[This post is part of the “4 Hour Campus Plant” series. I am live blogging my attempt to plant a ministry at a new campus with only 4 hours a week. This is a continuous story that builds, so make sure to start at the beginning.]
This week at Long Beach City College Kimy and Juan-David led the group through Luke 10, the sending of the 72. Their task was to invite some friends and invite them into the mission with us. They were able to get two friends there and we had a great discussion. For their first time leading a group with us they did pretty well!
Eric didn’t show up, as he was talking to some friends. It was unclear if he was bailing on us or if he was getting into a spiritual conversation with them. Time will tell.
Attracting a Crowd vs. Developing a Following
Pastor Sean and I had a great talk on our way over to campus about the difference between the two ideas. He was sharing with me how he really liked partnering with me and seeing how I go about planting a ministry on campus. We are starting with leaders, a small core team, and then building out from there.
He was sharing with me that how he has learned to start and grow things at church is to gather a huge crowd, get a ton of pizza, and then parse his way through that crowd to find the leaders to move forward with.
Neither strategy is a bad one, they just have different results and pathways.
But it launched us into a topic about the difference between crowds and a following and it led me to some thoughts from Dave and Jon Ferguson in their book Exponential: How You and Your Friends Can Start a Missional Church Movement (Exponential Series)
“There is a difference between attracting a crowd and developing a following. Crowds are temporary. They come and go. They’re fickle and unpredictable. But followers are in it for the long haul.
Only a person who is capable of developing followers will be successful.”
Listen to Sean’s thoughts for yourself as he reflects on this learning point in planting:
The Debrief
Here is Kimy’s thoughts on how she thought it went as she led the group.
*We had to run right after the group and I wasn’t able to get on the phone with Kimy and Juan-David later this week. It was totally my fault not theres. I have some thoughts for them about their leading of the group (many encouragements and one learning point). I will have to get it to them next week but I really wished I did it on the spot. Not ideal, but oh well…
Lessons Learned
The lessons this week are two fold. One, there is a big difference between attracting a crowd and developing a following and we have to know that in planting. Many people short cut the proper process of planting (a strong group with a solid core team) because they are anxious and impatient about success and having numbers.
But learning to disciple, and truly develop a core team of missional leaders that vision flows from is essential in a healthy and multiplicative plant that will grow beyond a particular leader.
Secondly, letting students lead early is fantastic. It was a joy to see Juan-David and Kimy lead, show some personality, navigate the group dynamics, and add their own thoughts and ideas into the mix. So many leaders are controlling, too obsessed with perfect quality, and therefore don’t let young leaders take a stab early enough. If you want what you are planting to grow beyond you, start handing over the reigns from the beginning.
[This post is part of the “4 Hour Campus Plant” series. I am live blogging my attempt to plant a ministry at a new campus with only 4 hours a week. This is a continuous story that builds, so make sure to start at the beginning.]
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