Breaking Barriers

Is your church’s decision-making process slowing your growth? Seats, parking and kids’ space limit churches, but so does the inability to decide. In this Breaking Barriers episode, we discuss why layers of approval create red tape, how to set up an efficient elder board, and how to push decisions to your staff. You’ll also hear a practical breakdown of who is responsible, accountable, consulted and informed. Join us as we dig into the first of 5 principles for fast, faithful, and efficient decision making for pastors. A must-listen for lead pastors, church planters and ministry leaders.

Pastor burnout, overconsumption, and stress eating are connected, and Proverbs 23 speaks to all three. In this episode of the Breaking Barriers podcast, Pastor Andrew explains why preaching week after week strains your nervous system. He shows why overconsumption of food and alcohol is a spiritual and physical issue for pastors, not just a health issue. He also explains why the friends you keep matter, and where to turn when you’re struggling. Scriptures include Proverbs 23:19-21, Proverbs 20:1, Proverbs 13:20, Philippians 3:18-19, Luke 7, and James 5:16. Learn more at BreakingGrowthBarriers.com.

Pastor burnout is one of the biggest threats to long-term ministry, and it starts with how we measure our emotional health. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we offer a biblical framework for pastor mental health, church leader self-care, and building an inner life that can carry the weight of your calling.

Looking at Jesus' rhythms of withdrawal and rest, we explain why you can't evaluate emotional health in a vacuum, and how to balance your inner life capacity against your outward calling as a pastor, husband, dad, and leader. You'll also learn how to spot the difference between thriving and just surviving, and why sabbaticals are about staying healthy, not fixing what's broken.

Breaking Barriers helps pastors and churches grow so they can go.

Pastor burnout is one of the biggest threats to long-term ministry, and it starts with how we measure our emotional health. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we offer a biblical framework for pastor mental health, church leader self-care, and building an inner life that can carry the weight of your calling.

Looking at Jesus' rhythms of withdrawal and rest, we explain why you can't evaluate emotional health in a vacuum, and how to balance your inner life capacity against your outward calling as a pastor, husband, dad, and leader. You'll also learn how to spot the difference between thriving and just surviving, and why sabbaticals are about staying healthy, not fixing what's broken.

Breaking Barriers helps pastors and churches grow so they can go.

What happens to a church's preaching when the lead pastor is gone for 12 weeks? Andrew Hopper and Bobby Herrington break down how Mercy Hill built a reproducible sermon culture — one big idea, one application, and a Word-centered service every single week — so that no single voice is the linchpin. If you've ever wondered how to build a preaching culture, structure sermon prep, or make the weekend gathering the hub of your church, this episode is for you.

What happens to a church's preaching when the lead pastor is gone for 12 weeks? Andrew Hopper and Bobby Herrington break down how Mercy Hill built a reproducible sermon culture — one big idea, one application, and a Word-centered service every single week — so that no single voice is the linchpin. If you've ever wondered how to build a preaching culture, structure sermon prep, or make the weekend gathering the hub of your church, this episode is for you.

Big days, first-time guests, and church growth strategy: this episode covers how to identify, plan, and maximize the days your church naturally sees a spike in attendance. We share our own big days calendar (Back to School weekend, Sent Weekend, Kids Week, Easter, Church at the Ballpark, and Christmas), the biblical case for big days from the book of Acts, and three practical takeaways every pastor can use to prepare for their next high-attendance Sunday. A must-listen for church leaders serious about outreach and first-time guest strategy.

Most churches wait too long to plan, and it costs them their best ideas. In this episode, we break down our real, internal process for planning a church's entire year: starting with vision casting, moving into high-level calendar planning, building ministry-specific plans, and finally tackling budget and resource management. We also dig into the tension every growing church faces between staying nimble and planning ahead, and why the "speedboat vs. aircraft carrier" problem changes as your staff grows. If you're a pastor, executive pastor, or ministry leader wondering when, and how, to start planning next year, this episode gives you a practical framework you can use right now.

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Excellence in ministry and dependence on God aren't opposites, they belong together. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Andrew and Brant answer a question pastors ask them again and again: does striving for excellence lead to the kind of pride and burnout seen in stories like Mars Hill? Drawing on Scripture (Proverbs 21:31, Colossians 1:29, the parable of the talents, Nehemiah, and 2 Kings), they break down five biblical principles for church leaders: why preparation and dependence work together, why stewardship requires leveraging what God has given you, why prayer and action go hand in hand, why preparation is actually evidence of faith, and why the real danger for pastors is self-reliance — not hard work. A must-listen for pastors, church planters, and ministry leaders wrestling with how to work hard for God's glory without losing their dependence on Him.

Excellence in ministry and dependence on God aren't opposites, they belong together. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Andrew and Brant answer a question pastors ask them again and again: does striving for excellence lead to the kind of pride and burnout seen in stories like Mars Hill? Drawing on Scripture (Proverbs 21:31, Colossians 1:29, the parable of the talents, Nehemiah, and 2 Kings), they break down five biblical principles for church leaders: why preparation and dependence work together, why stewardship requires leveraging what God has given you, why prayer and action go hand in hand, why preparation is actually evidence of faith, and why the real danger for pastors is self-reliance — not hard work. A must-listen for pastors, church planters, and ministry leaders wrestling with how to work hard for God's glory without losing their dependence on Him.