Mile 2: Church Planting Marathon

Sunday at Capstone I mentioned Mile 2 is coming up on us.  During our Plant Team Building Days (Sept 2008 – Jan 2009) I used the illustration of church planting as a marathon not a sprint.  As we shared the vision of our launch on January 11th we knew this would be our first mile. Jan 11th was our first mile marker in the journey.  We are fast approaching our Mile 2 marker.  This an important time for us because we are stepping up in all the areas at Capstone and even creating new ones.  We are taking the things we have learned since Mile 1 and the momentum we are  carring from a great summer into Mile 2.

This Spring I ran a half marathon (not crazy enough to do a full one) in Charoltte. As I trained and ran the race I learned a lot.  The begining of the race was full excitement and rush as I set out to accomplish this goal.  At Mile 1 it was crowded and you saw many faces. Some were going a lot faster, while I passed others.  Pretty much everyone is just jacked up to get this thing started.  Mile 2 though the crowd began to spread out.  I had to realize I couldn’t keep this pace up for another 11 Miles.  People began setting their pace for the long haul and everyone began to get into their groove.  The faces began to get familiar as we ran together.

Church planting is the same way.  Starting up we were all excited about the mission and vision, sharing with anyone who would listen.  Mile 1 (The Launch) we had a LOT of people.   We saw lots of faces, but many came and went.  Whether it was just a curiousity, dislike or different mission not everyone who was at mile 1 is at mile 2.  And that is ok.  it is the nature of running and church planting.

As we get to Mile 2 the faces are familiar who have latched onto the mission and vision of Capstone. Some have been beside us since  the start, while others have recently come up beside us.  We have a solid group we have set the pace with. We are still fresh and engergize with this race set before us.  We realize our make up at Mile 3 might look different as we hit hills and it gets harder.  We know that we have our destination and Christ is with us in our race to reach as many people as possible with the Gospel of Christ.

Luke 19:10 “I came to seek and to save those that are lost.”

Church Plants Launching [Part 3]

* Preview Services
We only did one “preview service.”  We started out calling it our preview service, but we thought that seemed awful unfriendly.  So we decided to just have a full blown Christmas service for our folks, and if they invited people that was great, but if not we would just have a nice Christmas service.  People invited A LOT of friends and family.  After that we wondered who would come to our launch.
We are in a small town. It didn’t take much for people to know what we were doing and where.  So it wasn’t necessary for us to do  lots of Preview Services.  But I would encourage a FULL RUN THROUGH with every area the week before Launch.  This is essential to make sure everything works, make a list what else you need, and making sure everyone knew what the heck they were doing.  We launched on Jan 11.  We did a full run through the week before – we made sure that NO ONE invited guest.  Of course we had several, but they thought it was awesome.

* Volunteers
You won’t be able to do too much without volunteers.  Depending on the size of your plant team several people might be doing double duty just so that someone is greeting, there is coffee and that the sound works.  In our early days our sponsor church Rocky Creek did a great job of giving us extra hands in the children’s area.  Don’t be afraid to ask for help (sponsor churches or local kingdom minded churches).  Because there is a good chance that you will need it.   Another big thing is DON’T BURN YOUR VOLUNTEERS OUT! If someone doesn’t get to go into a service for a month – that is unacceptable.  Figure a system so that your workers are able to enjoy your full Sunday experience.  It might been others helping out or combing classes, but your volunteers are the life blood of a church plant – CARE FOR THEM and make sure their heart says healthy!

Church Plants Launching [Part 2]

* Marketing
Many ask about how Capstone spent our marketing budget.  The answer is we didn’t really have a marketing budget.  I know this goes against the “launch big” model.  The typical “launch big” model is spend between 5k to 10k on marketing.  Get the billboards.  Send out thousands of mailers.   Rent a hot air balloon to throw out fliers (actually never heard anyone do that).
We spent $100 on 500 business cards we called “invite cards” people could personal hand to relationships they had built with people.  Our strategy was we wanted to hear about Capstone through conversations and relationships.  Instead of spending thousands on marketing God sent us an oppurtunity to move a family out of uninhabitable home and purchase them a new trailer.  That created more of a buzz than mailers.

* Plant based on your passions
Two months before launch we asked if we should go ahead and start community groups.  We were already meeting weekly training our Plant Team.  We were doing monthly mission projects in our community.  When I asked to one of our Church Planter Mentors when we should start community groups he spoke up and said “what is your passion?” For me that was a no brainer – Community Mission Projects.  He said then don’t start community groups until after launch.  He mentioned we were doing great and anything else would take energy away from our launch.
If small groups are your passion – do them.  If missional projects are you passion – do them.  If launching small and slow is your mission and vision – do it. God has given you a vision – don’t plant based on someone else’s passion or vision.  Stick with what you know.

Church Plants Launching

Fall is most definetly my favorite times of year.  The cool brisky air flowing through the colorful leaves as they fall to the ground.  The sound of thousands of football fans cheering for their favorite team.  And of course the season of church plant launches.  A couple of guys in our church planting network are gearing up for launching their church in a couple of weeks: Jay Hardwick – Awaken Church and Jay Mitchell – The Well.

Both of these guys have taken their time in building their teams, breaking the code of their community, casting their vision and mission to anyone who would listen.  I am excited to see what God does with each one of these new works.  There is no doubt that Capstone will be watching and learning as these missional kingdom driven plants grow and impact their communites.

I have recieve several calls and emails during this season asking about Capstone’s launch and what we did.  Here are a few of the things I would tell anyone who is launching a new church plant.

