New Churches Podcast

Latest Episodes:

Good Mentoring Relationships Feb 13, 2024

Show notes

Episode 804

Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham return for another episode with pastor, planter, and leadership expert Dr. Crawford Loritts. Tune in to discover what you can gain through the guidance of those who have gone before you on this church planting journey.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

The wisdom to be found in healthy biblical community
What to look for in your next mentoring relationship
How to establish healthy boundaries and expectations for both the mentor and the mentee
Why you should consider making 2 Timothy your next book for personal study
The three kinds of people every church planter needs in his life!

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):

There are two ways to learn how to do your job: there’s humility, and there’s hardship. You can either humble yourself and listen to some people further down the road than you, or you can face the hardship of bad decisions. – Vance Pitman

You influence, but you don’t control. You never want to get in a relationship where a mentor doesn’t know the difference between appropriate authority and a domineering relationship. – Dr. Crawford Loritts

Your twenties and thirties are a season of learning. I’m not saying that God’s not using you in very significant ways, but you’re learning who you are and who you’re not. – Dr. Crawford Loritts

The difference between a trend and a fad is that which is enduring. – Dr. Crawford Loritts

There’d be no Paul without Barnabas, and yet we are looking for “the name guys.” A lot of times, it’s the unnamed heroes that you’re talking about. – Vance Pitman

When the heat gets turned up, things get a little hot, and adversity comes, there’s a tendency to run, shift, change your environment. The problem is there is no such thing as character apart from endurance. The fuel that you need is found in what you don’t like. – Dr. Crawford Loritts

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Leading Your Church in Fearless Prayer Feb 08, 2024

Show notes

Episode 803

Host Ed Stetzer teams back up with colleague Craig Hazen to take a deep dive into John 15:7—Christ’s own words about fearless, expectant prayer. Discover the role of prayer in the life of the church planter as you petition the Lord on behalf of your people and wait to see how He will provide.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

What John 15:7 doesn’t say about the prosperity gospel
How leaning into difficult passages of Scripture can teach us greater things
The purpose of prayer in the life of every believer
The power of patience within our prayer lives
Why keeping a prayer journal may be your next step!

Helpful Resources:

Craig Hazen’s book: Fearless Prayer: Why We Don’t Ask and Why We Should
Ed and Craig’s previous podcast episode: The Role of Apologetics in Church Planting
Talbot’s Christian Apologetics program
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):

John 15:7 was spoken by Jesus in the last hours of His life on earth. It seems to me that it’s got to be really important for today and not just something that we hope we understand one day. – Craig Hazen

The idea of prayer–what is it? I dove in and found that it’s a very simple concept. It’s asking for stuff from God. – Craig Hazen

It’s right there in the Lord’s Prayer: “Give us this day our daily bread.” There’s a connection between “If you’re remaining in me, and my words remain in you,” the kind of things you’re going to ask for are going to also be different. – Ed Stetzer

A lot of mainstream evangelicals stay away from John 15:7 because some will think they’re associated with the “health and wealth” prosperity gospel. They don’t engage this because they’re afraid of that association. – Craig Hazen

For people who need quick answers for difficult church-planting situations, God’s right there. He is Johnny-on-the-Spot. He wants us to be prepared to wait, but He’s a God of action. – Craig Hazen

The post Leading Your Church in Fearless Prayer appeared first on New Churches.

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Preaching and Current Events Feb 06, 2024

Show notes

Episode 802

Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham spend some time with pastor, planter, and leadership expert Dr. Crawford Loritts to examine the impact of aligning today’s current events with Scripture’s eternal truth. Here’s how you can honor God from the pulpit as you leverage your platform for the sake of the gospel made known.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

The key difference between reacting harshly and responding effectively to the happenings around you
The significance of pursuing biblical consistency in a hectic, inconsistent world
How to walk into an election year well—from the sanctuary pulpit to your social media platform
What the Bible specifically says about our modern-day preaching context
Why humility and integrity must mark your every move as a leader in the 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):

Humility is not a lack of courage. We need to denounce sin, but whenever we denounce it, there ought to be a tear in our eyes. – Dr. Crawford Loritts

Let’s not rush to judgment, but at the same time and in the name of Jesus, let’s weep with those who weep and mourn with those who mourn. – Dr. Crawford Loritts

