The Unstuck Church Podcast

"Discussing the non-essentials ought to help you make disciples, not hinder you from making disciples." In this episode, Pastor Dave Dummitt from Willow Creek Community Church joins us to discuss exploring tough topics as a church and navigating non-essentials in our faith. This Episode is Sponsored by PATH As your church grows, it becomes difficult to see individuals through the crowd. It's time...

"My responsibility as a pastor isn't to convince you that my view on things is correct. My responsibility is to disciple you to be a better follower of Jesus." In this episode, Tony sits down with Andy Stanley to discuss how pastors can navigate controversial topics regarding politics—especially as we enter an election season in the US.  > Registration closes TOMORROW for our 2024 Executive Pastor...

"I have sensed a need from God to be courageous in these moments and recognize that not everyone's going to be happy with what I'm saying." In this episode, Rich Villodas , Pastor of New Life Fellowship (a large, multi-racial church in Queens, NY), offers wisdom for discipling our diverse churches on tough topics like sexuality. Learn more about our Executive Pastor Cohort . This Episode is Sponso...

We're kicking off a special new series packed with practical wisdom from senior pastors to senior/teaching pastors to challenge and encourage them to equip their congregations to talk about tough topics in our world today. In this episode, Pastor Rick Atchley shares how The Hills Church developed a sermon series around mental health and provides encouragement for other pastors looking to address t...

Closed campuses were 40% more likely to have launched as a result of a merger with another church. That's why we believe you need a clear multisite strategy before you can make good decisions about merger opportunities. To wrap up our series on "Multisite Madness?," Tony and Amy unpack the nine predictable outcomes of multisite through the lens of going multisite by a merger.  Learn more about our...

What are the bare minimum leadership roles when you first launch a campus? How do you define central and campus roles? And what does a matrix structure really look like? In this episode, Tony and Amy unpack the final three "predictable outcomes" of multisite related to defining your multisite structure and roles. Learn more about our process for helping monosite churches go multisite for the very...

What's the key to launching at the right size, in the right space, and with the right launch team to build and sustain a new multisite campus? In this episode, Tony and Amy unpack these questions and explain three "predictable outcomes" of multisite related to preparing for launch.  Learn more about our process for helping monosite churches go multisite for the very first time. Going Multisite: Ho...

All of the competing strategies and opinions around multisite can feel like madness: What really works? Is multisite right for every church? Is multisite right for ANY church? In this new series, Tony and Amy walk through nine "predictable outcomes" of multisite to help monosite churches make the critical decisions that lead to more predictable multisite success. Learn more about our process for h...

Every quarter, The Unstuck Group releases The Unstuck Church Report to help church leaders monitor trends and benchmarks in key ministry areas.  In this episode, Tony and Amy discuss key findings from the Q1 2024 report and unpack what's distinctive about "Jesus-centric" churches. You can subscribe to receive the quarterly report for free , or, if you're subscribed to the podcast show notes , we'l...

The way we staff and structure our team is revealing of what we really prioritize as a ministry. In this episode, Tony and Amy walk through the journey of a new person and explain the staff structure and roles needed to be a church that reaches and connects new people well. Upcoming Events: In a free webinar on February 29, ministry voices from North Point, Sun Valley Community Church, and Victory...

Our role as leaders is to empower our church to do the work of ministry and to make the mission their own. In this episode, we're joined by Jon and Dave Ferguson to discuss the B.L.E.S.S. model for mobilizing our congregations to reach our communities.  Free Webinar: Reaching & Connecting New People in 2024 In this free webinar, ministry voices from North Point, Sun Valley Community Church, and Vi...

We're hearing from churches in this season that although lots of new people are walking through their doors each week, they're having trouble connecting with them and helping them "become known." In this episode, Tony and Amy are joined by Nate Siemon, Lead Pastor of Lifepointe Church , and Tyler Smith, co-founder of Text in Church , to explore some of their tried and true ideas for connecting new...

Churches are telling us that there's no shortage of new people walking through their doors each weekend—but they're struggling with how to connect and mobilize them into next steps. In the first episode of our new series, Tony and Amy explain how to use (and how not to use) strategic events to reach new people.  Free Webinar: Reaching & Connecting New People in 2024 In this free webinar, ministry...

