Two Questions with John Roth of Thrive Community Church

We recently took a survey of portable church pastors around the country to find out what was ONE THING they would do differently if they were to start over again, and what was ONE THING they did well when planting their church. Today, we want to introduce you to John Roth of Thrive Community Church. Enjoy!

Thrive Community Church | Estero, FL

 
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Thrive began public worship in August 2014 on the campus of Florida Gulf Coast University. Its mission is to bless and disciple people so they thrive in their relationship with Jesus Christ and others, creating Christian community.
 

Given the experiences and knowledge you have now as a church planter/pastor, what is the ONE THING you would do differently if you were starting over again?

 
Clarify with any sending church in writing the financial support and people support they intend to give, making sure they understand their sacrifice.
 

What was ONE THING you did well when planting your church that you would highly suggest to other planters?

 
We understood at the beginning this ministry would not rely on one sole church planter. We were able to convince the supporting people that two of us together would be much more successful. I think it would have failed within the first year of worship without both of us. We worked hard as a team to learn to collaborate. We believe it’s Biblical, that Paul in Acts always was accompanied by others in ministry. Adding a second person full time multiplies your chance of success by a factor of 10.
 

John Roth

 
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John Roth is the missional pastor of Thrive. He’s the husband of Lisa Roth since 1996. They are blessed with two wonderful children, Justin and Emma. John has been a follower of Jesus since childhood and a pastor since 1987.He has led various ministries in the states of Alabama, California and Florida as well as campus ministries at LSU and UF. He received his doctorate in ministry from Asbury Theological Seminary of Lexington, KY in 2012. John and Lisa love cooking, enjoy reading, exercising and being a family.