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I’m closing out this series with a culmination of things already expressed within the previous posts from Wayne Park, Elora Ramirez, and Rindy Walton (If you have not read these posts yet, please take a few minutes to do so now). My experience is kind of like a blend of all 3 of the previous experiences, yet different at the same time. I’m hopeful that I share my experience that it will speak to someone and give them the courage to say no rather than push through and create more pain, or cause them to recognize some things and push forward even stronger. Here are my answers in regards to the story behind shutting down Revolution Church Sacramento in January 2010:

1. On a scale of 1-10, how confident were you in your call to plant a church?

For me, there was no doubt in my mind that I was a 10+ in my calling to plant a church. I felt the call from the first time I sensed God’s voice speak to me and lead me to a seminary that met me where I was at and equipped and empowered me to take the next steps in my journey. Going from Atheist to church planter in 4 years I think was an outward sign of my confidence in that calling.

2. Were you launched from a parent church, denomination, church plant group, or independently?

Initially our hope was to be birthed as a daughter church from a strong mother church, but that never really came to fruition. So, we were independent and continually seeking to network and partner with more-established churches to help us with spiritual and financial support as well as accountability.

3. Where were you strongest in your resources (finances, people, equipment, etc.) at time of launch?

We were weak in every single area that church planters are expected to be prepared in, however I felt strong in my calling. Many, many people believed in my calling and supported our faithfulness as a church plant, but obviously it takes more than calling and faithfulness in order to survive as a unique ministry with no model already in existence to look towards. We went into preview services with the belief that we had a strong group of people committed to start something new, but had some issues with alignment and expression of vision. In other words, it was probably the right people, but the wrong place and wrong time.

4. Where were you the weakest in your resources at time of launch?

Again, we were pretty weak across the board, but our biggest weakness I think was people. We had no finances going into this, but God always seems to provide for that, but I think we should have spent more time as a group engaging each other and connecting with our community more before we had thoughts of launching weekly, corporate worship gatherings.

5. Where did you expend most of your time and energy following your launch date?

We never really launched. We went from preview services to disbanding and trying to regroup. Most of our energies following our preview services though went in to figuring what we did wrong and how we could move forward without making similar mistakes.

6. What was your biggest disappointment?

Initially, my biggest disappointment was within me. I did my best to cater to our launch team rather than stay true to the vision I felt God compelled to operate within. In hindsight though, I actually don’t feel the emotions of disappointment. I think our church plant experience did much to humble us and draw me personally back to God, rather than try and find my worth chasing after an idol known as “Church planting.” Some members of our launch team are now gathering to explore the possibilities of working towards an second generation Asian-American ministry, others have re-connected with their families and are now attending worship services together rather than apart, some have moved away to new cities and others have become closer friends of mine as a result of our time in ministry together. While I am somewhat disappointed that my dream of seeing a viable multi-cultural ministry with a focus on racial reconciliation take shape in Sacramento, how can I really be disappointed seeing all the positive things that have emerged through connections made as a result of our church plant efforts?

7. Was starting the church plant, or shutting it down the hardest for you?

I go back to my calling to answer this. Starting the church plant felt like my destiny. I dreamed it, studied it, lived it, shared about it…I knew no other future than starting Revolution Church Sacramento. Shutting things down--although the decision came quickly--was difficult to accept. I had to recognize that I had failed and as a result began beating myself up over the experience.

8. Would you consider (or have you considered) church planting again? Why or why not?

Originally I felt like Revolution Church Sacramento was a fulfillment of my dreams--my destiny as a church planter. So, when that got shut down, I felt like my church planting days were behind me. I was being moved into something new and had no idea what that was going to be. As I’ve had time to reflect on things and evaluate how I perceive things, I must admit that I feel the calling of church planting is a part of who I am and who I was created to be. I don’t feel called to actively pursue reaching a community of people with the goal of leading another church plant, but I do feel a draw to a group of people and sense that the time will come when I will be passionately engaged in helping to form a missional community that wants to share the transformation power of the gospel of Christ in acts of service and compassion rather than obligation. For now, I am at peace with where we are at and excited about some new opportunities that weren’t even in my line of sight when I lived and breathed Revolution Church Sacramento. I’m thankful for second chances.

9. What is the one thing you’d tell someone before they got involved in church planting?

Calling is not everything! You were not called to be alone! Really pause and discern prayerfully when you sense God changing the direction of your ministry! Don’t put your worth in your ministry…God wants to have a relationship with you through his Son Christ much more than he cares about how well you plant a church. It’s not one thing, but I feel each is equally as important as the other.

