New Churches Podcast

Episode 765 Host Ed Stetzer teams back up with writer, professor, and missionary Trevin Wax to hone in on the ways theology impacts us as preachers, pastors, and planters. Tune in to discover how you’re already doing the work of a theologian… and why it’s time to lean into that calling upon your life. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Why your personal definition of “theologian” may be ready for an update The influence of church history and tradition upon our teachings today The ways theology can impact your daily walk with Christ—and your people’s, too! Sustainable rhythms of study for vocational and covocational pastors alike How diversifying your reading can help you better connect with your congregation Helpful Resources: Fred Sanders’ article: Sent, But Perfectly, But Really Interested in learning more? Start the free Preaching Masterclass. Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Shareable Quotes (#NewChurches): If you’re a pastor tasked with opening and expounding on God’s Word for the people He has entrusted to your care, you’re theologizing. — Trevin Wax If you’re having to get up and preach, you shouldn’t want to preach yourself; you should want to preach God’s Word. It begins with the basic, fundamental level of interpreting God’s Word faithfully. — Trevin Wax The pastor as theologian is not that you arrive; it’s that you’re continuing to sharpen your skills. — Ed Stetzer Theology, at the end of the day, is not so we can fill our minds with knowledge. It’s so we can bow our knees in humility toward God and know Him better. — Trevin Wax You’re shaping your congregation whether you realize it or not. Don’t you want to shape them in the best most God-glorifying way possible? — Trevin Wax Who you are theologically shapes who your congregation is theologically. Make sure that who you are theologically is well-grounded, balanced, and biblical. — Ed Stetzer The post The Preacher as Theologian appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 764 Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham spend some time with Strategic Renewal President Daniel Henderson to discuss the role of prayer in the pastor’s life and in the life of the church as a whole. Discover how you can grow your own appetite for prayer and lead your people to do the same. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: The transformational nature of prayer within Scripture How the prayer life of the early church was cultivated Why corporate prayer is essential to your congregation’s spiritual growth Steps for incorporating sustainable prayer rhythms into your Sunday services How the culture of the church begins with you as the pastor! Helpful Resources: Strategic Renewal’s Pastoral Network: The 6:4 Fellowship Interested in learning more? Start the free Preaching Masterclass Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): It has to be birthed in our own hearts that if we aren’t a praying church, we aren’t going to honor Christ, accomplish supernatural gospel advancement, or experience transformation. — Daniel Henderson We watch people pray and see the Spirit of God move in power, and we’re like, “Wow! What is this?” But then we read the Bible and realize that’s what New Testament Christianity looks like. — Vance Pitman There’s a difference between seeking revival from God and seeking God for revival. The only enduring motivation for prayer is that God is worthy to be sought, and that never changes. — Daniel Henderson There has to be a worship-based motivation in our prayer that keeps us in the fight. — Daniel Henderson When lost people attend a Christian church service, they actually expect us to talk to God and show them how they can do the same. When we relegate prayer to eloquent professionals on the stage, prayer becomes something unattainable for the average person. — Vance Pitman The post Creating a Culture of Prayer appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 763 Host Ed Stetzer teams back up with author, pastor, and leadership expert Eric Geiger to discuss the church’s responsibility to engage hard questions with applicable theological truth. Here’s how you can intentionally shepherd your people as they examine God’s Word and seek His heart for them in the process. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Ways to effectively navigate cultural shifts and philosophies How you can train your staff on pressing theological issues The gift that tension brings us in our most difficult pastoral moments Which topics to preach from the pulpit (or to save for your next discipleship class) Helpful advice for reaching the “unchurched” people in your pews Helpful Resources: Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Are you ready to enroll in our Church Planting Masterclass? Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): We find ourselves in a time when we can’t assume our people have a basic understanding of the gospel or on what the Bible teaches. — Ed Stetzer I want our people to know I’m responsible before the Lord for them to be discipled, to have a Christocentric view of the world, and to be theologically conversant in understanding key doctrines of the Christian life. — Eric Geiger What the church can offer now in a world that is so confused is to actually connect with the questions the culture’s asking; this is both theological and practical. — Eric Geiger We’re not just screaming at the culture; we’re equipping our people to answer questions with both truth and grace. — Eric Geiger Be careful before jumping into more complex topics because you want to walk your people through it wisely, biblically, and also in pastorally appropriate ways. — Ed Stetzer Approach hard conversations with tenderness and compassion the way Jesus approaches us. Say the truth but also show it in a beautiful and gracious way. — Eric Geiger The post Building a Theological Vision appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 762 Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham join with small group guru, leadership expert, and church planter Spence Shelton to dissect the issues faced within small groups, specifically pertaining to men’s involvement. Tune in to learn more about engaging the men in your church plant and creating spaces for authenticity within your discipleship models. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: The ways gender-specific groups benefit men within our congregations How simplicity aids us in discipleship planning Steps you can take to guide your layleaders well How you can address your men’s anxiety about joining a small group The secret to providing childcare within your church plant! Helpful Resources: Interested in learning more? Start the free Preaching Masterclass Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Shareable Quotes (#NewChurches): The Scriptures clearly taught that Paul wanted to make sure there were older men training up younger men in the church, pulling them aside and training them to walk as godly men. The same is true with older women needing to train up younger women. — Spence Shelton If nothing else—just out of obedience to God’s Word—if you’re a man with no male influences helping you walk with the Lord, you have to turn, look at Scripture, and recognize the deficit you’re missing. — Spence Shelton Men need to be in spaces with other men dealing with God’s Word. — Spence Shelton What were the disciples but a small group of 12 men who Jesus did life with for three-and-a-half years, raising them up, multiplying them out, and pouring into them? — Vance Pitman We want everybody to be involved in intentionally gospel-centered relationships. So, depending on our people’s demographics in life, we provide different groups because discipleship is what matters for us; it’s the product, not the methodology, to get there. — Noah Oldham The post Small Groups for Men appeared first on New Churches.

