CTRL-ALT-DEL
Press twice for reboot.
I have been the pastor of a small church for the last several months. The church was basically a large “small group” with a goal of growing into a self-supportive church. During my interview, I was told, “we are looking for a leader and will do anything to make this church work!” by a couple who left shortly after I was hired because they were “tired of planting a church” and “wanted something more stable.” I had another guy and his family move on because I asked him to cut his pay as it was killing the churches finances. Still another wanted a church with a stable youth / children’s ministry. We went from large small group to normal-sized small group in two months.
Building on someone else’s foundation can be a pain.
During the last few months, our core has struggled to get on the same page. We have wanted to work hard, rebuild, and move forward, but could not do it. We all had different ideas of what was supposed to be happening and how it was supposed to happen. We could not align our vision and move forward. We were failing to pray together and listen to what Jesus wanted us to do. We were too concerned with the foundation of the church as it was.
So I tried to make it all more complicated.
In April I wrote up a plan with a TON of variables. It was going to take a lot of time and money to walk it all out. It was completely stupid. I sat down to email the plan to a pastor friend of mine and started to laugh at myself. First off, no one else had a copy. How were they supposed to know what we were doing. Second, if one did have a copy, they would probably be bored out of their minds reading it. Only church planters and business people like reading these things.
So I made a new plan, and was quickly moved into another.
I sat down and prayed (no kidding!) and came up with another plan. It wasneatly organized and creatively put into four pages. It’s easy to read and even easier to follow. I can email or print out a copy in under 30 seconds. I can tell you what it is without even thinking too hard about it. The best part is, it actually involves a lot of glorifying God and seeking Jesus.
In order to do this plan, we have to reboot the church. We have to close the former (Gravity Church) and open up anew. I wanted a few weeks to smoothly move to this plan, but it appeared God had other ideas. The church closed and we reassigned assets to the “new” church plant. At first I was a little panicked. Looking back, it all makes sense now.
Raise your wine glass.
I am proposing a toast to the new church plant. The one with it’s eyes firmly focused on Jesus Christ. The one with a clean slate and a freshly laid foundation. The one looking for people who want to spread the Gospel to Middletown and beyond.
One thing is missing.
We need a name.
-Don-
