Resources for Marriage and Family

4 Ways to Build Sisterhood Among Planting Spouses

What do church planting wives need to thrive? In Research Findings on Church Planting Spouses, when …

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5 Questions to consider before you plant a church

By Garth Leno I have watched church plants and church planting families fold too soon. We …

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Pastoring Amid Coronavirus in Seattle

By Stuart Bell Editor’s Note: This story was updated March 30, 2020, to remove certain outdated …

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4 Objections to church planting

By Clint Clifton and Shane Critser This is an excerpt from the e-book, Deploy to Multiply. …

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Vision 2025: A call to reach every person for Jesus Christ

NASHVILLE (BP) — Vision 2025 is not simply a slogan or rallying cry. It’s a path …

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You should be thinking about 2050: North American Church Planting Capacity for the Next Generation

In mid-2018, Send Institute convened a gathering of thought leaders and heads of some of North …

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Will your church be a monument — or part of a movement?

Q&A with Noah Oldham Why give to the Annie Armstrong Easter Offering? God gives us the …

Will your church be a monument — or part of a movement? Read More »

Why we continue to plant churches & partner with church planters

I am not a church planter. Most of you probably know that. I pastor what has …

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3 practical things you need to plant a church

This is a book excerpt from Church Planting Thresholds: A Gospel-Centered Guide by Clint Clifton. Download …

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7 Tough Questions for a Church Planter’s Spiritual Inventory

Church planting leaders can easily rattle off the names of guys who, sadly, didn’t make it. …

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Your Home as Mission

By Dhati and Angela Lewis To develop healthy disciple-making practices, we must recapture the art of …

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Living Sent as a Church Planting Wife

Moving is scary. Moving to plant a church is even scarier. In Love Where You Live: …

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Kevin Ezell: If I could do it over

If you are pastoring with your whole heart and really going after it each day, it …

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What to do When Your Wife is Burned Out: Warning Signs

In a previous blog, “How to plant your church without losing your spouse,” I offer a most basic …

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How to plant your church without losing your spouse: Pay attention

If we are discussing “How to plant your church without losing your spouse,” the most significant …

How to plant your church without losing your spouse: Pay attention Read More »

Fighting to remain unoffended

In our sphere of the Send Network, several faithful families have endured great, unexpected suffering and …

Fighting to remain unoffended Read More »

Planter Spouse Care

Kathy Litton interviews three spouses to gather insights for church planters to consider as they encourage …

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Church Planting Wives — Adjustment and Transition

Church planting wives share their tips for adjusting to unfamiliar cultures, a new role, and transitioning …

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How does caring for a planter’s spouse make a difference in planting?

https://vimeo.com/241774627,https://vimeo.com/241774627 https://vimeo.com/241774627 Nira Abella, church planter spouse in South Florida, speaks to the neccessity of caring …

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What to keep in mind when raising kids while planting a church

https://vimeo.com/241774681,https://vimeo.com/241774681 https://vimeo.com/241774681 Nira Abella, a church planter spouse in South Florida, provides practical widom to keep …

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Parenting teens in church planting: Unique strategy/plan

Back in 2012, my wife, Amy, and I wrote a book together called It’s Personal: Surviving and …

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Parenting teens in church planting: Unique blessings

“You are going to drag your wife and kids across the country to plant a church?” …

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Parenting teens in church planting: Unique challenges

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. ‘Honor your father and mother …

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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. …

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The Emotionally Healthy Planter: Family

Where’d that come from? We’ve probably all asked this question from time to time. Something happens …

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Why adoption is supposed to be hard: Part 3

What we are finding is that there is a special joy that comes from sharing in …

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Why adoption is supposed to be hard: Part 2

As hard as this process has been so far—here is what we are learning, slowly and …

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Why adoption is supposed to be hard: Part 1

This series of posts was originally written in November 2016. We have been home from China …

Why adoption is supposed to be hard: Part 1 Read More »

Spouse care: Interview with Kathy Litton

Send Network: You have been on staff at NAMB for more six years. Tell us about …

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Friendship and the pastor’s wife: In friendship, resist the discomfort of receiving

On my first Sunday as a pastor’s wife, a college girl approached me with a question …

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How to keep a healthy perspective as a pastor’s wife

I was standing at the door after church, talking with folks, when a woman who’d been …

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The difference between church relationships and friendships

My husband and I have been in full-time vocational ministry since the day we were married. …

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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, …

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How to encourage your wife while planting a church

Regardless of where you are in your church planting journey, chances are you know how essential …

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Where is church planting in the Bible?

