Podcasts about church online

☞ ABOUT THIS MESSAGE Check out this week's message!   ☞ BIBLE APP NOTES https://www.bible.com/events/49655914   ☞ GROUP LEADER GUIDE Coming soon!   ☞ NEXT STEPS

There's something that most of us have experienced but rarely talk about. You worked hard for something, you get it, and for a little while it was everything you hoped it would be. Then Thursday came. The satisfaction began to leak. The promotion, the trip, the relationship, the house, the goal you crossed off the list. None of it was bad, and you were genuinely grateful. But eventually, without warning, the ache returned. You were thirsty again.__________Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

☞ ABOUT THIS MESSAGE Jim teaches that while we often seek fulfillment in things that can't satisfy, only Jesus truly meets our deepest needs as the living water and light of life, offering us freedom and permanent belonging as God's children. The message calls us to let go of false sources of hope, follow Jesus' guidance, and rest securely in His grace.   ☞ BIBLE APP NOTES https://www.bible.com/events/49654653   ☞ GROUP LEADER GUIDE https://page.church/1aiay427282c68d   ☞ NEXT STEPS

Loving people who love you? Easy. Loving people who give you a gift, encourages you, or supports you? No brainer. It flows easily, naturally, almost automatically. Anyone can do that. The real question, the one that cuts to the heart of what it means to follow Jesus, is what happens when love becomes difficult.Because it will. If you stay anywhere long enough, love will eventually cost you something.__________Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

☞ ABOUT THIS MESSAGE Andrew explains from John 6 that Jesus is not just a provider of temporary needs but the true "Bread of Life," offering eternal sustenance to those who receive Him by faith; while the crowds wanted physical provision and political rescue, Jesus challenged them to recognize their deeper spiritual hunger and trust Him as the willing atoning sacrifice, the only source of lasting life—underscored by Peter's confession that He alone has the words of eternal life.   ☞ BIBLE APP NOTES https://www.bible.com/events/49650689   ☞ GROUP LEADER GUIDE https://page.church/1c3vugx9247afe1   ☞ NEXT STEPS

What's your relationship with your Bible actually look like right now? For some of us, it's a stack of good intentions — worn in some places, untouched in others.In this message, Pastor Woody walks through a personal journey with Scripture — from childhood to now — anchored by a surprising Old Testament command: even Israel's future kings were told to personally write out and read God's Word every single day of their lives. Not delegate it. Not outsource it. Own it. If Scripture is that essential for a king, it's essential for the rest of us too.In this message you'll discover:-Why proximity to God's Word matters more than good intentions-What Deuteronomy 17 reveals about humility, consistency, and long-term faithfulness-A simple next step to re-engage with the Bible this week — no matter where you're starting fromScripture referenced: Psalm 1, Deuteronomy 17:18–20, Psalm 119:105, 1 Corinthians 10:13, Matthew 3:8/Luke 3:8, Matthew 11:29–30, Psalm 71:18, 2 Kings 22, 2 Chronicles 34Resources mentioned: Move by Greg L. Hawkins and Cally ParkinsonWelcome to Hillside Community Church. Wherever you are joining us from today, we're glad you're here! If you would like to experience this gathering among community with others engaging online, head to our Church Online site https://live.hillsidechurches.com/ to utilize a chat or request prayer from our team. Stay Connected with us. Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/c/HillsideCommunityChurch Instagram | https://www.instagram.com/hillsidechurches/ Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/hillsidechurches Hillside Website | https://hillsidechurches.comFor the full gathering of this message which includes worship, visit our Youtube channel. Stay Connected With Hillside Community Church.Youtube | https://www.youtube.com/c/HillsideCommunityChurchInstagram | https://www.instagram.com/hillsidechurches/Facebook | https://www.facebook.com/hillsidechurchesWebsite | https://hillsidechurches.com

 Matthew 21 opens with Jesus's Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem—his coronation as King. Pastor Karl unpacks why this moment was unlike any earthly coronation: a king who arrived not on a warhorse but on a humble donkey, fulfilling prophecies spoken generations earlier through Isaiah, Zechariah, and Daniel. As King, Jesus fulfills God's mission, exercises God's authority, restores proper worship according to God's Word, and extends God's compassion. From the crowds shouting "Hosanna" to Jesus clearing the temple of corruption, this passage reveals a King who demands total allegiance while never withholding compassion from those who come to Him in need. Join us in person 8:00am, 9:30am & 11:00am every Sunday morning.37193 Ave 12 #3h, Madera, CA 93636For more visit us at flipside.churchFor more podcasts visit flipsidepodcasts.transistor.fm

There is a question that has the power to reshape the entire trajectory of a life. It is not complicated. The question is simply this: God, what have you entrusted to me, and how can I use it for your kingdom?__________Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

☞ ABOUT THIS MESSAGE Andrew talks about how Jesus' miracles in John are like road signs pointing beyond themselves to reveal Jesus' true identity, challenging us to trust and surrender to him rather than just being impressed by what he can do. He urges us to trust Jesus even without seeing the outcome, warns that miracles alone don't produce real faith, and reminds us it's possible to understand Jesus' claims yet still refuse to surrender. The invitation is to move beyond using Jesus for our desires and instead honor him as Lord, reflecting honestly on what might hold us back from true trust.   ☞ BIBLE APP NOTES https://www.bible.com/events/49645788   ☞ GROUP LEADER GUIDE https://page.church/thcaxnb72b66f3   ☞ NEXT STEPS

Aug 12, 2026    In this episode of Beyond Sunday, the team wraps up the Ephesians series by looking back at two messages that bring Paul's letter home. First they dig into Ephesians 6:5-9 and the challenge to see our everyday work as worship — showing up with integrity, serving as though we're working for the Lord, and letting the way we work become a witness. Then they turn to the series finale, Ephesians 6:10-20, where Paul calls us to put on the full armor of God and stand firm in His strength rather than our own — a message that lands especially close as Newbreak celebrates 40 years of God's faithfulness and looks ahead to the next forty. Whether you're looking for encouragement, perspective, or a deeper understanding of the Gospel, this conversation will help you continue the journey beyond Sunday. About Beyond Sunday Each episode features honest, meaningful conversations with Newbreak pastors as they reflect on the current sermon series, unpack moments that impacted them personally, and dive into topics they didn't have time to fully explore on stage. The conversations get real as the hosts talk openly about faith, struggles, growth, and everyday life. Wherever you find yourself in your journey with Jesus, Beyond Sunday offers encouragement, honesty, and hope for living out your faith every day of the week. Listen wherever you get your podcasts.   Helpful Links for Newbreak Church   If you are new to Newbreak, we would love for you to fill out a connect card: https://newbreak.church/card​​​​​​​​​​​   We have Church Online for your Kids too: https://newbreak.church/kids   Your giving helps bring life change to the entire world. Giving online is simple and easy: https://newbreak.church/give   Download the sermon notes for today's message: https://newbreak.church/sermon-notes   Download this week's Sermon Study Guide: https://newbreak.church/study-guides   Visit "Prepare the Way" today: https://newbreak.church/prepare-the-way

What if the Great Commission isn't just about what you do for God, but who you become in Him? In this conversation, discover why true mission begins with alignment, intimacy, and being rooted in God's Word. Before we are sent, we are first called to follow, learn, and be transformed by Christ.#AlignmentBeforeAssignment #TheGreatCommission #Missions #CITAMChurchOnline

What happens when your principles collide with workplace politics? In this episode, we unpack how to remain principled without becoming difficult, navigate workplace relationships with wisdom, and live out your values as a Christian professional.#TheRelationshipGarage #CITAMChurchOnline #ChristianProfessionals #WorkplaceWisdom #PrincipledLeadership

This month, we are declaring newness, refreshing, and rest over every man. No matter what you've been facing, God is still able to renew your strength, restore your peace, and surround you with His favor.Receive this word by faith, and declare with confidence: "I am blessed." #GodsBlessingsforHisPeople #TheAnchoredManPodcast #CITAMChurchOnline #ChurchEveryday

If God gave you the assignment, don't let the resistance make you question the calling. Opposition is not proof that God has left you. It may be proof that you're building exactly what He asked you to build.Keep building. God finishes what He starts.#KeepBuilding #FaithOverfear #CITAMChurchOnline #ChurchEveryday

God's boundaries are not meant to limit us. They are meant to protect us. Just as the sea stays within the limits He set, our lives flourish when we allow God's Word to guide our decisions.What boundaries is God calling you to establish today? #GodSetsGoodBoundaries #GodsWisdom #CITAMChurchOnline #ChurchEverydayGet in touch with us:http://www.citam.org/churchonline@citam.org(+254) 784 277 277(+254) 728 221 221

