If the auditorium was full, we were a success. If the giving exceeded the mortgage, we were faithful. If we raised the capital campaign for a new building, God had blessed us.

Hi, I’m an American church pastor.

Beneath the surface of these measurements however, I was dying a slow spiritual death. 

At church, I watched as good-hearted people slept in the pews. I cringed as good-hearted preachers spoke to congregants with glazed and uninterested looks – sometimes because the sermons were… uninteresting. I trembled as the culture tectonically shifted around us and we buried our heads in the sand.

I saw lots of spectators and not enough disciples. 

I saw people who loved Jesus but were chained to the programs of the church. I saw people’s hearts stirred by God to serve and love the world around them, only to be stifled because it didn’t fit within the existing structures. I attended bickering board meetings and witnessed the weighty shackles of our budget produce a beast who required constant feeding in order to keep the lights on – ironically only twice a week. 

Most importantly, I looked at the New Testament and saw a chasm between the life of the early church and our (albeit well intended) weekend productions.

Then I looked even closer… and I noticed that same chasm in me.

This was not why I started following Jesus.

Abandoning Outcomes

This is the story of how I stopped trying to “grow the church” and started trying to release the priesthood of all believers. It wasn’t an overnight pivot – in many ways it was a slow, agonizing, and beautiful death of my own ego.

The hardest part of this journey wasn’t changing our structures; it wasn’t convincing people they should be disciples on mission with Jesus; and it wasn’t the length of time the transition has taken – it was (and is) changing my metrics of success. 

In our culture, we are addicted to up and to the right – bigger is better. We want more people, more programs, and if we are honest, in our weaker moments, more recognition.

When we began the transition toward becoming a decentralized microchurch network, we quickly realized that we were going to be required to abandon outcomes. In a decentralized network, you lose control. Or more accurately, you more easily recognize the illusions of control you thought you had all along. We plant and water, and we aim do so diligently and with integrity – but it is ultimately God that makes anything grow (1 Cor 3:7).

I had to ask myself: Am I okay with a church that is small, but does meaningful Kingdom work? Abandoning outcomes meant trading the mega for the meaningful – putting our hands to the plow of meaningful work and leaving the outcomes to God. It meant realizing that a group of three people meeting in a basement to care for a widowed neighbor, or a family of five singing about Jesus at a hospice facility as people took their final breath, was more “successful” than 500 people telling me I had preached a “good word” at a Sunday service and then going home and doing nothing about it. 

This is a critical starting point. Our ego’s must be checked at the door, and we must begin by abandoning the outcomes of our work to the Lord. 

Jesus calls – we must follow.

Creating a Calling Culture

In a traditional or prevailing church model, the pastor is often the “professional Christian.” The congregation pays the pastor to do the ministry they feel too busy or ill-equipped to do. So we have inadvertently created a consumer church culture where the laity sit and the clergy perform.

But I am convinced that Jesus is calling the priesthood of all believers to join Him in the work of renewing, restoring, and reconciling all things (Col 1:19-20; Eph 2:10).

In our transition from a traditional church to a microchurch network, we had to deconstruct the hierarchal expectations of the Christians and create a calling culture. When people asked, “Pastor, what’s the plan? What’s your vision?” I would reply with, “What is Jesus calling you to do in the world and how can I help you do that?” 

This meant we had to shift our language. We stopped saying, “How can you help the church run its programs?” and started asking, “Where is God already at work in your life and the world around you – and how can we support you there?” We wanted to view every member, and for them to see themselves, as everyday missionaries in their context and zip code.

When people realized we weren’t just wanting them to be volunteers in the programs of the church – but rather were being called by God to partner with him in his mission in the world – several stepped up to lead small and vibrant communities of faith. Some of these people had never led anything in a church context before. 

We were no longer recruiting people to keep programs running; we were commissioning people into the Missio Dei.

Microchurches are Not Mini Traditional Churches

Early on in our transition, I remember going to a microchurch gathering that I was not leading and crying as we sang, prayed, read Scripture, and shared vulnerably from our hearts. On the way home I told my wife, “I can’t remember the last time I felt like that at church.”

I had witnessed the beauty of the body of Christ. I was able to see Jesus in other people. I was able to worship – and not just work.

All along we have tried to avoid the mistake of “Honey, I shrunk the church.” Many times I meet pastors who think a microchurch is just a small group with a trendier name. I have seen pastors take their 90-minute Sunday service and shrink it down to a living room with a mini sermon, mini worship set, and a mini communion. And usually with the same mini participation as big church. But more awkward.

Microchurches are not mini big churches. Microchurches are meant to be environments where everyone participates and each believer filled by the Spirit of God edifying the group (1 Cor. 14:26). A microchurch is the church, not simply a subsidiary of a larger one.

A microchurch doesn’t need a stage; it needs a table. It doesn’t need a professional orator; it needs a facilitator. In a big church, you can hide. In a microchurch, it’s way harder. We have tried to lean into the strengths of the small: participation, intimacy, accountability, and agility.

