In this final episode of the We are Send Network podcast, hosts Noah Oldham, Dhati Lewis and Heiden Ratner share their favorite moments and final thoughts. For more content with practical answers to ministry and church planting questions, check out the New Churches Podcast at NewChurches.com.

After his first cancer diagnosis at 19, Richard Pope still felt God was calling him to plant a church. Years later, and after many obstacles, he planted Canvas Church in Salisbury, Maryland — right after receiving this third cancer diagnosis. But this time was different. The doctors said he had three to five years to live. In this episode, Richard shares his story of redemption, his battle with cancer and his passion to share Christ in what may be his final years.

Social unrest, world-wide pandemic and political angst. The last two years have forced leaders into a place of humility and endurance as we’ve navigated unpredictable seasons. Rob Wilton, the lead church planter and pastor of Vintage Church in Pittsburgh, shares how he has continued to practice and develop a necessary quality for all church planters: resilience.

God was doing something in the hearts of the people at Gracepoint Church in Berkeley, California—even in the midst of the pandemic. It seemed God was calling them to plant another church. So, when lead pastor Ed Kang sent out a Google forms sheet asking who would be interested in planting another church, he was surprised to see 1,154 people sign up. In this episode, pastor Ed shares about how one Google forms sheet led to 35 planting teams — 400 adults and 90 children — being sent out throughout the U.S. to plant churches.

There are many ways to remind your members of the gospel throughout a Sunday service and the week. In this episode, our hosts talk about how they infuse the gospel in all areas of the life of their church, even some unexpected places.

Everyone is busy, and church planters are no exception. With so many demands for your attention, how do you prioritize your time? What do you say ‘no’ to? In this episode, our hosts discuss where they direct their finite energy, their unique giftings and the way different seasons effect what they give their time to.

Peyton Jones is the author of Church Plantology: The Art and Science of Planting Churches. It is a result of asking the question, “What do church planters need to know?” In this episode, Jones explains more about the art and science of church planting, rediscovering the first century style of ministry and the difference between planting a church and starting a new church.

Shane Pruitt is the next gen evangelism director for the North American Mission Board, and this summer, he saw thousands of students profess faith in Christ and hundreds acknowledge their call from God into ministry. In this episode, he talks about the “revival generation,” the difference between the universal call of God to all Christians and a unique call from God, and the significance and necessity of calling out the called.

When you think about a metropolis of church planting activity, Omaha, Nebraska may not be top of mind. But through a few faithful men, God has used one church to plant 13 churches and baptize over 1,000 people. In this episode, Ryan Johnston, a Send Network church planting catalyst, talks about how they’ve been part of a movement of multiplying churches throughout Nebraska and what practices and principles planters throughout North America can learn from what God is doing in the Midwest.

Daniel Yang is the director of Send Institute and a well-known missiologist. On May 4, he unexpectedly suffered a heart attack and immediately underwent a quadruple bypass surgery — an event that would undoubtedly change anyone’s life. In this episode, he talks about what the Lord spoke to him during his hospital stay, his spiritual mentors, listening and obeying the call of God and the future of the church.

Where will your next church planter come from? A seminary? Another church? Or is he sitting in your pew, right now, waiting to be challenged and trained? In this episode, Aaron Cavin, lead pastor of Life Community Church in Quincy, Massachusetts, describes their pipeline process that has allowed them to reproduce healthy church planters from within their congregation. He also talks about the importance of a slow, sustainable pipeline that adequately prepares future planters.

Video for this episode is not available. Mental health isn’t widely talked about among pastors and church planters, but that doesn’t mean it’s any less of a harmful reality. D.A. Horton is a professor at California Baptist University, and in this episode, he vulnerably shares the ups and downs of his church planting journey and mental health and healing for pastors.

William “Duce” Branch serves as the assistant professor of Preaching and Bible at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. He’s also a rapper, a preacher and was part of a church planting team. At the time, church planting wasn’t on his radar, but he was encouraged by a friend to consider planting a church that was welcoming to hip-hop — something he hadn’t experienced yet. In this episode, he talks about the difference between church planting then and now, contextualization, fame and engaging with social media.

Jimmy Scroggins brings a wealth of experience to the table about church multiplication. He’s the lead pastor of Family Church in West Palm Beach, Florida, and he describes the church culture as “baptisty” when he first got there. This barrier — among other things — prevented them from reaching the unchurched in their community. As intentional and strategic changes have been made, the Lord has used the Family Church community to multiply and spread the gospel throughout South Florida. In this episode, Jimmy talks about their church multiplication strategy, the financial cost of church planting, convocational planting and more.

Church planters are busy. Each week a stream of tasks, people and obligations yell for his attention. It’s easy to get to Friday afternoon only to realize you have a whole sermon to write. In this episode, we talk with H.B. Charles, the pastor-teacher at Shiloh Metropolitan Baptist Church of Jacksonville and Orange Park, Florida, about the significance of the preached Word of God, shaping your congregation’s worldview and addressing the felt and real needs of your congregation.

 The phrase ‘gospel driven’ is tossed around a lot in evangelical spaces these days. It’s easy to say, but hard to live by — especially in seasons of pastoring and church planting when the seats and pews of your church are bare each Sunday. In this episode, our hosts interview Jared Wilson, the director of content strategy for Midwestern Seminary, about a subtle threat to gospel-driven church planting.

At the North American Mission Board (NAMB), it’s all about the gospel. In this episode, our hosts talk with Kevin Ezell, the President of NAMB, about planting churches with Send Network and what it’s like to be part of a family of churches that are planting churches everywhere for everyone.

Is the multiethnic church a realistic prospect for the Church today? Should planters and pastors pursue this vision? In this episode, our hosts — with Sam Dula who leads the Boulevard program at Send Network — answer these questions and talk about the ways multicultural tensions are affecting church planting and the necessity of partnering with churches who are different from your own.

We say it all the time in Send Network: We can do far more together than we could apart. No church planter can plant churches alone. He needs people and churches to partner with him and his team to fulfill the ministry God has called them to in their city. But navigating church partnerships can be tricky for the planter and the church, especially when each has different expectations. In this episode, our hosts talk again with Chris Phillips, the lead pastor and planter of Journey Point Church, Denver, Colorado to talk about navigating church partnerships.

Chris Phillips oozes joy. He finds joy in church planting (even though it’s immensely challenging), and he finds joy in knowing his city and loving his neighbors. He’s the lead pastor and planter of Journey Point Church in Denver, Colorado, and on this episode, our hosts chat with him about where his joy comes from, how to cultivate healthy partnerships and why it’s critical for church planters to know, love and date their city.