In part one I explained that when I am asked to define the word “missional” I …
Resources for Church Planter Care
For nine years I taught a course on evangelism at a small Christian college. There was …
Nine Ways To “Pay” Your Volunteers
I recently spent some time with long-time pastor Steve Stroope, who’s been in the ministry now …
When You are Sick of Saying It, Your Leaders Have Just Heard It
The following is a modified excerpt from Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that …
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Church Discipline: The Outcome of Church Discipline
THE OUTCOME OF CHURCH DISCIPLINE As we have faithfully practiced discipline as a body, we are …
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A Process for Multiplying Disciples
By Jeff Christopherson We like to say to “make disciple-making disciples” to inspire a vision for …
Church Discipline: The Process of Church Discipline
The elders of The Austin Stone have studied, prayed and labored over the process of discipline …
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Send Network Orientation: Planter Spouse Care
Kathy Litton, NAMB’s national consultant for ministry to pastor’s wives, hosted the panel consisting of Pam …
Generosity: Building a Generous Church
Encouraging generosity in the church is a matter I believe I can speak to because it …
John Bunyan once said, “You have not lived today until you have done something for someone …
On the playground of spiritual disciplines fasting gets picked last, and sometimes not at all if …
You don’t have to be or live in the city in order to understand the concept …
There’s something about becoming a professional Christian (aka pastor, church planter, missionary, etc…) that makes the …
Every first Sunday of the month, as a church, we take communion together. Before we take …
Our culture is sick with busyness and constant connectedness. Almost everyone seems exhausted just trying to …
Let’s just put this reality on the table: many church leaders struggle with prayer. We know …
Living in the Word: Bible Intake for Church Planters I was a new believer, and my …
Abide: Introduction to John 15:5
Imagine you are listening to a sermon and the preacher asks “How many of you truly …
How coaching helps church planting wives
3 Ways Coaching Helps Church Planting Wives “Congratulations! Today is your day. You’re off to Great …
What to consider when hiring and firing team members
“We need him at the table! He has got to go!” The following post is a …
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How to build a team of volunteers for your church
You’re a church planter and have answered the call, raised the money and launched with a …
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Qualities of a senior pastor: Boss or friend?
One question that rarely gets asked in church leadership is whether the senior pastor, as the …
Team Matters: Conflict Dynamics
Imagine a world without conflict. Two political candidates bound onto the stage in front of a …
How to fund a church planting team
My son wants to be a professional soccer player when he grows up. For several years …
Why gender diversity is mission critical for your plant
One of the best moves I ever made as a young church planter was seeing the …
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Choosing your church planting team
Two summers ago, another pastor and I landed on Knoxville, Tennessee as our city for planting …
Stories of Doubt: Kent Bateman
Stories of doubt from an apprentices’ perspective Send Network: Tell us about the church you are …
Send Network: Tell us about your church plant and when you all started meeting. Andy Hall:Redemption …
Stories of Doubt – Jeff Phillips
At the immense risk of sounding negative, this reality is true when it comes to church …
Principle of team building: Don’t be a lone ranger
Danger Ahead: 3 Ways Coaching Helps Navigate the Fog As a church planter, I’ve often felt like …
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3 Ways Coaching Helps Navigate Fog
Danger Ahead: 3 Ways Coaching Helps Navigate the Fog As a church planter, I’ve often felt like …
Kingdom First: Leading God’s People
The Apostle Paul, gave this charge to the Ephesian church leadership: “Pay careful attention to yourselves …
Putting God first: Leading my family
The heresy of the evangelical order A divine order has become almost sacrosanct in evangelical subculture; …
Putting God first: Leading myself
The most difficult person that you will ever have to lead is yourself. You are a …
Why Give To The Cooperative Program
Do not, under any circumstances, give your money to the Cooperative Program (CP). Seriously. I mean …
“I wanted to change the world, but I couldn’t find a babysitter,” said a mother. Motherhood …
10 Ways to Drive Away First-Time Guests
If you attend a church regularly, you’ve probably noticed the phenomenon. A guest shows up for …
Ten Unique Challenges of Ministry
In an earlier post I wrote that seminary cannot prepare anyone to be a pastor. Only a church, …
10 Tips to Becoming a More Productive Pastor
The work of pastoral ministry is a joy, but it’s also demanding. Every pastor is on …
