New Churches Podcast | Season 1 | Episode 733

The Long View: Church Planting with End Goals in Mind

Ed Stetzer, Scotty Smith & Adam Muhtaseb

Episode 733

Everything about planting screams, “Emergency!” Host Ed Stetzer talks with Scotty Smith and Adam Muhtaseb about the importance of taking the long view on church planting.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

  • How to build at the beginning things that become part of the fabric of the church
  • The twin values of mechanics and organics
  • What “living in the whole story of God” means
  • How to personalize taking the long view
  • What it means to live and lead at “the pace of grace”

Helpful Resources:

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Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Church planters come in and they’re so drunk with the vision. The only thing they’re thinking about is the launch service. It’s not even like, “What do I do the week after?” @EdStetzer

I realized early on we were going to absolutely need to do the mechanics but equally the organics. The Lord’s building for eternity, not next week. @Scotty Smith

From the beginning, our vision was to be a church planting movement. So I set up systems, values, programs, etc. to build our church toward that. @Adam_Muhtaseb

A lot of the church planters I’ve worked with think pragmatically about getting a job done and they lose what Scripture says is central, which is a love for Jesus. @Scotty Smith

In the U.K. I lived on this one-lane road and every day I walked by this church that has been worshipping in the same space for over 1,000 years. I don’t hear lot of church planters even talk about 100 years from now. @EdStetzer

You should be spending just as much time working on the church as you are working in the church. @Adam_Muhtaseb

The good news for some church planters is you don’t have to work 80 hours a week. if you do, that’s called idolatry. @Scotty Smith

Published on February 23, 2023

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 Authors

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.

More Resources from Ed

Scotty Smith

Scotty Smith is founding pastor of Christ Community Church in Franklin, Tennessee, a
PCA church he planted with friends in 1986. After pastoring CCC for 26 years, Scotty
resigned in May 2012 to serve the larger Church with his preaching, teaching and writing.
He serves as the Teacher in Residence at West End Community Church in Nashville, a
daughter church of Christ Community. He also serves as an adjunct faculty member
for Covenant Theological Seminary; Westminster Theological Seminary, Philadelphia:
Redeemer Seminary, Dallas and RTS Orlando. Scotty is a graduate of the University of
North Carolina, Westminster Seminary and Covenant Seminary. Scotty has written a
number of books, including Unveiled Hope, Objects of His Affection and Everyday Prayers.
Scotty and his wife, Darlene, have two adult children.

More Resources from Scotty

Adam Muhtaseb

Adam Muhtaseb is the founding pastor of Redemption City Church in Baltimore, Maryland, and an M.Div. graduate of  Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and his wife, Sherrie, have three sons, Aiden, Judah, and Micah.

More Resources from Adam