New Churches Podcast

Episode 755 Host Ed Stetzer meets with writer, professor, and missionary Trevin Wax to discuss the responsibility of preachers and teachers to further the knowledge of their craft. Listen to learn why the congregation, culture, and context you shepherd deserve more of your intellectual attention. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How to grow your mental stamina The importance of diversifying the content you consume Why your “shortcuts” assist your greatest gains How to capture the hearts, minds, and imaginations of your people The biggest self-assessment question to ask yourself 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): Spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and intellectually, there’s a workout required for preaching, so you must have the right calorie intake for the right kind of output. — Trevin Wax An ongoing intellectual stimulation is helpful for anyone who is teaching and preaching God’s Word. — Ed Stetzer Part of the learning process is having something to offer through reading and listening to other great preachers and podcasts, while also getting to know the people God has called you to teach and shepherd. — Trevin Wax Do we want to be wise and experienced with sermons that are fresh, full of insight, marked by the fragrance of Jesus, and with truth beautifully expressed? If so, then we must take steps now. — Trevin Wax Not everyone’s a missiologist, but we should all be missionary-minded and inclined. — Ed Stetzer Just like we’ve got to take care of our bodies, we must take care of our minds. We may have to shuffle our priorities to make it happen, but if we want to be ever-learning, we will prioritize it. — Trevin Wax The post The Ever-Learning Preacher appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 754 Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham join Brad Lomenick for the second installment of their discussion on humble, hungry, and hustle-driven leadership. Listen as they delve even further into the topic of church-planting leader development, especially through the lens of healthy hunger and how rest can take you further in your hustle. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Where to find zeal and wisdom in your discipleship development Tips for finding joy within your church-planting journey Why curiosity in one of your greatest assets in leadership How rest is correlated to obedience Why you may be feeling burned out Helpful Resources: Brad’s book: H3 Leadership: Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle. 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): A lot of church planters assume they have to become pastors, but the reality is that Paul never pastored any of the churches he planted. He was the planter and apostolic missionary who raised up leaders. — Vance Pitman When you ask a good question, you honor the person you’re asking, and you’re saying to them, “I’m really interested and want to know more.” — Brad Lomenick Hunger doesn’t take skill or know-how, but it does take experience. It’s the mindset of walking into every environment with a posture of asking questions compared to just giving answers. — Brad Lomenick Leadership is not sitting in a room with a whiteboard and dreaming up something great for God; it’s about living in dependence and in pursuit of Him, seeking what He’s doing in the world, and then leveraging our lives to get in on it. — Vance Pitman Church planting requires hard work and a generation of leaders who are saying, “I’m willing to do the hard things.” — Noah Oldham The post H3 Leader: Part 2 appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 753 Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham spend time with author, speaker, and consultant Brad Lomenick examining the impact of humble, hungry, and hustle-driven leadership within the church planting context. Here’s how you can level up your personal and professional development as you seek to become the planter and leader whom God has wired you to be. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: The impact of generationally-led discipleship and development Tips for steering your team further in the direction of their callings How to find the balance between your work ethic and rest ethic Why self-awareness is key in your own personal development How humility transforms your faith in God’s faithfulness Helpful Resources: Brad’s book: H3 Leadership: Be Humble. Stay Hungry. Always Hustle. 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): Leaders are often utility players who wear a lot of hats, meaning they probably have a number of areas where they can and do need to grow. — Noah Oldham It’s so easy to let your identity get wrapped up in what you do instead of who you are in Christ. Leadership isn’t a destination we reach; it’s a posture we cultivate. — Vance Pitman Psalm 33 says, “The plans of the Lord are from generation to generation,” meaning we’re simply stewarding something that belongs to Him and that it’s going to continue in the next generation. — Vance Pitman I’m always looking for transparency, vulnerability, authenticity, honesty, and self-awareness when it comes to humility. I want now more than ever to follow that kind of leader today. In the old days, it was “fake it ‘til you make it,” but today’s young leaders will see right through that. — Brad Lomenick When it comes to calling and assignment, you have to find what that God has wired you to do, as well as what you’re passionate about. When you find this talent, passion, and connection all undergirded by God’s story, that’s when you are in the sweet spot. — Brad Lomenick The post H3 Leader: Part 1 appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 752 Host Ed Stetzer meets with Tony Merida and Adam Muhtaseb to discuss the complex yet essential relationship between church plants and their sending churches. Listen to learn more about establishing a sending culture within your own congregation, as well as how to partner with planters in a healthy way. