New Churches Podcast

Host Tony Merida spends time with Vance Pitman and Jen Oshman to demystify the planter’s role in the spiritual formation of the women in the church. Discover how you, like Paul, can serve, engage, recruit, and commission the women of your congregation by casting an intentional vision for their growth and development as disciples of the Word.

Tony Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and he serves as the Vice President of Planter Development for Send Network. He is an author and also serves as a board member for The Gospel Coalition.

Vance Pitman is the President of Send Network and was the founding pastor of Hope Church Las Vegas. Vance is an author and speaker who seeks to inspire people to join in God’s mission of making disciples and multiplying churches.

Jen Oshman is an author (Enough about Me, Cultural Counterfeits, Welcome, and It’s Good to be a Girl), podcaster (All Things), church planter’s wife, and mom of four daughters. She has served as a missionary and church planter for over two decades on three continents.

Helpful Resources:

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

The post Spiritual Formation of Women appeared first on New Churches.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/EuGVMWpD5xs

Host Jeff Medders sits down with Doug Logan and Trevin Wax to discuss the implications of Titus 2’s call for the spiritual formation of the men in your church. Uncover the exhortations and encouragements needed for your congregation through the lens of Paul’s care for Titus and his flock.

Jeff Medders serves as the Director of Theology and Content for Send Network. He is also an author, a preacher, and a PhD student of Biblical Spirituality at Southern Seminary, studying Charles Spurgeon and the Song of Songs.

Doug Logan, Jr. serves as the Pastor of Church Planting at Remnant Church in Richmond, Virginia, and he has authored On the Block: Developing a Biblical Picture for Mission Engagement and The Soul-Winning Church: Six Keys to Fostering a Genuine Evangelistic Culture.

Trevin Wax is the Vice President of Resources and Marketing at the North American Mission Board and a visiting professor at Cedarville University. He is the author of multiple books, including The Thrill of Orthodoxy, The Multi-Directional Leader, Rethink Your Self, This Is Our Time, and Gospel-Centered Teaching.

Helpful Resources:

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

The post Spiritual Formation of Men appeared first on New Churches.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/FJIFudTQe8g

Host Jeff Medders teams back up with Matt Carter and Tony Merida to share how preachers are made (1:9), what the elements of sound teaching are (2:1), and why it is essential to set an example through preaching (2:7). Learn why a “proclamation mindset” is essential for preachers in the modern-day church planting context.

Jeff Medders serves as the Director of Theology and Content for Send Network. He is also an author, a preacher, and a PhD student of biblical spirituality at Southern Seminary, studying Charles Spurgeon and the Song of Songs.

Matt Carter is Send Network’s Vice President of Mobilization and was the founding pastor of The Austin Stone Church in Texas. Matt earned a master’s of divinity from Southwestern Seminary, as well as a doctorate in Expositional Preaching from Southeastern Seminary.

Tony Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and he serves as the Vice President of Planter Development for Send Network. He is an author and also serves as a board member for The Gospel Coalition.

Helpful Resources:

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

The post Planters are Preachers appeared first on New Churches.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/zHzMXT_zIck

Host Jeff Medders meets with Vance Pitman, Trevin Wax, and Joel Muddamalle to discuss the eternal impact of confronting culture with truth and love, as seen in Titus 1:10-2:1. Discover how you can grow as a public theologian and apologist in your community as you discern and address the differences between sound teaching and false teaching, wrong teaching, and different teaching.

Jeff Medders serves as the Director of Theology and Content for Send Network. He is also an author, a preacher, and a PhD student of biblical spirituality at Southern Seminary, studying Charles Spurgeon and the Song of Songs.

Vance Pitman is the President of Send Network and was the founding pastor of Hope Church Las Vegas. Vance is an author and speaker who seeks to inspire people to join in God’s mission of making disciples and multiplying churches.

Trevin Wax is the Vice President of Resources and Marketing at the North American Mission Board and a visiting professor at Cedarville University. He is the author of multiple books, including The Thrill of Orthodoxy, The Multi-Directional Leader, Rethink Your Self, This Is Our Time, and Gospel-Centered Teaching.

