What are things you can do that actually reduce the number of people who will take next steps at your church? In this episode, we discuss common things churches do (and should change!) that result in fewer sign-ups. Welcome to episode 316 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 ways we discuss in this episode: Using specific email addressesMaking signing up on your website confusingNot linking direct URLs in emails/social media/digitalNot having someone at your connect tableSharing things too far in advanceURL/social media handles are differentYou don't follow up on inquiries (or you do it too slowly) --------------------------------------   Ambassadors Ministries If you wish you had a large paid staff and more leaders that could give dedicated time to the mission of your church, check out Ambassadors Ministries. At no cost to your church, they will coach your leaders to fundraise full, part-time, or supplemental salary and support you in all the administrative tasks of fundraising, so you can remain focused on the hard work of ministry. Check out ambassadorsministries.com for more information. Join the Practical Church Academy For more in-depth and highly practical ministry training, check out the Practical Church Academy today. 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. Want want to go even deeper to get the training you need to lead a church that thrives? Join the Practical Church Academy.

There are a lot of pressures and challenges in ministry. In this episode, we share 7 tips on how to reduce stress in ministry. Welcome to episode 315 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 tips we discuss in this episode: Consistent preaching prep rhythmCreating ministry work boundariesDecide when you will and will not meet with peopleRemember: you can only do what you can doTake time for physical exerciseProactively take advantage of your schedulePrioritize space to encourage yourself in ministry   ------------------------------- Ambassadors Ministries If you wish you had a large paid staff and more leaders that could give dedicated time to the mission of your church, check out Ambassadors Ministries. At no cost to your church, they will coach your leaders to fundraise full, part-time, or supplemental salary and support you in all the administrative tasks of fundraising, so you can remain focused on the hard work of ministry. Check out ambassadorsministries.com for more information. Join the Practical Church Academy For more in-depth and highly practical ministry training, check out the Practical Church Academy today. 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 PlaySpotify StitcherAmazon Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group. Want want to go even deeper to get the training you need to lead a church that thrives? Join the Practical Church Academy.

There are many different products and services you need for your church. In this episode, we share 9 that we use at New City Church and would recommend. Welcome to episode 314 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 9 products we discuss in this episode: SubsplashPlanning CenterClearstreamMailchimpThe Church CoPropresenterPremier ProGoogle WorkspaceSunday Social   ------------------------------- Ambassadors Ministries If you wish you had a large paid staff and more leaders that could give dedicated time to the mission of your church, check out Ambassadors Ministries. At no cost to your church, they will coach your leaders to fundraise full, part-time, or supplemental salary and support you in all the administrative tasks of fundraising, so you can remain focused on the hard work of ministry. Check out ambassadorsministries.com for more information. Join the Practical Church Academy For more in-depth and highly practical ministry training, check out the Practical Church Academy today. 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 PlaySpotify StitcherAmazon Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group. Want want to go even deeper to get the training you need to lead a church that thrives? Join the Practical Church Academy.

How do you know when it is time to stop a ministry that is no longer effective? In this episode, we share 6 reasons to help you think through if it is time to close something down. Welcome to episode 313 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 reasons we discuss in this episode: You have no one who wants to lead itYou're more afraid of what someone will say than the actual ministry closingThere is a gap between what people say and what they do about itThere is something new you want to do that needs resourcesIf it didn't currently exist you wouldn't start itYou would advise someone else in a similar situation to close it down ------------------------------- Ambassadors Ministries If you wish you had a large paid staff and more leaders that could give dedicated time to the mission of your church, check out Ambassadors Ministries. At no cost to your church, they will coach your leaders to fundraise full, part-time, or supplemental salary and support you in all the administrative tasks of fundraising, so you can remain focused on the hard work of ministry. Check out ambassadorsministries.com for more information. Join the Practical Church Academy For more in-depth and highly practical ministry training, check out the Practical Church Academy today. 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 PlaySpotify StitcherAmazon Have questions or want encouragement from other church planters? Join the Practical Church Planting Facebook group. Want want to go even deeper to get the training you need to lead a church that thrives? Join the Practical Church Academy.

Things change all the time, so how can you best keep your people in the loop? In this episode, we share 8 ways you can communicate important changes at your church. Welcome to episode 312 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 8 ways we discuss in this episode: From stagePre/post & bathroom graphicsSmall group leader guideChurch email newsletterEmail from leadershipAll church textSocial mediaPersonal social media ------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done. We come alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need. So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission.  It’s possible to love being a pastor again. P.S. Tell them you heard about Mission Support from Practical Church Planting and you’ll get 10% off your product or service. ------------------------------- Join the Practical Church Academy For more in-depth and highly practical ministry training, check out the Practical Church Academy today. 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. Want want to go even deeper to get the training you need to lead a church that thrives? Join the Practical Church Academy.

