Episodi

  • It’s the end of an era for the Unfiltered podcast. We explain why and share what’s next.

    0:32 Lee lets listeners know this surreal episode to say good-bye is the last for Unfiltered.

    1:28 Lee explains a couple different reasons why Danny and Lee are hanging up the microphones.

    3:19 Danny thanks Lee for his impact and investment in Converge’s church planting movement.

    5:10 Lee shares what the Lord has been laying on his heart when it comes to the connection between academia and pastoring.

    6:49 Even though the podcast is ending, it will still be available online. Danny asks Lee the best way future listeners can contact him.

    9:31 Danny asks Lee one last question.

    12:19 Lee shares one last piece of advice for church planters.

    12:47 Lee thanks Danny and listeners for the Unfiltered experience. And with that, he signs off the podcast for the last time!

  • Starting anything new from the ground up can be difficult. Whether it’s a new business or a new church, nothing is 100% fail-proof. But why is church planting so difficult? Let’s pull back the curtain and have a real and candid conversation about it.

    0:28 Lee introduces the topic, which is a subject he and Danny deal with often. Why is church planting so hard?

    1:07 Danny has a theory that because church planting is so personal, it makes it difficult.

    2:23 Danny reflects on when he planted a church and was asked how he was personally doing, he would report how the church was doing.

    2:45 Lee agrees with Danny that it’s easy for church planters to personalize every aspect of how a church is doing.

    3:22 Lee speaks to how spiritual warfare is a part of the challenges a church planter will face.

    4:14 Danny reiterates that spiritual warfare can get very personal not only for a church planter, but also for his family.

    4:39 Another reason church planting can be so hard is that when a church is small, everything is magnified, and it doesn’t take a lot for the dynamic to shift quickly.

    6:33 Unrealistic expectations can also play into the difficulty of planting a church.

    7:04 Lee compares launching a church to launching a rocket and how gravitational pull plays into church planting.

    8:03 Danny shares that money plus preaching doesn’t always equal success.

    9:40 Lee wants to normalize the difficulties of planting a church. He encourages church planters to enjoy the journey.

    10:18 Danny encourages church planters to focus on faithfulness. He explains what he means by that.

    11:10 Lee agrees with Danny’s perspective and encourages church planters that even though it’s hard, it’s worth it.

    11:35 Lee asks for more people to step up to be church planters, because they are needed!

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  • Residencies – they’re not just for medical students. A residency in a church can be a very helpful season for a future church planter. But what should a residency look like? How can it benefit both a church and someone receiving an education in ministry? And what’s the difference between an internship and a residency?

    0:29 Danny introduces the episode topic of church residencies and internships when it comes to ministry.

    1:00 Lee admits he’s passionate about the need for residencies and internships because of his background in his education and church experience.

    1:20 Lee knows there are a lot of gaps when it comes to getting an education in ministry and executing ministry. He explains his view on this.

    3:06 What is a residency? Lee explains what it is and what it isn’t.

    4:09 Danny asks what’s the difference between an internship and a residency?

    4:19 Lee shares his thoughts on how an internship in a church is different from a residency.

    5:04 Danny wants to know what ministry residencies look like at Harvest Community Church, the church Lee pastors.

    5:25 Lee gives a run down of what completed residencies at Harvest Community Church have looked like and what’s going on with their current residencies.

    8:47 Danny wants to know if residencies are paid position, and if not, how does that work for the student?

    9:11 Lee explains the preference both Converge and Harvest Community Church have when it comes to paid vs. unpaid church residencies.

    10:14 Danny touches on the benefits of raising support for church planting residents.

    10:39 Lee gives some tips on other non-monetary ways churches can invest in and support church planting residents.

    11:46 Danny wants to know: what questions should church planters ask churches as they consider completing a residency?

    12:01 Lee reveals the number one question church planters should ask.

    12:30 Lee talks about the second question that needs to be asked when considering a residency and when a church planter should walk away.

    13:36 Lee reflects on his time of practical learning before he planted a church.

    14:10 Do you have questions about finding a residency, opening your church to hosting a resident, or anything else? Email Converge to ask and receive some follow up!

  • As a pastor, it can be easy to slip into a comfortable rhythm and habit of preaching. And while change isn’t always easy, you should always be looking to improve and develop the way you preach. As the years in ministry slip by, it’s necessary at times to assess if your preaching could use some improvement; whether you’re a rookie or a seasoned pastor.

    Note: There are three books referenced in this podcast episode. They are: Biblical Preaching by Haddon Robinson, Communicating for Change by Andy Stanley, and Preaching Without Notes by Joseph M. Webb.

    0:19 Lee introduces the question, “How do we improve our preaching?”

    0:53 Danny shares that he is still learning and adapting how he preaches.

    1:11 Lee asks Danny how he prepares to preach and how his process has changed over time.

    1:33 Danny reflects on how he was taught to preach via manuscript in seminary. But he didn’t stick with that style when he planted a church. He pivoted to more of a memorization style of preaching. And over time, the way he prepared notes changed, especially after going multi-site.

    4:03 Lee asks Danny if his manuscript is paper or electronic.

    4:07 Danny isn’t a fan of digital manuscripts because technology can fail. But he adds that if you prepare with a manuscript correctly, you should be going over it at least ten times. So, you end up memorizing much of it, without having to consult the actual manuscript very much.

    5:13 Lee asks Danny if he includes scripture passages in his manuscript.

    5:18 Danny confirms all scripture he uses is written out in his manuscript, but he still physically uses a Bible during sermons and explains why.

    5:46 Lee walks through his process in preparing for a sermon. He began with an outline, but as he planted, his process changed to a full manuscript. Preparing a manuscript helps Lee mentally, allowing the Holy Spirit to work as he preaches.

    7:26 Danny asks Lee why he uses an outline when preaching, instead of the manuscript he’s already prepared.

    7:37 Lee clarifies that even though he’s memorized his sermon manuscript, he doesn’t want to be tied to every word he’s prepared.

