Practical Church

We all know what it is like to have new people come visit your church only never to see them again. At the same time, we know growing churches have somehow figured this out. The good news is there are tangible things we can do to help new guests return. In this episode, we share 5 things you can do to make it more likely new guests will return. Welcome to welcome to episode 192 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 5 differences we discuss in this episode: Follow up is quick and intentional Social media is engaging and consistent There is an intentional follow up plan in place New people are recognized every week The Sunday environment is warm and friendly 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 thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

We all know what it's like to wish we could have done things differently. When it comes to church planting, the mistakes we make can sometimes have big consequences. I (Dylan) have made a lot of mistakes that, and six in particular anyone can learn from. Check out this episode and see if you are doing any of these six things. Welcome to welcome to episode 192 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the six things Dylan would have done differently that we discuss in this episode: Have smaller runway Have clearer next steps (particularly at initial meetings) Not focused on big dreams Have more confidence in making decisions Quicker feedback loops Spent more time finding a network/church planting residency 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 thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Do you know if your church's website has everything it needs to answer the most pressing questions people have when visiting your site? Are new guests not coming because you don't have the most vitally important information on your homepage? Here's what we know; if we make it hard for people to find the information they need, we may never see them on a Sunday. In this episode, we share six of the most important and basic things your homepage needs to connect with new guests. Don't miss out on connecting with more people because you are missing any of these six things. Welcome to welcome to episode 191 of Practical Church Planting.  In this episode, we discuss these six things your church's homepage needs: Physical address Service times Plan a visit If you are meeting in person or online due to COVID Pictures of people at your church Give option on your menu Plus a bonus tip! Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

What should you do when you feel God might be leading you to plant a church? You're excited and nervous, but what are you supposed to do about this prompting? The good news is that there are practical next steps that you can take, and it doesn't have to be as confusing as you might think. In this episode, we'll share with you what you should do next. Welcome to welcome to episode 190 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the six next steps we discuss in this episode: Tell three people and ask them what they think Look into and reach out to church planting networks Join a local church and serve in a significant way Reach out to pastors in your area about meeting and hearing their story Figure out your needed theological training Don't rush your decision but do take steps Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

We know how discouraging it can be to pray, prepare, and serve as faithfully as you can, but not see any growth in your church. How can you get people to invite their friends, coworkers, and classmates? What does it look like to even create a culture of invitation at your church? The good news is there there are some very practical things you can do to help people invite their friends. Don't sit in frustration, take steps in making invitations the norm and not the exception. In this episode, we share 5 ways to create a culture of invitation at your church. Welcome to welcome to episode 189 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the five tips we discuss: Encourage people to invite their friends Preach to Christians knowing there are non-believers in the room Have a quality Sunday service Prioritize your serve teams Spend time, effort, and money on social media Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

You've been praying and dreaming about what your church could be and the impact it could have. But, you're not sure how to get people on board with your mission or even how to best articulate it. In fact, you're not even sure if you have a compelling vision for your church plant. If you can relate to any of this, you'll want to check out today's Practical Church Planting podcast episode. In today's episode, we share 6 tips for creating a compelling vision for your church plant. Don't waste time wondering how to create a compelling vision when you can use these 6 tips and make one. Welcome to welcome to episode 188 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 tips we discuss in this episode: Don't focus on statistics Don't focus on big dreams Outline practical steps of how you will accomplish your mission Share a story of a real person Speak positively of other churches/what God is doing in your area Give a clear next step at your meetings Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

How can you make the most of a church planting network? Welcome to welcome to episode 187 of Practical Church Planting. In this episode, we share 7 things you can do to get the most out of a church planting network. We discuss: Don't pick a network based on what you can get from them Pick a network you believe in Commit to network gatherings/events Proactively find ways to serve and support the network Find a church in the network to partner with, plant, or support Be humble and ask lots of questions Join a network Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

How can you find leaders for your new church plant? Welcome to welcome to episode 186 of Practical Church Planting.  In this episode, we talk about seven qualities that can help you determine current and future leaders for your launch team and church plant. We discuss: Uninitiated desire to help Initiated excitement to help People who do more (or better) than asked Financial giving to the church Buy-in in disagreement Social media engagement with the church Track record with other churches (is it bad?) Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

It's impossible to know everything there is to know about planting a church before you do it. Welcome to welcome to episode 185 of Practical Church Planting.  In this episode, we discuss these five things that church planters often don't think about before planting: What they want the church to look like in three years The long-term importance of outside support Clearly defining your spouse's role How often will you preach? Creating a culture of serving rather than programs of serving Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

What changes should be made to your church's finances when crisis hits? Welcome to welcome to episode 184 of Practical Church Planting.  All churches face financial difficulties at some point. Given COVID-19, many churches are experiencing crisis together. In this episode, we discuss these six tips for budgeting your church's finances during crisis: Be proactive Anxiety increases where budgeting decreases Freeze non-essential spending Locate a minimum financial threshold for big cuts Budget with wise counsel Be honest with your people (eventually) Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.