When it comes to church planting, most leaders ask, “Where should we plant?” or “How do we fund it?” But those are secondary questions. The first—and most important—question is this: Who’s on your team?
Because when the right people are in the room, the vision becomes reality.
When the wrong people are in the room, the vision becomes resistance.
Great Teams Share Three Things
You don’t need ten things. You need three. Great church planting teams have:
- Shared Purpose
- Complementary Strengths
- Mutual Trust
Let’s break that down.
1. Shared Purpose
“If your team isn’t clear on the ‘why,’ the ‘what’ won’t matter.”
Every great church planting team has a compelling, shared purpose—and they can say it out loud. Together. In one sentence.
They’re not just planting a church.
They’re solving a problem.
Meeting a need.
Reaching a people.
And everyone on the team understands that purpose.
Clarity drives unity. And unity multiplies impact.
2. Complementary Strengths
“Calling without chemistry creates conflict.”
Great teams aren’t built on sameness.
They’re built on strengths that complement each other.
You don’t need five preachers.
Truthfully, you need someone who can lead volunteers.
You need someone who can organize chaos.
You need someone who can manage a budget—and someone who remembers to buy snacks.
God doesn’t give one person every gift.
He gives a team every gift.
Identify strengths. Celebrate them. Leverage them.
3. Mutual Trust
“Trust is the currency of great teams.”
Church planting will test everything: your calling, your character, your calendar.
And when things get hard (and they will), trust keeps the team together.
Trust doesn’t mean everyone agrees.
It means they believe the best.
They have each other’s backs.
They carry the weight together.
Where trust is high, grace is high.
Where trust is low, control takes over.
And control always kills culture.
The Bottom Line
You can survive with talent.
But you only thrive with trust.
You can attract people with vision.
But you build a team with purpose, strengths, and trust.
So if you’re planting a church, don’t start by building a brand.
Start by building a team.
Read more blog posts by Jeff Hoglen
