Canadian Church Planting Podcast: Recent Episodes
Ben Jolliffe
What is happening in Canadian Church Planting? What is working? What is not working? What is changing? What are different places like? Investigating the people and places where churches are being planted, replanted and revitalized.
Pony Church is one of the more unique church plants I've come across. A strong focus on evangelism, a strange (but beautiful) beginning to their story, completing seminary and planting a church, planting a church while young, how older churches can plant daughter churches very different from themselves and much more. A really interesting story.
This episode is brought to you by the Grace Network. If you want to find out more about the Grace Network, go to gracenetwork.ca
To get in touch with Pony Church, please visit ponychurch.com.
To get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
I've been interested in multi-site churches for a while, particularly as they relate to church planting. Along with the Meeting House, Village Church has been one of the more aggressive churches in Canada at pursuing a multi-site vision. So I interviewed Kevin Schular who planted a site of the Village Church thousands of km's away from where Village Church started. We talked about the history of Village Church, the difference between planting a church and starting an evangelistic ministry, the advantages to being a site instead of a stand-alone plant, how the Village Church is faring now that Mark Clark has left and much more.
If you want to find out more about Village Church or Kevin, go to https://thisisvillagechurch.com/location/winnipeg/
If you want to know more about the Grace Network, go to gracenetwork.ca
If you want to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
I read Stefan's book a year or so ago and was immediately struck by how well he captured what it "feels" like to plant a church in Canada. He talks about mission, slow evangelism, feeling like a cultural outsider, facing the apathy of the public, a different vision of what church looks like, linguistic minefields in church planting, new ecclesiological structures that may be needed, how we reckon with a loss of cultural power and much more. The book and this interview are so helpful in reframing what church planting and mission should look and feel like in Canada.
To get Stefan's book, you can go here: https://a.co/d/60Xt0J0
To get in touch with Stefan, go here: https://vu.nl/en/research/scientists/stefan-paas
To find out more about the Grace Network, please visit gracenetwork.ca
To get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
Jeremy co-planted Port City Church in Halifax about two years ago with Chad MacDonald. Though he has Canadian roots, Jeremy spent years working for Summit Church and Mercy Hill Church helping them plant churches throughout North America and the world. In this interview we talk about all that he learned at Summit and Mercy Hill, why he felt called to Canada, why he planted in Halifax and specifically Bedford, what the name Port City means, some encouraging stories from the first few years and much more.
If you want to get in touch with Jeremy or Port City Church, you can find them at https://portcitychurch.ca/
If you want to get in touch with the Grace Network, you can find out more at gracenetwork.ca
If you want to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
In this episode we cover all kinds of things Joel has written on that relate to church planting: why 'nones' and 'dones' vary across Canada, how this impacts church attendance, why and how evangelism still is effective in Canada, how much effective evangelism actually leads to church growth, why moving to plant a church isn't a great idea (sociologically speaking), how much of your church really is new to the faith and much more.
The three articles referenced in our conversation are the following:
https://secularismandnonreligion.org/articles/10.5334/snr.126
https://5c6ae412-7eda-4fd5-aa92-49c06363da01.filesusr.com/ugd/68e091_25df2ee227b64fcda1509ee01b0b757c.pdf
https://www.joelthiessen.ca/single-post/2015/02/27/do-we-really-need-another-church-plant
If you'd like to read more from Joel, he has a list of all his publications, articles and books on his website: https://www.joelthiessen.ca/publications
If you'd like to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
If you'd like to find out more about the Grace Network, please visit gracenetwork.ca
I (Ben) have been hanging around the church planting world for almost 15 years as an intern, church planter and church planting coach. During that time, I've had some ideas. Ideas about where to find more church planters, how to get more experienced pastors into church planting, how to grow quickly at the beginning.
During this episode, I pitch six different ideas to my friend Franky Garcia and he rates each idea out of 10 and tells me what he likes and dislikes about it. I hope this episode gives some fresh inspiration when it comes to church planting.
To get in touch with Franky or Grace Gatineau, go to gracegatineau.ca
To get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
To get in touch with the Grace Network, please visit gracenetwork.ca
If you'd like to appear as a guest on the podcast, please send me an email with a few details about yourself (or a friend you think I should get in touch with).
