Exploration
Survey for
Potential
Church
Planters
P
erhaps God has been speaking to you and church planting is something
that you see in your future. Whether it’s your near future or several years
down the road, this survey is intended for those individuals who are
seriously considering church planting. Church planting is a unique calling and this
survey asks some focused questions within the framework of thirteen building
blocks identified as necessary to serve as a lead church planter. If you are
married it might help to have your spouse’s input and insights on these
questions.
We desire to work together, partnering with Jesus to build His church and a big
part of working together is helping partners find the right role! Our hope is that
these questions will help clarify God’s direction for you and may illuminate areas
of growth.
Before taking the time to complete this survey, please be sure you’ve sent your
resume to [email protected]
Name:
Email address:
Phone number:
Date:
23950 S. Chrisman Rd.
Tracy CA 95304
209.830.6222
www.sunergeo.org
Page 1 of 7
Self-Assessment
In his book How to Select Church Planters Charles Ridley studied church
planters from several denominations and determined that there were 13
behavioral characteristics that most successful church planters shared.
We call these the “13 building blocks” and have developed questions for
each building block. Although this is an important survey, we use more
than one assessment and interview tool to determine someone’s “fit” for
church planting. Don’t feel pressured to score a home run in each
category, just respond in a paragraph or less as honestly and as
candidly as you can.
1 VISIONIZING CAPACITY
Share about an experience of starting something from scratch.
How did you bringing others on board?
[Type your response here]
What were the greatest challenges and how were they
overcome?
[Type your response here]
2 INTRINSICALLY MOTIVATED
In a ministry context, what will you work harder than anything
else for?
[Type your response here]
Share about a time when you have done so.
[Type your response here]
3 CREATES OWNERSHIP OF MINISTRY
Complete the following sentence: “When people have ownership
of a vision, they . . .”
[Type your response here]
In a group or team you’ve led, what have you done to help
create commitment to the vision?
[Type your response here]
4 RELATES TO AND REACHES THE UNCHURCHED
Page 2 of 7
CHURCH PLANTING WISDOM
Figure out how to communicate
vision. This sounds simple, but it
really isn’t. . . . If you can’t
communicate vision then people
don’t know what to follow or support
. . . Your vision has to paint a picture
that people can see, you have to be
able to put it into words, and you
have to be able to inspire people with
it. . . If you don’t seem sure about
what God has called you to do and
are always changing things then
people will have a hard time
believing in you.
- Tadd Grandstaff, Pastor of Pine Ridge
Church in Burlington, NC
Confirm your call. If you aren’t sure
that God’s calling you to this, don’t
do it. Yes, it’s hard work, but
spiritually it is work at the ‘pointy
end’ of God’s Kingdom and you will
encounter difficulty, hardship,
opposition. That stuff can either
shape you and mold you into
something more fruitful or it will kill
you.
- Bruce Chant, Pastor of Northshore Church
in Perth, Australia
Figure out who YOU are and what
God is calling you to do. Bottom
line…I am not Andy, Ed, Bill, Erwin
or Rick and I had to figure out that I
am Tadd Grandstaff and I can’t plant
their church. I had to come to the
conclusion of who I am and what are
my strengths and what vision was
God giving me for a church . . . I had
to narrow my vision, figure out my
community and plant the church that
God has called me to plant.
- Tadd Grandstaff, Pastor of Pine Ridge
Church in Burlington, NC
Who was the last unchurched person that you developed a
relationship with and led to Christ? What were some of the
milestones in their spiritual journey?
[Type your response here]
Describe the evangelism process that you use to reach people.
[Type your response here]
5 SPOUSAL COOPERATION
How do you and your spouse balance family and ministry life?
[Type your response here]
Give some examples of how your spouse supports and
participates in ministry.
[Type your response here]
6 EFFECTIVELY BUILDS RELATIONSHIPS
How or where have you developed new relationships?
[Type your response here]
In the last six months, what kinds of people have you built new
relationships with?
[Type your response here]
7 COMMITTED TO CHURCH GROWTH
Tell about a ministry that you’ve been involved in that has
produced new disciples.
[Type your response here]
How have you participated in achieving healthy church growth in
your ministry?
