Articles

Filter All Resources
Clear Filters
Found 370 resources
New
Article

Coaching from Peter: 12 Lessons for Church Planters

Noah Oldham

Church planting demands vision and perseverance. As planters work toward the dream of a thriving church, they must also labor in the trenches of ministry. The Apostle Peter, in 1 Peter 5, provides invaluable exhortations for pastors and planters in...
New
Article

5 Questions to Ensure a Successful Local Community Partnership

Jon Kelly

Whether a church planter is in the early core team stages or has already launched Sunday services, it is essential that both the planter and the church body actively engage the city with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This requires...
New
Article

From Evaluating to Worshiping: How Pastors Can Still Worship God

Barnabas Piper

As a pastor, it is hard not to constantly critique ministry. Whether we are a lead pastor, a solo pastor, or on a large pastoral team, when we enter a church service, we are nearly always “on”—observing, evaluating, anticipating what...
New
Article

4 Ways to Care for Your Family While Planting

Dan Steel

One of the most moving aspects of the planting pitfalls study for me was hearing testimonies from church planters and pastors about how deeply painful their planting journey had been for their spouses and children. Of course, this is not...
Article

The Church Planter’s Relationships: Building a Strong Foundation for Ministry

Tony Merida

When I first began seminary, I eagerly flipped through the course catalog, excited to dive into theology and biblical studies. But one course puzzled me—Interpersonal Relationship Skills. Why would a future pastor need a class on relationships? Shouldn’t theology and...
Article

Five Key Attributes of Executive Pastors

Travis Ogle

The 100 Most Important Photos Ever was published by LIFE magazine in December 2021. One of the photos in the gallery captured Brandi Chastain, a United States Women’s National Soccer Team member, passionately celebrating her spot kick to beat China...
Article

6 Questions Spurgeon Would Ask Aspiring Church Planters

J.A. Medders

Spurgeon was no stranger to men asking his opinion on their call to ministry. As he taught prospective pastors and planters in his Pastors’ College, men would seek his advice on the call to ministry. The second lecture in his...
Article

5 Cultural Reasons to Include Women Leadership in Your Church

Jen Oshman

Male and female relationships are more than complicated in our world today. Possibly even more complicated in the church than in culture. We struggle to thrive as brothers and sisters because of suspicion, church scandals, poorly formed theology, or we’ve...
Article

4 Guiding Principles for Worship Gatherings

Noah Oldham

For the past eight years, I’ve had the joy and honor of meeting with 200 to 250 brand-new church planters twice a year at an event called Send Network Orientation. This event serves as our family of churches’ strategy to...
Article

3 Tips for Vision Casting

Mark Lee

You might not think of yourself as a visionary because when you think of visionaries, you might think of Walt Disney or someone who started a major tech company. They tend to thrive in theory and have cutting-edge ideas. Do...
Article

Embracing Your Humanity as a Gift

Ronnie Martin

You were not born a pastor, you were born a person. As Charles Dickens once said, “This must be distinctly understood, or nothing wonderful can come of the story I am going to relate.” Without receiving yourself as a person,...
Article

Healing from Church Hurt: Creating a Culture of Welcome and Refuge

Barnabas Piper

Few hurts hurt like church hurt. People join churches expecting a place of love, grace, and safety–a place that looks and feels like the heart of Jesus. Sadly, the reality of sin often messes that up, and people get hurt....
Article

6 Questions Around Your Church Plant’s Numbers

Dan Steel

Appropriate church planting metrics are a thorny topic that many of us struggle with. How do you know if it’s going well? How can you tell? Is it simply a matter of counting? And if so, what do we count?...
Article

The Church Planter’s Heart: Essential Habits for Lifelong Ministry

Tony Merida

Church planting is demanding, exhilarating, and at times, overwhelming. It is a calling that requires more than just strategic planning or leadership skills—it requires a deeply rooted relationship with God. As church planters, we are called to lead out of...
Article

The Devil’s Strategy to Destroy Church Planters—And How to Hit Back

Noah Oldham

I was in the middle of small group when I received a barrage of text messages. People from different spaces in my life were desperately trying to reach me. Their pastor had been fired for a moral failure. They felt...
Article

How to Know Your Community Well

Jon Kelly

The goal of church planting is the fulfillment of the Great Commission. We are called to make disciples for the glory of Christ—everywhere. For the church to do this well, it will require intentionally engaging the lostness of our local...
Article

8 Points for Preaching Easter

J.A. Medders

Easter is a special Sunday in the church calendar. There are many moving pieces and items calling for a preacher’s attention on Easter. But remember that you are called to preach—to preach the Scriptures and to preach Christ. You may...
Article

4 Ways to Make Your Sermon Resonate All Week

Will Basham

The prince of preachers, Charles Haddon Spurgeon, knew well the importance of biblical preaching in the ministry and liturgy of the local church. He famously said, “Do not go where it is all fine music, grand talk, and beautiful architecture....