New Churches Podcast

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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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“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.

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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.

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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

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Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham meet with Darryl Speers, Send Relief missionary to Los Angeles, California. Tune in to discover how the Lord interrupted this church planter’s plans for the good of the church and the engagement of their community—all for the glory of God alone. Listen to learn why engaging the city is a core value of Send Network and the first step in biblical missiology.

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A real church planting missiology from Scripture begins by engaging the city with the gospel so people can come to Christ and disciples are made. Churches are born as a byproduct of engaging the city with the gospel. — Vance Pitman

The urban area is very spiritual. But we’ve learned to be specific with the name “Jesus.” Because saying “God” in Los Angeles can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. It sparks conversation, but it has to come down to who Jesus really is. — Darryl Speers

There’s only one way to God, and that’s Jesus. But there are a thousand ways to Jesus. You find relationships, resources, and needs that become those ways for people to discover Jesus. — Vance Pitman

Meaningful relationships mean laboring with people, carrying their same burdens, and loving the city as much as they do. — Darryl Speers

It doesn’t have to be rocket science. Figure out who God made you to be, what your unique skills and abilities are, and how to use them to build relationships. Our ultimate motive isn’t just meeting needs; it’s seeing the gospel impact lives. — Vance Pitman

“The greatest opportunity is not just something we point people to, but something we invite them to. The same way we get people into the church is the same way we get them out of the church.” — Darryl Speers

The post Engage the City to Reach the City appeared first on New Churches.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham spend time discussing their shared experiences of church planting in the context of a team. Listen as they share the wisdom they’ve gained through the lessons they’ve learned on the field and why sticking together and building out your team is one of your greatest assets as a planter.

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No one individual is given credit for planting the greatest church-planting church in the New Testament. The New Testament knows nothing of a Christianity without community. — Vance Pitman

God has given each of us spiritual gifts, and no one believer has them all. It’s when we use all of our gifts together in community that we see the mission of God carried out. — Vance Pitman

It was in the team context of living out community that God inspired us, led us, and spoke to and through us. When you try to plant a church and do missionary work by yourself, you remove the vehicle of community from being able to hear from God together. — Vance Pitman

Leading the team means discipling them to be missionaries and not church members. We have to get to the place of being a church before we can function in the way a church functions. — Vance Pitman

Finding the right team begins and ends in prayer. Only one time did Jesus say, “Hey, would you pray for this?” And He said, “Would you beseech the Lord to send out laborers into His harvest?” — Vance Pitman

We need to unleash the whole church, not just the paid professionals or pastors in the pulpits. When we unleash the church, there will be no end to the possibility of what God will do as we seek first His kingdom. — Vance Pitman

The post Why the Strongest Strategy is Planting in Plurality appeared first on New Churches.

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Host Tony Merida chats with long-time friend and colleague Dr. Doug Logan, Send Network’s Director of Urban Planter Development, to share the latter’s experiences in urban church planting. Tune in as the author, pastor, and planter shares insight into loving your city well, investing in your mental and emotional health, and reaching your people through meeting their needs.

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I like to say that our best church planters are not even Christians yet. We never know where the Lord might go to snatch a guy up and put him on this path. Praise be to God for the gospel. – Tony Merida

Just like we exegete the texts, we pull from it what’s actually in it. We don’t superimpose our ideologies or our non-researched understandings into our sermons. You can’t do that in the context of the city. – Doug Logan

We have to understand the historical brokenness and listen to people’s stories of the current devils and old devils, their current joys and hopes. That’s only going to come through relationship-building conversations. – Doug Logan

Serving the planters we send out has to not be an anomaly, but it has to be the normative reality for churches as we play an Antiochus role as sending churches. – Doug Logan

The nature of the inner city is ever fast-moving. You have to get the gospel in and build relationships with almost a microwave mentality–not a marathon mentality. You and your discipleship have to be flexible because things move fast. – Doug Logan

The post The Dynamics of Urban Church Planting appeared first on New Churches.

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