Pride can sometimes cause us to think that we won't make the same mistakes that others have made or that we can be the exception to the rule. We did this series because we hope that the church leaders who are listening will be willing to learn from the mistakes of others and not go down these paths.  In the final episode of our series, Tony and Amy discuss more miscellaneous stupid church tricks,...

Most churches start out on fire for their mission: to reach new people for Jesus. But as "new people" turn into "church people," the voices on the inside of the church often become louder. In this episode, Tony and Amy discuss the ways churches get off mission and become insider-focused and offer advice and inspiration on how to reverse this trajectory. This Episode is Sponsored by PlainJoe Studio...

Often, well-intentioned churches add more programs believing it will lead to more growth. In reality, competing priorities ultimately lead to more complexity and a lack of alignment.  In this episode, Tony and Amy continue our series on Stupid Church Tricks—explaining what we can learn from them and how to avoid them. This Episode is Sponsored by PlainJoe Studios PlainJoe: A Storyland Studio partn...

Churches don't try to sabotage their ministries on purpose. But these "stupid church tricks" are things we see happening in real churches all the time that we can't believe are still happening. In this episode, Tony and Amy unpack some of the stupid church tricks we've come across related to church leadership and staffing. This Episode is Sponsored by PlainJoe Studios PlainJoe: A Storyland Studio...

As we served over 100 churches on-site in 2023, several commons themes rose to the surface. So, for our first episode of 2024, Tony sat down with the Unstuck team to recap what we've seen and learned this last year, as well as what we're looking forward to in the new year.  This Episode is Sponsored by PlainJoe Studios PlainJoe: A Storyland Studio partners with churches, nonprofits, faith-based or...

As 2023 comes to a close, we're revisiting some of the most popular episodes of The Unstuck Church Podcast this year. In this popular episode, Tony sits down with Pastor Chad Hunt for a practical conversation around how churches can create an intentional guest services experience. This Episode is Sponsored by Ministry Brands Introducing Ministry Brands' brand new flagship solution, Ministry Brands...

As 2023 comes to a close, we're revisiting some of the most popular episodes of The Unstuck Church Podcast this year. In this popular episode, Tony and Amy discuss breaking the 2-3,000 attendance barrier by exploring the common challenges that hold large churches back from future growth with some practical ideas on how to approach them. This Episode is Sponsored by Ministry Brands Introducing Mini...

As 2023 comes to a close, we're revisiting some of the most popular episodes of The Unstuck Church Podcast this year. How does a church know when it's ready to go multisite? In this popular episode, Tony and Amy discuss the key indicators that you are ready to expand through multisite—and one key indicator that you aren't. Free Webinar: 3 Shifts to Turn Momentum Into Strategic Growth We've helped...

As 2023 comes to a close, we're revisiting some of the most popular episodes of The Unstuck Church Podcast this year. The research is clear: Encouraging people to engage in more programs and church activity doesn't produce spiritual growth. In this popular episode, Tony and Amy get practical on the steps churches must take in order to identify the programs and events they need to stop or pause. Fr...

Every quarter, The Unstuck Group compiles all the data we've collected to monitor trends in churches in the United States. For this Q4 2023 report, we are specifically focusing on trends in multisite churches .  In this episode, Tony and Amy break down new data on multisite churches and explain why some multisite strategies succeed and others fail. You can subscribe to receive the quarterly report...

Churches who succeed in their bold moves make an action plan and structure their team to implement that plan. In this episode, Tony and Amy discuss why many churches struggle to implement bold moves, offer tips for making your bold moves actionable, and explain how to structure your team to successfully implement your bold moves. This Episode is Sponsored by  Planning Center A lot of people in min...

Your church staff team is the greatest asset you have for accomplishing your vision. So, when hiring new staff for your team, how can you find (and become) the standouts—the unicorns—with the traits that only the best of the best have? In this bonus episode, Tony sits down with William Vanderbloemen to discuss how the findings in his new book, Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate th...