This is not about politics, who has the last say, or who’s getting the most likes, clicks, and followers. It’s about humility, giving an appropriate word, and positioning the gospel. – Dr. Crawford Loritts

You have got to be careful to not define “righteous indignation” as vomiting all the truth you know and beating people up with the Bible. You’ve got to represent the heart of the Savior. – Dr. Crawford Loritts

Your character and godliness have to be greater than the platform you stand on or the issue you’re addressing. – Dr. Crawford Loritts

You’re not trying to be cute or relevant. You’re trying to help your people think distinctively and biblically as kingdom people in light of the issues occurring right now. Preaching is a discipleship deal. – Dr. Crawford Loritts

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What Church Planters Can Learn from Spurgeon Feb 01, 2024

Show notes

Episode 801

Host Tony Merida spends time with Jeff Medders to discuss the life and legacy of Charles Spurgeon not only as a pastor and preacher, but as a dedicated church planter, too. From his intentionality as a leader to his vision casting as a church revitalizer, Spurgeon has much to teach planters today about faithfully living on mission, no matter the context in which you lead.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Spurgeon’s most taught from book of the Bible
What it looked like for his church members to “live sent”
Greater insight into Spurgeon’s leadership pipeline
Ways the great preacher emphasized Christ from the platform and in his personal life
How Spurgeon’s sorrows impacted his life and faith

Helpful Resources:

Geoffrey Chang’s Spurgeon the Pastor
Arnold A Dallimore’s Spurgeon: A Biography
Zack Eswine’s Spurgeon’s Sorrows
John Theodore Mueller’s Great Heroes of the Faith
Charles Spurgeon’s Lectures to My Students
Charles Spurgeon’s C.H. Spurgeon Autobiography
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):

Spurgeon was called “the prince of preachers,” and I think we could also call him “the powerhouse of church planting.” — Jeff Medders

Spurgeon didn’t just allow his name and funds to be leveraged for church planting. He was personally investing, teaching, and mentoring young men at his house. — Jeff Medders

You may go from being a church planter one day, but the church-planter mindset probably never leaves. — Jeff Medders

Christ was the gravitational center of everything Spurgeon taught. He called and proclaimed Jesus either through evangelism or edification, and I think that is for church planters today. — Jeff Medders

When you find yourself discouraged or depressed, or when you’re dealing with sickness in your family; whatever it is, it’s not new. The Lord throughout history has used weak saints by His grace to build up the body of Christ. — Tony Merida

The post What Church Planters Can Learn from Spurgeon appeared first on New Churches.

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Ministry Safeguards Jan 30, 2024

Show notes

Episode 800

Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham team back up with pastor and planter Ray Ortlund to share the internal and external measures you can take as a church planter to keep your leadership and ministry healthy and guarded from harm. Discover the personal and theological safeguards you can set in place to protect the calling God has placed upon you and your church.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

The significance of personal and relational transparency
How to combat isolation and pursue Christ’s freedom through fellowship
Why online precautions are essential in the digital age
How to establish accountability for the longevity of your ministry
How to invest in the community God has given you, from the pulpit to the small-group meeting space

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):

Walking in the light is not sinless perfection. It’s where we confess sin and experience cleansing. — Ray Ortlund

We come together with an advocacy, a solidarity, a cohesion, and a tenderness that’s unmatched in all this world; that’s real Christianity. — Ray Ortlund

We could wake up one day in a place we never thought we’d be because we lack that level of honest transparency in our lives. — Vance Pitman

We can’t improve on the gospel, and the gospel’s not going to be better than it is right now, five minutes from now. So, let’s just jump into the gospel God gave us and go deep, not only holding onto the gospel but exploring it boldly. — Ray Ortlund

The desire for proper accountability and safeguards is powerful evidence of God’s grace. — Ray Ortlund

Where in the New Testament do we see Jesus or the apostles saying, “Go it alone”? — Ray Ortlund

The post Ministry Safeguards appeared first on New Churches.