Pacing and Surrendering Timelines

If you try to rush the transition from a traditional church setting into a decentralized movement, it will likely implode. And the larger and older the traditional church is, likely the longer it will take, and the harder it will be. Even though we were a small church, it still took us far longer to make the transition that I had anticipated. Thankfully God surrounded me with other wise people that helped the pace of change be manageable for everyone.

Going through the transition slower than I wanted was a great challenge. Not only did I have to surrender my timelines, but I also had to acknowledge where my preconceived timelines were coming from – and why I was in a hurry in the first place. 

I had a vision of a network of 25 microchurches in two years; God wanted us to spend two years learning how to pray together and listen to him. I had a vision to send out Christians as everyday missionaries; God wanted us to deconstruct decades of consumer Christianity and reenvision the very heart of the gospel. 

That kind of heart work doesn’t necessarily happen on our schedules.

Going slow allowed us to embrace change at deep levels. It allowed people to feel part of the process and that they weren’t just getting yo-yoed with the latest church trend. Slow pacing has allowed us to fail small. If a microchurch or new pastors struggled, we could pivot and learn without the consequences of large structures collapsing. 

During this season, I was invited to recognize the fact that Jesus wasn’t often in a rush in his ministry – and confronted with the fact that I often was.

Ecclesial Minimums and Redefining Church

To make this leap, we had to reexamine our theological foundations. While this is extremely difficult, it is a vital task for anyone that would endeavor in this way. We had to ask: What is Church? What is our ecclesial minimum? What are our non-negotiable convictions for something to be called church, and why?

Does it need a building? Does it need staff? Does it need to be a 501(c)3? Does it need a fog machine? 

I pray not.

As a team we studied and wrestled with the Scriptures and concluded that wherever the people of God work together under the lordship of Jesus, mature more into His likeness, and accomplish part of the mission of God in the world, they are the church. This required a willingness to shift theologically. We had to follow the truth of the Scriptures wherever they led us, even if it was away from our previous understandings or traditions. 

Everyone who ventures in this way will have to cross theological bridges like these for themselves.

Plurality and Making Decisions Together

In the traditional prevailing church model, I basically functioned as the church “CEO.” Decisions were often made at the top and trickled down. It can be efficient, but it is also very dangerous – and lonely.

Christians often expect the pastor to have a vision and tell them how they can help execute it, but we wanted to operate in a different way – making decisions together. This meant establishing a team built on mutuality, plurality, humility, and deference. 

This kind of environment can help protect from the cult of personality. In our day and age, we are well aware of the dangers of celebrity pastor fallout and above-the-law style leadership. But when leadership is shared, wisdom is multiplied. When multiple gifts are functioning together clothed in humility, the body thrives (1 Cor. 12:12-31). We found that by listening and inviting diverse voices from our micro church pastors – stay-at-home moms, engineers, teachers, retirees – we made better decisions than I ever would have alone.

Plurality takes longer. It’s messier. It requires more humility. 

But it’s more beautiful – and better reflects Jesus.

New Metrics and Learning to Be Faithful

Today, we don’t look like a church in the way I used to define it. We look more like pockets of light scattered across the darkness, and act more like patches of salt melting away coldness of heart in the world. We simply want to be faithful to the Kingdom work that Jesus has called us to. I encourage you to do the same.

Sure, I may be less famous than I used to be, but I am less busy with the wrong things. I am less stressed and more at peace. And yes, I struggle with doubt and can want to turn back to my well-worn paths of old success metrics.

But I think I may be closer to Jesus than ever. And that’s why I started following Jesus in the first place.

To be clear, microchurches are not for everyone. No single church model or method is able to provide the best environment for every person to thrive spiritually. That is the beauty of the diversity of the body of Christ. 

I believe the church of Jesus, in all its forms, can be used for his glory and purposes in the world. But after several years of being on this journey as a microchurch network, our leadership team sometimes muses about what we miss about big church, and whether we would ever see ourselves going back to it. Obviously, we want to be sensitive and obey whatever the Lord might call us to do. But at this stage, it is hard for us to envision going back. 

Now that we have tasted and seen just how good microchurches can be.

Are You Being Called?

Microchurches may seem new, shiny, and novel to many – even though the concept is quite ancient. But these are the wrong reasons to do it. Don’t do microchurches because they are trendy. Don’t call the small groups in your traditional church microchurches because it’s faddy jargon. 

The only right reason to do microchurches is because you have prayerfully discerned in community that it is what Jesus is calling you to do. 

The rest is simple; obey.

Microchurch Questionnaire:

This calling questionnaire is designed to help you and your team begin discussing if a decentralized model is the right path for your next season. 

Note: It may not be best to try to answer all these questions in one sitting. Perhaps start with a few that resonate and spend time on those first.

