Church Planting 2.0

In this episode, Jeff Hoglen explores the crucial topic of leadership fatigue within church communities. He shares five actionable insights to help leaders recognize signs of exhaustion early, foster rest, and develop resilient teams that thrive long-term.
Key Topics:
Recognizing early signs of leadership fatigue before burnoutEncouraging leaders to take intentional rest as stewardshipDifferentiating between exhaustion caused by ministry versus personal issues.
Building leadership pipelines to distribute workload effectively
Reminding leaders of their original purpose to reignite passion
Timestamps:00:00 - Introduction: Addressing leadership fatigue in ministry00:31 - Why leaders get tired, not necessarily lazy or uncommitted01:00 - Signs of fatigue: energy drops, withdrawal, emotional shifts01:56 - The importance of monitoring both ministry and personal wellbeing03:22 - Giving leaders permission to rest and recognizing rest as stewardship04:34 - Understanding the real causes of fatigue beyond ministry overload05:04 - How to ask questions and listen to leaders’ underlying issues06:25 - The importance of sharing leadership load and developing pipelines07:44 - Building a culture of multiplying future leaders08:12 - Reminding leaders why they started and renewing their purpose08:42 - The significance of encouragement and perspective during exhaustion09:12 - Leaders are people: caring well for their emotional and physical health09:43 - Rest is part of strategic leadership, not weakness10:14 - Final encouragement: slow down to grow stronger
Resources & Links:John Maxwell Leadership Principles
churchplanting.com
Church Planting Done Different: Moving Beyond the Cookie-Cutter Copy-Paste by Jeff Hoglen
Remember: Healthy leadership fosters healthy churches. Recognize fatigue early, prioritize rest, and invest in developing future leaders to sustain your ministry’s impact.

In this episode, Jeff Hoglen addresses a common challenge faced by church leaders: How to fund growth amid limited resources. He explores the core issues behind stagnant finances and practical solutions grounded in diagnosis, leadership, and strategic planning.
Key Topics:
The importance of diagnosing the real problem: culture, allocation, or revenue
How to shift from a budget conversation to a discipleship and formation conversation
The significance of a strong culture of generosity and consistent teaching on giving
Aligning church expenses directly with mission-driven priorities
Practical steps for leveraging networks, asking for partnership, and running effective vision campaigns
The role of bivocational models in sustainable church growth
Developing high-capacity leaders to foster generosity and discipleship
The example of Nehemiah’s strategic approach to community rebuilding
Jeff Hoglen explains why most advice skips crucial diagnosis and how that leads to spinning wheels
He discusses the three core church financial problems and how to identify them
How to build a culture of generosity that sustains growth over time
Practical tips for reallocating budgets to maximize mission impact
The power of network asking and running vision campaigns with clarity
The long-term benefits of investing in leaders and developing people rather than just focusing on fundraising
Church Plantology by Peyton Jones
The North American Mission Board (NAMB)
Stadia Missions
Jeff Christofferson on Co-vocational Structures
LinkedIn
Twitter
In this episode:
Timestamps:
00:00 - How churches can fund growth when resources are tight
00:33 - The mistake of jumping straight to solutions without diagnosis
01:02 - The three key problems: culture, allocation, and revenue
01:30 - Why a discipleship approach is essential for generosity
02:25 - Jesus’ emphasis on money as a spiritual indicator
03:35 - Shifting from a budget talk to a formation conversation
04:26 - Building a strong, consistent culture of generosity
04:56 - How to evaluate and realign church expenses with mission
06:45 - When to consider bivocational models for sustainability
07:13 - The power of marketplace engagement and partnership asking
08:36 - The story of Nehemiah as a model for strategic planning
09:27 - Running clear, vision-driven campaigns that inspire giving
10:47 - How to craft a compelling vision that fuels generosity
11:17 - Developing leaders to foster long-term growth and giving
12:34 - The importance of investing in high-capacity people
13:31 - Summarizing the path: diagnose, build culture, realign resources, and ask boldly
14:28 - Final encouragement and call to action

Resources & Links:
CP on Facebook
ChurchPlanting.com
Connect with Jeff Hoglen:
JeffHoglen.com

