Church Planter Podcast

In this episode of the Fully-Funded Church Planter, Chestly Lunday sits down with Demeko Bivens to talk about the unique dynamics of planting churches in urban environments.Demeko shares what he’s learned about entering a city with humility, listening before leading, and building a church that reflects the diversity and complexity of the people it serves. From the dangers of rushing vision to the importance of spiritual authority in underserved contexts, this conversation is packed with insights for anyone planting in or around the urban core.Whether you're planting in the city or simply want to understand what urban ministry requires, this episode offers a grounded, Spirit-led look at what it means to serve faithfully in complex places.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Connect with Reliant at partner@reliant.orgReliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We’re here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

In this episode of the Church Planter Podcast, Chestly Lunday sits down with worship leader and songwriter Robbie Seay to explore one of the most overlooked aspects of church planting: worship. Together they unpack why worship leaders are more than song leaders, how vision shapes worship culture, and why community is essential for avoiding burnout.Robbie shares insights from his work with The Worship Initiative, offering practical ways church planters can cast compelling vision, disciple their worship teams, and build churches where Christ is exalted and the congregation sings. From diversity in worship styles to the loneliness of leadership, this conversation hits both the heart and the strategy of planting worship-filled, gospel-centered communities.Whether you're a church planter, a worship leader, or someone navigating ministry in a new season, this episode is a must-listen.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:The Worship InitiativeReliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We’re here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

Church movements are flourishing all over the world, and there's plenty of people lined up to share the secrets with you. But how many times do those movement "principles" really transfer? Not often.Emanuel Prinz has just finished the broadest research on movements to date, and he's made some discoveries on what factors catalyze movements, no matter the context. Listen in on Peyton & Emanuel's conversation to get the scoop.Emanuel Prinz helps ministries grow to movements. Find out more: www.catalyticleadership.info.Read his latest book "What Actually Starts Movements" on Amazon.Check out his blog & podcast at www.emanuelprinz.substack.com/aboutYou can contact Emanuel directly: www.catalyticleadership.info/contact.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Catalytic LeadershipReliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We’re here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

God has a pattern of using young and inexperienced people to do his work...and yet we rarely do the same. More often than not, we require leaders and church planters to have many years of experience before we give them any responsibility. The result? The average age of pastors is steadily increasing and, eventually, our leadership pipelines will dry up completely. Joshua Branham explains that the solution is to look for character and competency instead of age, and then provide ongoing support as opposed to loading all of the training on the front end.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:JoshuaBranham.comReliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We’re here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

Unlike other hot topics in the ministry world – like discipleship or leadership – not everyone thinks microchurch is a good idea. It's become a polarizing factor: are you pro microchurch or pro megachurch? Is microchurch of the Holy Spirit or the devil? In this episode, Peyton and Pete discuss the controversy and what they think about building community in smaller settings.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Reliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We’re here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

The weight of spiritual leadership has a tendency to distort our ideas of how to create a healthy culture of community and leadership. Rather than being open-handed and valuing people for their own sake and insights, leaders sometimes become fearful of failure exert too much control. Christina Rivera shares her story of being in high control faith communities and how she's learned to rely on the Holy Spirit and other Christians to abide in a fruitful, healthy way.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Unculted on YouTubeReliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We’re here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

Your character shapes the people around and impacts the effectiveness of your ministry. Mac Lake joins Pete and Peyton in this episode to discuss the ins and outs of leading yourself well. They cover emotional intelligence, teachability, and how to change leadership development from being content-oriented to process-oriented.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Multiply GroupReliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We’re here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

Did Peyton die? Is the podcast finished? These are the questions you've been asking, and now, there are answers. Peyton Jones returns to the Church Planter Podcast with Pete Mitchell! They catch up in this episode and talk Discipology, ChatGPT, and whether they'll ever have an AI co-host.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Reliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We’re here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

Forces far beyond our reach are shaping the world around us, and the Church is not built for the community of the future. This episode features a presentation by Chestly Lunday to the heads of technology for major corporations. In it, he explains how the Church got to its current point, why we need to change, and what about our churches need to change.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Reliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We’re here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.

If you're church planting in difficult soil rather than church starting, then it may not be possible to be self-sustaining in the standard three years that many organizations and donors expect. The economics play by different rules and so should your fundraising strategy. In this episode, Demeko share his experience planting in Houston and why it was important for him to raise support to fund his mission. He gives some tips for fundraising and working with partner ministry like Reliant to expand the kingdom.Resources and Links Mentioned in this Episode:Connect with Reliant at partner@reliant.orgReliant Mission: reliant.org/cppNewBreed TrainingThanks for listening to the church planter podcast. We’re here to help you go where no one else is going and do what no one else is doing to reach people, no one else is reaching.Make sure to review and subscribe to the show on your favorite podcast service to help us connect with more church planters.