The Unfair Advantage Art of Leadership Network

Today, we're discussing the crucial role of weekend services for church planters, emphasizing their importance for spiritual growth, welcoming first-time guests, and creating momentum. David outlines four key ways to enhance weekend experiences: setting the tone spiritually through personal devotion and prayer, culturally by reinforcing vision and excellence, strategically for guest outreach by lowering anxiety and ensuring clarity, and aligning all teams and ministries to work cohesively. Hibiske encourages church planters to prioritize spiritual readiness, inspect and improve cultural standards, focus on guest experiences, and foster team alignment to drive growth and engagement in their churches.Welcome to Episode 025 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Mike Hickerson and David Hibiske.EPISODE LINKSDo ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Check out the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ (https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/) WHO IS MIKE HICKERSON?Mike Hickerson is the Lead Pastor of Mission Church in Ventura, CA. Mike describes himself as a church planter, lucky husband, outnumbered dad of three daughters, Oklahoma Sooner fan, coffee addict, and a struggling surfer.WHO IS DAVID HIBISKE?David Hibiske is the Pastor of Strategic Ministry Initiatives at Saddleback Church. He grew up in Wilmington, NC before moving to Fort Worth, TX to attend Southwestern Seminary. David met his wife, Kendall, while in Seminary and they have two daughters, Ella and Avery, and one son, Andrew. After completing his Master of Divinity, David and Kendall moved to San Jose, CA to join the staff team at South Bay Church (now Echo Church). In 2022, God called them to head to Southern California and join the team at Saddleback Church where David now serves as Pastor of Strategic Ministry Initiatives. SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Generis (https://generis.com/get-started/).A generous church is a healthy, growing church. So, if you're ready to advance your mission, visit Generis.com/getstarted today!

Whether you're planting a church or leading one, these seven shifts will be pivotal in the first two years of development. They set the tone for a community's growth and impact. Remember, it's about a long obedience in the same direction. Take it step by step, and give yourself and your team the grace to grow.Welcome to Episode 024 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Mike Hickerson and David Hibiske. EPISODE LINKSDo ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Check out the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ (https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/) WHO IS MIKE HICKERSON?Mike Hickerson is the Lead Pastor of Mission Church in Ventura, CA. Mike describes himself as a church planter, lucky husband, outnumbered dad of three daughters, Oklahoma Sooner fan, coffee addict, and a struggling surfer.WHO IS DAVID HIBISKE?David Hibiske is the Pastor of Strategic Ministry Initiatives at Saddleback Church. He grew up in Wilmington, NC before moving to Fort Worth, TX to attend Southwestern Seminary. David met his wife, Kendall, while in Seminary and they have two daughters, Ella and Avery, and one son, Andrew. After completing his Master of Divinity, David and Kendall moved to San Jose, CA to join the staff team at South Bay Church (now Echo Church). In 2022, God called them to head to Southern California and join the team at Saddleback Church where David now serves as Pastor of Strategic Ministry Initiatives. SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Generis (https://generis.com/get-started/).A generous church is a healthy, growing church. So, if you're ready to advance your mission, visit Generis.com/getstarted today!

ABOUT THE EPISODEPrayer—it's not just some spiritual tool you whip out when you need it. Today, Mike Hickerson and David Hibiske talk about how skipping prayer might actually be holding you back more than you think. Starting with pastors’ own private prayer time, Mike and David break down how investing your time and even some cash into prayer can transform the heart of your church. Listen in for practical tips on bringing prayer into your community, making it accessible and meaningful for everyone.Welcome to Episode 023 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Mike Hickerson and David Hibiske. EPISODE LINKSDo ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Check out the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ (https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/) WHO IS MIKE HICKERSON?Mike Hickerson is the Lead Pastor of Mission Church in Ventura, CA. Mike describes himself as a church planter, lucky husband, outnumbered dad of three daughters, Oklahoma Sooner fan, coffee addict, and a struggling surfer.WHO IS DAVID HIBISKE?David Hibiske is the Pastor of Strategic Ministry Initiatives at Saddleback Church. He grew up in Wilmington, NC before moving to Fort Worth, TX to attend Southwestern Seminary. David met his wife, Kendall, while in Seminary and they have two daughters, Ella and Avery, and one son, Andrew. After completing his Master of Divinity, David and Kendall moved to San Jose, CA to join the staff team at South Bay Church (now Echo Church). In 2022, God called them to head to Southern California and join the team at Saddleback Church where David now serves as Pastor of Strategic Ministry Initiatives. SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Generis (https://generis.com/get-started/).A generous church is a healthy, growing church. So, if you're ready to advance your mission, visit Generis.com/getstarted today!

