Practical Church

Being  ahead in sermon prep is really helpful. Here's why. Welcome to welcome to episode 128 of Practical Church Planting.  While the thought of it may seem overwhelming at first, having more than just the sermon you are giving this week written is immensely helpful. In this episode, we discuss these six ways: Mondays have less pressure You aren't forced to come up with something each week There i...

Seminary  is great, but it isn't everything. Welcome to welcome to episode 127 of Practical Church Planting. Like many things in life, there is only so much you can learn about being a pastor without real-life experience. In this episode, we discuss these 5 things that seminary can't teach you about being a pastor: What vocational ministry will be like for your wife How to pastor people How to hav...

The first year of church planting is hard. But what you face is common. Welcome to welcome to episode 126 of Practical Church Planting.  There are many discouragements church planters will face in the first year of their church. The good news is that you are not the problem; your discouragements are common. In this episode, we discuss these five common discouragements planters face in year one: De...

Some  tips for new preachers. Welcome to welcome to episode 125 of Practical Church Planting. Preaching for the first time (or first handful of times) is exciting but nerve-wracking. In this episode, we discuss these five tips for new preachers: Go through it out loud Preach however is most comfortable Practice in front of people Have a main point Don't listen to one preacher   Connect and never m...

Here are some tools to help your church. Welcome to welcome to episode 124 of Practical Church Planting.  There are many different needs of a church. In this episode, we share seven software programs we use at New City and would recommend to others. Click the names below to learn more about each product. Quickbooks Planning Center Nucleus Storytape Zoom ProPresenter Adobe Suite   Connect and never...

What are some helpful ways to respond when people have questions about your church? Welcome to welcome to episode 123 of Practical Church Planting. Y When someone asks to meet because they have "questions about your church," it could be because they are genuinely curious about some things, or because they have some issues they want you to address. Regardless of the reason behind that request, in t...

No  church is perfect. Here are 5 hopes if our churches in the next 10 years. Welcome to welcome to episode 122 of Practical Church Planting.  Because none of us are perfect, that means the churches we lead will not be either. But that doesn't mean we don't do the best we can to love and lead people like Jesus. Here are 5 hopes we have for the Church in the next 10 years that we think will help us...

Support raising can be hard. Here is how to make it a little better. Welcome to welcome to episode 121 of Practical Church Planting.  If you are a pastor, church planter, or part of a church plant, fundraising is likely something you have to deal with. Because of that, we share these six tips when it comes to raising support in this episode: In-person is always best Don't wait until you are desper...

It's  not a bad thing for pastors to know what their people are giving financially. In fact, we think it's a good idea. Welcome to welcome to episode 120 of Practical Church Planting.  There seems to be this idea that it is better for pastors to not know who is giving what financially to their churches. We don't agree, and in this episode, we discuss these five reasons why: You "look" at most ever...

Church  planting is hard, and it might be getting harder. Welcome to welcome to episode 119 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode. It can be argued that church planting today (in America) is more difficult than it has been over the past few decades. While there are some challenges with that, there is also opportunity....

Want  to use social media more effectively? Welcome to welcome to episode 118 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode. Engaging people online through social media is vitally important. In this episode, we share seven practical things you can do to reach new people and connect with your current people better. We discuss...

Here  are five important things to help you in ministry. Welcome to welcome to episode 117 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode. Over the past few years, Dylan has learned a few things that have really helped him in ministry. Some may be obvious, others not so much. Here is what we talk about in this episode: Preach...

How can we know if our church is healthy? Welcome to welcome to episode 115 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode. How can we tell if our churches are healthy and on the right track? Attendance doesn't measure spiritual growth, and church size is rarely a barometer of how healthy a church actually is. In this episode,...

Need  ideas for your Christmas sermon series (with a breakdown of what to preach each week)? Welcome to welcome to episode 115 of Practical Church Planting.  Need help figuring out what your Christmas sermon series should be? We are here to help! In this episode, we not only share Christmas sermon series ideas (which you can find anywhere) but also breakdown what you can preach on each week in tho...

How can you add a second service smoothly? Welcome to welcome to episode 114 of Practical Church Planting.  There a varying reasons why it might be time to add a second service. In this episode where share 5 tips on how you can do this transition well. Keep both starting times between 9 AM - 11 AM Have a plan before you need it Be proactive is possible Explain the WHY (no matter what) Make adjustm...

Here's  how your church can make an impact. Welcome to welcome to episode 113 of Practical Church Planting.  When it comes to impacting your community, consistency is key. While one-time serving events are good, building relationships will bring about a bigger impact. In this episode, we share five ways you can do that through your church. Give Club // New City $5 Give Club Small group serving pro...

Why  it's actually a good thing to do things on your schedule. Welcome to welcome to episode 112 of Practical Church Planting.  On the surface, it sounds crazy, maybe even wrong, but the reality is your time matters. In ministry, with the right intentions, we will often plan things for when it is best for others. But as church leaders, that isn't actually what is best for you or your church. In th...

Seven tips for healthy church plants. Welcome to welcome to episode 111 of Practical Church Planting.  If you want to plant a church or be a church that plant churches, there are a lot of important things to do to help ensure the health of the church plant. In this episode, we share seven vital things all church planters must do. Don't plant alone Meet with as many local pastors as you can Be hone...

Become easier to find online. Welcome to welcome to episode 110 of Practical Church Planting.  Regardless of the size of your church, there are things you can do to make your church more discoverable online. In this episode, we share six free ways you can make that happen. Here is what we discuss: Ask for Google reviews Ask for Facebook reviews Ask your people to engage your content Don't only pos...

There are advantages to being a smaller church. Welcome to welcome to episode 108 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode. It can be easier to look at larger churches and want many of the things that they have. However, there are certain strengths and things that smaller churches have that can be harder to come by at la...

Here are a few great podcasts for leadership and ministry. Welcome to welcome to episode 108 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the nine podcasts we recommend in this episode: Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast Craig Groeschel Leadership Podcast This Cultural Moment Pro Church Tools The Bible Project Radio Free Leader Ted Talks Unseminary Listen to other pastors! Connect and never miss an episo...

How can we avoid becoming inflexible leaders? Welcome to welcome to episode 107 of Practical Church Planting. No one sets out to be a leader who is "stuck in their old ways." Unfortunately, it can happen much easier than we think. In this episode, we share five thoughts on why leaders resist change. We discuss these reasons: It worked in the past New somehow is considered bad It's intimidating to...

Small things can make a big difference to first time guests. Welcome to welcome to episode 106 of Practical Church Planting.  In this episode, we talk about things we often unintentionally do that can make new guests feel unwelcome. We talk about: No parking lot volunteers/distracted parkers Volunteers on phones Dirty/unkept facility No acknowledgment of new people No/poor signage Rules over relat...

What should you do when someone signs up to serve? Welcome to welcome to episode 105 of Practical Church Planting.  A solid follow up process is crucial for getting people to serve or volunteer at your church. In this episode, we share how we do it at New City Church. Connect and never miss an episode. Did you know that you can watch the Practical Church Planting podcast? Connect with us on our  F...

How can we make parents feel more comfortable when dropping off their kids? Welcome to welcome to episode 104 of Practical Church Planting.  Parents (especially new parents or families visiting your church for the first time) are extra cautious about dropping off their kids to your church's kid's ministry. This means we need to do everything we can to make parents feel good about dropping off thei...