
Practical Church
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.
Latest episodes

Oct 26, 2022 • 27min
PCP 299: 6 Ways To Spread The Word About Events
How can you keep everyone at your church in the loop with things your church has going on? In this episode, we share 6 ways to spread the word about events at your church. Welcome to episode 299 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 ways we discuss in this episode: Facebook events Upcoming events on the homepage of your website Small group leader guide All church text Instagram post that can be shared as a story Bathroom graphic ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done. We come alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need. So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission. It’s possible to love being a pastor again. 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.

Oct 19, 2022 • 51min
PCP 298: Answering Your Ministry Questions
In this episode, we answer ministry questions asked in our Practical Church Planting Facebook group. Welcome to episode 298 of Practical Church Planting. ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done. We come alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need. So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission. It’s possible to love being a pastor again. 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.

Oct 12, 2022 • 28min
PCP 297: 5 Ways To Avoid Ministry Burnout
Life and ministry can have its stressors and difficulties, but there are things you can do to remain healthy in ministry. In this episode, we share 5 practical things you can do to avoid burnout in ministry. Welcome to episode 297 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 5 things we discuss in this episode: Have a hobby Don't worry about what people think about your purchases Proactively plan time for yourself, your spouse, and your kids Set work boundaries Go ta ministry gathering/conference ---------------------------------------- Get more done and be less stressed If you want some highly practical tips and resources on productivity, check out dylandodson.com/productivity. There you'll find Dylan's latest productivity resources, as well as his weekly newsletter The Best Minute. 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.

Oct 5, 2022 • 34min
PCP 296: 6 Ways To Get More Sign Ups
There are many various things happening at your church that people can sign up for. Be it groups, serving, an event, and more. In this episode, we share 6 specific ways you can get more people to sign up at your church. Welcome to episode 296 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 things we discuss in this episode: Make it possible to sign up when you mention it Be very clear what to do with the sign up No guilt, tell them why Push sign ups with a deadline Plan to push sign ups for a couple of weeks in a row Short code texting with keywords ---------------------------------------- Get more done and be less stressed If you want some highly practical tips and resources on productivity, check out dylandodson.com/productivity. There you'll find Dylan's latest productivity resources, as well as his weekly newsletter The Best Minute. 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.

Sep 28, 2022 • 44min
PCP 295: 7 Church Growth Strategies That Work
All of us want to see more people meet Jesus and grow in a relationship with him. In this episode, we share 7 practical things you can do at your church to see that happen. Welcome to episode 295 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 7 strategies we discuss in this episode: Talk about inviting people from stage often Grow your YouTube presence Have an engaging online presence Do proactive follow up Mention new guests every Sunday Explain everything Digital next steps ---------------------------------------- Ambassadors Ministries If you wish you had a large paid staff and more leaders that could give dedicated time to the mission of your church, check about Ambassadors Ministries. At no cost to your church, they will coach your leaders to fundraise full, part-time, or supplemental salary and support you in all the administrative tasks of fundraising, so you can remain focused on the hard work of ministry. Check out ambassadorsministries.com/practical for more information. 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.

Sep 21, 2022 • 43min
PCP 294: 7 Things In Your Life That Need Proactive Boundaries
If you want to be healthy in ministry, there are certain things in your life that you need to be proactive about instead of reactive to. In this episode, we discuss 7 things in your life that need proactive boundaries. Welcome to episode 294 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 7 boundaries we discuss in this episode: Porn Social media/phone use Reading Time off/away Prayer Time with your spouse Email ---------------------------------------- Ambassadors Ministries If you wish you had a large paid staff and more leaders that could give dedicated time to the mission of your church, check about Ambassadors Ministries. At no cost to your church, they will coach your leaders to fundraise full, part-time, or supplemental salary and support you in all the administrative tasks of fundraising, so you can remain focused on the hard work of ministry. Check out ambassadorsministries.com/practical for more information. 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.

Sep 14, 2022 • 35min
PCP 293: 6 Helpful Ministry Tips You Might Not Know About
Sometimes in life, ministry, and/or work you hear things that sound obvious, but still is something you hadn't thought of before. In this episode, we share 6 helpful tips for ministry that you can do, some of which you might not have realized. Welcome to episode 293 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 tips we discuss in this episode: Childcare reimbursement Flexible PTO Dream about what you want to do You can be friends with people in your church You can set a healthy schedule Personal invitations > general asks ---------------------------------------- Ambassadors Ministries If you wish you had a large paid staff and more leaders that could give dedicated time to the mission of your church, check about Ambassadors Ministries. At no cost to your church, they will coach your leaders to fundraise full, part-time, or supplemental salary and support you in all the administrative tasks of fundraising, so you can remain focused on the hard work of ministry. Check out ambassadorsministries.com/practical for more information. 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.

Sep 7, 2022 • 24min
PCP 292: 5 Questions You Get When You're An Established Church
While there are certain repeated questions new churches get, there are different repeated questions you get when your church becomes more established. In this episode, we discuss 5 questions you get often as an established church. Welcome to episode 292 of Practical Church Planting. Ambassadors Ministries If you wish you had a large paid staff and more leaders that could give dedicated time to the mission of your church, check about Ambassadors Ministries. At no cost to your church, they will coach your leaders to fundraise full, part-time, or supplemental salary and support you in all the administrative tasks of fundraising, so you can remain focused on the hard work of ministry. Check out ambassadorsministries.com/practical for more information. 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.

Aug 31, 2022 • 35min
PCP 291: 6 Questions You Get When You're A New Church
When you're a new (or newer) church, there are a few questions you will get often. In this episode we discuss 6 of those questions and how you can think about answering them. Welcome to episode 291 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 questions we discuss in this episode: Why you choose the name of your church What is your (typically the lead pastor) education? Who your church is associated with What the vision of your church is What type of church you are Assuming there isn't much for you to do ------------------------------------------- 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.

Aug 24, 2022 • 29min
PCP 290: 6 Tips For Running Small Groups
Many churches have some sort of group ministry at their church. Regardless of how they function at your church, there are a few principles that are universal in their helpfulness. In this episode, we share 6 of those tips. Welcome to episode 290 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 tips we discuss in this episode: Provide a leader guide or curriculum for your group leaders Schedule a couple of breaks throughout the year Track attendance Share announcements in the leader guide Cap your groups and don't force multiplication Push group sign-ups when breaks end ------------------------------------------- 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.