Church Plant Fundraising

via Behind the Leaf by Michael on 4/7/09

Some of the most common questions we get on this blog are in the area of fund raising.  One such question is "how much does it cost to plant a church."
My answer:  everything you've got.
If you raise $50,000 then you'll spend every bit of it.  If you have less, it can cost less.  If you raise more, it can cost more.  There's no set number.
I know of churches with amazing funding who blew through it and never made it.  And I know churches that launched on shoestring budgets that are doing well.
Just so you know, between January 1, 2006 and August 20, 2006 (our grand opening), we spent about $55,000 on everything.  That included equipment, marketing, outreach and salaries.  Our first mailout went to 5,000 homes because that's how much money we had.  If we got something on Sunday, we spent it on Monday.
I write about fundraising in my upcoming book, and I'm sure we'll hit on it in an upcoming coaching network.

BehindTheLeaf - Church Planter Leadership Style

Michael at BehindTheLeaf lists three leadership styles of church planters:

• The Pastor-Shepherd
  This is the kind of guy that knows names, really cares for people, and is a pastor in the traditional sense of the word.
  
  
• The Entrepreneur
  This is the get-it-done, driven, almost business like leader. He probably understands marketing and leadership well. He's got a big vision, and often has the plan to make it happen.
  
  
• The Teacher
  This is the guy that just loves to teach. Maybe he was a youth pastor. But this person has stage presence and the ability to teach the Bible with creativity, passion, and relevance.

Michael goes on to describe the weaknesses of each type. He also states that it's possible for people to be a blend of two different leadership types, but he's never seen anyone who was a blend of all three.

Michael says that a senior pastor of one leadership type should look for a different leadership type in staff appointments.