I remember when I was asked to lead a Bible study during my sophomore year of college. I had joined a Christian fellowship group that really believed the things the Bible said, and really wanted people to learn it well.
"We need you to lead a Bible study," my Pastor told me, holding out a Bible ceremoniously to me.
"I don't know what's in it," I confessed.
"You'll learn," he said, and pushed it into my arms.
Boy was he right. When you realize people are going to be asking you questions every Thursday night and expecting you to have an answer, you discover more about that book than you ever have before. It was like a cram session for a test. I think I learned more about the Bible in that year than in all the previous years of my life combined.
Why start a church? Feel like you don't know how to do it?
You'll learn.
If you really want to value your experience of church - love it, weep for it, cheer for it, and feel a sense of belonging like you never have before - plant a church. It's in leading it that you learn to care for it. It's better than a seminary degree.
People ask me what about my kids - what about programs and structures and routines? Those come in time. But for starters, I'm going to teach my kids what the church is. They're going to stand beside me to set up chairs, run sound, invite friends, and everything else that we need to do. They don't know all of what goes into a church.
But they're about to learn.
- pastor jim