church planting expectations

Mikey Lynch has an interesting link to a talk by Al Barth on church planting in European cities. Mikey makes this comment at the end:

Al Barth admits that most of the church planting work they are involved in is much smaller and slower. Many of their church plants, even in NYC are more like 80-180 people, after 5 years. Nevertheless, we still must stretch and aim higher and more boldly, resisting the urge to pessimism and resignation.

Here's my question. What does it means to 'aim high and more boldly'?

I've heard some high and bold dreams. A couple of keen church planters I know of have spoken of their aims to have 100 people at the end of year one, 200 at end of year two... But how helpful is this? When you've been so vocally bold about what's going to happen, how do you cope with it when things don't go your way? When after 12 months you've got very little to show for your efforts? Despair? Depression? Anger?

It's God who gives the growth. There is a point where growth projections are presumptuous - telling God what he is going to do. He may give your congregation growth, he may not. You may do everything right - plant good quality seed and water diligently - but God may withhold growth. Or he may give growth to someone you think doesn't deserve it. That's his choice.

I care about the gospel going out. But I fear for a generation of church planters who in their zeal for the gospel may have unrealistic expectations. Ministry is long and hard and exposes all our weaknesses.

So how do we aim 'higher and boldly, resisting the urge to pessimism and resignation' while keeping our feet on the ground and our pride in check? How do we trust that God will build his church (like he's said he will) while remembering that he hasn't promised to build it in my patch or through me?

Thoughts?

900 AV men for Jesus?

Nathan speaks about it here.

Similarly, I listen to Mark Driscoll but can't help thinking this is revoltingly egotistical and idolatrous.

How can this not end badly?

Why have we stopped talking about evangelism?

Doesn't seem like evangelism's the thing to talk about anymore. 'Missional' is the hip word now.

Is there any difference between being 'missional' and being 'evangelistic'?

My hunch is that evangelism is a more a person to person thing, but missional is a how-you-do-church-to-facilitate-large-scale-evangelism thing. Am I right?

In this post below, Phil Nicholson comments

"I think the danger of the church planting buzz is that we all want to be involved and will claim that we are doing it but without actually doing more evangelism than at present."

What do you think?