Make a Ministry Plan to Shepherd a Call to Church Planting

If Jesus is still building his church, he’s still calling leaders to serve.

Yet, in my experience we often leave church planters to figure it out. Sometimes we appeal for the need of church planters, but I’m not sure I have heard many pathways of discipleship materials to walk in God's call as a church planter. Yes, we offer it as a pathway to seminary students or experienced ministers. No, we don't help people discover church planting as a unique gifting from the initial moments of calling. As I studied how people perceived their calling to plant, a common theme emerged: an outside influence.

In the full research, I use inertia to summarize how calling is expressed from planters. Intertia in physics is a property of matter where it continues in its existing state of rest or uniform motion in a straight line, unless that state is changed by an external force. They were are rest, until an outside force started them in motion.

Every journey toward church planting begins with a spark.

Every journey toward church planting begins with a spark. For some, it is a quiet stirring in prayer; for others, it is a dramatic encounter with God’s call. Yet, more often than not, the awakening moment comes from outside forces—mission trips, guest preachers, retreats, or even a book that lands in our hands at just the right time. These external catalysts act as mirrors, showing us what God is already doing and inviting us to join His mission.

The call to plant churches is rarely born in isolation; it is nurtured by encounters that expand vision and awaken desire. This truth reminds us that ministry is not simply self-generated passion but often the fruit of exposure to others’ faith, sacrifice, and vision.

Real Stories of Outside Forces

Listen to how the respondents talked about their experiences.

Some of the experiences were a one time moment, and for others it was a sustained season of exposure. For instance, one respondent was being cultivated for ministry over a period of time, and he sensed a general desire for ministry. But then, he was challenged when his local seminary brought a missionary from Central Asia to preach. The sermon brought to life the vast need in Central Asia for church planters, and the speaker specifically challenged the people to see if God was leading them to fill the need. A catalytic moment of transformation occurred setting this participant on a trajectory to overseas church planting.

In another example, a North American church planter was in his junior year of college where he went through a bible study with some other guys. The study was not a one time moment, but a season of wrestling that culminated to a 4 belief God had called him to ministry. He subsequently transferred to pursue ministry the following semester. Some other seasons or events of renewal included a church training, a mission trip, retreat, and a missions book. While not everyone recalled a moment, there were a significant number of participants that pointed to a moment or set season of time that changed the direction of their life

While not everyone recalled a moment, there were a significant number of participants that pointed to a moment or set season of time that changed the direction of their life

Common Catalysts

Here are the common catalysts mentioned in Process to Plant:

1. ⁠Missions devotionals – Daily readings that orient believers toward God’s global mission.

2. ⁠Guest preachers – Voices from outside the local church who bring fresh vision and urgency.

3.  Mission trips – Immersive experiences that confront believers with both need and opportunity.

4. Retreats and conferences – Spaces of renewal where God’s call is clarified.

5. Books and biographies – Written testimonies that inspire courage and imagination.

6. Mentors and role models – Individuals whose lives embody missional faithfulness. These life on life relationships have special weight when met with a challenge to consider serving.

7. Cross-cultural encounters – Relationships that expand understanding of the gospel’s reach.

8. Devotional practices – Rhythms of prayer and scripture that prepare hearts for mission.

Each of these catalysts may function as “awakening moment,” or calling nudging believers toward the possibility of church planting.

Theological Reflection: Awakening as Ritual Renewal

Missiologist Paul Hiebert’s theory of ritual renewal provides a helpful lens for understanding these awakening moments (see Heibert, Anthropological Insights for Missionaries). Hiebert argued that rituals and external encounters serve to renew faith by reorienting believers toward God’s mission. When a congregation participates in a mission trip or listens to a guest preacher, they are engaging in a transformative ritual, an experience that disrupts routine and amplifies potential vision.

Much like summer, fall, winter, and spring can drive our lived experiences, rituals of renewal can push us into a new season of service.

In this sense, outside forces are not random sparks but part of a larger theological pattern to fulfill what Jesus does in Ephesians 4 as he gives leadership gifts to his church (Eph. 4:11-13). The outside forces are awaken desire for service, and propel believers into church planting. As the fuller research shows, it is not an immediate fulfillment into church planting. Rather, these moments begin a liminal journey that culminates into church planting identity.

Often we participate in transformative rituals without realizing it. The research in Process to Plant calls us to steward these moments for the benefit of those whom God is calling.

Conclusion: Plan to Shepherd Special Moments

The journey toward church planting is rarely solitary. It is shaped by mission trips, guest preachers, retreats, books, and countless other outside forces that awaken desire. These catalysts are not distractions nor should they be surprises; they are divine appointments. Orchestrated by an active God who calls leaders for his church.

Therefore, we should plan to walk with people in the following season of their life. A great mentor invites people into service opportunities. A great mentor listens as people process what God is doing in their heart. A great mentor knows the next step in the journey to make firm the calling stirring in the heart.