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5 Reasons Disunity Happens in Church Plants

Dan Steel

One of the questions I’m often asked about, when discussing why church plants struggle, is whether any of the results were particularly surprising. In one sense, the answer is no. Having served as a pastor and planter for over 20...
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How to Lighten the Leadership Load

Mark Lee

In 1991, doctors at Stanford University Medical Center removed a 300-pound tumor from the stomach of a 34-year-old woman. The tumor was twice the size of her natural body weight! Reporters asked her the obvious question, “Why did you wait...
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The Most Important Arena of a Planter’s Life

J.A. Medders

Self-care is all the rage these days. I think Spurgeon wouldn’t mind the term—if we are talking about tending to our lives for the purpose of godliness and giving the gospel to others. The first lecture in Spurgeon’s Lecture’s to My Students focuses on the...
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4 Steps for a Membership Process

Noah Oldham

I can still remember the jingle from a gym in St. Louis. “Ten bucks, ten bucks, ten bucks…Club Fitness! Better fitness, better price!” Ten dollars. That’s the hook in the jingle, as well as the hook to get you in...
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5 Biblical Reasons to Make a Woman an Early Hire

Jen Oshman

Church planting is exhausting, round-the-clock work. When we planted over seven years ago, every family member poured themselves out for the task. Along with our church-planting friends, we did everything from counseling and teaching to web design and childcare. So...
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7 Principles of an Honest Church Leader

Barnabas Piper

It doesn’t matter the size or polity of your church, you cannot have a healthy leadership culture (or church culture) without having an honest leadership culture. Without honesty, there is no trust. Without trust, there is no relationship, no togetherness,...
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2 Renewal Practices for Pastors

Ronnie Martin

I am always struck by the different kinds of environments pastors find themselves in. I’m in a context where things like rest and renewal are talked about often. Many of the churches in the network I serve have either taken...
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I’m the Problem, It’s Me

Dan Steel

Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” from the 2022 Midnights album is a self-reflective track dealing honestly with her insecurities, quirks, foibles, imperfections, and flaws—seeing herself as her own worst enemy. It’s catchy and light-hearted (and I apologize if you’re singing it for the...
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9 Best Practices for Leading a Residency

Gus Hernandez Jr.

On a recent trip to Legoland Florida with my family, I came across a mind-blowing stat about Lego brick combinations. A Danish mathematics professor, Søren Eilers, calculated that with only 6 identical 2×4 Lego bricks of the same color, you...
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4 Ways to Create a Culture of Prayer

Jon Kelly

Prayer is as essential to the life of the Christ follower and the work of God as blood is to the body. It was the practice of the ancient church to regularly pray together. Scripture states that the apostles, “with...
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The Planters’ College

J.A. Medders

Charles H. Spurgeon (1834–1892) is often referred to today as “the Prince of Preachers” for being one of the best preachers of Christ in church history. In addition to his strong preaching and teaching, Spurgeon should also be known as...
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What Church Planters Can Learn from the Global Church: Reflections from Lausanne 2024

Trevin Wax

Church planting can often feel like a solitary endeavor. It’s easy to become consumed by local challenges, unaware of the broader context of what God is doing around the world. That’s why it’s a good practice for those on the...
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3 Reasons Why Your New Church Needs Deacons

Noah Oldham

Christian leadership author and speaker John Maxwell has famously said, “Everything rises and falls on leadership.” The sovereignty of God assumed, and making ample room for hyperbole, I mostly agree. This is true especially in the earliest days of a...
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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...
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How the Culture of Your Church Makes or Breaks the Doctrine

Barnabas Piper

If I asked you what the most defining, crucial aspect of your church is, what would you say? I’m guessing it would be “doctrine.” Doctrine is the most important thing about your church—at least that’s what most of us implicitly...
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Why Pastors Need to Practice a Lifestyle of Renewal

Ronnie Martin

I was recently in this fancy pants board meeting at a consulting firm, and they had me and the team I was working with throw a bunch of ideas related to pastoral ministry on the whiteboard. I promise I wasn’t...
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Quick to Listen?

Dan Steel

My dear brothers and sisters, understand this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to anger. — James 1:19 In a world saturated with social media that’s way too often characterized by being slow to listen,...
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9 Essentials for Church Planters

J.A. Medders

Every sport has metrics for what makes an ideal athlete. Speed, wingspan, IQ, mechanics, and so forth contribute to an athlete’s effectiveness. These metrics also serve as areas for growth in an athlete’s journey. Everyone needs development. No one expects...