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The Role of Apologetics in Church Planting Jan 25, 2024

Show notes

Episode 799

Host Ed Stetzer chats with his colleague Craig Hazen, the Founder and Director of Christian Apologetics at the Talbot School of Theology. Together, they discuss the impact of apologetics within the church-planting sphere and how this study and practice grants us confidence to move forward in our missional calling to share the peace of Christ’s truth with the world.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

How to demystify apologetics for both yourself and your congregation
Ways to move from evangelism to apologetics as you minister to others
Why the college campus is a great place for this study and practice
How you can meet people where they are with the truth of Christ, no matter their starting point with the gospel
The role of joy within your apologetics engagement!

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):

Offer reasons for your faith and why it is you put your trust in Jesus. Apologetics is the ministry of helping people answer their questions. — Craig Hazen

Apologetics is going to become more and more important as the culture becomes more and more secular. — Ed Stetzer

We still make strong arguments, but we try to do so with gentleness and respect. The one thing that really juices up the gentleness and respect is having a deep knowledge of the subject. — Craig Hazen

Argumentation means different things to different people, but persuasive apologetics in the public sphere and in relationships is essential today. — Ed Stetzer

I’m much more sensitive to the Holy Spirit when I’m not working out of anxiety as I’m witnessing to a person. — Craig Hazen

The challenge is that a lot of people are just not safe conversation partners with spiritually questioning people. — Ed Stetzer

The post The Role of Apologetics in Church Planting appeared first on New Churches.

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Disciplines to Start in Early Ministry Jan 23, 2024

Show notes

Episode 798

Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham share an encouraging word with Ray Ortlund, the author, pastor, and founder of Immanuel Nashville. Together, they discuss the significance of forming Christ-exalting personal habits within the earliest days of ministry. Tune in to discover how you can create safeguards for the long-term health of your ministry as well as your own personal spiritual walk with Christ.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

What sets church planting apart from other vocations
The tried-and-true basics of spiritual discipline within the Christian faith
Why your understanding of prayer may need some recalibration
The role of confession within the church today
Why theological accountability and alignment matter in your ministry from day one

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):

There’s a lack of theological accountability in the world we live in today because denominations were the buttresses of theological accountability. — Vance Pitman

How can you preach a crucified Savior with personal, showoff-y, “Look at me. I’m so cool” kind of preaching persona? It doesn’t fit. — Ray Ortlund

The Holy Spirit entered into Paul’s ministry and created converts, not because they were impressed by him, but because they were enthralled by Jesus. Now that’s church planting like an apostolic work. — Ray Ortlund

Dear brother, to whom do you confess your sins? The answer cannot be nobody or “I only confess my sins to God.” There’s a reason James 5:16 is in the Bible. — Ray Ortlund

I don’t use the word “accountability” because I’ve seen it used in a coercive way, but “transparency” is mutual. I don’t believe we can go too far wrong if we’re living in transparency and in honest brotherhood together. — Ray Ortlund

We can face anything if we will walk with God. And if we don’t have a real, honest, moment-by-moment walk with the Lord and we’re just great at church planting, that is total failure, brilliantly disguised as massive success. — Ray Ortlund

The post Disciplines to Start in Early Ministry appeared first on New Churches.

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Preaching the Resurrection Jan 18, 2024

Show notes

Episode 797

Host Tony Merida meets with Jeff Medders, the Director of Theology and Content at SEND Network, to discuss the significance of the resurrection in our daily lives as believers, as well its power in the weekly rhythms of our churches. Tune in to discover how emphasizing the resurrection empowers us to live boldly on mission for the gospel.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

How the resurrection remains applicable to every church in every context
The gospel’s implications for our daily lives, here and now
How to combat cultural desensitization toward the cross
The reason you can navigate your doubts with assurance as you look to the empty tomb
Why your sermons about the resurrection are not just for Easter Sunday!

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):

Jesus has risen from the dead, and therefore everything changes. No matter your context, the risen Christ is the lean-in factor of Christianity. — Jeff Medders

The crucifixion and resurrection go together, but oftentimes, at least in my observation and experience, there’s been a deemphasis on the resurrection. — Tony Merida

If you don’t believe in the resurrection, you’re not a Christian. So, let’s advocate for more resurrection. I want people to walk out of our churches going, “This guy believes Jesus is alive.” It changes everything. — Jeff Medders

Whatever labor you’re doing for the cause of the kingdom is not in vain. Nothing done in Jesus’ name is in vain because the tomb is empty. This fuses my everyday ministry with purpose and meaning and keeps me from despair as I preach the resurrection. — Tony Merida

The entire New Testament only came to be because Jesus rose again from the dead. The entire ecosystem of Christianity is a resurrection atmosphere. — Jeff Medders

The resurrection is not just a truth we die on, but it’s a truth we live on. — Tony Merida

The post Preaching the Resurrection appeared first on New Churches.

