The importance of rest in church planting
I wanted to reach people. I wanted to grow the church. I wanted to make an impact. But I didn't recognize what I was doing.
Resources for Leadership
Church Planting vs. Pastoring: What’s the Difference?
There comes a time in the life of every new church when you shift from church planter to church pastor.
Maintaining an ongoing relationship with supporters
It is sometimes said, perhaps only somewhat jokingly, that church planters are after one thing: money....
E-book: Covocational Church Planting
Over the past several years there has been an increasing interest in church planting. As a...
Missionary flow and church planting
In the North American, post-Christian context in which we now live, we can’t plant churches by...
Eight non-negotiables for church planters, Pt. 4
7. Structure for growth and impact beyond where you are Probably one of the more evident...
Eight non-negotiables for church planters, Pt. 3
4. Embed shared authority into your DNA Because I believe plurality in church leadership is a...
Eight non-negotiables for church planters, Pt. 2
1. Prioritize preaching You’ll soon discover there are many things you can do when the church gathers together....
Eight non-negotiables for church planters, Pt. 1
We’re just shy of 14 years old as a church. It seems like just yesterday there...
Learning to cherish older men in church planting
As church planters, pastors, and ministry leaders, we must be vigilant in our pursuit of spiritual...
5 reasons church planters should unpack forgiveness
Unpack forgiveness first, church planters. Before you pick out a sound board, before you buy a...
Debunking common church planting objections: We’re too small
There’s one more objection to becoming a Sending Church that we will tackle today. The first...
Debunking Common Church Planting Objections: We’ll Lose Our Best Leaders
In the last post, we considered one of the most common objections to church planting —...
Debunking common church planting objections: It costs too much
When you decide, as the pastor, to lead your church for the first time to be...
It was somewhat surreal, and a little surprising. Not that I had expected something really different,...
Great coaching brings vision one step closer to reality. You may not have a coach right...
Knowing your role: Self awareness
Reggie McNeil says, “The single most important piece of information a leader possesses is self-awareness.”[1] Self-Awareness could...
The greater danger for most of us isn’t that our aim is too high and we...
To plant disciple-making, missional churches, we must change the way we think about God’s mission and...
Measurement is fabulous. Unless you’re busy measuring what’s easy to measure, as opposed to what’s important....
The first responsibility of a leader is to define reality. ~ Max De Pree In the...
Pastoring a church when it is no longer a plant: Finances
“Wait a minute, what?” I thought to myself incredulously, “We are no longer a plant?” This...
Pastoring a church when it is no longer a plant: Momentum
My father was one of the greatest high school basketball coaches in Kentucky history. After watching...
Everybody thinks they hate evangelism, but what if that was because they didn’t understand how evangelism...
9 characteristics of a church planter: Social skills
Before I knew Jesus, I was a user. Not drugs. Worse. I used people. I am...
9 characteristics of a church planter: Disciple making
Recently I had the “privilege” of shopping at Home Depot. I say “privilege” because, depending on...
9 characteristics of a church planter: Family dynamics
We plant gospel-centered churches because it is the prescribed Great Commission strategy found in the Scripture....
9 characteristics of a church planter: Emotional and spiritual health
Church planting is a not a young man’s sport, nor an old man’s sport. It’s a healthy man’s...
9 characteristics of a church planter: Calling/Intro
I still remember the angst I felt the first time I read the question, “When were...
9 characteristics of a church planter: Communication
One of the key ingredients of effectiveness is the ability to communicate clearly. Jesus was the...
9 characteristics of a church planter: Leadership
No one has ever called me charismatic. I’m not a raging extrovert. And I’m certainly not...
9 characteristics of a church planter: Vision
Vision is overrated. “I’m just not very good at this whole ‘vision’ thing,” a discouraged pastor...
In January, I celebrated 14 years of marriage. I am truly amazed that God gave me...
Accountability with your growth
I remember the first time I heard Tim Keller say “Being in ministry will either make...
When it comes to church planting, the old saying is true, “Time is of the essence.”...
Accountability with your finances
‘Accountability’ is a popular word in our culture. Good stewardship is both biblical and practical. But...
The Emotionally Healthy Planter: Fears
Perfect love casts out fear (1 Jn 4:18). The promise presupposes certain realities. First, fear is...
Send Network changed our college ministry and awakened us to church planting
Reach some students. Disciple them. Help them graduate and find a job. This was our mission...
Barriers of Brotherhood: Differences & Disagreements
At times it feels like the only guarantees in life are death, taxes, and disagreements between...
