Host Tony Merida teams back up with longtime friend and mentee Adam Muhtaseb to discuss their own experiences in leading with Christlike humility. Tune in to discover how our Savior has paved the way for us to walk humbly before God and one another as we plant our churches for His glory and not our own.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• Why your definition of humility is a big step in determining your identity as a pastor and planter
• How to balance your humility with your authority as a leader within the church
• What your church structure may reveal about your pride as a leader
• The ways that vulnerability, transparency, and trust can help break down barriers between you and those you serve
• How humility intersects with the process of decision making and discernment within your church

Helpful Resources:

• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

I think modern American leadership is, “I’m awesome. Let me tell you how,” but I think Christlike leadership is emptying yourself, absorbing blame when things go wrong, and deferring credit when things go right. — Adam Muhtaseb

When you’re around a humble person, you’re not on edge. There’s an ease, a gentleness, and that, too, speaks about the character of Jesus. That’s why He could say, “Come to me. I’m lowly of heart.” He’s easy to be around because He’s the humblest person who’s ever existed. — Tony Merida

With all the demands of church planting, it’s easy to lose your humility because it often feels like everything weighs on you. “If I don’t do it, it’s not going to happen.” It’s essential to continue to go back and say, “If the Lord doesn’t build the house, the labor is labor in vain.” — Adam Muhtaseb

How Paul talks about himself shows me a lot of humility. He says, “I’m the chief of all sinners. I’m the worst of the apostles.” That’s just crazy to me. If Paul says that, what can I say about myself? Just looking at Paul’s view of himself should give us a healthy view of ourselves. — Adam Muhtaseb

One of the dangers of learning a lot is becoming spiritually arrogant because of the degree of knowledge that you have, when what should happen is that we’re studying not to make our heads fat, but our hearts right. The more we know the gospel, the more that should be expressed in humble love. — Tony Merida

Humility doesn’t mean you’re not confident. Humility is confidence. You’re just confident in the Word, not in your competency or giftings. — Adam Muhtaseb

Host Ed Stetzer chats with Vice President of Research and Resources Development, Trevin Wax, about the shifts in how church planters relate to denominational affiliations, networks, and institutions as a whole. Tune in to learn more about current church planting trends and their impact on the future of our new churches.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• Your denomination’s role in supporting and shaping your church plant
• The events that have led to the decline of denominational affiliation and the rapid rise of the non-denominational church
• How to approach the question of belonging to a network of churches versus belonging to a denomination
• The significance of theological conviction in selecting who you’ll partner with
• How church planting networks are fulfilling the call of Hebrews 10:24 today

Helpful Resources:

• Ed’s article, “The Rise of the Evangelical ‘Nones'”
• The Reconstructing Faith Podcast
• Church Planting Leadership Fellowship Facebook Page
• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Institutions endure way more than we give them credit for. We live in an anti-institutional age that doesn’t seem to value what institutions bring because change can be really difficult within them. You can lose patience and wonder if it’s as effective as it once was. — Trevin Wax

Denominations are most needed when difficult times come. Of course, church planters never think there’s going to be difficult times, but invariably, they do come. And you want a group of people who are there for you. — Ed Stetzer

In the church planting world, there’s been not only the arrival of new networks in the past 20 years or so, but also a renewed emphasis on church planting within denominations. There’s renewed creative energy taking place. — Trevin Wax

Institutions endure. If you look at the two big denominations church planting in America today, it’s the Assemblies of God and the Southern Baptists. They’re the two big ones, and they’re going to be doing this in 15 years. — Ed Stetzer

Don’t take money from a family you’re not willing to be part of first. The Lord has put us in a family. Let’s stay connected to that family and make that family better. — Ed Stetzer

Decisions are made by people who show up. So, if you’re in a denomination or a network, there’s value to being in there. By walking this journey with institutions, we can make a bigger difference. You go slower, but you go farther when you do it in institutions. — Ed Stetzer

Hosts Vance Pitman and Jeff Medders team up with Troy Nesbitt, the president of the Salt Network, a church planting network dedicated to reaching college students with the hope of the gospel. Tune in to discover what sets this student demographic apart and how you can assist in impacting the most reachable, trainable, and sendable people group on earth with the good news of Christ’s love.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• How passion and potential create new paths for outreach and discipleship
• What sets college towns apart from other church planting contexts
• The power of local partnerships in reaching young people with the gospel
• How to leverage student life for multiplication and sending purposes
• How the Salt Network is mobilizing collegiate communities for the nations