The majority of Christians I meet like the idea of church planting conceptually but would never …

Where is church planting in the Bible? Read More »

Free guide: How to build a successful marriage

The majority of Christians I meet like the idea of church planting conceptually but would never …

Free guide: How to build a successful marriage Read More »

Protecting your heart

Another year brings with it the history of story after story of pastors who are removed …

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How to remain an effective pastor in 2017

Over the past few years I’ve grown increasingly convinced that my (over)dependence on technology is having …

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Most popular of 2016: #4 Raising kids to love the church: Jeff Christopherson

The North American Mission Board is blessed by a wide array of voices that speak to …

How to raise kids to love the church

I’ve been part of church plants ever since I can remember. My dad took over as …

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Raising Kids to Love the Church: Laura Christopherson

Six months into our first pastorate, I had a real “aha” moment. I didn’t even know …

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Raising kids to love the church: Jeff Christopherson

Laura and I always invested our savings in the next church plant, so we were constantly …

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What I wish I knew: Part 1

When I think about the things I wish I would’ve known prior to launching WALK Church …

What I wish I knew: Part 1 Read More »

Planter Killers: Comfort

There are few things that will get you out of your comfort zone more than planting …

Planter Killers: Comfort Read More »

The Planter’s Wife in Community: Challenges

Odds are, when your wife joined you on the journey of church planting, she left her …

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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 …

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Redefining Success: Family Culture

What makes a church successful? Is it the number of those who attend the weekly gathering, …

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Lessons learned from church planting

My friend Jenny was over recently, and my youngest son bounded into the room. He’s getting …

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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 …

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Send Network Orientation: Planter Spouse Care

Kathy Litton, NAMB’s national consultant for ministry to pastor’s wives, hosted the panel consisting of Pam …

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Putting God first: Leading my family

The heresy of the evangelical order A divine order has become almost sacrosanct in evangelical subculture; …

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Make Your Church Adoption-Friendly

When I pastored Highview Baptist in Louisville my friend David Melber and his wife, Tera, started …

Make Your Church Adoption-Friendly Read More »

5 Reasons Why I Want My Husband to Have a Coach

Coaching Reflections from a Church Planting Wife By Heather Bond I am a church planting wife. …

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Counseling tools: Recoverig from addiction

The Darkness Runs Deep I’ve done recovery ministry for six years, and it didn’t take long for …

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Counseling Tools: Premarital Plan

For almost a decade I’ve been pastoring a church plant in the heart of downtown Columbia, …

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How to stay healthy in the ministry

A few years ago I felt the itch to do something I had never done before. …

How to stay healthy in the ministry Read More »

Planting healthy: The gift of rest

The Lord gives good gifts. Few people would likely disagree with this claim. He gives love, …

Planting healthy: The gift of rest Read More »

Help Yourself

Just prior to take-off, the scheduled, and albeit slightly annoying, safety instructions are announced on the …

Help Yourself Read More »

Father Models – Ten Roles Dads Play with Their Kids

Continuing our parenting series, we look specifically to fathers. Fathers play many roles in rearing their …

Father Models – Ten Roles Dads Play with Their Kids Read More »

Getting to Know God With Your Children

We’ve been working through a series of biblical and practical thoughts on parenting. This is something …

Getting to Know God With Your Children Read More »

How to shepherd your children | NAMB

Most pastors would affirm our priority is first to shepherd our family, and then to shepherd …

How to shepherd your children | NAMB Read More »

How to plant a church without losing your family

One of the great things about YouTube is the fact that anyone can post a video. …

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Pastor Dad: How to Lead a Family Devotion

Each evening at exactly 7:00 pm, my wife and I call our children downstairs for a …

Pastor Dad: How to Lead a Family Devotion Read More »

Church Planting Essentials pt. 1

No one is ever “officially ready” to plant a church, but there are essentials that help …

Church Planting Essentials pt. 1 Read More »

Shepherding the Harassed and Helpless: Counseling and the Local Church

Counseling in the local church can be a daunting task, riddled with complexities on numerous issues …

Shepherding the Harassed and Helpless: Counseling and the Local Church Read More »

Why Pastors Need Mentors

Just a couple of years ago, in the city where I am a pastor, I saw …

Why Pastors Need Mentors Read More »

How to help your wife in the process of church planting

When my husband and I first considered that God might be calling us to plant a …

How to help your wife in the process of church planting Read More »

Resources for Marriage and Family

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