We as humans try to take something big like death and make it smaller. Softer. Manageable. Something that can fit inside a single sentence spoken to a grieving friend or relative.But death never actually gets smaller. And Christianity has never once asked you to pretend that it does.__________Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

Before stepping into a new section of Luke's Gospel, MetaChurch pauses to remember what God has already done.Throughout our journey in Luke, we've watched Jesus transform lives—and this week, we celebrate real stories from people whose lives have been forever changed by Him. Just as God instructed Israel to build memorial stones after crossing the Jordan, we pause to remember His faithfulness before moving into what's next. In this message you'll discover: ✅ Why God calls His people to remember ✅ Four powerful testimonies of life change ✅ How urgency, generosity, relationship, and trust shape discipleship ✅ Why your story is never beyond Jesus' reach ✅ How remembering God's faithfulness prepares us for what's next

Church Online August 9th 2026 David Hodgens The Word became flesh by WDBC

Parenting Gen Alpha will humble you... fast. You think you have all the answers, then one simple question leaves you speechless. This episode is a reminder that parenting isn't always about having the right words. Sometimes, the greatest wisdom is knowing when to listen, observe, and simply be present.If you're raising Gen Alpha or Gen Z, this conversation is for you. #FirmParenting #ParentingGenAlphaAndGenZ #CITAMChurchOnline

Why are people writing love letters on Monday... then acting like strangers by Friday?Today, we're having an honest conversation about modern dating, unexpected heartbreak, mixed signals, and the red flags we often miss. Sometimes what feels like rejection is actually God's protection.If you've ever been left confused, blindsided, or wondering, "Wait... what just happened?" this episode is for you. #GhostingAndLoveBombing #ModernDating #BeyondChurchWallsPodcast #CITAMChurchOnline #ChurchEveryday

