Planting – John Markum

My Second Church Plant

Posted on December 18, 2014 by johnmarkum

I didn’t understand this when I set out to plant LifeCity Church – I couldn’t have understood. But I would quickly experience a tension that I believe every church planter encounters. This tension if not understood will lead to frustration, disappointment, and ultimately defeat. The reality is this:

Every church planter actually starts two churches. Allow me to explain… Continue reading “My Second Church Plant”

My life these last few months…

Posted on November 30, 2013 by johnmarkum

So if you’re a faithful follower of my blog, you’ve probably been frustrated by the lack of new posts since about August. Hopefully, if you are a faithful follower of my blog, you’ve correctly assumed that I’m busy with the beginnings of LifeCity Church, the church plant we moved out to California to launch. Whether or not you’ve given me the benefit of the doubt, or if you’ve even noticed, I’ve come to the point where I’ve decided that it has been long enough, and this was something I should return to doing. So time to get back on the blog-wagon and update everyone! In a reasonably short post, here’s what’s gone down in our life and ministry in the last few months:

Our daughters started school at the local elementary school on our street. They’re doing great! Tiff and I have been able to connect with several parents in the school also, many of whom have begun getting connected to LifeCity.
Our church is excited about the future God has for us and our community! We’ve begun meeting weekly for an in-house Bible study (aka “house church”) to build our core group, identify potential leaders, and develop people who are becoming this new church. We’ve got several people coming, and our children’s ministry (KidsTown) gets rave reviews from the families who have come!
Tiffany has restarted her Pampered Chef business, something she use to really enjoy, and which also gives her more ability to connect with people in our city. It also gets me more kitchen toys to play with…
Our entire Launch Team who relocated here have all found jobs and housing and have done a great job, not only by serving in needed areas, but in bonding with one another and reaching out to strangers to build new friendships and connections.

Much, much more to share about all that God is doing in our family and ministry right now. But you’ll have to follow the blog to keep up with us!

Blessings,
Pastor John

The Cost to Planting a Church

Posted on February 13, 2013 by johnmarkum

I dislike using “need” to motivate people to give their money to something. I find that if it works at all, people usually only give out of guilt, and not usually more than once. I find that “vision” is not only a more compelling reason to motivate people to give, but it helps people understand the impact that their giving is making. But as I prepare to launch LifeCity Church, I realize that most people are simply unaware of the cost of planting a church.

The fact of the matter is, this is the hardest and most difficult thing I have ever done. If it were not for the confidence I have that God is calling us to do this, I would never attempt such an otherwise intimidating challenge. Continue reading “The Cost to Planting a Church”