Jesus didn’t sugarcoat it. “In this world you will have trouble” (John 16:33) He told his disciples and, by extension, us.
It’s a sobering promise, perhaps not the kind of promise we’re particularly keen on! It's especially sobering for those launching new gospel works in unfamiliar or even hostile territory. But He didn’t stop there: “Take heart; I have overcome the world.”
For church planters, this tension - expecting trouble while clinging to hope - isn’t theoretical, it’s lived experience. One of the most consistent and sobering themes in the stories I gathered during my research of church planters was the presence of opposition. It took many forms and came from many directions, but it left a mark every time.
When your church plant is failing...
We don’t often say it out loud, but church planting is deeply vulnerable. We go in with dreams, hopes, vision …