Resources in this category support a church planter's walk with God.
Barnabas Piper
Many of us grew up in a church context that emphasized passion for God. Some of our favorite theologians and preachers from history are known for their passion. This emphasis set a standard, an objective, for us—to pursue passion for...
Dan Steel
Life in the Land of the Anywheres From experience, church planting (or even simply pastoring) in high-mobility contexts—such as university cities, tech hubs, or urban centers with rapidly changing rental markets—presents both unique opportunities and frustrations. These are the places...
Jon Kelly
It was over nine years ago, during the second year of our church plant. I was at home in the living room on a phone call with a young man who had recently started attending our church. My wife sat...
Ronnie Martin
“Forgive me for bothering you with something so minor …” How many times has somebody approached you with words like this? If we’re paying attention, we can probably detect some level of shame in their approach. They are likely afraid...
One of my ministerial and theological pet peeves is when Christians, especially pastors, respond to contentious societal issues with a glib “that’s a gospel issue.” I’ve seen this response offered to racial disputes, political disputes, and just about every other...
Heather Oldham
If you’ve been in ministry for more than five minutes, you know the pull: the endless list of “urgent” needs, the meetings, the counseling sessions, the events, the texts that always seem to come at bedtime. And if you’re a...
I spent some of my formative years living in a rural area of southern California. It was a little-known valley that contained all kinds of mountainy paths, gurgling creeks, and grassy meadows to explore to your heart’s content. In the...
The Unseen Grace of a Holy “No” A few years ago, I found myself stretched thin. Every need felt urgent, and every ask seemed kingdom-worthy. So I said yes to meetings, counseling, crisis texts, preaching invitations, volunteer gaps, coffee chats,...
Noah Oldham
In the early days of a church plant, roles can feel undefined. Everyone wears multiple hats, and relationships form quickly, often before there’s time to think through how they should actually work. One of the most crucial relationships in a...
Humans are unique. God did not make anything else in His image. No other mammal is an image bearer. Even the angels are not made in God’s image. As one author put it, “Being made in God’s image is a...
They are not coming in crowds—at least, not yet. There are no stadiums filled, no billboards announcing revival, no front pages hailing a spiritual revolution. And yet—quietly, steadily, and perhaps in unlikely places—the latest figures show a hunger seems to...
The weather can be a bit unpredictable, as they say. My wife, Melissa, told me she was out on the front porch the other night, admiring the evening sunset. It was one of those soft, summery nights where the clouds...
It’s one thing to walk through infertility. It’s another thing to do it while planting a church. Because in church planting, you’re always holding out hope. You’re sowing vision. You’re carrying life and momentum and energy into rooms that feel...
If you serve in leadership long enough, you will inevitably find yourself navigating relational conflict. Because of the presence of sin, this is not only expected—it’s inevitable. And for pastors and ministry leaders, it’s often amplified. If you’re not willing...
What is honesty? On the surface, that’s a straightforward question with a straightforward answer. “Telling the truth.” “Not lying.” But we all know, from relational experience–and maybe from watching too many legal dramas–that there is much more to it than...
“But what if it turns out that I’m just not called to do this?” The voice on the other end of the phone sounded concerned. Slightly exasperated. Mentally exhausted. The church plant was entering its third year, and although they...
In 2014, I preached a sermon at our church’s five-year anniversary. We celebrated all that God had done, but we didn’t stop there. We turned our eyes toward the future and asked: Who are we becoming? Who will we be...
One thing I struggled to embrace in my early years of ministry is that I’m not only my children’s father—I’m also their pastor. I always aimed to be a good dad, but I didn’t give much thought to what it...
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