It's Personal: Surviving and Thriving on the Journey of Church Planting (Exponential Series) [Paperback]

Brian Bloye (Author), Amy Bloye (Author)

Book Description

Release date: April 23, 2012 | Series: Exponential Series

It's Personal is about the personal side of planting a new church and the impact that launching a new ministry has on church planters and their families. Brian and Amy Bloye---a husband and wife team of seasoned church planters, dive headfirst into the challenges of keeping a marriage healthy, raising children, and finding the right balance between family and ministry. They talk candidly about the reality of spiritual warfare, the common difficulties of leading a new church, and the problems that planters face in staffing, dealing with criticism, building friendships, and maintaining spiritual vitality and authenticity. This helpful and encouraging resource warns couples of the most common pitfalls to avoid when planting a church and offers a unique perspective on building a strong, prevailing ministry while also having a healthy family life. Each chapter includes intimate interviews with church planting couples who share some of their personal joys and struggles, giving you practical, authentic insight into the real-life issues that families face when planting a church.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Brian Bloye is the pastor of West Ridge Church in Dallas, Georgia, and the founder of the Launch Network, an organization focused on inspiring and equipping next-generation church planters to lead strong. Brian also serves as founder and president of Engage Burkina, an organization committed to serving the people of Burkina Faso, Africa. Since 2009, eleven churches have been planted and 74 wells dug in this nation, the world's second-poorest country.

Amy Bloye is a pastor's wife and the mother of two teenage boys. She and her husband, Brian, started West Ridge Church in 1997, and she has a passion for encouraging and connecting church planters' wives. She loves travelling to sunny places and shopping for bargains, but her best time is invested in dating her husband and hanging out with her two boys, Taylor and Zach.

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (April 23, 2012)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310494540
• ISBN-13: 978-0310494546
• Product Dimensions: 8.4 x 5.4 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.4 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (29 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #702,911 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The New Church Planter's Handbook! May 16, 2012

By jeremylandon

Format:Paperback

This book MUST be required reading for anyone thinking about planting a church. Brian tells his own planting story with candor, authenticity, and passion. In the context of his journey, he walks us through the key aspects of a church plant and a church planter. To me, the most compelling element of this book is the fact that it is completely absent of strategy, process, and formula. Of course, there is advice on how to handle certain situations, but this book is more about the heart of the church planter and the church than it is about how to start a church that will explode. This makes the book timeless, because methods change almost daily, while principles are unchanging.

In a culture that is obsessed with quick fixes, sexy sermon series, and all-star bloggers, Brian and Amy bring us back to the refreshing and humbling reality of what Christ really intended when He established His church, and how we must go about our lives and our vocations if we are to truly be a part of that vision.

I've not planted a church personally, but I have been involved in three plants, one from the first day, which my family is still a part of today; I've been on the outside, the inside, and everywhere in between. It is an essential element of God bringing about His kingdom, and one of the most challenging and demanding endeavors a human can pursue. SO, if you know a planter, you dream of planting, or you are planting, get this book today and read it. And then read it again.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the Most Powerful Challenging Books for Church Planters and their Families May 11, 2012

By Dr. Robert J. Vajko VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

This book takes its place among one of the best books to help church planters in the process of "surviving and thriving on the journey of church planting." The two authors, Brian and Amy Bloye, have some fifteen years of experience in church planting, daughter church planting and training of church planters.

Each one of the twelve chapters asks a question starting with the first chapter "Why is Church Planting So Personal?" Their answer is that "A church is built from the blood, sweat, and tears of the people who build it in God's power" (19). As church planters ourselves, my wife and I can relate to this statement.

Chapter two asks the question, "How do you know you are called to plant a church?" Their answer, "Don't plant a church because you think you can do it. Plant one if you think you must do it" (43). Passionate church planters will understand the question asked at the end of this chapter, "What specific thing about church planting captures your imagination?" (45). Their answer is "from a desire to reach people for Christ, with the firm conviction that this is the best way to do it, as well as the way God wants it done" (45). Every church planter should read and be challenged by the heights the author takes us to in the section "Vocation to Location" (46-47). I went with them in this scaling of the mountain.

Chapter 3 deals with planting a healthy church and then chapters 4 & 5 deal with protecting your family in the church planting process. How sad to plant a church and lose one's family. Read these chapters and be forewarned and helped.

The remaining chapters deal with such things as change, building a staff, friendships inside and outside the church, being authentic, spiritual vitality, and thriving on the journey.... I liked the quote on p. 141 dealing with pride in church planting, "The secure pastor, on the other hand, knows that there is only one star and he reigns in heaven" (141). Amen!

Chapter 12 "When Does It Become Too Personal?" tells the story of a church plant that did not survive and yet the couple planting it moved to a new area and saw God at work for he is the One who makes churches survive and thrive.

