In a book by Julian Lewis Watkins, The 100 Greatest Advertisements, Sir Ernest Shackleton is quoted as having placed an ad in a London newspaper at the turn of the last century looking for men to join him on an expedition to the South Pole.
It read: “Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger. Safe return doubtful!”
He wrote, “It seemed as if all the men of Briton wanted to accompany me.”
Soon afterward, a curious friend noted in Shackleton’s office three large drawers labeled respectively ‘Mad,’ ‘Hopeless,’ and ‘Possible’ in which the letters of application had been roughly classified.”
Perhaps that how church planters should be classified?
And what about the wives who go along with them?
I don’t think so.
I prefer to claim Luke 1:37, “With God all things are possible.”
About the author
Steve Sjogren
Steve Sjogren is widely regarded as the father of servant evangelism — the idea that small acts of kindness, done consistently and without strings attached, can change a church, a community, and eventually the world. He is the founding pastor of Vineyard Community Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, which he and his wife Janie launched with a group of five people — eventually growing to over 7,000 weekly attenders across seven weekend services.
His first book, Conspiracy of Kindness, has sold over 300,000 copies and has been translated into several languages. Today he writes, speaks, and mentors church planters around the world.
