What do you think?
Rate this book
The Honest Guide to Church Planting: What No One Ever Tells You about Planting and Leading a New Church
Church planting has become a cottage industry. National conferences, hip planting organizations, and all-in-one resource kits celebrate the thrill of pioneering a church and inspire visions of glorious victories. Yet few who respond to the call are warned what they'll actually the relentless opposition they'll endure; the eventual scattering of their entire core group; the failure of their tried-and-true, field-tested system. Here's the dirty little secret of church the roadside is strewn with casualties. Many have closed their churches. Some left ministry permanently. Others abandoned the faith altogether. Church planting is at once the greatest and most grueling ministry work on earth. This book is for those toiling in the trenches, those about to bail out, and those considering jumping in. It's for the church planters laboring and struggling, seeing little movement, and wondering what they're doing wrong or why God is failing them. It's also for mother churches, planting organizations, and denominations, as a challenge to rethink and re-calibrate the way they approach and measure planting endeavors. The Honest Guide to Church Planting is a fresh and candid conversation about the challenges and joys of planting new churches. Tom Bennardo speaks the truth so that those involved in church planting can embrace a more accurate and realistic picture of what planting a church is really like; one that not only enables them to survive, but to thrive in this wondrous work.
208 pages, Paperback
Published August 13, 2019
28 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 18, 2021
This book rocked me. I didn’t know what to expect; I wasn’t familiar with the author and we aren’t really in the same theological tribe. Bottom line: it is superbly written, vividly illustrated, and thoroughly bracing. Speaking from decades of experience, Bennardo is a straight-shooter who challenges several conventional assumptions in church-planting literature. The result is both refreshing and inspiring. This may prove to be one of the most important Christian books I’ve ever read.
August 28, 2024
Reread summer of 2024 w/ RoG elders.
Review:
This is the most realistic and refreshing resource on church planting that I’ve read!
In my experience, there is a huge difference between the expectations set by most church planting resources and the actual experience of church planters. Conferences, podcasts, and books on planting talk about big vision, multiplication movements, and entrepreneurial excellence. However, big ego often lurks behind big vision. Instead of multiplication, most new churches struggle to stay alive, and many close in the first 5 years. Entrepreneurialism can be an asset, but is often emphasized over biblical character qualifications (see. 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 and 1 Peter 5.) to the detriment of the pastor, the church, and the public witness to Christ’s glory in the community.
When aspiring planters drink in the prevailing, Western “wisdom” on church planting and find their experience to fall way short of their expectations, they often become cynical and burnout. Some even leave the faith or lose their families. The “Honest Guide to Church Planting” examines those false expectations, dismantles them, and replaces them with realistic, yet, hopeful expectations that are focused on God’s work more than ours. This book makes me want to plant even more and in a far more humble and happy way. Bennardo writes with clarity and helpful examples and illustrations. You don’t have to agree with all his conclusions to benefit deeply from his book. If you are planting, know a planter, or are on a team starting a new church, this book will serve you.
Takeaways:
(there are so many more takeaways. I listened to the audiobook but plan to get a hard copy to mark up)
•”God’s Slow is slower than your slow.” Some examples of God’s deliberate slowness: 400 years in Egypt, 40 years in the wilderness, 70 years in exile, Joseph’s two years in prison for a false accusation, Moses’ 40 years as a shepherd, the coming of the messiah after centuries of expectation.
•Planters need to stop using “Narcicistic exegesis”. We are not Moses.
• “For every Moses in God’s plan, there were 100,000 guys named Ralph or George who served God faithfully, sacrificed to obey his ways, led their families well, labored and worshipped and lived and died without seeing a movement start…”
•Many planters try to prove their worth through hard work. This is a huge battle for me. Ch. 9 is a lifeline for those who struggle to rest in the Father’s love.
Review:
This is the most realistic and refreshing resource on church planting that I’ve read!
In my experience, there is a huge difference between the expectations set by most church planting resources and the actual experience of church planters. Conferences, podcasts, and books on planting talk about big vision, multiplication movements, and entrepreneurial excellence. However, big ego often lurks behind big vision. Instead of multiplication, most new churches struggle to stay alive, and many close in the first 5 years. Entrepreneurialism can be an asset, but is often emphasized over biblical character qualifications (see. 1 Timothy 3, Titus 1 and 1 Peter 5.) to the detriment of the pastor, the church, and the public witness to Christ’s glory in the community.
