Next-Wave Ezine > church & culture

Chronicles of Church Planting: A Step In When There's A Step Out
By Elizabeth D. Rios

As you know if you've been reading my blog for any length of time, my husband Hiram and I started a church plant or "a mission" as its called in our denomination in January 2005. While it certainly does feel like its been a few years, its only been 8 months...that's right 8 months...and in those months we've got incorporated, opened a bank account, put together a nice looking binder of our dreams and hopes for this church along with the stats of this community in the South Broward/North Miami area, we've designed a logo, established a web presence and developed an enewsletter. In the same amount of time, I've worried, I've cried, I've bitten my nails and the insides of my cheek (details again) because of my nerves. Yet, today, as I reflect on these past 8 months one thing stands out as surely as my husband's untanned thighs, when you 'step out' God 'steps in' and in a big way.

This little tidbit of info is crucial for church planters and those who dare to aspire to plant a church. Why? Because good church planters may take their preparation period seriously by studying in church planting institutes, participating in planting boot camps and reading the hundreds of books out on the subject but nothing prepares you for the wild faith ride you have to take once you dare to step out into the unknown.

Being speaks more than doing or having

Charlie Wear of Next Wave recently commented that we should just "be the church". Now I understand what he meant. You see, in being the church the atmosphere and culture that is being cultivated attracts and draws people that you would normally think "there is no way these folks will join us" (you'll be surprised at your own mental maps). Just recently I had a couple come visit after visiting another church in the am (church shopping anyone?) but yesterday the male part of the couple told me and my husband, "we've decided that we want to come here because we feel good here...she won't have to worry about what kind of shoes she has on." While the conversation was more extensive than that the key point was that they got the spirit of Wounded Healer in their first visit. While I have been concerned with "doing" or "having" what spoke was being. Atmosphere analysis takes place from the moment they walk in the door.

Where ever you are it's ok for today!

We've been concerned about meeting in our living room. Again, I really do think its because of the population of people we are attracting see "church" as a building not "the people" and we know that because of how they have talked around us. But God has been convicting us to use this place up. Think creatively about the most and best uses of our house until we are able to move to the hotel every Sunday. Right now we are having our Crave Services every first Sunday starting Oct 2nd at the Hilton Garden Inn in Miramar. But bottomline, every church plant has their own story or testimonios that become part of the oral history of church, we need to realize that and in that realization, we let go of our expectations for the perfect facility.

And finally (because I'm sleepy), Step Out so God can Step In.

One of the issues I was concerned about was money. Most books talk about it. Planters have special sessions of training on how to raise it and for the most part, its a reality, money is needed to buy the things necessary for ministry. But in the last month and a half, although I am tight financially due to the difference in salaries between NY and FL, I've survived personally. What really has thrown both me and my husband for a loop, however, is God's faithfulness to our itty bitty church on the way to grand and mighty. For example, when our home church adopted us and said they will give us $500 (two payments for hotel services) we were happy but still need another $500 to cover the next two payments for two services. The next day, yes, the next day, Hiram received a call from a brother in his prayer group where he proceeded to say "I feel from God to give you $500". Flabbergasted, Hiram knew God was providing. Today, in conversation with two other brothers from this prayer group over lunch, Hiram nonchanantly shares the exciting news of our move to the hotel and our unforeseen need to have sound equipment (about $1000-$1500) and how he would be renting it. They leave their lunch and drop off one of the brothers, who proceeds to say "wait one minute" and goes to his office. When he returns he hands Hiram an envelope with a check for $1500 and a "go buy that sound equipment" goodbye. Hiram called me, I cried in my office. God was speaking clearly to both of us. We stepped out in crazy faith and God has been keeping his end of the deal. We do the natural, He'll take care of the supernatural.

Our faith continuously gets built by God's faithful actions. Church planting is definitely not easy but when you are called, God is all over it and you learn to step out and off, so He can step in and on.

These are my chronicles. May they be of service to the souls of those who aspire to plant.

Elizabeth D. Rios, a born and bred New Yorker, is now living in South Florida near Miami where she works at Trinity Int'l Univ as an Adjunct Professor and Academic Advisor to Organizational Leadership students. Liz also planted a church with her husband and friend called Wounded Healer Fellowship. She is the mother of two boys Samuel (8) and DJ (5, special needs) and has been married to her soulmate for 15 years. A Regent University graduate (MA Management) she is now a doctoral candidate at Nova Southeastern University pursuing her Ed.D. in Organizational Leadership, she seeks to find ways to let people know that "the core" of the soul is the most important to develop for effective leadership. You can follow her journey at Latina Liz on Life.