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we're joined by Spence Shelton, Lead Pastor of Mercy Church, a rapidly growing multisite church in Charlotte, North Carolina. Since launching in 2015, Mercy has expanded to multiple campuses while maintaining a relentless focus on reaching people, developing leaders, and sending them into ministry. In this conversation, Spence shares how churches can intentionally build a culture of multiplication by developing leaders from within, creating healthy sending pathways, and stewarding opportunities for church revitalization. Stop “plucking” leaders. Start growing them. // One of Spence’s biggest challenges to church leaders is resisting the temptation to solve leadership shortages by hiring talent from elsewhere. Just as churches prioritize reaching lost people rather than simply attracting Christians from other churches, they should approach leadership development the same way. Instead of constantly recruiting experienced leaders, churches should intentionally identify, disciple, and develop people already sitting in their congregations. This approach takes longer, but it creates leaders deeply shaped by the church’s culture and mission. The power of the shoulder tap. // Many future ministry leaders never consider vocational ministry simply because no one asks them. Spence encourages pastors to intentionally “tap people on the shoulder” when they observe leadership potential. Some of Mercy’s key leaders—including executive pastors and campus pastors—came directly from marketplace careers like banking, manufacturing, and physical therapy. Rather than waiting for seminary graduates to apply, Mercy helps people connect their existing gifts and experiences to ministry opportunities. Create a clear leadership profile. // To make leadership development intentional, Mercy created a “Lead Pastor Profile” built around three categories: character, competency, and calling. While designed for future church planters, the framework serves as a roadmap for developing leaders throughout the church. By clearly defining what healthy leadership looks like, staff members know exactly what qualities to identify, cultivate, and reproduce in others. Character matters before charisma. // Within the character category, Spence believes self-awareness is one of the most overlooked leadership traits. Effective leaders understand both their strengths and limitations and are secure enough in their identity in Christ to build teams around areas where they are weaker. Without self-awareness, talented leaders can make excellent first impressions while creating long-term organizational damage. Character requires observation over time and not just impressive interviews. Multipliers build movements. // When evaluating leadership competency, the ability to multiply is critical. Can this person develop other leaders? Have they demonstrated the ability to move beyond accomplishing ministry personally and instead equip others to lead? Churches often unintentionally hire capable “doers” rather than leader-builders, limiting long-term growth. Multipliers create healthy ministries because they reproduce leadership instead of accumulating responsibility. Alignment creates unity. // Calling isn’t simply about theological agreement, but also includes ministry philosophy. Spence stresses the importance of ensuring leaders share the church’s convictions about how ministry is carried out. When someone consistently wants to reshape the church into something fundamentally different, the healthiest response may be helping them pursue the ministry God is calling them toward elsewhere. Clear alignment creates healthier teams and stronger long-term partnerships. Let people discover their gifts by leading. // Churches shouldn’t expect to know someone’s leadership potential before giving them opportunities to serve. Mercy intentionally creates pathways where people can lead community groups, coach leaders, and gradually assume greater responsibility. Some will flourish as long-term small group leaders. Others will demonstrate broader leadership gifting and eventually plant churches. The key is creating a culture where trying, learning, and growing are celebrated rather than feared. Revitalization begins with humility. // Spence also shares lessons from Mercy’s experience helping revitalize struggling churches. Successful partnerships require patient relationships, deep humility, and genuine respect for the legacy of existing congregations. Rather than viewing church buildings as opportunities to expand Mercy’s influence, the team approaches every conversation as the stewardship of Kingdom resources. By honoring the faithfulness of previous generations, Mercy has seen older congregations joyfully become part of new seasons of ministry fruitfulness. Faithfulness compounds over time. // Spence closes with an encouragement for church leaders: don’t underestimate what God can do through long-term faithfulness. Leaders often overestimate what can happen in five years while dramatically underestimating what God can accomplish over twenty. Healthy multiplication isn’t built through shortcuts. It grows steadily through consistent obedience, patient leadership development, and a commitment to stay the course. To learn more about Mercy Church, visit mercycharlotte.com or follow Spence Shelton or the church on social media for additional leadership resources and updates. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Lastly, don't forget to subscribe to the podcast on iTunes, to get automatic updates every time a new episode goes live! Thank You to This Episode’s Sponsor: Risepointe Do you feel like your church’s or school's facility could be preventing growth? Are you frustrated or possibly overwhelmed at the thought of a complicated or costly building project? Are the limitations of your building becoming obstacles in the path of expanding your ministry? Have you ever felt that you could reach more people if only the facility was better suited to the community’s needs? Well, the team over at Risepointe can help! As former ministry staff and church leaders, they understand how to prioritize and help lead you to a place where the building is a ministry multiplier. Your mission should not be held back by your building. Their team of architects, interior designers and project managers have the professional experience to incorporate creative design solutions to help move YOUR mission forward. Check them out at risepointe.com and while you’re there, schedule a FREE call to explore possibilities for your needs, vision and future…Risepointe believes that God still uses spaces…and they're here to help. Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. So glad that you have decided to tune in. You know, this week is a great conversation and was recommended by one of my favorite church leaders in the country. And so you’re going to love this conversation. It’s going to be super helpful. And I do think it’s going to challenge you and provide you some steps forward. Rich Birch — Excited to have Spence Shelton with us. He is from Mercy Church, a multi-site church with three locations, if I’m counting correctly, in Charlotte, plus Church Online. God is leading Mercy Church into a season of a bunch of expansion and investment in ministry facilities and outreach over a two-year discipleship initiative called All to Him. They have a goal to launch the Mercy Family of Churches in in late 2025, which I think is maybe launched, or we’ll see where that goes, and is aiming to form their own collective within the next five years. Super excited to have you on the show today, Spence.Spence Shelton — Man, such an honor to be with you, Rich. Man, this is, I’m a big, going to say it, I’m a big fan of yours, man… Rich Birch — That’s kind of you to say. Spence Shelton — …because you have produced so much helpful content for me as a leader to lean into and grow little by little. And I can only hope that I can contribute a little bit more to the great work you’ve been doing, man.Rich Birch — Come on, that’s amazing. Honored to have you with us and to learn from you today, Spence. And mutual friend in Andrew Hopper…Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — …who I love, fantastic leader. And so shout out to Hopper. Thankful for what God’s doing in his church as well. So Mercy Church started in 2015. Give us a picture of kind of where things are at today. If we were to come to the church, what would we experience? Kind of talk us through the last season, kind of the last couple of years. What’s that look like?Spence Shelton — Yeah, man. So if you came to Mercy today, what you’d find is a church, you might be surprised to learn how big it actually is because the church is, you know, a couple thousand people, but it’s across seven services and three campuses. And there’s some of some of that’s intentional. Some of that is, hey, we’re just kind of following the Lord where he’s led in this. And we didn’t really plan for it, you know, so. Spence Shelton — Our average service size is not that big, but we’ve the Lord’s been really gracious. If you came what you’d find is especially at our broadcast campus you’d find an old church building that you’d be thinking: wait are all these people how are they you know filling in here, you know. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — And you’d see cars parked uh all through a neighborhood and everything else and you’d see a retrofitted old church building, and that’s just the story of God’s grace on us – a building that was given to us and a church family that decided, hey we want to join you guys and they gave us their building. Really cool moment that like a legacy moment of faith in our church. And a couple other spots where we’re seeing similar sorts of things and it’s just it’s awesome, man. Spence Shelton — So we feel blessed. We feel like we are um doing what God has called us to do because we’re seeing that kind of momentum in the ministry that we’re doing. But none of our facilities are going to wow you, I promise. I actually love training church planters because, you know, so many times they come in and they’re like, Oh, ah we can do this. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — I’m like, yeah, you can do it. You know? Rich Birch — That’s normal like us.Spence Shelton — So we are praying and asking the Lord for better wins. Yeah. But you can do it, man. If you can do it here, you can do it anywhere kind of thing. So Lord’s been really gracious to us. And it’s a, it’s been a real joy these past 10 years.Rich Birch — It’s so cool. It seems like you guys are in a bit of a pivotal season or an inflection point season where you’ve got a bunch of things on the horizon, launching Mercy Family of Churches… Spence Shelton — That’s right. Rich Birch — …the 50 Missionary Goal by 2030, a collective. Talk me through those. What is the future look like? What’s driving the urgency? Help us understand kind of what the future looks like.Spence Shelton — Yeah, man, I think this happens for any church, both leader and in just the life of a church. You come to those milestone moments. We hit it last year with 10 years, and it was not only a milestone in terms of age. There was some just real growth that had been happening to the church that was forcing some good conversations around long-term you know expansion so that we can continue to facilitate what we believe God, actually, I should say we could steward what God is doing in our church.Spence Shelton — And so we launched an initiative that we called All to Him. I was teaching through the book of Romans all year last year. And so it comes out of Romans 12:1 and 2, because Christ gave his all for us, we give our all to him. That is our living sacrifice that we do. Spence Shelton — And so we said, we got some goals as a church, man. We want to see our church, we got some reaching goals. We got some training up goals. We got some sending out goals. Because when I planted Mercy Church, one of the things that was on my heart: if we’re going to come to Charlotte, North Carolina, we were going to be a sending church. Which means we’re going to build a sending hub here where this thing’s going be like an aircraft carrier that just sends out missionaries all over the place into the battles that the Lord has for us across the world.Spence Shelton — That was just on my heart. Instead of going to, you know, a place that might be, might have a, I don’t know, like a north Pacific Northwest or Northeast, something like that. If we’re coming to the Southeast to the Bible Belt, we’re doing so intentionally. Very intentional.Spence Shelton — So that’s been on our heart um ever since day one and this All to Him initiative. You know, we were hoping that by 2030, we double the size of our church. That’s because Charlotte is growing by 150 people a day.Spence Shelton — So like, we’ve got to, you know, this isn’t like it’s just because it’s something we want to do. It’s a calling, a good stewardship of the moment that we’re in. And we want to we’re launching a seminary certificate program for our members of our church because we want to train them up. Right.Spence Shelton — And we got a goal to see 50 missionaries go on the mission field by 2030. We just planted a couple of weeks before the recording of this, we planted our next church here in Charlotte, and we’ve got plans for several more.Spence Shelton — We are a large family of churches about to become a collaborative. We’re, we’re ah you know, 2028, 2029, somewhere around there, we’ll officially form that collaborative if the Lord continues to do what he’s doing. All because, man, we are convinced that God has brought us here to reach people, train them up, send them out, which I hope does not sound novel to any church leader listening to this.Spence Shelton — I hope it just sounds like, yeah, man, that makes sense.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — It’s like, well, then what’s the the magic or what’s the the secret sauce? It’s just putting your hand to the plow. And now here we are 10, 11 years in, and we’ve been steadily doing that same work. And I think the Lord is, um you know, our buddy Andrew would use the flywheel. That’s his favorite version of that illustration. But you keep putting your hand to the same thing and eventually the Lord starts to bear fruit. And that’s what we’re seeing now.Rich Birch — Yeah, so good. And yeah, you know that and you’re a kind leader, you know that for some leaders, the reason why we’re talking to you today is unfortunately, that is more novel than it should be. And so we want to dig into that a little bit.Spence Shelton — Sure..Rich Birch — Particularly, let’s maybe start with that middle section, this training goals, you’re working on trying to train people up. When you’re thinking about the kind of leadership vision you have as a church, you’re thinking about, hey, we’re going to raise up leaders both you know here to and then also sending.Rich Birch — I think we we can fall into this dichotomy around, okay, so do we find these leaders from other places and attract them to come here? Or, do we grow them up internally?Rich Birch — Do we find a way to develop them internally? So it’s this idea of plucking talent rather than developing it. Talk to me through why is training so hard in so many churches? Why do we struggle with that? And we seem to default towards, let’s just find somebody from over there and have them come and help us here.Spence Shelton — Yeah, man, I think that mentality starts all the way down to the idea of reaching people that don’t know Christ versus just sheep swapping from one church to the other church. Right.Spence Shelton — So you can grow your church by transfer growth. Um, which I actually am one who, Hey man, if somebody on the sideline in one church and then they plug into your church, I I’m all for it And if the same thing happens with Mercy, all for it. Spence Shelton — But our aim, what we all know as pastors and ministry leaders is our aim is man, let’s reach lost people and then disciple them. Right. Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — The same thing I think should be true with leadership development. For some reason, when it comes into developing leaders, we tend to go a different direction and think, well, let’s just go find where some leaders are and get them to to plug in.Spence Shelton — It’s like, we don’t do that even with discipleship. Why are we switching our mindset? And so I want to just kind of, I have to, I was convicted and wanted to call our church and I would call others to the same mindset that you have with discipleship. Let that carry over into your leadership and your leadership development as well.Spence Shelton — And I think that’s how we’re going to grow, just as how we’re going to grow the kingdom by reaching lost people, how we’re going to grow the leaders in the kingdom, the number of leaders we have, it’s going to be developing them in our church. And I just… I don’t know that we’re even thinking that way and asking the question, is the guy who’s a 27-year-old physical therapist in my church, has anybody ever bothered to tap him on the shoulder and ask, hey, man, could God be calling you into ministry?Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — Because I watch you and no we’re not doing the shoulder tap, man. And so um right now, I just I love it. Just a little bit of the story of our church… Rich Birch — Yeah. Spence Shelton — …our executive both of our executive pastors and two of our three campus pastors were all in the marketplace. One of our executive pastors was in banking. Another was a plant manager. We have two campus pastors who were both, I use physical therapists because they’re both former physical therapists. And you know, we’re sitting there having these conversations.Spence Shelton — You know what makes a great pastor is someone who has sat with person after person told them, hey, you should do this to feel better. And then they come back to you later and say, hey, I don’t feel better. And you say, did you do the thing I told you to do? And they say, no. And you say, well, you should have done that.