Build the Church

When someone searches for a church in your community, can they find yours—and get a clear picture of what visiting will be like?

Josh Roberie welcomes Ian Hyatt, co-founder of REACHRIGHT, for a practical conversation about church SEO, AI search, and helping more first-time guests discover your church.

Ian explains how church websites, Google Business Profiles, and local search work together to support your digital outreach. You’ll hear what to include on a Plan Your Visit page, why visitor FAQs matter, and how photos, walkthrough videos, and thoughtful responses to reviews can help people feel comfortable taking their first step through your doors.

They also discuss Google Ad Grants, the differences between grant-funded and paid advertising, and why building your church’s online visibility takes consistent attention.

If you’re a pastor or church planter looking for practical church marketing tools, this episode will help you decide where to focus next.

CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Helping Your Church Get Found Online
00:03:17 Meet Ian Hyatt and REACHRIGHT
00:06:42 AI Search and Church SEO Explained
00:08:20 Church Website Content and Visitor FAQs
00:12:35 Google SEO and Your Google Business Profile
00:15:14 Google Ad Grants and Paid Advertising
00:17:50 Local SEO: Reaching People Near Your Church
00:19:21 Photos and Videos That Help Guests Feel Comfortable
00:23:49 Getting and Responding to Church Reviews
00:25:00 Church Marketing Resources and Next Steps

CONNECT WITH IAN HYATT
https://reachrightstudios.com/author/ian-hyatt/

FREE RESOURCES FOR PASTORS
https://www.buildthe.church/resources/free-resources

THIS EPISODE IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY YOURTEAM.CHURCH
Help volunteers discover their personality and spiritual gifts and find a team where they can thrive. Available in English and Spanish.
https://yourteam.church/

Follow Build the Church for weekly encouragement and practical tools to help you gain momentum, grow your church, and go the distance in ministry. Share this episode with the person who oversees your church’s website or communications.

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What could your church’s data tell you about the people who need your attention?

In “How to Build an AI-Powered Dashboard for Your Church,” Josh Roberie sits down with pastors Aaron Grijalva, David Russell, and Jeremy Burroughs to explore how they’re using artificial intelligence to understand church health and support more intentional ministry.

Through examples from their own churches, they discuss organizing church data, building useful dashboards, and using Claude and ChatGPT to examine trends in attendance, small groups, giving, and volunteer engagement.

You’ll hear how one pastor identified gaps in groups and volunteer growth even while attendance increased, how another made ministry data visible to his staff, and how engagement reports are helping team leaders recognize people who need a personal phone call.

The conversation also explores staff planning, sermon resources, and church apps, with an emphasis on keeping pastoral judgment and relationships central to the process.

For pastors and church leaders looking for practical AI tools, this episode offers ideas for turning the information you already collect into meaningful next steps.

CHAPTERS
00:00:00 How Pastors Are Using AI in Ministry
00:07:03 Start with Clean Church Data
00:11:22 Understanding AI and Large Language Models
00:14:58 Measuring Church Health Beyond Attendance
00:17:41 Building a Dashboard Your Staff Will Use
00:22:58 Spotting Gaps in Groups and Volunteer Growth
00:28:29 Exploring AI-Generated Staff Action Plans
00:30:18 Turning Engagement Data into Pastoral Care
00:34:27 Sermon Content, Church Apps, and Next Steps
00:38:42 Closing Thoughts

Explore our free resources for pastors for more practical ministry tools.

Follow Build the Church for weekly episodes that help you gain momentum, grow your church, and go the distance in ministry. Share this conversation with a pastor or team member who helps oversee your church’s systems and follow-up.

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How can AI help pastors understand their people and guide them toward meaningful spiritual growth?

Josh Roberie sits down with Nathan Derenski of Rhythm Church in Cincinnati, Ohio, and Zach Morris of Essential Church in the Des Moines, Iowa, area to explore practical uses of Claude AI for discipleship, volunteer placement, and pastoral care.

Drawing from their experience in youth ministry, executive leadership, and church planting, Nathan and Zach explain how they’re building assessments that bring together spiritual gifts, DISC personality profiles, personal passions, and life circumstances.

