Blog | Tips for Recruiting a Church Planting Team

1) Similar Beliefs

A church’s goal at the end of the day is to spread the good news and see people’s lives transformed by a loving relationship with God. But in that pursuit, there are so many dynamic visions and priorities among different leaders.

When recruiting a church planting team, you need to make sure that the leaders you’ll be working with closely to establish the foundation of your ministry are in agreeance on the mission and vision of your church, as well as the beliefs you view as crucial.

2) Group vs. One-on-One Impressions

A lot of church planters meet members of their team through various groups they’re a part of. The pressure of being in a group setting changes the way people act, the things they say, and frankly doesn’t allow you to journey into discussion about factors that may be crucial to know when setting up a church planting team.

If you ever identify someone as a potential candidate for joining the church planting team, don’t pitch or mention the idea to them before meeting them one-on-one. An open discussion about the factors that are important to you for a church planting team (without mentioning that as the purpose for the meeting) can help further guarantee transparency and honesty of their character and opinions on different topics.

3) Establishing Term Lengths

You have to decide immediately whether or not you want the launch team to continue being a part of leadership beyond the launch or to step out afterwards. And it’s incredibly important to convey your opinions on the matter to any one you are attempting to recruit.

Some people want an easy-out when it comes to a large commitment like a church plant, and so setting term lengths can actually be beneficial for recruiting key team members. Some pastors and church planters believe a launch team should stay in leadership afterwards to continue holding the values of the church as it grows. However, others believe that keeping a launch team in leadership after the initial launch can create an exclusive insider’s culture that restricts others from stepping into leadership roles. Make your decision before recruiting and communicate your intentions to anyone you ask.

4) Strengths-Based Role Assignment

First of all, while you want everyone to have the same beliefs and underlying principles, it’s smart to have a lot of diversity in your launch team when it comes to strengths. You’ll need team versatility when launching a church, and selecting the right people for the right roles is crucial. No one likes to be assigned a job they don’t like – or worse – are just downright terrible at. When recruiting, frequently reflect on the strengths needed for each role, the spots you have filled, and the strengths of those you’re interviewing for empty seats.