Assessing the Why

1. The Call: Why might you want to move toward a decentralized model of microchurches? Do you believe Jesus is calling you to it? Why or why not?
2. The Success Metric: If your Sunday attendance stayed the same for the next three years, or even decreased, but your members increased in becoming more like Christ and deeply engaged the world around them for Kingdom purposes, would you feel like you were successful? Why or why not?
3. The Scattered Priesthood of All Believers: If your building closed and all your ministry programs stopped, how many of your members would continue meaningful Kingdom work in their context?
4. The Control Factor: Are you afraid of people “doing church wrong” without your supervision, afraid of people “not doing church at all” because they are dependent on you, or afraid that people will feel they “can’t do church” without your permission? 

Assessing the How

1. The Leadership Ceiling: Is your current structure designed to produce spectators who support a few leaders, or leaders who support sent people?
2. The Ecclesial Minimum: What are the non-negotiables that make a “church”? For example, if a group of five people meets for dinner, prays, and serves a neighbor, are you comfortable calling that church? Why or why not?
3. The Resource Shift: What percentage of your resources are spent on the gathering versus the sending? Are you willing to flip that ratio? What would it take to do that?

Assessing the Cost

1. The Ego Check: Are you and the staff okay with becoming less visible and less needed as the central figures of the community? Are you willing for people to leave because they do not share the vision or believe it is the right fit for them? Why or why not?
2. The Pacing Test: Are you willing to spend the time it takes to retrain, deconstruct, and de-program, even if it looks like you’ve stalled or gone backwards? Why or why not?
3. The Decision Matrix: Will you need to move from a hierarchical “senior pastor makes the call” culture, to a plurality of elders/leaders who share authority in humility? Why or why not? If so, what hurdles would you face?
4. The Kingdom Impact: Considering your context’s greatest needs (loneliness, poverty, homelessness, addiction, etc.), is your current model an effective way to reach those people, or would a decentralized network be more effective? Why or why not?

Exponential NEXT Podcast Episode 103

Series: From Soil to Forest: The Practice of Networked Ministry

Description:

In this episode, Patrick O’Connell and Rodrigo Cano explore the transition from isolated to collaborative ministry through the power of networks. Rodrigo shares his extensive experience managing microchurches and leading the Chicagoland Collective, highlighting how shared Kingdom vision can address spiritual needs on a massive scale.

Host:

Patrick O’Connell, Networks NEXT, Director

Guest:

Rodrigo Cano – Chicagoland Collective, Director

Links Shared in Episode:

Chicagoland Collective Website

Category: Networks NEXT

Pastors, too, are not immune. Many suggest the United States is in a prolonged season of political crisis. Perhaps that is true. But scripture presses us to look deeper.

What we are experiencing is not merely political; it is ecclesial. The greater danger is not what is happening in our nation, but what is happening within the church, specifically the local church.

When unity in Christ is eclipsed by partisan alignment, the church loses both moral clarity and prophetic credibility. When our loyalties are shaped more by political commitments than by the way of Jesus, when our voice sounds more like the world than the Sermon on the Mount, the issue is no longer about who is in power. It becomes about who we are, and how our witness hangs in the balance.

At the same time, Christian outreach has always been about representing Jesus well in how we live and how we speak. Yet much of today’s public communication is shaped less by a commitment to witness and more by the desire to make a point. Pastors and parishioners alike feel pressured to comment publicly on everything from global conflicts to cultural flashpoints. Fueled by constant connectivity and concern for perception, many leaders now feel compelled to respond quickly and passionately.

Pause has given way to pressure. Reflection has been replaced by reaction. Discernment has been displaced by directness.

What once required prayer and patience now requires only a phone and a feeling.

Beneath the surface, a deeper assumption is putting pressure on pastors to speak or post: the phrase “silence is complicity.” While there are moments when pastors must speak clearly and courageously, scripture also reminds us that silence can reflect wisdom. Solomon teaches that there is “a time to be silent and a time to speak.” James urges believers to be “quick to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry,” because human anger does not produce the righteousness God desires. In other words, while silence can reflect complicity, this is not always the case. Solomon calls silence wisdom. James describes it as moral discipline. Contrary to popular expectations, then, restraint is not weakness. More often than not, it reflects spiritual maturity.

Words spoken too quickly tend to harden positions and fracture relationships. Words spoken with humility, kindness, and empathy, however, can open doors for individual and collective witness that once were locked. In this cultural moment, pastors and the churches they lead must recover credibility. That credibility will not be regained primarily through what we say or post, but through what we build.

Ultimately, the credibility of our witness will be determined less by our commentary and more by churches whose missional influence is defined not merely by what they do, but by who they are. In a divided age, the most compelling witness is not louder rhetoric, but communities that embody the reconciling power of the gospel.

This is where healthy multiethnic and economically diverse churches become essential. Such churches do not simply speak with credibility; they live with credibility. They demonstrate that unity in Christ can transcend political alignment, cultural preference, and social division. Their shared life together communicates something the world cannot manufacture.

