Community Building

At Launchpad we believe the first year of church planting and the community that grows out of it can responsibly serve as a witness to the love of God when it is rooted in place, culture, and community. Relationship building is an essential first step in launching a new church community.

One-on-one conversations are a way for church leaders to begin to ask questions about what it means for the people of God to live wholeheartedly in relationship with ourselves, our God, our neighbors, and creation. 

Meeting with your community one-on-one is about listening for the ways in which the Spirit of God is already at work in your city and neighborhoods. They are also about listening for the ways in which your church is called to do the work of creating a more just, generous, and loving vision of the world as God intended it to be. Allow these conversations to inspire your mind and stir your spirit. Allow them to inform what kind of leader and church you are called to be.

The Spirit of God is at work and it’s your job to find where the movement is happening and step into it. Rather than assuming God isn’t in the place and culture of your city, start asking questions. Start with non-profit organizations that share your values. Talk to local educators. Attend government meetings. Introduce yourself to baristas and bartenders, parents and librarians. Get to know the people that make your city what it’s known for and get to know those who live on the streets unnoticed. Listen for where people are in need and listen for where their gifts are at work. 

How To Do One-on-One Conversations:

  • Meet people by walking the streets around where you plan to launch your church. Introduce yourself and ask casual questions. Look for local non-profits and talk to restaurant servers. Ask to take them for coffee or ask for a meeting and send them a coffee card as a thank you for their time. Get creative. Talk to anyone and everyone who will give you their time. They are all worthy of your connection and care.
  • Have a clear introduction and ending: the middle is improvised based on the particular person with whom you are talking
  • Talk more deeply about a few things instead of trying to cover many topics
  • Ask “why?” much more often than “what?”
  • Ask the person to tell stories and personal history, talk about important incidents, time periods, or mentors—not just recite facts and dates. Make references to other stories you’ve heard. Connect with them through the knowledge you’re gaining from others.
  • Offer back conversation and dialogue: it’s not just for the purpose of the other person answering your questions. Share your own story too. You are working on building trust with this person, so be vulnerable too.
  • Remember this is not about evangelizing. It’s about listening, learning, building relationships, and educating yourself about how God is already at work in this place.
  • Close by asking the person who else they think you should be meeting with, and what questions they have for you.
  • Suggest possible ways to begin a partnership if appropriate and then follow through with an email the day after. Thank them for their time and ask if you can stay in touch. 

“When we do community building, when we listen deeply, do pastoral counseling and build trusting relationships, we uncover some deep self interest or some place of pain that has either prevented that person from acting powerfully in the world, or made them passionate or maybe both, but when we find that place we have the opportunity to uncover and connect them to a dream. What is that shared dream?” – Tom Galke, Pastor & Community Organizer, Chicago 

Questions to Ask or Consider as You Listen:

  • What do you love about this place?
  • What do you dream about?
  • How do you wish things could be different?
  • Why do you do the work you do?
  • Where/how do you feel called to serve your community?
  • What are the gifts of the people here?
  • Who are the people/cultures that built the places here?
  • What is this place known for and is it still accurate?
  • What do you know about the history of your neighborhood or city?
  • What are the ways in which you see the good in people here?
  • Did you grow up in the church?
  • Are there local churches you know about or admire nearby?
  • What do you wish the church would do for your people? Who are your people?
  • How have the leaders/politicians here let you down or supported you?
  • Who are the most influential people in your neighborhood?
  • Who’s had the biggest local influence/impact on your life?
  • Who’s falling between the cracks of the “systems”?
  • Who’s lonely? Who’s hungry?
  • Who’s moving in and out?
  • Are there people making loving relationships? How might we learn about them?
  • Are there people working for justice, entering into reciprocal, relational civic and economic life?

A Few Recommended Resources on Community Building/Organizing rooted in Place, Culture, and Relationship:

Picture of Jennifer Fisher

Jennifer Fisher

Co-Founder, Launchpad Partners