    8:04 Lee describes the physical space he likes when preaching: no lectern, just a stool and an outline paperclipped inside his Bible.

    8:42 Using a stool helps Lee preach a little more conversationally and less intensely.

    9:00 Lee ponders how pastors learn what works for them, when it comes to preaching. Two things helped him. The first is getting sermon feedback from trusted people, by asking specific questions.

    9:55 Danny emphasizes asking specific open-ended questions to get helpful feedback.

    10:32 The second thing Lee does to learn what works, is to listen or watch his sermons to learn from it.

    10:54 Danny advises to watch your sermons back on video to find distracting mannerisms.

    12:00 Danny reminds pastors to stay sharp on their exegesis. Not only should pastors be focused on the delivery of a sermon, but also that the structure is accurate to the text.

    13:10 Lee asks Danny what books have helped him develop his preaching.

    13:26 Danny recommends the book Biblical Preaching by Haddon Robinson, as it teaches authorial intent.

    14:12 Danny believes that preaching is the top discipleship tool. It teaches people how to read and apply the Bible.

    14:51 Lee reflects that a seasoned pastor coached him to have the perspective that people should connect the dots of a sermon days after hearing it.

    15:23 Danny asks Lee if he has book recommendations.

    15:27 Lee mentions Andy Stanley’s book Communicating for Change and Preaching Without Notes by Joseph M. Webb.

    16:24 Lee thanks listeners for tuning into this episode on growing as a preacher.

  • 0:24 Lee introduces episode guest, Wes Pastor.

    0:40 Wes introduces himself and explains his connection to Converge

    1:36 Lee asks Wes how he became a church planter in Vermont.

    1:54 Wes shares that the reasons he planted in Vermont were because it’s an unreached area, it has a rich heritage, and there are lots of college towns.

    2:40 Because Wes stayed at the church he planted for 30 years, Lee asks what advice he would give a church planter when thinking long term ministry.

    3:30 Having a long-term mindset was important to Wes so that he and his family could put down roots in one place to provide stability.

    4:10 Wes shares that church planters need to be adaptable if they’re going to be successful. Churches change a lot over time when it comes to the non-essential or negotiable parts of a ministry.

    5:30 Church planting can be rough at the start. But the betrayals or issues that might come a couple decades into a ministry are the ones that are hard to get through.

    6:14 Danny asks Wes if he had a plan for multiplication right from the start of his church planting experience.

    6:45 Wes reveals that it was a plan to plant churches and a training center from the beginning.

    7:54 A great advantage of planting a church, rather than stepping into an existing church, is that church revitalization can be part of the church’s DNA from the start, according to Wes.

    8:10 Wes walks through the timeline his church went through to find a church planter.

    8:56 Wes recognized the need for long-term training centers for church planters, all they way back in the 90s, when church planting training was only for one week.

    9:56 Danny asks Wes to talk about how The NETS Center of Church Planting has grown from the beginning.

    9:59 Wes talks about the slow momentum and growth NETS has seen over the years and how a big breakthrough came 15 years into the program’s existence.

    11:20 A campus became available, and Wes tells the story of how NETS acquired it.

    12:43 Wes shares about the need for gospel preaching churches in New England, as a small percentage of the population attends an evangelical church.

    13:13 NETS has big goals for sending out church planters and they’re getting closer to those goals.

    13:36 Lee asks Wes what he’s looking for in a good candidate in a church planter that will be successful in New England.

    13:51 Wes runs down what NETS is looking for in the lifestyle of potential church planters.

    15:03 Wes covers what NETS is looking for theologically in candidates. And that they’re looking for leaders who are committed to spending the rest of their lives in New England.

    16:27 Danny asks if someone who wants to be a part of NETS training can be from other areas of the country.

    17:21 Wes confirms he recruits from seminaries in the south and anyone from anywhere in the US can check out NETS.

    18:15 Danny wants to know the details of it looks like for someone to be part of NETS.

    18:36 Being busy with a full schedule is part of the NETS experience.

    19:24 Taking a real deep look at the marriages of those who come to NETS is part of the training. Many candidates have said it is very helpful for their marriage, even if parts of it are difficult.

    20:36 Another aspect is spending a lot of time preparing sermons, to condition candidates more than what was expected in seminary.

    20:56 Lee wants to know how long a church planter is in the NETS program.

    21:32 Wes says the immediate intensive is nine months. Then, there are four options to choose from on how the potential church planter will proceed. Wes runs through these four options.

    22:48 If someone says they can’t stay in New England, Wes helps them affiliate with another ministry.

    23:29 Wes explains what candidates receive during the nine-month intensive – housing, utilities, an allowance, and insurance.

    24:04 Wes tells a story of a church that is facing building issues and how they stick with and support their church planters. All church planters enter a long-term relationship with NETS.

    25:23 Lee thanks Wes for being a guest on the Unfiltered podcast.

  • Recently Converge held our annual Unleash conference. It was a time to gather nationally as a family to learn how to focus on growing every ministry and leader in churches. Highlights of the conference and the topic of ministering the way God made you to be as a church planter are covered in this episode.

    0:21 Lee summarizes what Unleash is all about.

    1:21 Lee asks Danny what he thought the highlights of the conference were.

    1:26 Danny admits he was hesitant to attend Unleash because he goes to so many conferences. But he confirms that it was a can’t miss event for two reasons. First, it felt like a family reunion, coming back together face-to-face. And secondly, he felt like he was pastored by the speakers.

    2:50 Lee lists all the keynote speakers at Unleash.

    3:00 Lee asks Danny which speaker’s message most connected with him.

    3:05 Danny discusses Kevin Queen’s message about being yourself as a pastor.

    3:40 Lee shares that Chad Moore and Ryan Leak connected to where he is in this season of ministry and life.

    3:56 Lee notes that one of the main themes through all the keynote speakers was being yourself as a pastor.

    4:44 Lee talks about a copycat culture as something church planters have been grappling with the past several years, due to widespread access to other churches.

    5:17 Lee asks Danny what his takeaway was on this topic of being authentic to who God has created pastors to be.