Are you ready to move from attendance to discipleship? Tune in, take action, and start leading your church toward a true, life-changing mission today.In this episode, Jeff Hoglen dives deep into the disconnect many churches face: you experience good attendance but low discipleship. He emphasizes that while churches excel at gathering people, they often fall short in forming believers into true followers of Jesus. The core question: how do we move from audiences to fully discipled disciples?Key Topics Covered:
The difference between attendance and discipleship systems
Why a clear next step is essential for spiritual growth
The importance of relationships in transformational discipleship
Discipleship as the church’s mission, not just a program
Practical steps for pastors and leaders to invite deeper commitment
The Great Commission
Acts 2:42-47
Craig Groeschel on Discipleship
Barnagroup Research
Twitter
LinkedIn
Timestamps:00:00 - Why attendance isn’t equivalent to discipleship00:31 - The gap between gathering and spiritual transformation00:58 - Jesus' Great Commission: from filling seats to making disciples01:28 - The reality of systems built for attendance, not transformation01:57 - The lack of a pathway from first visit to deep discipleship02:26 - Data: Only one in five church-going adults have a biblical worldview02:55 - The difference between a discipleship program and process03:22 - Why activity isn’t the same as spiritual formation03:51 - The necessity of a clear, specific next step04:21 - The impact of timely follow-up on spiritual decisions04:50 - How low barriers increase engagement05:19 - What a practical next step looks like in a church context05:49 - The relational environment as the primary setting for discipleship06:24 - Jesus’ model of relational discipleship06:51 - Building relational infrastructure: authentic groups and accountability07:21 - Acts 2 church: an example of relational discipleship in practice08:14 - Moving from "discipleship light" to real life-on-life accountability08:43 - Discipleship has to be the church’s mission, not just a ministry09:32 - The sequence: church growth follows faithful disciplemaking09:57 - Measuring success by transformation, not attendance10:27 - Financial priorities: discipleship formation vs. Sunday production10:57 - Discipleship is an active ongoing process, not a one-time decision11:25 - The power of personalized invitations to go deeper11:56 - Identifying and calling up faithful, hungry members12:25 - The model of personal invitation: the true core of discipleship13:43 - From gathering to aligning around a spiritual mission14:06 - Creating clear, relational pathways from curiosity to commitment14:32 - Discipleship is costly—time, ego, intentionality15:01 - Practical challenge: Pray and reach out to three people this week15:30 - The foundation: starting small, personal, and immediate16:01 - Closing encouragement: become intentional in disciplemaking
Connect with Jeff Hoglen:
• ChurchPlanting.com• JeffHoglen.com

5 Things to Do When Church Attendance Drops
In this episode of Church Plan 2.0, Jeff Hoglen addresses a common challenge for church leaders: what to do when attendance drops. He shares five practical, grounded strategies to navigate this often emotional situation with wisdom and purpose.
Key Topics:
The emotional impact of attendance drops and the importance of leadership stability
Why not to overreact by making drastic changes immediately
Asking better questions to understand the underlying issues
Personal shepherding and relationship-building with missing attendees
Refocusing outreach efforts and cultivating an invitation culture
Returning to core fundamentals to rebuild strength and momentum
The importance of patience, persistence, and faithfulness in ministry
Rich Birch, Unseminary Podcast