10. What can we as the local church do to be more supportive of church planters?

Some churches support church plants through finances or gifts of equipment, while others support them through sending people. However, if you’re a church that pledges to pray for a church plant, please honor that commitment and keep them in your prayers. Once is not enough! Remember that for the most part churches were started in a time when giving and raising financial support for new ministry was much easier than it is today. Imagine what it’s like for that new church plant venturing in faith in this climate of post-Christian life. Maybe you can’t (or won’t) sacrifice with finances, people, or other resources, but in reality each of us can pray and stay encouraging…it costs us nothing, but always returns much.

Please know that none of the 4 posts in this blog series were meant to be critical of the church or discouraging of church planters. Our experiences were shared in the hopes that they benefit others who are struggling or can be better-prepared as a result of our collective insights. Somedays the only thing holding everything together may be your calling, but your calling isn’t sufficient to provide everything it takes to be a healthy and thriving church plant. Always stay open to learning and if there is anything I can do to help you or you’d like someone to pray with you for a season, I am here for you. We all are here for you!

My friend Rindy Walton talked about her experiences with me about a year ago. She was part of a church planting team where the church never even had its first launch service. Know that she sold her house and moved to a different state to help plant this new church. As odd as it may seem, there is much to learn from Rindy and her experience of never celebrating the struggles of church planting with a corporate worship service. Here is how she responded to 10 questions about that experience:

1. On a scale of 1-10, how confident were you in your call to plant a church?


10! There was not a doubt that I was called to sell my house, leave my secure job and travel to move 350 miles to help plant a church. Even now, as things fell apart, there is still no doubt it was the right thing.


2. Were you launched from a parent church, denomination, church plant group, or independently?


We initially were independent, though the lead pastor had participated in a year-long church planting residency. We were then supported by an additional church plant group and denomination.


3. Where were you strongest in your resources (finances, people, equipment, etc.) at time of launch?


We were strongest in preparation--systems, planning, knowledge, learning from other church plants.


4. Where were you the weakest in your resources at time of launch?


We had all the ‘right stuff’ and all the preparations, but we never really invested in or connected with the community. We were new to the area & did not give sufficient time to be a part of the community.


5. Where did you expend most of your time and energy following your launch date?


We never officially launched. We held picnics, a community event & preview services, but we never gained momentum for an official launch.


6. What was your biggest disappointment?


I was so consumed with trying to get everything done, all the systems/processes/day-to-day operations in place that I feel we never really did what I was called to do—reach people. Also, personally, my teen sons saw the ‘negatives’ of churches/church planting and although also have no doubt we were called to do this, they became a bit disillusioned with the church in general.


7. Was starting the church plant, or shutting it down the hardest for you?


Shutting it down was hardest because I felt like if we could have ‘started again’ with all we had learned & everything we now had in place, we could have spent the time connecting with & investing in people.


8. Would you consider (or have you considered) church planting again? Why or why not?


I immediately began volunteering with multiple church plants, offering what I had learned to help them ‘fill the gaps’ that existed. I had learned so much that I had to get involved. I think it helped me to define more specifically what my gifts are, what skills I had begun to develop and to ‘pick and choose’ what I got involved in based on where I felt God was leading. I’m now on staff part-time at a 2 1/2 year old church plant. I definitely have a heart and calling for church planting.


9. What is the one thing you’d tell someone before they got involved in church planting?


Make sure you’re called and you don’t have a doubt, be more concerned about what God is telling you than what ‘the church planting world’ expects. Of course, you have to be sure your family is on board, but more than that, don’t expect them (especially kids) to HAVE to be a part of all the work—keep time separate & don’t make everything about the church plant.


10. What can we as the local church do to be more supportive of church planters?


I don’t think most churches and church-goers really understand what church planting is all about and what it takes. I also see a lot of training for leadership, which is great, but training for the ‘nuts & bolts’ is needed too, not only for lead pastors, but for others on the team.

Thanks to Rindy for sharing her experiences with us! While it may seem uncommon, know that this situation is much more common than you know. It’s just that failed starts like this aren’t often talked about because they are difficult to accept. May this help many others about to get involved in church planting or those struggling whether to keep going when it seems like you’re going no where.

Finally settling in and able to get back to the interviews about shutting down church plants early. Today I’m continuing in a different situation…what happens when you are asked to step down before the church plant really gets going? Elora Ramirez and her husband Russell went through this experience recently and I think we can all learn a lot from their insight:

1. On a scale of 1-10, how confident were you in your call to plant a church?

6.5

Two weeks after moving to Austin we met over coffee with the pastor. I had questions, but everything was falling into place and opportunities were opening up for Russell and I to serve, so we jumped for it. We moved to Austin completely blind -- with only a few leads on some area churches. We didn’t want to make any rash decisions, but we also didn’t want to become lazy in our pursuit of community. One Sunday led to another, and before we knew it, we were the worship leaders. It felt right. And on days where we wondered whether or not we made the right decision, we just kept going, hoping it would get better.