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — And a patient, long suffering physical therapist turns out to be a great pastor, but somebody’s got to tap him on the shoulder and say, hey, man, I think God might be calling you into this. And so my my encouragement to anybody who’s a in ministry right now, kind of in that leadership development role, and you’re like, I don’t know, we’re gonna have to go outside to find some talent.Spence Shelton — I promise it’s going to take longer the way I’m talking about. But if you will seek the Lord, ask the Lord, and then start shoulder tapping and giving some opportunities for guys to lead, for men and women to lead there in your ministry and whatever the leadership roles might be, I think there might be more people in there than you realize. Because I believe that God provides for the church that he’s growing, that he’s called you to lead. Rich Birch — Yeah, I love that. Spence Shelton — And so I think the same thing is true with leaders as well.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. I love that. And I you know I love the even the vision for, hey, maybe there are some people within your church. We see this statistically, like even if you’re thinking about campus pastors, 9 out of 10 campus pastors are coming from within, which means we’ve got which means we’ve got to get good at this. Spence Shelton — Yeah.Rich Birch — And yeah, if your church has any kind of unique slant on the world, you’ve got to find people who have come up through that culture to ah to ultimately push that culture forward.Spence Shelton — Yes.Rich Birch — I love this this marketplace to ministry transition. How do we help people do that? That’s a real key transition. I would imagine on your end, you’ve got to help connect the dots for somebody. I love that there, how you even with the physical therapist, we’re able to connect the dots between, hey, here’s what you’re doing. Let me talk to you about the kind of role that we’re thinking about. How do you make that transition? Have you developed anything to try to help make that, you know could you know, connect those dots for people as you’re having those conversations?Spence Shelton — Yeah, I would say we don’t I don’t have a conversational map that I’m doing.Rich Birch — Sure.Spence Shelton — I don’t have that yet, though I think that’s just like many things, trial and error, and I’m still in the still cooking to formulate that map.Spence Shelton — But what I do have that we’ve worked through with our staff is something we call, it’s interesting, we actually call it the lead pastor profile.Rich Birch — Okay.Spence Shelton — The reason we call the lead pastor profile is because everything we’re doing, we’re building towards, developing towards planting more churches. And you’ve got to have a lead pastor to go and plant those churches. Rich Birch — Yeah. Spence Shelton — Now, the thing is actually when you when you look at it, it’s actually just a ministry leader profile, you know? Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — Everything on there, but there may be a couple of things that are nuanced specifically to lead pastors, but it’s kind of like when you go into Timothy and you see what are the characteristics of an elder? Well, every single one of them is just a good Christian, except then you got this thing able to teach. You know what mean? Rich Birch — Right, right.Spence Shelton — So it’s a similar thing is like most of our profile, nine points on it and divided into three buckets, it’s mostly just what makes a good ministry leader. Well, then what I’m doing is what we are doing is we’re taking that and we’re training our whole staff through it and saying, Hey, here’s what we are looking for. Here’s what we’re trying to develop. And then here’s everything. So I do a training monthly with our staff on these points. Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — And then I do it and I say, yeah, I have to verbally say it, never underestimate or never overestimate, I guess just that it’s going to happen without you saying it, always say what you want them to do, you know, just good old preaching point there. But man, Hey, I want you guys to take what I’m teaching you and go teach your volunteers. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — And go teach those that. And I want you to teach your leaders. And then I want your leaders to be able to teach them. And if it doesn’t work, I want you to come back and tell me so that we can get better at making this a multiplying thing. Right. Spence Shelton — So we just got to have a lot of checks and balances along the way. So we’re hopefully training. And it took a while to pull this together in a way that it makes sense to all of us. And now that we’re kind of running it, we can see the value in it of, hey, this is what we’re looking for. And now you can go shoulder tap and say, I know what I’m looking…So the the kids director can go, I know what I’m looking for.Spence Shelton — Now I can go and start shoulder tapping because I know what, you know what i mean? Now that know what I’m looking for, it’s…Rich Birch — Totally.Spence Shelton — Those are probably the the beginnings of a conversational map to to walk somebody through, but at least you know what you’re looking for. You can start to have those conversations. And if you have the relational equity, those conversations can really go somewhere.Rich Birch — Love it. I’d love to double click on that. I love this lead pastor profile idea. I think working to get the clarity I think is in is a great, you know, a great task for all of us to wrestle through.Rich Birch — We think, well, we want to develop our leaders, but then we don’t have any definition of what do we mean by a leader, like at its more most basic level.Spence Shelton — Yes.Rich Birch — So we don’t need to get into all nine, but are there a couple of them that are either counterintuitive or maybe we miss, or you find yourself coming back to time and again, that are like real dividing points or like ones that kind of stick out to you in the in the framework?Spence Shelton — Yeah. All right. So obviously all nine matter to me or I wouldn’t have had them all. So I’ll do my best.Rich Birch — Yes, exactly.Spence Shelton — I’ll do my best.Spence Shelton — So we divide him into three buckets, character, competency, and calling. So each one of those has three points under it. And I’ll click on one of them, maybe in each, and you can tell me if you want to go further.Rich Birch — Sure. That’s great. Yeah.Spence Shelton — But in character, the one that I find to be the most overlooked is self-awareness.Rich Birch — So true.Spence Shelton — I find that to be the most overlooked characteristic of a good leader is one who is aware of their strengths and aware of their weaknesses and is settled in their identity in Christ so that their weaknesses don’t crush them.Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — You know, they can instead build a team around them, you know. Because the classic thing with a lead pastor is to say, well, I’m good at vision and bad at details. It’s like, OK, man, maybe we need to do something a little more thoughtful than that, because that resonates with me for sure… Rich Birch — Right. Right. Spence Shelton — …that you ask the guys around me for sure. But what what? what about are you better at vision casting or vision creating? And what are the evidences of that in your ministry? You know, so for me, I’m better at vision casting than I am vision creating. That’s probably my my 9 to 10 is actually sharing it.Spence Shelton — But I got to have some help and and love having help in the other side of that. And so there are plenty of other things like that. But when we have someone who’s not aware of their strengths and weaknesses, usually that’s that’s like a stop point for us.Spence Shelton — And so if we’ve got someone we think, oh, man, they they come across because here’s the thing. Unless you have these points, somebody will can make a great first impression and a lot of long term damage in your ministry. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — Not because they have bad intent, but because they’re not aware of what they’re… And you give them a lot of responsibility and maybe they’re not actually, they don’t have the eyes of Jethro in Exodus 18 to know how to build out a ministry.Rich Birch — Right. Right. Spence Shelton — You just thought they did because they gave off a good first impression.Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — So that’s my biggest biggest one in that character, or not biggest one, but that’s a key one, I think, in the character is…Rich Birch — Right. A key one that sticks out.Spence Shelton — …man, are you self-aware? And so whatever we use, we love different, whether it’s the personality assessments, leadership assessments, but we also, and we just, we wanna develop from within because that gives us the ability to see.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — We can see what their strengths and weaknesses are. Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — Because we’ve had people eyes on them for months and years and you can’t really trade that out.Rich Birch — Yeah, and character takes a long time of up-close observation to really get a sense of where where people are at.Spence Shelton — Yes.Rich Birch — Because, and you know we know this is, this is you know we don’t have to think long. There are lots of examples of leaders who—and all look great—but there’s like a 2% you know, problem in their character that ended up showing itself in the most kind of ugly of ways.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — So I know all nine are super important. I get that. appreciate that. But we can’t be here for three hours. So competency, what was what’s one in there that that that tends to say we’re just trying to whet people’s appetite to kind of help them think through it a little bit.Spence Shelton — Yeah, man. For competency, the one that I would, the the one that, yeah, that spend a lot of time on when it comes to competency, what I would say is the multiplier. Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — I want someone who is a proven multiplier before I move them into an increased um level of leadership and responsibility. I want to see it, man. And if we, otherwise, again, what I’m trying to weed out is someone that talks a good game or someone that just has a, there may be someone I think a lot of leaders that might actually be really strong in the gift of hospitality have found themselves in the arena of administration simply because they are, like generous, kind, easy to talk to people. And they’re great. You want to be around them. They’re probably encouragers, that kind of thing. Spence Shelton — And it’s like, wait a minute, have they multiplied? Do they actually understand what it takes…Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — …to take someone from leading self, to use the old Ramsharan leadership pipeline, from leading self to leading others, have they actually, do they understand what it takes? Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good.Spence Shelton — And do they understand what it takes to go from leading others to leading leaders? And have they, let’s let’s just look behind them. If you wanna go the the Bible route, you just take 2 Timothy 2:2…are they able to train up faithful teachers who can then teach others also? That to me is, especially when we get into who’s going to go out and plant a church…Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — …and I’m not sending somebody out that’s not a builder. Another way to say multiplier would be builder, but I say multiplier because I’m specifically thinking around leadership and leading those who will lead others. Rich Birch — Yeah. Spence Shelton — If we want to build a movement of churches for the sake of the glory of God, and we want these churches to go and continue to build, there’s got to be multipliers leading this. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes.Spence Shelton — You know, gotta be. So when it comes to competency, that’s like a a deal breaker for me for who we’re going to send out the plant. And so I want to develop it starting in our student ministry, you know, and working our way through or starting in our college ministry, working our way through.Spence Shelton — I don’t want to wait until we just try to, otherwise we’ve got to go pluck out from the, you know, ether, somebody that we hope is a multiplier. And I don’t want to do that. I’d rather raise them up.Rich Birch — Well, and we see this temptation in churches when they get to, say, 1,000, and then they’re they’re growing you know they’re they’re eyeing 2,000 beyond. There’s a there’s a dangerous temptation that can come in, particularly for our staff teams. I know we’re talking broader than just staff teams, but particularly for our staff teams, we can ah we can forget the Ephesians 4 call to equip others to to ministry.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — And we just become doers. We hire doers rather than multipliers… Spence Shelton —Yes. Rich Birch — …because they get stuff done. And we’re like, oh man, they’re solving problems for us. But that is can then erode a church long-term very quickly. I’ve seen that so many times where they end up with, you know they slow down.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — They’re like, why are we slowing down? It’s well, because you’ve stopped multiplying. You’ve stopped doing what we’re called to do. I love that. Rich Birch — So then the third category calling anything in there that would, that steps that kind of is similar. Again, I know all nine are are really important, but, but any of those that that kind of jumped to the, to the front.Spence Shelton — Maybe I’ll give you one that has we’ve learned through some some painful trial and error, Rich Birch — Okay. Sure. Spence Shelton — And that is, we call it alignment. And what we mean by that is: as you develop a leader, when it comes to their long-term place in your church and leading maybe even beyond your, so in our case, beyond our church to going in and leading ah a church that’s going be a part of the family of our churches, it’s really important that not only are they theologically aligned, but they are philosophically aligned in terms of how we do church.Spence Shelton — So no shade on any other way of doing church. What I’m saying is so that we can continue to be united in one voice internally, so at Mercy Church with how we do discipleship, and then so that we can be united in how we can help and train one another as a family of churches, we got to be aligned not just around our theological convictions, but on our ministry convictions, how we do it.Spence Shelton — I would say to those of you out there who have a promising young leader, but it seems like they just don’t want to do, they want to change your church into their, a different kind of church.Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — The best thing you can do is set them free. Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — And I don’t mean like, that’s not like code for firing, by the way, that genuinely that genuinely is like, help them find a way, an off ramp to whatever it is they sense God calling them to. If they’re not, you know, they might be just, they need more season of development. That might be all it is. But when it comes to appointing people towards and, and, setting people into key leadership. So take an elder role at Mercy Church, community group coaching, shepherding, that kind of thing where you’re in now, you are shaping, not just participating. You’re really shaping the DNA of our church. Spence Shelton — We’ve got to be aligned with what we’re doing. It also makes for a much more enjoyable experience. I’m not saying we’re not thinking. We’re always thinking over here about how to do it better and trying to be faithful and everything else.Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — Of course. But I’m saying, man, you want to feel like you’re locked arm and arm going together. And when conviction comes that goes a separate way, it’s like best to separate. So we’ve we’ve learned that the kind of the hard way. I think a lot of lessons are hard.Rich Birch — Sure.Spence Shelton — And so I offer this as our missions pastor likes to say, we have paid some dumb tax. Rich Birch — True. Spence Shelton — And so wherever we can save another person from paying it, we’d love to do that for you.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. I love that. and And yeah, I think alignment’s a massive deal and and calling it out. And I would think being in a church that is um so focused on sending, you’re you’re hoping that that’s a big part of what’s kind of the outcome of the church. Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — That, you know, having an an outlet for that sending in a way that makes the most sense. Hey, here’s a leader who seems to have the skills and, you know, and and and then you can celebrate, hey, they seem to have some unique ideas that they want to go and see happen somewhere else.Spence Shelton — Yes. Yes.Rich Birch — That’s fantastic. Rather than having to like fight that. I think that’s cool. That’s really good. Rich Birch — So, you know, help me ah pick this apart a little bit. So one of the interesting things I find in this whole kind of leadership pathway, leadership pipeline conversation is there are, so I think we all can be influential. I think in one way we are all called to be leaders, but not necessarily everyone that we’re discipling is necessarily going to be a lead pastor. They’re not all necessarily going to. Rich Birch — Now I understand we’re kind of discipling towards that, but help me understand what are you doing internally with folks that you’re like, I just, they’re just not going to make that jump eventually. How do you have that conversation? I know that’s a hard conversation. What does that look like?Spence Shelton — Right.Rich Birch — Or am I just looking at this wrong? Which could be the case too. Happy to be wrong. Help help me think through that.Spence Shelton — Well, we’ve got to have some freedom that comes from distinctive categories. This will help us a great deal. Helps me in pastoring a great deal. First, we got to have the category of spiritual gift. The Lord has given everyone a spiritual gift… Rich Birch — Yep. Spence Shelton — …and we got to celebrate that. