Practical Church

You're starting the process of planting a church. That's great! Here's why you shouldn't start Sunday gatherings right away. Welcome to welcome to episode 18 of Practical Church Planting. When you are in the early stages of raising money, building a team, and sharing your vision, there is also a desire to start meeting on Sundays right away. We would caution against that. We explain why in this episode.

Engaging content is king. We've got two strategies you can implement this week on Facebook to help your church be more engaging. Welcome to welcome to episode 17 of Practical Church Planting. Consistent, engaging content is crucial to helping your church reach new people. In this episode, we share our two most engaging posts (in terms of likes, comments, and shares) that we post every week on Facebook. The good news? You can also begin using these this week. We talk about: Posting pictures from your weekend services and how we do it People of New City: what it is and how you can do it. Never miss an episode Did you know that you can also subscribe to the podcast version of Practical Church Planting? Subscribe for free and never miss an episode! Appreciate the podcast? Please leave a rating and review, and even share it to help spread the word! Here's where you can subscribe: iTunes Google Play

We all want to be more productive. The good news? There is something you can do that will help do just that. Welcome to welcome to episode 16 of Practical Church Planting. Ministry can be hard and unpredictable. However, it can be at least a little bit more predictable than we think. In this episode, we talk about what a block calendar is and how to use it. Here are the benefits and "how-tos" that we discuss: It makes you more productive It helps you feel (and be) more accomplished Helps other people respect your time Give yourself breaks in your schedule Adjust when necessary Set your schedule ahead of time Never miss an episode Did you know that you can also subscribe to the podcast version of Practical Church Planting? Subscribe for free and never miss an episode! Appreciate the podcast? Please leave a rating and review, and even share it to help spread the word! Here's where you can subscribe: iTunes Google Play

First time guests are great, but what can we do to connect with them and significantly increase the likelihood they will return? Welcome to welcome to episode 15 of Practical Church Planting. Weekly tours of your meeting space following your service(s) is a fun and great way to connect with first-time guests. In this episode, we explain why that's the case, and how to do it. We discuss how: It's unexpected It's fun It allows you to share some of your mission and vision It allows new people to meet each other It helps people familiarize themselves with your space (which is important even if it is small) Those a part of your church will know that when they invite their friends, there will be a space to ask any questions Never miss an episode Did you know that you can also subscribe to the podcast version of Practical Church Planting? Subscribe for free and never miss an episode! Appreciate the podcast? Please leave a rating and review, and even share it to help spread the word! Here's where you can subscribe: iTunes Google Play

What if you could impact your community in a big way every month without having to increase your budget? You can, with the $5 Give Club. Welcome to welcome to episode 14 of Practical Church Planting. The $5 Give Club is a great monthly outreach idea that doesn't cost the church any extra money and is something your people will love to get behind. In this episode, we share what it is, why you should do it (or something similar) and how you can make it happen. We discuss: How it increases generosity How people get to see the impact they made every month How people who are not part of your church can (and in our case have) participate How your people will love it and be proud of their church How it increases your outreach potentially without having to spend extra money or creating more systems Never miss an episode Did you know that you can also subscribe to the podcast version of Practical Church Planting? Subscribe for free and never miss an episode! Appreciate the podcast? Please leave a rating and review, and even share it to help spread the word! Here's where you can subscribe: iTunes Google Play

We all want to grow our small groups ministries (whatever you may call them), however, we believe multiplying groups is not the best option. Welcome to welcome to episode 13 of Practical Church Planting. It sounds counter-intuitive and seems to go against most of the advice we hear about small groups, but in this episode, we give you 5 reasons why multiplying small groups may not be the best thing for your groups ministry to grow and thrive. We also share our approach at New City. Here are the 5 reasons we advise against multiplying groups: It breaks up continuity It doesn't allow for deep relationships to develop People today need friends and friendships are hard to develop if you are always splitting groups apart It penalizes healthy groups Multiplying groups is extremely hard to do well, and very few churches do it successfully The show releases every Monday and Thursday morning Did you know that you can also subscribe to the podcast version of Practical Church Planting? Subscribe for free and never miss an episode! Appreciate the podcast? Please leave a rating and review, and even share it to help spread the word! Here's where you can subscribe: iTunes Google Play

Should you have membership at your church? In this episode, we focus on the practical (not theological) reasons why membership is good for churches. Welcome to welcome to episode 12 of Practical Church Planting. While we would encourage membership from a Biblical perspective, it also has a quite a few practical implications as well. In this episode, we talk about how it helps you: Explain your mission and vision more effectively With accountability among your people Know who is truly committed Financially Because people desire to be a part of something Create ownership for your people The show releases every Monday and Thursday morning Did you know that you can also subscribe to the podcast version of Practical Church Planting? Subscribe for free and never miss an episode! Appreciate the podcast? Please leave a rating and review, and even share it to help spread the word! Here's where you can subscribe: iTunes Google Play

Before your service begins, you should be intentional about when you open the doors to your auditorium. Welcome to welcome to episode 11 of Practical Church Planting. Keeping your auditorium (worship center, sanctuary, etc.) doors closed until a specific time before you service starts is a great idea, and share how we do it at New City Church. In this episode, we discuss a few reasons why you should try it: It creates energy There is momentum in movement People are more likely to sit next to each other It makes people talk to each other People are more likely to connect with someone The show releases every Monday and Thursday morning Did you know that you can also subscribe to the podcast version of Practical Church Planting? Subscribe for free and never miss an episode! Appreciate the podcast? Please leave a rating and review, and even share it to help spread the word! Here's where you can subscribe: iTunes Google Play

It may not seem like you need parking lot volunteers, but in this episode, we explain why they are so important. Welcome to welcome to episode 9 of Practical Church Planting. There are a number of reasons why having volunteers in your parking lot helping to park cars is vital to a great guest experience. Here are some of the reasons we discuss: It creates energy It shows you are prepared and expect people to arrive It's unexpected for non-church goers It helps people feel welcomed right away It creates fun It can help you sell your mission to your team The show releases every Monday and Thursday morning Did you know that you can also subscribe to the podcast version of Practical Church Planting? Subscribe for free and never miss an episode! Appreciate the podcast? Please leave a rating and review, and even share it to help spread the word! Here's where you can subscribe: iTunes Google Play

Every church needs more volunteers, but how do we balance that need with the need to make sure things are being done well? Welcome to welcome to episode 9 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. Even though all churches, and especially new churches, need all the help they can get. There is wisdom is still having a high bar of what to expect from volunteers. Here are some of the reasons why that we discuss in this episode: People notice straggles People will self-select out People want to be called to something greater First-time guest experience is huge Growing churches take this seriously The show releases every Monday and Thursday morning Did you know that you can also subscribe to the podcast version of Practical Church Planting? Subscribe for free and never miss an episode! Appreciate the podcast? Please leave a rating and review, and even share it to help spread the word! Here's where you can subscribe: iTunes Google Play