We just released a Journal on church planting and church mergers. Because neither Mark nor Jonathan wrote an article for it, we devoted this episode of Pastors’ Talk to the topic.

Also: this will be our last Pastors’ Talk until September, though we’ll be recording them all summer, so send us your ideas if you have them!

SHOW NOTES:

— Have you (Mark) ever been a church planter? (2:30)

— Why are the topics of planting and mergers worth thinking through? (4:10)

— Is there a different skill set for the church planter and someone leading a church merger? (8:00)

— What’s some bad advice you often hear for church planters? (9:20)

— Do some of the problems stem from a dependence on agencies as opposed to churches? What are agencies useful for? What should they not do that they tend to do? (11:00)

— What common wisdom do you have to offer those involved in church mergers? (13:10)

— When does the “church plant” become a church? (19:00)

— Who should leave a church to go with a plant? (20:00)

— Do you have elders first, and then members? Or the other way around? (22:20)