

Practical Church
Dylan Dodson
Practical church exists to give you practical tips, advice, and encouragement when it comes to leading and growing healthy churches. Whether you are interested in planting a church, are in the process of planting a church, or just want to learn more about building healthy churches, you’ve come to the right place.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Apr 21, 2021 • 29min
PCP 223: 6 Questions Every Church Planter Should Be Able To Answer
In order to plant a church that thrives, there are a few things planters should know. In this episode, we share 6 questions in particular planters should be able to answer in order to plant a healthy church. Welcome to episode 223 of Practical Church Planting. You can listen to this episode below, or subscribe to the podcast and get our episodes delivered right to you. Here are the six questions we discuss in this episode: Who is my tribe What's my fundraising plan What would I want the church to realistically look like in 3 years What is my spouse going to end up doing Can I name 10 pastors in my area Who are you planting where you're planting This episode is brought to you by FaithStreet FaithStreet is a new kind of mobile app for churches. It’s focused on discipleship and community, not just communications. It strengthens people’s commitment to the church and each other. It builds community by prompting prayer, generosity, reflection, fellowship and teaching as daily practices. Interested or have questions? Head to faithstreet.com/practical. Practical Church Planting listeners can receive 20% off your subscription. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Apr 14, 2021 • 28min
PCP 222: 6 Ways To Encourage People To Rejoin You In-Person
As COVID cases continue to go down and vaccines continue to roll out, many churches are wondering how to encourage their people to re-engage with their church in person. In this episode, we share six ways you can do just that. Welcome to episode 222 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 things we discuss in this episode: Don't be afraid (or apologize) for talking about it Encourage others to invite people back Cut your live stream at the end of service and address those in the room Pick a day and make it a big deal Use your weekly newsletter Get vaccinated This episode is brought to you by FaithStreet FaithStreetis a new kind of mobile app for churches. It's focused on discipleship and community, not just communications. It strengthens people’s commitment to the church and each other. It builds community by prompting prayer, generosity, reflection, fellowship and teaching as daily practices. Interested or have questions? Head to faithstreet.com/practical. Practical Church Planting listeners can receive 20% off your subscription. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Apr 7, 2021 • 33min
PCP 221: 7 Tips For Running An Elder/Leadership Meeting
How can you run an effective elder or leadership meeting? Especially since these meetings can look different than a typical staff or one on one meeting. In this episode, we share 7 tips for how to run them well. Welcome to episode 221 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 7 tips we discuss in this episode: Send updates/agenda ahead of time Start/end on time Share trackable metrics Don't ask for decisions on non-relevant items Meet on a consistent schedule Share names and specific situations This isn't just a business meeting This episode is brought to you by FaithStreet FaithStreet is a new kind of mobile app for churches. It's focused on discipleship and community, not just communications. It strengthens people’s commitment to the church and each other. It builds community by prompting prayer, generosity, reflection, fellowship and teaching as daily practices. Interested or have questions? Head to faithstreet.com/practical. Practical Church Planting listeners can receive 20% off your subscription. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Mar 31, 2021 • 34min
PCP 220: 7 Practical Tips For Getting Better At Preaching
Be sure to check out the Growing Your Launch Team online course that is available now. Click here if you want a highly practical plan to grow your team and reach more people. Every preacher wants to get better at preaching, but it does not happen automatically. The good news is there are specific things you can do to get better. In this episode, we share seven of those things. Welcome to episode 220 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the seven tips we discuss in this episode: Preach the same sermon multiple times Preach your sermon out loud on your own multiple times Listen to a couple of preachers at a time Never give excuses when preaching in any environment Connect somewhere you will be given opportunities to preach Read books on communicating Preach expositional sermons CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Mar 24, 2021 • 34min
PCP 219: 7 Tips To Help Your Church Change Without Making People Mad
Be sure to check out the Growing Your Launch Team online course that is available now. Click here if you want a highly practical plan to grow your team and reach more people. Ministry requires change, but how can you lead effective change in your church without upsetting people? The good news is that it is possible. In this episode, we share 7 ways you can do it. Welcome to episode 219 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the seven tips we discuss in this episode: Except and empathize with pushback Be clear about the why You don't have to have an answer for every objection Do not make exceptions Bring vision, not apologies, to new decisions Default to transparency Test potential decisions on trusted church members CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Mar 17, 2021 • 34min
PCP 218: 7 Tips For Creating Momentum That Propels Growth
All of us want to grow our churches to reach more people with the good news of the Gospel. But growth is hard and can even be awkward. So in this episode, we share seven things you can do to create momentum to reach more people. Welcome to episode 218 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the tips we discuss in this episode: Make a big deal about Christmas and Easter Don't launch on a big church day Have something to invite people back to on big days Celebrate your church's anniversary every year Schedule a baptism Sunday Pick a non-traditional "big day" and make a push for that day Set one-year goals and 90-day goals. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Mar 10, 2021 • 38min
PCP 217: 7 Ways To Create An Environment Of Focus and Productivity
What does it look like to stay focused and productive with all of the demands of ministry? The good news is that ministry does not have to always feel "busy." In this episode, we share seven things you can do to focus better and get more done. Welcome to episode 217 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the seven ways to create an environment of focus and productivity we discuss: Read Deep Work Schedule three hours a day of no interruption Schedule your5 day ahead of time Turn off notifications on your phone Invest in your workspace Find a focused work environment Be done when you're done CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Mar 3, 2021 • 26min
PCP 216: 8 Money Savers For Your Church
Churches often run on really tight budgets, so it's always a great day when you find an area you can cut costs in while still maintaining the same quality of ministry. In this episode, we share with you eight ways your church can save money without sacrificing its mission. Welcome to episode 216 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the eight money savers we discuss in this episode: Ask for church plant discounts Look for non-profit discounts Rechargeable batteries Tell people about bank drafts Create an Amazon Smile account Wet-erase volunteer lanyards New guest gifts Sharing specific needs with your church CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Feb 24, 2021 • 38min
PCP 215: 9 Easy Ways To Improve Your Church's Hospitality
We all want people who come to our church to be welcomed and cared for. In this episode, we share with you nine easy and practical things your church can do to help ensure a welcoming experience. Welcome to episode 215 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the nine things we discuss in this episode: Use umbrellas when it rains Don't use a doorstop Always have parkers in the parking lot Make the connect area obvious Use lanyards Make the coffee area accessible Keep your facility clean Make how to give obvious Acknowledge new guests every Sunday CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Feb 17, 2021 • 32min
PCP 214: 7 Ways To Get More Mileage Out Of Your Sermons
It takes a lot of time and effort to prepare a sermon, and after preaching it, it's done with. But it doesn't have to be that way. In this episode, we share with you seven ways to get more out of the sermon beyond your weekend service. Welcome to episode 214 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the seven things you can do to get more mileage out of your sermon that we discuss: Sermon clip Bottom line graphic Instagram Story quiz Blog post about a sermon point or verse Weekly email devotional focusing on a key concept of the sermon Sermon based small groups Storing your sermons for future reference Connect and never miss an episode: Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.