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Tips for creating a church-wide lifestyle of abiding on mission How to raise up sending leaders from inside your church The importance of setting healthy expectations How to foster a thriving relationship with those you’ve partnered with Why your calendar prioritization matters 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): When we’re all in to see the gospel change our society, there are no sidelines. — Adam Muhtaseb When you create a sending culture—like the church in Antioch who sent people who sent people–your people will end up being a missionary force. — Adam Muhtaseb Every church plant should have time set aside for Ephesians 4’s equipping the saints to do the work at the ministry. Our job is not to do ministry, but to equip the saints who do the work of the ministry. — Adam Muhtaseb As a sending church, we want to help our planters theologically think through ecclesiology and contextualization. We want to care for their souls and make sure they’re ministering out of spiritual health—not merely out of gifting or hard work. — Tony Merida The best kind of sending church sends from a context with a similar passion for church planting. So, church-planting churches become church-planting churches. — Ed Stetzer The post Sending Churches: From Parent to Partner appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 751 Hosts Ed Stetzer and Trevin Wax sit down to discuss the life and impact of Dr. Tim Keller. Known for his many roles as an author, pastor, apologist, and evangelist, he was also an esteemed urban missionary to New York City and beyond. Listen to learn more about Dr. Keller’s legacy in transforming the world of church planting as we know it. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Dr. Keller’s influence on urban missions The significance of his missionary mindset in pastoral ministry How cultural engagement shifted his approach to church planting What grieved Dr. Keller about modern evangelism Why he didn’t recommend his early preaching style be replicated Helpful Resources: Ed Stetzer Live episode about Tim Keller: The Legacy of Tim Keller Trevin Wax’s article on Tim Keller: Tim Keller into the Sunset (1950–2023) Trevin Wax’s article on contextualization: Let’s Contextualize Tim Keller Reconstructing Faith last episode: It’s Time to Rebuild Book by Tim Keller: Center Church Church Leaders article on Tim Keller: “Above All, He Loved Jesus” 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): Tim loved church planting, and he loved church planters. — Ed Stetzer Keller’s concern was that everybody had their own medicine they were in love with and that they were constantly belittling other people’s medicines for an ailing church and culture. — Trevin Wax Tim was one of the first people to say that if you’re going to learn contextualization, you have to be an exegete of the culture and of the Scriptures so that you can bring the Scriptures into what you know.  — Trevin Wax What I love about Tim’s work is that he didn’t just tell you what to do; he taught you how to think like a missionary. — Trevin Wax Tim would say that you want to present Christianity in such a way that people who aren’t believers want it to be true. That comes out in his preaching and theological vision for ministry as well. — Trevin Wax Tim Keller’s church planting was driven by evangelizing secular people. That’s the future, and that’s where we’ve got to learn. — Ed Stetzer The post The Legacy of Tim Keller on Church Planting appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 750 Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham team back up with The Hub Urban Ministries’ Cassie Hammett to share how your church can take the next step in serving the most vulnerable populations in your city. Here’s how you can mobilize your people to live on mission while creating space for all who may come to believe in the name of Jesus. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How trauma impacts discipleship Why sustainability in outreach matters The role of leadership in reaching the lost Tips to determine your church’s serving capacity Why a missionary mindset is your greatest asset Helpful Resources: Article: The Six Principles of Trauma-Informed Care eBook: Establish a Local Ministry 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): The city is where God has called us, and the church is the tool He established to engage the city with the gospel. —  Vance Pitman The churches that have the biggest impact among vulnerable populations are the ones showing up with their pastors and leadership there, saying, “Come do this with me.” — Cassie Hammett The ultimate goal of engagement among vulnerable populations would be that they find a spot to belong in your church body. — Cassie Hammett For something to make any sort of impact in serving vulnerable populations sustainably, biblically, and holistically takes a really long time. — Cassie Hammett You have to assess what we are and who we are. Think about it in two lanes: resources and relationships. What are the resources we have, and what are the relationships we are connected to? —  Vance Pitman We want the gospel to be the answer for someone who’s gone through trauma. — Cassie Hammett The post Trauma-Informed Care in Your Church: Response appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 749 Host Ed Stetzer meets with Tony Merida and Adam Muhtaseb to discuss the ins and outs of preaching within the church-planting context. Here’s how you can find your rhythm as a pastor, preacher, and planter. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Why sincerity from the pulpit matters Tips for establishing your rhythms of preaching How to engage the unbelieving and disconnected The role of current events in our preaching Why your new church plant may need comfy seats! Helpful Resources: Adam’s Church Plant: Redemption City Church Baltimore 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): Cast vision or values at the beginning. Treat your beginning series as more of an onramp series for those who are not familiar with the Bible. Walk through it together. — Ed Stetzer Church is a family; it’s not just an event. — Adam Muhtaseb When we go to church, we assume lost people don’t want to hear the Bible, but we have found that when we preach verse by verse through the text, engage their questions, and preach Christ from the text, lost people keep coming. — Adam Muhtaseb You have to mingle with unbelievers during the week, and that will impact how you address them in the course of the sermon.  — Tony Merida When thinking about addressing unbelievers, one of the things we’re trying to do in Christ-centered preaching is show people the grand narrative. Most people coming in have no idea that the Bible is a unified book. — Adam Muhtaseb A certain power comes through a sincere preacher when there’s an alignment between their life and their preaching. No one expects you to be sinless, of course, but it’s important that they see a real trustworthiness. — Tony Merida The post The Seasons of Preaching for a Pastor appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 748 Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham meet with The Hub Urban Ministries’ Cassie Hammett to discuss how you can best assess the needs of the most vulnerable populations in your midst. From your church pews to the city streets, here’s how you can take trauma-informed care to the next level. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How to assess and invest in the needs of your city Tips for establishing relationships across sociocultural divides How you can extend Christlike compassion to the world How to redefine “vulnerability” as you know it Why relational equity matters Helpful Resources: Article: The Six Principles of Trauma-Informed Care eBook: Establish a Local Ministry 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): Trauma-informed care is engaging others as people as you’re engaging them with the gospel. It’s understanding that people have all kinds of past histories that they bring into the discipleship process. —Noah Oldham Anytime people gather on a Sunday for a service, that room is full of people who have a history of trauma. It’s not just vulnerable populations that experience trauma. —Cassie Hammett A lot of vulnerability exists even outside of material poverty. It is incredibly helpful to have a wider lens for who might be experiencing vulnerability. If your lens is dialed in too tightly, it could keep you from seeing the people who most need to be seen in your community. —Cassie Hammett  Jesus saw the multitudes and felt compassion. That word “see” there means “to see and understand, to identify with, and to perceive.” —Vance Pitman When you approach vulnerable populations from an asset-based perspective, you’re asking, “What do they already have? What can they contribute? What do they have to say about what’s happening in the city?” —Cassie Hammett To move the needle for the vulnerable requires far more people at the table than just that population. It requires trust at every level of your city. —Cassie Hammett What keeps tragic from becoming traumatic is our relationships. We all have tragedies, but when we have a relationship network around us, it keeps those tragedies from becoming traumatic. —Vance Pitman The post Trauma-Informed Care in Your Church: Assessment appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 747 What is the next generation looking for in discipleship relationships? Host Ed Stetzer chats with Shane Pruitt and Catherine Renfro on how we can effectively meet Gen Zs with the gospel of Jesus Christ and equip them to make disciples themselves. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How to address the challenges of Next Gen discipleship Why prayer is essential for effective evangelism Tips for bridging generational divides How you can model authentic discipleship Engaging the next generation with true gospel hope 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): With Gen Z, there’s an appreciation for boldness and conviction. Even if they don’t agree with what you’re saying, if they think you believe what you’re saying, there is an ear there. — Shane Pruitt College and high school students are over fluff and puff; they are looking for spirit and truth. — Shane Pruitt One of the best things we can do is help them remember that their whole purpose is to know Jesus, but also to make Him known. — Catherine Renfro It’s a game changer for students when we can help them see that God can not only use them to make an eternal difference in the lives of their friends, but that He will use them if they’re simply willing and available. — Catherine Renfro Students want to live with a purpose for a purpose, and they want to have influence. — Catherine Renfro The post Evangelizing the Next Generation appeared first on New Churches.

Episode 746 We talk about “mobilizing the church” but what do that really mean? Noah Oldham, Vance Pitman, and Matt Carter talk about unleashing the church to join in God’s mission. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How churches can partner to plant healthy multiplying churches Why mobilization requires intentionality and collaboration What “starting small” looks like The “dirty little secret” about mobilizing your church How to make excitement contagious  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): The church doesn’t do missions. The church is born for the mission. As pastors and leaders, our job is to unleash the church for joining in the mission of God. —Vance Pitman Go find in the New Testament where a church did missions by itself. You won’t find it. There’s a there’s a power in coming together for the sake of mobilization. —Matt Carter You have to think about starting small in two areas. First of all, at the micro level, helping them begin to see themselves as a missionary. Then at the macro level, organizing events where you can mobilize the church. —Vance Pitman One of the most attractional things is a church that’s not just focusing on its own personal growth but on sending people. —Matt Carter The size of the church doesn’t determine the significance of the church. The size of the mission determines the significance of the church. The mission is big so you don’t have to be a big church to take this step. —Vance Pitman When I painted the picture clearly for the congregation and called them to it is when people were most likely to move. —Matt Carter I’ve never seen a church too mobilized. The church is community on mission. —Vance Pitman The post How to Mobilize Your Church appeared first on New Churches.