Baptist
Church Planting
II
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This image not for
public use and redistribution © 1996 by Max Hengeveld
A complete guide for answering questions about
planting an independent Baptist Church
By
BaptistChurchPlanting.com
Edited
and Compiled by
Rev. Harry Shelton Cole Jr.
©
2003
All
Rights Reserved
Table of Contents
Dedication.. 7
Introduction.. 8
Disclaimer. 8
Baptist
Church Characteristics.. 9Click
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Q -
How have you learned best to conduct an invitation?. 9
Q –
How does a new church planter organize and conduct an organization service?. 11
Q -
The question is this: What do you use or have used for baptism? If a design,
give specifics. 12
Q -
When do you elect deacons? The first church waited until there were 3,120
members or so. (How do you elect and appoint deacons in your church, how long
do they serve etc.) 15
Q -
How do you get visitors to understand that your church has just started and
that if they would stick it out, that in time your music, children’s ministry,
teen ministry, etc., will be up to par, with what other churches are offering?. 17
Q - When
should he begin, in your opinion, organized church visitation? Moreover, how
does your organized visitation work in your church?. 19
Q -
How can the average church planter enhance his music service? (Please list
details about resources if you mention them and whether or not you have used
them.) 20
Q -
How do you begin, staff, build and maintain an effective NURSERY? If you can hold
back the tears, please respond to this question! 23
Q -
What kind of ideas, promotions, messages or campaigns have been successful for
you that you could recommend to a church planter or pastor?. 30
Beginning.. 33Click
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Q -
What problems should the church planter beware of in starting a new church and
keeping it pure? 33
Q -
How often should a church planter begin to meet? Where should the church
planter meet at first? 34
Q -
Starting a church. What you need to know before you go. 36
Q -
Why call it a Baptist Church? Wouldn’t Bible Church be less intimidating?. 37
Q -
The old cliché goes “Plan your work, and then work your plan”. In the area of
Baptist Church planting how do I plan the work of starting a church, then how
do I stay motivated to continue working it? 42
Q -
Is the call to begin a work in an area important or do we have a command and no
need of a call? 44
Q -
Should I seek to plant a Baptist church, which is distinguished by their ethnic
identity, or should my church be “a melting pot” of every culture?. 47
Building
& Property.. 48Click
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Q -
How do you begin, promote and perpetuate a successful Building Fund or Building
Fund Project? 48
Q -
What advice would you offer a church planter for before he builds and what
resource would you suggest he look to for help?. 50
Q -
Despite the obvious exceptions, how important is it for a church to purchase
and/or build their own facilities? 52
Q -
What can you do to lead your people to overcome that fear and make the decision
to buy the property? 55
Q -
What are some precautions a church planter might entertain before going into
debt for his building? 60
Encouragement.. 65Click
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Q - How
can a church planter (or any busy pastor for that matter) better balance the
time demands on his life? 65
Q -
What is the one thing that threatens (or discourages) the church planter in his
first year of planting a church and what can be done about it?. 70
Q -
What attitudes are important for a church planter/pastor?. 73
GRATITUDE.. 73
TENACITY. 73
ELASTICITY. 74
FAITHFULNESS. 74
ENCOURAGEMENT. 74
Q -
What advice would you give the church planter who is discouraged in his work
and is having difficulties getting his people to see the vision he has?. 75
Q -
What should be the priorities of the church planter and how can he keep proper
balance in his life to avoid the pitfalls of “burn-out”?. 77
Q -
What precautions and protections should the Baptist Church planter take in the
establishment of the new work?. 78
Q -
Why do church planters and/or pastors quit and how might they avoid these
pitfalls? 81
Q -
When should a church planter quit?. 87
Family.. 90Click
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Q -
What is the one thing that you did (or wished you did) to encourage you wife
the most in the beginning of your ministry or church plant?. 91
Q -
What kind of advice in this area would you give a church planter? You might include your view on home
schooling, Christian school and public school as well. 93
Q -
What advice would you offer the church planter to prepare and protect his
family in the ministry? 94
Legalities.. 99Click
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Q -
“Should a church planter incorporate the church, if so when?”. 99
Q -
What types of insurance and how much should the church planter be concerned
with as he begins his work and as it continues to grow?. 101
Q -
Should we do our best to conform to the laws of the land or ignore them?. 105
Q -
The question of the week involves your articles of faith, covenant, and
constitution and by-laws. How important
are these instruments for the church planter?. 110
Money.. 112Click
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Q -
How should the church plant or new church proceed to determine the pastor’s
salary, benefits and expenses? How would the typical pay package best work?
Provide some details. 112
Q -
How much and when should a church planter begin to take compensation or a
salary from the new church? What type of compensation should come first?. 116
Q -
When is the right time to go full-time if you are bi-vocational?. 120
Q
- “What are some of the most effective
ways to raise support for the church planter and the new work?” 125
Q -
What financial advice or counsel would you offer a church planter in the area
of: Debt? Income? Savings? 127
Missions.. 133Click
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Q -
When should the new church planter begin to support missions in his new work
and Why? 133
Q -
What is your (or others) definition of “home missions”? Could someone give some
examples? Are they missionaries to cultural groups found within the borders of
the USA, or are they just church planters? 136
People
Problems.. 139Click
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Q -
How do YOU contact and encourage delinquents (Christians not in Church)? How do YOU handle follow-up on visitors and
prospects?. 139
Q -
What type of policy have you set regarding counseling couples that want to be
married by you? 141
Q -
How do you balance these things in a church that you call “friendly” and
“people oriented”? 144
Q -
How do you get people to follow and be faithful after they have been saved and
baptized? Discipleship? Is it lessons, love, commitment?. 148
MORE
ON DISCIPLESHIP.. 151
More
on Discipleship added by Malcom Fiestel, 151
Q -
How do you confront and teach people who want to join that their immersion in
another church (not Baptist) is not acceptable and that they must be baptized
in order to join?. 152
Addendum
I 155
Addendum
II 156
Seeking
to Please Him! 156
Q -
How do you handle freeloaders and panhandlers, as opposed to those with
legitimate needs? 159
Q -
How does the church planter handle that one person who seems to oppose the
vision and leadership of the pastor?. 162
Sending
& Supporting Churches.. 167Click
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Q -
What are some key elements that a mentor can do to encourage and assist a
church planter? 167
Q -
1) Should there be peer influence involved in selecting the location for a church
plant? 2) Should there be at least some
input among the local preachers regarding where church plants should be?. 172
Q -
What are the “key” responsibilities that a sending church should implement in
support of the church planter? What are some things that a supporting (but not
sending church) can do to assist the church planter? 174
Q -
The question is “What temptations are peculiar to the ministry?”. 176
MEASURE
MY MINISTRY QUANTITATIVELY. 176
PERFECTIONISM... 177
MONEY
- POWER - WOMEN.. 177
WINE
- WOMEN - WEALTH.. 177
THE
SUCCESS SYNDROME.. 177
DISCOURAGEMENT. 178
TEMPTATIONS
OF THE MINISTRY. 178