6. Church affirmation. If your church is remarkably hesitant about your church-planting gifting and call, then you should be hesitant about your gifting and your call.

It can be a tricky situation if you're going to plant a church out of the church. They may not be against you planting a church; they just aren't cool with you starting a church one block over and siphoning off people. But part of the process is to see if you are in a church that recognizes you meet the qualifications in 1 Timothy 3:1-7.

It is also important for church planters to be able to build partnerships with sponsoring and sending churches. Along with this, a church-planter assessment is in order. Church affirmation is biblical and can be one of your greatest indicators and components.

Other Things to Consider

Obviously, there are other factors that weigh into planting a church. Have you considered the location? Part of the nature of church planting is the idea that you are going to a certain place to plant. This isn't about sowing seeds by throwing them into the air and hoping they find a good place to land. It is about digging in, preparing the soil and planting a growing organism. You need a draw to a certain location and people group.

There's something about where you're going that says to people, "This is something I want to consider being called to, and planting, and being a part of."

Oftentimes, we need someone to give us a straight answer. Charles Spurgeon would have young preachers tell him they felt called to plant churches. He would ask them about their vision, their plan. Then after hearing them, he would either affirm it or would tell the preacher, "Son, I just don't see it." And that would be it.

One of the things we need today is people to honestly affirm or say, "I just don't see it." Hopefully these six indicators will help you discover if church planting is right for you.

Is there a certain indicator that most aspiring planters miss? What would you add to the list of indicators?

For those of you considering church planting, why not take a few minutes and take the Church Planter Candidate Assessment—one of our research tools to help you get an early indication if church planting is a right fit for you. The assessment is regularly $88, but you can take it for the discounted price of $29 if you are considering planting with one of our sponsor organizations.

Ed Stetzer is the president of LifeWay Research. For the original article, visit edstetzer.com.

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