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Doubting Your Call in Down Times
Ronnie Martin
“But what if it turns out that I’m just not called to do this?” The voice on the other end of the phone sounded concerned. Slightly exasperated. Mentally exhausted. The church plant was entering its third year, and although they...
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The 5 Hour Sermon: A Covo Preacher’s Guide
Phil Thompson
We planted in the best year for church planting ever—2020. And as a result, we chucked the typical church planter’s playbook and started with a Sunday morning gathering in a location where people could spread out and distance themselves. But...
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Spurgeon’s 9 Tips for New Preachers
J.A. Medders
Charles Spurgeon was a great preacher and a great trainer of preachers. Through the Pastors’ College, Spurgeon trained and helped hundreds of men become faithful and effective preachers. I took his lecture titled “Sermons” and came up with nine summary...
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Don’t Wait for Year Five: Vision Lessons for Church Planters Today
Noah Oldham
In 2014, I preached a sermon at our church’s five-year anniversary. We celebrated all that God had done, but we didn’t stop there. We turned our eyes toward the future and asked: Who are we becoming? Who will we be...
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6 Things Your Kids Need Most from You as Their Pastor
Jon Kelly
One thing I struggled to embrace in my early years of ministry is that I’m not only my children’s father—I’m also their pastor. I always aimed to be a good dad, but I didn’t give much thought to what it...
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What Unity in the Church Is and Isn’t
Barnabas Piper
When a church is divided, it is awful. Sometimes it spells disaster. It always spells exhaustion and hurt. Whether it is division between leaders, between members, or between leaders and members, division is abominable because it is a breakdown in...
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Succession in Church Plants
Dan Steel
Church planting is inherently future-focused. Planters begin with a bold vision, prayerful dependence on God, and a strong desire to see gospel fruit. Yet ironically, few planters give serious thought to a future without themselves in the picture. We pour...
