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For many churches, women make up over half of the congregation. At the same time, many churches have very few women in leadership capacities. In this episode, we share five ways to encourage women in leadership at your church. Welcome to episode 225 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the five things we discuss in this episode: Ask women to fill needed roles Have a woman on stage every Sunday Get feedback from women on your sermons Be flexible with working hours Be clear about what you believe This episode is brought to you by FaithStreet FaithStreet is a new kind of mobile app for churches. It’s focused on discipleship and community, not just communications. It strengthens people’s commitment to the church and each other. It builds community by prompting prayer, generosity, reflection, fellowship and teaching as daily practices. Interested or have questions? Head to faithstreet.com/practical. Practical Church Planting listeners can receive 20% off your subscription. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

One thing every church faces is finding a place to gather for worship. While the perfect location does not exist, there are important things to consider when looking for a space to meet. In this episode, we talk about 8 things in particular to look out for. Welcome to episode 224 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 8 things we discuss in this episode: Parking Location Kids space Bathrooms Number of chairs Lobby/gathering area Staging Screens This episode is brought to you by FaithStreet FaithStreet is a new kind of mobile app for churches. It’s focused on discipleship and community, not just communications. It strengthens people’s commitment to the church and each other. It builds community by prompting prayer, generosity, reflection, fellowship and teaching as daily practices. Interested or have questions? Head to faithstreet.com/practical. Practical Church Planting listeners can receive 20% off your subscription. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

  In order to plant a church that thrives, there are a few things planters should know. In this episode, we share 6 questions in particular planters should be able to answer in order to plant a healthy church. Welcome to episode 223 of Practical Church Planting. You can listen to this episode below, or subscribe to the podcast and get our episodes delivered right to you.   Here are the six questions we discuss in this episode: Who is my tribe What's my fundraising plan What would I want the church to realistically look like in 3 years What is my spouse going to end up doing Can I name 10 pastors in my area Who are you planting where you're planting This episode is brought to you by FaithStreet FaithStreet is a new kind of mobile app for churches. It’s focused on discipleship and community, not just communications. It strengthens people’s commitment to the church and each other. It builds community by prompting prayer, generosity, reflection, fellowship and teaching as daily practices. Interested or have questions? Head to faithstreet.com/practical. Practical Church Planting listeners can receive 20% off your subscription. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

As COVID cases continue to go down and vaccines continue to roll out, many churches are wondering how to encourage their people to re-engage with their church in person. In this episode, we share six ways you can do just that. Welcome to episode 222 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 things we discuss in this episode: Don't be afraid (or apologize) for talking about it Encourage others to invite people back Cut your live stream at the end of service and address those in the room Pick a day and make it a big deal Use your weekly newsletter Get vaccinated This episode is brought to you by FaithStreet FaithStreetis a new kind of mobile app for churches. It's focused on discipleship and community, not just communications. It strengthens people’s commitment to the church and each other. It builds community by prompting prayer, generosity, reflection, fellowship and teaching as daily practices. Interested or have questions? Head to faithstreet.com/practical. Practical Church Planting listeners can receive 20% off your subscription. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

How can you run an effective elder or leadership meeting? Especially since these meetings can look different than a typical staff or one on one meeting. In this episode, we share 7 tips for how to run them well. Welcome to episode 221 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 tips we discuss in this episode: Send updates/agenda ahead of time Start/end on time Share trackable metrics Don't ask for decisions on non-relevant items Meet on a consistent schedule Share names and specific situations This isn't just a business meeting This episode is brought to you by FaithStreet FaithStreet is a new kind of mobile app for churches. It's focused on discipleship and community, not just communications. It strengthens people’s commitment to the church and each other. It builds community by prompting prayer, generosity, reflection, fellowship and teaching as daily practices. Interested or have questions? Head to faithstreet.com/practical. Practical Church Planting listeners can receive 20% off your subscription. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Be sure to check out the Growing Your Launch Team online course that is available now. Click here if you want a highly practical plan to grow your team and reach more people. Every preacher wants to get better at preaching, but it does not happen automatically. The good news is there are specific things you can do to get better. In this episode, we share seven of those things. Welcome to episode 220 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the seven tips we discuss in this episode: Preach the same sermon multiple times Preach your sermon out loud on your own multiple times Listen to a couple of preachers at a time Never give excuses when preaching in any environment Connect somewhere you will be given opportunities to preach Read books on communicating Preach expositional sermons CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Be sure to check out the Growing Your Launch Team online course that is available now. Click here if you want a highly practical plan to grow your team and reach more people. Ministry requires change, but how can you lead effective change in your church without upsetting people? The good news is that it is possible. In this episode, we share 7 ways you can do it. Welcome to episode 219 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the seven tips we discuss in this episode: Except and empathize with pushback Be clear about the why You don't have to have an answer for every objection Do not make exceptions Bring vision, not apologies, to new decisions Default to transparency Test potential decisions on trusted church members CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

All of us want to grow our churches to reach more people with the good news of the Gospel. But growth is hard and can even be awkward. So in this episode, we share seven things you can do to create momentum to reach more people. Welcome to episode 218 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the tips we discuss in this episode: Make a big deal about Christmas and Easter Don't launch on a big church day Have something to invite people back to on big days Celebrate your church's anniversary every year Schedule a baptism Sunday Pick a non-traditional "big day" and make a push for that day Set one-year goals and 90-day goals. CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

What does it look like to stay focused and productive with all of the demands of ministry? The good news is that ministry does not have to always feel "busy." In this episode, we share seven things you can do to focus better and get more done. Welcome to episode 217 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the seven ways to create an environment of focus and productivity we discuss: Read Deep Work Schedule three hours a day of no interruption Schedule your5 day ahead of time Turn off notifications on your phone Invest in your workspace Find a focused work environment Be done when you're done CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

