People ask me what I wish I’d known when I started pastoring. Here are 35 different things. At our church we call them plumblines. Our plumblines serve as guides for decision-making.

1. The gospel is not just the diving board, it’s the pool. Christians grow not by going beyond the gospel, but deeper into the gospel.
2. People are the mission.
3. Jesus commanded us to make disciples, not converts.
4. Discipleship happens in community.
5. God’s strategy for completing the Great Commission is planting churches in strategic cities.
6. The church is God’s demonstration community.
7. The church is God’s plan A.
8. Belief unlocks the power for the mission of God.
9. The church is not an audience; it is an army.
10. The week is more important than the weekend.
11. The best ministry ideas are in the congregation.
12. The Great Commission is completed through multiplication, not addition.
13. Churches should be evaluated by sending capacity, not just seating capacity.
14. Stay where you are; serve where you live; let’s be the church in that community (a value we promote in our multi-site strategy).
15. We multiply congregations, not preaching points (another value for multi-site).
16. Each small group should function like a small congregation.
17. People come because of quality and options; they stay because of personalization.
18. Those who serve are just as important as those you serve.
19. Live sufficiently, give extravagantly.
20. Generosity is contagious, and so is stinginess.
21. The sermon starts in the parking lot.

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