A church planter’s focus three months after launch

Unfiltered: Real Church Planting Conversations

An Unfiltered podcast listener has asked, “What should a church planter focus on three months after a church launch?” In this episode, Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee discuss a few things a church planter should focus on once after launch as they get into a ministry rhythm.

0:22 Lee shares that this episode’s topic came from a listener’s question and encourages all listeners to email their questions to Converge.

0:54 Lee introduces the episode subject, which is what a church planter should focus on when they are around three-months past their launch service.

1:30 Danny advises that church planters should be focusing on meeting one-on-one with new people. It’s important to balance pastoral duties with taking the time to get to know new people.

2:28 Lee stresses a church planter’s ability to relate to others and bring them in is an important factor at the beginning of the life of a church.

2:57 Budgeting you time is an important priority, according to Lee.

3:14 Another area to focus on three-months post launch is getting people connected within the new church.

4:02 Danny adds that the people that first come to a new church probably do so because they have a connection with the church planter.

4:45 Connecting new people to other people within the church is beneficial, and it’s usually done through volunteering in the church. Danny advises to make space for new people to serve or create new relationships.

5:54 Danny maps out the areas a church planter should be spending their focus, three months after launch: meeting new people, maintaining connections, and finding leaders.

6:43 Lee agrees that finding people and plugging them into leadership positions is critical to church impact but should be nurtured in a slow and natural way.

7:50 Danny emphasizes that three months after a church’s grand opening isn’t the time for church planters to take a step back.

8:19 A grand opening isn’t a one-time service event. It continues for a few months.

9:07 A few months in might be a good time to begin gathering those who are first-time visitors to share what your church is about.

9:46 Lee shares the importance of going beyond just meeting new people and having a next step for them to follow to get them connected.

10:12 Danny shares some ideas of how to gather new people together with the church planter.

11:30 Lee reminds listeners to not forget about the importance of still investing time with the launch team.

11:50 Having fun is still important three months into a new church, according to Lee.

12:23 Lee reminds listeners to email in any questions they may have regarding church planting.