Why Every Pastor Needs a Guide
By Bella Simonetti
Every hero needs a guide.
When we think of beloved classic stories, this is always the case. What would The Hobbit look like without Gandalf? Or who would Luke Skywalker be without Obi-Wan Kenobi?
The same can be said about our everyday lives. We all need a guide, at times, to help us navigate through a new season in our journey of life. Including pastors!
For pastors, or those being called to start something new, like a ministry or a church, that looks like talking to someone who has been down the same road before.
So, what does a guide look like for a pastor, or for someone who is being called to start a new church? How can you find the guidance you need?
Someone like Ben Perez, a church planting specialist at StartCHURCH, is the guide you need.
Church planting experience
Before he came to StartCHURCH, Ben played an integral part of a church plant. After seeing the church plant he helped start to take off and grow, he found that life just wasn’t the same. The experience of seeing someone’s calling transform from a God-given vision to reality was so moving. There was nothing like it.
One day, Ben received a call from a friend who worked at StartCHURCH who told him his experience could be useful for others who are being called to plant a church. The idea of leaving his marketplace job to help other pastors start church plants was intriguing.
“I already knew some of the dos and don’ts for church planters because I had already been there,” explained Ben. “And then I knew a few people who worked at StartCHURCH, and they raved about the company.” It was an easy decision.
Ben has worked at StartCHURCH for over three years and has helped over 1,700 churches and ministries get started, a number that he doesn’t take lightly.
“It’s really about being passionate about what you do,” said Ben. “For me, I’m passionate about helping church planters. I get to talk to people in all different kinds of scenarios all across the country. It’s different every day.”
A guide for the journey
“I love what I do. Period.” Ben affirmed. “I know everyone says that, but it’s true. But, I actually love what I do. I get to talk to pastors and ministry leaders every day. There’s a lot of people that are in the same position I was in about five years ago, in the middle of a church plant, trying to get it off the ground. I enjoy getting to hear where others are at in the process and getting to help them walk through the whole process.”
Don’t let the title throw you off. Church planting specialists don’t only speak to church planters. On the contrary, Ben will tell you that about half of the people he talks to are getting ready to start a new ministry or plant a church. The other half are people who are already leading a ministry and have just found out about StartCHURCH and are realizing they may be missing something detrimental to their ministry.
“My job is to listen, number one, and hear their situation,” explained Ben. “And then I point them in the right direction. I don’t tell them what they should do because I can tell them my experience, and I can tell them what other churches have gone through and what they’ve done. I can give them the knowledge I have on hand, and they get to make the best decision for their church, ministry, or nonprofit. I just get to guide them.”
Church planting specialists at StartCHURCH don’t only share from their experience, they also do a lot of research.
“There’s always new tax laws that come up that you have to familiarize yourself with,” said Ben. “There’s always news articles that pop up about churches that are in some kind of situation, and we get calls about it because pastors want to know. And they know they can call us, and we’ve already researched the current issue to be able to help them in whatever way that looks like. You have to be up to date on recent laws that have passed, even executive orders, regarding churches and other nonprofits, especially when it comes to IRS code.”
We are here to help!
No matter what your ministry is facing, whether you’re looking to take your first steps toward what God is calling you to lead, or if you’re finding that the church you’ve been pastoring for years needs updated bylaws, call us at 877-494-4655 . Ben or one of his fellow church planting specialists will gladly listen to you to give you your best options moving forward.