Timestamps:00:00 - Understanding the emotional effects of attendance drops on church leaders00:29 - The importance of not panicking and making rash changes00:54 - How to assess if attendance dips are part of a trend or just a moment01:22 - The significance of cultural context in attendance patterns01:51 - Asking better questions: Are guests returning? Are relationships forming?02:17 - Handling large attendance events and subsequent dips responsibly02:44 - The risk of reacting emotionally to attendance patterns03:13 - Building stability through cultural awareness and patience03:43 - The importance of leadership consistency amid fluctuations04:11 - Recognizing and addressing seasonal and external influences04:41 - How weather, holidays, and life stages affect attendance05:10 - Identifying patterns and avoiding unnecessary fear05:39 - Asking deeper questions about connection and engagement06:10 - Monitoring relational health in the church06:39 - The value of clear vision and momentum maintenance07:09 - Leadership’s role in asking tough questions and staying focused07:35 - Recognizing signs of loss of momentum and routine drift08:07 - Keeping vision and mission at the forefront of church life08:34 - Reaching out personally to absent members09:03 - The power of relational follow-up over criticism09:33 - Recognizing silent struggles of church members10:02 - When departures are not due to offense but circumstances10:33 - Building a culture of outreach and invitation11:02 - Practical ways to promote evangelism and invitation culture11:41 - Avoiding insularity by focusing on outsiders and community outreach12:10 - Recommended resources for fostering invite culture (Rich Birch, Unseminary)12:37 - Consistent follow-up and creating welcoming environments13:07 - Simple, intentional outreach strategies with social media and events13:45 - Ensuring greeters and environments encourage open access for newcomers14:13 - The church’s core mission to reach the unreached, not just entertain14:42 - Returning to the basics: preaching clearly, praying passionately, and discipling intentionally15:12 - Going back to fundamentals like leadership development and follow-up15:41 - The importance of authenticity and truth in today’s church climate16:05 - Faithfulness in ministry and trusting God’s timing16:34 - The danger of chasing superficial trends at the expense of the core17:02 - Encouragement from Galatians 6:9 about perseverance and patience17:31 - Ministry seasons: planting, watering, and trusting God for growth17:59 - The call to lead prayerfully and consistently, not emotionally18:28 - Final encouragement: healthy growth is a long-term process rooted in faithfulness

Resources & Links:
• ChurchPlanting.com
• Jeff Hoglen Facebook
• ChurchPlanting.com on Facebook
• JeffHoglen.com

The 5 Most Powerful Ways to Lead
In this episode, Jeff Hoglen emphasizes the importance of revisiting the fundamentals of leadership. Instead of chasing new trends, he advocates for strengthening core qualities that have stood the test of time—leading with heart, clarity, timing, activity, and love.
Key Topics:
·      The significance of evaluating how you lead, notjust what or where
·      The importance of foundational leadershipqualities over flashy tactics
·      Five basic yet powerful ways to lead: Godly,simple, timely, active, and loving
·      How strong fundamentals prevent leaders fromplateauing or burning out
·      Practical questions to assess your leadershipeffectiveness
·      The role of love and relational connection inlong-term influence
Timestamps:

00:00 - The importance of working on how we lead, not just what or where
00:32 - Foundations matter: why leaders fail when their basics crack
01:03 - Introduction to five foundational ways to lead
01:20 - Inspiration from Artie Davis on checking the basics
01:49 - The significance of having solid basics in leadership
02:19 - Lead Godly: empowering others with humility and service (Matthew 23)
02:48 - The importance of heart-driven leadership focused on service
03:14 - Making decisions with others' growth in mind rather than self-promotion
03:35 - Leadership as a posture of the heart, not just behavior
04:03 - The need to continually check and correct our motives
04:22 - Lead Simply: clarity over complexity in communication and initiatives
04:52 - Overcoming overcomplication and focusing on what truly matters
05:29 - Leaders like Craig Rochelle and Andy Stanley on simplicity and focus
06:08 - Assessing what part of your leadership needs simplification
06:36 - Lead Timely: knowing when to act and when to wait
07:05 - The balance of movement: moving at the right moment and seeking counsel
08:04 - Lead Actively: the importance of presence and engagement
08:42 - Leadership is not about delegation alone, but being actively involved
09:08 - The power of showing up and leading in the trenches
09:37 - The impact of personal presence on team motivation and commitment
10:24 - Encourage active engagement to foster sacrifice and follow-through
10:33 - Lead Lovingly: love as the ultimate leadership foundation (1 Corinthians 13)
11:03 - Genuine love as the key to healthy, effective leadership
11:34 - Love in leadership is sacrificial, honest, and consistent
12:03 - The correlation between loving the people you lead and long-term success
12:44 - A quote highlighting love as the greatest indicator of leadership effectiveness
13:13 - Reflective questions on how well you lead in each of the five areas
13:30 - Picking one area for improvement and focusing on it for a week
14:20 - The importance of mastering the basics: lead godly, simply, timely, actively, and lovingly
15:25 - Encouragement to lead well and use your unique gifting to impact the world
 
Resources & Links:
• Artie Davis / Cornerstone Church
• Craig Groeschel - Focused Church Leadership
• Andy Stanley - Clarity in Leadership

Connect with Jeff Hoglen:
• ChurchPlanting.com• Jeff Hoglen Facebook• ChurchPlanting.com on Facebook• JeffHoglen.com