After some time had passed, Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit the brothers in every town where we have preached the message of the Lord and see how they’re doing” Acts 15:36

Have you ever had to start over again? Sometimes it may have been a little embarrassing that you have to start over. Churches often over start when a new leader arrives on the scene to move the church forward. Church Planter’s can at times over start because they are so much in a rush to get something going before the launch money runs out that they push hard and fast to get a new church up and going. Both of these scenarios display a chaotic dysfunctional methodology that will often cause the church to stall, drift or become stuck and in need of regrouping, revisioning, and refocusing.

Mark Twain said, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started, the secret of getting started is breaking your complex overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.”

There are some days for all of us when all of us would really like to start over!

Have you ever made a trip to the bank and you’ve left your check or your deposit slip at home? Or, perhaps you’re going to the grocery store and leave you shopping list at home. Have you ever had such a day that you just wished you could start it over? There are times in life when a new job, a new relationship, a new place, a new friend, a new move, can be just what we need. It can feel wonderful to get a new start. Other times however starting over can be the most difficult thing in life.

I wish to share with you in the next few blogs some potholes/pitfalls when you find yourselves running too far too fast without proper time and a system for assimilation. Additionally, I want to share with you several principles for Starting Over When You Have Over Started!

Mary Anne Radmacher has stated that, “Courage doesn't always roar, sometimes courage is the quiet voice at the end of the day saying, “I will try again tomorrow."

There are circumstances that come our way and cause us to need to start over because we have over-started.

The of Pitfalls Running Too Far Too Fast in a Church Start Without Assimilation

In Webster’s New World Dictionary, a “pitfall” is defined as (1) a lightly covered pit used as a trap for animals and (2) an unsuspected difficulty, danger or error that one may fall into.

Church planting is chock-full of pitfalls. It is best to be aware of them as you begin the adventure of starting a new church. If you have already launched and find yourself needing to start over because you have over started ask God to clearly show you what needs to be eliminated and what needs to be elevated. Our God is sovereign as we rely upon him, he can help us out of the pitfalls and revive the church plant and get it moving forward.

Let’s look at eleven pitfalls that are often present when a church over starts and needs to restart:

Pitfall #1 – There is no real appearance or sense that the Lord is in this endeavor to plant.

It is easy to fall in love the romantic idea of church planting. Many pastors, which are struggling with established churches that are tradition-bound, locked into the past, and ineffective in leading people to Christ will seek the romance of becoming a church planter. The pitfall is the notion that you can just go start a church without discerning from God whether church planting is His call upon your life.

It takes a particular type of individual to plant a successful church. Most successful church planters are highly relational, extremely entrepreneur, and driven to bring something out of nothing.

“Unless the Lord builds the house, its builders labor in vain” (Psalm 127:1).

Next week, we will take a look at the 2nd and 3rd pitfalls. 

You can connect with Dr. Tom Cheyney and the RENOVATE Church Revitalization Coaching Network additionally via Facebook at RENOVATE Conference. Tom is the co-author of Spin-Off Churches (B&H Publishers), a conference speaker and a frequent writer on church planting, new church health, and church revitalization.  If you or your church would like more information about how to be considered for the next series of RENOVATE Church Revitalization Applicants you may contact him at [email protected], or [email protected].