Breaking Barriers

Pastor burnout is one of the biggest threats to long-term ministry, and it starts with how we measure our emotional health. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we offer a biblical framework for pastor mental health, church leader self-care, and building an inner life that can carry the weight of your calling. Looking at Jesus' rhythms of withdrawal and rest, we explain why you can't eval...

Pastor burnout is one of the biggest threats to long-term ministry, and it starts with how we measure our emotional health. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we offer a biblical framework for pastor mental health, church leader self-care, and building an inner life that can carry the weight of your calling. Looking at Jesus' rhythms of withdrawal and rest, we explain why you can't eval...

What happens to a church's preaching when the lead pastor is gone for 12 weeks? Andrew Hopper and Bobby Herrington break down how Mercy Hill built a reproducible sermon culture — one big idea, one application, and a Word-centered service every single week — so that no single voice is the linchpin. If you've ever wondered how to build a preaching culture, structure sermon prep, or make the...

What happens to a church's preaching when the lead pastor is gone for 12 weeks? Andrew Hopper and Bobby Herrington break down how Mercy Hill built a reproducible sermon culture — one big idea, one application, and a Word-centered service every single week — so that no single voice is the linchpin. If you've ever wondered how to build a preaching culture, structure sermon prep, or make the...

Big days, first-time guests, and church growth strategy: this episode covers how to identify, plan, and maximize the days your church naturally sees a spike in attendance. We share our own big days calendar (Back to School weekend, Sent Weekend, Kids Week, Easter, Church at the Ballpark, and Christmas), the biblical case for big days from the book of Acts, and three practical takeaways every pasto...

Most churches wait too long to plan, and it costs them their best ideas. In this episode, we break down our real, internal process for planning a church's entire year: starting with vision casting, moving into high-level calendar planning, building ministry-specific plans, and finally tackling budget and resource management. We also dig into the tension every growing church faces between stayi...

Excellence in ministry and dependence on God aren't opposites, they belong together. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Andrew and Brant answer a question pastors ask them again and again: does striving for excellence lead to the kind of pride and burnout seen in stories like Mars Hill? Drawing on Scripture (Proverbs 21:31, Colossians 1:29, the parable of the talents, Nehemiah, and 2 Kings)...

Excellence in ministry and dependence on God aren't opposites, they belong together. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Andrew and Brant answer a question pastors ask them again and again: does striving for excellence lead to the kind of pride and burnout seen in stories like Mars Hill? Drawing on Scripture (Proverbs 21:31, Colossians 1:29, the parable of the talents, Nehemiah, and 2 Kings)...

How much should really change when you plant a church in a new context? In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Pastor Andrew sits down with Pastor Jeremy Dagger — who helped plant Mercy Hill Church before launching Port City Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia — to talk contextualization in church planting. They break down an 80/20 framework: what has to adapt based on culture and location, and what nev...

New ministry ideas can feel risky — but they don't have to be random. Learn how to know when to innovate vs. repeat what's working, and how to cast vision for a new program. Most of what a healthy church does every year should not be new. But every so often, a gap between your vision and your current results tells you it's time to try something different. This is a case study of launch...

A scorecard is one of the most practical leadership tools for churches, but most pastors have never seen one built. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we break down what a ministry scorecard is, why lead measures matter more than lag measures, and the exact step-by-step process our team uses to create one — including real examples from church planting, missions, and student ministry. If you&#39...

Most churches try to flip a switch and expect a sending culture overnight. It doesn't work that way. In this episode, we break down the real pipeline that turns first-time volunteers into missionaries and church planters — the small, inconvenient "yeses" that build up over years until someone's ready for the big one. Plus: the actual numbers behind how our church sent out 266 peo...

Most churches overlook the college campus right in their backyard. Skip Allen of Hope Church in Shelby, NC shares how his small-town church built a thriving college ministry at Gardner-Webb University using a simple Gather-Group-Give-Go flywheel. They are now sending out residents, missionaries, and church planters. If you have a campus near your church, this episode is for you! Hope Church in She...

What does it take to build a healthy church-planting collaborative? In this episode, Pastor Andrew and Pastor Bobby share the 8 cultural distinctives that define the Mercy Hill Collaborative. From being unapologetically growth-oriented to prioritizing parent planting over partner planting to placing a high value on preaching and the gathered church, this episode is a must-listen for pastors seriou...

What does it take to build a healthy church-planting collaborative? In this episode, Pastor Andrew and Pastor Bobby share the 8 cultural distinctives that define the Mercy Hill Collaborative. From being unapologetically growth-oriented to prioritizing parent planting over partner planting to placing a high value on preaching and the gathered church, this episode is a must-listen for pastors seriou...

Pastors in their 30s run on energy. Pastors in their 40s have to learn to run on something else. In this episode, we get honest about what that transition actually looks and feels like — from preaching five services a weekend and doing sermon planning at 9:30 PM, to realizing that the highest-leverage thing you can do for your church isn't more hours, it's better decisions. We walk through...

What does it actually take to build a church that grows and sends? In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we sit down with Brian Frye from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) during a live NAMB event — an all-access experience that brought 170 leaders from 50 churches across the country. We unpack the 5 cultural pillars behind Mercy Hill's sending and multiplication strategy, why church gro...

What does it actually take to build a church that grows and sends? In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we sit down with Brian Frye from the North American Mission Board (NAMB) during a live NAMB event — an all-access experience that brought 170 leaders from 50 churches across the country. We unpack the 5 cultural pillars behind Mercy Hill's sending and multiplication strategy, why church gro...

Part 2: J.D. Greear started at a church with two people in the college class. Today, The Summit Church has planted more than 700 churches and is chasing a vision of 1,000. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Andrew Hopper and J.D. unpack the philosophy, the failures, and the flywheel behind one of the most prolific sending churches in America. Topics include: why multiplication is a faithfulness...

J.D. Greear started at a church with two people in the college class. Today, The Summit Church has planted more than 700 churches and is chasing a vision of 1,000. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Andrew Hopper and J.D. unpack the philosophy, the failures, and the flywheel behind one of the most prolific sending churches in America. Topics include: why multiplication is a faithfulness issue,...

Most churches have a clear vision at the top — but somewhere between the lead pastor and the kids volunteer, that vision gets lost. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we dig into operational alignment : what it means for every ministry team — not just senior leadership — to know exactly why they exist, what their plan is, and how their work fuels the overall mission of the church. We walk throu...

Most churches have a clear vision at the top — but somewhere between the lead pastor and the kids volunteer, that vision gets lost. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we dig into operational alignment : what it means for every ministry team — not just senior leadership — to know exactly why they exist, what their plan is, and how their work fuels the overall mission of the church. We walk throu...

What if the reason your church isn't growing is that you're fighting against who you actually are? In this episode, we tackle one of the most misunderstood topics in church planting and church growth: the power of owning your church's brand. We explore why contextualization that's celebrated on the mission field gets criticized in the local church, and what the New Testament actual...

What if the reason your church isn't growing is that you're fighting against who you actually are? In this episode, we tackle one of the most misunderstood topics in church planting and church growth: the power of owning your church's brand. We explore why contextualization that's celebrated on the mission field gets criticized in the local church, and what the New Testament actual...

Part 2: Most churches plan — but few have a rhythm that actually keeps vision and execution in sync. In this episode, we walk through the four essential components of the quarterly planning meeting we use at Mercy Hill Church. We break down how the check-in builds team trust, how to build an issues list that captures both problems and opportunities, how to "enter the danger" and create a...