Eric Metcalf is the Lead Planter of Community Lincoln Park | Old Town – a new church being launching in downtown Chicago on Oct 20, 2013. Eric also provides leadership to NewThing’s Leadership Residency Program – a program designed to apprentice church planters to start new churches. Previously, Eric led NewThing (www.newthing.org), a growing church planting network focused on catalyzing a movement of reproducing churches. Under Eric’s leadership, NewThing was able to double in size every year for 3 years straight; reaching a goal of planting 1 new church every 11 days. Eric has been married for 14 years to his beautiful wife Erin and has three incredible children: Joey (9), Lydia (8), and Max (5).
Because of his leadership with New Thing, I asked him to write a post on the top 3 things church planters must do. He has seen tons of churches plant over his years, so he has a thing or two to teach us!
I led NewThing for almost 4 years and I found 3 things to be true. I’m now planting a church, a Campus of Community Christian Church, in downtown Chicago (Lincoln Park) and I’m still finding those 3 things to be true. Want to know what they are, keep reading you will find out what I believe are the top 3 things churches must do.
Top 3 Things Church Planters Must Do
It is all too often over-looked. Being an apprentice is mission critical for a church planter. We believe here at Community that if someone is going to lead they need to be on an apprentice journey. What does that mean? Well, they have to have these 3 characteristics to jump in the game:
Spiritual Velocity is all about momentum. Often times we describe whether someone is a Christian if they are in the circle with Jesus. What if its not whether we’re in our out, it was about momentum. Since Jesus is alive, the key question is whether someone is following Jesus – do they have spiritual velocity?
Relational Intelligence is about following the parking lot test. When you pull into a parking lot at work and you see so-and-so’s car, are you excited? Or do you want to avoid that person? Or worse, do you want to drive your car into theirs?! Someone with relational intelligence is self-aware; they know their strengths and weaknesses. They are someone you want to hang out with.
Teachability = humility + application. Lots of humble people out there, but there are not enough people who apply what they’ve been confronted on, coached through or taught. Teachability is missional critical for someone who wants to be apprenticed.
And all 3 of these characteristics are required for someone to be apprenticed to especially for someone wanting to plant a church.
2) BUILD A GREAT TEAM
Building a great church planting team (paid and unpaid staff) is about having a team that is: mission & value centered, trusting and fun. Those 3 things will help you pick the best people on the planet to be on your church planting team. Mission and value centered is pretty straight forward, but often times building trust and having fun are overlooked and both about relational leadership. Trust is really about empowerment and hiring and recruiting a team you can trust to take high levels of ownership. Fun is about creating a spontaneous, inspiring culture that rewards those who work very hard. My motto is: work hard, play hard. Because if you’re going to ask a lot of people, then it better be a lot of fun.
3) BECOME SELF-SUSTAINING
Ofter over-looked are the finances of a new church plant. This common mistake has led to churches scurrying for funding at the last hour, taking their eye of the mission and building a great team. And I don’t want this to be about “lots of money” per se, but instead for this to be about chosing your model and getting the money to make it work. Whether bi-vocational, outside-funded, launch-team funded or whatever model…set your financial goal and getter done. My motto here is: have enough money to do whatever you need to do to further mission.
Which one of these 3 things do you need to start doing?
Great stuff Eric! As a soon to be planter all of these spoke well to where we are. The last one really resonated. Trying to figure out what our ‘model’ is. My idealistic mind keeps telling me one thing, but ever pastor I talk with and share my thoughts with all point to being full time paid for by the church. Not sure but I appreciated your ‘decide and do’ mentality