Church Planting Systems: A Primer
We launched CityView Church in February 2014. My team and I received great training from many different sources (our state convention, local association, Acts29, and many others). I was also the beneficiary of a challenging and encouraging residency with the amazing staff at Clear Creek Community Church in League City, TX (They later gave birth to the Houston Church Planter’s Network). I was certainly more well prepared than most church planters who are entering into the exciting world of church planting.
At every turn I was encouraged to build systems. It felt like a band of experienced leaders telling us that so much of the key to church planting after launch was to have strong systems. The chorus for systems was singing. The drum of the need was beat consistently and compellingly. I was 100% sold. I wanted to do my best to bring God glory and spread the gospel of Jesus, if that meant systems then I was ALL IN to build systems.
So, I asked the question: “What systems do I need to build?”
Crickets…
Some leaders would offer helpful ideas, but very few people had a comprehensive explanation of the systems a new church needed. I read books, went to trainings and classes, talked to experienced church planters, and did some online webinars to grow in my understanding of church planting systems, but there was nothing comprehensive, or exceptionally helpful. All the advice was skewed by a particular model. By God’s grace, we got through our first 4 years and built the systems we needed to survive and dare I say, thrive.
2018 is when I started categorizing and thinking through more diligently what I'd learned from others and experienced in our little incubator of church planting. When it comes to systems I'm not a guru. I'm growing in my understanding of systems and wanting to get that information out to the church planters who are dealing with issues like I was; hungering for systems that aided in health for our seedling church, but not sure where to get started.
That’s whyI’m writing this series of posts. I want to help planters understand the basicsystems they need to survive and thrive post-launch. I’m indebted to DynamicChurch Planting International, Nelson Searcy, the Rocket Company, and other church plantingleaders that have inspiredthis series ofposts.
Why do we need systems?
1.)Church planting is a mess. Anyone who has been planting a church for any period of timerealizes that this is an immutable FACT. As you plant a church you have a bigvision, huge hopes, and great desires to expand the Kingdom of God and reachthose far from Jesus. Those are all WONDERFUL and necessary, but withoutsystems those things will fallflat. Think of what commuting in a city would be like without roads, highways,stoplights, or public transit. That’s church planting without systems.You may get to where you’re going eventually, but what will your vehicle looklike at the end of it all? Systems bring organization to the mess.
2.)Everything that grows has systems. Look at the human body. There are 11 different systemsthat make up a thriving human body. When these systems are absent that bodydoesn’t thrive. That body doesn’t grow correctly. Systems bring health to thebody. Church planting systems bring health to the body of Christ.
3.) Lackof systems limits healthy church growth. Churches will only have healthy growth insofar as they have healthysystems. Toillustrate this, DCPI has a great barrel illustration.
A barrel can only hold liquid up to the point of its lowestslat. You can pump liquid into a barrel, but that barrel is never going to holdliquid above that lowest slat. Picture your systems as slats on that barrel. Ifyou have a few great systems, but neglect a few others and it won’t matter howstrong your other systems are, that barrel won’t hold much water.
What are the systems?
So, you are now convinced that you need systems, or at least interested in learning more. You’re probably asking the question, “What are they?” Here are the 10 systems that I see as VITAL to a church plant and a brief description of each.
1.) Self-Leadership System. Church planting is an exercise in personal discipline for the planter. There are a million tasks that need to be done and nobody standing over the planter making sure they get done. Self-leadership and personal productivity are key. If you're the lead planter how are you stewarding your time?
2.) Reproduction System. The reproduction system is the only system that a human can be without, survive, and thrive. This is an issue within the church as well. Most churches live without thinking about multiplying. What are the steps that your church is taking to multiply?
3.) Outreach System. Church plants have to think systematically about reaching out to their community. Attractional outreach vs. Missional outreach is a debate in some church planting circles. The answer is not either/or, but both/and. How does your church reach out to the community?
4.) Discipleship System. Churches have to think about how they grow disciples of Jesus from infancy to spiritual maturity in the different arenas of church ministry. How are disciples made and grown inside the spiritual walls of your church?
5.) Worship Planning System. What happens on Sunday isn't all that matters, but it DOES matter. Planning a preaching calendar can be a HUGE time saver and give guidance to worship services and creative elements. How do you line elements us to bring greater emphasis to the gospel?
6.) Assimilation System. My church hates this term. They say it sounds like some science fiction thing. In our budget we call it Membership Process. How do you take a visitor from walking in your front door to being a fully functioning member of your church? T
7.) Financial System. Stewarding money is a reality in the church. It has to be done and it has to be done well. Collecting, counting, managing of God's money matters. What are the financial systems that build trust in God's people and unleash greater generosity?
8.) Communications System. Communication has always mattered, but in today's world of Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and the other 100 social media platforms that will popup in the next week there has to be a system by which you utilize these platforms well, not to mention the traditional platforms of preaching/teaching, website, email, etc. How does your church do communication?
9.) Pastoral Care System. The church has to care for people. Life happens and things go wrong. How does your church deal with the inevitability of crisis, pain, and loss?
10.) Leadership Development System. There is a HUGE emphasis on developing leaders and recruiting volunteers, and for good reason. Each church needs a system by which they do that though. How does your church recruit, train, develop, and deploy leaders?
I’m going to cover those systems in relative depth over the next several months, but I’m happy to help as you start to think through the systems. You can contact me at Jason@jasoncrandall.org as you start to think through how to build your systems.