Yesterday, I presented on "The Changing Church."

Today, I presented on "Principles of Church Planting." The response of the mission leaders was particularly focused on the need for peer support.

(I am just a small part of the program and many other activities are taking place.)

In our church planting research (click here a list of downloaded research projects), we found that mentoring, supervision, and peer relationships correlated with more effective church planting in the States. It would appear that the same thing is true here.

Many American church planters struggle with cultural adjustment, but the issues are magnified greatly here. Even though Europeans are dressed like Americans and buy our cigarettes, their worldview is distinct.

Last night, I broke from the group and walked the city. (I was looking for some hair product... no mocking please... and to grab some dinner.) I always make a habit of doing this when I am overseas--to listen, pray, and learn. And, I did. In two hours, I was clearly a fish out of water and needed someone to help me have a basic conversation.

When I got back to the hotel, I was watching the news... CNNInternational. When I saw the tornadoes in Tennessee, I called home. They had a tornado warning in place, the radar showed a supercell over our county, and Donna had the kids sheltered in the bathtub till the storm passed and they felt safe again. (Seven people died in our county.) And, I thought--I am far from home when my wife and kids need me.

Yet, these missionaries live both these situations every day--they are in a cross-cultural situation and far from the people they love. When in a culturally dissimilar setting, with little contact from family, this is remarkably taxing work (not mine, I go home on Friday). It is stressful work for these wonderful missionaries--and that became the focus of the conversation today. The big question: how can missionaries develop support systems that enable them to nurture, project, and deploy missionaries?

When I wrote Planting Missional Churches, I shared this about culture fatigue and shock:

Culture shock and fatigue

Every planter needs to prepare for culture shock, a feeling of disorientation (think: fish out of water) while relating to so many unchurched people during the start-up phase of a new church. These people think, talk, behave, and react to life in a way that may seem foreign to the church planter, especially one who is fresh out of seminary or another setting that could be described as the comfortable cocoon of Christianity.

And it can get worse. Culture fatigue is a nagging weariness from culture shock. The constant feeling of working as a "stranger in a strange land" wears down the optimism of the planter, who - at worst - finally feels worn out, maybe even overcome with emotional exhaustion, thinking, I keep telling them the right message, and they just don't get it.

Be prepared for this inevitable challenge. Even if you're planting in your hometown, you'll find it surprisingly stressful to focus on the unchurched people there, even if the surroundings are familiar and so are the people. It's true that you may be from that town, but as a Christian who's making the enormous effort to plant a church there, you're coming at this once-familiar place with new eyes and from a different culture. In a way, you're an alien there. And the longer you deny that to yourself, the more stress you'll experience.

Here are some ways to prevent the burnout that culture shock and fatigue can cause.

First, take the following warning seriously: every planter will experience some form of this cross-cultural struggle.

Second, identify an Ebenezer (1 Sam. 7:12). This marker is a memorial of God's help. It reminds the planter of God's call and God's promise that planting a new church, and planting in this place is the divine call. The planter must be able, in the midst of doubt and weariness, to look back to that "Ebenezer" moment when God's direction had been clear and unmistakable. I think of Jim Dumont, a church planter in Erie, Pennsylvania, who moved there in 1981 to start Erie Christian Fellowship. He had nowhere to live and didn't know anyone - he came solely in obedience to the call of God. He and his family lived in a campground for six weeks. Now, many years later, he says that every time he goes by the campground, "it reminds me of God's faithfulness." For Pastor Jim, this campground is his Ebenezer.

Third, develop a network of other planters and intercessors, a mentor, and a supervisor who can provide support during the high and low tides of weariness and hopelessness. You will need a community to support you on this journey. This leads to the issue of mentors and coaches.

Church Planting Mentors or Coaches

Church planters tend to be self-starters and often think of themselves as self-sufficient. That personality type is often resistant to the advice of others--thinking, if I'd listened to other people I would not be planting the church in the first place. But, planters who miss out on the benefit of coaching miss out on a tremendous help throughout the ministry journey. My analysis of more than six hundred church planters shows there's even a significant numerical value to having a mentor or supervisor.

For example, the accountability to a supervisor correlates to a surprisingly high impact on attendance at the new church. Frequent meetings may indicate a heavy involvement by the sponsoring entity, and the planter would probably have a close and satisfying relationship with the supervisor. Most church planters I know would chafe at the idea of a weekly meeting with a supervisor, but, according to my research, it clearly makes a positive difference. Accountability leads to productivity.

Meeting with a mentor has a similar positive impact on attendance. Planters that met weekly with a mentor, perhaps because they took seriously the process of learning from others, led churches that were almost twice the size of those that had no mentor. I believe a supervisor should focus on work issues, and a mentor should focus on personhood issues - providing encouragement and nurture to the church planter. Choose wisely in forming these relationships in the beginning, and give these individuals permission to ask you the hard questions--whatever they may be.

Steve Ogne is probably the best resource for insights regarding church planting coaching. He recently co-authored a doctoral dissertation (soon to be a book) entitled, Coaching: a New Paradigm for Empowering Missional Leaders for Ministry in a Changing World, with Tim Roehl. In their dissertation, they cited a church planting study from the Foursquare Church. (I served as consultant and advisor on the project.)

That study, done in 2004, showed that two-thirds of church planters had the benefit of a coach as part of their church planting experience... Of those who were coached, 77 percent reported that coaching had "some" to "very significant" impact on their personal effectiveness and productivity, with 54 percent reporting coaching had "significant" or "very significant" influence... Of the 425 churches planted between 2001 and 2003, 90 percent of Four Square churches were successful. Of those that failed, 60 percent of the failed plants did not have planters who received coaching in their efforts.

Relationships make leaders; wise leaders will also create learning relationships. This is not easy for most church planters, who tend to be free spirits and perhaps mavericks. But the best church planters combine innovation with learning and become leaders under accountability.

Finally, the planter must learn and remember, in spite of everything, that the God of eternity is faithful and that He is the God of the fiery furnace. He always accompanies His obedient servants into the midst of life's hottest fires (Dan. 3:19-30). Having a wise voice to remind you of this will be a tremendous help on the journey.