Lessons from a Young Church Planter

By Josiah Smith
Originally published October 2019 in Evangel Magazine

Free falling at over 120 mph isn’t for the faint of heart, but I thought I’d give it a try. It was a sunny day in May of 2014. My friends and I had arrived in front of the small, arched building overlooking a nearby field, and just a few hours later found ourselves stuffed in a tiny prop plane climbing 13,000 feet in ten minutes. As the plane leveled off, I kneeled down at the framed opening where a door should have been. Before I could change my mind I leaned forward and was quickly sucked out into the open sky and begin hurtling towards the earth at 200 feet per second. Talk about exhilarating! 

A few months later, in September 2014, I was skydiving again. This time rather than jumping from an airplane and falling to the earth, I was stepping out to become the lead pastor of a church that did not yet exist. I became a church planter. Being a young, single, first-time pastor I had a lot to learn. And while I took church-planting a lot more serious, I now see a lot of similarities between that giant step and the smaller step I took out of the plane. The pre-launch nerves, the initial rush after the jump, the helpless falling and total loss of control as you careen towards most certain death, the uneasy feeling from time to time that you might just lose your lunch, and the thrill of the experience as a whole. The biggest difference is that the free fall in skydiving only lasts 60 seconds. 

Since launching New Hope Community Church, I have had the opportunity to learn quite a bit. I can’t say I have learn-ed all that follows, but I will say I am learn-ing. I am learning what I say matters, that Jesus is fully capable of caring for His church, and what God is really after is a family that carries His love and glory. Probably one of the most important lessons I am learning is that Jesus cares more about what happens in me than what happens through me. 

Jesus cares more about what happens in me than what happens through me.

I’ve found in my five short years of leading a church, God is much more concerned about the state of my heart than the sum of my activities or the size of congregation I lead. Like a tree with its roots anchored deep in the earth or an iceberg whose mass remains below the water, the most important work of God in me is that which remains unseen. The inner life as some would call it. While the world prods us on towards a frenzy of activity and pressures us to produce evidence of success, God is interested in a deeper, often unseen work.

As a pastor, it is easy to feel the weight of leading teams, preaching sermons, organizing systems, and networking with other ministries—not to mention pastoral care—but if I do these things and ignore within myself a growing sense of unchecked ambition or refuse to face my insecurities and attempt to cover up my fear with a bold face, I am not leading like Jesus. True Christ-like leadership flows from an inner life that has been deeply transformed by the two-sided scalpel of grace and truth. Only as my inner life passes through Christ’s redeeming work will my outward activity really bear fruit that lasts. 

Jesus desires a spiritual family more than a well-oiled organization.

From the creation of Adam and Eve to the call of Abraham to Jesus’ time on earth and still today God has desired a people who would be His own and represent His Kingdom on earth. Jesus never intended to start a new religion; He was reintroducing a way of life. He established a community of “called-out ones,” individuals and families who had forsaken all else to belong to this new way. Church was meant to go deep. It was meant to be invasive. It was meant to be a tight-knit family known for its radical love and shared life. 

As a leader, I’ve dreamed of a high-functioning team that would effectively equip people to preach Jesus and produce disciples who change the world. That dream is still alive. However, I realize the high-functioning organizational part of that dream is not God’s top priority. No doubt, healthy structures and systems are necessary and needed (it would be difficult to read the Bible and not see God’s attention to systems and structures), but Christ’s church at its core is meant to be family. A people whose shared life means being vulnerable, caring for one another’s highs and lows, and staying committed to one another through it all. 

Jesus will lead His Church forward.

It didn’t take too long for me to realize this church planting journey was not going to turn out the way I thought it would. As a matter of fact, most things in my life have not gone according to my plan—and that is actually a good thing! Rather than growing disillusioned, I am learning these are opportunities to let go of my restless grasping for control, trust that God knows what He is doing, and simply submit to His leadership. When God doesn’t do what I expect Him to do it’s because He’s got something better in mind. 

