Church Planting is Hard…and Fun

“Church planting is hard. We need all the help we can get.” I found that line at the start of the Launch Documents (PDF) of Downtown Cornerstone Church in Seattle, and it’s true.

I get two reactions when I talk to church planters. First: it’s the most fun we’ve had in our lives. We loved it, and we would do it again. Second: it’s the hardest thing we’ve ever done in our lives. Sometimes I hear both from the same people.

We’re almost two months into the beginning of our church planting journey. So far it’s been both hard and fun.

The hard parts:

• The spiritual opposition is real and more intense than we had expected.
• There’s lots of work and, so far, not much to show for it.
• There is so much work to do in so many areas, and it can be overwhelming at times.
• Church planting can quickly become driven by idolatry and the fear of failure.

The fun parts:

• The need is real and exciting.
• You’re starting with a blank slate and have the opportunity to dream from scratch.
• Vision work is exciting.
• I love hanging out and getting a sense of the community and its people.
• God sometimes surprises and encourages us unexpectedly, as he did yesterday.

This is both the most exciting and the most challenging thing we’ve ever done at the same time.

“Church planting is hard. We need all the help we can get.” These words are absolutely true. We’re glad we’re doing this, but would really appreciate your continued prayers as we begin to get established in the ministry of church planting.