Church planters by nature are fast-moving, catalytic people. Taking time to properly prepare can be challenging. Yet, this was key to Jesus’ approach to preparing His disciples. He spent three years pouring Himself into them in order that the ministry He began could continue through them. In order for potential church planters to be effective they, too, must take time to prepare. There are a number of questions that need to be addressed before launching out on such a missional endeavor.

When they came to the border of Mysia, they tried to enter Bithynia, but the spirit of Jesus would not allow them to. So they passed by Mysia and went down to Troas. During the night Paul had a vision of a man of Macedonia standing and begging him, ‘Come over to Macedonia and help us.’ After Paul had seen the vision, we got ready at once to leave Macedonia, concluding that God had called us to preach the gospel to them”.

Now the Lord said to Abram: ‘I will bless those who bless you, And I will curse him who curses you; And in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed’”. “And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, ‘All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo I am with you always, even to the end of the age’”.

Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their work: If one falls down, his friend can help him up. But pity the man who falls and has no one to help him up”! The Bible implies that one of the first actions taken by the apostle Paul in his church planting ministry was to share with a team the vision God had given him.

“Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’”.

“Every day they continued to meet together in the temple courts. They broke bread in their homes and ate together with glad and sincere hearts, praising God and enjoying the favor of all the people. And the Lord added to their number daily those who were being saved”.

“Then the churches throughout all Judea, Galilee, and Samaria had peace and were edified. And walking in the fear of the Lord and in the comfort of the Holy Spirit, they were multiplied”. Regardless of your strategy or model for planting churches, at some point believers need to be mobilized so that ministry will be multiplied. The very heart of Jesus’ Great Commission is the call to “make disciples.”