New Churches Podcast

Host Tony Merida meets backs up with longtime friend and Baltimore Send City Missionary Adam Muhtaseb to share their experiences with intentionally discipling the members of their church plants. Listen in to discover how you can embrace new pathways of discipleship in the life of your church and demystify the process along the way. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How to define “discipleship” for new and seasoned believers alike The role of the leaders versus that of the congregation in making disciples The importance of diversity and flexibility when engaging your people in spiritual growth How to institute and articulate the stages of discipleship development to your congregation The value of establishing both relationships and processes for your organization’s culture of discipleship Helpful Resources: Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here. Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): As we think about the Great Commission, we know that Jesus’ last command to make disciples really should occupy first place in our minds and hearts as we move among the nations trying to do just that. — Tony Merida The good news is that this is fixed. It’s going to happen. Jesus is going to make you like Himself, and what a good gift to us. — Adam Muhtaseb Discipling new converts versus people who have been Christians for a while is different. We have to accommodate new believers where they’re at and shepherd them along. Really healthy churches have good places to put new converts. — Tony Merida The lead planter pastor cannot do it all. It takes the congregation, the community of faith. One of the things that new believers need is not programs or structures as much as they need relationships with mature Christians. — Tony Merida In our American culture, we overemphasize the classes and the books, but there’s not enough emphasis on our dinner tables and the conversations we have around them. — Adam Muhtaseb We can be great at teaching ecclesiology, missiology, and Christology. We can be great at developing the head and the hands, yet not so great at developing the heart. — Adam Muhtaseb The post Creating a Discipleship Pathway appeared first on New Churches.

Hosts Vance Pitman and Jeff Medders reunite with Aaron Cavin, the pastor, planter, and Send Network city missionary to Boston, Massachusetts. Tune in as they discuss the intricacies of developing a sending church culture and how you can help your people live sent as they think multiplication from the earliest days of your church plant. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: The core characteristics of a multiplying church in today’s ministry contexts How to view your ministry role in light of your mission to multiply disciples Ways to navigate the hurdles and complexities of sending your best people out on mission How multiplication impacts our communities, congregations, and immediate households as church planters What a sending culture means for the overall atmosphere of your church Helpful Resources: The Sending Church Masterclass Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here. Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): Too many churches in North America view multiplication as an optional program for the church. When you look at the New Testament, though, the mission demands disciples and churches that multiply. — Vance Pitman Culture precedes calling. If you think somebody will randomly self-identify as a planter in a church without a culture of multiplication, you’re six steps behind. Before you multiply churches, you should get really good at multiplying disciples. — Aaron Cavin The question for us is not just “How do we get as many people as we can into our building?” but “How are we creating a culture that is more about scattering than gathering?” — Aaron Cavin God births churches to accomplish His mission, which is both local and global. You have to cast a compelling kingdom vision that is bigger than a church, city, or even a nation. It’s about God’s global movement happening all over the world. — Vance Pitman We would tell every person joining our church, “If you join our church, we’re going to do everything we can to talk you into leaving.” Part of that was building a sending culture that didn’t bring you here to just allow you to stay. — Vance Pitman It’s okay to be sad. It means that you are all in, living with heart, and passionate about your relationships. You should feel a bit of a tension as we separate because there is a little bit of death. — Aaron Cavin The post Becoming a Church that Multiplies appeared first on New Churches.

Host Tony Merida teams back up with rural pastor and planter Will Basham to discuss how you and your team can best navigate the pressures and polarization of politics amidst another election year. Tune in to discover your pastoral responsibility as a preacher within your church planting context and how you and your congregation can be people of peace in chaotic times. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Lessons learned from pastoring in 2020 The importance of positioning the gospel first in all things Why we must be discipled by the Word of God rather than by the world God created Postures and principles to consider as you shepherd your flock with Christ’s truth How you can create spaces for healthy, civil dialogue away from the pulpit Helpful Resources: Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here. Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): It’s important that we look at our preaching and ask, “Am I making things political that aren’t political in the text? Or am I making things political because the text mandates it?” — Will Basham If we step into the pulpit fearful of all the emails we’ll get on Monday, we’re not going to be faithful to what the Word of God says. Let Scripture be our guide, not the modern controversy or whatever’s hot on the news right now. — Will Basham We have to agree in the Lord and be willing to admit that while we have some disagreements, there’s one thing we won’t disagree on, and we’ll stand united on the gospel. — Will Basham It’s the gospel that’s uniting us, and we can show the world a better way of having civil dialogue: to have an open Bible and an open heart as we engage one another. — Tony Merida Jesus is king, and His kingdom is real and is coming. While we don’t minimize the importance of politics, we are also not idolizing them either. We’re exalting Jesus in the midst of all of it. — Tony Merida The post Pastoring Through Politics appeared first on New Churches.