When diverse men and women choose to walk, work, and worship God together as one, they model a deeper allegiance. Their unity is not built on politics but on the gospel. Their relationships are sustained not by agreement, but by shared surrender to Christ. As a result, these churches engage their communities with unusual credibility. They are not perceived as aligned with one side or another, but as ambassadors of reconciliation.

Moreover, diverse congregations often extend their influence more broadly into the community. Bringing together people of differing ethnic, cultural, and economic backgrounds expands relational networks, deepens empathy, and increases community engagement. Time and again, multiethnic churches of modest size exert greater community impact than much larger homogeneous congregations. Their diversity becomes a bridge rather than a barrier, opening doors for service, partnership, and witness.

In an increasingly diverse and painfully polarized society, this kind of church is not simply nice; it is necessary to advance a compelling witness. Ultimately, our credibility, and that of the gospel, will be determined less by what we say and more by churches whose missional influence is defined by who they are and what they do.

The Gospel Implications We Cannot Ignore

The apostle Paul refused to remain silent when the gospel itself was at stake. He confronted division within the early Church to insist that salvation, the local church, and the coming Kingdom of God were equally accessible to Jews and Gentiles alike. This is the mystery of Christ. The dividing walls of historic hostility between people groups have been torn down. All now stand on equal ground at the foot of the cross.

Paul was not adding to the saving gospel of Christ. He was proclaiming its implications. The gospel does more than forgive sin; it creates one new humanity. It reconciles people who would otherwise remain divided. It forms communities that embody unity, love mercy, and pursue justice across ethnic, cultural, and social lines.

This is not a secondary matter. It is central to the credibility of the gospel itself.

If the church is divided along the same lines as the world, our message loses plausibility. If our congregations mirror the polarization of society, our proclamation rings hollow. But when diverse believers choose to walk, work, and worship God together as one, the gospel becomes visible.

This is why building healthy multiethnic churches is no longer optional. It is not merely a demographic strategy or aspirational ideal. It is a theological responsibility and a missional necessity.

Play the Long Game

There are moments in leadership when discouragement quietly sets in, not because the work is wrong, but because it is slow. Those leading healthy multiethnic and economically diverse churches often feel this tension more than most. While others plant homogeneous congregations that grow quickly, attract immediate attention, and yield visible results, the work of building a genuinely diverse church unfolds over years, not months. It requires patience, perseverance, and uncommon resilience.

In a culture conditioned for short-term wins, long obedience can feel like losing.

Homogeneous churches often operate near the top of the curve. The path is familiar. The audience is clearly defined. The growth mechanisms are proven. Returns, numerical, financial, and reputational, can come quickly. Their results are easier to measure and easier to replicate.

By contrast, those building healthy multiethnic churches are working on the front end of the curve. They are pioneering what will be, not simply optimizing what already is. They are cultivating unity across difference. They are navigating tensions others never face. They are investing deeply in relationships that take time to form and even longer to mature. Early returns are often modest, and the challenges can be significant.

It is not uncommon, then, for leaders in this space to wonder, quietly and sometimes privately, whether the slower pace is worth it. They watch others grow faster. They see more immediate momentum. They observe greater institutional support. And they feel the weight of leading something that, while deeply needed, is not always widely understood.

Yet this is precisely where resilience becomes essential.

Those committed to building healthy multiethnic churches must remember that they are not merely planting congregations; they are helping shape the future witness of the church. They are preparing communities that can speak credibly in an increasingly diverse and divided society. They are forming congregations that embody reconciliation, not just proclaim it. They are modeling a unity the world cannot manufacture.

This is not short-term work. It is generational work.

A Word to Pastors Leading Multiethnic Churches

For those already engaged in building multiethnic churches, take heart. The slower pace does not indicate lesser impact. In many ways, it signals deeper formation. Trust is being built across cultural lines. Leadership is being shared. New patterns of community are emerging. These things cannot be rushed. They require time, humility, and sustained commitment.

Stay the course.

Your work matters more than you may realize. You are laying foundations that others will one day build upon. You are demonstrating what is possible. You are expanding the imagination of the Church. And though the immediate returns may appear smaller, the long-term influence is often far greater.

A Challenge to Pastors Who Are Hesitating

At the same time, many pastors have yet to embrace the necessity of building healthy multiethnic churches. Some assume their context does not require it. Others fear conflict. Still others hesitate because of the political climate, worried that pursuing diversity will be misinterpreted as ideological.

But we cannot allow political categories to shape our theological responsibilities.

The call to unity across ethnic and cultural lines does not originate in sociology. It originates in scripture. The dividing wall of hostility has been destroyed. The Church is called to embody one new humanity. The Kingdom of God gathers people from every tribe, tongue, and nation.

To delay engagement is to risk irrelevance. To avoid the challenge is to weaken our witness. To retreat into comfort is to miss the opportunity of our time.

This moment does not require louder churches; it requires transcendent ones, churches rooted in Christ, shaped by the cross, and committed to faithful presence in a fractured world.

Recovering Credibility Requires Courage

Leadership is not only about encouraging those already engaged. It is also about preparing for what lies ahead.