    5:20 Danny states he sees a lot of self-comparison within the church planters he coaches. It’s helpful to look to church planters farther in their journey, but it’s unhealthy to begin to mimic them, hoping for the same success.

    6:47 Lee talks about how church planters need to become comfortable with recognizing the different roles and callings from God between pastors.

    7:36 Danny recalls when he was a church planter there were times he would begin to feel the pull to imitate other church planters.

    8:05 Lee states Unleash felt like a community of family coming back together. It was a time to catch up with one another, celebrate, and pray together in a meaningful way.

    8:59 Danny appreciated the way Unleash was structured to include time to network with other attendees.

    9:50 Danny asks Lee what’s next for Unleash.

    10:00 Lee shares that Unleash will be held again the first week of February in 2023. 2022 was sold out. Tickets for 2023 aren’t on sale yet, but Lee urges listeners not to wait too long when they do become available for purchase.

  • You think God might be calling you to plant a church. But you know nothing about church planting. How do you even begin that journey? This episode holds a lot of wisdom about where you start and what to keep in mind as you contemplate this possible future.

    0:21 Lee explains that in this episode, he and Danny want to address those who might be on the fence about planting a church.

    0:55 Lee asks Danny what advice he would give to those thinking about church planting.

    1:04 Working with guys in the deciding and discernment phase of thinking about church planting is one of Danny’s favorite parts of his job as a church planting director.

    2:45 Danny explains that Converge’s process includes a pre-assessment phase.

    3:12 A formal assessment, called Church Planting Assessment Center, is the next step in Converge’s process for potential church planters. Danny states there’s one in Nashville in June 2022.

    4:18 Danny says Converge doesn’t act as a recruiter, but rather, helps point people in the right direction of which organization they should align with.

    4:30 Lee asks Danny what key questions someone should ask when it comes to choosing an organization to plant a church with.

    5:15 Danny advises to ask about an organization’s philosophy about planting. And chemistry also factors into a decision.

    6:40 Danny addresses the situation of guys who might be hesitant to take a step of contacting Converge about church planting because they don’t know anything about the process of planting.

    7:20 Lee advises to ask about an organization’s systematic processes of planting.

    7:50 Danny shares to ask questions about how things work after a church launch.

    8:40 Funding and coaching should be other areas to ask about when thinking about planting a church, according to Danny.

    9:43 Lee talks about how particular he is about Converge’s coaching process. He advises potential church planters to dig a little deeper with questions about coaching.

    10:28 Danny explains that Converge doesn’t have a one model, cookie cutter, specific process for coaching. The coaching model Converge uses is tailored to each planter.

    11:22 Lee encourages any man who is considering planting a church, to reach out to Converge.

  • “The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill” is a podcast produced by Christianity Today and it has gone viral in popularity. What can we, as church planters and pastors, learn from listening to this story of a popular Seattle church exploding in growth, only to have it all fall apart to leave so many devastated? You don’t have to listen to that podcast first, before gleaning some wisdom from this episode of Unfiltered. It’s not uncommon for church planters to wrestle with their influence. Let’s talk about it.

    0:22 Lee introduces the conversation about the podcast The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill that has grown in popularity in the past year.

    1:17 Lee says the podcast has been a big conversation topic within the church and would like to process it from a listener’s side.

    1:57 Lee asks Danny what stood out to him as he listened to The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill.

    2:15 Danny states that Mark Driscoll, the pastor at the center of the Mars Hill story, was influential from afar in his own life.

    2:36 Danny talks about how his perspective of the story changed from the beginning to the middle. He found the story both disheartening and convicting.

    3:25 Lee asks Danny to unpack that statement.

    3:26 Danny explains that it was disheartening to hear what was happening behind the scenes at Mars Hill Church.

    3:56 The convicting part of the story for Danny was seeing some tendencies of pride in himself and other leaders.

    4:30 As Danny works with church planters, the very things he’s looking for are what made Mark Driscoll a successful church planter. But those characteristics can also be destructive, when left unchecked.

    4:55 Danny asks Lee what he thought of the podcast.

    5:09 Lee thinks it’s sobering that there’s always a dark side to church planters’ leadership styles.

    5:30 Lee appreciated Christianity Today’s level of in-depth journalism when it came to hearing past employees’ side of the story.

    5:54 Lee gives the reminder that as people in authority in church leadership, there’s a responsibility to steward the influence God has given.

    6:56 Another reaction Lee had to the podcast were moments when he cringed over some of the behind-the-scenes behavior and wondered how much “dirty laundry” should be aired when taking a deep dive into a church’s story.

    7:38 Danny finds it interesting that this podcast struck a chord not only with church leaders, but with church attenders. He has some concerns that people will have a fear of church leadership and will want to get rid of it entirely.

    8:42 Acts 29 is a ministry that is discussed at length in The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill. Danny talks about how the ministry has changed since Mark Driscoll left Mars Hill Church and it is not the same ministry it was in years past.

    9:29 Danny concludes that after listening to the podcast, he walked away realizing everyone is messed up and it’s only through God that the church continues to grow and thrive.

    9:50 For Lee, listening to the podcast brought his understanding of the dangers of celebrity for pastors to another level.

    10:50 Lee encourages church planters to think about why they’re doing ministry in the first place. Remembering the importance of helping people follow Jesus can keep pride at bay.

    11:17 Danny talks about the role culture and social media has in the fall of celebrity pastors.

    12:07 Lee appreciates how the podcast attempted to point out the flaws of some of the wrong things church planters pursue when going into ministry.

    13:13 Lee asks Danny what he would say to those who haven’t listened to the podcast.

    13:17 Danny encourages Unfiltered listeners to check out The Rise and Fall of Mars Hill podcast. And as they listen, they should ask God to convict them and learn from the mistakes of others.

    13:41 Lee thinks a church planter understanding their influence is a journey they always need to wrestle with and think about their intentions.

