13 Characteristics of an Effective Church Planter

This is a post from Dr. Charles Ridley of Indiana University (Bloomington, IN) that I believe is helpful for church leaders as well.

Take some time and think about it:

13 Characteristics of an Effective Church Planter
By Dr. Charles Ridley

What does it take to be an effective church planter? Dr. Charles Ridley conducted a study of church planters in the United States and Canada. Based upon his research and subsequent field testing, he developed a list of 13 church planter characteristics. For over a decade, these characteristics have been used to select church planters. Here is his list of characteristics and their definitions.

Visioning Capacity
· Being a person who projects into the future beyond the present.
· Developing a theme which highlights the vision and philosophy of ministry.
· Coping effectively with non-visioning elements.
· Not erecting artificial walls or limits either overtly or subconsciously.
· Establishing a clear church identity related to the theme and vision.
· Believing in God's capacity to do great things.

Intrinsically Motivated
· Having a desire to do well and a commitment to excellence.
· Stick-to-itiveness and persistence.
· Having initiative and aggressiveness without the negative connotations.
· Having a willingness to work long and hard.
· Being a self-starter with a willingness to build from nothing.
· Having a high energy and vitality level; physical stamina.

Creates Ownership of Ministry
· Helping people to feel responsible for the growth and success of the church.
· Gaining a commitment of the people to the vision.
· Establishing a congregational identity.
· Avoiding stereotyping of the congregation by imposing unrealistic goals.

Relates to the Unchurched
· Communicating in style that is understood by the unchurched.
· Understanding the psychology or mentality of the unchurched.
· Moving and functioning in the personal space of the unchurched without fear.
· Quickly getting to know the unchurched on a personal level.
· Breaking through the barriers erected by the unchurched.
· Handling crises faced by the unchurched.

Spousal Cooperation
· Having an explicit agreement regarding each partner's involvement in ministry.
· Having explicit rules regarding the use of home as an office.
· Evaluating the consequences of ministry demands upon the children.
· Functioning as a team through individual and collective action.
· Having a strategy for dealing with strangers.
· Modeling wholesome family life before church and community.
· Agreeing upon and sharing the ministry vision.
· Deliberately planning and protecting private family life.

Effectively Builds Relationships
· Responding with urgency to expressed needs and concerns of people.
· Displaying Godly love and compassion to people.
· Getting to know people on a personal basis.
· Making others feel secure and comfortable in one's presence.
· Not responding judgmentally or prejudicially to new people.
· Appreciating and accepting a variety of persons.
· Spends time with present parishioners without ignoring them for new people.
Committed to Church Growth
· Believing in church growth as a theological principle.
· Appreciating steady growth without preoccupation with quick success .
· Committing to numerical growth within the context of spiritual and relational growth.
· Recognizing that non-growth is threatening and self-defeating.
· Establishing the goal of quickly becoming a financially self-supporting church.
· Not prematurely falling into a ministry of maintenance.
· Seeing the church project within the larger context of God's kingdom.

Responsive to Community
· Understanding the culture of the community.
· Identifying and assessing community needs.
· Responding to community needs on a priority basis.
· Determining successes and failures of other attempts to respond to the community.
· Not confusing what the community needs with what the church wants to offer.
· Acquiring and understanding of the character and pulse of the community.
· Adapting the philosophy of ministry to the character of the community.

Utilizes Giftedness of Others
· Understanding the culture of the community.
· Releasing and equipping people to do the task of ministry.
· Discerning of spiritual gifts in others.
· Matching the gifts of people with ministry needs and opportunities.
· Delegating effectively in areas of personal limitation.
· Avoiding personal overload by delegating effectively.
· Not prematurely assigning ministry positions before people are equipped.
· Not placing unwarranted restrictions on other's spiritual giftedness.

Flexible and Adaptable
· Coping effectively with ambiguity.
· Coping effectively with constant and abrupt change.
· Adapting oneself to the uniqueness of the particular church planting project.
· Shifting priorities and emphasis during various stages of church growth.
· Doing whatever is necessary whenever necessary.

Builds Group Cohesiveness
· Developing a nucleus group or groups as a foundation.
· Quickly incorporating newcomers into a network of relationships.
· Engaging others in meaningful church activity.
· Monitoring the morale of people.
· Utilizing groups effectively.
· Dealing with conflict assertively, constructively and tactfully.

Resilience
· Experiencing setbacks without defeat.
· Riding the ups and downs (i.e. attendance).
· Expecting the unexpected.
· Rebounding from loss, disappointments and failure.

Exercises Faith
· Possessing a conviction regarding one's call to church planting ministry.
· Believing in God's action.
· Having expectation and hope.
· Having a willingness to wait for answers to specific prayer requests.

Dr. Charles Ridley, A leading pioneer in church planting assessment, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana

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