Healthy ministry is ministry that can last over the long haul. In this episode, we share 6 things you can do to help you make it. Welcome to episode 311 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 ways we discuss in this episode: Give yourself clear end times on sermon prepTake email off your phone and check it lessHave clearly defined ministry boundarieshave a robust spiritual lifeConsistent sleep patternsTime away from your phone every day ------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done. We come alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need. So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission.  It’s possible to love being a pastor again. P.S. Tell them you heard about Mission Support from Practical Church Planting and you’ll get 10% off your product or service. ------------------------------- Join the Practical Church Academy For more in-depth and highly practical ministry training, check out the Practical Church Academy today. 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. Want want to go even deeper to get the training you need to lead a church that thrives? Join the Practical Church Academy.

We all want to engage people with the Gospel. In this episode, we share 7 ways to engage more people on Sunday mornings. Welcome to episode 310 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 things we discuss in this episode: Encourage new guests to try you multiple timesEncourage/challenge your people to make their local gathering a priorityAcknowledge the feelings of a new guest in your follow up processSunday specific eventsImprove your gathering environmentTell your people your desireGive more responsibilities to people ------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done. We come alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need. So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission.  It’s possible to love being a pastor again. P.S. Tell them you heard about Mission Support from Practical Church Planting and you’ll get 10% off your product or service. ------------------------------- Join the Practical Church Academy For more in-depth and highly practical ministry training, check out the Practical Church Academy today. 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. Want want to go even deeper to get the training you need to lead a church that thrives? Join the Practical Church Academy.

There are certain assumptions about ministry we may hold that simply aren't true. In this episode, we discuss 6 of them. Welcome to episode 307 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 false assumptions we discuss in this episode: Waiting is inherently more holySermon prep must be done on SaturdayWhat you want to do is "wrong"Your church will be a lot differentYou need a compelling reason to plant a church in your areaQuick changes are always bad ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done.   Mission support comes alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need.  So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission. It’s possible to love being a pastor again.  P.S. Tell them you heard about Mission Support from Practical Church Planting and you'll get 10% off your product or 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.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

In this episode, we answer ministry questions asked in our Practical Church Planting Facebook group. Welcome to episode 308 of Practical Church Planting.  ------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done. We come alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need. So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission.  It’s possible to love being a pastor again. P.S. Tell them you heard about Mission Support from Practical Church Planting and you’ll get 10% off your product or service. ------------------------------- Join the Practical Church Academy For more in-depth and highly practical ministry training, check out the Practical Church Academy today. ------------------------------- 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. Want want to go even deeper to get the training you need to lead a church that thrives? Join the Practical Church Academy.

As we begin a new year, we are back with our third annual church predictions. In this episode, we share 5 predictions for 2023. Welcome to episode 307 of Practical Church Planting. You can watch this episode below, or subscribe to the podcast and get our episodes delivered right to you.   Here are the predictions we discuss in this episode: Short vertical videos should be your prioritized social media contentChurches that embrace hybrid ministry while emphasizing in-person community will do wellChurches that consistently have 40+ minute sermons will struggleLivestream is the biggest front-door opportunity for your churchChurches must allow staff to do freelance/side jobs if they want ------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done. We come alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need. So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission.  It’s possible to love being a pastor again. P.S. Tell them you heard about Mission Support from Practical Church Planting and you’ll get 10% off your product or service. ------------------------------- Join the Practical Church Academy For more in-depth and highly practical ministry training, check out the Practical Church Academy today. 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. Want want to go even deeper to get the training you need to lead a church that thrives? Join the Practical Church Academy.

Welcome to our last episode of the year. In this episode, we reflect on and evaluate our 2022 church predictions. Welcome to episode 306 of Practical Church Planting. 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 are some practical ways to care for your people well? In this episode, we share 6 ways you can do just that. Welcome to episode 305 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 tips we discuss in this episode: Prayer cardsProactively reaching out to meet when you hear/sense a needBe intentional with your time on SundaysHave a healthy goal of meeting with peopleAsk good questions is the best counselSet reminders to follow up ------------------------------- Small Group Training Webinar On Thursday, December 15, at 2 PM Eastern, Dylan will be hosting a highly practical training on running small groups at your church. He’ll walk through how to run groups, get more people into groups, how to write group leader guides, and more. Click here to register. 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.

When it comes to preaching effective sermons, there are a few common mistakes to avoid. In this episode, we share 7 common preaching mistakes. Welcome to episode 304 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 7 mistakes we discuss in this episode: Starting with informationPreaching an encyclopedia sermonPreaching everything with the same weightNo handlesNo sharing of personal strugglePreaching too longHaving no tension ------------------------------- Small Group Training Webinar On Thursday, December 15, at 2 PM Eastern, Dylan will be hosting a highly practical training on running small groups at your church. He’ll walk through how to run groups, get more people into groups, how to write group leader guides, and more. Click here to register. 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.