  • Easter Sunday is arguably the most important Sunday of the year for a church. And there can be a lot of pressure on church planters with how they present an Easter service. As planters with experience, Lee and Danny discuss their thoughts on what pastors should and shouldn’t do on Easter Sunday. There are a lot of things for church planters to think through.

    0:40 Lee introduces the episode topic of what a big deal Easter Sunday can be for a church planter. Lee advises not to launch on Easter and encourages church planters who have been launched for a year or longer, to fine tune Easter details now.

    1:24 Lee asks Danny what a church planter needs to be thinking about in the weeks leading up to Easter.

    1:36 Danny tells a story of how the church planted was unique in that Easter attendance was lower than previous weeks.

    2:36 Danny advises church planters to have realistic expectations about Easter attendance.

    3:43 Don’t forget about follow-up, after Easter. Danny cautions about getting so focused on Easter, that nothing happens afterward. What will you invite newcomers to next?

    4:33 Easter follow-up can easily be overlooked. Lee suggests starting a new sermon series the week after Easter.

    5:24 Consider bringing in a special speaker after Easter if you have a community that would return to hear what someone has to say on a relevant topic.

    5:49 Lee thinks having a special added event or attraction to keep people around the church longer on Easter Sunday is a good idea.

    6:30 Church planters should be thinking about how they are going to connect with the people who walk in the doors just on Easter Sunday.

    7:03 Danny wants to make sure it’s clear that church planters should be preaching on the resurrection on Easter Sunday.

    7:38 Danny asks Lee his thoughts on performing baptisms on Easter Sunday.

    7:52 Lee prefers having people share pre-recorded testimonies during a service over baptisms.

    8:49 In agreement with Lee, Danny shares he doesn’t do any baptisms on Easter Sunday.

    9:48 Lee encourages planters to simplify the service with a shorter time.

    10:38 Pastors should think through how they’re preparing their congregation to invest in others and invite them to an Easter service.

    12:15 Once the resurrection is preached, Danny wants to emphasize that the gospel invitation must be given to those at an Easter service.

    12:43 Danny wants to know if Lee thinks communion is a good idea on Easter Sunday.

    12:51 Lee likes to do communion on Good Friday, not Easter.

    13:24 Danny shares that he has had communion in an Easter service before, for various reasons.

    14:18 Danny encourages church planters to really think through the pros and cons of different service elements for Easter Sunday.

    14:31 Lee cautions church planters to really explain the importance of communion and not rush through the act of communion.

    15:12 Lee encourages churches to plan early and really think through the details of the service before Easter week.

    15:38 Lee assures listeners that Converge is praying to their Easter Sunday services.

  • Chris Highfill planted Grace River Church in St. Peters, MO, seven years ago. In that time, the church has grown, relocated a couple of times, and gone from portable to permanent. He shares his journey as a church planter. He talks about the lessons he’s learned as a church planter. And he discusses the vision he has over the next few years so more people in Missouri can meet, know, and follow Jesus.

    0:18 Lee introduces episode guest, Chris Highfill.

    0:32 Chris talks about his church, Grace River Church, and where he is located.

    0:48 Lee asks Chris how he landed in a suburb of St. Louis.

    0:57 Chris explains how he thought he was going to plant a church in Boston but ended up moving to St. Louis.

    1:48 Danny affirms that sometimes it’s as simple as a church planter wanting to live in a specific area as to how they arrived at planting a church there.

    2:33 Chris talks about how opportunities opened up once his family moved to St. Louis.

    3:22 Lee asks Chris to talk about the progression of his church planting experience.

    3:29 Chris reminisces how the church plant started as a Bible study in their home, progressed into a launch team, and how they got the word out about the new church.

    4:44 An elementary school was the first portable church location for Grace River, and it had a lot of benefits as a location.

    5:21 Chris shares about moving church services from the school to a local YMCA.

    5:50 As the church grew, a capital campaign was launched, even though the church didn’t have its eye on a specific location to buy.

    6:14 Chris talks about how he had a feeling of urgency to find a property to buy once the capital campaign was started.

    6:51 Chris tells the story of how quickly things moved once he contacted a realtor and how God moved all the pieces into place.

    7:30 Danny asks Chris how many people were attending church at this point of their journey and how much offering was coming in.

    8:00 Just when Grace River got into their new space, the pandemic began.

    8:25 Chris shares how the church continues to grow, coming out of the other side of the pandemic.

    9:04 Lee asks Chris to talk about some of the challenges Grace River faced when moving from a portable church to a permanent location.

    9:10 Chris reminds church planters that being portable can be a long haul.

    9:39 Keeping volunteers engaged as their roles in setting up a portable church changed due to becoming a permanent location was important to Chris. He wanted all volunteers to know that even though their work may change, they are still important and needed in the church.

    10:55 Chris encourages churches that are finding a permanent location to emphasize everyone still has a role in serving the church.

    11:04 When property management is part of a church’s responsibility, things change, and new challenges arise. Chris talks about how buildings cost a lot of money to maintain and there are many surprises along the way.

    13:06 Lee asks Chris what his vision is for the St. Louis area of Missouri.

    13:25 Chris talks about how all of Missouri needs more church planters and there is a lot of room for many churches.

    13:50 Grace River Church is getting ready to plant its first church, which will be in Hannibal, MO.

    14:33 Danny mentions that Chris talks about Columbia, MO, needing a church planted there.

    14:55 Columbia is a university town that is growing quickly. So, there’s a great opportunity to spread the gospel to a lot of people by planting a church there.

    15:38 Lee teases Chris about “Missouri” versus “Misery” in pronunciation.

    16:25 Lee thanks listeners for tuning in to the episode and thanks Chris for sharing his church planting experience and wisdom.

  • The country of Togo, Africa, is known as the birthplace of voodoo and a place marked by slave trade. JJ Alderman, his wife, Melissa, and their three daughters live in Togo as Converge global workers, planting churches. JJ talks about what it looks like to plant churches in another country, and how God is moving in Togo.

    0:21 Lee introduces special guest, JJ Alderman.

