Most major sports have preseason, mini-camps and two-a-days. But now that we are a little over …
Resources for Church Planting
There are few things that will get you out of your comfort zone more than planting …
For as long as I can remember, I’ve struggled with approval. The question, “What do people …
How to manage power as a church planter
You will be your own boss. Starting a church is like starting a business. In the …
People with a natural passion and ability to keep plants alive are said to have a …
In Tuesday’s post, we discussed identifying the needs of your community. Recognizing opportunities to show mercy …
Needs are all around us. Some are obvious and overwhelmingly urgent, such as a crisis situation. …
A growing trend in evangelical circles is the emphasis on being socially conscious, which includes caring …
I know different planters and pastors have different strategies for the ministry of the Word–topical or …
When we first started City Church, we had one weekly worship gathering. I would have a …
Why Multiply? It Is Beneficial
When an effective church planter engages a community, he has an internal and compelling urgency directed …
Our English word church comes from a Greek word ekklesia meaning, “the called-out ones.” The normative pattern in Acts showed …
The Planter’s Wife in Community: Challenges
Odds are, when your wife joined you on the journey of church planting, she left her …
The Planter’s Wife in Community: Intentionality and Cultivation
Community requires intentionality and cultivation Think of something that happens quickly. A roller coaster ride. A …
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The Planter’s Wife in Community: Openness and Vulnerability
For the first eight years of our ministry at an established church, I didn’t have a …
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The Planter’s Wife in Community
She Needs Community “Lonely and isolated” are words that many ministry leaders, male and female, use …
Biblical Foundations of Coaching
In The Biblical Foundations of Coaching, by Robert E. Logan, readers will understand that coaching is …
The Planter in Community: Defer Leadership
A few years back I attended a missions conference and struck up a conversation with a …
The Planter in Community: No Masks Allowed
I was in the middle of small group when I got the barrage of text messages. …
The Pastor in Community: You Need It
I remember sitting at a conference for a particular church planting network. We had reached the …
Redefining Success: City Transformation
Insignificance. Most of our nightmares revolve around this. We all want to know we are making …
Redefining Success: Family Culture
What makes a church successful? Is it the number of those who attend the weekly gathering, …
How to have successful gospel conversations
We’ve all been there. Or even if you haven’t, people in your church have. You start …
Don’t Plant a Church Because It’s Cool
After a long and stressful day of Kindergarten, I used to play with G.I. Joes in …
Ready, Set, Go—Equipping Sending Churches pt. 3
Some years ago, the movie “Chariots of Fire” introduced the world to an Olympic champion and …
Ready, Set, Go—Equipping Sending Churches pt. 2
Running has never been really fun for me unless it was an actual race. Although I …
Ready, Set, Go—Equipping Sending Churches
I have been running marathons for almost 15 years now. It’s amazing how the sport of …
Discipleship is messy because our lives are messy. One size certainly doesn’t fit all. How can …
What discipleship is Christian discipleship is what happens when people live daily with Jesus. Jesus drew incredible, …
Developing leaders to multiply the ministry
One of the reasons developing leaders is so critical for a church is the multiplying result. …
Yesterday I was talking to a good friend about his next ministry assignment and what is …
Wise leaders understand the importance of words. They grasp the importance of language in describing the …
An Important Question to Ask Ourselves
What is your greatest insecurity? It’s a good question to ask yourself, but it’s not so …
Lessons learned from church planting
My friend Jenny was over recently, and my youngest son bounded into the room. He’s getting …
The importance of prioritizing as a church planter
This summer I stood in front of a room full of church planting wives and took …
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Why spousal support from pastors is important
One of the more pleasant surprises of this blog the past few years is the opportunity …
11 Ways to Evaluate Your Preaching and Teaching
The more important our work is, the more imperative it is we strive to improve. If …
In the last post I shared that the first theological distinction deals with the missionary nature …
In part one I explained that when I am asked to define the word “missional” I …
For nine years I taught a course on evangelism at a small Christian college. There was …
Nine Ways To “Pay” Your Volunteers
I recently spent some time with long-time pastor Steve Stroope, who’s been in the ministry now …
When You are Sick of Saying It, Your Leaders Have Just Heard It
The following is a modified excerpt from Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that …
