Honest answers to the questions a careful leader is thinking on a first visit. If yours isn't here, ask it on the Start Here page and I'll answer it there, and probably add it here.
No. I serve within a Baptist network, and I'm glad to say so plainly, but ChurchPlanterLab is my own work and it's open to any leader or church that loves Jesus and the Scriptures. I've walked with leaders from several traditions, and I'll be honest with you about where I sit so there are no surprises.
Yes. Most coaching and all resource work happens online. Booklets, guides, and manuals don't care where you live. For in-person work like a mapping day, a one-day gathering, or a retreat, I'll travel; we'll add travel costs to the quote and you'll see them before you decide.
I coach and speak in English and Korean. For resources, I produce in English and format for a second language once you or a trusted translator provide the text. Our network worships in more than twenty languages, so this is normal work for me. If you need help finding a translator, ask; the network is wide.
It stays with me. Conversations with a pastor, a couple, or a board are confidential. If I'm working with a church that's connected to my network role, I keep the two clearly separate, and I won't carry anything from a coaching conversation into any other room without your permission. If a situation involves someone's safety, I'll tell you plainly what I have to do.
For projects, a deposit to start (usually half) and the balance when you're happy with the finished work. For monthly arrangements like admin support, the month is paid at the start and you can stop any time. E-transfer, cheque, or a church's usual method all work. Prices are in Canadian dollars and I'll always tell you the cost before anything begins.
Tell me. We'll stop, and you'll pay only for what's been done. I would rather end a project well than push a church through something that isn't serving it. I'll also tell you if I think I'm not the right person before we start; that's happened, and I've pointed people to someone better suited.
Yours. Your name, your words, your rights, all of it. I don't take a percentage of sales and I don't put my name on it unless you ask. My job is to help you say what you've been trying to say for fifteen years, then get out of the way.
Yes, openly. I use AI tools to speed up drafting, formatting, and translation prep, the same way a carpenter uses power tools. Every word that goes out with your name on it is reviewed, shaped, and approved by a human, usually me and you together. The thinking, the pastoral judgment, and the voice are not outsourced.
Yes. Please. I would hate for a leader to go without help because of money. Tell me honestly where you are, and I'll explore how I can serve you anyway. Everything I know was given to me freely. Nobody has ever been turned away over money, and nobody will be.
Within two business days for a first message, usually faster. If I'm away with planters or on a retreat, my reply will say so and give you a date. I read every message myself.
Yes, and it's one of the best ways this work starts. Talk to your pastor first so he isn't surprised, then reach out. I'm happy to meet the pastor, the board, or both together. There's a whole page for you: For elders and church leaders.
Not a church of my own right now, but I'm in living rooms and rented rooms most weeks with people who are. And I'd say ChurchPlanterLab itself is a plant of sorts: something started small, with the hope that it multiplies.