I wish I would have had this book before engaging in church planting and I am going to encourage church planting couples to read this book before they commit themselves to this great and yet challenging ministry.
. Read more ›

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read for Planters May 4, 2012

By Joshua Reich

Format:Kindle Edition|Amazon Verified Purchase

Anyone who has planted a church knows that it can be hard. It can be tough on your spiritual life, your marriage, your kids, your health. It can, if you are called to it, one of the most rewarding and exciting journeys you will ever take. Brian and Amy Bloye have written an incredibly helpful book for anyone who is thinking about planting a church, in the process of planting or have done it called It's Personal: Surviving and Thriving on the Journey of Church Planting.

While the book covers a lot of ground and seems to largely be written for people who are thinking about planting a church or are just at the beginning of the process, there are a ton of things to learn from this book, regardless of where you are.

The reality, church planting is incredibly personal. You pour your time, energy, blood, sweat and tears into it, often with the potential of financial ruin if the church plant fails. As much as you want to think it, when someone leaves a church plant, it is hard for a pastor not to take it personally. When people lash out about decisions on the budget, starting or killing a ministry, or passing on a ministry idea, it is hard to not take that personally. When you counsel someone and they don't listen to you and their life implodes, it is hard not to feel emotionally involved. For a pastor's wife, when people tear her husband down, say nasty things about her or to her, it is hard to not take that personally.

That's what this book is about, when ministry becomes "to personal," becoming an idol that we serve instead of serving Jesus and allowing Him to build the church instead of thinking we do....

Here are a few thoughts that jumped out at me:

-There is a sense in which a church plant is a reflection of your personal relationship with Christ.
-Why is church planting so personal? Because God meets your needs in a highly personal way. He requires you to come up close, to push your faith to a new and uncomfortable level. And the greater your need, the greater your joy when he meets it - and the greater he is glorified.
-Jesus said he would build his church, but he leaves it up to us to build our families.
-In marriage, it's far too easy for us to load each other down with so many hindrances and extra burdens that our steps become slower and we finally stumble. Our insecurity and negativity are weights. Our failure to find significance in Christ, demanding it from the relationship instead, is a weight. Chaos, busyness, discontentment - all weights.
-There are times you are going to have to disappoint someone; make sure it is not your kids.
-Satan doesn't have to destroy you; he just has to distract you.
-Parents today are focused on giving their children everything they themselves never had that they forget to give them what they did have - the simple things in life, principles and values that were instilled in them as children, things that are far more valuable than the latest smartphone or video game.
-Not every church is called to do every ministry.
-For what's at stake, you must do whatever it takes.
-Check your egos at the door because only God gets the credit here. It's not about me as the pastor. It's not about staff members either.
-Our best hires never even asked about salary until the very end of the hiring process.
-You want the kind of team member who are drawn to a compelling and exciting vision rather than a salary and benefits package.
-I can't do something for everyone, but I can do something for someone.
-If you reach out to broken people, you'll always have an audience.
-When does church planting become too personal? It becomes too personal when you lose sight of the fact that it is God's church.

If you are thinking about church planting, in the middle of it, this is a book worth picking up. Read more ›

4 of 5 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Interesting Church Planting Thoughts... April 25, 2012

By Charles H. Thompson III

Format:Paperback|Amazon Vine™ Review (What's this?)

There has certainly been an increased interest in church planting in recent years. Brian and Amy Bloye have written It's Personal: Surviving and Thriving on the Journey of Church Planting and it adds valued Biblical and practical insight to the topic. They are church planters themselves who started in 1996 in Paulding County, Georgia. It's name is West Ridge Church.

One insight that stood out to me was the chapter entitled, "How do You Know You are Called to Church Plant? Not Every Cool Thing is a God Thing". The couple explains the process by which God let them know they were to be church planters. Though calls like this can be unique, there are similarities to look for that can be a guide to making the decision to plant.

Brian started at Thomas Road where Dr.Falwell was pastor. Brian was on staff ministering to hundreds of students, received speaking opportunities to speak outside the church, taught seminary class at Liberty University on student ministry, and had purchased a new. Sounds great doesn't it? Yet, God was putting a discontentment in him to take a turn in his ministry. As he considered church planting, he had what he refers to an Isaiah 6 moment. Just as God asked Isaiah, "Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?" He replied, "Here am I. Send me!", Brian had a specific moment interacting with this text that God called him to church plant. Church planting is a call from God and not just a decision to be made by human wisdom. After this call, God brought confirmation to him and his wife several times by using godly people around them. As they stepped out in response to the call, God directed them to the right place at the right time. Some questions according to Brian are...1) Are you certain of your calling? 2) Have you considered your marriage and family?... 3) Do you have a support network? 4) What specific thing about church planting captures your imagination?

As you can see, awesome stuff! Other topics covered include why is church planting so personal, how do you launch a healthy church, how do you protect your marriage while planting a church, how do you plant a church without losing your family, how do you deal with growth and change, how do you build and lead a staff, is it safe to have friendships inside and outside the church, can you remain authentic in ministry, how can you thrive in the journey, and when does it become to personal?

This book would be good for those interested in church planting, those training church planters, and those supporting church planters. Read more ›