Practical Church

We tried Thursday night services. Here is what we found. Welcome to welcome to episode 137 of Practical Church Planting. Recently at New City Church we attempted Thursday night services. Here are reflections on how they went: I'm glad we tried it and would do it again Thursday nights need to be given as much effort as Sunday mornings Preaching Thursday makes Saturdays more relaxing Sermon prep was...

How  can we get people to join the launch team? Welcome to welcome to episode 136 of Practical Church Planting. Every church planter wrestles, prays, and hopes people will join the launch team of their church plant. After all, if you have no people, you have no church. In this episode, we discuss these six tips to do just that: Have a launch date in place Have something consistent to invite people...

Most  of us want to pray more than we do. Here are some steps towards making that happen. Welcome to welcome to episode 135 of Practical Church Planting.  Prayer can be hard. The vast majority of people we know would say they wish they were "better" at it (i.e. took it more seriously and prayed more consistently). Even as a pastor, this has been my (Dylan's) story. But earlier this year after bein...

Everyone  faces difficulties when planting a church. Welcome to welcome to episode 134 of Practical Church Planting.  Sometimes it can feel like we are the reason things don't always go they way we would like. The reality is, all church planters face difficulties. In fact, some difficulties are faced by every church planter. We discuss these seven in this episode: Your launch team won't be as pass...

When  it comes time to add a second service, what should you do with your volunteers? Welcome to welcome to episode 133 of Practical Church Planting.  Sooner or later, you may one day get to the point where you need to add a second service. There is a lot to plan for to make it happen, including how you are going to schedule your volunteers. In this episode, we discuss these five tips about making...

Ministry can be stressful, these tips can help. Welcome to welcome to episode 132 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch the episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and never miss an episode. Ministry can feel like you never get a break. These tips are designed to help remind us that we don't need to be (nor should be) always "on." We discuss these tips: Delete email from your phone Turn...

Preaching  through books of the Bible has a lot of benefits. Welcome to welcome to episode 131 of Practical Church Planting.  Preaching through books of the Bible (and not just the short ones) is a great thing for your people and even you as the preacher. In this episode, we discuss these five reasons why: You'll preach texts you would never pick (and you're people are never taught) People want to...

Church leadership can be difficult. Welcome to welcome to episode 130 of Practical Church Planting.  In this episode, we share four tensions that are particularly felt in church leadership. We discuss: Innovating for the future while honoring the past Sticking to your convictions while empathizing for those who disagree Making the best decision while being misunderstood Being confident in what you...

Unlimited  PTO is worth pursuing. Let us explain. Welcome to welcome to episode 129 of Practical Church Planting.  Traditionally, employees get a certain amount of hours or days off based on how much they work, how long they have worked where they worked, and various other reasons tied to the number of hours worked per week. We think there is a better way. In this episode, we share these five reas...

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...