[Type your response here]
Be consumed with your plant. Think,
breathe, sleep new church. But, as
you do, love your family, play with
your kids, date your wife, and make
some incredible memories. There is
no soul on earth more valuable than
them. If you fail your family and
reach your city, you have failed.
-Travis Johnson, Pastor of Life Pointe
Church in Homestead, FL
Build a Great Team. Pray every day
that God would send you people that
complement your gift mix to be a
part of your launch team. Even the
Lone Ranger had a Tonto. Recruit
them by casting the vision about
what God is doing instead of making
a hard sell. Let God call them as
much as He has called you so when
you tick them off they will be more
likely to stay. A great team will allow
ministry to be done even while you
are at home with your family or on
vacation. A great team will reproduce
leaders and make disciples. Spend
significant time with your team!!
Pray and plan and play with them.
- Matt Payne, Pastor of Church! at Bethany
in Beaverton, OR
Don’t Pastor Too Soon - The
biggest mistake I see planters make is
they get about 50 people and instead
of remaining innovative and creative
in the getting the word out to NEW
people the start to pastor those 50
people and those people get all their
time and attention. You need to
remain with the mind of a church
planter forever I think but at least for
the first 2 years . . . Be the vision
caster, leader to leaders, and lead
teacher. Teach your people to care
for each other so you can be freed up
to lead.
- Gary Lamb, Pastor of Ridge Stone Church
in Canton, GA
8 RESPONSIVE TO COMMUNITY
What are the top three needs in the community where you are
now? How did you identify those needs?
[Type your response here]
Share about a time when you have responded to the needs of
the community by changing or starting a ministry program.
[Type your response here]
Page 3 of 7
Find A Community That Fits You
CP’s should be the utmost authority
on their community and they need to
go to a community that fits who they
naturally are. Don’t worry so much
about the growth as you do as much
as if the community fits you and you
can love it.
- Gary Lamb, Pastor of Ridge Stone Church
in Canton, GA
9 UTILIZES GIFTEDNESS OF OTHERS
What process to you go through to help people find their fit in
ministry? Share about the last time you did this.
[Type your response here]
What type of people do you team with to balance and
supplement your strengths?
[Type your response here]
10 FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE
Describe a time when a plan wasn’t working. What did you do to
change it? How easy or difficult was that for you to do? Did the
change help the situation?
[Type your response here]
Describe a time when someone pointed out a mistake that you’d
made. How did you handle it?
Don’t plant a church as a reaction.
Often, church planters decide to start
a church in reaction to the churches
they previously attended . . . If you
are a new church, what is your
identity? As I attend many church
plants they usually can tell me what
they are not. We don’t have a CEO
leadership mentality, we don’t sing
old-school hymns, we don’t have
traditional services, we don’t…[fill
in the blank]. In the long run, you
can’t rally people to this antiidentity.
- Drew Goodmanson, Pastor-Elder at Kaleo
Church in San Diego, CA
Play to your strengths. We didn’t
have a worship leader on staff, which
is what everybody said to get first.
We hired bands and played to our
other strengths and our other staff
guys’ strengths.
- Michael Lukaszewski, Pastor of Oak Leaf
Church in Cartersville, GA
[Type your response here]
11 BUILDS GROUP COHESIVENESS
What are the top three indicators of a team or group’s morale?
[Type your response here]
Share about a time when you’ve worked to build team unity.
What did you do? What was the outcome?
[Type your response here]
12 RESILIENCE
Share about a time when you think most other people would
have quit, but you kept going.
[Type your response here]
What is the hardest thing that you have ever had to finish when
people around you were quitting?
[Type your response here]
13 EXERCISES FAITH
What has been the greatest step of faith you (and your family)
have taken. Why was it a step of faith?
[Type your response here]
Page 4 of 7
Be Flexible/Adaptable. Things will
not go the way you think they will
go. That’s ok. God is up to
something. He’ll let you in on it
when He’s ready. Pray every day for
the strength to handle whatever
situations might come up.
- Matt Payne, Pastor of Church! at Bethany
in Beaverton, OR
Don’t act like a real church, except
for Sunday morning. I think one of
the reasons we were able to launch
large was because our Sunday
morning service is very good. I work
very, very, very hard on it. On the
message, videos, music, creative
stuff, etc.