Helpful Resources:

• The Salt Network
• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

In my mind, movements of God have always happened on the backs of young people. And in our culture, that’s going to be college students at major universities. — Troy Nesbitt

College students come to your town to leave, so—because they’re in that liminal stage of making adult decisions for the first time—if you win them to Christ, they’re searching and asking the question, “Am I going to be a Christian or not?” — Troy Nesbitt

It’s not a matter of sending them; it’s a matter of helping them know where they should go. We say about church planting, “It’s not where you go. It’s who you go with.” College students are already going. — Troy Nesbitt

You have to create the culture first. It can’t be a novel idea to plant a church. — Troy Nesbitt

If you’re a fisherman, you have to go where there’s fish. If you’re going to search for gold in a stream, you better go where there’s gold, right? University students all over the world, and especially in North America, are the gold mine for planting churches. — Troy Nesbitt

Host Tony Merida meets backs up with longtime friend and Baltimore Send City Missionary Adam Muhtaseb to share their experiences with intentionally discipling the members of their church plants. Listen in to discover how you can embrace new pathways of discipleship in the life of your church and demystify the process along the way.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• How to define “discipleship” for new and seasoned believers alike
• The role of the leaders versus that of the congregation in making disciples
• The importance of diversity and flexibility when engaging your people in spiritual growth
• How to institute and articulate the stages of discipleship development to your congregation
• The value of establishing both relationships and processes for your organization’s culture of discipleship

Helpful Resources:

• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

As we think about the Great Commission, we know that Jesus’ last command to make disciples really should occupy first place in our minds and hearts as we move among the nations trying to do just that. — Tony Merida

The good news is that this is fixed. It’s going to happen. Jesus is going to make you like Himself, and what a good gift to us. — Adam Muhtaseb

Discipling new converts versus people who have been Christians for a while is different. We have to accommodate new believers where they’re at and shepherd them along. Really healthy churches have good places to put new converts. — Tony Merida

The lead planter pastor cannot do it all. It takes the congregation, the community of faith. One of the things that new believers need is not programs or structures as much as they need relationships with mature Christians. — Tony Merida

In our American culture, we overemphasize the classes and the books, but there’s not enough emphasis on our dinner tables and the conversations we have around them. — Adam Muhtaseb

We can be great at teaching ecclesiology, missiology, and Christology. We can be great at developing the head and the hands, yet not so great at developing the heart. — Adam Muhtaseb

Hosts Vance Pitman and Jeff Medders reunite with Aaron Cavin, the pastor, planter, and Send Network city missionary to Boston, Massachusetts. Tune in as they discuss the intricacies of developing a sending church culture and how you can help your people live sent as they think multiplication from the earliest days of your church plant.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• The core characteristics of a multiplying church in today’s ministry contexts
• How to view your ministry role in light of your mission to multiply disciples
• Ways to navigate the hurdles and complexities of sending your best people out on mission
• How multiplication impacts our communities, congregations, and immediate households as church planters
• What a sending culture means for the overall atmosphere of your church

Helpful Resources:

• The Sending Church Masterclass
• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Too many churches in North America view multiplication as an optional program for the church. When you look at the New Testament, though, the mission demands disciples and churches that multiply. — Vance Pitman

Culture precedes calling. If you think somebody will randomly self-identify as a planter in a church without a culture of multiplication, you’re six steps behind. Before you multiply churches, you should get really good at multiplying disciples. — Aaron Cavin

The question for us is not just “How do we get as many people as we can into our building?” but “How are we creating a culture that is more about scattering than gathering?” — Aaron Cavin

God births churches to accomplish His mission, which is both local and global. You have to cast a compelling kingdom vision that is bigger than a church, city, or even a nation. It’s about God’s global movement happening all over the world. — Vance Pitman

We would tell every person joining our church, “If you join our church, we’re going to do everything we can to talk you into leaving.” Part of that was building a sending culture that didn’t bring you here to just allow you to stay. — Vance Pitman

It’s okay to be sad. It means that you are all in, living with heart, and passionate about your relationships. You should feel a bit of a tension as we separate because there is a little bit of death. — Aaron Cavin

Host Tony Merida teams back up with rural pastor and planter Will Basham to discuss how you and your team can best navigate the pressures and polarization of politics amidst another election year. Tune in to discover your pastoral responsibility as a preacher within your church planting context and how you and your congregation can be people of peace in chaotic times.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• Lessons learned from pastoring in 2020
• The importance of positioning the gospel first in all things
• Why we must be discipled by the Word of God rather than by the world God created
• Postures and principles to consider as you shepherd your flock with Christ’s truth
• How you can create spaces for healthy, civil dialogue away from the pulpit

