The Unstuck Church Podcast

No one goes into multisite thinking, "This model isn't going to work."

Everyone starts for the right reasons: more people reached and more communities engaged.

But over time, tensions begin to show up. But it's not just normal complexity; it's the kind that starts to impact clarity and limit effectiveness if you don't pay attention to it.

Last week, Sean and Amy interviewed three leaders about their experience with multisite. All three pastors made the case that how you start multisite doesn't have to be your model forever.

In this episode, Sean and Amy reflect on the takeaways from those stories and start pulling out some of the common challenges we see churches facing in multisite.

This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers

Every church needs trusted legal counsel, but finding attorneys who truly understand ministry can be challenging.

The Church Lawyers specialize in church and nonprofit law, serving thousands of organizations nationwide. From by-laws and governance, to IRS compliance and employment matters, The Church Lawyers provide the expertise you need with sound legal advice giving you peace of mind.

Discover practical free resources and affordable membership options at thechurchlawyers.com.

We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

"Are we doing multisite right?"

The truth is that many churches launch multisite with great intentions but eventually find themselves stuck—operationally overwhelmed, financially strained or culturally fragmented across locations.

In this series, we're pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to build a healthy, sustainable multisite strategy. We're starting with something a little different—we're letting some church leaders we've served tell their multisite stories in their own words.

In this episode, you'll hear from three pastors who have had very different experiences with multisite: Nick Cleveland from Grace Church in Wooster, OH; Christy Gibas from The Table Church in Pittsburgh; and Mike Reinsel from Stonecreek Church in Georgia.

This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers

Every church needs trusted legal counsel, but finding attorneys who truly understand ministry can be challenging.

The Church Lawyers specialize in church and nonprofit law, serving thousands of organizations nationwide. From by-laws and governance, to IRS compliance and employment matters, The Church Lawyers provide the expertise you need with sound legal advice giving you peace of mind.

Discover practical free resources and affordable membership options at thechurchlawyers.com.

We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

We're trying something different on The Unstuck Church Podcast.

It's our first ever "Ask Anything" episode!

The idea for this came from our free webinars, where we typically save time at the end for live Q&A. Some of the best takeaways from those events often happen in that live conversation, and we wanted to bring that fun and magic to the podcast.

In this episode, Sean and Amy respond to questions YOU, the listeners, submitted by leaving a voicemail on our Ask Anything phone line at (615) 398-9171 or by messaging us on social media or through our free live webinars.

This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center

Planning Center is software designed to help churches help people.

With multiple tools in one connected platform, you can stay organized, communicate with your team, and create meaningful ways to connect with your congregation.

Start for free at planningcenter.com—pay only for what you need, and cancel anytime.

We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

​​Two common issues in churches tend to show up together, even though at first glance they don't feel related at all: first engagement steps and physical capacity.

On the surface, they sound like two completely different problems. But, in reality, they're way more connected than most leaders realize. You can't grow sustainably if you're not engaging people well, and you can't engage people well if you don't have the space to serve them. These are two of the most common barriers we see; however, the good news is that these have proven solutions.

We're wrapping up our series on Five Common Core Issues in Churches by talking about revitalizing your playbook for first engagement steps, getting ahead of your capacity limits and thinking strategically to support health and growth in these areas.

This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center

Planning Center is software designed to help churches help people.

With multiple tools in one connected platform, you can stay organized, communicate with your team, and create meaningful ways to connect with your congregation.

Start for free at planningcenter.com—pay only for what you need, and cancel anytime.

We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

Churches everywhere, no matter the size, are struggling with this: the lack of a deep leadership bench.

One of the most common pain points we see in churches is not having enough leaders in the pipeline. This puts them in a constant reactive mode, often filling positions out of desperation rather than developing leaders intentionally.

New leaders don't identify themselves; you won't drift into success here. You have to be intentional to take the time to work on your leadership bench. We'll show you how.

In part two of our series, "Five Common Core Issues in Churches," Sean and Amy talk about the symptoms of a shallow leadership bench, how to build out a leadership development framework and what to start (and stop) doing if this issue sounds familiar to you.

This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center

Planning Center is software designed to help churches help people.

With multiple tools in one connected platform, you can stay organized, communicate with your team, and create meaningful ways to connect with your congregation.

Start for free at planningcenter.com—pay only for what you need, and cancel anytime.

We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

After serving more than 750 churches, we've noticed a clear pattern: No matter the size, style, or model, many churches wrestle with a similar set of challenges. They show up in different ways, but the root issues are surprisingly common across the board.

That's good news for pastors and ministry leaders—because if the challenges are common, the solutions can be too.

You're not alone. And you're not the first church to navigate these obstacles.

In this series, we're taking a closer look at five of the most common challenges that consistently show up in our work with churches, starting with the strategy issues.

In this episode, Amy and Sean talk about strategies to reach your mission field and strategies for financial health.

This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center

Planning Center is software designed to help churches help people.

With multiple tools in one connected platform, you can stay organized, communicate with your team, and create meaningful ways to connect with your congregation.

Start for free at planningcenter.com—pay only for what you need, and cancel anytime.

We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

For years, the narrative in Canada was slow decline, polite disengagement and post-Christian skepticism.

But that's not the story they're living right now.

There are people from every background actually exploring faith and showing up at church. What's going on in Canada?

We're doing something a little different in this episode of the podcast. Sean and Amy invited our Canadian consultants, Jonathan Smith and Drake Farmer, to introduce themselves and talk about what they're seeing in the "big C" church in Canada.

In this episode, we have a conversation about the real spiritual hunger emerging across Canada, how a strong invitational culture and posture of hospitality are becoming the new front door and what to be ready with when your growth is outpacing your resources.

This Episode is Sponsored by Tyndale:

As ministry leaders, you are walking with people through anxiety, grief, conflict, and big questions every week. The HelpFinder Bible is a simple, practical tool to help you point them to Scripture. Its unique HelpFinder Index includes more than 100 life topics—so whether someone is struggling with stress, relationships, or doubt, you can turn straight to relevant verses that speak to their situation. Find God's answers to life's questions—check out HelpFinderBible.com.

We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

So far in this series, we've talked about how to clarify vision and how to build strong strategies.

But even when leaders feel really good about those pieces, there's still a sticking point: getting the whole team aligned and moving together. This is where you might hit a wall.

There's a gap between defining your vision and actually making it happen. So it's time to move.

In the final episode of our series "How to Not Waste January," Amy and Sean talk about typical signs that show a church is lacking alignment and the three critical steps you can take to realign with your vision.

This Episode is Sponsored by Tyndale:

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We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

In January, you have permission to slow down enough to be intentional about the rest of your year. The goal isn't perfection; it's progress. And progress starts with planning.

In the next part of our series, "How to Not Waste January," we're moving from reflection to talking about what's next. It's time to refocus by creating plans and establishing rhythms for the new year.

In this episode, Amy and Sean talk about how to plan when things are going well at your church, the key questions to ask when planning and how to calendar tangible planning rhythms.

This episode is sponsored by PlainJoe Studios.

Is your church building a throwback to the wood-paneled world of the 1980s? Does it feel more like going to worship or taking a big step back in time? PlainJoe's fun-loving, passionate team of designers, architects and specialists will transform your dated space, imagining and creating a worship environment that communicates your church's unique story and appeals to people of all ages. Learn more at plainjoe.net.

We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

January can feel like a throwaway month. If you didn't get strategic planning scheduled early, it can feel like a few weeks of just drifting. Despite all the "New Year, New You" energy our culture puts out, hibernating is often more appealing.

But you're leading a church, and you still have a live event every week. You might be leading your church through a season of fasting and prayer or getting small groups up and running again. It's not exactly a slow month.

If leveraged well, January can result in a fruitful year. But if you let it slip by, you'll be stuck playing catch-up month after month.

So we put our heads together: What practices, initiatives and conversations do we WISH every church leader would set aside time for in January? In the first episode of our new series, "How to Not Waste January," Sean and Amy talk about the importance of taking time to reflect and practical ways to do so.

This episode is sponsored by PlainJoe Studios.

Is your church building a throwback to the wood-paneled world of the 1980s? Does it feel more like going to worship or taking a big step back in time? PlainJoe's fun-loving, passionate team of designers, architects and specialists will transform your dated space, imagining and creating a worship environment that communicates your church's unique story and appeals to people of all ages. Learn more at plainjoe.net.

We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.