    0:30 JJ explains where he and his family live.

    0:40 Lee asks JJ to tell his story of how he came to live in Togo.

    0:50 JJ tells of his connection to Togo and why he chose that area of the world to tell people about Jesus.

    0:55 Danny asks JJ what church planting looks like in Togo and if JJ himself is the lead pastor.

    1:29 JJ explains that a leader originally from Togo was the pastor at the first church they planted.

    1:48 Danny states that usually how people think of missionaries are as the people leading and pastoring a church, then handing over the pastor duties to someone local after a few years.

    2:06 JJ speaks to the importance of national leaders being the best fit to reach the local people with the gospel, especially within tribes in the area where he lives. He is more of a coach to national leaders.

    2:40 Lee recalls visiting the Aldermans in Togo and seeing the incredible things happening there for the advancement of God’s kingdom.

    3:00 Lee asks JJ to speak to how spiritual warfare has influenced church planting and how JJ coaches planters.

    3:14 JJ explains how the place where he lives, most people believe things happen due to spiritual reasons, rather than physical reasons. The West has a hard time understanding that cultural difference.

    3:46 JJ confirms that spiritual warfare is real, and it transcends cultures. He sees the same trends in church planting in the United States when it comes to Satan trying to push back the work God is doing.

    4:25 Lee asks JJ what the biggest challenges to church planting are in Togo right now.

    4:34 According to JJ, most people who come to Christ in Togo do so in a church service. Many have never heard the gospel message before. JJ and his team try to equip new believers right from the start how to share the gospel with others.

    5:33 JJ talks about the importance of equipping the church to look forward with a vision of planting more churches right from the start and how that’s done.

    6:16 Danny asks if the stakes are high within their community for those individuals who say yes to Jesus.

    6:35 JJ tells a story about six young girls who are mentored by a Converge global worker and how the group multiplied by bringing friends to Christ. One of those girls stood up to a teacher who was mocking Jesus, the church, and believers.

    7:33 Lee asks how a US church planter can build a church with a global perspective of missions.

    8:18 JJ suggests we must continue to learn because the world changes so quickly.

    8:51 Lee asks JJ what kind of person he’s looking for to join the efforts in Togo as a global worker.

    9:37 JJ speaks to some of the characteristics they’re looking for in people who work well on their team.

    10:00 JJ also explains that serving in missions can be just a small portion of their life when a worker looks at the big picture of their entire life.

    10:51 Lee asks JJ where he sees the ministry in Togo and Benin going in the next five years.

    11:03 JJ speaks to the rapid multiplication of churches he’s been experiencing in the last couple of years and how they hope to have 100 total churches planted in the next three years.

    11:39 Lee asks JJ how he’s scaling and building a system for expanding ministry.

    12:00 Investing time in leaders is how Togo is seeing church planting growth.

    12:38 JJ shares a story of a young man who often shares his faith and how he’s part of a chain of males who are supporting one another and sharing the gospel with others.

    13:39 Lee asks JJ to give a little more detail on the different components of his ministry.

    14:04 JJ talks about each of the five different projects and areas of service within the ministry in Togo: two projects of church planting, a camp called Togo Palms, a deaf ministry, and vocational training.

    16:54 Lee thanks JJ for the work he’s doing in Togo, Africa.

  • Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee welcome guest, Paul Turner. Paul is the Coaching Director for Orchard NEO, an organization passionate about planting churches in Northeast Ohio and raising up church planters to spread the gospel throughout the area.

    0:24 Lee introduces special guest, Paul Turner.

    0:44 Paul introduces himself and explains his role at Orchard NEO.

    1:19 Danny asks Paul to clear up any confusion of Orchard NEO being connected to another church planting organization.

    1:30 Paul explains that Orchard NEO is a regional church planting organization, funded by Christ Community Chapel. He also shares how they got their name.

    2:04 Lee asks Paul what his passion is for church planters, through his role as Coaching Director.

    2:14 Paul explains that he, himself, once planted a church. But the church didn’t last long, so after that, he began to think about what he wished he had when he was attempting to plant a church.

    3:13 Danny asks Paul to talk about the connection between coaching and having resources, when planting a church.

    3:54 Paul shares that having a ministry fully funded doesn’t mean a whole lot if the quality of the ministry suffers. Resources are necessary, but so is quality ministry.

    4:53 Lee asks Paul what kind of candidates they are looking for in Northeast Ohio, to be successful church planters.

    5:25 Paul explains the population landscape of the area, including three major cities.

    5:56 Paul talks about what the religious backdrop of the area is, and how it affects the ability to plant churches.

    7:15 Paul shares what Orchard NEO looks for in the men that should be planting churches in Northeast Ohio.

    8:10 Expanding on what kind of church planters he’s looking for, Paul uses an analogy for those who feel the call to plant should be like a batter swinging for the fence.

    8:44 Lee likes the imagery Paul uses when talking about church planting.

    9:04 Lee asks Paul to speak about his experience coaching church planters who feel called to an urban setting.

    9:33 Paul explains what planting in an urban setting can be like, when dealing with people’s needs due to not just poverty, but also trust issues. In his experience, once people are convinced someone is there to give, they will finally trust. But that can be a long process. It can take years to gain trust in an urban community.

    11:27 Paul shares that those planting in an urban area need financial support from people who understand how long the church planting process could be. Growth will be slow, but loyalty happens.

    12:23 Danny asks if someone from another area coming to Northeast Ohio to plant a church can be successful.

    12:54 Paul welcomes people who aren’t native to the area, because they can see the community with fresh eyes. It can be a disadvantage to learn the culture and area, but it’s not impossible. Loving local people on their terms is more important than where the planter comes from.

    14:03 Lee asks Paul what he would say to a church planter who is on the fence about attending an assessment center.

    14:25 Paul answers that he thinks having someone affirm your strengths is important to sort out a calling.

    15:33 Paul praises Converge’s church planting assessment process and the focus on the mission of finding church planters who have been called by God to do so.