Helpful Resources:

• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

It’s important that we look at our preaching and ask, “Am I making things political that aren’t political in the text? Or am I making things political because the text mandates it?” — Will Basham

If we step into the pulpit fearful of all the emails we’ll get on Monday, we’re not going to be faithful to what the Word of God says. Let Scripture be our guide, not the modern controversy or whatever’s hot on the news right now. — Will Basham

We have to agree in the Lord and be willing to admit that while we have some disagreements, there’s one thing we won’t disagree on, and we’ll stand united on the gospel. — Will Basham

It’s the gospel that’s uniting us, and we can show the world a better way of having civil dialogue: to have an open Bible and an open heart as we engage one another. — Tony Merida

Jesus is king, and His kingdom is real and is coming. While we don’t minimize the importance of politics, we are also not idolizing them either. We’re exalting Jesus in the midst of all of it. — Tony Merida

Host Ed Stetzer teams back up with pastor and planter Dean Fulks to discuss the relational highs and lows of sending out your best people to plant new churches. Discover the impact of grace-fueled, vision-driven leadership on your congregation as you multiply your church’s DNA for the purpose of the Great Commission.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• How to count the cost of sending out core teams from among your own people
• The joys of leading God’s people to follow His plans for His church
• Ways to address the cultural, social, and theological issues that arise with church multiplication in the modern age
• Why unity and collaboration are essential for the work of planting healthy churches in your community
• How to process the pain of loss—personally and corporately—when it comes to the work of multiplication

Helpful Resources:

• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

When you send a large group, you can plant a pastor and a church at the same time, and it is statistically far more effective than “parachute drop” church planting. — Ed Stetzer

Sometimes, it’s hard to convince established churches to plant new churches because it’s less costly to send money and let some entrepreneurial young couple go out and plant the new church than it is to send some of their own people away. — Ed Stetzer

If our church is sending, we try and multiply out 10% of our congregational number on Sundays. I talk about it like it’s an injury. It takes time to heal. — Dean Fulks

The cost of the mission is offset by the vision of the mission. — Dean Fulks

When you invite a friend to go to church 10, 15, or even 20 miles away, they’re like, “Why do I have to drive there? Why can’t I just go to church in my own community?” You answer so many of those culture community questions by sending into that community. — Dean Fulks

I have supported church plants of other denominations, and I’d love to see more of them. But when a plant is “birthed” from our own church, it tends to be more theologically aligned. By raising people up, you have fewer of those differences. — Ed Stetzer

Hosts Vance Pitman and Jeff Medders meet up with Aaron Cavin, the pastor, planter, and Send Network city missionary to Boston. Listen in as they discuss their own experiences in being part of a church planting network, as well as what drew them into serving at Send Network.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• A church planting network’s role in the greater, global, and eternal redemptive mission of God
• Why money is not the be-all and end-all for church planters’ needs
• How you can maximize your ministry efforts locally by refusing to plant your church alone
• The nonnegotiables of an effective church planting network
• The three biggest pitfalls of church planters on the field today

Helpful Resources:

• Send Network Gatherings
• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

“We don’t need to come up with a plan of how to accomplish the mission of God. Jesus gave us a plan, and it’s rooted and grounded in the text of Scripture.” — Vance Pitman

“Money by itself is not going to be enough to sustain you. There have been plenty of pastors and planters who had all the resources in the world but still didn’t make it. And part of it is that we are not going to have enough money to buy the kingdom.” — Aaron Cavin

“The greatest benefit of a network is that God’s dream, God’s dream for your city is bigger than your dream for your church, and he wants more for your city than what your church can deliver.” — Aaron Cavin

“Me planting a successful church in Boston is too small of vision to give my life to. I want to see Boston saturated with the gospel.” — Aaron Cavin

“Brotherhood, community, movement—those things are built, not found. If you’re going to be a part of a network, you have to be all in. Don’t be a fan of your network. Be a part of it and jump in with both feet.” — Aaron Cavin

Host Tony Merida chats with rural pastor and planter Will Basham to discuss the advantages of church membership, not only for the church but for its people, too. Tune in to discover how you can take discipleship to the next level by engaging your congregation through the process of church membership.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• How church membership finds its place in today’s cultural and religious landscape
• Ways to champion this element of church life from the pulpit and platform
• The scriptural basis for church membership and commitment
• How to choose the right membership process for your own church context
• The benefits of being known and loved by the local expression of the body of Christ

