New Churches Podcast

In this episode of the New Churches podcast, host Tony Merida is joined by Vergil Brown and Jeff Medders to tackle a crucial question for church planters: How do I faithfully engage my city with the hope of the gospel? As part of a season focused on the practical “how” questions of church planting, this conversation explores the essential heart shift that must take place in a planter—moving from simply leading a church to living as a missionary in their context. The discussion offers encouragement on personal evangelism, cultivating meaningful relationships, and proclaiming Christ with clarity and compassion. The guests also provide practical coaching on identifying domains of influence, forming wise community partnerships, and serving the city without losing gospel focus. Listeners will come away with biblical vision, practical strategies, and fresh encouragement for engaging their city with intentionality and hope.

(00:24:01) 1st question: How can a planter think and act like a missionary?

(08:29:19) 2nd question: What’s your best advice and encouragement on how to evangelize?

(22:41:00) 3rd question: How do you find your domains of influence and wise partnerships?

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In this episode of the New Churches podcast, host Jeff Medders is joined by Tony Merida and Matt Smethurst to address one of the most important—and often challenging—realities of church planting: building a team. As part of a season focused on the “how” questions of church planting, the conversation explores how planters can thoughtfully recruit people to join the mission and why clarity, character, and shared conviction matter in the early days. The discussion also dives into the ongoing work of discipling and developing leaders within the launch team and how to identify and vet future elders and deacons. Listeners will walk away with biblical insight, seasoned counsel, and practical guidance for building a strong foundation for a new church.
(00:24:01) How do you recruit people to a church planting team?
(06:07:00) What are the best practices for building a team? 
(16:02:04) What evangelism tools do you recommend? 
(21:08:10) How can a planter identify elders and deacons? 
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In this episode of the New Churches podcast, host Noah Oldham is joined by Tony Merida and Adam Muhtaseb to address one of the most frequently used—and often misunderstood—ideas in church planting: vision. As part of a season focused on the “how” questions of church planting, the conversation explores what vision truly is, how a planter faithfully casts vision, and why clarity and consistency matter more than creativity alone. The discussion also dives into the practical work of writing vision and values, as well as the role of a church planting prospectus—what it should include, what it should avoid, and how it serves planters as they raise support, recruit a team, and invite others into the mission. Listeners will walk away with biblical grounding, seasoned counsel, and practical tools for leading others toward a shared, God-given future.
(00:32:14) What is vision and how do you cast it?
(12:26:00) What advice do you have on writing vision and values?
(17:44:23) What needs to be in a prospectus?
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In this episode of theNew Churchespodcast, host Jeff Medders is joined by Tony Merida and Daniel Santander to tackle one of the most foundational questions every prospective church planter asks:How do I know I’m called?As the first episode in a season focused on the “how” questions of church planting, the conversation explores what biblical calling really is, how a man can discern whether he’s called to pastoral ministry—and whether that calling is best lived out through planting, revitalization, or pastoring an existing church—and why every healthy planter must be sent by a local church. Listeners will walk away with theological clarity, pastoral wisdom, and practical guidance for discerning God’s direction and embracing the church-centered nature of the planting task.
Resources: What Great Pastors Do
(00:24:00) What is calling? How do you know if you are called? 
(09:35:00) How do you know if you are a planter, revitalizer, or lay 
pastor?
(20:26:15) Why is a sending church important and how can a church planter foster that relationship?
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In this episode of the New Churches podcast, host Jeff Medders is joined by Noah Oldham, Tony Merida, and Patrick Schreiner, to explore the often-overlooked role of pastoral care, offering practical advice on shepherding a congregation, protecting against false teaching, fostering unity, and cultivating enduring relationships with church members. Listeners gain both biblical insight and real-world strategies for sustaining long-term, healthy ministry.

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