I had one of those moments recently that made me sit up and pay attention. I was at Project (an amazing 18-30's event - I snuck in😂) where Martin Tibbert asked a room full of twentysomethings about their barriers to church planting. Their raw honesty was profound and the answers they gave were not what I expected at all!

Whether you're a young leader feeling these barriers yourself, or you're walking alongside the next generation of planters, I believe what surfaced here could help us all multiply disciples more effectively.

The Fear of Letting People Down

The first barrier hit close to home: "What about all the needs in our existing church?" It's a real tension, isn't it? But here's what fascinates me about (Saul)Paul and Barnabas sitting there in a prayer meeting in Antioch when the Holy Spirit said that they were to be set apart for the work that He had for them. It became a multiplication breakthrough that we still talk about today but I can't imagine that it wasn't a huge loss for Antioch.

Jesus constantly modelled this tension-management. He'd pour deeply into the disciples, then deliberately move them on to new territory. He knew that staying too long in one place could actually hinder multiplication.

For young leaders: Your desire to serve faithfully where you are is beautiful. But remember - sometimes moving on actually serves your church better by creating space for others to step up.

For those leading others: How can you help the faithful believers around you see that multiplication isn't abandonment - it's obedience?

The Confidence Question

Another big one: "I'm not sure I'm gifted for this." It reminds me of Moses standing barefoot before the burning bush, asking "Who am I?" God's response wasn't a pep talk about Moses' leadership qualities. Instead, He simply said, "I will be with you." (Exodus 3:12)

The difference between feeling ready and being called is crucial. It's a slight cliche but true: God doesn't call the qualified - He qualifies the called. I've seen this repeatedly: capacity grows through stepping out, not waiting until we feel ready.

For young leaders: Your feelings of inadequacy? They're normal. But they're not the whole story. Focus less on your capability and more on God's faithfulness. Training can also help. Our Catalyst family of churches has a training course that might help.

For those leading others: Remember, the disciples were hardly qualified when Jesus sent them out. What if we focused more on character and calling than on experience?

Finding Models and Navigating Age

Two related concerns emerged: "We don't see many examples" and "Are we old enough?" This is where Timothy's story becomes so relevant. Paul tells him, "Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young" (1 Timothy 4:12). But notice - this young leader had Paul walking alongside him.

What if we saw age as an opportunity for partnership rather than a barrier? The early church thrived on intergenerational relationships that combined the wisdom of experience with the passion of youth.

For young leaders: Yes, you need models - but you might also need to become one. Someone younger is watching you figure this out.

For those leading others: Your role is to help train the next generation of disciple makers and church planters. It's to make disciples who make disciples. Who are you walking alongside?

Vision and Format in Existing Churches

The final clusters of concerns were about existing church culture: lack of vision for planting and resistance to new formats. The Jerusalem church faced similar challenges. It took persecution to get them to scatter and plant! But look at Antioch - they intentionally sent out their best leaders to support the plant that God had spontaneously started (Acts 13:1-3).

For young leaders: Honor your existing church while gently pushing for multiplication. Share stories of what God is doing elsewhere. Be a catalyst, not a critic.

For those leading others: Are we creating a permission-giving culture? Could we be holding onto formats that worked for us but might not work for the next generation?

So What Now?

If you're a young leader feeling these barriers, start here:

• Look for small ways to pioneer where you are
• Start to make disciples and get trained if you don't know how
• Find a mentor who believes in multiplication
• Start praying specifically about location and timing

If you're leading others:

• Identify potential planters and disciple makers in your midst and encourage them to get trained!
• Create opportunities for them to experiment
• Build multiplication thinking into your culture
• Be ready to release those you love

Here's what I know: every barrier these young leaders identified has been faced and overcome by others before them. The question isn't whether these barriers are real - they are. The question is whether they're insurmountable - they're not.

I'd love to hear your thoughts. Which of these barriers resonates most with you? How are you seeing God break them down?

Let's be a generation that multiplies,