- Michael Lukaszewski, Pastor of Oak Leaf
Church in Cartersville, GA
A Few Pointers About Planting:
 If you can do anything else, do it.
 If you have a choice, plant with a
team.
 If you’re not a natural leader, you
will get eaten alive.
 Church plants are built off of the
vision and leadership of the lead
pastor.
 Do a few things and do them well.
 Get networked.
- Tally Wilgis, Pastor of Focal Point Church
in Chesapeake, VA
How do you encourage others around you to take risks and walk
by faith?
[Type your response here]
Page 5 of 7
Count the Cost
"But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would
begin construction of a building without first getting
estimates and then checking to see if there is enough
money to pay the bills?” Luke 14: 28
Timing and other circumstances are important factors in
church planting. Below are some questions that should
seriously be considered before you begin to undertake any
planting venture.
What positive or negative ministry experience has ignited a
passion for church planting?
[Type your response here]
What Scripture has God used to impress on you the urgency for
church planting?
- Michael Foster, Pastor of Seven Hills
Church in Cincinnati, OH
[Type your response here]
Have you talked about planting with your spouse? Are they
supportive?
[Type your response here]
Have you talked about planting with your children?
[Type your response here]
How much consumer debt do you have (including school loans)?
[Type your response here]
Can you plant a church and keep your current employment?
[Type your response here]
Is there a particular place you feel God may be leading you?
[Type your response here]
When could you be ready to plant a church?
[Type your response here]
Do you have experience relating and working with people of
other cultures?
[Type your response here]
What is your experience with church planting?
Read books
Been to training or seminars
Been a part of a church plant
Other: [Type your response here]
Page 6 of 7
Protect and strengthen your
marriage/family. The biggest area
ignored in all church planting books,
seminars/conferences and church
planting networks/denominations is
marriage/family. Let this allimportant verse sink in, “He must
manage his own household well, with
all dignity keeping his children
submissive, for if someone does not
know how to manage his own
household, how will he care for
God’s church? (1 Timothy 3:4-5)”
Church planting will put your
marriage/family through a white hot
heat that you have never felt before.
All the weakness and faults in your
marriage/family will be amplified ten
times over. This will be a good
sanctifying, albeit painful, experience
for your marriage/family if you don’t
let it destroy you . . . Remember if
you lose your marriage/family, you
lose your pastorate. They are your
first priority.
Not too long ago, a friend who trains
church planters asked me, “What do
these guys need to know that we are
not telling them?” I said that he
needed to tell them 3 things:
1. Church planting is hard.
2. Church planting is very hard.
3. Church planting is the hardest
thing you will ever do.
Now having said that with my tongue
planted firmly in my cheek, we all
know that it really is true. As
planters (Philip’s first time and Ed’s
umpteenth time), you must recognize
the emotional and spiritual battles to
be faced and prepare yourself
accordingly.
- Philip Nation, Pastor of Lake Ridge Church
in Cumming, GA
Look to growing churches and
good churches for models, not
churches that aren’t growing. Hang
around with people who are doing it.
Go to conferences and talk to people
in the halls and the leaders of
breakout sessions. You’ll learn
more from conversations than
from books.
- Michael Lukaszewski, Pastor of Oak Leaf
Church in Cartersville, GA
Contact Us
We hope that the questions you’ve answered have caused you to consider the
ways in which God has wired you for ministry, the experiences He has given you
and to prayerfully seek His direction. Our heart is to partner with others who
share a passion for seeing God’s kingdom grow; we desire to place those
partners in their God-called and God-gifted ministry role.
If, after completing this survey, you and your spouse feel that God
continues to lead you in the direction of church planting, please send
this completed survey to [email protected]
Your Name: [Name]
Email address: [Email]
Phone: [Phone]
Address: [Address]
When is the best time to contact you? [Type your response here]
Church Planting Wisdom
Quotes on Church Planting Wisdom in this document come from a collection of church planting wisdoms assembled from
across the nation by Derek Brown in a blog series, entitled “Church Planting Wisdom.” You can find the original posts at
http://www.desertfather.com/category/church-planting-wisdom/.
Page 7 of 7