by John Gross
Although many aspects of communication confront the church planter on a daily basis, there are three areas of communication that are essential and must remain open.
The first is with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
John15:5 “… for without me ye you can do nothing …”
Philippians 4:15 “… but with Him we can do all things …”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 “…pray without ceasing …”
I can think of nothing more important than the continual presence, direction, and power of God in our lives on a daily basis.
The second area is communication among family. The husband has the utmost responsibility to maintain communication with both his wife and children. Balancing family and ministry is a challenge and many ministries have been lost as a result. Make time for your wife, make time for your children, and make time for your people.
Third, a church planter must communicate with his church members. This requires a tremendous amount of balance. The first years of planting a church demand a great deal of time developing outside relationships — and this can become a major time constraint for the new pastor. The challenge is to maintain the leadership role while trying to develop new friendships. In these early stages, communication, friendship, relationship, and leadership can present some of the greatest challenges facing the church planter. These four stages are all important, but the ability to communicate the differences could possibly be the difference between success and failure.