This week one of the books I'm reading is "Church Planting Landmines: Mistakes to Avoid in Years 2 through 10." It's a great read from some road-tested church planters. I'll share some personal reflections on each of the 10 landmines outlined in the book this week and what I'm doing to safely lead PCC through the ministry minefield.Landmine #1: Ignoring Personal Health and Growth
You've got to begin with the end in mind. Many church planters start so well and end so poorly because they ignore the signs of ministry fatigue and consequently open their lives to the attack of the enemy. This occurs easily when we fail to stay in physical shape, or through inconsistent devotional times with the Lord or even abusing their spiritual authority and becoming filled with pride.
I've committed to protecting myself from this landmine by:
- Guarding my time with God in consistent daily prayer and devotions
- Guarding my day off with my family / need to be refreshed
- Asking others to pray and fast and intercede for me
- Asking one trusted friend to hold me accountable
- Eating right and getting in shape (I lost 7 pounds in the past 2 weeks)
I've been reading this other book, "What got you here won't get you there." Church planters must create a culture of leadership development and always encourage those on the team to grow and mature in their faith and leadership.
I've done a decent job at this personally, but not corporately. This chapter has really encouraged me to rethink and retool our leadership culture here at PCC. I've got to do a better job at raising up others and releasing them into the ministry. In fact, I plan on revealing the direction God is leading me in this area this fall for our entire church staff. It would be a little premature to share it now. But this chapter is a must read for any church planter.
