Church Planting Exit Report
In the summer of 2021, following the conclusion of Missiongathering Christian Church of Thornton, CO, I was asked by the Central Rocky Mountain Region of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) to write an exit report detailing my takeaways and reflections as a new-church starter.
To my knowledge, this report has not been widely shared. As I seek to reclaim my story and experiences from those years, I am now releasing the report through this channel. I invested considerable time and effort into crafting the report, aiming to present it in a professional and thoughtful manner. This summer will mark four years since the conclusion of that project. I find myself in a healthier emotional space, ready to process those memories and reclaim the narrative of that chapter of my life.
The full report is shared below, with images and detailed reflections, offering a resource for others navigating similar ministry contexts.
Loren - I spent 8 years as a church planter, from 2014 - 2022. I now lead our church planting strategy in the Louisiana Conference of the UMC. Thanks for sharing this document. You really hit so many nails on the head.
Would love to find the time to talk about your experience and story one day.
“There were no systems… But instead ran on a single personality.” As another person with experience with that “single personality,” after finding you here on Substack and reading a few of your articles (which I read before stumbling upon your mention of MG Denver… I was like, woah, wait a minute?!), I just wanna say that for whatever pain/stress that “single personality” caused you, I’m sorry man. It sucks. You’re not alone.