You’ll hear how these tools can help identify next steps, connect people with ministry opportunities, and prepare leaders for more informed pastoral conversations. They also discuss reviewing results with people, correcting inaccurate assumptions, and improving their tools through feedback.

For pastors looking to strengthen church systems and make discipleship more personal, this episode offers a look at what two church planters are learning as they build.

CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Church Planting and AI Integration
00:05:13 Pastoral Journeys and Church Planting
00:09:55 Building Discipleship Assessments
00:15:05 Personalized Spiritual Growth with AI
00:19:59 The Evolution of AI Tools in Ministry
00:25:11 Assessment Accuracy and Personalization
00:30:05 Getting Started with AI at Your Church

CONNECT & EXPLORE
Nathan Derenski — Rhythm Church:
https://rhythm.church

Zach Morris — Essential Church:
https://www.esntlchurch.com/

YourTeam.Church — personality and spiritual gifts assessments for volunteer team matching:
https://yourteam.church/

Free resources for pastors:
https://www.buildthe.church/resources/free-resources

Follow Build the Church for weekly, practical help to gain momentum, grow your church, and go the distance in ministry. Share this episode with a pastor or ministry leader who is exploring AI.

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How do you get more church volunteers and help them find a meaningful place to serve?

In this episode of Build the Church, Josh Roberie explores how personality traits, spiritual gifts, and AI can support church volunteer recruitment and connect people to ministry teams.

Josh walks through YourTeam.Church, the assessment tool he created for pastors and church leaders, and explains how DISC personality insights and spiritual gifts work together to inform team recommendations. You’ll hear how personalized results, custom team profiles, and a searchable volunteer dashboard can support your Growth Track, Next Steps class, and volunteer follow-up.

The episode also explores practical uses of AI: drafting team descriptions, suggesting team profiles, and helping leaders prepare for conversations with potential volunteers.

If you’re building a Dream Team, improving volunteer onboarding, or helping people discover their purpose through serving, this conversation offers tools you can bring into your church.

CHAPTERS
00:00:00 Identifying Church Challenges
00:02:55 Connecting People to Teams
00:06:06 YourTeam.Church: A Digital Solution
00:09:07 Assessment Features and Benefits
00:12:10 Customization and User Experience
00:15:06 AI Integration and Team Management
00:18:02 Conclusion and Call to Action

Explore YourTeam.Church and request a demo:
https://yourteam.church/

Find free resources for pastors:
https://www.buildthe.church/resources/free-resources

Watch the screen-sharing walkthrough on the Build the Church YouTube channel:
https://www.youtube.com/@buildthe.church

Follow Build the Church for weekly, practical help to gain momentum, grow your church, and go the distance in ministry. Share this episode with the person who leads your volunteer teams.

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How can pastors help people develop lasting relationships, grow spiritually, and stay committed to their church?

Josh Roberie welcomes Pastor Ben Murray of City Hope Church in Wichita Falls, Texas, for a practical conversation about building community and commitment through intentional discipleship.

Drawing from his book, Give God a Year, Ben shares how his church helps new believers understand what comes next and invites people into a year of growing in faith. They discuss strengthening small groups, developing consistent habits of Scripture reading and prayer, and helping people put their faith into practice.

Ben also shares what his recent sabbatical taught him about a sustainable pace and why friendships with other pastors matter for longevity in ministry.

Listen for ideas you can bring into your new believer follow-up, small group ministry, and discipleship pathway.

IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 The Gap Between Belief and Practice
02:59 The Journey of Faithfulness
05:45 The Challenge of Giving God a Year
09:05 Understanding Works vs. Discipleship
11:49 The Importance of Community
14:58 Establishing Daily Rhythms
17:50 Encouragement for Pastors
20:50 Conclusion and Resources

LINKS & RESOURCES
Get Give God a Year:
https://givegodayear.org/

Ask about bulk book orders:
[email protected]

Connect with Ben:
https://www.instagram.com/cityhopeben/

Explore our free church leadership resources:
https://www.buildthe.church/resources/free-resources

This episode is brought to you by YourTeam.Church, helping volunteers understand their personality and connect with a team where they can serve with purpose.
https://yourteam.church/

Follow Build the Church for weekly conversations that help you gain momentum, grow your church, and go the distance in ministry. Share this episode with a pastor you’re doing ministry alongside.

