Church Planting…Paying the Price

Thoughts From Tiffany Cooper

The idea of church planting sounds glamorous and adventurous, but like many things in life, the reality is much different. While it is great, the price you pay can’t be understood until you’ve been through it yourself. You will work like you have never worked before. At the start of People's Church, we had to be all things in all situations to all people at all times. In our 6 years as a church, I have felt occasional discomfort while navigating through change and growing pains. The greatest change I have experienced throughout the growth of People’s Church is the way people interact with and view me.

At the start of People’s Church, I felt personally connected with everyone. As we grew, it was impossible to know everyone. People began to refer to me as “Pastor’s Wife” instead of “Tiffany”. There were times I felt more alone in the middle of a hundred people than I did by myself. I had to transition from being personally connected to a small group of people to meeting wonderful church attendees for the first time at the grocery store. I’ve made the adjustment successfully, but it was difficult at first.