When aspiring planters drink in the prevailing, Western “wisdom” on church planting and find their experience to fall way short of their expectations, they often become cynical and burnout. Some even leave the faith or lose their families. The “Honest Guide to Church Planting” examines those false expectations, dismantles them, and replaces them with realistic, yet, hopeful expectations that are focused on God’s work more than ours. This book makes me want to plant even more and in a far more humble and happy way. Bennardo writes with clarity and helpful examples and illustrations. You don’t have to agree with all his conclusions to benefit deeply from his book. If you are planting, know a planter, or are on a team starting a new church, this book will serve you.
Takeaways:
(there are so many more takeaways. I listened to the audiobook but plan to get a hard copy to mark up)
•”God’s Slow is slower than your slow.” Some examples of God’s deliberate slowness: 400 years in Egypt, 40 years in the wilderness, 70 years in exile, Joseph’s two years in prison for a false accusation, Moses’ 40 years as a shepherd, the coming of the messiah after centuries of expectation.
•Planters need to stop using “Narcicistic exegesis”. We are not Moses.
• “For every Moses in God’s plan, there were 100,000 guys named Ralph or George who served God faithfully, sacrificed to obey his ways, led their families well, labored and worshipped and lived and died without seeing a movement start…”
•Many planters try to prove their worth through hard work. This is a huge battle for me. Ch. 9 is a lifeline for those who struggle to rest in the Father’s love.
August 10, 2023
Reading this book felt like talking to an older, wiser future self. Not a theological book, nor does it try to be. Just a great reality check on what ministry on the ground looks like.
Would strongly recommend the read for anyone in local church ministry!
Would strongly recommend the read for anyone in local church ministry!
January 29, 2021
The best book on church planting I've ever read. Fantastic book. I highly recommend this to anyone serving in ministry.
July 8, 2022
I was the church planting intern at an atypical church plant in suburban Delaware. I’ve lived through the hype of the church planting movement, and the cynicism of the rise and fall of mars hill era, that exposed its underbelly. I’ve even considered planting a church myself, which the author is right, makes me evangelistic and arrogant. I’m very thankful to have read this book, and for this pastor’s honest reflections on the good and bad of church planting in the States.
Bennardo’s assessment of church planters, and their conferences, and their delusions of Grandor, are spot on and convicting. His insights into a better way forward, and hopeful passion for the gospel, make this a helpful read for those that aspire to evangelistic, missional church ministry. He is a very engaging writer, jampacked with illustrations and easy to understand concepts.
Probably the only section I didn’t like was the one on how existing churches will view a church planter. He seems to assume that a church plant is right for every community and gives no credence to the view that some communities are over saturated with churches and need revitalization work instead of another sheep shuffling start up.
Bennardo’s assessment of church planters, and their conferences, and their delusions of Grandor, are spot on and convicting. His insights into a better way forward, and hopeful passion for the gospel, make this a helpful read for those that aspire to evangelistic, missional church ministry. He is a very engaging writer, jampacked with illustrations and easy to understand concepts.
Probably the only section I didn’t like was the one on how existing churches will view a church planter. He seems to assume that a church plant is right for every community and gives no credence to the view that some communities are over saturated with churches and need revitalization work instead of another sheep shuffling start up.
June 18, 2021
I thought this was a great articulation of warnings that church pastors (especially planters) should heed. Though the book is framed for church planters, i can see similar risks for most in ministry leadership. I appreciate the way the book pulls from real life experiences. I do wish Tom did a better job pulling from scripture to both support some of his points and to paint a picture for the type of life church planters and leaders should lead. It’s possible the book could be read as “I struggled with us, and some of my friends struggled with this, therefore you will also struggle with this.” And without more robust scripture engagement, the good points this book does make, falls a little short of creating a redemptive picture. But overall, the book was challenging, convicting, and helpful. Definitely worth the read for all church planters and leaders.
April 24, 2022
Though the author often uses the wrong Bible, movie references for illustrations, quotations that include language that I would not use, and quotations from men I would not read, and at least once twisted Scripture, I found this book very refreshing. It addresses many areas of wrong thinking concerning church planting and could save a church-planter from disillusionment. Having been involved in church planting and still very interested in this important work, I found this book very refreshing and honest about the unique pitfalls and trials most if not all church-planters will face. Though my first sentence is an honest critique, the lessons of this book are spot-on and I would recommend it.