Steve and Ben have a wide ranging conversation about Steve's life growing up in Newfoundland, why he went into pastoral ministry, what he learned on PEI, why he moved back to Newfoundland and how he he has founded and built Mile One Mission. We then dig into Mile One Mission (and why it isn't called Kilometre One Mission) and Steve's vision for churches and church planting in Newfoundland and Labrador.
To find out more about Steve Bray and Mile One Mission, please go to mileonemission.ca.
To find out more about the Grace Network, please go to gracenetwork.ca.
To get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
In this episode we cover a lot of ground: Why Ron planted a church in retirement (and how his wife felt about this idea), how Anglicans go about church planting, what Ron is doing now with Anglican explorers and we get into some of the specifics of different projects and opportunities that are taking place all over Canada.
If you'd like to get in touch with Ron or Anglican explorers, you can find them at https://www.anglicanexplorers.ca/
If you want to get in touch with the Grace Network, please visit gracenetwork.ca
If you want to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
Messy Middle is about the middle of a venture. Starting and finishing is fun, but what about the hard parts in the middle? That is what Messy Middle is all about. Hear Ben talk about not celebrating fake wins, how to process uncertainty, the kind of person you should hire first, how to become a church planting expert, the first "mile" of a person's experience with your church and much more.
If you have thoughts about this book or if you have a book you think Ben should report on, send an email to canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
If you want to know more about the Grace Network, please go to gracenetwork.ca.
If you want to buy "Messy Middle," you should go to your local bookshop. If you can't wait, Amazon has it: https://a.co/d/6znljxQ
If you've been looking for a low and high level view on what is happening with Church Planting in Quebec, you're going to love this episode. Patrice is brimming with stories about what God has done and is doing in Quebec. We hear about his early church plant in Terrebonne, QC, what it is like to be a Protestant Christian in Quebec, what he is seeing in terms of a church planting movement, some stories of how God is at work and much more.
Great insights, deep experience, genuine heart for the Lord and some delightful English as a second language moments, this is a great episode.
To find out more about Patrice's work, you can get in touch with him here: https://c2ccollective.com/nagant
To get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
To get in touch with the Grace Network, please visit gracenetwork.ca
We go through a lot of Jeremy's journey into church planting: why they chose the name, what East Vancouver/Burnaby is like, how youth ministry prepared him for church planting, how King's Cross is the same and different from St. John's, why he planted with staff, and much more.
If you want to get in touch with Jeremy or King's Cross, you can find them at https://kingscrossvancouver.church/
If you want to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, you can email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
If you want to find out more about the Grace Network, you can go to gracenetwork.ca.
In this episode we talk about the state of both of their church plants and how they are involved while also handling other responsibilities of work and home life. We talk about how they got interested in church planting, how they handle disagreements with their spouses over church decisions, what most Christians don't understand about church planting families, what they like and don't like about being married to a church planter, and much more.
If you want to get in touch with Christine or Church of the Messiah West, you can find them here: https://messiahwest.ca/
If you want to get in touch with Alaina or Grace Gatineau, you can find them here: https://www.gracegatineau.ca/
If you want to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, you can email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
If you want to find out more about the Grace Network, go to gracenetwork.ca
Craig Robinson has a fascinating story. He felt called to plant a church in a mountain town and in 2018, he moved to Canmore to do just that. But Craig and his wife and a few friends spent a year working and living in Canmore to better understand its people and rhythms before starting a church. To this day, he still works part time for his tile setting company while pastoring the Cairn. In this episode we talk about how he prepared for planting, why he chose Canmore, what life in a mountain town is like, being a co-vocational pastor, what a "cairn" is and why he named his church after it and much more.
If you'd like to get in touch with Craig or the Cairn Church, you can find them at https://www.thecairncanmore.com/.
If you'd like to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email us at canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
If you'd like to find out more about the Grace Network, please go to www.gracenetwork.ca.
In this episode we talk about why Matt planted Church of the Ward in Guelph ON with all of the pros and cons of a very local church. We talk about moving into needy neighbourhoods and how that affects the family of the church planter. We also talk about why Matt decided to merge his church with another church plant and later, why he decided to move on from that church. This is an honest, frank conversation about the twists and turns of church planting and the decisions you never thought you'd have to make.
