Contributor

Matt Carter

Matt Carter was the founding pastor of The Austin Stone Church. During his tenure at The Stone, the church sent over 300 full-time missionaries to unreached people groups around the world. Matt holds an MDiv from Southwestern Seminary and a Doctorate in Expositional Preaching from Southeastern Seminary. He and his wife, Jennifer, have three children.

Resources from Matt

Featured
Course

Church Planting Like a Missionary

2 hours 30 minutes 11

Church planting is about more than Sunday services—it’s about engaging your city, making disciples, and planting healthy, biblical churches. Church Planting Like a Missionary explores how planters can build strong leadership, foster missional community, and cast God-given vision in a way that aligns people with His kingdom purposes.

Article

The Pandemic of Pastoral Loneliness

Matt Carter

I recently spent a couple of days around a table with 8 pastors discussing life and ministry. They ranged in age from their mid-forties to mid-fifties. Many of these guys, you’d know their names because they’ve had a significant impact...
Podcast Episode

Team Vision: Church, Nations, and Practical Leadership for Planting Teams

New Churches Podcast Season 3 Episode 12

Host Jeff Medders is joined by Vance Pitman, Matt Carter, and Jen Oshman for a final discussion on applying key essentials to church planting teams.
Podcast Episode

Practical Leadership: Leading with Purpose as a Church Planter

New Churches Podcast Season 3 Episode 11

Host Noah Oldham is joined by Matt Carter, Vance Pitman, and Mark Lee to discuss practical leadership in church planting.
Podcast Episode

The Nations: Engaged in God’s Global Mission

New Churches Podcast Season 3 Episode 10

Host Matt Carter is joined by Tony Merida, Vance Pitman, and Trevin Wax to discuss the essential role of global missions in church planting.
Podcast Episode

Relationships: Thriving in Community as a Church Planter

New Churches Podcast Season 3 Episode 2

Host Matt Carter welcomes Noah Oldham, Bryan Loritts, and Trevin Wax to discuss the importance of relationships in church planting as part of the nine essentials of a faithful and effective church planter series.
Podcast Episode

Keep on Planting

New Churches Podcast Season 2 Episode 12

In this final episode of the season, host Jeff Medders is joined by fellow laborers Vance Pitman, Tony Merida, and Matt Carter to dive into Paul’s closing words for his protege in Titus 3:12-15.
Podcast Episode

How to Engage the City

New Churches Podcast Season 2 Episode 10

Uncover what it means for your church plant to foster a culture of good works so that your community will come to know the Lord and be changed by His gospel message of hope.
Podcast Episode

Who the Gospel Reaches

New Churches Podcast Season 2 Episode 9

See how this “all people” vision for planting the church is essential for every church plant in every context, as well as how verse 14 offers a gospel flavor to speak comfort and correction to you when you need it most.
Podcast Episode

Planters are Preachers

New Churches Podcast Season 2 Episode 5

Learn how preachers are made, what the elements of sound teaching are, and why it is essential to set an example through preaching.
Article

How to Endure in Church Planting

Matt Carter

How important is a personal calling from God to church planting? While there’s no question we’re all called to the Great Commission, how critical is it that you have a personal calling from God before you plant a church? I...
Podcast Episode

Churches Need Strong Leaders

New Churches Podcast Season 2 Episode 3

Tune in to discover why character is so essential to the health and longevity of your church plant.
Featured
Podcast Episode

Planters Need Mentors

New Churches Podcast Season 2 Episode 1

Discover why mentor relationships are so vital in the lives of planters and pastors today, as well as what it looks like to equip and deploy planters through the lens of Paul’s and Titus’s examples.
Podcast Episode

3 Practices to Endure in Ministry

New Churches Podcast Season 1 Episode 809

Host Tony Merida teams back up with Matt Carter, Send Network’s Vice President of Mobilization, to discuss the rhythms and patterns that have helped them thrive in ministry, as well as in their personal health and families. Tune in to...
Podcast Episode

What Role Does Preaching Play in Church Planting?

New Churches Podcast Season 1 Episode 805

Episode 805 Host Tony Merida meets with Matt Carter, Send Network’s Vice President of Mobilization, to discuss their journeys through preaching the Word within their respective church-planting contexts. Tune in to discover their wisdom gained and lessons learned throughout their...
Podcast Episode

Best of 2023: Preaching a Theology of Sending

New Churches Podcast Season 1 Episode 791

Episode 791 Hosts Noah Oldham and Vance Pitman sit down with Pastor Matt Carter to discuss the significance of creating a culture of sending through preaching. Here’s what it means to “live sent” and to empower your people to do...
Article

Three Most Important Lessons I’ve Learned in Preaching

Matt Carter

There is an art and science to preaching. But the power behind preaching comes from the Word of God.
Article

Why Preaching Toward Mission is Effective

Matt Carter

Your church doesn't more pew warmers. So, here are three reasons to lead your people on mission and to see the gospel grow in your midst.