Knowing God is in control takes a lot of weight off my shoulders. My role as a pastor is not to be a savior to everyone or dictate growth for each person or the church as a whole, but to simply point people to Jesus. He will lead His church. As I continue to submit to His leadership and allow Him to shepherd me, I can be confident He is also moving His church forward. When no one shows up for the outreach and funds reach an all-time low and the word I heard God speak sounds totally crazy and unattainable, I ask for wisdom, I continue to walk in His ways, and I trust His will is being done and His Kingdom is expanding even in the subtle, hard-to-see ways. 

It’s on the days when things don’t go according to plan or when I feel like I’ve failed and have nothing left to give that pastoring feels a bit like a free fall. I’ve jumped out of the airplane, there’s no going back, and it feels like I may end up flat on my face having lost it all. But on those days, I remind myself I didn’t jump alone. Before I jumped out of the airplane that sunny May day, the instructor sat behind me and tethered my harness to his. We jumped together. We flew tandem. I didn’t even have to pull the parachute. I simply let go and enjoyed the ride. 

Unfortunately, the thought of free fall often scares us from taking the leap. It looks too dangerous. Feels too frightening. So lest the fall keep us from following Jesus on this wild adventure let me share one more lesson.

He has given me something to say—and it matters. 

In a culture saturated with books and websites, conferences and podcasts, it is easy to assume what I have to say has already been said (and, really, it probably has). However, I am realizing if I withhold what God has given me to share, someone is going to miss out. What if someone in my sphere of influence never hears a Steven Furtick sermon or reads a Mark Batterson book? What if they’ve never heard the Gospel clearly or had opportunity to experience the love of Jesus? What if my gift is simply meant to be an offering to Jesus? I must not withhold what has been given to me to give. I have something to say—and it matters. 

When stepping out feels a bit too daunting and the temptation is to play it safe, we must remember what we’ve received and those for whom we’ve received it. It won’t matter to everyone, but it will matter to someone and that someone matters very much! The jump is scary but we are not alone. We’re flying tandem and Jesus will not let us fall. 

Let’s take the jump.   

Bio: Josiah Smith is a third-generation pastor whose passion is to know Jesus and to make Him known. He holds a degree in Biblical Theology and is currently pursuing a M.A.T.S. in Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary. He is the author of Along the Way: A Beginner’s Guide to Journeying with Jesus in the Kingdom. With nearly 20 years of ministry experience as a church planter, lead pastor, and staff pastor, Josiah has devoted his life to proclaiming God’s Kingdom, equipping Christ’s Church, and helping disciples become disciple-makers. In addition to his love of teaching the Bible in a practical and understandable way, Josiah enjoys making music, playing sports, and adventuring in the great outdoors. Learn more about his ministry endeavors and follow him on social media at JosiahSmithOnline.com

NEW TO JOURNEY: THE BIBLE STUDY CHALLENGE:

Journey Pastoral Coaching is privileged to partner with Bible Study Challenge, a unique approach to Bible study designed to help you enjoy your time in the Word, and more deeply understand what you study.

Not only will Bible Study Challenge help make your study of the Scriptures come alive, but your study helps support the ministry of Journey.

Every month brings a new book and challenge. Click here to learn more.

Sign up here for the September Bible Challenge today. The deadline is August 31, 2026.

Remember to use the unique Journey link. Doing so will help support the ministry of Journey Pastoral Coaching.

———-

NOTE: Journey Pastoral Coaching exists to provide pastoral coaching to Millennial ministers.

Saddled with large student debt, just beginning to set up homes and start families, and serving in low paying first and second positions, Millennials are those who most desire but can least afford to pay for pastoral coaching.

We are able to do so thanks to the faithful and generous support of individuals and churches like yours who want to see young leaders not only enter the ministry, but remain in the ministry. 

Now, more than ever, we need your help. 

If you or your church would like to help Millennial ministers across the US and overseas build strong for a lifetime in ministry, please click here to support Journey monthly or with your one-time gift. Thank you.

We also invite you to click and subscribe to our twice-monthly blogs at journeypastoralcoaching.com

“Of all vocations, surely the gospel ministry is the one whose paradigm is most radically formed by the dynamics of godly mentorship.” 

Stephen Baldwin