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You can care deeply about people, lead a church, and still struggle to find friendships where you feel truly known.

In this episode of Build the Church, Josh Roberie welcomes Pastor Wayne Francis for an honest, encouraging conversation about friendship, vulnerability, and the loneliness many ministry leaders experience.

Wayne shares insights from his book, Make Friends with Anyone, including five levels of friendship that help explain why some relationships stay on the surface while others go deep. Together, they discuss making time for friends, navigating betrayal, setting healthy boundaries, and overcoming the fear of letting people into your life.

You’ll also hear how understanding your friendship style can shape the way you lead, preach, and build community in your church.

Wayne’s practical challenge: start by making one new friend.

Order Make Friends with Anyone and take the friendship assessment at ShowMeMyFriends.com.

IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Welcome and Introduction
02:29 Meet Wayne Francis: Brooklyn Nets Chaplain
07:12 Loneliness and the Five Levels of Friendship
11:54 Going Deeper: Vulnerability and Trust
14:09 Making Time for Meaningful Friendships
16:19 Overthinking and the Fear of Getting Hurt
18:40 Responding to Betrayal and Difficult Relationships
21:00 Healthy Boundaries vs. Barricades
23:16 Why Pastors Struggle with Friendship
25:40 Discovering Your Friendship Style
30:04 Your First Step Toward Making a New Friend
33:26 Book, Assessment, and Closing Thoughts

Find practical tools for your ministry in our free resource collection.

This episode is brought to you by YourTeam.Church, helping volunteers discover their gifts and find a team where they can thrive.

Follow Build the Church for weekly encouragement and practical tools to gain momentum, grow your church, and go the distance in ministry. Share this conversation with a friend you’re grateful to have in your life.

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What would change if your church planned every Sunday expecting someone new to walk through the doors?

Josh Roberie welcomes Sheldon J. Andrus III, author of Sunday by Design, for a practical conversation about creating Sunday services that help people connect and take their next step.

Sheldon shares seven habits covering service timing, dependable formats, intentional openings, guest connection, clear next steps, timely follow-up, and measuring attendance. Together, they explore how consistent preparation equips volunteers and why familiar routines deserve a fresh look through a first-time guest’s eyes.

Listen with your team and choose one improvement to put into practice this Sunday.

IN THIS EPISODE
00:00 Introduction: Sunday by Design
03:44 Sheldon J. Andrus III’s Church Leadership Journey
06:12 Why Church Growth Matters
08:55 What Is the Capacity of Hell?
10:52 Breaking Through Church Growth Barriers
12:22 Sunday OS: Your Sunday Operating System
19:07 The Seven Switches for Church Growth
24:54 Sunday by Design: Book and Resources

Explore Sunday by Design and browse our free church leadership resources.

This episode is brought to you by YourTeam.Church, helping volunteers discover their gifts and find a team where they can thrive.

Follow Build the Church for weekly encouragement and practical tools to gain momentum, grow your church, and go the distance in ministry. If this conversation helped you, leave a review and share it with another pastor.

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How do you build a church where people grow spiritually, develop as leaders, and make disciples themselves?

Pastor Michael Murphy returns to the Build the Church podcast to help pastors turn their passion for discipleship into a practical plan. Michael is the founder of Leaderscape, author of XLR8, and a coach to pastors and churches around the world.

In this conversation with Josh Roberie, Michael shares how his church went from 16 struggling small groups to 330 in 30 months—and the painful realization that inspired that change. Together, they explore why a leadership shortage often begins with a discipleship problem and how intentional small groups can help people become connected, grow in their faith, and take responsibility for discipling others.

Michael outlines four responsibilities of every small group leader:

• Lead a life-giving group.
• Help each person take one next step in spiritual growth.
• Develop two apprentices who can lead others.
• Keep the group focused on reaching people.

You’ll also discover practical ways to restart a struggling small group ministry, help people become known in groups and needed on teams, and model discipleship through your own example as a pastor.

Whether you’re planting a church or strengthening an existing ministry, this episode will help you take practical steps toward a culture of disciples who make disciples.

