Church PLANT Manual

24 • Church PLANT Manual

to bear fruit (Matt. 14:13; Luke 22:39-46; Matt. 4:1; John 15:1-4). D. Paul never did ministry in isolation from others, and always had co-laborers in ministry work. He endured suffering consistently, relying on God and others for support in seasons of suffering. He deeply understood the need to depend on the grace and working of the Spirit to accomplish the work of ministry (2 Cor. 1:8-11; Acts 16:1-5). II. Developing Patterns That Promote Resiliency A. Rely on the Holy Spirit for heart and community change. Plant the seeds but trust God to bring the growth. We serve faithfully but entrust the fruit of our work to God (1 Cor. 3:5-9; 1 Cor. 2:1-5). B. Delegate and then delegate again. Train and authorize others to lead so that you can focus on teaching and shepherding work, and so that others can share the burdens of leadership (Acts 6:1-4, Eph 4:11-13). C. Find someone who is ahead of you in life and ministry and allow them to disciple and shepherd you as you serve. Every leader needs to be mentored and pastored by someone (Matt.10; Titus 2:1-8; 2 Tim. 1:1-8). If you need help finding a mentor or shepherd who understands the challenges you will face in church planting and can walk with you, your Evangel Field Coach may be able to assist you with finding someone who may be a good fit for your specific needs and context. D. Shepherd your family as your first ministry priority. Do not give your families the crumbs that are left over and do not treat them as obstacles to your ministry. Be present