New Churches Podcast | Season 7 | Episode 4

Wisdom in Discipleship

Tony Merida, Noah Oldham & Vance Pitman

Watch this video on YouTube: https://youtu.be/XXc0z1pK8q4

In this episode of the New Churches Podcast, Tony Merida is joined by Noah Oldham and Vance Pitman to discuss how and why a church should be engaging the city through good works—both inside and outside the church. Practical insights and real-life examples will offer church planters guidance for how to make good works part of the disciple-making process.

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Published on September 29, 2026

About the Podcast

New Churches Podcast

The New Churches podcast delivers biblical and practical insights to help you be a faithful and effective church planter. Learn from trusted pastors, theologians, missiologists, and faithful leaders who can help you pursue the mission God has given you. 

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Meet the Authors

Tony Merida

Vice President, Planter Development Send Network

Tony Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, N.C, and is the vice president of Planter Development for Send Network. Tony has written several books, including The Christ-Centered Expositor, Love Your Church, and multiple volumes in the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series.

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Noah Oldham

Executive Director Send Network

Noah Oldham is the Executive Director of Send Network. He served as the founding and lead pastor of August Gate Church for 15 years and the Send City Missionary to St. Louis for almost 10. In both these roles, he led his church and dozens of others to plant churches throughout the St. Louis region and beyond. He holds master’s degrees in Biblical Studies and Christian Leadership and is a certified personal trainer and nutrition coach. He writes, speaks, and trains in the areas of two of his greatest passions: the local church and physical fitness. Noah and Heather have been married since 2005 and have 5 children.

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Vance Pitman

Vance Pitman is the Founder & President of Vance Pitman Ministries and National Mobilizer with the North American Mission Board. He is the founding pastor of Hope Church Las Vegas, which he led from a living-room gathering of 18 people in 2001 into a thriving, multi-ethnic church of more than 4,000 members representing over 54 languages twenty years later. Following his retirement from Hope, Vance served as President of Send Network, the largest church-planting organization in North America, where he helped accelerate the multiplication of churches across the continent. Today, he coaches pastors and church planters in leadership, church multiplication, and spiritual health while traveling as an ambassador for the North American Mission Board. Vance is the author of UNBURDENED and The Stressless Life.
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