    16:17 Lee thanks Paul for sharing his story and passion for Northeast Ohio.

  • An Unfiltered podcast listener has asked, “What should a church planter focus on three months after a church launch?” In this episode, Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee discuss a few things a church planter should focus on once after launch as they get into a ministry rhythm.

    0:22 Lee shares that this episode’s topic came from a listener’s question and encourages all listeners to email their questions to Converge.

    0:54 Lee introduces the episode subject, which is what a church planter should focus on when they are around three-months past their launch service.

    1:30 Danny advises that church planters should be focusing on meeting one-on-one with new people. It’s important to balance pastoral duties with taking the time to get to know new people.

    2:28 Lee stresses a church planter’s ability to relate to others and bring them in is an important factor at the beginning of the life of a church.

    2:57 Budgeting you time is an important priority, according to Lee.

    3:14 Another area to focus on three-months post launch is getting people connected within the new church.

    4:02 Danny adds that the people that first come to a new church probably do so because they have a connection with the church planter.

    4:45 Connecting new people to other people within the church is beneficial, and it’s usually done through volunteering in the church. Danny advises to make space for new people to serve or create new relationships.

    5:54 Danny maps out the areas a church planter should be spending their focus, three months after launch: meeting new people, maintaining connections, and finding leaders.

    6:43 Lee agrees that finding people and plugging them into leadership positions is critical to church impact but should be nurtured in a slow and natural way.

    7:50 Danny emphasizes that three months after a church’s grand opening isn’t the time for church planters to take a step back.

    8:19 A grand opening isn’t a one-time service event. It continues for a few months.

    9:07 A few months in might be a good time to begin gathering those who are first-time visitors to share what your church is about.

    9:46 Lee shares the importance of going beyond just meeting new people and having a next step for them to follow to get them connected.

    10:12 Danny shares some ideas of how to gather new people together with the church planter.

    11:30 Lee reminds listeners to not forget about the importance of still investing time with the launch team.

    11:50 Having fun is still important three months into a new church, according to Lee.

    12:23 Lee reminds listeners to email in any questions they may have regarding church planting.

  • A high priority at Converge is to provide church planters with an excellent level of coaching. Having someone who has planted a church walk along side someone learning the ropes is a big factor in a successful church plant. Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee discuss coaching, the value of it, how it’s more than just mentoring and what makes a good coach.

    0:18 Lee introduces the conversation topic, which is coaching church planters.

    0:58 Danny adds that Converge puts a strong emphasis on coaching church planters past just their first couple of years of planting.

    1:46 Lee explains how Converge has taken coaching to a higher level within the mission of planting churches.

    2:21 Lee asks Danny what he has seen with church planters that have coaches versus those who don’t.

    2:29 Danny explains RevCoach, an online coaching system that helps both the coach and the coachee throughout their process together.

    3:00 Danny talks about the difference between a mentor and a coach.

    3:31 Danny speaks to the fact that the coaches and church planters who do coaching correctly have great success.

    4:38 Lee asks Danny what coaching has meant to him as a planter and pastor.

    4:43 Danny says having a coach asking him lots of questions helped him clarify issues and problems.

    6:00 Danny asks Lee to describe some successful and less-than-successful coaching he has received throughout his life and ministry.

    6:13 Lee is a big believer in always having a coach and the importance those relationships have played in his life.

    7:01 Lee emphasizes that a coach should bring out the best in a coachee, not trying to get them to do things the way that has worked for themselves. Coaching should be helping someone become all they can be in God; not molding someone in a forceful way.

    7:52 Like in athletics, the “stars” don’t become the best coaches. Danny says coaching church planters is similar.

    9:08 Danny shares that he’s doing less coaching, because he tends to want to share his personal experiences and that’s not always what church planters need.

    9:41 Danny states his passion for good coaching and creating it within Converge.

    10:07 Lee asks Danny how a church planter should find a coach if they are beginning to realize how coaching could help them. How do you find the right coach and how do you ask?

    10:30 Danny advises that if a church planter finds someone they may want as a coach, to ask around to get some opinions on their coaching.

    11:30 Danny suggests doing a trial run for a few months with a coach.

    11:51 Lee advises for someone to be persistent when looking for a coach, and it may cost money.

    12:25 Lee shares that if someone asks him to be their coach, he wants specifics of what they’re looking for.

    13:04 Lee feels a good coach will recognize their own personal strengths and weaknesses and the importance of knowing when they may not be the best coach in a certain area.

    13:18 Lee encourages listeners to find a coach if they feel they need one.

  • If you have a vision as a pastor to make church multiplication a priority, it’s best to begin budgeting from the start of your church plant. Whether that’s to launch another church or become multi-campus, it’s a challenge to budget for it. Even though setting aside money in the budget to multiply can be difficult, it can be done. Danny Parmelee asks Lee Stephenson how he has done it and what advice he has for pastors looking to do the same.

    0:19 Danny introduces the episode’s topic, which is including church multiplication into the church’s budget.

    0:53 Danny asks Lee how he practically budgeted for church multiplication.

    1:09 Lee admits intentionally budgeting for multiplication is difficult. With one church he planted, they started right away with 2% of the budget going to multiplication. The second time he planted, he increased the percentage.

    2:22 Danny asks Lee the specifics of how the budgeted money was tracked.

    3:10 Lee explains what budgeting that amount looked like and what his next budgeting goal is for a multiplication initiative.

    3:58 Danny inquires how Lee’s church determines who qualifies for financial help in ministry.

    4:29 Lee shares what they do if someone outside their church is asking for church planting financial help versus someone from within the church doing the work of multiplication.

    5:13 Lee shares that his church launched another congregation in October.

    5:52 Danny asks Lee if he lets the congregation know part of the budget goes towards multiplication.

    6:17 Lee addresses how he speaks about multiplication, whether it’s through meetings, one-on-one conversations, or commissionings.

    7:46 Danny wonders if the people in Lee’s church can give directly to the multiplication fund or if it’s all 100% through general giving.