The demographic realities of our communities are shifting. The cultural landscape is changing. The credibility of the local church increasingly depends on its ability to embody the reconciling power of the gospel across lines of difference. To ignore these realities is to risk leading congregations that are well-positioned for yesterday but unprepared for tomorrow.

Prophetic leadership looks ahead. It not only plays for today, but positions for tomorrow. It considers not just immediate growth but long-term witness. It chooses faithfulness over familiarity and courage over comfort. And at times, it embraces a slower path because it leads to a stronger future.

This is one of those times.

The call to build healthy multiethnic churches is not a passing trend. It reflects the prayer of Jesus in John 17, the vision of one new humanity in Ephesians 2, and the trajectory of eternity itself (Revelation 5:9; 7:9). Therefore, the question is not whether this future is coming, but whether we will lead into it.

Your staff is using it for sermon prep, email drafts, volunteer communications, social media, and pastoral care follow-ups. That’s true whether you have guidelines in place or not.

Here’s the number that should stop you:

Only 9% of churches have a formal AI policy.

The other 91% are using these tools every week with no written guidelines for their team.

What the State of AI in the Church National Survey found

Start with the adoption numbers: 43% of church leaders now use AI every single day, nearly double the rate from 2024.

Add weekly users and you’re at 78% of church leaders using AI tools on a regular basis.

The tools are embedded.

They’re in the workflow.

Now layer in the concerns.

75% of those same leaders say theological misalignment is their top ethical worry, the fear that AI-generated content will sound authoritative while being doctrinally wrong. 67% worry AI will gradually replace the human connection that pastoral ministry depends on. 25% have already seen AI-generated scams or misinformation reach their congregation.

Then comes the gap.
Only 9% of churches have a formal AI policy.
51% haven’t addressed AI use with their congregation in any way at all.

That’s the picture: widespread adoption ⇒ genuine concern ⇒ almost no governance structure to hold it together.

The church has adopted AI faster than it has thought about AI.

The theological risk is already inside your building

75% of church leaders named theological misalignment as their top ethical concern, and that number makes sense once you understand how these tools work.

AI tools are trained on enormous amounts of text from across the internet, including theology from traditions that don’t match your church’s convictions. The output can cite scripture, use pastoral language, and still be doctrinally off. It doesn’t know your statement of faith. It doesn’t know your tradition. It generates the most statistically likely answer, not the most theologically faithful one.

AI doesn’t know your theology. Your policy protects it.

Without a review process built into how your staff uses these tools, content can go out the door unchecked. A clear AI policy is how you build that review process into the workflow before a problem surfaces, not after.

67% of leaders are worried about human connection. Here’s what to do with that.

67% of church leaders named the replacement of human connection as a top ethical worry. 31% said they are not comfortable using AI for pastoral care at all.

Those are reasonable positions. The challenge is that a position held in one leader’s head is not a standard that the whole team can work from.

A conviction without a policy is just a personal preference.

When your communications director, your youth pastor, and your executive pastor all have different assumptions about where AI belongs in ministry, you get inconsistency at best and a real mistake at worst.

A written AI policy for your church turns individual convictions into shared expectations.

Your congregation is already asking questions

Only 13% of church leaders said their congregation never brings up AI. The other 87% are fielding questions regularly.

People in your pews are noticing things:

• Was this email written by a person?
• Did that illustration come from lived experience or a database?
• Is the church tracking our data?

Some of them have been targeted by AI-generated scams. 60% of church leaders said they were “very concerned” about AI voice cloning being used to defraud their congregants. 25% have already seen it affect their church community.

Right now, only 7% of churches have a formal AI disclosure statement.

Your congregation will form an opinion about your AI use whether you communicate about it or not. The only question is whether you shape that conversation.

A simple AI policy for your ministry gives your people a clear answer and gives your staff a shared framework to operate from.

What a church AI policy begins with

A useful policy doesn’t need to be long.

Most churches need a few pages at most, covering four areas:

1. Approved tools and use cases

List the AI tools your staff uses and what they’re approved for. In the survey, the top uses were text content creation (36%), research (22%), and image generation (20%). Naming what’s already happening is the starting point for setting clear expectations.

2. Review and approval requirements

Decide what human review looks like before AI-assisted content goes out. For most churches, that means a staff member reads and approves anything before it’s sent or published. For theologically sensitive content, that review should include a pastor.

3. Areas where AI use is restricted

Some churches draw a clear line around counseling conversations, crisis response, and direct pastoral care. Getting that in writing makes sure every team member is operating from the same understanding, not their own assumptions.

4. Disclosure practices

How will you tell your congregation when content was AI-assisted? A simple statement in your communications policy, a note in your bulletin, or a line in your staff handbook addresses this directly.

AI governance is pastoral work

85.8% of church leaders said they are already investing in AI education or plan to do so. The willingness to learn is there. What most churches are missing is a structure to learn within.

You can train your staff on AI tools all day. Without a policy, you’re training people to make better individual decisions in a vacuum.

