We don't like to talk about failure. Church planters who fail do not speak at our conferences or write books. We hold up the successes and then wonder why so many church planters are surprised by hardships and overwhelmed by failure.
Learning from failure is a key concept in life and successful church planting. When asked about his hundreds of failed attempts to invent the lightbulb before experiencing success, Thomas Edison simply said that he had discovered all the ways not to produce the lightbulb. Church planting is no different. It needs to be seen as a process of 'failing forward.'
Church Planting Landmines looks at many of the issues that can bring failure and gives practical advice on how to avoid these mistakes. Topics include:
Ignoring personal health and growth Lack of leadership development Leadership backlash Evangelism entropy Fear of money Underestimating spiritual warfare Misfiring on hiring Delaying missions engagement Listen and learn from those who have stepped on some of these landmines. Keep failing forward!