    8:15 Danny asks Lee to give church planters advice when it comes to budgeting for multiplication.

    8:41 Lee compares waiting to start a multiplication budget to waiting to start a family until you can afford it. If you wait until you can afford it, it’s never going to happen.

    9:07 Lee speaks to the importance of sharing a vision of multiplication with key leaders and staff.

    9:35 Danny shares that it can be easy for a church planter to lose the vision of multiplication as they get into the day-to-day of leading a church.

    10:10 Lee emphasizes that pastors need to be intentional in budgeting for this important vision.

    11:05 Danny says it seems counterintuitive that churches that give away money and resources grow at a faster rate than those who do not.

    11:17 Lee encourages church planters and pastors to be intentional to make a difference with more healthy churches.

  • Evaluation can be a powerful tool to keep your church’s ministry on track. But what should you and your staff or launch team be evaluating? Sunday services, special outreach events, worship, different areas of ministry, and staff performance are just a few. Join Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee as they talk about creating a culture of evaluation in your church.

    0:29 Lee introduces the subject of evaluation.

    0:37 Danny mentions that evaluating different areas from the very start can be beneficial to church planters.

    1:04 Danny talks about creating a culture of evaluation and the reason it’s important.

    2:03 Lee asks Danny how he evaluated weekend services as a church planter.

    2:18 Danny recalls having scripted questions to keep service evaluations on track and to look at both the positive and negative sides of how a church service went.

    4:12 Lee recalls evaluating Sunday services on Mondays as a church planter. He shares the five questions they would address as a staff every week. Lee also shares what he asked to get honest feedback from staff on his sermon.

    5:59 Danny talks about sermon evaluation and gives advice on how to do that.

    7:02 Lee speaks to the importance of creating a culture of evaluation right at the beginning of a church plant.

    7:38 Danny shares his thoughts on evaluating events the church holds.

    8:40 Lee asks Danny how he handled staff evaluations when it came to job performance.

    9:05 Admittedly, Danny wasn’t super-consistent when it came to doing staff evaluations at regular time intervals.

    10:39 Danny warns that having an inconsistent staff evaluation calendar might arouse suspicion from staff.

    11:08 Lee shares how he had staff fill out less-formal form once a month to check in and report how they were doing emotionally, spiritually, and physically.

    12:30 Lee talks about what yearly staff evaluations looked like.

    13:30 Lee reiterates how helpful the less-formal monthly questionnaire helped with staff and leadership evaluation.

    13:43 Danny mentions a software platform that is helpful with evaluations and let’s listeners know how they can acquire it for free.

    14:08 Lee urges pastor to continue evaluate all aspects of their ministry.

  • How a lead pastor and the worship pastor work together has an effect on Sunday services. What should the relationship between these two roles look like? How do you work together to ensure attendees are having a meaningful Sunday worship experience?

    0:20 Lee Stephenson introduces the episode topic that is relevant to church planters, lead pastors, and worship pastors.

    0:40 Lee asks Danny Parmelee when he officially had a worship pastor when he was a church planter.

    0:57 Danny discusses who his first worship leader was at his church plant and what their relationship looked like since they were college friends first.

    2:48 Lee asks how communication with a worship leader worked when he wasn’t a full-time staff and was volunteering his time while working another job.

    3:05 Danny speaks to the challenge of not only working with someone who was volunteering their time, but also the challenge of not having any sort of church office to meet together.

    4:04 Having simple services at the beginning helped keep the worship aspect simple, according to Danny. But as his church grew, specific meetings to discuss worship elements of the services were needed.

    4:45 Lee asks Danny how much freedom he gave to the worship leader when it came to service development.

    5:06 Danny feels he gave his worship leader freedom to choose how the worship portion of a service would look.

    5:41 Danny remembers for special services, such as Easter or Good Friday, he would ask his worship leader, Michael, to do something special and Michael would blow it out of the water.

    6:05 Danny trusted his worship leader to make good song choices but would remind him at times to use songs that were familiar worship songs on the radio.

    6:38 Danny knows worship leaders like to do something new and unique to avoid repetition, but also knows the importance of using familiar songs that people can sing along to during services.

    7:25 Danny asks Lee about his experience in working with worship pastors and his experience with that relationship.

    7:33 Lee remembers meeting with his worship leader about once a month when they were a new church plant. And having limited time during a short service also meant there was no time to be very innovative.

    8:19 Lee speaks to the importance of a pastor having a good relationship with a staff worship pastor. If there isn’t unity between those two main people, it can be seen up on the stage.

    8:50 Every Tuesday afternoon, Lee would meet with the worship pastor to not only review upcoming services, but to pray together and to relationally get on the same page.

    9:32 Currently Lee communicates mostly through email with his current worship pastor, Joel, who is more behind the scenes.

    9:50 With the launch of another congregation, Lee knows that the demands of services are going to be a little different and the service structure is more Joel’s responsibility.

    10:35 Lee varies how his church participates in communion, so he and Joel plan for that together.

    11:02 Danny reiterates the importance of a pastor and worship leaders talking about service transitions.

    11:30 Danny agrees with Lee that the more services a church adds, the more complex the planning of the worship aspect and flow of service becomes.

    12:04 Lee stresses the importance of planning to create an above average service and the priority a lead pastor should place on collaborating effectively with the worship pastor.

    13:16 Danny adds that a worship leader should have a pastoral heart who develop other leaders within the worship team.

    14:13 Lee advises that the only way to know if a worship leader has a heart of a worshipper themselves is to spend time with them.

    14:23 Lee thanks listeners for tuning in to the topic on the lead pastor and worship pastor’s relationship.

  • In this episode, Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee discuss planning out a preaching calendar. They share practical ways they plan their sermon topics and give insight into how they navigate their preaching calendar.

    0:19 Lee introduces the topic of the episode – thinking through your preaching calendar. He asks Danny what his rhythm is when it comes to planning the timing of sermon series.

    0:50 Danny shares how he preached expository through books of the Bible when he first planted his church.

