Yesterday I met with a pastor of a new church that is reaching a particular language group. The church was started by a group who came from a mother church 30 miles away. Pastor (we will call him Joe) was asked to lead the group. He has had no training or experience in church planting.
Joe is now coming to one of our Accelerate Coaching Networks for pastors of new churches led by an experienced church planting pastor. We are also trying to hook him up with a national network for their local intensive training.
Joe is frustrated because most of the people are not "catching the vision or involved". I encouraged him to view the people as Jesus modeled. He spoke to the masses. He trained the twelve. And he spent focused time with Peter, James and John. In effect Jesus had three strategies. He gave each group what they needed to help move them to the next level. The majority of his time was not spent with the masses, but with the twelve and specifically with the three.
Who are the three in your church that you are spending time with? How can these people be mentored in their spiritual life and leadership? Did Jesus recruit them into a classroom to lecture them? No he took them with him and modeled life and ministry.
Try this: Line up times when you are meeting with people to: share your faith, follow-up a new believer, encourage a believer in his walk, disciple someone. Then call one of your three and ask them to go with you. They can come along to pray and "catch" ministry concepts and skills. Then you debrief and talk about it - what they saw, what they learned, what we could have done differently, etc. Gradually you have them take the lead in situations while you watch.
What you are doing is mentoring people in the Christian life and ministry and leadership. Instead of "recruiting" people into ministry you are "mentoring" people into ministry.
3 Steps
1. Pray for the right three
2. Pray for and take opportunities to minister to people
3. Invite one of your three to go with you
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