“We’re watching this again?!” I thought as I came home to my wife and three girls soaking up Christmas classics. It was the fifth time for Home Alone that week. I was not sure I could take watching it again. Not to mention, I just finished studying it thoroughly in preparation for our “At The Movies” series. It’s a classic I bet you’ve seen too. Its message reminds me of what I had to preach to myself two years ago when launching our church.
1. Don’t Stay Home Alone.
With all the pressures and deadlines of launching your church, you cannot afford to withdraw and stay home alone designing banners, ordering gear, and creating social media posts. I suspect some of you are so extroverted that this is a no-brainer. In that case, my advice is to ensure you are not neglecting tasks that need your attention. But for the creatives and taskmasters (like me), you cannot stay home alone all day on your computer. Get out, meet someone new today, serve the city, schedule another meeting, or at the very least, work from a coffee shop where you can see and be seen by people. Let the Holy Spirit nudge you and strengthen you in your weakness, so you both accomplish tasks and continue to meet new people.
2. Don’t underestimate “Old Man Marley”.
It’s easy to overlook certain people. You will inevitably attract some team members you believe are more of a project than others. I have found that underestimating people is always a losing thought. Just as Kevin underestimated and misjudged “Old Man Marley,” you have to assume there is a gem in everyone on your team. If God has sent them, don’t patronize them. Just this week, we discovered an incredible photographer hidden within one of our fringe team members. Remember, God put gems in every one of them!
3. Don’t Fight Alone.
In the movie, Kevin seemed to have the enemy under control. However, you never know what lies behind the next corner, and even you cannot foresee every pitfall. Enter “Old Man Marley” for the win! We can all use a little help from our friends. The dream in your heart is bigger than what you and your spouse can accomplish alone. You can not hesitate to make “big asks” of your team. For me, the devil feeds me thoughts like “This is too big to ask of someone else” or “If you want it done right, you have to do it yourself.” I’ve come to believe these are lies from hell, restraining my leadership that could unlock and inspire more of God’s people to build His church. Ask, unleash, and encourage! The fight of faith was never yours to walk alone. Build your church together.
God has planted a great dream in you, and Satan wants nothing more than to derail it. I found these points helpful to keep me on track to build all that God had in mind. Remind yourself of them and trust in your areas of weakness that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you (Philippians 4:13).
Drew Freyder serves as the Lead Pastor of LiFT Church, which he and his wife, Lauren, launched in January of 2019 in Salisbury, MD. With the help of over 100 on their launch team, they celebrated 555 in attendance and 42 salvations that day! He has served in various roles of ministry since 2002 including Media Director, Youth Pastor, Worship Pastor, and Executive Pastor. He is the proud father of three, beautiful daughters, holds an M.A. in Ministerial Leadership at Southeastern University, and a B.A. in Business at LSU. His passion is to eliminate boring church and help people fall in love with God, find purpose, and serve others.
