Topic: Church Planting

A Biblical Vision for Children’s Ministry

Jesus said to them, “Let the little children come to me.” Here’s how your kids ministry can create opportunities for the next generation of children—and their families— respond to the gospel.

Planting Churches with Friends

Relationships are essential. This is especially true in the context of church planting. Here’s why leaning into the relational connections of your congregation and community is a game changer for planters.

10 Keys to Preaching

Dr. Crawford Loritts offers 10 ways to approach your time on the platform as you share the Word of God with the congregation He has entrusted to your care.

Qualities of Peacemakers

The Prince of Peace calls us His own. Here are the 3 ways Christ calls you to extend peace as you make His name known.

Discovering Future Leaders

“Future leaders do not simply appear; they are discovered.” Here are the 4 traits to look for for in the future leaders of your church.

5 Ways to Pastor Your Family Flock

Your family is your first church plant. Here’s how you can invest in your household as you share your love for the Lord and the joy of His church.

12 Traits of a Healthy Church

There are so many ways to build your church, yet God calls His builders to multiply by His design. Here are 12 ways to gauge the health of your church plant.

Best Practices for a Pastor’s Day Off

Pastor, we know you need rest. Here are three simple ways to better care for yourself emotionally, physically, and spiritually as you invest in what matters most.

Cultivating Rich Community in the Church

We all want to experience belonging. And as Christ followers, we get to experience this belonging within the family of God. Here are four ways to cultivate the type of biblical community that you and your congregation need.

The Power of Humility in Ministry

The difficulties of Christlike humility are not new to the modern age; the early church had to grow in this area of discipleship, too. Here are three reasons to pursue humility as you lead others to pursue Christ.

Time Management for Planters

Our time in the office is not the infinite resource it seems to be. Here’s how you can reign in your priorities as you seek to serve God well as you shepherd His people.

Pastor, Go Overseas

Global missions isn’t a back-burner task we go back to when all the stars align. Here are four ways you and your church will benefit as you live out the great mission as Christ has called you to do.

The Christ-Centered Life

What does it mean for your life to be marked by true Christlikeness? The Apostle Paul highlights what genuine devotion to Jesus means in his letter to the church in Colossae.

Six Practices of Proactive Member Care

People are not obstacles we navigate in our ministry; they are our ministry. Here’s how you can build intentional relational equity with the people God has called you to shepherd.

Living as a Missionary in Your City

Living on mission requires intentional community engagement. Here are three principles to live by as you seek to plant your new church to the glory of God.

Pastors Need Friends

As leaders, we thrive when we cultivate support systems with meaningful friendships. Here’s why God calls us to expand our inner circles and allow others to invest in our lives.

3 Characteristics of a Healthy Student Ministry

There’s more to student ministry than youth camp and foosball tables. Here are the markers of a thriving youth group and how you can steer your congregation towards whole-family discipleship.

From Groups to Gatherings

There are so many ways to plant a church. Here’s one method to ensure your church’s multiplication DNA impacts each new step of the planting process.

When Your Spouse is Suffering

The call to plant churches includes a call to suffering. But what does this mean for our spouses? Amid hardship and heartache, how do we lead our spouses toward the God of all comfort? Here are 4 ways to navigate suffering in your household.

6 Steps for Sermon Prep

Your sermon prep process is uniquely your own. Consider adding these tools to your toolbox as you seek to proclaim the gospel faithfully to your church.

The Life Cycle of a Church

From launch to legacy, the phases and stages of a church plant are like those we experience as humans. So, where’s your place in this mission of making new churches?

What Makes a Church Plant a Church?

To understand your role as a church planter, you must first understand the role of the church. Here are the primary marks of the church and what its people have in common.

Church Planting in the New Testament

Where did the practice of church planting begin? What scriptural basis do we have for the work of planters and pastors? Here’s what we’ve gleaned with the New Testament as our guide.

4 Ways to be Fit for Ministry

To press on in ministry requires a measure of holistic fitness. Here are four areas of your life that can be surrendered to God for His glory and for your good.

4 Ways to Prep Your Expositional Sermon

We all approach sermon prep differently, yet we should feel confident in our processes of getting our sermons ready. Here are four ways to prepare your heart and mind for Sunday morning.

How to Start Small Groups in a Church   

Small groups ministries aren’t just thoughtlessly launched. So, here are four steps for cultivating groups at your church, from prayer to trial runs to the launch of this new discipleship opportunity.

Making the Bible Accessible

Are you preaching to impress or to imprint God’s Word upon the hearts of your people? Discover three ways to offer gospel truth in such a way that your people live out what they learn.

Identifying Marks of a Disciple

We want our churches and communities filled with identifiable followers of Christ. So, how can we make this a reality? J.T. English unpacks three steps to growing disciples within your congregation.

How to Fund Your Church Plant

Money is a touchy subject but a necessary part of the church-planting conversation. Here’s how you can wisely and effectively maneuver this integral part of starting your new church.

What to Expect in a Church Planting Assessment

So, you want to be a church planter… Now what? Here are three things that church planting networks are looking for in their next lead planter and how you can be ready to take your next steps in faith.

3 Ways to Face Hardship on Mission

Discouragement, challenges, and trials are guaranteed realities amid our church planting journeys. Through it all, here are three ways God accomplishes His mission through us as we live on mission for Him.

Fundraising 101 for Church Planters

Money is perhaps one of the largest stressors in church planting. So, here are seven things to keep in mind as you seek out financial partners for the sake of the gospel going forward in your community.

