Dr. Warren Bird joins Phil Taylor and Tyler Drebits to discuss decades of research into the trends shaping churches in America. Warren shares his journey from pastor and church planter to researcher and author, including the unexpected opportunities that led to a writing career spanning 35 books.
The conversation focuses on Warren’s latest research into multisite churches and large churches. He shares findings about the continued growth of multisite, the increasing importance of small groups, post-pandemic attendance and spiritual vitality, and the challenges churches face around campus leadership, video teaching, succession, and organizational structure.
Warren also takes listeners behind the scenes of large-scale church research, explaining how his team identifies churches, builds reliable databases, gathers responses, and works to communicate findings responsibly.
Finally, Warren discusses his newest book, Becoming a Future-Ready Church, and the need for churches to prepare for future generations by adapting their methods without changing the gospel. He also shares areas he hopes to research next, including multisite leadership, family succession, and ministry residencies.
Mentioned Resources
🗣️Follow Dr. Bird
💻 Dr. Warren Bird’s Website
💻 Latest Research on Multi-Site Churches
💻 ECFA.org
📕Dr. Bird’s Latest Book - Becoming a Future-Ready Church
From Our Partners
💻 The Church Hub: The Church Hub serves pastors, ministry leaders, and their spouses through equipping and training resources. Learn more at https://thechurchhub.org
Connect with Phil Taylor
✉️ Get Phil's Newsletter
✉️ [email protected]
🗣️ @philtaylorxp
📚 Books by Phil
💻 backstagepastors.org
💻plainjoestudios.com
Connect with Tyler Drewitz
✉️ [email protected]
🗣️ @tylerdrewitz
💻 myxp.church
💻ridgelineprinting.com
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CHAPTERS
02:59 Warren’s Journey from Pastor to Researcher
05:42 The Latest Multisite Church Research
08:20 The Resurgence of Large Churches
12:49 Churches Get Bigger by Getting Smaller
17:00 Are Churches Moving Away from Multisite?
20:15 Live Teaching, Video Teaching, and Campus Leadership
26:15 Succession and the Future of Multisite Churches
32:43 Behind the Scenes of Church Research
41:04 Becoming a Future-Ready Church and What Warren Is Studying Next
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Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co.
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