Joel Muddamalle is the Director of Theology and Research for Proverbs 31 Ministries and is on the preaching team at Transformation Church. He earned his PhD in Theology with an emphasis on Paul’s household language in Ephesians as it relates to the Old Testament.

Helpful Resources:

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

The post Challenges in the Planting Context appeared first on New Churches.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jk0jWEz9DAY

Host Noah Oldham sits down with Matt Carter, Vance Pitman, and Doug Logan for a conversation on qualified leadership and sound doctrine through the lens of Titus 1:5-9. Tune in to discover why character is so essential to the health and longevity of your church plant, as well as what it looks like to hold fast to sound doctrine and to likewise hold it out to those whom you shepherd.

Noah Oldham serves as the Executive Director of Send Network. He planted August Gate Church in St. Louis, Missouri in 2009. Noah is a writer and speaker and has a master’s in biblical studies and Christian leadership.

Matt Carter is Send Network’s Vice President of Mobilization and was the founding pastor of The Austin Stone Church in Texas. Matt earned a master’s of divinity from Southwestern Seminary, as well as a doctorate in expositional preaching from Southeastern Seminary.

Vance Pitman is the President of Send Network and was the founding pastor of Hope Church Las Vegas. Vance is an author and speaker who seeks to inspire people to join in God’s mission of making disciples and multiplying churches.

Doug Logan, Jr. serves as the Pastor of Church Planting at Remnant Church in Richmond, Virginia, and he has authored On the Block: Developing a Biblical Picture for Mission Engagement and The Soul-Winning Church: Six Keys to Fostering a Genuine Evangelistic Culture.

Helpful Resources:

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

The post Churches Need Strong Leaders appeared first on New Churches.

Watch this episode on YouTube: https://youtu.be/jB85Ww_5su8

Host Tony Merida is joined by pastors and planters Doug Logan and Adam Muhtaseb. They discuss how Titus 1:1-4 informs our ministry identities, establishes our hope and confidence in planting, and allows us to embrace the power of our preaching as shepherds of our flocks. Discover how Paul’s God-centered, Christ-exalting mindset shaped him as a planter and pastor.

Tony Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and he serves as the Vice President of Planter Development for Send Network. He is an author and also serves as a board member for The Gospel Coalition.

Doug Logan, Jr. serves as the Pastor of Church Planting at Remnant Church in Richmond, Virginia. He has authored On the Block: Developing a Biblical Picture for Mission Engagement and The Soul-Winning Church: Six Keys to Fostering a Genuine Evangelistic Culture.

Adam Muhtaseb serves as the Baltimore Send City Missionary and is a church planter and pastor at Redemption City Church in Baltimore, Maryland. He earned his master’s of divinity from Southeastern Seminary and was a recipient of the Joe B. Brown preaching award.

Helpful Resources:

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

The post Planters as Servants of God appeared first on New Churches.

Watch this episode on YouTube now: https://youtu.be/6IhmiDFp7cI

Host Jeff Medders welcomes Vance Pitman, Matt Carter, and Tony Merida back for a new season of the New Churches podcast! Join our team of church planters and pastors as we begin our deep dive into the book of Titus. Discover why mentor relationships are so vital in the lives of planters and pastors today, as well as what it looks like to equip and deploy planters through the lens of Paul’s and Titus’s examples.

Jeff Medders serves as the Director of Theology and Content for Send Network. He is also an author, a preacher, and a PhD student of biblical spirituality at Southern Seminary, studying Charles Spurgeon and the Song of Songs.

Vance Pitman is the President of Send Network and was the founding pastor of Hope Church Las Vegas. Vance is an author and speaker who seeks to inspire people to join in God’s mission of making disciples and multiplying churches.

Matt Carter is Send Network’s Vice President of Mobilization and was the founding pastor of The Austin Stone Church in Texas. Matt earned a master’s of divinity from Southwestern Seminary, as well as a doctorate in expositional preaching from Southeastern Seminary.

