The PrayVerse•Jun 23, 2026•5 min read
Planting a Church
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What does it actually take to plant a healthy church?
Matt Smethurst and Ligon Duncan discuss the joys, challenges, and realities of church planting. Drawing from Matt’s experience planting River City Baptist Church in Richmond, Virginia, they explore everything from assessing a call to church planting and gathering a core team to fundraising, developing leaders, and cultivating a healthy church culture.
Resources Mentioned:
- Planting by Pastoring by Nathan Knight
- Church Planting Thresholds by Clint Clifton
- “Why Plant Churches?” by Tim Keller
- “The ‘Zero Year,’” New Churches Podcast (season 1, ep. 655)
- Church Matters journal, Volume 2: Church Planting (9Marks)
If you’re ready to go deeper, Southern Seminary’s PhD program is where that begins. Visit sbts.edu/phd to learn more.
Original Source: The Gospel Coalition
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