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — And we got to be careful not to turn the leadership pipeline into, or that concept of leader development, turn that into a a grading of gifts. Like you’ve got a, you know, you’re, you need to graduate from one gift. Maybe that’s a better way to say it. Graduate from one gift to the other, to the other. It’s like, no, no, no. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — What we’re not talking about is graduating out of your gift set. God has given you that. And the best thing for you and for his church is to get really good at how he’s given you or how he’s gifted you. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — And when we when we conflate those, when we only talk about just you know getting better, it’s like, man, we got to watch out. Instead, let’s say, how can we get better at the giftings God has given us so that we can steward it really well?Spence Shelton — And then we find ourselves able to say, and when it comes to leadership, and here we are as church leaders, we’re now inside of a category. We’re inside of a category of leadership. And how can we develop leaders who are gifted by God as leaders? Well, the good news is maybe take some pressure off everybody, you’re not really going to know if someone’s gifted in leadership until you let them try to lead. Rich Birch — True, yes. Spence Shelton — So you got to let them try to lead, man. And then as they lead and you give them a couple of swings, two, three, four, whatever, and you coach them along the way, hey, here’s what we’re looking for in a leader. Here’s how you can grow from leading self leading others. Take the pressure off. Spence Shelton — This might be how God has gifted you, we don’t know. But the best way to see, based on what we’ve seen so far, is to let you try. So here’s a community group, and here are the things you’re gonna need to be a good community group leader, and we’re gonna coach you and support you.Spence Shelton — Let’s go. And let’s see what the next six months brings, right? Rich Birch — Yep, that’s great.Spence Shelton — Hey, this went really well. We wanna take you out of this community group leader seat and put you in as a coach. Now there’s a different set of skills you’re gonna need to be a coach, but man, it seems like your people responded to your leadership. What do we think about you as a coach? Spence Shelton — Each set of the way, man, do I have the, the way I always say it to our staff—they’re sick of me saying this, so it’s great to talk to you because…Rich Birch — I’m not sick of it. Yeah.Spence Shelton — …[inaudible] fresh person to say this too—is that clarity in expectations creates confidence in execution. The clearer you are with what you are asking someone to do, the more confident they will be in doing it. Another way to say it.Rich Birch — That’s good.Spence Shelton — So that’s just my my big thing there on on this. Let’s get over now that we’re, and what we’re going to find is some people are going to lead a community group faithfully for 20, 30 years at our church. Rich Birch — Right, right.Spence Shelton — Praise the Lord. What we can’t see is that we can’t see that a failure. Rich Birch — No. Spence Shelton — Others are going to lead for six months to two years. And we’re going to man, this, this person’s a leader and, and we’re seeing it. They already, they’re planting. Spence Shelton — I had someone come up to me the other day at church and tell me, Hey man, I just wanted to tell you, we’re so excited. You challenged me about five years ago to lead a community group. And we just planted our fifth group. And I went, like I went, I was, my mind went so far. I didn’t even have time to be, to be celebrating. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — Cause I was like, does anybody know that there’s a guy out here… Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Who’s just cranking out groups. Spence Shelton — …with the with an apostolic gift just planting groups every year what’s going so so. Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That’s great. Spence Shelton — I was like hey, but so that that was a a great moment the Lord gave me just of, hey this is this is going really well and there will be some that will lead a group and things won’t go well and they won’t go well and you’ll keep trying different efforts. So to my community group leader friends, hey once someone tries and tries and tries, would you maybe tap their shoulder and say hey can we try something else. You know. Rich Birch — Good. Spence Shelton — Like you are not a failure. We just got to find the gift that God has given you. Rich Birch — Right. Spence Shelton — And the more that’s in the conversation of your church, that’s in the atmosphere of your church—We’re just looking for the way God’s gifted you. And we’re going to try and make you the best you can be at how he’s gifted you.—The easier the conversation is going to be of, I don’t think it’s community group leadership. I don’t think it’s this. I don’t think it’s that. Because we have a culture of, Hey, trial and error, you know?Rich Birch — Right. That’s good. That’s so good. I love that. And I love this has been a great kind of look under the hood of this whole multiplication issue. I think a lot of church leaders out there have the desire. They have the like, oh, we, man, I would love to be a church that has that kind of vision. But then what are the mechanics underneath of that? How do we actually do that?Spence Shelton — Yeah. Yeah.Rich Birch — Super helpful. Pivoting in this totally, well, it’s a related but different direction. Your church has been involved in a number of revitalizations. You talked about on the you know top end, you had a you know facility given to you. And I this is like a super inappropriate, with just a few minutes left, curveball to throw in there. What’s your shorthand thing for us to learn about that? Rich Birch — You know that we’ve seen, particularly from a multisite point of view, this area has grown hugely in the last 10 years. It was 10 years ago, 5% of new campuses came about because multiple revitalization. The most recent study showed showed it was 40%. Spence Shelton — Wow.Rich Birch — I suspect Warren’s out talking right now. I suspect the number is even going to be higher. What are the few things that you’ve learned about, you know, those kinds of conversations and relationships that have allowed it to work for you? And it’s been helpful. It’s been a joy giving part of the story at Mercy. Talk us through that.Spence Shelton — I’m going to do so using another point in my lead pastor profile just to have some fun here.Rich Birch — Love it.Spence Shelton — So one of the things we look for in a leader is confident humility. Rich Birch — That’s good. Spence Shelton — Confident in terms of, man, they believe God has called them to something. You know there’s a there’s a settled confidence there. But the humility to be patient and wait on the Lord and see what he has and to consider others, Philippians, to consider others more important than yourself. Right? This matters a great deal when it comes to this area of revitalization.Spence Shelton — What a leader needs to know that there’s this temptation, and I had it, of why would you not give us your church building? Rich Birch — Right.Spence Shelton — Things are going well for us and struggling for you. Why would you not do that?Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — Well, it’s that there’s an unintentional, I’m call it a holy ambition that may be a little bit creating some blinders. Okay, let’s use the positive side of that. The the negative side would be there’s some arrogance there. Rich Birch — Right. Yeah.Spence Shelton — But the positive would be holy ambition. But what you gotta know is, man, often these facilities that are housing these churches, the ones that are remaining, a lot of the times that there are people that have been there for decades and for a generation or two, and they put blood, sweat, tears and money into where they are. Spence Shelton — And we had to take the the approach of slow by my standards, still fast by theirs… Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — …slow by my standards. Conversation after conversation that began with , in both of these cases, began with the church that needed revitalizing coming to us. We didn’t go to them. Spence Shelton — They came to us and said, hey, we’re trying to figure out what’s next. We hear you might be able to help. How can you help?Spence Shelton — And we had to present them. We had to consider that a stewardship process. of a kingdom resource, not a how do we advance the name of Mercy Church.Spence Shelton — And so it’s happened two different ways for us right now. One is a campus of our church. You know, we it took months and months, but they wound up voting to hand us the keys, join our congregation, and we held their hand the whole way through. And it was a really beautiful thing. And it’s where our broadcast campus meets today. Spence Shelton — There’s another one that happened where we decided the best thing was for that to be a, because of the neighborhood it’s in in East Charlotte, to be a church planting incubator where we could plant a church every 18 months to two years. Rich Birch — Love it. Yeah.Spence Shelton — And so that’s what we’re doing right now. And there’s a church plant in there. And that was the best stewardship of that building. And after the conversation with their people, but we kind of, we basically put that with them and say, I had a lot of lunches and dinners that I just I’m going to tell you, if you want to get into this game and you want to do it in a way that’s going to honor the Lord, you got to be ready for the patient handholding that I would say is honoring a legacy of faith these folks are are taking.Spence Shelton — In many ways, the greatest step of faith taken in our church has been a couple of other churches handing us keys…Rich Birch — Yeah, 100%.Spence Shelton — …to something that the Lord was an outpost for the gospel at one point. And now in both of those cases for us and in the others that we’re starting to see that are still too soon for me to talk about, it’s just, man, now there’s an outpouring happening in both of those places. And you got like, man, there’s a couple of folks that are from the original congregation of what is now our, where our broadcast campus now is. And they, they, they’re greeters. They have tears more mornings than they don’t on Sunday mornings.Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, for sure.Spence Shelton — It’s beautiful, man. Rich Birch — Yeah, it is.Spence Shelton — I mean, they’re all in. They are way bigger fans of Mercy Church than I am. And I’m the lead pastor of the church. Rich Birch — Yes, right. Spence Shelton — You know what I mean? And they just, they are like, they love, because what they actually are is they, they took a step of faith, a huge step of faith, trusting the Lord. And the Lord has blessed them and renewed a a vigor in their ministry. Spence Shelton — I saw a couple of them, mid 80s, and it was about 11 a.m. weekday and they were leaving the church building. I was pulling up. I just put windows down. Hey, what are you doing? It’s like, well, we just finished prayer walk in the neighborhood a couple of times…Rich Birch — Wow.Spence Shelton — …and it’s getting too hot now. We’re going inside. And I’m like, these are the people I want, man. Rich Birch — Yes.Spence Shelton — Like just they’re retired and they have chosen they’re going their day prayer walking. It’s like, well, you told us to pray. And I’m like, yeah. Yeah. Rich Birch — That’s amazing. Yeah, that’s incredible.Spence Shelton — Thank you for leading the way you have the time and this is what you do with it. So, man, there are if if all we see is just, Oh a facility to advance my cause. And we miss what has actually been the sweetest thing for our church has been our very young church got some grandparents.Rich Birch — Yes. Spence Shelton — It’s beautiful, man. Beautiful. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. That’s so good. Spence Shelton — So that’s just a little bit I learned from that ah from those couple of runs we’ve had. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s amazing. And yeah, that underlines, so it’s definitely the majority—I think it’s three quarters, if I remember the most recent statistics on these sort of revitalizations—are coming about because the joining church is coming to the lead church, not the other way around.Spence Shelton — That’s right. That’s right.Rich Birch — And so you have to position yourself in a way that that confident humility is a great kind of benchmark to be thinking about, friends. How do we you know hold ourselves in a way that we’re here to serve other people, we’re here to care for them in a way. And I say to church leaders when we talk about these things, I’m like, you have to handle these relationships well enough so that then they’ll tell other people, hey, wow, we loved working with Mercy Hill.Rich Birch — Man, there we love working with Mercy Church. Well, we love working with mercy Mercy Hill too. Spence Shelton — Sure. That’s right.Rich Birch — We love working with Mercy Hill, Mercy Church, too many Mercies. Wow, what a great you know interaction that was been. And wow, that’s a life-giving thing.Spence Shelton — That’s right.Rich Birch — And I loved that. That is what ultimately we’ll see more of these happen long-term. Not because you did some, you know, so too many people have these like, You know, like they use merger and takeover and like this kind of aggressive language, which just doesn’t help in the conversation at all.Spence Shelton — No, it doesn’t help at all. Yeah, that’s exactly right. You got to have that humility. And if somebody’s sitting there wondering, okay, man, well, how do I how do I wait on that without, I want to go get it. I want to get started. I’d say two or three things to do if you’re looking and you believe your church might be a good church candidate for helping another church revitalize, whether that’s being a campus of yours or or something to that effect. Spence Shelton — I’d say first start praying and asking the Lord. And that if you’re not fasting, then you’re not praying yet. Rich Birch — Yeah. Love it.Spence Shelton — So I don’t want to hear that you’re praying if you’re not fasting on this. Secondly, man, this is why networks matter. So I would say whatever your denomination or stream is, whatever, however you’re kind of tied to other churches in your community. If you have no relationships with other churches in your community, and then you want to go and be the revitalizer, that’s going to come, that’s probably going to come across a certain way.Spence Shelton — So There are a number of—years and years and years—of meetings that I’ve gone to, conversations I’ve sat in, in order to genuinely try to say, how can we help? How can we help?Rich Birch — Yeah.Spence Shelton — Whether that’s sending a worship leader to go serve at a church one Sunday morning or helping one church with a a building fundy kind of like thing they got to upfit or something, you know.Spence Shelton — Basically, I’m trying to be a team player in the Kingdom here in our little corner of the world in Charlotte. And then that’s going to earn the respect and the trust for when those conversations can happen in the relational network, those conversations can happen. Spence Shelton — So I am one who just in my nature, I do not like meetings. I don’t like them. Rich Birch — Sure.Spence Shelton — They feel like necessary evils. Rich Birch — Love it.Spence Shelton — And I’m trying to get better about that. But they are actually what I do love and value is trust and relationships. And again, confident humility. I have to be more about the Kingdom than I do about my own church. And a rising tide lifts all boats, you know.Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. Well, this been a great conversation today, Spence. I really appreciate that. And thanks for going with me there with that little you know detour at the end.Spence Shelton — Of course, the joy.Rich Birch — That was fantastic. But anything you’d love to share just as we wrap up today’s conversation?Spence Shelton — I would say too—I don’t know what’s spurring this, but something that has helped me so much in my ministry to the leader out there, especially the young leader, but maybe to all of them—you will always overestimate what you can do in five years and you will drastically underestimate what you can do in 20. Rich Birch — That’s so true.Spence Shelton — And there maybe a way to say it is you will overestimate what God will do and underestimate what God will do. So this is a little plug of me saying, stay the course, stay the course where you’re at. The Lord is going to do a work in honor of your faithfulness to the work. Stay in it, man. Stay in it.Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s so good. Just to add to that, I’m doing some research on working on a book on churches that break the 2000 barrier. And one of the interesting telltale signs are senior leaders and senior leadership teams that have been in the same church or the same community for 20 plus years. Spence Shelton — There you go. Rich Birch — So going into their third decade, it just takes time. Spence Shelton — There it is. Rich Birch — You know, it’s not it’s it’s not you know’s not overnight. Rich Birch — Well, I really appreciate this. This has been a great a great conversation. Spence, if people want to track with you or with the church, where do we want to send them online? Spence Shelton — Yeah, man, you can go to probably social media is the the day and age that we live in. So @SpenceShelton is my social media handle. It’s Instagram and and those kind of things. Our church is just @MercyCharlotte. And you can go on our website, mercycharlotte.com. Find everything you need there. Spence Shelton — We’re launching a podcast. Praise God, let’s go. You can find all of it, though, just through our Instagram handles, which is usually a good first landing point for folks. And however we can help, man, feel free to reach out. Nothing super shiny about what we got going on over here, but we love being in the game for the Kingdom. However we can help.Rich Birch — All the best as you serve in Charlotte. Thanks so much, man.Spence Shelton — Thank you, brother.

