Church planter’s shopping list

Converge church planting leaders Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee discuss the essential items you need to buy to start your church.

0:43 Danny says it’s important for church planters to know ahead of time some of the funds they’re going to need to raise so they can communicate that to their launch team.

1:47 Lee says if your church is portable, one of the first things you’re going to need to purchase is a trailer. He recommends buying one that is at least 20 feet long and has a ramp.

2:35 Danny and Lee advise against putting the church’s logo on the trailer for security reasons.

3:27 If you have a large trailer, you’ll also need a vehicle large enough to pull it.

4:12 Danny says buying a bounce house is a good investment.

4:53 Danny talks about musical equipment. He says to be wary of purchasing another church’s equipment.

5:57 Lee thinks it’s worth spending a little extra money to bring in an audiovisual specialist to give you an estimate on what you need to buy to have quality sound and lighting.

7:02 Danny talks about what musical instruments the church should buy.

8:54 Danny and Lee discuss lighting costs. Are you going to use Facebook Live? Are you going to record your sermons?

9:46 Danny and Lee list some children’s equipment you’ll need.

11:54 You’ll need something to collect people’s tithes and offerings, like buckets or a giving box.

13:04 You’ll also need to think through the ordinances (baptisms, communion) and put some money into that.

13:38 Danny says he’s on the launch team of a church plant that will probably spend $50,000 to $60,000 on sound and lighting equipment.

14:46 Lee and Danny encourage planters to go ahead and step into the next level when purchasing AV equipment.

16:02 Lee says plants launching at a larger level will probably invest $75,000-$100,000. With a smaller launch, you can probably get by with $25,000-$50,000.

16:48 Danny and Lee talk about things you can buy to control the size of a room or cover up unused space.