Last week a pastor from our district called to interview me about church planting. It caught me a little off guard, but it was a great conversation and made me think over the past year. Ever since that conversation, I've been meditating on things I've learned over the past 15 months. So, I've decided to write a series of posts on lessons we've learned over our first year of church planting. This is the fourth and final post in the series. If you'd like to read the others they can be found here: Part 3, Part 2, and Part 1.
This is the last post in my "church planting: lessons we've learned our first year" series. This one will be a bit different. I've interviewed my husband Mac, in order to gain his perspective on what the past year as been like. Since these are the type of pictures that happen with him, I'm sure you are in for a wealth of entertainment. (Maybe I should've added that a sense of humor is great for a marriage AND for church planting. Laughter makes the dark days brighter, and if nothing else, we have a lot of laughter).
What has been the most difficult aspect of church planting, from your perspective as the pastor's spouse?
Um... The most difficult aspect?
yes.
The most difficult is, having the burden of having to provide financially. I don't have a choice to not have a job, to support both of us, and student loans, and all of our other bills.
What is one surprising insight from the past year? Something you didn't expect?
That our little Northwest Indiana district is as cool as it is. I thought it would be "Indianay", which I guess unfairly, has a negative stereotype.
In what ways has this year challenged you personally?
I thought I was already asked this question?
No you weren't.
Well, see my previous answer.
So, so you see finances as the most challenging?
yes, God can bring us people to come to the church, but God's not going to make money rain down on our house. It's the one thing within our control that I have to take care of.
Has your perspective of church changed over the past year?
No.
What has been the greatest blessing, in terms of church planting, this past year?
Um... the conncections and support we've had both from our short term missions groups, but also from other pastors on our district.
What is one thing you've learned about God this year?
It's not like we had oodles of moneys before, so it's not like I needed to learn that God provides, I already knew that, because God's always come through before, but I learned that... I guess I just learned even more ways that God can display his Godiness outside of the preconceived notions we have as the "american church"
If you were to give a pastor's spouse one piece of advice on being married to a church planting pastor, what would that be?
Don't ask your wife to do the laundry, and expect it to be done... wait that was just a funny answer. Sleep when you can, because you never stop working. Even when you come home from work, the first thing someone says isn't "hi" it's "what are we having for dinner?" when you first walk through the door.
Anything else?
No . There is nothing I can say to prepare them, just deal with it. Because every situation is not the same. Most church planters don't have a dirty stinky building to clean up.
What are some highlights from the past 15 months?
Having lots of children come to church because they want to.
If you had to guess, how many hours have you spent prepping church or parsonage walls for painting?
I would measure that not in hours but in days. At least a month and a half, but probably closer to 2 or 3 months.
If you had the choice to do it all again, even knowing the painting to be done, would you?
Yes. But then I changed my mind because I hate Jesus... NO of course I would say yes! We came to be the hands and feet of Jesus, and that doesn't change. You can't say "oh, I'm uncomfortable, sorry Jesus' . Just have this building close and have no one in it."
Is there anything you'd like to add...
If you are not sure if church planting is for you, don't talk to someone, go visit a church plant. If you are thinking about planting a church, and have everything you need theologically, and mentally, then just do it. If you are sure you want to plant a church, and you think you'd be perfect at it, and have everything you need and it'll be super easy, then you will be in for a shock, because you are underestimating the challenges that come with planting a church in 2015. There is no manual, there is no guide, there is no class that will prepare you for doing this. In fact, forget everything you thought you knew before about planting a church, go somewhere you want to plant a church, and just start being a good neighbor.
Posts
Last week a pastor from our district called to interview me about church planting. It caught me a little off guard, but it was a great conversation and made me think over the past year. Ever since that conversation, I've been meditating on things I've learned over the past 15 months. So, I've decided to write a series of posts on lessons we've learned over our first year of church planting. This is the fourth and final post in the series. If you'd like to read the others they can be found here: Part 3, Part 2, and Part 1.
