Here Are 7 Lessons I've Learned Planting A Church

I want to share 7 lessons I’ve learned planting a church. When God called us to plant Jubilee City Church, I did a ton of research on church planting. I researched every aspect of church planting—from learning how to discern God’s calling and identify the community He is leading you to, to navigating the practical side of launching a church.

I studied nonprofit formation, bylaws, church governance, leadership structures, fundraising, legal requirements, financial planning, and so much more. My goal was to understand not only the spiritual foundation of planting a church but also the practical steps needed to build a healthy, sustainable ministry. I wish I had all the answers for someone who wants to plant a church. I can share the path the Lord led us down, but the reality is that every church plant is different, and that’s okay.

Every community is unique. Every pastor has different gifts, experiences, and leadership styles. What works in one city may not work in another. While there are timeless biblical principles that apply wherever God calls you to plant, many of the practical methods and strategies will need to be adapted to the people and place God has entrusted to you.

So don’t measure your church plant against someone else’s. Learn from those who have gone before you, seek wise counsel, and be willing to adapt as the Lord leads. Every church planter, every community, and every season of ministry is different. God has called you to a unique people in a unique place for a unique purpose.

The truth is, your calling isn’t to copy another church’s blueprint. It’s to faithfully apply the timeless blueprint God has already given us in His Word to the specific context where He has called you to serve.

So, with that said, I want to share 7 lessons God taught me while planting Jubilee City Church.

7 Lessons I’ve Learned Planting a Church

1. Don’t Plant Alone

Church planting was never meant to be a solo mission. Surround yourself with faithful people who share the calling. Whether it’s another couple, a core team, or a few committed leaders, you’ll need people who will pray with you, encourage you, challenge you, and hold you accountable. Ministry is healthier when it is shared. I’m so thankful the Lord called the Penrod family to move here and plant Jubilee City Church with us. God knew exactly what we needed, and we’re incredibly grateful for their obedience to His call. I truly believe He has a unique purpose for both of our families as we serve and build His Church together. We can’t wait to see all that He has in store. Again, don’t plant alone!

Lesson: God calls teams, not just individuals.

2. Guard Your Time with the Lord

It’s easy to spend so much time building a church that you neglect your own walk with Christ. Don’t let ministry replace intimacy with Jesus. Your greatest need isn’t a bigger strategy—it’s a deeper relationship with the One who called you. Spend time in His Word. Pray often. Listen more than you speak.

Lesson: Your ministry will never be stronger than your private walk with God.

3. Trust the Leaders God Has Placed Over You

One of God’s greatest gifts to a church planter is the wisdom of seasoned pastors and spiritual mentors. They’ve walked roads you haven’t and can often see things you can’t. Listen to them. Receive correction with humility. Don’t confuse independence with maturity.

Lesson: God often answers our prayers through the wisdom of godly leaders.

4. Hold Your Plans Loosely

Before we planted Jubilee City Church, I had a picture in my mind of exactly how everything would unfold. God had other plans. Church planting rarely follows the script we write in our heads, and that’s okay. Stay faithful to the mission while remaining flexible in the methods. Let God shape the church He wants to build instead of trying to force your own expectations.

Lesson: Be committed to God’s mission, but flexible with your methods.

5. Trust God’s Provision

If God has truly called you to plant a church, He won’t abandon you halfway through the journey. There will be moments when resources seem scarce and obstacles feel overwhelming, but God’s faithfulness never runs out. I’ve learned that where God gives vision, He also provides what is needed to accomplish it—in His timing and in His way.

Lesson: Where God guides, God provides.

6. Love the Place God Has Called You

The city God sends you to isn’t just where your church meets—it’s your mission field. Pray over its neighborhoods. Walk its streets. Learn its history. Meet its people. Love your community before expecting your community to love your church. Ask God to break your heart for the people you’re called to reach, because ministry flows from love.

Lesson: You can’t effectively reach a community you haven’t learned to love.

7. Release the Need to Control Everything

Church planting can tempt you to carry every responsibility yourself. But you were never called to do everything. Trust the people God has placed around you. Empower them. Delegate responsibility. Give others room to lead and even room to make mistakes. Jesus is the Head of the Church—you are simply one of His servants.

The church doesn’t depend on your ability to control everything; it depends on Christ’s ability to build His Church.

Lesson: Faithful leadership trusts God enough to let others lead.

Final thoughts

When I look back on the journey of planting Jubilee City Church, I don’t see a perfect plan that was executed flawlessly. I see a faithful God who continued to lead, provide, and teach us every step of the way. I’m thankful for these 7 lessons I’ve learned planting a church.

I wish I could sit down with every person who feels called to plant a church and give them every answer they need. I wish I could tell them exactly what to do, exactly what steps to take, and exactly how everything will unfold. But the reality is, I can’t, because every church plant is different.

Every church planter is different. Every community is different. Every story is different.

What God does through one church plant may look completely different from what He does through another. And that’s okay. The goal isn’t to recreate someone else’s church. The goal isn’t to copy another pastor’s methods or follow someone else’s blueprint. The goal is to faithfully follow Jesus, listen to His voice, and trust the calling He has placed on your life.

There are biblical principles that never change. Prayer matters. Discipleship matters. Community matters. Leadership matters. Loving people and sharing the gospel will always matter. But how those things are lived out may look different depending on the people, the place, and the purpose God has given you.

As you step into church planting, my encouragement is simple: stay close to Jesus. Don’t lose sight of the One who called you because you’re busy trying to build what He called you to do. Trust the process. Trust the people He puts around you. Trust that He knows what He is doing, even when you don’t.

Because at the end of the day, church planting isn’t about building our church. It’s about joining Jesus in building His Church.

And the beautiful thing is this: the same God who called you is the same God who will sustain you. He will provide what you need. He will guide you when you don’t know the next step. He will open doors you could never open on your own.

So be faithful. Be obedient. Be willing. And remember—if God has called you to it, He will walk with you through it.

Because the Church belongs to Him, the mission belongs to Him, and the glory belongs to Him!