The Well is a United Methodist church plant that, by most indicators, is a home run. It’s hip, it’s relevant, and on its first Sunday, 7 months ago, welcomed more than 800 people. However, pastor Arthur Jones says the challenge of discipleship-making remains: how do we help young people deepen their knowledge of Scripture, increase [...]

How does a church of 19 (mostly grandparents) get to nearly 150 in just a few years? Intentional Christian practice found at the heart of the Methodist tradition. Matt Smith, co-founder of The Table at Central United Methodist Church says the growing congregation, that already has one ‘plant’ at a local coffee house, is all [...]

Valley and Mountain is not your typical church – in fact now, in its infancy, it is best described as a movement – which may be where the next generation of vibrant congregations is going. John, a gifted United Methodist Church minister, is a few years into this Seattle, WA plant, which meets in different [...]

Church with the Whiskey Preacher Phil Shepherd isn’t just great, it’s a Eucatastrophe! That’s the Tolkeinesque name of this pushin’-the-envelope preacher, blogger, and self-proclaimed outlaw theologian’s faith community. Underneath the tatts, pearl snaps, and gauged ears, is the heart of a pastor whose desire to reach those on the fringes of his Texas community is [...]

Fr. Jim Hamilton really thought the new Sunday night service he was hired to create would flop – but then God has a sense of humor. Out of Christ Church, Cranbrook‘s desire for a contemplative service for 20-somethings came Lex Orandi which, two years later, is a vibrant community that has far surpassed expectations. In [...]

Church planting in Silicon Valley… it’s about encountering an incredibly gifted and brilliant community… that can be disinterested or even antagonistic toward the Gospel. But that’s not stopping Nicole Lamarche from her work planting Silicon Valley United Church of Christ. She’s moving forward on the Spirit’s prodding that there’s plenty of room for a progressive [...]

One of the advantages to leading a church in a country where few people go to church is that you can be creative. That’s what’s behind the Fresh Expressions movement in the U.K. – where David Male has the job of training ‘pioneer missionaries.’ These are folks are entrepreneurs and innovators who listen for the [...]

Gone are those church planting days of door to door questionnaires and neighborhood polling. Anglican Church of Canada minister Ryan Sim is starting his church with an iPhone app. It will be called ‘Redeem the Commute’ – and it’s stage one of a process to introduce Christianity to unchurched residents of Ajax, Ontario. Enjoy the [...]

At too many churches, trying to get that one Sunday Morning takeaway is like trying to get a drink from a fire hose.  We’re bombarded with so many dissonant messages Dave Ferguson had to develop a way for his flock to focus on one central idea. Ferguson, pastor and founder of the Community Christian mega [...]

The Rev. Dawnn Brumfield’s public battle with her weight (one she’s now currently winning) serves as a metaphor for her greater ministry: one that’s had to start by simply being herself. Brumfield, a progressive, non-denominational church planter, has worked for years in youth ministry, and says that the authenticity she’s needed to connect with young [...]

Sure, it’s a cheeky way of putting it – but Wycliffe College Evangelism Professor John Bowen has some very serious things to say about how Christians witness to their faith. His helpful definition for evangelism is: ‘Under the guidance of the Holy Spirit, helping people take steps toward discipleship.’ In this interview, this seasoned academic [...]

Very soon the demographics of America will see a major change: the European-American majority will become the new minority. Welcoming America’s new faces is an opportunity and challenge for U.S. churches, and one Jose Morales takes seriously. He’s an executive with the Disciples of Christ, which is committed to planting and transforming 2, 000 congregations [...]

For Christian Piatt and his Milagro Church bridging polarizing differences, which seem intractable in today’s contemporary society, is a job more churches should be putting on the front burner. Christian, an author blogger and pastor, co-founded the congregation with his wife (before recently moving), and thinks that the witness of just getting along with one [...]

When a pastor’s devastating moral lapse nearly closed Hill Country Bible Church, the congregation’s elders kept the church afloat – and now, nearly 30 years later, thousands of people are glad they did. Rebuilding trust was the first job the 20-something year old pastor Tim Hawks did – and the congregation responded, growing from 180 [...]

Megachurch pastor Doug Schmidt of Woodside Bible Church in Metro Detroit pioneered a novel way to advance the Gospel: by merging with struggling congregations and investing in them with the intention of turning them loose. It’s not a takeover plan aimed at building a new denomination, rather a way to help declining congregations re-tool and [...]

It’s the classic definition of ‘missional’: participating with God in what God is doing in the world – and it’s Steve Knight’s passion and profession. Maybe you’ve heard of Steve’s popular blog, or heard him speak (or spoken about) at emergent church gatherings. Steve currently serves the Disciples of Christ in their efforts to start [...]

It’s one of the Church’s biggest mistakes: over-reliance on one person to do the bulk of the work (planning, visioning, preaching, organizing, cleaning gutters… you name it). In this new, inventive, age, the PCUSA’s Landon Whitsitt, author of the book Open Source Church, thinks that the day of the ‘super-pastor’ is way over – and [...]

Author, activist, and new monasticism practitioner Shane Claiborne says it’s all about having a heart for others and concentrating on life here before the life hereafter. Shane, a member of The Simple Way community in Philadelphia, moved into the Kensington neighborhood years ago with a desire to build a community, not a church, and it’s [...]

21st Century Strategies church consultant Bill Easum says it’s the most common challenge he runs into when consulting stalled churches: 2-3 entrenched bullies are at work, who shoot down new ideas and impede growth. Bill, a legendary mentor who has consulted for more than 700 congregations, says leaders need to remember that the message is [...]

No longer should the church shape the mission – but the mission must shape the church. So says author, instructor, and missional guru Alan Hirsch, who’s on a mission to invite all churches to embrace mission. Alan is well known in evangelical and mega-church circles and has something to teach everyone: that (as Barth said) [...]

While many denominations are busy closing churches, Gary Rohrmayer’s Converge Midamerica is working hard to plant them. Sure, cultural apathy, the advent of secularism, and the Great Recession have slowed things down – but the passion is still there – and is essential as ever to building strong congregations. Rooted in the pietistic heritage of [...]

Opening church doors to everyone in the community is what brought Brian Clark and Edwin Andrade together at Riverside Presbyterian in Sterling, Virginia. The community’s increasing Hispanic presence caused Brian and the church to respond with a welcome mat – and build one church in two languages. Be inspired by this story of Christian hospitality.

Ridgeline Church, just 3 years old, has seen big growth in numbers and discipleship because Pastor Steven got rid of the dirty dozen. Former Costco manager turned Assemblies of God pastor Steven Long says his 12 barriers to growth are common sense, but not commonly addressed. In this interview Steven borrows from his business background [...]

The Barriers, that is. Presbyterian Church (USA) church planter Graham Baird says his congregation grew from 25 to 2,000 in 6 years because it makes church-going open, accessible and exciting. You’ll find both flip-flops and cowboy boots at  Highlands Church in Paso Robles, CA where the bagpipe playing pastor preaches a well-choreographed message to a targeted demographic. [...]

It’s a buzz-word the Spirit’s been spreading: Missional. And now it’s getting its own denomination, of sorts. Spencer Burke has been on the cutting edge of modern ways to ‘do’ church for the last 20 years.  Now he’s launching www.missionplanting.com as an association of mission-minded churches to share resources. Chances are, they’re resources your church [...]