Barriers of Brotherhood: Busyness & Priorities
Both planters and re-planters who are burdened to serve Jesus can find themselves extremely busy —...
Barriers of Brotherhood: Envy & Insecurity
Two jumps in a week Bet you think that’s pretty clever Don’t you, boy? Flying along...
Securing a meeting location: 3 Ways to sustain a partnership
Finding a worship gathering space can be one of the most frustrating parts of launching a...
Securing a meeting location: Forming a contract
The late scholar Mark Seale said, “everyone has a way of ‘leaning into life,’ and the...
Securing a meeting location: Casting a wide net
One of the things I felt least ready for when planting City Church is how to...
Don’t ask your goldfish how the water is. Goldie won’t have any idea what you’re talking...
10 Lessons from a decade of church planting: Part 2
2. Rootedness and hiring from within matters. “From the outside looking in, what has been the...
10 Lessons from a decade of church planting: Part 1
Recently we celebrated the 10th anniversary of City Church in Tallahassee. What started with 24 friends...
5 Lessons I learned from Adrian Rogers
No one has influenced and impacted my life like the “prince of preachers,” the man known...
Voices that shape us: The Importance of mentors
One of the most influential theologians in my life is a musician. Songwriter Michael Card’s exegetically evocative and...
The planter as generalist: Delegation
What is the vision God has given you for your church? What are the dreams you...
The planter as generalist: Administration
On a scale from 1-10, my administration skills fall somewhere between 1 and a separate scale...
The planter as generalist: Fund raising
I was recently in a conversation with a friend that was all too familiar. It had...
The planter as generalist: Counseling
Anyone that has ever attempted to start a business quickly learned this truth: There is a...
The planter as generalist: Leadership development
Church planting, when done properly, is proof that God uses ordinary people to do extraordinary things....
The planter as generalist: Intro
The label “intern” used to be code word for the person who does anything and everything...
Last week I introduced you to, or reminded you of, a concept called identity amnesia: Christians...
Money matters: Staff and salaries
In 2010, my family moved to Boston (one of the most expensive places to live in...
More than a song: Fostering a culture of worship in your church
The past few months, I have been reading through the Old Testament minor prophets. As a...
e-book: Partnering Well: Planters and Sending Churches
Without a doubt, planting a church without prayer is like building a house on bare ground...
Genesis 2:18 – Keeping a marriage strong as a church planter
I will never forget the day that my husband sat me down and said the words,...
No church planter wants to fail and no church planter starts off expecting to fail. However,...
Mistakes in church planting: Joseph Velarde
I am a huge Atlanta sports fan, as I was born and raised in Smyrna, Georgia....
Mistakes in church planting: Andy Metzger
Anyone who has ever planted a church can tell you that one of the most accurate...
How to use technology to reach your church and community
Everywhere you turn these days, you can’t help but hear the term “big data.” Retailers, app...
How to be a more productive minister
My guess is that on most days you find it hard to reconcile your calendar with...
Why strategic communications matter in the local church
One of the most famous movie lines of all time comes from the 1967 film Cool Hand...
Transformational relationships with God
The most important things to measure in your church plant are often the hardest things to...
Church planter coaches: The value of a great coach
Coaching is like noise-canceling headphones; it takes all those voices, internal and external, in Matthew’s life...
I’m here…Now what? Pastors and local association
Back in my day (incidentally, I’ve always wanted to use that phrase), there was a common...
How to tell if the ministry has become all about you
Sadly, most of us can all too easily recount stories of pastors who betrayed their congregations,...
The Coach TestThe church planter coaching “frequently asked question” list is always growing. We love this...
Gravity is not something we can see or feel. However, it’s constantly at work. Gravity works...
5 ways to protect the vision from God
All people protect things that matter to them. Be it a wedding ring, a picture drawn...
4 phases of church planting team development
Church planting is a process. Just as it takes nine months for a baby to grow...
Things pastors shouldn’t do in 2017
In 2017, I’m going to stop allowing those who know our church the least to define...
Things I won’t do in 2017: Brian Bowman
In many wonderful ways planting Valley Life Church has been church planting fairy tale. Healthy financial support...
Most popular of 2016: #6 Why I engage in the SBC
The North American Mission Board is blessed by a wide array of voices that speak to...
Collegiate Church Planting: Developing leaders
Have you ever had that “aha” moment? It’s that moment something suddenly becomes clear and crystalized....
How to get visitors to return to your church
There are so many elements that determine if guests will return to your church after a...
What are the internal barriers to growth in a church?
There is rarely a simple explanation for the decline of a church. It is often a...