October 10, 2025
An honest and bracing look at church planting. I’d highly recommend this book to anyone considering the potential of leading a church plant.
June 26, 2024
Immensely helpful, undid a lot of the garbage from Bobby Jamieson's "The Path to Being a Pastor."
April 27, 2022
I am in the process of planting a church and we're in the very, very early stages. I'm really glad I found this book!
I am much more aware of some of the pitfalls of pride and the reality that this ministry is an extremely difficult one. This book has helped humble me and to proceed in this work with fear and trembling.
Lord have mercy.
I am much more aware of some of the pitfalls of pride and the reality that this ministry is an extremely difficult one. This book has helped humble me and to proceed in this work with fear and trembling.
Lord have mercy.
January 20, 2020
This book was recommended to me by one of our Send Network trainers in Boston, Jason Hodges.
It’s honest without being discouraging. It’s raw without being melodramatic. It’s good. Really good.
The author, Tom Bennardo, made a valiant effort to plant a church in California. It didn’t go well. His effort to plant in Columbus, Ohio did. He learned from his pain in planting and writes in an engaging, no-nonsense way to warn potential planters about the pitfalls. I found myself nodding an “Amen” in virtually every chapter.
(Personally, I think Chapter 8 on The Truth about Church Multiplication Movements is a little overstated. But I get his point. We ought not to make planters feel “less than” if the church they planted isn’t reproducing as fast as they would like.)
From the review at Amazon: “Here's the dirty little secret of church planting: the roadside is strewn with casualties. Many have closed their churches. Some left ministry permanently. Others abandoned the faith altogether. Church planting is at once the greatest and most grueling ministry work on earth. This book is for those toiling in the trenches, those about to bail out, and those considering jumping in. It's for the church planters laboring and struggling, seeing little movement, and wondering what they're doing wrong or why God is failing them. It's also for mother churches, planting organizations, and denominations, as a challenge to rethink and re-calibrate the way they approach and measure planting endeavors.”
Below are the chapter titles. Read them and you’ll see that this book would be a great one for trainers and planters to process.
Chapter 1: The Truth about You, or The Destined for Greatness Thing.
Chapter 2: The Truth about “Proven Methods, or You can organize a church to death, but You can’t organize one to life.
Chapter 3: The Truth about Getting Butts in Seats,” or What you do the bring them, you’ll have to do to keep them.
Chapter 4: The Truth about Core Groups and Launch Teams, or No one’s ever as committed as you.
Chapter 5: The Truth about the Back Door, or Don’t Chase Christians.
Chapter 6: The Truth about Lottery Winners, or Fast growth may be suspect growth.
Chapter 7: The Truth about Pace, or It’s no fun watching dough rise.
Chapter 8: The truth about “Church Multiplication Movements,” or You don’t get to be Moses.
Chapter 9: The Truth about How You are Viewed, or Everyone’s Kingdom-minded until you show up.
Chapter 10: The Truth about Excellence, or If you try to do everything well, you’ll do nothing well.
Chapter 11: The Truth about Leadership, or Colonel Jessup was right.
Chapter 12: The Truth about God’s Ultimate Plan for Your Church, or Only God knows, and He’s not telling.
It’s honest without being discouraging. It’s raw without being melodramatic. It’s good. Really good.
The author, Tom Bennardo, made a valiant effort to plant a church in California. It didn’t go well. His effort to plant in Columbus, Ohio did. He learned from his pain in planting and writes in an engaging, no-nonsense way to warn potential planters about the pitfalls. I found myself nodding an “Amen” in virtually every chapter.
(Personally, I think Chapter 8 on The Truth about Church Multiplication Movements is a little overstated. But I get his point. We ought not to make planters feel “less than” if the church they planted isn’t reproducing as fast as they would like.)
From the review at Amazon: “Here's the dirty little secret of church planting: the roadside is strewn with casualties. Many have closed their churches. Some left ministry permanently. Others abandoned the faith altogether. Church planting is at once the greatest and most grueling ministry work on earth. This book is for those toiling in the trenches, those about to bail out, and those considering jumping in. It's for the church planters laboring and struggling, seeing little movement, and wondering what they're doing wrong or why God is failing them. It's also for mother churches, planting organizations, and denominations, as a challenge to rethink and re-calibrate the way they approach and measure planting endeavors.”