If you'd like to get in touch with Matt, you can find him here: https://www.sendnetwork.ca/contact
If you'd like to know more about the Grace Network, you can find out more here: www.gracenetwork.ca
If you'd like to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, you can email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
Jeremy tried to plant a church in his 20's which didn't work. But he took the lessons he learned to Huntsville, ON where he planted and pastored a church for more than a decade. Along the way he pioneered some new evangelistic approaches and also helped his denomination develop a healthy church planting ecosystem. We also talk about how Jeremy's church plant went about finding a building. There are lots of practical lessons from Jeremy in this episode.
If you'd like to get in touch with Jeremy, you can find him here: https://www.wycliffecollege.ca/users/jeremy-mcclung#profile-main
If you'd like to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, you can email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
If you'd like to find out more about the Grace Network, please go to https://www.gracenetwork.ca/.
This episode is different. It's just Ben giving a summary and his thoughts on the book "The Great DeChurching." No interview, no discussion, just straight content. If you liked this episode, please let us know. We have a few other books that we are considering for episodes like this, so if you found it helpful, please shoot us an email at canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com to let us know.
To find out more about the Grace Network you can visit gracenetwork.ca.
To get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
To get the book, you can find it on Amazon.
Nathan Kapetyn is the pastor and church planter of Baden Central Church. You can find our more and get in touch with Nathan at https://badencentral.ca/.
If you'd like to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
In this episode we cover where Manitouwadge is, what it is like, who lives there and why you should think about living in a small town. We talk about the need for pastors in small towns and the spiritual climate of these places and why Russell started Boreal Baptist Church.
If you'd like to get in touch with Russell or Boreal Baptist Church, you can find them at https://www.borealbaptistchurch.ca/.
If you'd like to get in touch with the Grace Network, you can find them at https://www.gracenetwork.ca/.
If you'd like to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
In this episode we get into how Blair arrived in Regina, starting a church in his living room, surviving COVID, planting a second and third site, merging those sites and how to build a church-planting church.
This episode is sponsored by the Grace Network, a Canadian Church planting network. To find out more about them, please visit gracenetwork.ca
If you'd like to get in touch with Blair or Compass Regina, please visit compassregina.com.
To get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
What does it feel like to be a lay person in a church plant? Matt Wills shares his experiences from being part of two church plants. He talks about serving in all kinds of roles, what it is like to watch a church grow and change, what he wishes church planters and pastors knew about their people, whether or not he wants to volunteer in areas of strength or need and much more.
If you want to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
Matt doesn't do much social media, but if you are looking for the church he currently attends, you can find it at www.christchurchtoronto.ca.
If you want to know more about the Grace Network, please go to gracenetwork.ca.
Dr. Andrew Root is an author, speaker and teacher at Luther Seminary in St. Paul MN. He wrote a book called "The Church After Innovation" which has a number of implications for those interested in church planting. In this interview we explore a number of his ideas including: Where did our ideas about innovation come from? How did mission and innovation get equated? What should we be watching for when the church focuses on entrepreneurship and creativity? Why do we look for 'unique' churches?
This episode is a bit different, but I think you'll enjoy it.
If you want to read more of what Dr. Root has written, you can find out more at https://www.andrewroot.org/
If you want to know more about the Grace Network, please go to Gracenetwork.ca
If you want to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
In this episode we cover how Colton ended up in Charlottetown, what the spiritual climate of PEI is like, the history of Anglicanism on the east coast, what his logo means (spoiler: he didn't make it), how the tourist season changes church life in Charlottetown and much more.
To find out more about Redemption Church or get in touch with Colton, you can visit https://www.redemptionpei.org/
To find out more about the Grace Network, you can go to www.gracenetwork.ca
To get in touch with Ben, suggest guests/topics for the podcast, or submit Presbyterian jokes, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
In this episode we cover how long they have lived in their respective communities, how long they spent at the mother church, what size of core group they are working with, what their schedules currently look like, when they hope to start public worship services and much more.
To get in touch with Franky, you can find him at https://www.gracegatineau.ca/
To get in touch with Phil, you can contact him at missiontostoneycreek@gmail.com.