Tony Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, and he serves as the Vice President of Planter Development for Send Network. He is an author and also serves as a board member for The Gospel Coalition.

The post Planters Need Mentors appeared first on New Churches.

In this bonus summer episode, host Jeff Medders meets with researcher, preacher, and church elder Dan Steel to discuss many of the very real pitfalls experienced by church planters today. Tune in to discover how you can wisely navigate the hurdles and complexities of modern-day church planting while remaining faithful to the Lord and to His mission for His church.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Ultimately, God says, “Well, hang on—I’ve told you how churches grow: patience, prayer, and preaching.” When we start trusting in the wrong things, we run into danger. — Dan Steel

None of us is the Swiss Army pen knife who can do everything; we all need each other. We’re designed to be interdependent, but that can be quite hard for a planter. — Dan Steel

Sometimes, the ground is hard, our ministry is hard, and we run into thorns and thistles. — Dan Steel

We love to platform the big guys and big guns the Lord has blessed, but in many ways, they’re the minority. They may be the ones we look up to, but they’re unusual. — Dan Steel

There are only a few times that we hear or see Philip do something in Scripture. Most of us are not the Peters, the Jameses, or the Johns. We are the Philips, the Nathanaels, and the Bartholomews serving the Lord. — Jeff Medders

We are obsessed with the highlights, but there are so many lowlights in ministry. God’s grace shines in the lowlights, and he meets us down there as well. — Jeff Medders

The post Wise Church Planting appeared first on New Churches.

Host Ed Stetzer meets with Vice President of Research and Resources Trevin Wax to discuss the many shifts and trends that have taken place within the world of church planting in recent years. Discover where the New Churches podcast has been, as well as what you can expect in future seasons!

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

The biggest shift in church planting is not the change in denominations or even in demographics. It’s that if you take the time to learn, you can learn from the best. — Ed Stetzer

Sometimes church planning can become like a trade show: “This is how you just do this—just add water, and you’ve got a church!” — Ed Stetzer

I want to help plant churches that see lives change. If we plant more and larger churches, but they’re not impactful in changing people’s lives, all we’ve done is move sheep around, and that’s happened too much in the last decade. — Ed Stetzer

The future is good. Jesus is at work there, and we’re going to plant churches with Him there. But I don’t know that we can rely on many of the assumptions of the past. — Ed Stetzer

I get up every morning wanting to see men and women trust and follow Jesus. From the city of Buffalo in late ’80s and still today in 2024, the message remains: people need the Lord. — Ed Stetzer

The post The Past and Future of Church Planting appeared first on New Churches.

Host Jeff Medders sits down with pastor, Bible teacher, writer, and podcast host Daniel Im to discuss how church leaders can impact their congregations and communities with the power of the gospel in this post-pandemic world. Tune in to discover how you can make disciples and engage those who may be spiritually asleep in your midst.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Success isn’t growth. I know we want to get to self-sustainability, multiplication, and health, but too often we think health is synonymous with growth. — Daniel Im

Are you discipling people not only disciples, but are they becoming disciple makers in your context? — Daniel Im

What’s our responsibility? It’s not the growth; it’s the blocking and the tackling. It’s planting the seeds and watering them. — Daniel Im

In his epistles, Paul never tells Titus or Timothy, “If you really want to grow the numbers…” It’s always about leadership, character, and growth in Christ, doing good works, forming people into the likeness of Christ, and engaging the community with the gospel. — Jeff Medders

Of the four types of people in every congregation and community, the consumers are the ones we often give too much voice to. You don’t need to answer to that disoriented, upset church member who ended up being vocal to the internet and not to you. — Daniel Im

Challenge their consumeristic tendencies and behavior with the gospel, in a gentle and loving way, so that we can be better on mission as disciples who make disciples so that our neighborhoods, cities, countries, and world can know Jesus. — Daniel Im

The post The Discipleship Opportunity appeared first on New Churches.