of your anemic, passionless lives.

Lets keep Jesus the main thing, shall we?  I can speak for myself and for Journey Church, we will not subscribe to this idea.  In fact, we will die flying the banner of Jesus Christ.  Who is with us?  The time is now.

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We all influence other people, sometimes it’s for the worse. I was sitting in Sam’s Club today picking up some tables for our Children’s ministry when I realized our circles of influence could be greater. Let me explain, I was in Sam’s Club for one hour and didn’t see one person that I knew. There is so much potential in our community to meet new people we just have to get of our spiritual couches and be intentional about meeting new people. Be intentional.

Jeff

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Thanks to google analytics here is a list of the 10 most viewed and talked about blog posts on my site in 2009:

10.  Interview with Dave Ferguson

9.  Its Time to Start Thinking Different

8.  Signs of a Dying Church

7.  Porn Again Christian

6.  25 Random Things About Me

5.  21 Questions to Ask Before Planting

4.  What I’ve Learned About Church Growth

3.  10 Rules for a Healthy Church Planter’s Marriage

2.  God, Religion and Porn!

1.  Is Being Gay Wrong

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