To get in touch with the Grace Network, please go to gracenetwork.ca
To get in touch with Ben, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
We cover lots of ground including:
- how an anglophone ended up in Montreal and why he decided to work in French
- how campus ministry prepared him for church planting
- some challenging stories of church planting and how they were treated in the city
- some of the biggest challenges with planting in French
- and much more.
If you'd like to find Brad, you can get in touch through their website: https://www.egliseduplateau.com/
If you'd like to get in touch with Ben or the podcast, you can email us at canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
We have a wide ranging conversation, covering:
- Allan's background and experiences that prepared him to lead an older, established church
- how the church was invigorated by foreign missions
- how Bethel planted a church in the village of Glencoe
- the role of sites in church planting
- what Bethel is dreaming about for the future
- and much more...
To get in touch with Allan and Bethel, you can find them online here: https://bethelstrathroy.com/
To get in touch with Ben or the podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
Tim Keller was hugely influential in the church planting movement of recent years. In the wake of his passing, I wanted to briefly reflect on what he meant to me as a church planter. But I also wanted to share some of the lessons I am taking from his life. I'm deeply thankful for Tim and will miss him.
Harrison Kwok is a church planter and pastor at Northern Collective in Whitehorse, Yk. We talk about why he chose his church name, specific Yukon struggles in church planting, why they started a seminary and what they've learned about ministering to First Nations. If you are unfamiliar with Canada's north, this episode will be really helpful in understanding what has happened and what needs to happen in the future.
To get in touch with Harrison, you can find him at northerncollective.church.
To get in touch with the podcast or Ben, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
If you want to get in touch with Ben, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
If you want to find out more about Stephen Elliott, you can find his email, books and more at https://www.kingswood.edu/staff/stephen-d-elliott-d-min
We cover all kinds of ground, from the name of St. Peter's Fireside, the intentional focus on beauty in their church plant and how Alastair got to Vancouver in the first place. We also talk about what happened to St. Peter's during COVID and the toll it took on Canadian churches. Finally, we talk a little bit about the Anglican Network in Canada (ANIC) and how they think about church planting.
If you want to get in touch with Alastair, you can find him at https://alastairsterne.com/
If you are looking for St. Peter's Fireside, you can find that church here: https://www.stpetersfireside.org/
If you want to get in touch with the show, please email us at canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
We discuss church planting with immigrants, the slow disintegration of Protestant denominations (except some Baptists!), why Canadian charitable giving is so terrible, the future of church plant funding, some inside baseball about the demographics of the PCA and much more.
The first study referenced from Waybase is sadly no longer available online.
The second article about donation data can be found here: https://thehub.ca/2022-12-20/two-decades-of-donation-data-shows-canadians-are-more-scrooge-like-than-ever/
The third study about denomination demographic data can be found here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1FpkS9E37itnwxPM9s_x01Oyk2CBvVRBY/view?usp=sharing
This podcast is sponsored by the Grace Network. You can find out more about the Grace Network at gracenetwork.ca.
If you'd like to get in touch with the podcast, please email us at canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
If you want to get in touch with Ian or Mercy Christian Church, you can find them at https://mercychurch.ca/.
If you want to get in touch with Ben, you can email the podcast at canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
This podcast is sponsored by the Grace Network, a church planting network in Canada for Canadians. You can learn more about their work at gracenetwork.ca.
Thanks to Nathan Michel for production help.
If you'd like to get ahold of Jared or find out more about the New Leaf Church Planting Network, please visit them at their website: https://www.newleafnetwork.ca/
If you'd like to learn more about the Grace Network, you can visit their website: www.gracenetwork.ca
If you want to get in touch with Ben and the Canadian Church Planting Podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
Paul Vandenbrink is a church planter and pastor in Dundas ON. You can find his church at https://gracevalleychurch.ca/. Paul also has his own podcast: https://gracevalleychurch.ca/podcasts/the-clearer-thinking-podcast
If you'd like to get in touch with the Canadian Church Planting Podcast, please email canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com
The Canadian Church Planting Podcast is sponsored by the Grace Network. the Grace Network is a Canadian church planting network committed to planting, re-planting, renewing and multiplying churches in Canada. Read more at gracenetwork.ca.
If you have questions for Ben, guests you'd like to see on the see on the show, wing recommendations in various Canadian cities, please email us at canadianchurchplanting@gmail.com.
Thanks to Nathan Michele for production help.