The Always Faithful God

James & Leigh planted LifeHouse Church in Mississauga, Ontario Canada.  James is from Canada and Leigh originally from South Africa.  LifeHouse started as a Sunday brunch for unsaved teenagers and has now grown into a vibrant church community of people of all ages from infants to seniors.  They desire to see an entire church community that is living in all that God has for them, and making Him known to the world around them.

As a church planter I find that one of my greatest temptations is to trust in my own strength and abilities instead of God’s promises and process.   Psalm 127:1 rings true “Unless the LORD builds the house, the builders labour in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the guards stand watch in vain.”  As a church planter I must always remember that it is God who has called us to our task and that it’s God’s church.  Using my own strength, abilities, good ideas, and talents outside of God’s timing and leading can actually bring more trouble than it’s worth.  It can cause me personally, or the church corporately, to miss out on what God wants to bring about.

Abraham became impatient regarding the fulfilling of God’s promise and Ishmael was born – and the consequences are still evident today.  Our churches are meant to be born out of God’s promise – not man’s effort.  It’s a continual process of submission and re-submission to God.
Practically this means a whole lot more prayer and listening to God’s voice and a lot less of my good ideas.  As church planters we need to know God’s voice, hear God’s voice, and be comfortable with the answers God gives us.  If we are to lead our churches into all the promises that God has, it must be out of a place of intimacy and submission to God’s ways.
I personally don’t get this right all the time, and I thank God for His mercy and grace for me that He lovingly guides me back on track when some of my “great ideas” don’t work out as well as I thought.  Scripture assures us that He’s committed to the success of the church – when He’s allowed to lead it.  As church planters we carry the multiple responsibilities of leading our lives, our families and our churches in a manner that allows God to be the one in control.  

I can think of recent events where a lack of faith and discernment caused me to make decisions that were out of step with what God wanted.  While He allowed me to make the decisions, he also allowed me to see the fruit (in this case - a lack of fruit) that came from them.  The decision caused me to miss out on something that God had for me personally and as a result my church will also miss out corporately on what could have been released.  That said I’m personally thankful for the gracious and loving God that we serve who is committed to guiding us and showing us how to follow Him.  I come out of the experience that much more committed to standing in faith and with a greater conviction of God’s call and I trust God to lead us into all that He has for us. 

As a planter I am continually reminded that it’s by God’s grace that I lead His church – and that when I keep this in perspective I am continually amazed by all that God does.  I believe that each church is unique and thus each planter’s experience will be unique.  However despite each unique circumstance we will find ourselves and our churches in, we are all equally dependant on God – regardless of what stage of church leadership we find ourselves.  
While some trust in chariots, and some in horses (or the latest marketing program, church planting technique, big giver, or newest book) if we trust in the Name of the Lord and allow Him to lead and guide us, then we will always find Him faithful.