Church Planting Wisdom - From Tadd Grandstaff

Tadd Grandstaff is lead pastor of Pine Ridge Church and has a great blog over at TaddGrandstaff.Com. Tadd is currently in the process of planting Pine Ridge Church, and as such, is at a different stage then our previous guest, Tally Wilgis. So what does Tadd have to say to church planters?

• Spend as much time with Planters and Pastors prior to making your decision to plant and during your planting process. Currently I have either met with by phone or in person with 87 different church planters and pastors. You can always learn something from anyone and I have learned everyone has some valuable wisdom to share. I have just called guys up anyone and everyone that I have heard of, read about or whatever, If they are within driving distance I ask them if I can meet with them some time, if they are not I ask if I can have a few minutes to talk with them by phone. I ask them what they did right, what they did wrong, what would they have done differently, and for any wisdom they could pass along. This alone has created so many resources and contacts for me and has allowed my network to grow like crazy.

• Figure out who YOU are and what God is calling you to do. Bottom line…I am not Andy, Ed, Bill, Erwin or Rick and I had to figure out that I am Tadd Grandstaff and I can’t plant their church. I had to come to the conclusion of who I am and what are my strengths and what vision was God giving me for a church. Just because something works somewhere else doesn’t mean I can apply it here. I had to narrow my vision, figure out my community and plant the church that God has called me to plant.

• Figure out how to communicate vision. This sounds simple, but it really isn’t. I know so many guys who want to plant churches, but they don’t know how to put it into words. If you can’t communicate vision then people don’t know what to follow or support. As soon as I figured out how to communicate what God was calling me to do…I began to add staff, launch team members, and financial supporters. Your vision has to paint a picture that people can see, you have to be able to put it into words, and you have to be able to inspire people with it. If you can’t do those things, then wait until you tell people about your vision. Until you can make it clear you will do more damage than good. If you don’t seem sure about what God has called you to do and are always changing things then people will have a hard time believing in you.
  

Awesome stuff from Tadd! Those North Carolina fans always seem to pull through. Plus he loves the Philadelphia Eagles! Can’t go wrong with Tadd…

Next up? We’ll hear from Jonathon Herron from Catalyst Church in infamous Kent, OH.