Resources in this category support a church planter's walk with God.
8.5 Hours 79 Videos
There’s a lot to know before starting a church, and finding reliable information can be daunting. There’s a lot out there. The Church Planting Masterclass is valuable, accessible training from expert practitioners, to help kickstart your church planting journey with clarity and confidence.
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...
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...
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...
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...
Jon Kelly
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...
I’ve walked through seasons that could’ve swallowed me whole—infertility, the heartbreak of unanswered prayers, and silent waiting. Then, parachute planting a church from scratch, stepping into the unknown with nothing but faith, and launching that church just one month before...
J.A. Medders
Don’t overlook your public prayers. It is too easy to fall into the practice of putting effort and thought into everything that happens on Sunday morning, except your prayers from the stage. These moments matter, are holy, and instructive. You...
Matt Carter
I recently spent a couple of days around a table with 8 pastors discussing life and ministry. They ranged in age from their mid-forties to mid-fifties. Many of these guys, you’d know their names because they’ve had a significant impact...
If the fruit of humanity is humility, then the fruit of humility is hopefulness. And hopefulness comes through the refining fires of waiting. For there to be hope, there needs to be something unseen to be hoped for. “We look...
Dan Steel
A conversation recently has got me thinking about the place of lament in church planting, which may seem an unusual marriage of contradictory ideas, as church planting is often associated with excitement about what might be. The chance to reach...
Years ago, I heard John Piper share a story at a conference I attended. He said that someone once asked him, “John, how do I learn to be humble like you?” He replied, “Who said I was humble?” The pastoral...
Noah Oldham
Church planting is both a thrilling and challenging endeavor. It is a call to step into the unknown, trust God for provision, and engage in spiritual warfare for the sake of the gospel. For those called to this mission, the...
Faithful and effective church planters must be men of prayer. You can only be faithful and effective when you pray to the Faithful One, to the Effector of gospel ministry. Charles Spurgeon taught his students in his Pastors’ College to...
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