2. Were you launched from a parent church, denomination, church plant group, or independently?

We launched from a parent church with a vision to plant churches across Austin. The day of our commissioning service there were three other churches launching with us.

3. Where were you strongest in your resources (finances, people, equipment, etc.) at time of launch?

Our charter service was incredible. People were incredibly generous with their first gifts and at the time of launch we had twice the budget than what we were anticipating. I would also say our kids ministry started off with a stellar backing. I saw the research going into choosing the curriculum and praying through some of the choices -- no short cuts were taken. Those in charge of children’s ministry did an outstanding job at letting the Lord lead them.
4. Where were you the weakest in your resources at time of launch?

People. I’ve heard it said before you can have people -- even those willing to help -- but unless they are the right people your labor is in vain. We averaged about 40-50 people a week coming to the services -- but many of these people weren’t truly committed to the vision of the church. People were called to minister in areas they weren’t passionate about, and leaders who promised support verbally didn’t really follow through after the launch. Many weekends we felt…stranded.

5. Where did you expend most of your time and energy following your launch date?

Worship. Finding songs, practicing, chunking songs, practicing some more…I would say every day there was always the thought of Sunday morning worship in the back of our mind simply because for all the time we put into the setlist,  twice as much time was spent defending it or changing it or trying to bend to people’s wishes. It didn’t matter if we had prayed over which songs to sing, if the people didn’t know the song, the leadership didn’t want us to lead it.

6. What was your biggest disappointment?

Miscommunication. This was more than just our biggest disappointment -- it fueled our greatest hurt. The miscommunication came swift and unannounced -- stripping us of our position as worship leaders. Even then -- in the midst of the pain -- we knew the decision wasn’t malicious or intentional. And even though we both were wondering if we could go back, we still went the Sunday after we were told. We sat by ourselves. No one spoke to us until after the service when it was announced they were giving Russ a break to pursue his career. What happened then is what prevented me from ever wanting to return. I just couldn’t. Not with the hurt -- not with the misconceptions and everyone else believing it was our choice to stop leading. Someone even asked us “so you decided to chase the almighty dollar?” For the next two weeks, I didn’t go a day without crying. I scheduled to meet a friend for coffee, and I went dragging -- knowing she would ask how I was doing. Every time I was forced to read an e-mail or someone asked me a question about what happened, it was like the bandage being ripped off before it healed completely.

And I don’t say this to draw sympathy or make you believe I can’t handle my emotions -- but to be as honest as possible. I never anticipated this pain. I never anticipated the hurt caused by the church. But now I know. I can say I’ve been there -- I’m still there. And you know what? Christ has never left me. In fact, he’s been closer than ever before.

It’s been two months since the blow, and Russ and I have since found another church home. Slowly, healing is taking place. But the fear is still there. I know eventually I will be able to frequent local coffee shops without hesitation, wondering if I’ll run in to someone from the plant. And more than anything, I continue to pray for those still involved. This church has the possibility to do incredible things for the Kingdom. I’m praying and hoping they tap into their resources and learn that taking risks is sometimes the most beautiful method of drawing closer to Christ.

7. Was starting the church plant, or shutting it down the hardest for you?

It was leaving -- hands down. Even though we knew there was no way we could go back, even thinking about going somewhere else caused me to worry. Will the same thing happen again? Is community even possible? Will we ever find anyone to do life with us? The first time we visited somewhere else was the first time in my life I was nervous going to church. I’m still nervous. Just last night I started crying when Russ and I talked about joining a missional community. I didn’t want to go. My heart wrapped its arms around my chest and started squeezing in protest. Please don’t hurt me again, it seemed to be saying. Please don’t make me open up to people…

I went anyway -- knowing even though those feelings are legitimate, bowing down to fear is not. I won’t let fear get the best of me. Looking back, we see now how God has orchestrated our lives -- even the hurt -- to lead us to where we are now. We are blessed. God’s sovereignity is worth every moment of pain. And I know that’s a dangerous statement, but I’m beginning to believe its truth.

8. Would you consider (or have you considered) church planting again? Why or why not?

Yes. Mainly because I don’t want to put limits on what God can accomplish. My life is his -- and if he wants us to step forward in faith to help assist another church plant, then we’ll be there.

9. What is the one thing you’d tell someone before they got involved in church planting?

PRAY. Sounds so simple -- but it’s SO important. Be specific in your prayers too -- and don’t freak out when he answers them in a way you weren’t anticipating.

10. What can we as the local church do to be more supportive of church planters?

Don’t assume plants have it all together. Ask if they need help. Come along side them on projects. Be more than just a prayer partner. There was nothing more humbling than seeing a crowd full of micro-churches, mega churches, bar-churches, house churches and church plants all mixed together at the Verge Conference -- worshipping together -- drawing strength from each other. We need more of this. We are all one body and I think far too often we act as if we are all our own entity.