* Plan for more than just the day you LAUNCH your church
Sometimes when a church launches they are so jacked up about starting weekly services they only plan for that one day.  Once launch day is over, you now have only 7 days to do  again what tooks months to plans.  Think about leadership and making sure that what you do on launch day can be reproduced 52 days a year.

* Prepare your launch team
For those of us who live and breath church planting we always hear stats, stories, and myths about what the next month will look like.  We know that usually the week after you launch your crowd isn’t going to look the same.  Most stats say you will only have 50% return (Capstone had about 75%).  But over the next few weeks the numbers won’t increase – they decreased.   This can be culture shock for your team.  But it is the nature of the beast.  People will be in and out for about six weeks.  If your team isn’t prepared you can lose all that momentum you had on launch day. Just let them know this is a natural trend in church planting.

More thoughts on Launching later this week…

*

Reset Button

Tomorrow the Tanners will be heading out west to Montana with Betsy’s parents to visit Betsy’s brother and family.  Ben and the rest of his family (Giner, Blaine, and Cade) haven’t had the chance to meet Luke yet.  So we are setting off for a week long journey starting in Billings and then heading up north to Yellowstone.

This is coming at a perfect time for me.  For the last month I have felt like a project manager with all the teams coming to help work on our building.  And it was a such a blessing to have over 100 people PAY to come help the Kingdom.  But while spinning that plate (copy right Mike Fielder) others have been neglected.  So this coming week I am hitting the Reset Button and coming back focused on our fall and what God is going to do.

In the past year as a church plant I have noticed the difference between plants that fail and those that survive.  The one variable: PARTNERSHIP.  Of the planters that have survived they have had at least one person to help carry the load.  They have had one person who stands by their side while the fiery arrows come.  Who is strong when you are weak, and allows you to recharge.  I am lucky to have such a person in Chris Barrineau our Executive Pastor.  I can step on that plane tomorrow knowing that Chris has it covered and will allow me take some deep, refreshing breaths.

We had a great Lead Team meeting last night (fresh breath) and have a TON of things planned for August as we get geared up for Fall!  I am praying that the Lord continues to send the workers because the harvest is plentiful.  We will be resting up this week because we know that when Aug comes it will be pedal to the metal as we penetrate darkness with the Good News.

Montana here we come!

Lack of Post & Tilling Ground

I am sure for the few people who check this blog they be asking why is Walt only blogging like once a month. Is he on some spiritual fast from technology or overseas saving orphans? The answer is no.

I really thought that this month with Capstone being apart of the One Prayer series and not teaching for 3 weeks I would be able to spend some more time getting my ducks in a row. WRONG.

We continue to pour into this plant. We are spending time working and tilling the ground for the fall. I continue to cast the vision that last Jan we spread the seed. At Easter we saw a great harvest. This summer we are preparing the ground for more seed and even a greater harvest.

What does tilling the ground consist of? It means looking at everything we have built in these first six months and making it better. Removing what isn’t working, asking what this ministry needs, and recruiting and training new volunteers. It means building MORE relationships in our community, and penetrating darkness with the gospel of Christ.  It means preparing the local church to live up to its FULLEST potential. If its broken we are fixing it, and if it isn’t broke we are breaking and making it better.

I have heard it said that you can’t create a movement, you can only be ready when it comes. We are strapping on our helmets and pulling up our boot straps for what God is sending our way.

Capstone Video

If you might be wondering what our first Sunday was like at Capstone – here is a “highlight” video for you. Shout out to Wes who came up from North Augusta to help out on launch Sunday. He is a former youth, staff member, and a great supporter of Capstone. Hopefully we will have more videos to show on how God is moving at Capstone.

Capstone Launch from Capstone on Vimeo.

Mind Dump

Here are the things floating around in my head coming off Capstone’s launch this past Sunday:

* where did all those people come from?
* our plant team was amazing. you would of thought this group had been together years, not just a few months. God put together a great group to start a church with.
* we have to do this EVERY SUNDAY!
* will my throat ever stop hurting
* is anyone going to come back next week?
* many people say that NEW churches is small towns won’t work.  I am starting to think they might be a little hasty on that judgement
* pipe and drape can change a room very quickly.
* God can do a lot when you let Him work.
* when the Man has a plan – just jump on board and let him go! 
* who knew putting yard signs on the corner during the weekend in Fountain Inn was illegal.
*  to quote Field of Dreams: “if you build it – they will come.”

Picture from Sunday

TJ Barton snapped this picture Sunday with his COOL BLACKBERRY.  TJ and few other folks from TrueNorth came up from North Augusta to support Capstone’s Launch.  They actually gave us their seats so that people from Fountain Inn could have a spot to sit down.  We will be working on a highlight video to give you a good look on Capstone’s first Sunday

Capstone Launches

January 11th was put on a calendar 9 months ago as the date we would publicly launch Capstone Church. It is hard to believe that it just happened. It has been a journey that can only be summed in WOW! God has had His finger prints all over this thing from the beginning. Even today – His Spirit wowed all of us.

Since had a good crowd at Christmas we only set out 100 chairs – thinking that our most of our well wishers had come to that service and it would be a little less. Cool with us, we would be happy if a hand full of people stumbled into the door. Well we ran out of chairs and it was standing room only at Capstone’s launch this morning. Our best estimates are at the 225 mark.

New faces where everywhere, and an atmosphere of awe filled what normally is a basketball gym now transformed into a church. Our core plant did an amazing job of pulling this whole thing off – setting up, greeting, making coffee, inviting others and being real. I am still allowing today to soak in… throughout this week I will be posting some more thoughts on our Capstone’s launch