Helpful Resources:

• Will’s book: Rural Mission: Insights from a Rural Church Planter
• Tony’s Book: Love Your Church: 8 Great Things about Being a Church Member
• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Being committed and loyal and remaining in community even when it’s not pleasant is a biblical principle and a good value for us to hold individually as we step into something collectively. – Will Basham

The idea of church discipline really falls apart without some kind of membership setup, and the idea of accountability with brothers and sisters in Christ crumbles without real membership. – Will Basham

I’m going to have to stand before Jesus one day and give an account for the people in my care. If there’s no membership, the question is “Who’s in my care?” That gray area is eliminated by having formal membership. – Will Basham

Some people think of membership negatively, but the church wants to care for you. We want you to be a part of us, not just some mindless formality. There’s a real spiritual blessing there because you need to use your gifts and the church needs your gifts. – Tony Merida

You show that you’re part of the universal church by identifying with a particular local church the same way you show that you’re spiritually united to Jesus by actually walking with Him. – Tony Merida

Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham meet with Darryl Speers, Send Relief missionary to Los Angeles, California. Tune in to discover how the Lord interrupted this church planter’s plans for the good of the church and the engagement of their community—all for the glory of God alone. Listen to learn why engaging the city is a core value of Send Network and the first step in biblical missiology.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• How Send Network’s missionaries are engaging, gathering, empowering, and equipping their communities with and for the gospel
• How church context shapes the way we approach ministry in urban areas
• Ways to establish personal relationships and ministry partnerships in your community
• Why Jesus’ name is set apart from the spirituality offered by the world
• How eavesdropping can be a tool of evangelism!

Helpful Resources:

• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

A real church planting missiology from Scripture begins by engaging the city with the gospel so people can come to Christ and disciples are made. Churches are born as a byproduct of engaging the city with the gospel. — Vance Pitman

The urban area is very spiritual. But we’ve learned to be specific with the name “Jesus.” Because saying “God” in Los Angeles can mean a lot of things to a lot of different people. It sparks conversation, but it has to come down to who Jesus really is. — Darryl Speers

There’s only one way to God, and that’s Jesus. But there are a thousand ways to Jesus. You find relationships, resources, and needs that become those ways for people to discover Jesus. — Vance Pitman

Meaningful relationships mean laboring with people, carrying their same burdens, and loving the city as much as they do. — Darryl Speers

It doesn’t have to be rocket science. Figure out who God made you to be, what your unique skills and abilities are, and how to use them to build relationships. Our ultimate motive isn’t just meeting needs; it’s seeing the gospel impact lives. — Vance Pitman

“The greatest opportunity is not just something we point people to, but something we invite them to. The same way we get people into the church is the same way we get them out of the church.” — Darryl Speers

Host Tony Merida returns with his long-time friend and colleague Dr. Doug Logan to discuss the latter’s joys, challenges, and success stories of ministry within the urban context. Tune in to discover the creative ways in which you can engage your urban community with the hope of Christ’s gospel.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

• The most effective means of gathering data for your neighborhood
• Ways to leverage your digital platform for community engagement and awareness
• Proactive methods of engaging crisis within your congregation and context
• The impact of gathering in a fragmented community culture
• What gospel confidence and consistency can do for your urban ministry endeavors

Helpful Resources:

• Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
• Interested in learning more? Check out our Church Planting Primer.

Please subscribe to the podcast and leave a rating and review on iTunes.

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

When the Holy Ghost sends you somewhere, He equips you with a focus and a calling. — Doug Logan

Many people in the inner cities believe in some sort of God. They want to know if He brings dignity, honor, and value. Does He look like them and love them for who they are and the uniqueness of their race, history, and personhood? These are their questions. — Doug Logan

Urban church planters are dying on the vine because they get out there bringing a Eurocentric philosophy of apologetics, and then they can’t handle it. So, we have to equip them with relevant gospel engagement, and they have to put in the work. — Doug Logan

The problem is not just poverty, but it’s also theology. Everybody has a theology, and it often gets superimposed on poor people who are vulnerable and in need. — Doug Logan

The pastor and church planter in the city has to step up and be in His Bible. He’s got to spend less time on the blog and more time on the block. — Doug Logan

Being in those places of crisis, one of the things we pray for and want to exemplify is a steady confidence in our God and to allow the peace of God to be a characteristic of our leadership, to be a steady leader in chaotic times. — Tony Merida