Below are the chapter titles. Read them and you’ll see that this book would be a great one for trainers and planters to process.
Chapter 1: The Truth about You, or The Destined for Greatness Thing.
Chapter 2: The Truth about “Proven Methods, or You can organize a church to death, but You can’t organize one to life.
Chapter 3: The Truth about Getting Butts in Seats,” or What you do the bring them, you’ll have to do to keep them.
Chapter 4: The Truth about Core Groups and Launch Teams, or No one’s ever as committed as you.
Chapter 5: The Truth about the Back Door, or Don’t Chase Christians.
Chapter 6: The Truth about Lottery Winners, or Fast growth may be suspect growth.
Chapter 7: The Truth about Pace, or It’s no fun watching dough rise.
Chapter 8: The truth about “Church Multiplication Movements,” or You don’t get to be Moses.
Chapter 9: The Truth about How You are Viewed, or Everyone’s Kingdom-minded until you show up.
Chapter 10: The Truth about Excellence, or If you try to do everything well, you’ll do nothing well.
Chapter 11: The Truth about Leadership, or Colonel Jessup was right.
Chapter 12: The Truth about God’s Ultimate Plan for Your Church, or Only God knows, and He’s not telling.
July 7, 2021
A very interesting read. You could say I would approach church planting in a much different way than Tom Bennardo and even think differently on what a core team means and what a back door of the church means. Bennardo seems to have been hurt many times over and over again in his pastoral ministry so much so that he views planting and pastoring through a narrow lens of hardship, people hurting and attaching one another, and draining. He even goes as far as to say pastoring is one of the hardest jobs there is, though I have only been a pastor for a few months I think he paints too bleak a picture of planting and pastoring.
Church planting is no easy feat. One must leave all they know and sacrifice a lot to go to a place that needs a church. It is a lonely job where you are hurt personally and daily striving to point people to Christ. I get it but what so many books and pastors fail to realize is they have a God who is doing the work for them. THey have a God who has given them the ability to work out his will on a daily basis. Meaning though church plants "fail" and pastors get burnt out those that have set to honor God in their actions have not failed but have actually succeeded. The idea of a plant "failing" is wrong.
A church plant that fails is one where the pastor began the work with a horrible motive and then saught to accomplish his mission disguised as a church.
Read this book and be reminded of the pitfalls of life and of church planting but remember God is for his Church.
Church planting is no easy feat. One must leave all they know and sacrifice a lot to go to a place that needs a church. It is a lonely job where you are hurt personally and daily striving to point people to Christ. I get it but what so many books and pastors fail to realize is they have a God who is doing the work for them. THey have a God who has given them the ability to work out his will on a daily basis. Meaning though church plants "fail" and pastors get burnt out those that have set to honor God in their actions have not failed but have actually succeeded. The idea of a plant "failing" is wrong.
A church plant that fails is one where the pastor began the work with a horrible motive and then saught to accomplish his mission disguised as a church.
Read this book and be reminded of the pitfalls of life and of church planting but remember God is for his Church.
December 18, 2024
Finally an honest guide to church planting!
Most church planting books are large on inspiration, vision, and kingdom impact. There are few that give you an honest look behind the curtain. Bennardo manages to address the struggles every church planter faces somehow without being discouraging. He offers time tested wisdom that isn’t trite or shallow.
For the church planter struggling with dissonance between the dream the and gritty reality of church planting this is your book.
For the aspiring church planter this will help adjust your expectations and avoid the onset of disillusionment.
Being in the trenches as a church planter for over a decade I wish I had this book when I started, and have hoped someone would have the courage to write an honest book about it. I’ll be handing it out to all the future church planters who are either brave or foolish enough to set out on this journey.
Most church planting books are large on inspiration, vision, and kingdom impact. There are few that give you an honest look behind the curtain. Bennardo manages to address the struggles every church planter faces somehow without being discouraging. He offers time tested wisdom that isn’t trite or shallow.
For the church planter struggling with dissonance between the dream the and gritty reality of church planting this is your book.
For the aspiring church planter this will help adjust your expectations and avoid the onset of disillusionment.
