Matt Willmington's list of top 20 lessons from a church plant

One of the blogs I keep up with is a former professor, of youth ministry at LU, who has recently returned to Thomas Road.  Matt has been a tremendous influence on me over the years and I am VERY excited to have him around for my last year.  Below is a list of the top 20 lessons he learned from being in a church plant that he hopes will stay in his life in the years to come.  I thought they were great and wanted to pass them along to you.  Check out his blog it's great and so is this list...

Living close to the pages of the Book

Starting with a fresh page, no rules, only possibilities

Desperation of the staff and people for God

“Lifeboat” spirit among the staff and people – we MUST work together to survive

“Lighthouse” spirit - connection with and burden for the community

Speed of change that is possible

Commitment to excellence, no room for mediocrity

“Its all up to me” feeling – I have to show up for my volunteer job every week or church won’t happen

“No net” abandonment

Creativity unleashed

Need to rethink biblical positions – no room to hold to pat answers I thought I knew in college - “What does the Bible actually teach?”

Dependence on the Holy Spirit

Right-sizing my financial priorities

Doing life together

Courageous living by faith

Seeing the impossible happen

Experiencing grace in my life and the lives of broken, outcast people

Meeting a bigger God than I ever knew

Living like pilgrims on an adventure

Having my wife and children experience all of this with me.