“If you can’t understand who you are, you’re probably misdiagnosing who other people are.” Meet Rick Burge, a dynamic leader and coach with a passion for identifying, developing, and mentoring high-capacity leaders. Rick walks through a detailed list of key characteristics for church planters wanting to build up healthy partnerships. From basic leadership competencies to tips for handling the pressure of planting, Rick guides us thoughtfully through this conversation of healthy church planting.Welcome to Episode 022 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Mike Hickerson. EPISODE LINKShttps://launchstrong.com (https://launchstrong.com/)Emotional Intelligence 2.0 (https://www.amazon.com/Emotional-Intelligence-20-audiobook/dp/B003MSCSD4/ref=sr_1_1?crid=23ST6DMYFKBNQ&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.CR3svxVwjTaw8PvzMuhxtFBKu-r_60icr1CruZn-7EWPwEDFuFubEBGleatk8k7X0beC6SNp1zpyFP7g9tv5ZrQggS_XcIIGaactYyTRJdEqJIgStFItQnGpbQ8ZmsREoiTLOn_3qDpHy3dxtZgDE-8AzMpSvzPgoKYlS9XNTIPRb-0KogKJel6pst0sHtjSU_8XQ8OHbnFuJDLa6TXYBhhwEAy7VIq3fBonCe7kNA8.6UPpYhnPdOV4XLcrnrNGnmE0cR23nOJpttXxSvTpGDY&dib_tag=se&keywords=emotionally+healthy+2.0+travis&qid=1709572689&sprefix=emotionally+healthy+2.0+travi%2Caps%2C162&sr=8-1), by Travis BradberryDo ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Check out the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ (https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/) WHO IS RICK?Twenty years ago, Rick was hired by Steve Stroope, the founder of Lakepointe Church in Dallas, to help execute his vision and strategy to start new, high-impact churches in hard-to-reach cities in North America. In 2007, this movement became the Strategic Launch Network, which was established to better resource, serve, and connect church planters and partner churches. Rick has a passion for identifying, developing, and mentoring high-capacity leaders and provides coaching to church planters, pastors, and other leaders. He has had the privilege of helping start almost 70 new churches in strategic cities, like Boston, Denver, New York, Portland, San Francisco, and Washington, DC. These new churches have now cumulatively baptized over 20,000 people and are actively multiplying other new churches. Prior to serving on staff at Lake Pointe, Rick held various leadership positions at United Parcel Service over a 20-year career. He is married to Kathryn and they have five children and 14 grandchildren.SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Generis (https://generis.com/get-started/).A generous church is a healthy, growing church. So, if you're ready to advance your mission, visit Generis.com/getstarted today!

ABOUT THE EPISODE“Jesus has already given us the mission, and He already tells us what heaven celebrates.” Today, Mike Hickerson leads the discussion about trends in church planting, plus key reminders to keep planters in a healthy place of leadership. Find out what planters should be obsessing over, why data is your friend, and why the “rise of ‘nones’” brings hopeful opportunity. It’s all in today’s episode!Welcome to Episode 021 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Mike Hickerson. EPISODE LINKSDo ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Check out the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ (https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/) WHO IS MIKE?Mike Hickerson is the Lead Pastor of Mission Church in Ventura, CA. Mike describes himself as a church planter, lucky husband, outnumbered dad of three daughters, Oklahoma Sooner fan, coffee addict, and a struggling surfer.SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Generis (https://generis.com/get-started/).A generous church is a healthy, growing church. So, if you're ready to advance your mission, visit Generis.com/getstarted today!

ABOUT THE EPISODE“We overestimate how much energy we need to make an awesome church, and we underestimate how important it is to have a healthy marriage.” Today, we’re joined by hosts Mike Hickerson and David Hibiske in a church-planting conversation centered around the family side of a pastor. Often, in the hustle of church planting, pastors can fall into the trap of prioritizing work over family. This only ends up negatively affecting both the church and your family! Listen in for key takeaways and best practices to maintain strength in your family as you pursue ministry alongside them. Welcome to Episode 020 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Mike Hickerson and David Hibiske. EPISODE LINKSDo ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Check out the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ (https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/) WHO ARE MIKE AND DAVID?Mike Hickerson is the Lead Pastor of Mission Church in Ventura, CA. Mike describes himself as a church planter, lucky husband, outnumbered dad of three daughters, Oklahoma Sooner fan, coffee addict, and a struggling surfer.David Hibiske is the Pastor of Strategic Ministry Initiatives at Saddleback Church. He grew up in Wilmington, NC before moving to Fort Worth, TX to attend Southwestern Seminary. David met his wife, Kendall, while in Seminary and they have two daughters, Ella and Avery, and one son, Andrew. After completing his Master of Divinity, David and Kendall moved to San Jose, CA to join the staff team at South Bay Church (now Echo Church). In 2022, God called them to head to Southern California and join the team at Saddleback Church where David now serves as Pastor of Strategic Ministry Initiatives. SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Generis (https://generis.com/get-started/).A generous church is a healthy, growing church. So, if you're ready to advance your mission, visit Generis.com/getstarted today!