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Church Discipline: The Outcome of Church Discipline
THE OUTCOME OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE As we have faithfully practiced discipline as a body, we are …
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A Process for Multiplying Disciples
By Jeff Christopherson We like to say to “make disciple-making disciples” to inspire a vision for …
Church Discipline: The Process of Church Discipline
The elders of The Austin Stone have studied, prayed and labored over the process of discipline …
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Generosity: Building a Generous Church
Encouraging generosity in the church is a matter I believe I can speak to because it …
John Bunyan once said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone …
On the playground of spiritual disciplines fasting gets picked last, and sometimes not at all if …
You don’t have to be or live in the city in order to understand the concept …
There’s something about becoming a professional Christian (aka pastor, church planter, missionary, etc…) that makes the …
Every first Sunday of the month, as a church, we take communion together. Before we take …
Our culture is sick with busyness and constant connectedness. Almost everyone seems exhausted just trying to …
Let’s just put this reality on the table: many church leaders struggle with prayer. We know …
Living in the Word: Bible Intake for Church Planters I was a new believer, and my …
Abide: Introduction to John 15:5
Imagine you are listening to a sermon and the preacher asks “How many of you truly …
Principles and Practices of Church Planter Coaching: A MAP To Help New Coaches Send Well
Great coaches help leaders turn truth into action. Multiple voices speak into the lives of church …
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How coaching helps church planting wives
3 Ways Coaching Helps Church Planting Wives “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great …
What to consider when hiring and firing team members
“We need him at the table! He has got to go!” The following post is a …
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How to build a team of volunteers for your church
You’re a church planter and have answered the call, raised the money and launched with a …
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Qualities of a senior pastor: Boss or friend?
One question that rarely gets asked in church leadership is whether the senior pastor, as the …
Team Matters: Conflict Dynamics
Imagine a world without conflict. Two political candidates bound onto the stage in front of a …
How to fund a church planting team
My son wants to be a professional soccer player when he grows up. For several years …
Why gender diversity is mission critical for your plant
One of the best moves I ever made as a young church planter was seeing the …
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Our strategy is simple – so simple it’s hard even to call it a strategy. We …
Choosing your church planting team
Two summers ago, another pastor and I landed on Knoxville, Tennessee as our city for planting …
Stories of Doubt: Kent Bateman
Stories of doubt from an apprentices’ perspective Send Network: Tell us about the church you are …
Send Network: Tell us about your church plant and when you all started meeting. Andy Hall:Redemption …
Stories of Doubt – Jeff Phillips
At the immense risk of sounding negative, this reality is true when it comes to church …
Principle of team building: Don’t be a lone ranger
Danger Ahead: 3 Ways Coaching Helps Navigate the Fog As a church planter, I’ve often felt like …
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3 Ways Coaching Helps Navigate Fog
Danger Ahead: 3 Ways Coaching Helps Navigate the Fog As a church planter, I’ve often felt like …
Kingdom First: Leading God’s People
The Apostle Paul, gave this charge to the Ephesian church leadership: “Pay careful attention to yourselves …
Putting God first: Leading my family
The heresy of the evangelical order A divine order has become almost sacrosanct in evangelical subculture; …
Putting God first: Leading myself
The most difficult person that you will ever have to lead is yourself. You are a …
Why Give To The Cooperative Program
Do not, under any circumstances, give your money to the Cooperative Program (CP). Seriously. I mean …
“I wanted to change the world, but I couldn’t find a babysitter,” said a mother. Motherhood …
10 Ways to Drive Away First-Time Guests
If you attend a church regularly, you’ve probably noticed the phenomenon. A guest shows up for …
Ten Unique Challenges of Ministry
In an earlier post I wrote that seminary cannot prepare anyone to be a pastor. Only a church, …
10 Tips to Becoming a More Productive Pastor
The work of pastoral ministry is a joy, but it’s also demanding. Every pastor is on …
Missional Community Connections: Part 2
Environments Conducive to Missional Communities Connections at The Austin Stone is not simply giving information that …
What are Missional Community Connections
Connections at The Austin Stone is not simply giving information that propels individuals towards involvement but …