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If you have planted a church in the last three years, know that you are one of my heroes. What you do day in and day out requires more courage, sacrifice and perseverance than 90% of roles in ministry (at least in North America).
I just had breakfast with a friend who has almost 200 people meeting on Sunday morning after 3 years. He is a strong leader, a great communicator with a unique and compelling vision. But he wishes he was further along. He feels the frustration of many obstacles right now. And he is not alone.
For many planters in similar situations, here are some things I would recommend as “must do’s.” I would hang all of these action points around the metaphor used by a new friend, Tom Tapping. Tom said, “Planters can so easily focus on the hole and not the donut.” Who walks into Krispy Kreme and asks for 12 donut holes? We must stay focused on the donut.” Think of these actions as donut re-focusing steps.
#1 Spend time with people who will show you the donut.
These are the people that breath life and energy and perspective into your soul. They remind you how far you have come and how much you really have. When was the last time you intentionally scheduled some dedicated time with the most positive people?
#2 Take 3 days away (especially if it requires a step of faith).
If you feel like you can’t step away right now, this piece of advice is really for you. But first you must repent of taking yourself so seriously. Get away to get see the donut again. Spend one day to do nothing. Have only a half day agenda on the second day. And make an agenda for your third day on the beginning of the third day. Give God control of the time and relax.
#3 Spend a day dedicated to saying “thank you.”
Consider all of the people who have given time, energy and money to get you where you are now. Yes, I know there are people who didn’t give or failed to give what they really could have. But stop thinking about all of the “what if’s” for a change. Drill down into the goodness of the present moment. And then express it. Consider spending the entire day either writing notes or making phone calls just to say thanks.
Will Mancini emerged from the trenches of local church leadership to found Auxano, a first-of-kind consulting ministry that focuses on vision clarity. As a “clarity evangelist,” Will has served as vision architect for hundreds of churches across the country, including such notable pastors as Chuck Swindoll and Max Lucado. Will holds a Th.M. in Pastoral Leadership from Dallas Theological Seminary and has authored Church Unique: How Missional Leaders Cast Vision, Capture Culture and Create Movement; he also co-authored Building Leaders with Aubrey Malphurs. Learn more »
