Practical Church

Here are some helpful things to think about as we move through COVID-19. Welcome to welcome to episode 178 of Practical Church Planting.  As we consider what gathering as a church might look like in the coming months, you will hear a lot of varying thoughts an ideas. As you prayerfully make important decisions, we discuss these six things you'll want to consider: What people say they will do and w...

If you want your full-time salary to come from your church, you need an actual plan to get there. Welcome to welcome to episode 177 of Practical Church Planting. If your desire is to not be a bi-vocational church planter and instead work full-time on and in your church, you need a plan to get there. Assuming "I'll get there when the church can afford to pay me" is a sign that you'll never actually...

Want to make your online service more engaging? Welcome to welcome to episode 176 of Practical Church Planting. In this episode, we discuss these seven things you can do to create a more engaging online service: Use two service hosts Use different shots/service elements Ask people to comment and share Have one service time (and pick a good time) Use a close shot of the pastor Include main points o...

What can you do to increase giving when it is down? Welcome to welcome to episode 175 of Practical Church Planting.  What can you do when finances are tight and giving is down? In this episode, we discuss these seven practical things you can do to increase giving at your church: Be honest about where your church is at financially Give people a reason to be hopeful for the future Share stories of h...

Here are some things you can do to improve your online service during COVID-19. Welcome to welcome to episode 174 of Practical Church Planting. In this episode, we discuss these 8 things you can do to create an even better online service: Go live or use premier at a set time so people can watch together Prioritize the initial stream Have a countdown timer Don't aim to recreate the same looking Sun...

How can you lead your church well during the pandemic? Welcome to welcome to episode 173 of Practical Church Planting. In the midst of so much uncertainty, churches have a lot to figure out. In this episode, we discuss these four things you can do to help lead your church well during this time: Assume nothing will return back to normal for 3 months Your digital response will heavily impact your ph...

How can you best preach to an online audience? Welcome to welcome to episode 172 of Practical Church Planting. During the coronavirus pandemic when all of us are preaching to an online audience, we discuss these eight tips for a better online experience: Look into the camera the whole time Don't acknowledge your feelings about it Don't forget about the children Set the camera at eye level Display...

Here are some practical things your church can try as we move online during the coronavirus. Welcome to welcome to episode 171 of Practical Church Planting. In this episode, we share feedback on the new things we tried this week, as well as new ideas to try in the weeks to come. Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. Have...

Here are some practical things your church can try as we move online during the coronavirus. Welcome to welcome to episode 170 of Practical Church Planting.  We discuss these nine things your church could do or try during the coronavirus: Pre-record and post sermon as live using OneStream 5-minute devotionals Resources pages on the church website Online prayer gathering Online communion Coronaviru...

Learn some of the best tips for effective fundraising. Welcome to welcome to episode 169 of Practical Church Planting.  In this episode, I (Dylan) have a conversation with Jordan Penley, one of the best fundraisers I know. In this episode, you'll get tips and advice on the best way to raise financial support. Want more help with fundraising? Connect with Jordan Penley at JordanPenley.com . Connect...

Consistent gatherings pre-launch are vital for a healthy new church. Welcome to welcome to episode 169 of Practical Church Planting.  In order to have effective outreach events as you serve the community and build a launch team, they need to be built around, not be in place of, consistent launch team gatherings. Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical...

How can you create values for your church that your church actually values? Welcome to welcome to episode 168 of Practical Church Planting.  How can you ensure the values you have for your church are actually values your church holds and accomplishes? In this episode, we discuss these four tips for effective core values: Limit how many you have Make the memorable Attach values to your behaviors Tw...

Being overwhelmed shouldn't be a given in ministry. Welcome to welcome to episode 166 of Practical Church Planting.  It's commonplace to hear how "busy" everyone seems to be. The problem, however, is that when you read the Gospels you never get the sense that Jesus was every rushed or busy. This means being overwhelmed is not a badge of honor. In this episode, we discuss these four reasons why pas...

There is always a lot to do in ministry. Here are some tips for how you can be more productive. Welcome to welcome to episode 165 of Practical Church Planting.  Most people would say they want to be more productive, but often feel overwhelmed by all they have to do. In this episode, we discuss five easy tips you can implement right away to help you be more productive. Click here to read Dylan's bl...

Here are some resources we have found helpful. Welcome to welcome to episode 164 of Practical Church Planting.  There are a lot of helpful tools and resources for churches. In this episode, we briefly discuss 13 different resources we use at New City Church that might be helpful to you and your church. We discuss these 13 resources: Planning Center Propresenter Nucleus (web & social) Acts 29 Quick...

What i s your sermon prep process like? Welcome to welcome to episode 163 of Practical Church Planting. In this episode, we share what Dylan's sermon prep process looks like. No matter what yours may look like, you need a process if you want to preach the best sermons you can. Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. Have q...

Do you make any of these mistakes? Welcome to welcome to episode 162 of Practical Church Planting.  None of us are perfect preachers, but sometimes we can make mistakes that are easily fixable so long as we are being intentional about getting better. In this episode, we discuss these five mistakes preachers often make: Complexity over simplicity Length over impact Impressive over impressionable Po...

What is the best way to preach? Welcome to welcome to episode 161 of Practical Church Planting. Is it better to preach expositionally or topically? The reality is both methods and be done faithfully and effectively. In this episode, we discuss both methods and share these four reasons as to why we lean towards expositional preaching: People want to know what the Scriptures actually say People need...

Contextualization should be rated, not overrated. Welcome to welcome to episode 160 of Practical Church Planting. Contextualization is important and helpful in helping you reach the people in your area. However, it can also be overrated and even unhelpful if we make it a bigger deal than it should be. In this episode, we discuss these four reasons as to why contextualization is overrated: Building...

Be firm on your theological convictions. Here are some reasons why. Welcome to welcome to episode 159 of Practical Church Planting.  It can be hard to be honest with people on certain theological positions your church might hold. However, it is better for you and your church not to shy away from these things. In this episode, we discuss these four reasons why you shouldn't be weak on your theologi...

Is your children's ministry safe? Welcome to welcome to episode 155 of Practical Church Planting. Is your children's ministry area safe? Not only that but does it also appear safe? The safety of kids is vitally important for their well-being, as well as for the comfort of the parents dropping their kids off. One of the quickest ways to have first-time guests not return is missing the mark in this...

How is your kid's check-in process? Let's make it better Welcome to welcome to episode 157 of Practical Church Planting. The kid's ministry check-in process is a vital but often overlooked area that can cause either positive or frustrating experiences at our churches. In this episode, we discuss these six things you can do to ensure your check-in process goes smoothly: Allow for self check-in Have...

Church finances can lead to all sorts of issues if you are not careful. Welcome to welcome to episode 156 of Practical Church Planting. While no one sets out to run into issues with your church's finances, it can easily happen if we are not intentional with our systems and structures. In this episode, we discuss these four ways your church can be transparent with its finances: Send quarterly updat...

Being a young pastor can have its challenges. Here are some things that may help. Welcome to welcome to episode 152 of Practical Church Planting. You can listen to this episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and get our episodes delivered right to you. There are both advantages and disadvantages to being a young pastor. In this episode, we discuss these five tips to help you out: Learn from...

Watch out for these things. Welcome to welcome to episode 154 of Practical Church Planting. As we enter into a new year, there are things we should do and avoid if we don't want our churches to struggle. In this episode, we share these six things that may cause your church to struggle in 2020: If you aren't clear about your mission and/or vision You livestream when you shouldn't You don't record y...