Published Feb 26, 2018
Picking up from last month’s Insight that began to explain the “Count the Cost” process for starting and helping revitalize churches, we find that certain aspects of a church plant’s growth and development can be tracked to certain other things being in place — which allow for growth to happen.
Seeing those things clearly, in “high resolution,” from the beginning, brings predictability and reproducibility to the table.
Many church starting and growth models lack the practical and deal mostly with the ethereal. Count the Cost shows the road to travel to practically reach the destination the new church desires. It provides “handles” so many church planters are seeking to help them know if they are effective and on the right path.
Many models are short on follow-up and accountability. Count the Cost has built into it the follow-up aspect since the journey is clearly laid out with specific and attainable “mile-markers.” The “coach” can walk along with the pastor of the new church and know where the new church should be as it relates to reaching people, discipling people and deploying people.
Many models cannot indicate the level of outside partnership support the new church will need to grow and mature. Count the Cost will indicate at each stage in the life of the new church the financial amount the new church will be able to effectively cover, how much will be needed by outside partners and how long it will be needed.
Many models do not help the sponsoring church be the best steward of God’s resources. Count the Cost, by indicating the specific needs of the new church and not necessarily their wants, allows the sponsoring church to invest what the new church needs to be successful without sacrificing being a good steward.
(See Part 1 of this Insight.)
See archives of Dr. Agee’s previous Insights.