Church Planter’s Conference encourages church planters to “stay the course” in ministry

A group of 73 church planters and their spouses from Texas, New York, Washington and Wisconsin gathered on Sept. 27-29 at the Galveston Island Convention Center for a time of worship, fellowship, encouragement and rest. 

Jonathan Román, replanter and pastor of Pueblo Nuevo Community Church in El Paso, Texas, said the Church Planter’s Conference is a great opportunity to be with other church planters and be encouraged to keep going.  

“This conference seems like it's got a mission to enable people who are in positions like mine to shape a good vision as far as what the church should be doing and useful strategies and methods of trying to reach people,” Román said. 

Lee Williams, Central Texas church starting strategist at Texas Baptists, opened the conference by encouraging church planters that they get to carry the assignment, have the advantage and advance in their ministry in a message titled, “We get to do this, drawing from 2 Corinthians 4:1. 

Intentional planning and follow-up 

Over the three-day conference, church planters had the opportunity to attend eight unique breakout sessions on topics such as ministry barriers, event planning, burnout, guarding your marriage and more.  

On Monday, Nic Burleson, Northeast Texas church starting strategist at Texas Baptists, led a breakout session titled, “Making the Most of a Big Day.” He gave church planters six steps to guide their planning for a big day at the church: Define the win, pray big, preach with purpose, provide a clear path to join the team, position your people to invite and develop a follow-up plan with a clear next step. 

Burleson emphasized the importance of preparing for a move of God. He asked church planters to consider three questions when preparing for an event: “How will we connect with them? What will we ask them to do next? If they do the next step, how will we follow-up with them?” 

“What is God wanting to do in our church that we're actually holding back because we're not prepared to act if God were to move?” Burleson said. “What are we going to do when God sends us what we’re praying for? How will we follow up with them? Because sometimes God doesn't send people because we're not ready to steward them.”

Burleson concluded his session by encouraging church planters to ask each other what systems work for them when preparing for events and follow-up. 

Joe Rangel, church planter and pastor of Soba Church in Saginaw, Texas, said he came to the conference needing help with some structure and growth strategies for his church, and hoped to learn what the next step should be. He said Burleson’s breakout session helped him consider, “Am I intentionally making this big day structurally sound for what we're really trying to do? What is the main goal?” 

Rangel said the Church Planter’s conference gives church planters a solid foundation to begin their ministry. 

“I don't think there's any of us that can do it without the basic principles that these guys are teaching here… I really wish I would have done all of this before I launched,” Rangel said. “Now here I am in my fourth year, coming back to learn all these principles that I just didn't have. These principles are not just principles that look good hanging on a banner. These principles are what I'm standing on now to truly build God's church.” 

Kyle Jackson, planter and pastor of 3rd Coast Church in Dickinson, TX, led a panel discussion with four other Texas Baptists church planters. They shared their planting experiences, outreach, fundraising and soul care strategies.

Staying the course 

On Tuesday, Burleson concluded the conference with a message titled, “What Now?” Drawing from Luke 8:26-39, he told church planters that church planting is full of “What now?” moments and gave them three ways to handle them: See the battle as spiritual, stay the course and go back home. 

“It's not a strategic battle. It's a spiritual battle,” Burleson said. “The deepest problems in our cities are not strategic problems. They're spiritual problems. The city doesn't need another program. It needs the life-changing power of Jesus. The community doesn't need another ministry. It needs the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” 

Referencing Luke 8:39, Burleson concluded his message by encouraging church planters to “return home and tell how much God has done for you.”

“Go home to the places he’s called you, the people he's giving you, the community he’s placed you in and called you to love,” Burleson said. “Some of you came to this conference this week wondering if you need to get in another boat… but before you get in another boat, I want you to hear the words of Jesus: ‘Return home.’ Go home to your city. Serve your people. Preach the gospel. Keep showing up. Keep praying. Stay faithful.”

James Mann, who planted Cave of Adullam Church in San Antonio one year ago with his wife, Crystal, said they chose to attend the conference to ask questions and learn from experienced planters.

“I know that we need a circle, people around us and a circle that have been there before, that we can ask questions to and learn from and just help guide us,” James Mann said. 

He said he was encouraged by Burleson’s charge to stay the course. 

“[I was encouraged to] stay the course and expect opposition, but know that sometimes opposition is God showing you are where you're supposed to be,” James Mann said. 

Crystal Mann attended a breakout session led by Bennye Bryant, director of Women in Ministry Network at Texas Baptists, titled, “EmpowHER,” on Monday. She said she was encouraged to recognize her volunteers’ skills and delegate tasks accordingly to avoid burnout. 

She said it is important for church planters’ wives to attend the conference with their husbands because it is also where they will find support for their ministry. 

“I think [church planters'] wives need to understand that they are called also. It's not just the husband,” Crystal Mann said. “There's a whole group of support that's available [for you].”

James Mann encouraged church planters to attend the next Church Planter’s Conference because it is a tangible reminder that they are not alone. 

“At the beginning [of the planting process], there was a lot of stuff we went through, and it made me question, ‘God, I see you moving here. But why is this, this and this happening?’ You think you're the only one a lot of times, but when you come here, and you start listening to the leaders and then your peers, you realize, ‘Okay, this is normal,’” James Mann said. 

To learn more about Church Planting, visit txb.org/churchstarting.