Testing your “call” to plant a Church

God plants a burden, a dream, a desire in a man’s heart.   You listen to the prompting of the Spirit, you pray, you read the Scriptures, and you try to discern the voice of God.  The calling or urgency to plant a new church is an incredibly exciting, yet daunting experience.

Part of God’s plan in the life of the man of God who is pursuing clarity of direction – is to place wise counselors and advisors in our path.  Someone has said that church planting is like pastoring put “on steroids”!  The demands on a man’s life, on his family, and on his resilience will be great.  So where do you begin?   How do you know if you are cut out for church planting?

We would suggest that as part of your first steps toward church planting, you sit down with your pastor, elders from your church, or other trusted spiritual advisors and ask them to speak into your life.  Share with them the desire you are experiencing to plant a church and ask for their evaluation and feedback.

In addition to conversations with leaders who know you well, an invaluable step in discerning your call, is to grab lunch or coffee with two or three planters who are currently DOING IT! Feel free to contact any of the planters in our network – interview them, question them, probe their learnings!  You’ll learn from those who are in the trenches!

The following list of questions is in no way exhaustive, but it will help you begin the conversation:

1. As you look at my life – How would you currently describe my relationship with Jesus Christ? How can I grow as a disciple?

2. Are there areas that my life and doctrine are out of sync?

3. How would you evaluate my home?

If married:  Where do I need to grow as a husband and a father?

If single:  Do you see me as a man of integrity & purity?  Where can I improve?

4.  Do you see anything in my life that might hinder or disqualify me from effective pastoral ministry?  What do you see in my life in regards to my money, my time, my work ethic?

5.  Do you have any concerns about how I relate to women?

6. Do you see in me an ability to grasp and understand biblical truth and sound doctrine?

7. How would you describe my grasp and application of the gospel in my life?

8. How would you evaluate my leadership currently? Where do I need to grow as a leader?

9. How would you assess my love for people?

10. What are some next steps you think I should take in assessing my desire to church plant?