Children are more than a gift from God; they are arrows entrusted to us with purpose.Drawing from Psalm 127:3–5, this devotional reminds parents of their God-given responsibility to shape and sharpen the next generation. Just as an arrow cannot launch itself, children need loving guidance, direction, and intentional preparation to fulfill God's purpose for their lives.#SharpenYourArrows #Parenting #CITAMChurchOnline #ChurchEveryday

Why is Generation Z searching for God like never before?This eye-opening conversation explores why a generation known for asking hard questions is rediscovering God, and how worship, authenticity, and genuine relationships are shaping lives for eternity.#TheSecretToDisciplingGenZ #CITAMChurchOnline #ChurchEverydayGet in touch with us:http://www.citam.org/churchonline@citam.org(+254) 784 277 277(+254) 728 221 221

Aug 5, 2026    In this episode of Beyond Sunday, the team works through Ephesians 6:1–4 and Paul's reframing of family life around one relationship: our relationship with Jesus. They get honest about parenting under Christ's authority instead of our own — kids who obey because they belong rather than because fear demands it, and parents called to nurture disciples rather than control them. Along the way, they sit with the harder questions, like what honor looks like when a parent was harmful, and why apologizing to your child might be the most powerful evangelistic act in your home. Whether you're looking for encouragement, perspective, or a deeper understanding of the Gospel, this conversation will help you continue the journey beyond Sunday. About Beyond Sunday Each episode features honest, meaningful conversations with Newbreak pastors as they reflect on the current sermon series, unpack moments that impacted them personally, and dive into topics they didn't have time to fully explore on stage. The conversations get real as the hosts talk openly about faith, struggles, growth, and everyday life. Wherever you find yourself in your journey with Jesus, Beyond Sunday offers encouragement, honesty, and hope for living out your faith every day of the week. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Helpful Links for Newbreak Church   If you are new to Newbreak, we would love for you to fill out a connect card: https://newbreak.church/card​​​​​​​​​​​   We have Church Online for your Kids too: https://newbreak.church/kids   Your giving helps bring life change to the entire world. Giving online is simple and easy: https://newbreak.church/give   Download the sermon notes for today's message: https://newbreak.church/sermon-notes   Download this week's Sermon Study Guide: https://newbreak.church/study-guides   Visit "Prepare the Way" today: https://newbreak.church/prepare-the-way