An AI policy answers the baseline questions before they become problems: What tools can we use? What requires review? Where do we draw the line? What do we tell our people?

These are pastoral questions. They belong on the pastor’s desk.

A practical first step you can take this week

Call your staff together and ask two questions:

1. Who on our team is using AI, and for what?
2. What would we want a visitor to know about how we use these tools in our ministry?

The answers are the raw material for your policy.

From there, putting your standards in writing is straightforward. For example, you can find a simple AI policy template with the structure already in place, so you’re not starting from a blank page.

The 2026 data is clear:
AI adoption in the church is widespread,
the ethical concerns are real,
and governance is lagging behind both.

Getting a written policy in place is one of the most concrete steps you can take right now to protect your people and lead your team well.

The 2026 State of AI in the Church Survey was conducted by Exponential AI NEXT and ChurchTechToday.com, drawing responses from church leaders across denominations, geographies, staff seniority, and functions.  Download the full report at exponential.org/ai-next.

Exponential NEXT Podcast Episode 102

Series: From Soil to Forest: The Practice of Networked Ministry

Description:

In this episode of the Networks NEXT Series, Patrick O’Connell is joined by Selena Freeman, Church Multiplication Catalyst for the Church of the Nazarene. Patrick and Selena dive into a conversation that helps leaders see that networks don’t start with strategy – they start with trust, and that trust has to be intentionally cultivated. Join us for this important conversation.

Host:

Patrick O’Connell, Networks NEXT, Director

Guest:

Selena Freeman, Church Multiplication Catalyst, Church of the Nazarene

Category: Networks NEXT

We call him Boots. He’s in his 20s, trying to figure life out like so many others. He’s in a relationship, but it isn’t healthy. He’s working, but his job doesn’t provide much purpose or fulfillment. Each day carries the quiet pressure of survival – keeping a roof over his head, food on the table, and his mental health from slipping too far. Most nights, Boots escapes into gaming. Online is where he feels most at ease. It’s predictable, controlled, and safe. Church, on the other hand, is part of his past. He walked away years ago and decided he wasn’t going back.

One night, Boots logged onto Twitch and searched for people streaming his latest obsession: Dungeons & Dragons. As he scrolled, he stumbled into something unexpected – a small stream. It wasn’t polished or particularly impressive by typical standards. Just a guy building D&D characters, talking with viewers, and, somewhat strangely, praying for people who asked. That morning, I had almost canceled the stream because I wasn’t feeling well, but I decided to show up anyway. I did what I always do – played, talked, and made space for whoever might wander in. That night, Boots wandered in.

He didn’t come looking for church or faith, but something about what he saw stuck with him. He couldn’t quite explain it, but he began to wonder if there was more to this moment than coincidence. When I mentioned our Discord community – an online church where people explore faith and do life together – he decided to click the link. At first, it was just curiosity.

About a week later, Boots showed up to one of our Wednesday night services. When he joined the chat, someone greeted him by name. Not as a number, not as just another username, but as a person. After the service, people stayed and talked. They asked questions and took time to listen. Boots didn’t share much at first. He was cautious and guarded, unsure if this was genuine or just another online space that would eventually disappoint him. But we stayed, and slowly, he did too.

Over time, we learned his story. Then his real name. Then his face, his struggles, and his hopes. Boots didn’t just attend – he began to belong. He joined a team and was mentored by leaders and volunteers who genuinely cared about him. He discovered that the skills he had developed in his corporate job actually had purpose and could be used to build systems and processes our church needed. More importantly, he discovered that he mattered.

We walked with him through some of his hardest moments. When his relationship ended, we were there. When things got dark, we were there. When he changed jobs and struggled to find stability, we were there. When he wrestled with questions about Scripture, faith, and Jesus, we didn’t rush him or pressure him – we simply stayed with him. Over time, he began to grow, not just in knowledge, but in relationship with Jesus and with others.

Eventually, Boots started streaming himself, returning to the same kind of digital spaces where he first encountered us. Only now, he wasn’t just searching – he was reaching. His story had come full circle.

Boots isn’t an online metric. He isn’t an IP address or a data point. He’s not just a screen name or a profile picture. He’s a person we know, a life we’ve walked alongside, and a story that has been changed – not instantly or perfectly, but meaningfully. And that is what digital church is really about.

Digital church is not primarily about social media strategy, viral moments, or maximizing reach and engagement. It’s not about repurposing sermons into clips or chasing algorithms. While those tools can be useful, they are not the mission. At its core, digital church is about meeting people where they are, loving them without requiring physical proximity, and showing up consistently in spaces where people are already spending their lives. It’s about making disciples who make disciples through real relationships.

This approach runs counter to much of how churches typically engage online. Instead of prioritizing performance, digital church prioritizes people. Instead of focusing on broadcasting a message, it emphasizes listening to stories. Instead of measuring success through numbers, it measures faithfulness through presence and transformation. In a world that is more connected than ever and yet increasingly isolated, digital church creates spaces where people can be known, heard, and loved.

