“The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few.”— Matthew 9:37
A Church Planter is a:
Discipler: A church planter is someone marked by a sense of mission to lead others to follow Jesus. He is a disciple-making disciple.
Pastor: A church planter is also a pastor and must fulfill the biblical requirements for character and teaching. He is a gifted preacher and qualified elder.
Missionary: A church planter will think and live like a missionary, with a heart for a particular place and people, and discernment to proclaim the gospel effectively. He is a Spirit-called missionary.
Equipper: A church planter must equip and position others to participate in the work of ministry. He is a contagious leader and equipper.
Churchman: A church planter will display a heart and skill for building the local church. He is a churchman and community builder.
Pioneer: A church planter must be able to bring into reality something that doesn’t exist yet. He is a visionary architect.
Optimist: A church planter maintains a hope-filled faith in God through the ups and downs of church planting. He is a God-centered optimist.
Get Help in Assessing Your Call to Church Planting
The 7-Traits of a Church Planter assessment tool is aimed at guiding and identifying those the Lord of the harvest is preparing to be sent into the harvest. It’s the result of bringing together biblical principles, practical wisdom, and lessons learned in planting churches for over 30 years as a family of churches in Sovereign Grace. This tool is meant to be profitable for self-assessment, but it is also designed to be part of a larger conversation with your pastors and those around you.
Regardless of what particular role each disciple plays in advancing the mission (as a church planter, pastor, small group leader, etc.) every disciple is part of Jesus’s mission. May this assessment serve to stir your desire to be a faithful disciple of Jesus for the glory of God.