Ever felt like you're trying so hard to be a "good Christian" but still feel like you're falling short? If your faith has started feeling like pressure, guilt, or trying to "look spiritual," this conversation is your reminder that God wants your heart; not your performance. Stop chasing approval and start pursuing intimacy with God.#ThePressureToBeAGoodChristian #CITAMChurchOnline #ChurchEverydayGet in touch with us:http://www.citam.org/churchonline@citam.org(+254) 784 277 277(+254) 728 221 221

☞ ABOUT THIS MESSAGE Jim explores how Jesus meets us in our driest, most ashamed places, just as he did with the Samaritan woman at the well in John 4. Instead of avoiding those considered unclean or unwanted, Jesus moves toward them with grace, offering “living water”—a renewing relationship with God that truly satisfies, unlike the “broken cisterns” we create to cope on our own. Jim emphasizes that Jesus knows our full story yet still offers dignity, welcome, and transformation. We are invited to confess where we've been hiding, receive his grace, and share this hope with others, responding through prayer, communion, and community.   ☞ BIBLE APP NOTES https://www.bible.com/events/49645086   ☞ GROUP LEADER GUIDE https://page.church/3dhd3g3b9b89e5   ☞ NEXT STEPS

Generations Church Online | Pastor Jeremy Isaacs | Back To School Prayer by Generations Church

Angie Obwaka reminds us that the only "yes" worth pursuing is God's. His approval outweighs every rejection, and His "yes" opens doors no one can shut. Seek Him first and walk confidently in His purpose.#citamchurchonline #ChurchEverydayGet in touch with us:http://www.citam.org/churchonline@citam.org(+254) 784 277 277(+254) 728 221 221

The harvest is closer than you think. Join us for the Missions Conference 2026 as we discover how God can use ordinary believers to make an extraordinary impact—right where they are. Through inspiring messages, practical workshops, and powerful times of prayer, you'll be equipped to live on mission in your home, workplace, community, and beyond. #YourMissionIsCloserThanYouRealize #MissionsConference2026 #CITAMChurchOnline

The Spirit does not give gifts to make you impressive. He gives them to make the body whole. In 1 Corinthians 12, Paul reminds us that every gift, whether wisdom, healing, prophecy, or faith, flows from one Source and points to one purpose: building up the church.__________Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

Everyone wants happiness—but what if happiness isn't enough?In this message, we discover the difference between temporary happiness and the lasting joy God offers. Looking at Habakkuk 3 and 1 Thessalonians 5, we learn that joy isn't built on changing circumstances but on the unchanging character of God.If you're walking through anxiety, disappointment, unanswered prayers, or uncertainty, this message will encourage you to trust God even before life gets better.

☞ ABOUT THIS MESSAGE Jim teaches that knowing God isn't about following rules but receiving a miraculous new birth through faith in Jesus, who was “lifted up” to save rather than condemn. We're called to fix our eyes on Christ, not our failures, and to show both truth and grace to others, reflecting God's love and inviting everyone into His light.   ☞ BIBLE APP NOTES https://www.bible.com/events/49639735   ☞ GROUP LEADER GUIDE https://page.church/1vrls4cf69e0bed   ☞ NEXT STEPS

July 28, 2026    In this episode of Beyond Sunday, the team digs into Ephesians 5:21–33 and Paul's vision of marriage as far more than a contract — a living picture of Christ and the Church. They talk honestly about what mutual submission actually looks like day to day, why sacrificial love and Christ-centered respect are so counter-cultural, and how the way spouses treat each other becomes a visible picture of the invisible God. The conversation zooms out too: whether you're married, single, divorced, or hoping to be married one day, God's vision for marriage points all of us back to Jesus. Whether you're looking for encouragement, perspective, or a deeper understanding of the Gospel, this conversation will help you continue the journey beyond Sunday. About Beyond Sunday Each episode features honest, meaningful conversations with Newbreak pastors as they reflect on the current sermon series, unpack moments that impacted them personally, and dive into topics they didn't have time to fully explore on stage. The conversations get real as the hosts talk openly about faith, struggles, growth, and everyday life. Wherever you find yourself in your journey with Jesus, Beyond Sunday offers encouragement, honesty, and hope for living out your faith every day of the week. Listen wherever you get your podcasts. Helpful Links for Newbreak Church: If you are new to Newbreak, we would love for you to fill out a connect card: https://newbreak.church/card​​​​​​​​​​​   We have Church Online for your Kids too: https://newbreak.church/kids   Your giving helps bring life change to the entire world. Giving online is simple and easy: https://newbreak.church/give   Download the sermon notes for today's message: https://newbreak.church/sermon-notes   Download this week's Sermon Study Guide: https://newbreak.church/study-guides   Visit "Prepare the Way" today: https://newbreak.church/prepare-the-way

Generations Church Online | Pastor Trevor Hindman | Even If by Generations Church