Leaving something you love and are passionate about is incredibly hard, but being asked to leave your role prematurely must be even more difficult. Thanks Elora for sharing your story and blessings to you and Russell in your new ministry!

With the news a few weeks ago that we called an end to our church planting experience in Sacramento, I became aware that there is a lot of pain and sorrow associated with going through this, yet few resources there to help in the healing process. I met Wayne Park about a year ago through some blog post dialog and had a chance to talk to him about his experiences with a church plant that shut down after one year. I picked his brain before we went forward with preview services for our church plant in Sacramento believing that through his story we could avoid the same fate. It didn’t work out that way. Pastor Park started with a lot more support than we did as he was initially a church plant from Eugene Cho’s Quest Church in Seattle. Wayne has graciously agreed to share his experiences in the hopes that you can learn from his experiences. Here are his responses to 10 questions I asked about shutting down a church plant:

1. On a scale of 1-10, how confident were you in your call to plant a church?

In this question if I were to emphasize the word “confident” I would say 5 and upwards (being quite self-confident, perhaps in this case, overly); if I were to emphasize the word “plant” I would say 5 and downwards. I was very ill-experienced in the area of church planting.

2. Were you launched from a parent church, denomination, church plant group, or independently?

We started out independently with the intention of joining up with the Evangelical Covenant Church denomination. We received a great deal of support and coaching from Quest Church in Seattle however.

3. Where were you strongest in your resources (finances, people, equipment, etc.) at time of launch?

Almost none of the above. I think our vision was strong, but woefully inadequate in almost all of the areas mentioned above. Just goes to show that it takes more than just a visionary to start an institution, and that is what we are trying to start now is it not? Edifices. Institutions. In this I am unapologetic and don’t do too well with all the anti-institutional rhetoric. I believe there is weight to the “institution” of the church, and am somewhat sacramental in my outlook. We’re not planting symbols here, but meaningful institutions with mediating sacraments. I hold a high view of baptism. The Eucharist. And exposition of the Word. Thus the place of the Church as institution is important.

4. Where were you the weakest in your resources at time of launch?

I think the previous answer pertains :)

5. Where did you expend most of your time and energy following your launch date?

In an assortment of activities. I am now convinced that there are certain things done that don’t contribute to the starting of a new church, e.g., creating a perfect website, amassing an online following, blogging my ears out, preparing sermons for 20+ hours. These things draw attention but don’t gather people, nor do they create a church culture. I think one of the first objectives of a church planter is to facilitate chemistry (a Holy Spirit thing). Chemistry leads to culture. And on this I think Stevens and Collins have a lot of good things to say in their book “The Equipping Pastor: A Systems Approach”.

6. What was your biggest disappointment?

Failure sucks.

7. Was starting the church plant, or shutting it down the hardest for you?

They were both equally difficult in different ways. Starting was hard work, and shutting down left a dull ache that continues to last to this day.

8. Would you consider (or have you considered) church planting again? Why or why not?

Yes I have. It took me a while to get to this place, but I realize that if there were certain “definites” in place I would do it again, e.g., a parenting congregation that exhibits evidence of the Spirit’s move towards starting a new church, trust gained by the congregation, a sending team of 50 people at least, comprised of stable and contributing members of the community, and of course, time. I liken this approach to all the difference between a half-court throw-up where you’re just praying for it to go in, and a step-by-step slam dunk where there’s no chance of missing. The difference is this: in the prior you are saying “God this is my plan; now show up!”; in the latter you are saying “Spirit I see this is where you are moving; let me go there.” The problem is we all like the glory and glamor of the ESPN highlight reel when the truth is most half-court throw-ups miss the mark. If I were to do it again I would look for some of the “guaranteeors of success”. Guaranteeors. Is that even a word? It should be.

9. What is the one thing you’d tell someone before they got involved in church planting?

You need two things: people and a (well-conceived) plan. If you’ve neither of these, DON’T START. I know of a guy in one city who’s been planting for ten years now. The church still hasn’t gotten viable yet, and is about 50 people. I mean, here’s a guy who’s blown 10 years of the prime of his life trying to start something that shouldn’t have started in the first place. That’s the epitome of trying to force God into your vision. I take quite seriously Bonhoeffer’s statement that he who loves community destroys it. Your ideals of community can be quite idolatrous.

10. What can we as the local church do to be more supportive of church planters?

I think that says it all: be supportive of church planters. Probably the best thing is to catch the concept; once more larger churches understand this notion and become willing to send out their people they’ve understood the missionary vision.

Thank you Pastor Wayne Park for sharing your experiences, insights, wisdom, and pain with us.

Has your perception of church planting been reinforced or shaken based on Wayne’s commentary? Do you have a similar story to share? Would appreciate your comments below: