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The onramp to planting a church in your home can be much simpler than a traditional church plant, but that doesn’t mean it should be done on a whim. Before you plant, you need to stop and ask a harder question: Should you plant at all?
The desire to see the church grow is good. But that desire, if it’s not anchored in God, can quickly turn into self-reliance, pride, or performance. Church planting isn’t something to “try.” It’s a spiritual assignment that must be born out of obedience and overflowing intimacy with Jesus, not frustration with the institutional church, excitement about a movement, or convenience.
A significant leader in a denomination with many church plants told us this one time: “The problem with house churches is that they tend not to last long.” You may think it’s a good idea to start one, but if it’s not an assignment from the Lord, birthed in deep conviction, it very likely won’t last very long. If you aren’t healthy in relationship with the Lord, with the church, or with your family, this church plant will probably end up doing a good bit of damage.
So before you think about planting, slow down and examine yourself honestly in each of the following points.
It might seem obvious, but it needs to be said: you should not plant a church if you are not thriving in your relationship with the Lord.
Planting a church should never be the means by which you try to get close to God. It must be the fruit of already walking closely with Him. If your personal intimacy is dry, your church will reflect that.
The church you plant will take on the spiritual life of its leader. If you’re restless, driven, or disconnected from the Lord, that will become the culture of the church you lead.
Jesus’ conversation with Peter in John 21 sets the tone for every would-be shepherd. Before commissioning Peter, Jesus asked him three times: “Do you love Me?” Only after that love was affirmed did Jesus say, “Feed My sheep.”
That order matters. Love first, ministry second. The call to shepherd others must flow from a deep and tested love for Christ.
Ask yourself:
If your walk with God feels hurried, distracted, or shallow, don’t plant yet. The Lord is far more pleased with a faithful son than a busy servant.
The most effective church plants are not started by visionary strategists, but by people who are madly in love with Jesus and completely dependent on His presence.
Next, look at your home. Paul’s list of elder qualifications in 1 Timothy 3 centers more on family life than ministry skills. He writes, “If anyone does not know how to manage his own family, how can he take care of God’s church?” (v.5).
Your home is your first church. It’s where your leadership is tested most honestly. If you neglect your spouse and children while trying to build a “church family,” you’ve misunderstood the very heart of the gospel.
Ask hard questions:
A church led by someone with a fractured home will eventually fracture too. Your family doesn’t need you to be a church planter. They need you to be a faithful husband, father, and disciple.
If your home is healthy, that will be your credibility. People will follow leaders who lead their families well because it gives them hope that the gospel actually works.
Before planting, ask your wife and kids if they think it is a good idea. Ask your wife specifically if you are doing a good job leading your home spiritually. Ask strong believers around you who have observed your life to assess how you are doing leading your home. If you realize that you aren’t leading your family well, then focus on that area first before considering planting a church.
It’s not enough to have a good relationship with God and your family; you must have a healthy relationship with the body of Christ. God deeply desires unity, and a rebellious heart not filled with the fruits of the Spirit is not what the Lord is looking to use to build His church. If you’re frustrated with previous church leaders or the “institutional church” as a whole, that unresolved bitterness is a big red flag saying “stop”.
The early church sent people. They didn’t just leave and start something new. Paul and Barnabas were commissioned by leaders who prayed and fasted with them. That sending brought authority, unity, and protection.
So before you plant:
If you’re planting as a way to escape something — a leadership conflict, a sense of restriction, or disillusionment — pause. Healing and reconciliation are part of the preparation process. You can’t carry bitterness into a new work and expect purity to come out of it.
Healthy sending produces healthy planting. A divided or wounded spirit will always reproduce after its own kind.
Planting a church will test every part of you — your theology, your emotions, your humility, and your perseverance. It’s not primarily about teaching well or gathering people; it’s about shepherding souls through joy and pain.
Leadership readiness isn’t proven by personality or charisma; it’s proven by endurance in difficulty. It’s on display when the Enemy is attacking in various ways and you are able to continue to trust in the Lord for deliverance. It’s on display when conflict breaks out in the church and you are able to navigate it with wisdom, strength, grace, and peace.
It’s easy to say you are ready when you haven’t gone through it while leading a church. So the question isn’t “Can you lead?” — it’s “Have you led faithfully when it was hard?”
Ask:
Many want to lead when things are growing and visible. Few want to lead through tears, betrayal, or spiritual drought. But that’s the crucible where real shepherds are formed. If you can’t handle being misunderstood or opposed, you’re not ready yet. Shepherds must lead people through the wilderness before they ever lead them into fruitfulness.
Leadership in the church is not about results; it’s about responsibility before God. You are accountable for souls. That’s not a romantic idea. It’s a terrifying privilege.
Beyond personal maturity, family health, and leadership ability, a church planter must wrestle honestly with the question of calling. Leadership without calling is ambition in disguise.
God does not call people to plant churches simply because they are capable or eager; He calls them because He has burdened their hearts with a vision and entrusted them with responsibility.
Calling is confirmed both internally and externally. Internally, there should be a persistent, unmistakable sense that God has placed this task on your heart — not a fleeting interest or passing desire.
Externally, there should be evidence that others are willing to follow your leadership. A leader without any followers is merely going on a walk alone. People naturally follow those whom God has prepared to lead and whom He has anointed for a specific task.
Ask:
A God-given calling is both a burden and a compass. It drives your perseverance when circumstances are hard, anchors your priorities, and ensures that your leadership is not self-directed but Spirit-led. Without it, church planting becomes a project; with it, it becomes a ministry and a mission.
Finally, you need to ask: Am I ready to suffer for this?
When you plant a church, you become a direct target of spiritual opposition. That doesn’t mean you live in fear, but it does mean you live alert. Satan loves to isolate, discourage, and divide church planters, often starting with temptation or distraction.
Paul’s words in 2 Corinthians 11 are sobering. After listing his persecutions, he says, “Besides everything else, I face daily the pressure of my concern for all the churches.” That’s the cost. To take responsibility for a church is to embrace spiritual pressure, emotional exhaustion, and heartbreak — and to do it all in love.
Ask yourself:
Church planting will reveal what’s already inside you, both the best and the worst. But God uses that exposure to refine and strengthen you. It’s not about being perfect; it’s about being anchored in grace and surrounded by truth.
You’re not just starting a ministry, you’re stepping into a battle. But the good news is this: the One who calls you is faithful, and He will do it.
If, after honest reflection, you see cracks in your foundation, don’t be discouraged. That’s not failure. That’s mercy. God builds slowly because He cares more about who you’re becoming than what you’re producing.
Don’t plant because it’s trendy. Don’t plant because you’re discontent. Don’t plant because you want to prove you can. Plant only when your love for Jesus burns so deeply that obedience feels like the only logical response.
A simple church, done God’s way, doesn’t need marketing or momentum. It needs men and women who walk with God, lead their families well, live at peace with His people, and are willing to suffer for His name.
If that’s you, and the Spirit and the church affirm it, then go. If not, stay where you are and be faithful. Jesus builds His church. He just asks us to abide in Him while He does it.
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