Generations Church Online | Jason Isaacs | Even If by Generations Church

There is a passage of Scripture so familiar that many of us have heard it read at weddings, seen it framed on walls, and encountered it in greeting cards. First Corinthians 13. Love is patient. Love is kind. We nod along. We smile. And then we move on with our day, largely unchanged.But what if familiarity has actually become one of the greatest obstacles to truly receiving what this passage is saying?__________Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

Your feed is full, but how's your heart doing? Discover how to break free from doomscrolling and build the deep, joy-filled connections you're craving. NEXT STEPS Have you made the decision to follow Jesus? You might be wondering what's next for you. We want to help! Check out these resources to ​​discover what saying yes to Jesus means: https://go2.lc/podcastcommittochrist See You At the Movies Experience your favorite films in a whole new way during At the Movies! Get in on the fun at a Life.Church location or at Life.Church Online. Find service times and learn what to expect at life.church/atthemovies ABOUT THIS MESSAGE This message was originally presented as a part of a series called The Connected Life. Find out more about the series here: https://www.life.church/media/the-connected-life Each week on YouTube, we're highlighting one of our favorite past messages. Our current series, At the Movies, can only be seen at a Life.Church location or at Life.Church Online. Find a location near you or check out online service times at: https://www.life.church/atthemovies/ ABOUT LIFE.CHURCH Wherever you are in life, you have a purpose. Life.Church wants to help you find your next step. Our hope is that your journey will include joining us at a Life.Church location throughout the United States or globally online at https://www.live.life.church  Find locations, videos, and more info about us at https://www.life.church or download the Life.Church app at https://www.life.church/app/download  FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/life.church  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life.church  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifechurch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@life.church  CONNECT WITH PASTOR CRAIG GROESCHEL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/craiggroeschel  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craiggroeschel  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craiggroeschel  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@craiggroeschel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/35447748/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

☞ ABOUT THIS MESSAGE Jim opens with a striking reality: thousands will take their last breath today, and yet God made each one of us not out of necessity, but out of love. Walking through John 1–2, he reveals how John the Baptist modeled the secret to a meaningful life: knowing your role and letting "He must increase, I must decrease" become your anthem. Jim unpacks Jesus' first miracle turning ceremonial washing water into the finest wine as a stunning picture of grace: God replacing our religious striving with the overflowing freedom of His love. The unique thread here is the power of your Oikos, your circle of family, neighbors, and coworkers, because 98% of people find   ☞ BIBLE APP NOTES https://www.bible.com/events/49638780   ☞ GROUP LEADER GUIDE https://page.church.tech/1a180e1e   ☞ NEXT STEPS

We've all been there—facing an impossible situation and wondering if God even sees what we're going through. We can depend on God completely, even when we can't see the way forward. If you're in a season where you need Him to move, watch this message. NEXT STEPS Have you made the decision to follow Jesus? You might be wondering what's next for you. We want to help! Check out these resources to ​​discover what saying yes to Jesus means: https://go2.lc/podcastcommittochrist See You At the Movies Experience your favorite films in a whole new way during At the Movies! Get in on the fun at a Life.Church location or at Life.Church Online. Find service times and learn what to expect at life.church/atthemovies ABOUT THIS MESSAGE This message was originally presented as a part of a series called Elisha. Find out more about the series here: https://www.life.church/media/elisha Each week on YouTube, we're highlighting one of our favorite past messages. Our current series, At the Movies, can only be seen at a Life.Church location or at Life.Church Online. Find a location near you or check out online service times at: https://www.life.church/atthemovies/ ABOUT LIFE.CHURCH Wherever you are in life, you have a purpose. Life.Church wants to help you find your next step. Our hope is that your journey will include joining us at a Life.Church location throughout the United States or globally online at https://www.live.life.church Find locations, videos, and more info about us at https://www.life.church or download the Life.Church app at https://www.life.church/app/download FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/life.church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life.church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifechurch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@life.church CONNECT WITH PASTOR CRAIG GROESCHEL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/craiggroeschel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craiggroeschel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craiggroeschel TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@craiggroeschel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/35447748/   Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

There's a habit we all carry into church that most of us don't even notice. More often than not, it's subconscious. The world we live in causes us to rate everything. We review restaurants, movies, hotels, apps, products, airlines, uber drivers. We're trained consumers, constantly reviewing and grading our experiences. And when something stops delivering what we want, we cancel the subscription and simply move on.__________Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

☞ ABOUT THIS MESSAGE Jim opens the Gospel of John with this electrifying truth: Jesus is the Logos—the eternal Word through whom everything was made and exists. Far from distant or condemning, Jesus willingly "pitched his tent" among us, tabernacling with humanity as God's presence once did in the wilderness. Whether you're battling depression, grief, betrayal, or your own failures, all you need is the Logos to go boom in your life. John's Gospel presents evidence so we might truly know Jesus—not admire from afar, but grasp him, trust him with our full weight, and receive the right to be born again as children of God. Today, receive him, then pray for someone in your oikos who hasn't found their way home yet.   ☞ BIBLE APP NOTES https://www.bible.com/events/49634629   ☞ GROUP LEADER GUIDE https://page.church.tech/e69b3530   ☞ NEXT STEPS

Generations Church Online | Pastor Aaron White by Generations Church

Generations Church Online | Pastor Olivia Medlin | gKids Takeover by Generations Church

Watching the news lately and wondering if these are the last days? Curious about when Jesus might return? You're asking the right questions. In this message, we'll find the answers together. NEXT STEPS Have you made the decision to follow Jesus? You might be wondering what's next for you. We want to help! Check out these resources to ​​discover what saying yes to Jesus means: https://go2.lc/podcastcommittochrist See You At the Movies Experience your favorite films in a whole new way during At the Movies! Get in on the fun at a Life.Church location or at Life.Church Online. Find service times and learn what to expect at life.church/atthemovies ABOUT THIS MESSAGE This message was originally presented as a part of a series called Living in the Last Days. Find out more about the series here: https://www.life.church/media/living-in-the-last-days Each week on YouTube, we're highlighting one of our favorite past messages. Our current series, At the Movies, can only be seen at a Life.Church location or at Life.Church Online. Find a location near you or check out online service times at: https://www.life.church/atthemovies/ ABOUT LIFE.CHURCH Wherever you are in life, you have a purpose. Life.Church wants to help you find your next step. Our hope is that your journey will include joining us at a Life.Church location throughout the United States or globally online at https://www.live.life.church Find locations, videos, and more info about us at https://www.life.church or download the Life.Church app at https://www.life.church/app/download FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/life.church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life.church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifechurch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@life.church CONNECT WITH PASTOR CRAIG GROESCHEL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/craiggroeschel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craiggroeschel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craiggroeschel TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@craiggroeschel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/35447748/     Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

We live in a culture that celebrates freedom above almost everything else. We treasure our independence, our rights, and our ability to make our own choices. But what if the freedom we've been given as followers of Christ is meant for something far greater than simply doing whatever we want?__________Get more out of today's teaching by visiting our Church Online page for things like our community guide, a weekly devotional, and the teaching slides. EthosOH.com/churchonline

God promises to guide us, but what does that mean? How do we know what He wants us to do—especially when our path in life becomes unclear? Discover how to recognize God's voice and follow His direction with confidence. NEXT STEPS Have you made the decision to follow Jesus? You might be wondering what's next for you. We want to help! Check out these resources to ​​discover what saying yes to Jesus means: https://go2.lc/podcastcommittochrist See You At the Movies Experience your favorite films in a whole new way during At the Movies! Get in on the fun at a Life.Church location or at Life.Church Online. Find service times and learn what to expect at life.church/atthemovies ABOUT THIS MESSAGE This message was originally presented as a part of a series called God, Just Tell Me. Find out more about the series here: https://www.life.church/media/god-just-tell-me Each week on YouTube, we're highlighting one of our favorite past messages. Our current series, At the Movies, can only be seen at a Life.Church location or at Life.Church Online. Find a location near you or check out online service times at: https://www.life.church/atthemovies/ ABOUT LIFE.CHURCH Wherever you are in life, you have a purpose. Life.Church wants to help you find your next step. Our hope is that your journey will include joining us at a Life.Church location throughout the United States or globally online at https://www.live.life.church Find locations, videos, and more info about us at https://www.life.church or download the Life.Church app at https://www.life.church/app/download FIND US ON SOCIAL MEDIA Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/life.church Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/life.church TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lifechurch YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@life.church CONNECT WITH PASTOR CRAIG GROESCHEL YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/craiggroeschel Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/craiggroeschel Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/craiggroeschel TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@craiggroeschel LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/35447748/ Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Experience your favorite films in a whole new way starting July 5, only at Life.Church locations and Life.Church Online.