Practical Church

Is it better to meet in a portable location or a permanent one? Welcome to welcome to episode 78 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. Is it better to meet in a portable space, or in space your church can have 24/7? In this episode, we share the pros and cons of both situations to help you better decide what might work...

How do you know if it's time to end a ministry or program? Welcome to welcome to episode 77 of Practical Church Planting. We've all been a part of or experienced a ministry or program that went on longer than it should, but how do we know when that is? In this episode, we share five signs that show it might be time to end a ministry or program in your church. Connect and never miss an episode Did...

Why there is nothing inherently wrong with using modern tools to lead people in worship. Welcome to welcome to episode 76 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. "If we took away all the fancy lights and only used an acoustic guitar, would people still show up? If not, that's a problem." We have all likely heard someone...

How to make sure your church planting residency is right for you. Welcome to welcome to episode 75 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode. Church planting residencies are a great way to train and equip yourself before planting a church, but they are not all equal. In this episode, we share six things to think about and l...

Should I attend seminary online or in person? Welcome to welcome to episode 74 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or subscribe to the podcast and never miss an episode.  If you're considering seminary or any type of advanced education, you may have wondered about whether online or the traditional route will be better for you. In this episode, we share a few pros and con...

Want to keep people engaged during your sermon? Welcome to welcome to episode 73 of Practical Church Planting.  You've worked hard on your sermon, prayed, and hope what you say helps people take steps closer to Jesus. But when people aren't listening, it's hard for them to take in what is being said. So in this episode, we share five ways to help people stay engaged during your sermon. Connect and...

Sermon writing can be a lot of work. Let's make it a little better. Welcome to welcome to episode 72 of Practical Church Planting. While many pastors enjoy preaching, writing the sermon can be strenuous and tiring at times. Because of that, in this episode, we discuss four things you can do to help make the sermon writing process more enjoyable. Connect and never miss an episode Did you know that...

Church membership can be tricky. Here are some tips to help it go better. Welcome to welcome to episode 71 of Practical Church Planting. There is a lot that goes into church membership, from assimilating members, creating a membership process, church accountability, and more. In this episode we discuss these five tips to make it a little better: You should have it A process for joining the church...

A lot goes into planning a sermon series. Here are some free resources that can help. Welcome to welcome to episode 70 of Practical Church Planting. More goes into a sermon that just preparing its content. We also have to think of sermon series graphics, videos, bumper videos, and more. Money is tight with most church plants, and so is available time. So in this episode, we talk about these four f...

Ministry can be grueling, so how can we stay healthy? Welcome to welcome to episode 69 of Practical Church Planting. It's pretty common to hear about ministry leaders burning out or having to step out of ministry due to moral failure. In this episode, we share six ways leaders can stay healthy in ministry. We talk about: Not neglecting physical health Prioritizing family Creating healthy boundarie...

Connect better with your people with this unique idea. Welcome to welcome to episode 68 of Practical Church Planting.  If you work at a church you have undoubtedly been asked this question: what do you do during the week? In this episode, we share a fun way to answer that question, build more trust and connection between church staff and your members, and how you can let people behind the scenes o...

A healthy marriage leads to a healthy ministry. Welcome to welcome to episode 67 of Practical Church Planting. One of the difficulties about being in vocational ministry is how much you have to give. You give much of your time, money, nights, and days off helping other people. While that can be, and is, a privilege and a joy, it can also be hard at times. Because of that, there are times when you...

Are you making some easily avoidable mistakes on social media? Welcome to welcome to episode 66 of Practical Church Planting.  Social media is vitally important in connecting with people in our culture. In this episode, we share seven mistakes we see churches make on social media and how you can avoid them. Here are the seven problems we discuss: Not taking social media seriously Spamming people w...

While launching large has a lot of benefits, having a small start can be helpful as well. Here are five dangers of launching large. Welcome to welcome to episode 65 of Practical Church Planting. There are some great benefits of launching with a large team. However, most churches don't. So in this episode, we want to share some encouragement to the majority of small church plants and share some of...

Do you work with your spouse in ministry? Here are some tips for doing it well. Welcome to welcome to episode 64 of Practical Church Planting.  In ministry, and in particular church planting, there is a good chance you have or will work closely with your spouse. So today, we share 4 tips for you can work with your spouse well while also protecting your marriage. Here is what we discuss: Recognize...

Seminary is not a replacement for local church involvement. Welcome to welcome to episode 63 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode. It can be easy to think that being involved in a local church isn't that important while in seminary. In this episode, we talk about why that isn't true, and how not being involved in a l...

Even with the best of intentions, church planters often still have these four unrealistic expectations. Welcome to welcome to episode 62 of Practical Church Planting. You've planned, prayed, and talked to a lot of people. You know church planting is going to be difficult and you want to be realistic. Unfortunately, there are some things you can't really know  until you've experienced it. So in thi...

You shouldn't be shy about including more apologetics in your sermon. Welcome to welcome to episode 61 of Practical Church Planting. Apologetics (defending the faith) is not something only seminary students or professors should engage in. In this episode, we give six reasons why you should include different aspects of apologetics in your sermons. The reasons why that we discuss: To show you aren't...

When is the best time to hold a service? Welcome to welcome to episode 60 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode. Choosing when to hold a service may be a bigger deal than we sometimes think. In this episode, we talk about what the research shows and when is the best time to hold worship services. Connect and never mis...

Want to reach more young professionals? Welcome to welcome to episode 59 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode. If you are looking to connect more with young professionals in your area and at your church, this episode is just for you. The five ways we discuss in detail in this episode are: Events Social Media Facility...

Launch day is a big deal. Are you ready? Welcome to welcome to episode 58 of Practical Church Planting. While you won't have everything figured out on launch day, it is important to have  some things figured out. Particularly things that make it easier for people to connect and want to come back. In this episode, we talk about 6 things you don't want to miss. We discuss: Connect and never miss an...

First-time guests gifts are a great way to connect with first-time guests. Welcome to welcome to episode 57 of Practical Church Planting. First-time guest gifts go a long way in helping first-time guests feel cared for and welcomed. In this episode, we share five possible first-time guest gift ideas you can use at your church. We discuss: Church information Mugs T-shirts Gift cards Charity donatio...

Why you should about money more, not less. Welcome to welcome to episode 56 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode. Money can be awkward and intimidating to talk about, but it doesn't have to be. In fact, it shouldn't be at all. In this episode, we share four reasons in particular why you should talk about money more o...

What would we do differently if we were to plant New City Church over again? Welcome to welcome to episode 54 of Practical Church Planting. As we learn and grow, we all can look back on things we wish we would have done differently. In this episode, Dylan shares four things in particular he would have done differently and would advise others to consider when planting a church. We discuss:  Set a c...

DON'T FORGET:  Get access to Practical Preaching today for only $59.  The price increases to $99 after Sunday, December 16. New City Church has grown 136% from November 2017 to November 2018. In today's episode, we share five practical reasons why. Welcome to welcome to episode 54 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode...