Jesus was a peculiar church builder. He didn’t gather a collection of expert pastors, polished communicators, entrepreneurs, or brand strategists. He called ordinary people. Working people. Unimpressive people. People busy doing mundane tasks with no thought of launching a worldwide movement.
“While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.’”
Matthew 4:18-19
If we were assembling a church planting team, many of us would instinctively look for experience, charisma, theological education, organizational skill, or proven leadership success. Jesus walked past all of those assumptions and called fishermen.
It reminds me of Samuel standing before Jesse’s sons while searching for Israel’s next king. One by one, strong and capable candidates passed before him until God finally chose the youngest son, David, who was still out tending sheep. No one expected him to be the choice. Not even his dad because he failed to include him as an option. Apparently, God delights in working through people others overlook.
Jesus intentionally calls ordinary people into His mission.
The simplicity of the moment in Matthew 4 is almost easy to miss. Jesus is walking near the sea. Two brothers are fishing. Two others are mending nets. There is no dramatic setting, no strategic planning session, and no compelling sales pitch. Jesus simply says, “Follow me.”
Before He gave them responsibility, He invited them into relationship.
Many leaders today unintentionally reverse the order. They recruit people for tasks before forming them through discipleship. We prioritize usefulness before presence. But Jesus invited His disciples to be with Him before He sent them to work for Him.
And, there’s another thing,
“I will make you fishers of men.”
These men were already fishermen. Jesus wasn’t erasing their experience. He was redirecting it. Their skills, personalities, endurance, and familiarity with hard work would all become useful in a different kind of mission.
Church planters and team leaders need to remember this. God rarely starts from scratch with people. He often repurposes experiences, personalities, burdens, and abilities that have been developing for years. What seems ordinary may actually be preparation.
And He rarely does this through isolated individuals.
Jesus formed a team.
That sounds simple, but it challenges much of modern ministry culture. We often gravitate toward personality-driven leadership because it feels faster and cleaner. Teams are slower. Teams expose differences. Teams require patience, humility, communication, and shared growth. We don’t have time for that.
But God is comfortable building that way.
Before God works powerfully through a people, He usually works deeply within them. And one of His favorite tools for doing that is community itself.
That’s why forming a healthy team matters so much in church planting. Before strategies, systems, and structures are built, people must learn how to follow Christ together. The health of the mission will eventually depend on the health of the people carrying it.
Before God works powerfully through a people, He usually works deeply within them.
That’s part of the burden behind Built on Purpose. I wanted to create a process that helps church planters and ministry leaders think intentionally about how God forms teams before sending them into meaningful kingdom work.
Because long before the church expands outward, God is already shaping the people who will build it together.
Do you know how God has shaped you and your team for His mission?
Download this workbook to guide your team through twelve exercises that will bring unity, clarity, and vision to your mission work.
