Practical Church

If you want to remain faithful in ministry for the long haul, there are certain practices and habits that are needed to sustain you. In this episode, we share 6 habits to help you stay faithful and avoid poor decisions in ministry. Welcome to episode 303 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 habits we discuss in this episode: Bible reading 5-6 days a week Consistent (ideally more than once...

One of the challenges churches face is making sure people know and are up to date with everything going on in the life of your church. In this episode, we share 5 simple ways you can do that. Welcome to episode 302 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 5 ways we discuss in this episode: Add givers to your newsletter Start your sermon with an important announcement if you can't preach it Host...

One way to easily avoid the feeling of busyness in ministry is to proactively plan when you are going to complete certain tasks. In this episode, we discuss 6 of those tasks that should be planned every week. Welcome to episode 301 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 tasks we discuss in this episode: Scheduling social media Sermon prep schedule Writing the newsletter Uploading the sermon...

When bringing on new leaders and/or staff, there are some important things that can make the transition healthy for the long haul. In this episode, we share 5 pitfalls that are easy to miss when bringing on new leaders Welcome to episode 300 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the pitfalls we discuss in this episode: Being too accommodating Not asking the uncomfortable but needed questions Inc...

How can you keep everyone at your church in the loop with things your church has going on? In this episode, we share 6 ways to spread the word about events at your church. Welcome to episode 299 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 ways we discuss in this episode: Facebook events Upcoming events on the homepage of your website Small group leader guide All church text Instagram post that c...

In this episode, we answer ministry questions asked in our Practical Church Planting Facebook group. Welcome to episode 298 of Practical Church Planting.  ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done. ...

Life and ministry can have its stressors and difficulties, but there are things you can do to remain healthy in ministry. In this episode, we share 5 practical things you can do to avoid burnout in ministry. Welcome to episode 297 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 5 things we discuss in this episode: Have a hobby Don't worry about what people think about your purchases Proactively plan ti...

There are many various things happening at your church that people can sign up for. Be it groups, serving, an event, and more. In this episode, we share 6 specific ways you can get more people to sign up at your church. Welcome to episode 296 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 things we discuss in this episode: Make it possible to sign up when you mention it Be very clear what to do with...

All of us want to see more people meet Jesus and grow in a relationship with him. In this episode, we share 7 practical things you can do at your church to see that happen. Welcome to episode 295 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 strategies we discuss in this episode: Talk about inviting people from stage often Grow your YouTube presence Have an engaging online presence Do proactive fo...

If you want to be healthy in ministry, there are certain things in your life that you need to be proactive about instead of reactive to. In this episode, we discuss 7 things in your life that need proactive boundaries. Welcome to episode 294 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 7 boundaries we discuss in this episode: Porn Social media/phone use Reading Time off/away Prayer Time with your sp...

Sometimes in life, ministry, and/or work you hear things that sound obvious, but still is something you hadn't thought of before. In this episode, we share 6 helpful tips for ministry that you can do, some of which you might not have realized. Welcome to episode 293 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 tips we discuss in this episode: Childcare reimbursement Flexible PTO Dream about what...

While there are certain repeated questions new churches get, there are different repeated questions you get when your church becomes more established. In this episode, we discuss 5 questions you get often as an established church. Welcome to episode 292 of Practical Church Planting.  Ambassadors Ministries If you wish you had a large paid staff and more leaders that could give dedicated time to th...

When you're a new (or newer) church, there are a few questions you will get often. In this episode we discuss 6 of those questions and how you can think about answering them. Welcome to episode 291 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 questions we discuss in this episode: Why you choose the name of your church What is your (typically the lead pastor) education? Who your church is associat...

Many churches have some sort of group ministry at their church. Regardless of how they function at your church, there are a few principles that are universal in their helpfulness. In this episode, we share 6 of those tips. Welcome to episode 290 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 tips we discuss in this episode: Provide a leader guide or curriculum for your group leaders Schedule a coupl...

While there may be obvious things you should cover in a welcome or new members class, what are important things that are easily overlooked? In this episode, we share 7 helpful things to cover that you might miss. Welcome to episode 289 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 things we discuss in this episode: Start with something fun/interesting History of your church Expectations of members...

Building community is a vital part of a healthy church. In this episode, we share 9 events you can try at your church and how we actually do them. Welcome to episode 288 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 9 events we discuss in this episode: Trivia night After church cookout Outdoor movie night Fantasy football league Chili cook-off Bingo night Trunk or treat Pizza in the park Bracket Chal...

Sermon slides are a helpful tool to keep people engaged while preaching, but they can also cause a number of distractions during your service if they are not done well. In this episode, we share with you 7 tips for better slide transitions during your sermon. Welcome to episode 287 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 7 tips we discuss in this episode: Slides inputted and edited before Sunda...

Want to preach effective sermons without spending an unnecessary amount of time on sermon prep? In this episode, we give you 7 ways you can do it. Welcome to episode 286 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 7 ways we discuss in this episode: Same time every week Same setup every week Large block of uninterrupted time (with a deadline) Get ahead Review sermon with others Focus on one thing to...

Ministry can at times be unpredictable and stressful, but there are things we can do to make it better. In this episode, we share 6 small hacks you can easily try. Welcome to episode 285 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 hacks we discuss in this episode: Give yourself 2 weeks to choose from by prepping your sermon ahead of time Make a "to do list" of things coming up in your weekly new...

We all want our sermons to not simply involving information, but lead to people taking steps in their faith. In this episode, we share 6 ways you can be more practical in your sermons. Welcome to episode 284 of Practical Church Planting.  Give a simple and specific way to pray this week Give a simple and specific action item to do this week Give some practical examples of how to do what you're ask...

Discouragement in ministry happens to everyone, so how can we endure it well? In this episode, we share 6 tips for dealing with discouragement in ministry. Welcome to episode 283 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 tips we discuss: No major decisions on Monday Work on Monday Find a pastor to meet with regularly Be honest with your elders/leadership team Put vacations/time away on your ca...

In this episode, I (Dylan) share 9 church planting regrets. Welcome to episode 281 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the regrets I discuss in this episode: Church planting residency More & better training Clear & defined planting timeline Sermon work/coaching sooner More clarity around my management team Two monitors Logos for sermon prep Consistent working calendar Interested in sending Dyla...

In this episode, we answer ministry questions asked in your Practical Church Planting Facebook group. Welcome to episode 281 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch this episode below, or  subscribe to the podcast  and get our episodes delivered right to you. Interested in sending Dylan a MarcoPolo message? Download the app and then send Dylan a Facebook message or an email at dylandodson@newc...

When it comes to planting a church, what you might think is most helpful in raising money and gathering a team might not be as helpful as you think. At the same time, there are things that can make a bigger difference than you might realize. In this episode, we share 6 underrated church planting tactics. Welcome to episode 280 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 underrated tactics we disc...

When it comes to planting a church, what you might think is most helpful in raising money and gathering a team might not be as helpful as you think. In this episode, we share 6 overrated church planting tactics. Welcome to episode 279 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 tactics we discuss in this episode: Prospectus Talking about not wanting to be a large church Post-launch timelines Talk...