Host Ed Stetzer teams back up with pastor and planter Dean Fulks to discuss the relational highs and lows of sending out your best people to plant new churches. Discover the impact of grace-fueled, vision-driven leadership on your congregation as you multiply your church’s DNA for the purpose of the Great Commission. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How to count the cost of sending out core teams from among your own people The joys of leading God’s people to follow His plans for His church Ways to address the cultural, social, and theological issues that arise with church multiplication in the modern age Why unity and collaboration are essential for the work of planting healthy churches in your community How to process the pain of loss—personally and corporately—when it comes to the work of multiplication Helpful Resources: Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here. Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): When you send a large group, you can plant a pastor and a church at the same time, and it is statistically far more effective than “parachute drop” church planting. — Ed Stetzer Sometimes, it’s hard to convince established churches to plant new churches because it’s less costly to send money and let some entrepreneurial young couple go out and plant the new church than it is to send some of their own people away. — Ed Stetzer If our church is sending, we try and multiply out 10% of our congregational number on Sundays. I talk about it like it’s an injury. It takes time to heal. — Dean Fulks The cost of the mission is offset by the vision of the mission. — Dean Fulks When you invite a friend to go to church 10, 15, or even 20 miles away, they’re like, “Why do I have to drive there? Why can’t I just go to church in my own community?” You answer so many of those culture community questions by sending into that community. — Dean Fulks I have supported church plants of other denominations, and I’d love to see more of them. But when a plant is “birthed” from our own church, it tends to be more theologically aligned. By raising people up, you have fewer of those differences. — Ed Stetzer The post The Joy/Tensions in Church Multiplication appeared first on New Churches.

Hosts Vance Pitman and Jeff Medders meet up with Aaron Cavin, the pastor, planter, and Send Network city missionary to Boston. Listen in as they discuss their own experiences in being part of a church planting network, as well as what drew them into serving at Send Network. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: A church planting network’s role in the greater, global, and eternal redemptive mission of God Why money is not the be-all and end-all for church planters’ needs How you can maximize your ministry efforts locally by refusing to plant your church alone The nonnegotiables of an effective church planting network The three biggest pitfalls of church planters on the field today Helpful Resources: Send Network Gatherings Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here. Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): “We don’t need to come up with a plan of how to accomplish the mission of God. Jesus gave us a plan, and it’s rooted and grounded in the text of Scripture.” — Vance Pitman “Money by itself is not going to be enough to sustain you. There have been plenty of pastors and planters who had all the resources in the world but still didn’t make it. And part of it is that we are not going to have enough money to buy the kingdom.” — Aaron Cavin “The greatest benefit of a network is that God’s dream, God’s dream for your city is bigger than your dream for your church, and he wants more for your city than what your church can deliver.” — Aaron Cavin “Me planting a successful church in Boston is too small of vision to give my life to. I want to see Boston saturated with the gospel.” — Aaron Cavin “Brotherhood, community, movement—those things are built, not found. If you’re going to be a part of a network, you have to be all in. Don’t be a fan of your network. Be a part of it and jump in with both feet.” — Aaron Cavin The post Why Every Planter Needs a Network appeared first on New Churches.

Host Tony Merida chats with rural pastor and planter Will Basham to discuss the advantages of church membership, not only for the church but for its people, too. Tune in to discover how you can take discipleship to the next level by engaging your congregation through the process of church membership. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How church membership finds its place in today’s cultural and religious landscape Ways to champion this element of church life from the pulpit and platform The scriptural basis for church membership and commitment How to choose the right membership process for your own church context The benefits of being known and loved by the local expression of the body of Christ Helpful Resources: Will’s book: Rural Mission: Insights from a Rural Church Planter Tony’s Book: Love Your Church: 8 Great Things about Being a Church Member Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here. Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): Being committed and loyal and remaining in community even when it’s not pleasant is a biblical principle and a good value for us to hold individually as we step into something collectively. – Will Basham The idea of church discipline really falls apart without some kind of membership setup, and the idea of accountability with brothers and sisters in Christ crumbles without real membership. – Will Basham I’m going to have to stand before Jesus one day and give an account for the people in my care. If there’s no membership, the question is “Who’s in my care?” That gray area is eliminated by having formal membership. – Will Basham Some people think of membership negatively, but the church wants to care for you. We want you to be a part of us, not just some mindless formality. There’s a real spiritual blessing there because you need to use your gifts and the church needs your gifts. – Tony Merida You show that you’re part of the universal church by identifying with a particular local church the same way you show that you’re spiritually united to Jesus by actually walking with Him. – Tony Merida The post Why Church Membership Matters appeared first on New Churches.

Darryl Speers, Send Relief missionary to Los Angeles, shares insights on engaging the city with the gospel, building personal relationships, and the significance of Jesus' name in urban ministry. Learn how eavesdropping can aid in evangelism and why community engagement is essential for effective church planting.