This episode is sponsored by YourTeam.Church, a spiritual gifts and DISC assessment that helps volunteers discover their purpose and connects them with teams that fit how God created them. Try the free DISC assessment.

Find more free resources and explore coaching at BuildThe.Church.

Connect with Michael Murphy on Instagram. Send him a message mentioning this episode, your church’s size, and your biggest discipleship challenge.

Follow Build the Church on Instagram, follow the podcast, and leave a rating or review wherever you listen. Share this episode with a pastor or small group leader who would benefit from it.

Keep leading and believing strong.

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Most churches put their best energy into the service—but guests often decide whether they will return before the service even begins.

In this episode, Josh Roberie sits down with Pastor Brad Hampton of SOCO Church and Hello Church to create a practical guest journey game plan. Together, they walk through the entire experience—from the moment someone discovers your church online to their arrival, first visit, follow-up, and next step into community.

You’ll learn:

• Why the first seven to eight minutes of a guest’s visit matter so much
• How to evaluate your church through the eyes of a first-time guest
• The three “front doors” every guest walks through
• How to replace unanswered questions with clarity
• Why being friendly is not the same as helping people find friends
• How to map a clear pathway from first visit to discipleship
• Why simple, consistent follow-up systems outperform complicated strategies
• How to build communication workflows that help people feel known, loved, and cared for

Brad also shares how SOCO Church prepares for first-time guests, follows up within 24 hours, and asks a powerful question before inviting people to serve: “How can we serve you?”

If you want to welcome guests well, increase the number of people who return, and help more people move from attending to belonging, this conversation will give you a practical framework you can begin using immediately.

Download Brad’s free discipleship resource:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fo/qdd3eg4j4xgef7f5japge/AIe6RkKvbmTMynJByzJC_4s?rlkey=k679kirgmz5z5y1e5bsnx4bc7&dl=0

Help every volunteer discover how God designed them and find a team where they can thrive:
https://yourteam.church

Follow Build the Church on Instagram:
https://instagram.com/buildthe.church

To continue the conversation or get help creating a guest journey game plan for your church, email Josh at [email protected].

Subscribe to the Build the Church Podcast and leave a review wherever you listen. It helps more pastors discover practical strategies to gain momentum, grow their churches, and go the distance.

Keep leading and believing strong.

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What does it take to launch a church with 1,000 people—and see 126 people give their lives to Jesus—on hard ground in New England?

In this episode of the Build the Church Podcast, Josh Roberie sits down with Robe Pierre, lead pastor of Freedom City Church in Hartford, Connecticut, to unpack the spiritual conviction, practical church-growth strategies, and leadership systems behind an extraordinary launch.

Robe shares how sacrifice, prayer, personal outreach, launch parties, and relentless commitment helped Freedom City overcome limited resources and build a launch team made up almost entirely of new relationships. But launching big was only the beginning. A year and a half later, Freedom City was reaching 1,200–1,500 people on a Sunday while developing new believers into leaders.

You’ll also discover how Freedom City uses standard operating procedures, a clear leadership pipeline, repeatable systems, and intentionally reinforced core values to create a healthy church culture that can grow without losing its identity.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

• How to set a bold vision for your church launch
• Why being under-resourced can become an advantage
• How personal outreach and community engagement build momentum
• Why church systems and SOPs help volunteers succeed
• How to document both the “how” and the “why” of ministry
• A practical leadership pipeline for developing volunteers into directors
• How to model culture before delegating responsibility
• Why clear expectations make correction easier and healthier
• How to turn church values into behaviors your entire congregation can live
• How prayer, sacrifice, strategy, and hard work create space for God to move

Whether you are planting a church, preparing for launch Sunday, building a volunteer team, developing leaders, or creating systems for sustainable church growth, this episode gives you a practical roadmap for turning vision into action.

As Robe explains, “Pray like it’s all God, and work like it’s all you.”

Follow Robe Pierre on social media: @robepierre
Learn more about Freedom City Church: WeAreFreedomCity.com

The Build the Church Podcast helps pastors gain momentum, grow their churches, and go the distance.

Keep leading and believing strong.

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