Lessons Learned by a Church Planter

Ridgestone Church in Georgia is getting ready to celebrate their 2nd birthday next week and church planter Gary Lamb shared some lessons he has learned in the past two years. I have to share these...

1.) If you truly believe in your vision then 99% of decisions are already decided. Saves you a lot of trouble.

2.) God will send scaffolding. You need scaffolding to build a house but once it is built the scaffolding is gone. God sent us some GREAT and GODLY people who were scaffolding. I hated to see them leave but I now realize God sent them for a time and for a purpose.

3.) You CAN build a church without a building. Everyone told me you couldn't in this area but, God has done it here. I have really kicked up our land search lately just to be prepared, but lack of a building will never be an excuse for us not growing.

4.) You can lead your people by doing life WITH them instead of being ABOVE them.

5.) People want a pastor who is the same Monday-Saturday as he is on Sunday.

6.) You can't grow as a leader without having mentors who are ahead of you in the game. I thank God for those people in my life.

7.) I have the greateast wife in the world. She is the greatest pastor's wife in the world because her ministry is our family, not Ridge Stone Church.

8.) God WILL send Christians who will be sold out to your vision. It took me a year to understand this.

9.) Go after those that no other church would want and ask God to send those to you.

10.) Be yourself. Love me or hate me, I am who I am. Most pastors are who they think they are supposed to be.

11.) There will be critics. Only insecure leaders feel the need to defend themselves.

12.) You must grow ahead of your church's growth

13.) Fight, scrap, and kill if necessary to keep the BIG MO going. It is so vital.

14.) Preach vision AT LEAST every two months. You think your people are sick of it, but they don't live with it like you do and will forget it.

15.) Core Values aren't some written thing, they are something you live.

16.) Have tunnel vision.

17.) If you aren't friends with your staff, then why are they around?

18.) Sold out lay people actually make the church what it is.

19.) RUN to confrontation.

20.) Love your people no matter what.

21.) It's ALL about two things: Jesus and People

Thanks Gary for these principles. I have to admit I struggle with some of these, particularly #11, #12 and #19. I pray that God will continue to equip me for the challenges and opportunities that are right around the corner and that I will be ready to take the steps necessary to grow as a leader of God's people at StoneBridge.