BOOK REVIEW

Learning from the Mistakes of New Church Starts
By Lovett H. Weems, Jr.

Review of Ten Most Common Mistakes Made by Church Starts
by Jim Griffith and Bill Easum, Chalice Press, 2008

This is a must-read for pastors founding new churches and those who work most closely with them. Jim Griffith and Bill Easum draw from years of experience with new church starts to outline concisely ten practices that can limit the success of new churches. Given the critical role new church starts play in reaching those not active in church, this resource can help those with the passion, energy, and wisdom to begin a new congregation.

Griffith and Easum pull together here what many have learned in their workshops, consulting, and coaching. In addition to naming the potential mistakes, they offer alternative directions for the planter as well as for supervisors and coaches working with new starts. A recap of the mistakes they cover is below.

	Church planters neglecting the Great Commandment to love God above all in pursuit of the Great Commission of making disciples
	Failing to take opposition seriously
	Not paying enough attention to the people in the context because of a preconceived image of what the church’s vision should be
	Not having a critical mass before launching
	Vigorous evangelism ending after the early period
	No plan or people in place to work throughout the week with those who attend on Sunday
	Fear of talking about money
	Trying to offer ministries beyond the capacity of a new start
	Formalizing leadership too soon
	Trying to start a church with a borrowed vision

Click now to buy from Amazon or Cokesbury.

Return to Leading Ideas