New Churches Podcast | Season 1 | Episode 692

Embedding Into the Fabric of Your City

Ed Stetzer

Episode 692: When you are planting a church in a community that’s new to you, getting deeply embedded in that community is extremely important. Host Ed Stetzer talks with Jeff Belcher and Amanda Hudson about the why and how of getting embedded in the fabric of your community.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

  • Practical ways of getting deeper into the culture of a community
  • How much you can learn by interacting with community and nonprofit leaders
  • Ways people see you differently when you live among them
  • The value of being covocational in a community
  • Why incarnational ministry matters from a biblical perspective

Helpful Resources:

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Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Washington is a very diverse city where people like to talk and have conversations. It was just a matter of being outside on a Saturday. We have met more people just because of our dog. — Amanda Hudson

Most places have a history. One key thing to ask is “What’s the history?” I want to become an expert on the city where I live. @EdStetzer

There are lots of institutions that serve practical needs of the people but our church wanted to stand out. There’s something to being continually present that helps people see us as people who care about them. —Jeff Belcher

I don’t think we can plant churches via remote control. @EdStetzer

Living among our neighbors was incredibly valuable. In my 800-square-foot row home, we were averaging about 60 people a week because we were in a pedestrian context where people just walked to our house. —Jeff Belcher

I have loved knowing the ins and outs of DC to give people peace of mind … to help someone who comes into the city know the important things of just daily living. — Amanda Hudson

If we’re not living out the goodness of God before the people we’re serving, then we’re robbing others of the opportunity to see God in us. —Jeff Belcher

Published on August 16, 2022

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About the Podcast

New Churches Podcast

The New Churches podcast offers practical answers to your real ministry questions. We aren’t going to provide lofty pie-in-the-sky theories. Instead, we are going to help you in your real ministry context, with your real thoughts, questions, and issues.

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Meet the Author

Ed Stetzer

Ed Stetzer, Ph.D., is a professor and dean at Wheaton College where he also serves as Executive Director of the Wheaton College Billy Graham Center.  He is the incoming Dean of Talbot School of Theology at Biola University. He has planted, revitalized, and pastored churches; trained pastors and church planters on six continents; earned two master’s degrees and two doctorates; and he has written hundreds of articles and a dozen books. He is Regional Director for Lausanne North America, is the Editor-in-Chief of Outreach Magazine, and regularly writes for news outlets such as USA Today and CNN. His national radio show, Ed Stetzer Live, airs Saturdays on Moody Radio and affiliates. He serves at his local church, Mariners Church, as a Scholar in Residence and Teaching Pastor.

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