Author, pastor, and leadership expert Eric Geiger joins host Ed Stetzer to discuss the inevitability of change in church planting. They explore adjusting approaches to change, lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, relating to layleaders through change, and the essential role of encouragement in leadership.

Episode 760 Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham spend some time with pastor, author, and discipleship consultant Spence Shelton to uncover the role community groups play in the life of the local church. Tune in to discover how you can cultivate more group-centric rhythms while furthering the gospel’s reach within your own community. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How NOT to start up a groups ministry in your new church plant The importance of meeting and empowering your people where they are Three qualities to look for in your small group leaders Why your plant needs a disciple-making mentality What you can do to avoid lay-leadership burnout! Helpful Resources: Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Are you ready to enroll in our Church Planting Masterclass? Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): Clarity creates confidence, so give leaders clarity on what their expectations are. That’s going to give them the confidence to carry it out. — Spence Shelton We plant because healthy churches plant churches and healthy groups plant groups. — Spence Shelton We want to keep reaching people with the gospel. So, whenever you want to make disciples and reach lost people, that’s when you plant community groups. — Spence Shelton We have to think multiplication at every level, and that’s not just multiplication of churches. It’s multiplication of disciples, which means multiplication of groups. — Vance Pitman It’s not driven just by a systematized approach; if we’re not careful, we can make this a math equation. This is the activity of God in making disciples and multiplying churches for the expansion of His kingdom. — Vance Pitman That’s what we’re after: making disciples. The Lord is the One who gives the growth. We are just here to seed and water, and as we see the Lord growing, we harvest. — Spence Shelton The post Starting Small Groups in a New Church appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 759 Host Ed Stetzer meets with Lifeway’s Director of Leadership Todd Adkins to explore the relationship between the body of Christ—the church—and its next generation of young leaders. Tune in to discover so much more about the church’s responsibility in leading and serving its Gen Z counterparts. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: The importance of growing young leaders’ competence and confidence How to help Gen Z-ers navigate the uncertainties of ministry and leadership What the next generation desires from their church leadership Why we’re called to pave the way forward for the future church What you can learn from the Next Gen members in your congregation! Helpful Resources: Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Are you ready to enroll in our Church Planting Masterclass? Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): Gen Z seems to lack the confidence of older generations. They’re just as competent, smart, and bright, but they need more encouragement. They need to be brought along and encouraged to lead. — Todd Adkins We are finding that the next generation is slower to commit to a local congregation, and part of that is their negative perception of the scandals and struggles of the church. — Ed Stetzer Gen Z-ers don’t often see the church as a healthy place to exercise their spiritual growth, nor do they see it as a place to grow and develop as a leader. We have to seize that opportunity relationally, authentically, and in community. — Ed Stetzer We’re coming from a completely different generation and perspective. We have to understand that they’re not going to take the same path we did and that the expectations they feel are different as well. — Todd Adkins We need to be personal and patient with the next generation as we bring them along. If we’re not taking them anywhere, they’re not just going to show up anymore. — Todd Adkins The post Leadership Development for the Next Generation appeared first on New Churches.

Learn how leaders should respond to mistakes and the importance of owning, admitting, reconciling, and fixing the situation. Explore the impact of honest apologies and the growth opportunities that come from recognizing and learning from failures. Discover the importance of grace, forgiveness, and having an entrepreneurial spirit in leadership. delve into the topic of pride, humility in prayer, and the warning signs of leadership failure in ministry. Emphasis on loving the Lord wholeheartedly and finishing well.

Leadership mistakes discussed include the power of desperation in prayer, the impact of a gospel culture, and the correlation between church planting and family. Financial planning and the need for a strong leadership structure are also highlighted.

Episode 756 Host Ed Stetzer meets with leadership extraordinaire Todd Adkins to dive into the ways the pandemic has impacted our leaders’ discipleship and development. Tune in to learn how you can empower your people to better lead through intentional relationships. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: What culture, leadership, and the weather all have in common The importance of interpersonal connection within the church How to move your people toward personal and congregational growth The ways you can intentionally sow seed for a harvest season Why honing in on discipleship and development is a must! Helpful Resources: Interested in learning more? Start the free Preaching Masterclass Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): We’re living in a world where criticism is at a higher level. We’re also having to set different patterns and rhythms and are needing reservoirs of resilience at higher levels. — Ed Stetzer People kept talking about a new normal, but it never came. The normalization is really inconsistency, not the predictability that we once had. — Todd Adkins The challenges of leading in chaotic times mean that the levers you used to be able to pull to move things have shifted, so the structure and systems that were familiar to you and that you relied on are gone. — Todd Adkins At the end of the day, it’s about relationship. I’m a result of good and godly people who couldn’t have asked you a good coaching question to save their lives. — Todd Adkins The fruit of a volunteer is another volunteer; the fruit of a leader is another leader. — Todd Adkins Men were Jesus’ method, and it really hasn’t changed that much. We think that we need to shift everything, but we just need to find a different way to do what we know has worked in the past. — Todd Adkins The post Leadership Challenges Post-Pandemic appeared first on New Churches.