If you want to remain faithful in ministry for the long haul, there are certain practices and habits that are needed to sustain you. In this episode, we share 6 habits to help you stay faithful and avoid poor decisions in ministry. Welcome to episode 303 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 habits we discuss in this episode: Bible reading 5-6 days a weekConsistent (ideally more than once a month) meetings with a trusted friend asking real questionsConsistent date nights with your spousePre-determines ministry boundariesTake multiple breaks a yearGet around other pastors/ministry leaders ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done.   Mission support comes alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need.  So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission. It’s possible to love being a pastor again.  P.S. Tell them you heard about Mission Support from Practical Church Planting and you'll get 10% off your product or 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.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

One of the challenges churches face is making sure people know and are up to date with everything going on in the life of your church. In this episode, we share 5 simple ways you can do that. Welcome to episode 302 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 5 ways we discuss in this episode: Add givers to your newsletterStart your sermon with an important announcement if you can't preach itHost a church business meeting over ZoomBe intentional about personally telling people thingsMake sure staff/leaders know what is coming up ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done.   Mission support comes alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need.  So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission. It’s possible to love being a pastor again.  P.S. Tell them you heard about Mission Support from Practical Church Planting and you'll get 10% off your product or 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.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

One way to easily avoid the feeling of busyness in ministry is to proactively plan when you are going to complete certain tasks. In this episode, we discuss 6 of those tasks that should be planned every week. Welcome to episode 301 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 6 tasks we discuss in this episode: Scheduling social mediaSermon prep scheduleWriting the newsletterUploading the sermonLooking up new givers and following upCleaning/Sunday prep ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done.   Mission support comes alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need.  So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission. It’s possible to love being a pastor again.  P.S. Tell them you heard about Mission Support from Practical Church Planting and you'll get 10% off your product or 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.  You can also watch the video version of the podcast on our YouTube channel.

When bringing on new leaders and/or staff, there are some important things that can make the transition healthy for the long haul. In this episode, we share 5 pitfalls that are easy to miss when bringing on new leaders Welcome to episode 300 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the pitfalls we discuss in this episode: Being too accommodatingNot asking the uncomfortable but needed questionsInconsistent follow-upNot being clear on what will not changeNot encouraging their feedback and input ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done.   Mission support comes alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need.  So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission. It’s possible to love being a pastor again.  Preaching prep webinar On Thursday, November 3, at 2 PM Eastern, Dylan will be hosting a training on sermon prep. He'll walk through his sermon writing routine, share some practical tips on how to make your sermon/teaching prep more seamless, and answer your questions. Duration: Roughly 60 minutes. 30 minutes of walking through my routine and sharing tips. Up 15-30 minutes of live Q & A. Click here to register. 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.

How can you keep everyone at your church in the loop with things your church has going on? In this episode, we share 6 ways to spread the word about events at your church. Welcome to episode 299 of Practical Church Planting.  Here are the 6 ways we discuss in this episode: Facebook eventsUpcoming events on the homepage of your websiteSmall group leader guideAll church textInstagram post that can be shared as a storyBathroom graphic ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done.   We come alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need.  So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission. It’s possible to love being a pastor again.  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.

In this episode, we answer ministry questions asked in our Practical Church Planting Facebook group. Welcome to episode 298 of Practical Church Planting.  ---------------------------------------- Mission Support Mission Support knows you want to be effective in ministry, but if you are like most pastors you probably feel like you never have enough time, energy or expertise to get everything done.   We come alongside pastors like you as a guide to provide the expertise to do the things you don’t know how to do and give you back the time you desperately need.  So whether it is bookkeeping, SEO, Payroll, websites or one of our other services, talk with a guide today at missionsupport.com and go from feeling scattered to focused on your mission.  It’s possible to love being a pastor again.  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.

Life and ministry can have its stressors and difficulties, but there are things you can do to remain healthy in ministry. In this episode, we share 5 practical things you can do to avoid burnout in ministry. Welcome to episode 297 of Practical Church Planting. Here are the 5 things we discuss in this episode: Have a hobbyDon't worry about what people think about your purchasesProactively plan time for yourself, your spouse, and your kidsSet work boundariesGo ta ministry gathering/conference ---------------------------------------- Get more done and be less stressed If you want some highly practical tips and resources on productivity, check out dylandodson.com/productivity. There you'll find Dylan's latest productivity resources, as well as his weekly newsletter The Best Minute. 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.