Initial Advice on Getting Started as a Church Planter

From our Advanced Leadership forum (click here to join)

I'm an ELCA pastor going through my denomination's screening process to become a mission developer. If selected, I will probably be serving in our Southeastern Synod, most likely in the state of Georgia, a state whose population is continuing to grow. I've read most of your books and attended EBA's Convergence last September at Prince of Peace. What specific advice would you have, however, for someone entering this type of ministry?

From Bill Easum

1. Set your own agenda before you gather a core group.

2. Set you DNA in place before gathering a core group

3. Don"t get the core group from anoher elca church unless they like the DNA you have chosen.

4. Set up the organization as lean as you can and put yourself in as much leadership as possible in your tribe.

5. Keep your board as small as the polity will allow

6. Begin with two services, ether both contemporary or one spirited traditional and one contempoary service.

7. Raise at least $50,000 upfront from all of your networks and spend most of it on direct mail to announce your opening service.