Practical Church

Money can be tight for churches and church plants, but there are certain things well worth the investment. In this episode, we share five recourses that churches should be spending money on. Welcome to episode 237 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 five resources we discuss in this...

Ministry can be difficult and discouraging, but it is worth it. In this episode, we share six encouragements for smaller churches. Welcome to episode 236 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the six encouragements we discuss in this episode: Your church technically isn't that small You don't have to be all things to all people Don't be afraid to ask other churches for resources Focus on one issu...

Engaging infrequent church attendees has always been a desire for churches. As we move out of COVID and the changing dynamics it has brought us, this challenge is as great as ever. In this episode, we share 7 ways to engage infrequence church attendees. Welcome to episode 235 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the seven ways we discuss in this episode: Get people serving Have a quality livestr...

YouTube is the second largest search engine in the world (behind Google). Yet, many churches miss out on simple things they can do to make a big improvement on their channel. In this episode, we share with you eight simple things you can do today to drastically improve your channel. Welcome to episode 234 of Practical Church Planting. Be sure to check out New City's YouTube channel for practical e...

We all want to effectively communicate while preaching. However, some commonly used phrases can cause people to disengage. In this episode, we share seven preaching phrases to avoid. Welcome to episode 233 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the seven phrases we talk about in this episode: The Bible says We all know Turn in your Bibles (with no context) Naming people in your church (with no con...

We all want to better connect with new people who come to our church. One of the best ways to do this is to get guests to fill out a connect card. In this episode, we share with you seven ways to make that happen. Welcome to episode 232 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the seven tips we discuss in this episode: Mention your connect card every Sunday Get it professionally printed Ask for mini...

In this episode, we share (what we believe) are helpful opinions you should in regards to ministry and church planting. Welcome to episode 231 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 12 opinions we discuss in this episode: You should look at your people's giving Never say you are busy Be intentional about getting a woman on staff Preach through books of the Bible Don't preach longer than 35 mi...

What are some important markers of a good sending church/church planting residency? And if you lead a church that wants to plant churches, what things should you look for in a future church planter? In this episode, we share eight things future church planters should look for in a sending church. Welcome to episode 230 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the eight things we discuss in this epis...

Every church faces the challenge of finding a meeting space. In this episode, we share why we believe a 24/7 facility is better for your church plant than being portable. Welcome to episode 229 of Practical Church Planting. You can listen to this episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and get our episodes delivered right to you.   Here are the six reasons we discuss in this episode: Outgrowi...

What are some of the best tools for church planters? In this episode, we share some of the tools and resources we recommend to help you start and grow a healthy church. Welcome to episode 228 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the eight tools we discuss: Todoist Calendly Google Drive Logos Big name software Text In Church Mail Chimp Church Website builders CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be...

We all want to plant healthy and growing churches, but health and growth do not happen by accident. In this episode, we share five things that church planters should have plans for, and how to plan for them, in order to faithfully reach their community. Welcome to episode 227 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the five types of plans we discuss: Fundraising What you're going to do pre-launch D...

While Disney World is a much different environment than a church, there is a lot of best practices churches can implement from Disney. In this episode, we share some the things church planters should (and shouldn't) emulate from Disney. Welcome to episode 226 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the six things we discuss in this episode: If you ask for specific information, follow up about it An...

For many churches, women make up over half of the congregation. At the same time, many churches have very few women in leadership capacities. In this episode, we share five ways to encourage women in leadership at your church. Welcome to episode 225 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the five things we discuss in this episode: Ask women to fill needed roles Have a woman on stage every Sunday...

One thing every church faces is finding a place to gather for worship. While the perfect location does not exist, there are important things to consider when looking for a space to meet. In this episode, we talk about 8 things in particular to look out for. Welcome to episode 224 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 8 things we discuss in this episode: Parking Location Kids space Bathrooms...

  In order to plant a church that thrives, there are a few things planters should know. In this episode, we share 6 questions in particular planters should be able to answer in order to plant a healthy church. Welcome to episode 223 of Practical Church Planting. You can listen to this episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and get our episodes delivered right to you.   Here are the six quest...

As COVID cases continue to go down and vaccines continue to roll out, many churches are wondering how to encourage their people to re-engage with their church in person. In this episode, we share six ways you can do just that. Welcome to episode 222 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 things we discuss in this episode: Don't be afraid (or apologize) for talking about it Encourage others t...

How can you run an effective elder or leadership meeting? Especially since these meetings can look different than a typical staff or one on one meeting. In this episode, we share 7 tips for how to run them well. Welcome to episode 221 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 tips we discuss in this episode: Send updates/agenda ahead of time Start/end on time Share trackable metrics Don't ask...

Be sure to check out the Growing Your Launch Team   online course that is available now.  Click here  if you want a highly practical plan to grow your team and reach more people. Every preacher wants to get better at preaching, but it does not happen automatically. The good news is there are specific things you can do to get better. In this episode, we share seven of those things. Welcome to episo...

Be sure to check out the Growing Your Launch Team   online course that is available now. Click here if you want a highly practical plan to grow your team and reach more people. Ministry requires change, but how can you lead effective change in your church without upsetting people? The good news is that it  is possible.  In this episode, we share 7 ways you can do it. Welcome to episode 219 of Prac...

All of us want to grow our churches to reach more people with the good news of the Gospel. But growth is hard and can even be awkward. So in this episode, we share seven things you can do to create momentum to reach more people. Welcome to episode 218 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the tips we discuss in this episode: Make a big deal about Christmas and Easter Don't launch on a big church...

What does it look like to stay focused and productive with all of the demands of ministry? The good news is that ministry does not have to always feel "busy." In this episode, we share seven things you can do to focus better and get more done. Welcome to episode 217 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the seven ways to create an environment of focus and productivity we discuss: Read Deep Work...

Churches often run on really tight budgets, so it's always a great day when you find an area you can cut costs in while still maintaining the same quality of ministry. In this episode, we share with you eight ways your church can save money without sacrificing its mission. Welcome to episode 216 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the eight money savers we discuss in this episode: Ask for chur...

We all want people who come to our church to be welcomed and cared for. In this episode, we share with you nine easy and practical things your church can do to help ensure a welcoming experience. Welcome to episode 215 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the nine things we discuss in this episode: Use umbrellas when it rains Don't use a doorstop Always have parkers in the parking lot Make the...

It takes a lot of time and effort to prepare a sermon, and after preaching it, it's done with. But it doesn't have to be that way. In this episode, we share with you seven ways to get more out of the sermon beyond your weekend service. Welcome to episode 214 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the seven things you can do to get more mileage out of your sermon that we discuss: Sermon clip Botto...

In order to plant a healthy church, you need a community of people who will join into the mission of the church. But there are things we can do that will make it unlikely for people to do that. In this episode, we share six reasons people won't join your launch team (and what you can do about it). Welcome to episode 213 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the six reasons we discuss in this epis...