Practical Church

Healthy ministry is ministry that can last over the long haul. In this episode, we share 6 things you can do to help you make it. Welcome to episode 311 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 ways we discuss in this episode: Give yourself clear end times on sermon prep Take email off your phone and check it less Have clearly defined ministry boundaries have a robust spiritual life Consisten...

We all want to engage people with the Gospel. In this episode, we share 7 ways to engage more people on Sunday mornings. Welcome to episode 310 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 things we discuss in this episode: Encourage new guests to try you multiple times Encourage/challenge your people to make their local gathering a priority Acknowledge the feelings of a new guest in your follow...

There are certain assumptions about ministry we may hold that simply aren't true. In this episode, we discuss 6 of them. Welcome to episode 307 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 false assumptions we discuss in this episode: Waiting is inherently more holy Sermon prep must be done on Saturday What you want to do is "wrong" Your church will be a lot different You need a compelling reason...

In this episode, we answer ministry questions asked in our Practical Church Planting Facebook group. Welcome to episode 308 of Practical Church Planting.  ------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support  knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done. We come...

As we begin a new year, we are back with our third annual church predictions. In this episode, we share 5 predictions for 2023. Welcome to episode 307 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch this episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and get our episodes delivered right to you.   Here are the predictions we discuss in this episode: Short vertical videos should be your prioritized social...

Welcome to the Practical Church podcast. THE BEST MINUTE NEWSLETTER Build better habits, become more productive, and grow in your life and leadership. All in under 60 seconds per week.  Get my Best Minute newsletter . And to connect with me online, you can find me on  Twitter  and  Instagram . HERE ARE THE 5 WAYS I DISCUSS IN THIS EPISODE Don't put your main scriptures on the screen Don't give peo...

Welcome to our last episode of the year. In this episode, we reflect on and evaluate our 2022 church predictions. Welcome to episode 306 of Practical Church Planting. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out  practicalplanting.com .  You can also watch th...

What are some practical ways to care for your people well? In this episode, we share 6 ways you can do just that. Welcome to episode 305 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 tips we discuss in this episode: Prayer cards Proactively reaching out to meet when you hear/sense a need Be intentional with your time on Sundays Have a healthy goal of meeting with people Ask good questions is the b...

When it comes to preaching effective sermons, there are a few common mistakes to avoid. In this episode, we share 7 common preaching mistakes. Welcome to episode 304 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 mistakes we discuss in this episode: Starting with information Preaching an encyclopedia sermon Preaching everything with the same weight No handles No sharing of personal struggle Preachi...

If you want to remain faithful in ministry for the long haul, there are certain practices and habits that are needed to sustain you. In this episode, we share 6 habits to help you stay faithful and avoid poor decisions in ministry. Welcome to episode 303 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 habits we discuss in this episode: Bible reading 5-6 days a week Consistent (ideally more than once...

One of the challenges churches face is making sure people know and are up to date with everything going on in the life of your church. In this episode, we share 5 simple ways you can do that. Welcome to episode 302 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 5 ways we discuss in this episode: Add givers to your newsletter Start your sermon with an important announcement if you can't preach it Host...

One way to easily avoid the feeling of busyness in ministry is to proactively plan when you are going to complete certain tasks. In this episode, we discuss 6 of those tasks that should be planned every week. Welcome to episode 301 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 tasks we discuss in this episode: Scheduling social media Sermon prep schedule Writing the newsletter Uploading the sermon...

When bringing on new leaders and/or staff, there are some important things that can make the transition healthy for the long haul. In this episode, we share 5 pitfalls that are easy to miss when bringing on new leaders Welcome to episode 300 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the pitfalls we discuss in this episode: Being too accommodating Not asking the uncomfortable but needed questions Inc...

How can you keep everyone at your church in the loop with things your church has going on? In this episode, we share 6 ways to spread the word about events at your church. Welcome to episode 299 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 ways we discuss in this episode: Facebook events Upcoming events on the homepage of your website Small group leader guide All church text Instagram post that c...

In this episode, we answer ministry questions asked in our Practical Church Planting Facebook group. Welcome to episode 298 of Practical Church Planting.  ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done. ...

Life and ministry can have its stressors and difficulties, but there are things you can do to remain healthy in ministry. In this episode, we share 5 practical things you can do to avoid burnout in ministry. Welcome to episode 297 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 5 things we discuss in this episode: Have a hobby Don't worry about what people think about your purchases Proactively plan ti...

There are many various things happening at your church that people can sign up for. Be it groups, serving, an event, and more. In this episode, we share 6 specific ways you can get more people to sign up at your church. Welcome to episode 296 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 things we discuss in this episode: Make it possible to sign up when you mention it Be very clear what to do with...

All of us want to see more people meet Jesus and grow in a relationship with him. In this episode, we share 7 practical things you can do at your church to see that happen. Welcome to episode 295 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 strategies we discuss in this episode: Talk about inviting people from stage often Grow your YouTube presence Have an engaging online presence Do proactive fo...

If you want to be healthy in ministry, there are certain things in your life that you need to be proactive about instead of reactive to. In this episode, we discuss 7 things in your life that need proactive boundaries. Welcome to episode 294 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 7 boundaries we discuss in this episode: Porn Social media/phone use Reading Time off/away Prayer Time with your sp...

Sometimes in life, ministry, and/or work you hear things that sound obvious, but still is something you hadn't thought of before. In this episode, we share 6 helpful tips for ministry that you can do, some of which you might not have realized. Welcome to episode 293 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 tips we discuss in this episode: Childcare reimbursement Flexible PTO Dream about what...

While there are certain repeated questions new churches get, there are different repeated questions you get when your church becomes more established. In this episode, we discuss 5 questions you get often as an established church. Welcome to episode 292 of Practical Church Planting.  Ambassadors Ministries If you wish you had a large paid staff and more leaders that could give dedicated time to th...

When you're a new (or newer) church, there are a few questions you will get often. In this episode we discuss 6 of those questions and how you can think about answering them. Welcome to episode 291 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 questions we discuss in this episode: Why you choose the name of your church What is your (typically the lead pastor) education? Who your church is associat...

Many churches have some sort of group ministry at their church. Regardless of how they function at your church, there are a few principles that are universal in their helpfulness. In this episode, we share 6 of those tips. Welcome to episode 290 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 tips we discuss in this episode: Provide a leader guide or curriculum for your group leaders Schedule a coupl...

While there may be obvious things you should cover in a welcome or new members class, what are important things that are easily overlooked? In this episode, we share 7 helpful things to cover that you might miss. Welcome to episode 289 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 things we discuss in this episode: Start with something fun/interesting History of your church Expectations of members...

Building community is a vital part of a healthy church. In this episode, we share 9 events you can try at your church and how we actually do them. Welcome to episode 288 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 9 events we discuss in this episode: Trivia night After church cookout Outdoor movie night Fantasy football league Chili cook-off Bingo night Trunk or treat Pizza in the park Bracket Chal...