The digital world is not neutral. It is shaping the mental, emotional, and spiritual lives of millions, often in ways that increase anxiety, loneliness, and disconnection. But rather than retreating from these spaces or simply contributing more noise, the church has an opportunity to step in differently – to become a redemptive presence. Digital church can be a light in places that feel overwhelmingly dark, offering genuine connection and life-giving truth in environments that often lack both.

Stories like Boots’ are not impossible. In fact, they are more common than we might think. What makes them rare is not their potential, but our participation. Too often, we are focused on reaching crowds rather than noticing individuals. We aim for engagement instead of discipleship. We measure impact by visibility rather than by transformation.

But what if we shifted our focus?

What if we stopped asking how many people we can reach and started asking who is right in front of us? What if we chose to show up consistently in digital spaces, not to build an audience, but to build relationships? What if we valued presence over platform?

There are thousands – millions – of people like Boots who will likely never walk into a physical church building. They are searching, even if they don’t call it that. They are open, even if they appear resistant. And often, they are just one unexpected moment away from encountering Jesus through someone who is willing to be present.

If this resonates with you, the invitation is simple, but not easy. Start where you are. Go where people already gather online. Show up consistently. Learn to listen before you speak. Care more about individuals than outcomes. Pray for people. Follow up. Remember names. Create space for questions and doubt. Build slowly, intentionally, and relationally.

You don’t need a large platform or perfect production. You don’t need to have it all figured out. What you need is a willingness to be present in places where others are not.

Because on the other side of that decision is someone like Boots. And he’s not looking for better content – he’s looking for a place to belong.

The question is whether we are willing to meet him there.

The ministry demands.
The team dynamics.
The emotional labor.
The expectations – spoken and unspoken.

Women often lead while simultaneously holding families, communities, workplaces, and spiritual responsibilities together. And while leadership can be deeply meaningful, it can also become quietly isolating.

But Scripture tells a different story.

From the beginning, women were not designed for solitary leadership. Women were shaped for shared strength, mutual encouragement, and what I often call tribal living – a form of belonging that is courageous, generational, and sustaining.

In today’s world, “finding your tribe” has become a popular phrase. Social media communities, leadership cohorts, and online networks are built around shared identity and support.

But for women of faith, tribe is not a trend.

A tribe is where you are known.
A tribe is where you are formed.
A tribe is where you are strengthened in courage.

And every woman leader needs one.

Created to Come Alongside

In Genesis, God describes woman as ezer kenegdo, often translated as “helper,” but the Hebrew meaning carries far more weight than that word implies. The term ezer is frequently used throughout the Old Testament to describe God as strength and rescuer. It suggests partnership, support, and coming alongside with power.

Women were created not to lead behind or ahead, but alongside.

And I remember the first time I realized my tribe was much bigger than me.

Grandma’s Kitchen and the Gift of Belonging

My grandparents had a large garden. Every summer, harvest season brought the women together – strawberries, tomatoes, green beans, potatoes, and corn. Grandma’s kitchen became a gathering place of shared work and shared life. There was canning, freezing, making jelly – skills passed down through generations.

My mother and her sister were the only siblings. There were only two granddaughters: my cousin Beverly and me. I was the youngest, which meant someone was always watching over me, teaching me, helping me grow.

One summer, Grandma announced it was time for me to finally help to “put up the corn.”

Putting up corn required hot ears fresh from boiling water, sharp knives, and careful hands cutting kernels from the cob. I had graduated to using a knife, and the entire kitchen seemed to hold its breath.

All day long, Aunt Shirley, my mom, Grandma, and Bev watched closely. They corrected me when I needed it. They guided my hands. They smiled when I succeeded.

When I filled my first freezer bag full of corn, Grandma squeezed my shoulder. The others nodded with quiet pride. We didn’t high-five back then, but I understood something that day:

You belong here.
We want you to succeed.
You are not doing this alone.

That is what a tribe does.

Women of Valor Cheer One Another On

Proverbs 31 is often treated like an exhausting checklist. An impossible standard that women can never reach.

But in Jewish tradition, Proverbs 31 functions differently. It is not primarily memorized by women. It is memorized by men.

The poem is often sung as a song of praise over the women in their lives during Sabbath meals. It is less a burden and more a celebration.

The first line, often translated “A virtuous woman who can find?” is better rendered:

A woman of valor who can find?

The Hebrew phrase is eschet chayil – a woman of courage, strength, and honor.

In Jewish culture, eshet chayil is recited as a blessing, a way of celebrating courage in both ordinary and extraordinary moments.

Imagine if women leaders cultivated that kind of culture. Because women of valor do a lot of high-fiving. Yet many women leaders have experienced the opposite:

Jealousy.
Discouragement.
Older voices saying, “It’s not your time yet.”

The culture of cheering must begin somewhere.

So why not with us?

Healthy tribes hand you the knife, watch carefully, and want you to succeed.

