How to Grow Without Selling Out

[featured_image]I was coaching a church planter recently who asked this question:
“How do we grow without selling out?”

This is a great question! The answer will give you greater clarity to your mission.

When I heard his question, I immediately thought of three questions that would help him to discover how to answer this question in his context.

A. P. A. Analysis
(Bob Logan first introduced me to these questions about twenty years ago. Thanks Bob!)

1. What do you want to achieve?

Before explaining what it might mean to “sell out,” it’s necessary to clarify the mission. What are you wanting to accomplish? What will it look like to get there? What will you feel when you accomplish this? What will achieving this mean for your church plant?

2. What do you want to preserve?

As you pursue goals and the mission of Jesus, it is helpful to identify what you don’t want to lose in the process. What can you not afford to lose? What will you do to ensure you continue doing your priority missional activities? What are you willing to endure to keep the main thing the main thing?

3. What do you want to avoid?

There are many pitfalls that those who have gone before you have landed in. How will you avoid those pitfalls? What’s going to compel you to stay real and authentic to whom God is calling you to be?

“Selling out” will mean different things to each church planter. Asking these 3 questions will help provide the clarity you need to stay the course – and not sell out!