Core Group or Support Group?

After moving over 600 miles north from Atlanta, to the land where winter seems like one giant snow globe, I was willing to look past some important details when we were forming the core of our church.To be honest our “core group” (that team of spiritual green berets we all vision helping us launch the God-dream that we’re stepping forward to labor endlessly to see become a reality) was more like a support group…  and not a healthy one.  As a matter of fact, while I’m typing this only two of them remain other than our family.

When people have sought my advice about church planting, eventually the conversation gets to the “core group.”  I caution everyone to be intentionally selective, significantly challenging and finally inviting, in that order…

I tell them that, because I wish I would have done so myself.  Now, I’m the first one to tell you that God did work through our support group, but His doing so as I reflect is a certifiable miracle!  Our church has seen a lot of God-sightings in our six years.

If you’re a church planter to be reading this, be aware it’s going to take miracles all along the way, so do your part and be wise where you can be limiting the number of miracles necessary.  Rely on God but be intelligent and when it comes to your core group, be intentionally selective, significantly challenging and finally inviting!