Being in the trenches as a church planter for over a decade I wish I had this book when I started, and have hoped someone would have the courage to write an honest book about it. I’ll be handing it out to all the future church planters who are either brave or foolish enough to set out on this journey.
January 23, 2020
This book has really great insights that are crucial to the work of church planting (and pastoring in general).
My reason for giving it three stars: it is written to men, and while I get that that is this author's contextual bias, I struggled with parts of it that were written for one kind of man who is a church planter. I understand that you can't write to everyone, but it would have been helpful to acknowledge the variety of church planter personalities, etc.
Even with that, there is still much to be gained here and I commend it to church planters, or those wondering about church planting.
My reason for giving it three stars: it is written to men, and while I get that that is this author's contextual bias, I struggled with parts of it that were written for one kind of man who is a church planter. I understand that you can't write to everyone, but it would have been helpful to acknowledge the variety of church planter personalities, etc.
Even with that, there is still much to be gained here and I commend it to church planters, or those wondering about church planting.
October 24, 2019
Planted a church? Then I'm going to suggest you read this book. How can so much of my experience turn out to be so normative? What an encouragement to find that what I have considered failure is just as likely to be normal. This book absolutely has helped me come to terms with all that has been my church planting experience. This is one of the very few books that will turn out to be on my re-read list
February 6, 2020
This is a brilliant book. It's honest, easy to read and does exactly what it says. Reading this book has been so encouraging, it's helped me realise I'm not alone and that all the stuff I struggle with is completely normal. It's also helped me get a bigger Kingdom perspective on my ministry and the advice has been so helpful. If you're planting a church, thinking about planting a church or planted a church a few years ago you should read this book.
August 3, 2020
Good, real-talk that introduces some of the honest expectations of things many church planters will experience. Chapters are a little one-sided, and may miss some of "the other side" of his points (e.g. good things!) that some planters do experience. But in general, helpful, freeing, & even gets to the heart-level, which many books that speak to planting & planters don't. Glad for this contribution to the church planting conversation, & I'd recommend it.
November 29, 2020
Excellent, honest, exactly what I needed to hear
A book about church planting that speaks to every part of life, really. Thanks for being honest and raw. I found that you had written about me in your book on several occasions. Thanks for being a part of the ongoing healing of my church planting experience more than a decade ago. I recommend this book emphatically.
A book about church planting that speaks to every part of life, really. Thanks for being honest and raw. I found that you had written about me in your book on several occasions. Thanks for being a part of the ongoing healing of my church planting experience more than a decade ago. I recommend this book emphatically.
December 5, 2020
No sugar coating here
Reality hits you in the face when you read through the book about the cost of ministry in ones life.
I really appreciate the efforts made by Bennardo to be honest and compassionate at the same time in this book.
This is a book to keep as reference for the the journey of church planting.
Reality hits you in the face when you read through the book about the cost of ministry in ones life.
I really appreciate the efforts made by Bennardo to be honest and compassionate at the same time in this book.
This is a book to keep as reference for the the journey of church planting.
May 20, 2023
A fantastic encouragement for church planters, church revitalizes, and anyone else who is looking to take off the rose coloured glasses and live in the reality of ministry in all of its joy and pain. I want to go over it again because some passages struck me like a ton of bricks and I want to spend some more time reflecting.
March 17, 2021
This book should be read by every God loving, soul winning & yes arrogant church planter (read the intro and you’ll get the arrogant part. So real and so helpful even though his model and philosophy is a bit different.
September 2, 2023
Loved this book. It is not only applicable to church planting, but any kind of full time ministry. I highly recommend if you are in full time ministry, have started a non-profit, and definitely if you have/are church planting!
February 8, 2020
Ridiculously refreshing. Not totally balanced, but very balancing.
December 1, 2020
A must-read for church planters. This helpful take from a church planter for church planters is exactly what is needed. It's an honest take on church planting.
June 24, 2021
This book is great for those interested in church planting, but it would also be beneficial to anyone in church leadership!
November 27, 2021
This book hit so close to home that I think Tom has been living in my brain.
August 1, 2022
Best church planting book I've read, except for the weird Richard Rohr commendation.
February 10, 2023
What a great book! It gives a very realistic view of church planting, as well as of ourselves.
Read
February 21, 2023Great book, highly recommended it for anyone church planting or going into the ministry.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews