Sometimes, pastors and church planters end up taking care of everyone — except themselves — and the grind of ministry wears them down to the point of exhaustion or burnout. Is it selfish to care for yourself so you can better care for those around you? In this episode, We are Send Network hosts Dhati Lewis, Noah Oldham and Heiden Ratner talk about the importance of self-care for leaders and practical ways pastors can take care of themselves in busy seasons and beyond.

If you’re a pastor, church planter or in any ministry leadership position, dealing with criticism is unavoidable. Now—perhaps more than ever—pastors are bombarded with emails, phone calls and text messages about how they ought to be handling things. But how should they respond to these criticisms? Is there some criticism that’s helpful and others that are harmful? In this episode, Dhati Lewis, Noah Oldham and Heiden Ratner will discuss hard criticism, helpful criticism, and harmful criticism and how to respond to each.

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There’s a lot of church planting networks out there. But what makes Send Network unique? In this episode, Dhati Lewis, Noah Oldham and Heiden Ratner discuss who Send Network is, where we’re going and how we’ve seen our values play out this year.

Beginning Sept. 24, new co-hosts Noah Oldham and Heiden Ratner will join Dhati Lewis for “We are Send Network.” Here’s a quick word from the guys about what’s in store.

How do you inspire your church planting team to own, sacrifice and hone the vision of your church plant? In this episode, Dhati Lewis interviews Heiden Ratner, lead pastor and church planter of WALK Church in Las Vegas, Nevada to talk about how church planters can practically help their team own the vision of the church plant and the three types of callings church planting teams members should consider before planting.

If you surveyed your church and asked what the essence of the Church is, what would they say? You may find many members answer along the lines of the church being a vendor of religious goods and services instead of a missionary incubator. In this Send Network Gathering breakout session Brad Brisco — Send Network’s director of bivocational church planting — talks about how vital it is for the Church to regain its missionary mindset and nature.

To view more content from the virtual Send Network Gathering visit sendnetworkgatherings.com.

How can God get the greatest glory in every aspect of your members’ lives and thus solve your city’s greatest problem? Bruce Moore, lead pastor of Christ Fellowship Church in Tampa, Florida, answers this question in this virtual Send Network Gathering breakout session. Moore reminds us that every time God calls us into a God-size vision to solve our city’s problems, we’re invited to start with what He’s already given us — the people, places and resources around us.

To view more content from the virtual Send Network Gatherings visit sendnetworkgatherings.com.

Toronto is one of the most diverse cities in the world. More than 50% of the population is born outside of the country. So, how do church planters pastor and plant in such a diverse context with varying traditions and viewpoints? In this episode, Dhati Lewis interviews Kesavan Balasingham, lead pastor of Fellowship Park in Rouge, Toronto, to talk about the historical ethnic tensions in Canada and how their church has continued to make disciples in a multi-ethnic city and church.

Want to learn more about how your church can have candid conversations about race, ethnicity and our present cultural moment? Register for the watch-party style Send Network Gathering on August 20.

Download Undivided: More than a Hashtag at undivided.net on August 20.

This is a “Spouse Spotlight” episode with guest host, Jackie Taylor, a member of the Send Network Spouse Development team and Melinda Pacheco, church planting wife of Redemption Church in Brooklyn, New York. In this episode, Jackie and Melinda discuss how church planting has impacted her family, the blessing of the COVID-19 pandemic and what she wished she had known at the start of their church planting journey.

Related Post: An Interview with Church Planting Wife Melinda Pacheco

What’s next? It’s a question we ask about ourselves, but have we asked it about the leaders we are leading? In this episode, Dhati Lewis sits down with Ed Kang, lead pastor of Gracepoint Church in Berkeley, California, to talk about how he leads and develops the next generation of church planters.