I coached a cell church planter last week who has thus far seen little fruit. This planter is doing all the right things but the results thus far are few. He’s ministering not only to the spiritual needs of his community but also their physical needs (e.g., Angel Food program, etc.). He recently stepped out on faith and quit his day job to more fully minister in his community. Yet, the bottom line is that at this moment he has little to show for it.

I encouraged him to press on, reminding him of one of my favorite quotes from the book Good to Great. Jim Collins says, “In building greatness, there is no single defining action, no grand program, no one killer innovation, no solitary lucky break, no miracle moment. Rather, the process resembles relentlessly pushing a giant, heavy flywheel in one direction, turn upon turn, building momentum until a point of breakthrough and beyond”

I encouraged this church planter to keep sowing the seed and doing the right things. I reminded him of my own conviction that often church planters fail simply becuase they give up too early. Didn’t Paul say the same thing in Galatians 6:9, “Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Keep turning the flywheel. It will begin to pick up its own momentum. Who knows, someday people might be calling you an overnight success. Little will they know . . . .

Comments?

Joel