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Creating Rhythms of Rest Jan 16, 2024

Show notes

Episode 796

Hosts Vance Pitman and Noah Oldham share insight into one of the most difficult aspects of planting a church in North America today: establishing sustainable patterns of rest. Here’s what you can add and subtract to your life in ministry in order to live in the rest Christ has prepared for you.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

How a reboot and reset could revive you in your ministry calling
What apostolic wiring has to do with your missionary zeal
Why accountability is essential for biblical sabbath
How rest can positively impact your church’s leadership pipeline
Why creating space for interruption leads to greater ministry opportunity

Helpful Resources:

Vance’s book: The Stressless Life
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 have limits, and God made us spiritual, physical, mental, and emotional beings. If we don’t care for ourselves in those areas and establish a balance between work and rest, we’re going to make some major mistakes. — Vance Pitman

We tend to have in our minds that Jesus demands we work hard, be diligent, and exhaust ourselves. There is an element of truth in that, but at the same time, there’s a balancing tension of spiritual obedience. — Vance Pitman

It is not unspiritual to pull away from the demands of ministry to rest. As a matter of fact, it’s unspiritual not to in ministry. — Vance Pitman

The primary calling of my life is not ministry; it’s intimacy. Ministry is what He does out of the overflow of intimacy. If you look at the life of Jesus in the Gospels, Jesus is constantly interrupted and never in a hurry. — Vance Pitman

Muscle only grows when you rest it and fuel it. Church planting is the same way. You have to rest to see the growth happen. — Noah Oldham

The philosophy of much of North American church planting is the superstar, lone-ranger, high-capacity planter, but the philosophy of the New Testament is teamwork. — Vance Pitman

The post Creating Rhythms of Rest appeared first on New Churches.

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Church Planting in the Face of Personal Challenges Jan 11, 2024

Show notes

Episode 795

Host Ed Stetzer meets with church planters Adam Muhtaseb and Richard Pope to discuss their best practices when it comes to facing hardship while leading a new church plant. Here’s why rest, repentance, and reliance on God and His people are essential for planters as they seek to lead others to Christ’s truth amidst life’s greatest difficulties.

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Ways to impactfully communicate hardship to your congregation
The power of simple gospel prayer within biblical community
Why sabbath is essential for church planters today
The role God’s sovereignty plays into your calling as a leader in the church
How God can use all things—even terminal diagnoses—for the furtherance of His gospel to the world

Helpful Resources:

Richard Pope’s podcast: Terminal: The Dying Church Planter
Kerry and Chris Shook’s book: One Month to Live: Thirty Days to a No-Regrets Life
Are you part of a new church plant? Learn more about our new church offer here.
Are you ready to enroll in our Church Planting Masterclass?

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

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Successful church planting is a series of successfully resolved crises because there’s always a crisis and something that’s falling apart. — Ed Stetzer

Embrace strategic failure, knowing that God is still working when you can’t crush it this week. Once I recognized and got to a place of peace with that, it enabled me to rest and sabbath a little bit more. — Adam Muhtaseb

Suffering gives us a weird opportunity to show grace, love, kindness, and mercy. When you show and allow people into your suffering, keeping the gospel forefront, it’s a teaching moment for your church. — Richard Pope

God can do more in six days than you can do in seven, and He wants you to do six. — Adam Muhtaseb

Obedience and faithfulness to the Lord is always more fruitful than doing things our way. — Richard Pope

The post Church Planting in the Face of Personal Challenges appeared first on New Churches.

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Episode 804

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Helpful Resources:

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Episode 803

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Helpful Resources:

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Episode 802

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Helpful Resources:

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Episode 801

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Helpful Resources:

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Episode 800

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Helpful Resources:

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Episode 799

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Helpful Resources:

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Episode 798

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Helpful Resources:

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Episode 797

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Helpful Resources:

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Episode 796

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Helpful Resources:

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

Episode 795

In This Episode, You’ll Discover:

Helpful Resources:

Sharable Quotes (#NewChurches):

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