    2:56 As time went by, Danny’s preaching schedule fell into a rhythm that he was able to maintain as his church grew. His church has the rhythm of following the schedule of a school year, September through June.

    3:39 Lee confirms that Danny would plan the kick-off of a new upcoming sermon series in the summertime, based on the school calendar.

    3:45 Danny talks about how his sermons were tied to small group teaching and that printed materials had to be created for that.

    4:37 Lee asks Danny if he would literally take an entire school year to preach through one book of the Bible.

    4:46 Danny confirms that yes, that was the case and explains how the sermon schedule would work when shorter books of the Bible were preached.

    5:36 Danny asks Lee about how he does his sermon planning and navigates a preaching calendar.

    5:47 One year out is how Lee likes to plan. He also mentions that he takes a week in the summer to plan out his preaching calendar. And he reiterates that each community has its own rhythm.

    7:20 Danny asks Lee to expand on what his process is when he takes a week to plan out upcoming sermon series.

    7:59 Lee gives details on how he collaborates with his creative team.

    9:30 Lee explains how he codes sermons at different levels – A, B, and C, what those levels mean, and the reason he does it.

    10:48 Danny asks Lee if he is flexible in his planned preaching calendar, or if it’s more of a rigid process.

    11:24 Lee explains how he adds in margin to the sermon series schedule and how baptism Sundays play into the schedule’s flexibility.

    12:41 Danny asks Lee for his thoughts on using other church’s resources when it comes to replicating their sermon series.

    13:17 Using other church’s resources occasionally may be a good idea for church planters, according to Lee. But he advises pastors to put their own spin on it for the community they serves. Exact replication may not translate great from one area of the country to another.

    15:20 Lee stresses the importance on thinking through sermon planning and creating the preaching calendar, advising to have fun, leave margin, and enjoy the process.

    15:59 Danny agrees that using another church’s sermon resources should be done in moderation.

    16:21 Lee thanks listeners for tuning into the podcast episode.

  • Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee talk about how the leadership of a church planter will naturally change. Leadership at the beginning of planting looks very different than when the church is a few years old.

    0:22 Lee introduces the topic of discussion: unique changes that take place as a leader.

    0:48 Danny says he will share his experiences of learning from his mistakes.

    1:16 Danny advises for new church planters to always say yes, and shares his reason for that strategy.

    2:15 Danny shares when the “always say yes” strategy should shift to begin saying no.

    2:52 Empowerment plays a role in leadership. Danny speaks about how much control church planters should have for every decision in the beginning.

    5:01 Danny shares a memory of what his church planting coach said that allowed Danny to micromanage to protect the vision of his church plant.

    6:08 Lee talks about guarding himself from becoming more cynical in his pastoral leadership over time.

    6:42 Danny asks for clarification on the use of the word cynical.

    6:49 Lee clarifies how cynicism can happen when a church planter wants total control for a long time.

    7:14 This question is hard for Danny to answer, so he asks Lee about his experience with cynicism in planting multiple churches.

    7:53 Danny asks Lee if planting a second time helped avoid the mistakes he may have run into when planting the first time.

    8:32 Lee speaks to the difference of planting two churches at two different times in his life.

    9:32 Lee talks about how different it was to plant a church the second time when he was ten years older than the first time. Maturity, energy, responsibilities, and wisdom all played a role the second time around.

    10:59 Danny wonders is being new to church planting and having some naivety fuels ingenuity.

    12:06 As a coach, Danny talks about the fine line of having the experience of planting a church. He wants to give lots of advice, but he also knows the new church planters he coaches need to be allowed to do things their own way to push the envelope.

    13:03 Lee speaks to church planting coaches and advised them to let new church planters be innovative.

    14:25 Lee shares when he began to make time in his schedule for creativity.

    14:50 Danny talks about the fear of failure and how that fear can grow with success.

    16:04 Danny wonders if current church planters just might be trying the very thing that will reshape what church looks like for the next generation.

    16:49 Lee states his excitement to see how the current creativity might affect the church long term.

  • Episode 89 // Should Churches Hire Remote Staff?

    Lee Stephenson and Danny Parmelee discuss the pros and cons of church planters hiring remote people for certain tasks and projects. What might it look like to hire someone who never attends your church?

    0:21 Lee asks Danny the rhetorical question, “Is it okay to hire someone who may life in a different city?”

    1:15 Danny shares about a book that introduced him to the idea of hiring freelancers for certain aspects of church planting tasks and the advantages of hiring overseas freelancers.

    3:59 Fair wages are important when hiring overseas freelancers. Danny talks about the website he has had success with when it comes to hiring freelance workers.

    6:48 Lee asks Danny if there are any disadvantages when hiring freelancers to do marketing work for a church.

    7:17 Danny speaks to the fact that a freelancer who doesn’t know you may not get it right the first time. Freelancing works well when the contracted person knows the brand and voice of the church planter’s church.

    8:21 Danny then recollects a time when working with a freelancer did not work at all.

    9:15 Lee talks about challenges one may have when working with a person from another country. And the care that must be taken when using a remote bookkeeper.

    10:15 There are certain admin tasks that are good for contracting out to a freelancer. Danny then talks about the importance of admin assistants really knowing the church planter because they tend to become the “face” of the office tasks when interacting with others.

    12:07 Danny also talks about his current experience with having a remote admin working with him.

    12:37 Lee agrees with the importance of having an assistant that really knows the church planter.

    13:02 Lee asks Danny about the challenges of having a remote team.

    13:41 Knowing yourself really well as a church planter and as a leader is very important when it comes to remote work, according to Danny.

    14:55 Danny talks about his “management by objective” style.

    15:59 Lee asks Danny how his staff meetings worked with a remote staff.

    16:10 Danny talks about the slow growth the first couple of years of his church plant.

    17:10 Lee touches on the culture a church planter may be trying to develop when dealing with remote positions.

    17:52 Danny wonders if and when the church will catch up with culture’s new view on set office hours within an organization.

    18:32 Lee echos Danny that he will be watching to see if the church adapts to new office hour trends.