The Heart: Cultivating a Strong Walk with Christ as a Church Planter

Host Jeff Medders welcomes Tony Merida, Jared C. Wilson, and Vance Pitman for a new season of the New Churches podcast to discuss the nine essentials of a faithful and effective church planter! They explore the origins and necessity of these essentials, emphasizing the importance of both faithfulness and effectiveness in church planting. The conversation begins with the first essential—Heart—highlighting the spiritual life, holiness, and personal relationship with Jesus that a church planter must cultivate. 

Jeff Medders is the director of theology and content for Send Network and general editor for New Churches. He is also an author, a preacher, and a PhD student in biblical spirituality at Southern Seminary, studying Charles Spurgeon and the Song of Songs. Jeff is a native Houstonian, where he lives with his wife and two kids.

Tony Merida is the founding pastor of Imago Dei Church in Raleigh, N.C, and is the vice president of planter development for Send Network. He also serves as a Board member for The Gospel Coalition. Tony has written several books including, The Christ-Centered Expositor, Love Your Church,and multiple volumes in the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series. He’s happily married to Kimberly, and they have five children.

Jared C. Wilson is pastor for preaching and director of the pastoral training center at Liberty Baptist Church in Liberty, Missouri, and an assistant professor of pastoral ministry and author in residence at Midwestern Seminary in Kansas City, Missouri. He is the author of over 25 books and the co-host of the For The Church Podcast and The Heart of Pastoring Podcast. Jared and his wife, Becky, have been married for 29 years.

Vance Pitman is president of Send Network, founding pastor of Hope Church, and author ofUNBURDENED: Stop Living for Jesus So Jesus Can Live Through YouandThe Stressless Life: Experiencing the Unshakable Presence of God's Indescribable Peace. As a seasoned church planter and now leader of the largest church planting organization in North America, Vance seeks to inspire people to join in God’s eternal, redemptive mission of making disciples by multiplying the Church all over North America so that the nations may come to know Him.  Vance and his wife Kristie have four children and four grandchildren and live in Georgia.