Missional Community Connections: Part 2
Environments Conducive to Missional Communities Connections at The Austin Stone is not simply giving information that …
What are Missional Community Connections
Connections at The Austin Stone is not simply giving information that propels individuals towards involvement but …
How to Multiply A Missional Community
What steps should we take to multiply? First, assess the health of your group. Make sure …
Todd Engstrom Interview: Missional Communities
Send Network: Tell us a little about the culture of your church. Todd Engstrom: At Austin …
Send Network: What is the vision of Midtown Fellowship? Allen Tipping:Our vision statement is, “A Jesus-centered …
Community and Mission: A Divine Meeting
My wife and I have a rugged wooden farm table. It’s not impressive—there are scratches, stains …
Most of us are safe and we like to stay that way within the confines of …
Engaging culture: Understanding poverty
Poverty: A Confusing Conversation Leading to Misguided Good Intentions How does a minister help a homeless …
Make Your Church Adoption-Friendly
When I pastored Highview Baptist in Louisville my friend David Melber and his wife, Tera, started …
The Bible tells us that the king of Israel once wanted to hear from the prophets, …
The last year has seen a steady dose of media stories that focus on the issue …
Engaging culture: Introduction
The New Testament Early Church was certain of the missional reality that they were living in …
Is your church an evangelizing church? NAMB
During this blog post series, I am trying to help you assess your church by providing …
Is your church a discipling church?
During this blog post series, I am trying to help you assess your church by providing …
Is your church a ministering church?
During this blog post series, I am trying to help you assess your church by providing …
Is Your Church a Fellowshipping Church?
During this blog post series, I am trying to help you assess your church by providing …
Financially supporting missionaries and church planters is a centuries old practice in Jesus’ church. Even now, …
Sending Church – Commissioning
When you begin to rattle off the names of the great characters of the Bible, there …
We’ve all heard the epitaph of the Church Planting Graveyard…80% of church plants fail in the …
SENDING Church: How to Prepare Your Planter
One of the most often asked questions from pastors who have never planted is, “what do …
Many churches admit they’re hesitant to get involved with church planting because they believe the failure …
Challenges to being a sending church
There’s a missions thread that runs through Taylors First Baptist Church. Launched at the time of …
Kevin Ezell, president of the North American Mission Board, recently stated, “NAMB’s goal is to work …
Every life on mission and every church on mission
“Every Life On Mission” and “Every Church On Mission” are two phrases NAMB will use prominently …
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5 Reasons Why I Want My Husband to Have a Coach
Coaching Reflections from a Church Planting Wife By Heather Bond I am a church planting wife. …
What are the frontlines of mission?
Church planter Patrice Viakinnou shares his vision for ministry to New York City’s West-African population. Send …
Are You Weak Enough for God to Use You?
There aren’t many societies that praise weakness. Ours is no different. Whether you’re a pastor or …
The following is an excerpt from Gaining by Losing: Why the Future Belongs to Churches that …
https://vimeo.com/139248295 The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was the only church Derek Collings and …
https://vimeo.com/140101933 86% of the people in Morgan County, Utah belong to the Church of Jesus Christ …
This week Jeddidiah Coppenger shared five ways to lead a local church towards effective engagement in …
How to create a culture of international missions
I love shortcuts. Whether it’s a hidden road to get to work 30 seconds faster, some …
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How to identify and recruit team members
The question I get most often from church planters is: Where do I find people for …
Characteristics of a healthy team
One of the first fears many church planters face is finding people for their team. You …
Kingdom First: Four benefits to building a team
In Ecclesiastes 4, Solomon highlights the value of working with a team. “Two are better than …
The following blog is an excerpt from Paul David Tripp’s regular blog which can be found …
The following blog is an excerpt from Paul David Tripp’s regular blog which can be found …
The following blog is an excerpt from Paul David Tripp’s regular blog which can be found …
Jonah 3:1 – God’s grace gives us a fresh start
The following blog is an excerpt from Paul David Tripp’s regular blog which can be found …
Understanding context when planting a new church
Gaining an accurate understanding of context is critical to successfully plant a new church. Barry Whitworth, …
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Kingdom First: Redefining success
Church planters are a curiously goal-driven group. Give us a numerical goal worth pursuing and we …