Churches often run on really tight budgets, so it's always a great day when you find an area you can cut costs in while still maintaining the same quality of ministry. In this episode, we share with you eight ways your church can save money without sacrificing its mission. Welcome to episode 216 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the eight money savers we discuss in this episode: Ask for church plant discounts Look for non-profit discounts Rechargeable batteries Tell people about bank drafts Create an Amazon Smile account Wet-erase volunteer lanyards New guest gifts Sharing specific needs with your church CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

We all want people who come to our church to be welcomed and cared for. In this episode, we share with you nine easy and practical things your church can do to help ensure a welcoming experience. Welcome to episode 215 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the nine things we discuss in this episode: Use umbrellas when it rains Don't use a doorstop Always have parkers in the parking lot Make the connect area obvious Use lanyards Make the coffee area accessible Keep your facility clean Make how to give obvious Acknowledge new guests every Sunday CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

It takes a lot of time and effort to prepare a sermon, and after preaching it, it's done with. But it doesn't have to be that way. In this episode, we share with you seven ways to get more out of the sermon beyond your weekend service. Welcome to episode 214 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the seven things you can do to get more mileage out of your sermon that we discuss: Sermon clip Bottom line graphic Instagram Story quiz Blog post about a sermon point or verse Weekly email devotional focusing on a key concept of the sermon Sermon based small groups Storing your sermons for future reference Connect and never miss an episode: Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

In order to plant a healthy church, you need a community of people who will join into the mission of the church. But there are things we can do that will make it unlikely for people to do that. In this episode, we share six reasons people won't join your launch team (and what you can do about it). Welcome to episode 213 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the six reasons we discuss in this episode: You have no launch plan You don't preemptively answer questions You have no outside authority You aren't clear on what it means to join the team You aren't sure where in your community the church will be You can't articulate why you are planting this church CONNECT AND NEVER MISS AN EPISODE Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

As pastors and ministry leaders, we are involved in all sorts of varying decisions, tasks, and problems. It can be easy for people and things to fall through the cracks, but it doesn't have to be that way. In this episode, we share with you six things you can do to ensure people and tasks don't fall through the cracks. Welcome to episode 212 of Practical Church Planting. You can listen to this episode below, or subscribe to the podcast and get our episodes delivered right to you.   Here are the six things we discuss that you can do: Create a system to handle all email Put due dates on all your tasks Create a system of quickly tracking though and requests keep all tasks in one place Schedule out your entire day Use a shutdown routine everyday Connect and never miss an episode Did you know that you can also subscribe to the podcast version of Practical Church Planting? Subscribe for free and never miss an episode! Appreciate the podcast? Please leave a rating and review, and even share it to help spread the word! Here’s where you can subscribe: Apple Podcasts Google Play Spotify Stitcher Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

The financial health of your church plays a big role in carrying out your mission. The good news is that money doesn't have to be a taboo subject for your church. In this episode, we share seven ways to build a culture of generosity at your church. Welcome to welcome to episode 211 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 things we discuss: You have to talk about giving You have to (personally) be generous Share quick stories of the impact your church has made Mention giving every week Make it easy and obvious for people to give Proactively keep your church updated on big picture financials Emphasize this is their church Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

We all know what it's like to spend hours preparing a sermon only to see people disengaged and not paying attention while we are preaching it. In this episode, we share 7 things you can do to keep people better engaged during your sermon. Welcome to welcome to episode 210 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 tips we discuss: Start with a story Practice out loud beforehand One point per slide Preach as if there are non-believers in the room 35 minutes or less Include others in the sermon writing process Include at least 2-3 stories or illustrations Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

We all know the frustration of planning, preparing, and working towards our various church events only to have a much lower turnout than expected. The good news is that there are practical things you can do to keep your church calendar in front of your people. In this episode, we share with you eight of those things. Welcome to welcome to episode 209 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the eight things we discuss in this episode: Weekly newsletter Addevent.com Bathroom graphic Next steps Personal social media Pre/post slides Text in church Website homepage Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

While creating a great livestream experience can require money and expertise, there are a few free things you can do to increase your quality. In this episode, we share with you seven  free tips for doing just that. Welcome to welcome to episode 208 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the seven things we discuss in this episode: Mark where you singers/preacher will stand Don't show the whole stage Place your camera at eye love with the people on stage Limit how many places you stream to Avoid showing seats/people Don't show the auditorium pre-service Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

As we end 2020, we are making predictions on what Church in 2021 will be like. From what type of churches will grow in 2021 to what will look different.  Welcome to welcome to episode 207 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the seven 2021 church predictions we share in this episode: Many churches will almost get back to pre-COVID numbers, but most of the new numbers will be from new people and not from people returning Churches will see more engagement in their small groups than their Sunday gatherings Churches that invest in their livestream will see the most physical growth You will not see many new families with young children visit your church until the fall of 2021 Churches that lack an outward community focus will continue to see a decline in giving House churches will become more popular than they are now Smaller churches will see a higher percentage of growth than larger churches Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.

What are the most helpful metrics your church should be tracking? Not everything you can track is helpful, but some things churches don't track often are. In this episode, we share with you seven helpful metrics your church should track. Welcome to welcome to episode 206 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the seven metrics we discuss in this episode: Attendance Giving (regular & outside givers) Number of donors Website views Assets Social media follows Connect Cards Connect and never miss an episode Be sure to subscribe to the podcast to get practical tips delivered right to you. For free resources to help you plant a church that thrives, check out practicalplanting.com. Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group.