Primed to Plant: Book Launch
“Develop your leaders . . . or die.”
God doesn’t want you to plant a church that “needs” its pastor all the time, a church where every answer to every question comes through the church planter. Instead, church planters must develop a community of leaders. But how? How do you develop leaders while preparing sermons, fundraising, and finding a new place to meet because you just learned your current meeting location got rented to someone else?
In Primed to Plant, seasoned church planter Dwight Bernier explores this topic and many other lessons he’s learned the hard way. Whether you’re just starting to consider the idea of church planting or whether you’re already far enough along to know you need coaching, this book is for you.
Endorsements
“When I started the process of planting a church, I felt overwhelmed. I needed a guide to help me clear through all the details and focus on what matters most. That’s exactly what Dwight Bernier does in this book. If you focus on the priorities outlined in this book, you will be focusing on what matters most as you start a church. This is the book I wish I had when I started as a church planter. Planter: keep this book close to you in the early years of your church!”
Darryl Dash, pastor of Liberty Grace Church, Toronto; author of 8 Habits for Growth
“If you are considering church planting as a ministry path, Primed to Plant is like taking an experienced pastor/planter out for coffee and gleaning from his years of experience. It’s an easy read and worth your time.”
Tom Haines, church planting director of Fellowship of Evangelical Churches
“Dwight does more than just inspire me. He makes me think. Primed to Plant is a book that does both. Here you will discover an easy-to-read yet wisdom-rich resource that will inspire you with a greater vision of God and his work in this world. It will also provoke you with questions important for every potential church planter or core group member to consider if they are going to plant a healthy church. Pastorally warm, practically helpful, and biblically grounded, this book belongs on the shelf of every church planter.”
Adam Ramsey, lead pastor at Liberti Church, Gold Coast, Australia; Network Director for Acts 29 Asia Pacific; author, Truth on Fire: Gazing at God until Your Heart Sings
“It would be a great service to church planting movements to get this book into the hands of every aspiring church planter. It covers important topics often missed in church planting literature, such as unexpected planter requirements and tips on leadership development. The real gold is in Dwight’s insightful and direct questions, questions I wish every church planter would reflect on. I can also testify all of this is field-tested; Dwight lives everything he writes about in this book. I heartily commend it to you!”
Jonathan Dodson, founding pastor of City Life Church, author of Gospel-Centered Discipleship, Our Good Crisis and The Unwavering Pastor, founder of Gospel-Centered Discipleship ministry
“Church Planting is highly effective for fulfilling the Great Commission but is also full of challenges and difficulties. I am confident that this excellent work from Dwight Bernier will help church planters navigate the obstacles of church planting. Dwight loves christ, the gospel, and the Church. He speaks from passion, skill, and church planting experience. I have watched what God has done in his work and ministry and recommend this for every church planter.”
Brian Howard, President of Acts 29 Church Planting Network
“This is not like any church planting book that you’ve ever read. This is different. This is personal. Deeper. Simpler. And for many, this will be transformational. If you’re sensing a gospel call to start a new community of faith, but feel wholly inadequate, Primed to Plant was written for you. Drawing from the biblical meta-narrative of ‘weakness,’ Dwight invites the reader to embody the sufficiency of Christ in the weakness of their own story and, from that, experience the true power of the kingdom of God. Read this book slowly. And then allow its Christ-honoring message to embolden your faith.”
Jeff Christopherson, author, Once You See: Seven Temptations of the Western Church – a Novel, Executive Director, Church Planting Canada, and Canadian National Baptist Convention
Contents
Foreword by Mark Clark i
Acknowledgements v
Introduction 1
1. Overlooked Planting Requirements 3
2. The Gospel 29
3. Develop Your Leaders or You Will Die 49
4. Firm Foundation of Doctrine 73
5. Having a Glocal Mission 97
6. What Do I Do Next? 117
About the Author
Dwight and his wife, Jessica, live in Montréal with their four children. Dwight is lead pastor of Church 21, a multi-congregation church in Montréal, that he planted in 2011. Dwight is the Canadian director of Acts 29 and has helped start Movement Seminary as well as Movement Montreal, a church collaboration network. Dwight has a great desire to see churches planted throughout Canada. He enjoys baseball, running, reading, U2, and playing in the city with his family.