6 Tips for Effective 1-on-1 Meetings

Meetings shouldn’t be your entire ministry, but they can play a huge role in what you do! Here’s some helpful advice as you make appointments with the church members you shepherd.

How to Train Your Launch Team

If you’re new to church planting, you’re likely coming onto the scene with just as many questions as you have ambition. So, here are some tips, tricks, and guidance to help you consider the best ways to lead your launch team in this new season.

4 Things to Look for in Your Next Ministry Partner

You can’t pursue the work of a fruitful, healthy ministry on your own… but you can make a wise, informed decision about who will walk alongside you as you lead. So, here are some tips for picking your ministry partner well.

3 Ways Rest Rewires Us

3 Ways Rest Rewires Us

The work of pastors and planters is often grueling work. So, how are we to navigate the difficulties of ministry life professionally while still pursuing the Lord personally? The answer isn’t as counterintuitive as it may seem: through rest.

5 Pointers for Preaching to Small Crowds

Scripture says to be prepared to preach the Word in season and out of season. So, here are a few things to remember in those slower seasons when feeding a smaller flock.

5 Characteristics of a Good Children’s Ministry Director

5 Characteristics of a Good Children’s Ministry Director

Your congregation and its families play an essential role in the life of your church. As a result, the man or woman who equips them in the ways of the Lord is crucial. So, here are 5 things to look for as you determine the next leader of your children’s ministry.

10 Steps to Cultivate More Engaged Listeners During Your Sermon

In the age of small screens and attention spans, it’s harder than ever to maintain the interest of an audience. So, here are 10 steps you can incorporate into your sermon preparation and presentation to captivate your congregation as you proclaim the name of Jesus.

4 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare for the Fall

4 Things You Can Do Now to Prepare for the Fall

All year long we wait for the summertime season. Yet even here in this highly-anticipated time of year, our ministries still continue. So, here are 4 ways to use this season well, all to the glory of God and the good of your congregation.

3 Ways to Help Your Core Team Thrive

First-time planters and first-time parents share so much of the same experience. Here are three key lessons to learn as you seek to nurture and care for your new core team.

The Preacher as Theologian

You cannot claim to be “just a preacher, not a theologian.” Here’s how your work as a preacher impacts your congregation’s understanding of God and why you must lean into it.

5 Steps for a Successful Succession

How do you leave your role well as a church planter? Here are five steps to implement in a healthy succession plan as you consider how God may lead you into new kingdom efforts for His glory.

Should I be a church planter?

Should I Be a Church Planter?

You may be wondering about the role that church planting plays in your life. Here’s how you can add clarity to your calling to multiply disciples to the ends of the earth.

5 Ways to Set Goals by Faith

5 Ways to Set Goals by Faith

As we continue on our journey as church planters, we venture into new seasons and opportunities for growth. But how can we know what’s next? Here are five ways to rely on God as you move confidently into the future.

How Not to Lead Your Core Team

How Not to Lead Your Core Team

The Core Team phase of church planting sets the course for where your church will go. Here are seven common mistakes to avoid as you embark on your journey as a new church planter.

3 Reasons Every Planter Needs a Network

3 Reasons Every Planter Needs a Network

Church planting is difficult work; you can’t accomplish the work of God’s kingdom alone. Here are three ways that joining a church-planting network will change the trajectory of your missional calling forever.

How To Thrive as a Church-Planting Family

If planting a church scares you to death, I want to offer you some amazing encouragement: You not only can survive, but you and your family can thrive on this journey! Here’s how.

Rethink Multiplication 

If our goal is rapid church multiplication, we must strive toward a movement that, as the saying goes, “breeds like rabbits.” Here are four characteristics of multiplying churches with movement cultures.

3 Lessons I Learned in Year Zero

When I planted my first church, I had never heard of Year Zero. We didn’t even have a Week Zero! But I now understand I suffered three important losses by being in a hurry to launch weekly services.

5 Important Steps for Successful Fundraising

For a new planter, the thought of asking someone to take out their wallet can be next-level cringeworthy. These five steps could lead to God providing for you in amazing ways.

4 Reasons Churches Don’t Multiply

While pastors today have a positive demeanor toward church planting in their communities, you still can hear four common excuses for not leading a church to multiply.

Free eBook: Rethink

To plant disciple-making, missional churches, we must change how we think about God’s mission and the…

6 Reasons You Should Start a Sermon Prep Team

Pastors today have less time to do the one thing we have been commanded to never neglect: the ministry of the Word. Here are six ways a sermon preparation team can help you solve that problem.

How to Make the Most of Your Easter Service

Easter is an excellent opportunity to reach the lost and make much of Jesus, regardless of your worship style, church size or budget. Here are four ways to make the most of your Easter service.

Lessons From the Trenches: 4 Things I Will Do Again and Again

I have learned a valuable lesson for battling in the trenches: When you discover what works, stick with it. I want to share four things that are biblical, effective and, regardless of your context, will yield success as you battle in the trenches.

Covocational Church Planting Teams

A covocational church planter has no other option than to plant with a team. But how do you foster team dynamics to plant a healthy church that is effectively engaging its context?

A Reflection on Revival

I have struggled with the Asbury revival. I was envious. What about my community, Lord? My envy pointed to a deeper issue.

Your Church Needs More Than You

Your church needs more than you. Making this a bedrock conviction of your church-planting strategy will enable you to plant a church pleasing to God and edifying for His people.