Host Tony Merida returns with his long-time friend and colleague Dr. Doug Logan to discuss the latter’s joys, challenges, and success stories of ministry within the urban context. Tune in to discover the creative ways in which you can engage your urban community with the hope of Christ’s gospel. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: The most effective means of gathering data for your neighborhood Ways to leverage your digital platform for community engagement and awareness Proactive methods of engaging crisis within your congregation and context The impact of gathering in a fragmented community culture What gospel confidence and consistency can do for your urban ministry endeavors Helpful Resources: Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here. Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): When the Holy Ghost sends you somewhere, He equips you with a focus and a calling. — Doug Logan Many people in the inner cities believe in some sort of God. They want to know if He brings dignity, honor, and value. Does He look like them and love them for who they are and the uniqueness of their race, history, and personhood? These are their questions. — Doug Logan Urban church planters are dying on the vine because they get out there bringing a Eurocentric philosophy of apologetics, and then they can’t handle it. So, we have to equip them with relevant gospel engagement, and they have to put in the work. — Doug Logan The problem is not just poverty, but it’s also theology. Everybody has a theology, and it often gets superimposed on poor people who are vulnerable and in need. — Doug Logan The pastor and church planter in the city has to step up and be in His Bible. He’s got to spend less time on the blog and more time on the block. — Doug Logan Being in those places of crisis, one of the things we pray for and want to exemplify is a steady confidence in our God and to allow the peace of God to be a characteristic of our leadership, to be a steady leader in chaotic times. — Tony Merida The post Innovative Outreach Strategies in Urban Ministry appeared first on New Churches.

Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham discuss their shared experiences of engaging the powerhouse of their church planting endeavors: prayer. Tune in to learn more about these prayer-fueled opportunities disguised as challenges from the first days of your church plant and beyond. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: Why desperation for the Father is a key marker of Jesus’ church How to cultivate the hard ground of your mission field through communing with God How intercession impacts your congregation’s ongoing gatherings Ways to implement prayer into every aspect of your Sunday and Wednesday services Two prayers that will pave the way for your church plant to engage your community! Helpful Resources: Daniel Henderson’s Old Paths, New Power John Franklin’s And the Place was Shaken Jim Cymbala’s Fresh Wind, Fresh Fire and Spirit Rising Henry Blackaby and Claude V. King’s book Experiencing God The 6:4 Fellowship Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here. Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): There is no power in prayer, but there is much power in the One to whom we pray. If we really believe that God’s mission is accomplished by God’s power through God’s Spirit, we must live in dependence on Him. – Vance Pitman If we want to see God move in North America, it’s not going to be a matter of strategy, manpower, philosophy, or missiology. Until we see our desperation manifested in His people crying out to Him, we’re not going to see God move in power. – Vance Pitman God moves through the prayers of His people, so we want to help church planters get prayer into their DNA from their earliest days. – Noah Oldham Rather than just looking for skillsets, giftings, willingness, and warm bodies, let’s take it to the Father and seek His heart regarding who these people should be. – Vance Pitman We’ve allowed prayer to be almost silent in our corporate gatherings. – Vance Pitman When all we allow is a paid professional with a microphone to stand up and use eloquent words, we create a chasm that says, “You don’t know near enough to talk to God.” – Vance Pitman The post Overcoming Obstacles that Keep a Church Plant from Praying appeared first on New Churches.

Host Ed Stetzer chats with lead pastor Dean Fulks to share his experiences from serving as a church planter to later pastoring a sending church. Tune in to discover the key characteristics to look for in your core team members, as well as the ways to set your people up for success through the twists and turns of starting your new church well. In This Episode, You’ll Discover: How to pursue a culture of multiplication from the start of your church plant What the DNA of your church says about you Ways to navigate the emotional tolls of sending out your best people The qualifications of a thriving core team member How to answer prospective members’ biggest questions about God and their place in His church Helpful Resources: Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here. Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer. Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes. Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches): There are all kinds of ways to think about a core team for a new church plant. – Ed Stetzer The number one characteristic that defines the success or failure of a church plant is the spiritual and emotional health of the leaders, the pastor, his wife, and their family. – Dean Fulks If you have a great leader–certainly not a perfect leader with a perfect marriage–but a great leader who loves Jesus and has a good marriage, you can send as many people as possible.  – Dean Fulks The folks who go are the folks you don’t want to leave. They’re the most missional and generous and want to reach their communities. They’re the most stoked about the mission and vision. – Dean Fulks Look at Paul’s work in the New Testament and see the value he placed on women as part of planting teams and groups. – Dean Fulks The key to handling relational conflict well is a depth of relational equity. – Dean Fulks The post How to Make Your Core Team Thrive appeared first on New Churches.