Here are lessons 7-11 of 16.
- As baptism is at the center of identification with the gospel, lean into your convictions and talk about them often. Our ministry attracted a lot of Baptists or folks from Baptistic, interdenominational churches who weren’t particular fans of infant baptism or modes of baptism other than immersion. Over time, I also observed that because of our EPC denominational affiliation, many conservative Christians associated with our core group seemed to lump us together with the kind of churches you might visit to support a friend but wouldn’t join yourself. Eager to show a loving and unified witness to a watching world, the prevalence of this “you guys are subpar Christians” stigma surprised and discouraged me. In growing our core group, I emphasized three convictions: 1) Differing views on baptism are secondary matters. 2) Church leaders should be chosen and have access to leadership based on the qualifications of 1 Tim. 3 and Titus 1, not their view of baptism. 3) Baptism is a big deal and should be discussed and celebrated often. The tricky thing in balancing all three is that a commitment to #1 and #2 can make you avoid or deemphasize #3. Here’s how I learned to address this (and more details are available on each of the below here):
- Cultivate leaders who know the nuances of this controversy well—who have their convictions but are accepting of others with differing views. Help them become skilled in listening to and affirming an individual’s take on details while highlighting baptism’s larger, unifying, gospel themes.
- Give parents guidance on how to make the most of their child’s baptism.
- Identify ways to make baptism—like communion—more central to your church’s culture and regular worship.
- Weekly singing in worship matters more than I thought. Gary Thomas wrote a book called Sacred Pathways. It identifies and sensitizes you to different ways people are wired to connect with God. For example, for some, the intellectual pathway is primary. For others worship—including worship music—is dominant. In seeing my primary role associated with prayer and the ministry of the word, I prioritized weekly expository preaching and spoken liturgies (the Apostle’s Creed, the Lord’s Prayer, etc.) but undervalued weekly singing. Truthfully, my undervaluing of this vital part of worship was related to my tendency to think my way out of struggles rather than give emotions their proper place. Early on, I pushed back against the use of “canned” music (e.g. singing along to a recording or chords on an app). What I learned in time is that we all need to sing “psalms, hymns, or spiritual songs” in weekly public worship (Eph. 5:19) to fully express our hearts (mind, will, and emotions). In this area, something– even singing acapella– is better than nothing.
- Bi-vocational isn’t necessarily co-vocational. Although I only learned about this subtle nuance recently, I definitely experienced it during the last two years of our church plant. When I started planting, I was working full-time at Care Net. My national work as a pastor and executive director there blended well with my local planting work. When I left Care Net in May 2023, however, I began to use carpentry as my primary job to move the church plant forward. What I found is that at 59 and working by myself, the two vocations did not blend well. In other words, I couldn’t transition easily from carpentry to pastoring as it often took me half a day to recover. A counselor pointed out to me that co-vocational work is different than bi-vocational in that it blends easily with planting and may even facilitate or enhance it. Examples of of co-vocational work might include working at a coffee shop or Chick-fil-A where you get to meet and interact with a lot of people. Everyone is different and what was challenging for me might work fine for you. The point is to know yourself and, if you are going to go the tent-making route, try to do something that blends well with your work as a planter.
- Social media and non-Sunday morning events are essential in getting the word out and connecting people with your ministry. Four years in, when we weren’t having guests on Sunday mornings like we thought we would, I realized we needed to give more attention to attractional events and social media. My focus had been on the biblical model of big church (corporate worship) and little church (small groups); however, I underestimated the importance of attractional events and social media in our day. Targeted, non-Sunday morning events can be less threatening, offer a lower commitment, providing essential get-to-know, Velcro opportunities. Further, posting regular life-giving content on social media helps get the word out about your events and associate your church with practical value. If you don’t have any in your core group to share the load or delegate the social media piece to, consider identifying and budgeting for an outside service to help.
- God’s work is organic and full of surprises. Have a plan but hold it loosely and try to enjoy the ride. Henri Nouwen’s guidance has been very helpful in this regard: “Often we want to be able to see into the future. We say, ‘How will next year be? Where will I be five or ten years from now?’ There are no answers to these questions. Mostly we have just enough light to see the next step: what we have to do in the coming hour or following day. The art of living is to enjoy what we can see and not complain about what remains in the dark. When we are able to take the next step with the trust that we will have enough light for the step that follows, we can walk through life with joy and be surprised at how far we go. Let’s rejoice in the little light we carry and not ask for the great beam that would take all shadows away.”[1]
Next week, we’ll finish up with insights 12-16 of 16.
[1] Faith That Matters: 365 Devotions from Classic Christian Leaders (HarperOne, 2018), 24.