Your Tribe Connects You to Other Tribes

“The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng.”
– Psalm 68:11 (NIV)

Several years ago, I attended a pre-conference prayer retreat. After a devotion, the speaker invited us into silence. I sat in the back of the room with my Bible, journal, and pen.

Within minutes, I sensed God wanted to reveal something significant. I opened to Psalm 68 and saw words I had never noticed: “The Lord announces the word, and the women who proclaim it are a mighty throng.”

Later, studying more deeply, I discovered “the word” carries the meaning of divine utterance. God speaks, and women proclaim what they hear. Women are not peripheral in the mission of God. They are a mighty throng.

Generational Tribes and the Song of Victory

In the Old Testament, women often carried the responsibility of celebrating triumph. In Exodus 15, after Israel crossed the Red Sea, Miriam took a timbrel, and all the women followed her with dancing and song.

Miriam sang first. The women and their daughters followed.

In Judges 5, Deborah sings:

“…until I, Deborah, arose… a mother in Israel.”

Deborah’s leadership earned her the title “Mother of Israel” – a generational term.

Tribes are generational connections. Women lead in ways that link arms across time – older teaching younger, younger strengthening older.

Victory was not celebrated once, but again and again across generations.

That is what tribes do.

A Tribe That Carries Leadership Across Generations

In many churches today, women are leading across generations – pastoring, planting, teaching, and building communities from the ground up.

I think of a woman pastor who stepped into leadership after years of serving faithfully behind the scenes. When she was finally appointed, she felt both honored and overwhelmed.

She wasn’t just preaching sermons. She was navigating expectations, visibility, criticism, and the constant tension of being “the first” or “the only” in certain rooms.

What sustained her wasn’t sheer determination. It was the tribe around her.

Older women who had walked through the complexities of ministry before her spoke courage into her life. Younger women watched her leadership and began to imagine their own callings with greater freedom.

She once said, “I used to think leadership was proving I could do it. Now I see leadership is making room for others to come with me.”

That is generational tribal leadership.

Like Miriam, whose song was picked up by the women after her.
Like Deborah, who became a mother to Israel.

Women leaders don’t just win battles. They teach others how to sing after victory.

Leadership Research Confirms What Scripture Has Long Shown

In recent years, leadership research has consistently reinforced what Scripture has long revealed: Sustainable leadership requires community.

Researcher Brené Brown writes about the necessity of belonging and connection for resilience and courage, noting that “we are wired to love, to be loved, and to belong” (Braving the Wilderness, 2017).

Likewise, leadership studies have emphasized that relational support is essential for resilience and long-term effectiveness (Harvard Business Review, “The Power of Resilience,” 2016).

In ministry contexts, isolation is particularly dangerous. Pastors and planters often carry invisible burdens, and women leaders may experience additional pressures of visibility and limited peer support.

This is why learning communities, cohorts, webinars, and leadership networks have become such important tools for formation.

Digital spaces cannot replace embodied community, but they can expand the tribe. Your tribe is no longer limited by geography. Tribes connect tribes.

Practical Ways to Build Your Tribe This Year

So, what does tribal leadership look like for women today?

Here are three starting places:

1. Identify Your Kitchen-Table People

Who are the women who want you to succeed?
Who squeezes your shoulder instead of competing with you?

Name them. Thank them. Stay close.

2. Create a Culture of Valor

Be the first to say, “Eschet chayil.”
Cheer another woman on publicly.
Celebrate courage, not perfection.

3. Join a Learning Community

Step into a cohort, webinar series, retreat, or leadership community where women gather intentionally.

Formation happens when voices join together.

An Invitation

Women leaders, you belong to something bigger than yourself.

You were made for tribal living.
You were made for community.
You were made to travel far, together.

And your tribe – past, present, and future – is cheering you on.

As the African proverb reminds us: “If you want to travel fast, travel alone. If you want to travel far, travel together.”

NOTES

• Brené Brown, Braving the Wilderness (2017)
• Harvard Business Review, “The Power of Resilience” (2016)
• African Proverb: “If you want to travel fast…” (commonly cited)

Exponential NEXT Podcast Episode 101

Series: From Soil to Forest: The Practice of Networked Ministry

Description:

In this first episode, Patrick O’Connell, Director of Networks NEXT, talks with Mark Neal, COO of Apsire Network and Co-Founder of Clarity Ministries. The conversation in this episode centers around moving from an isolated ministry toward a mission-oriented community and calling leaders back to a shared mission.

Host:

Patrick O’Connell, Networks NEXT, Director

Guest:

Mark Neal, Aspire Network, COO and Clarity Ministries, Co-Founder

Links Shared in Episode:

Clarity Leadership Collective

Aspire Network

Category: Networks NEXT

Talking about fishing is far easier than actually fishing. This reminds me of a parable called “A Plea for Fishing”  by Darrell W Robinson:

In the story, there was once a group of people who called themselves fishermen. The lakes and rivers around them were full of fish. Fish were everywhere, feeding constantly. The waterways were overflowing with opportunity. The world desperately needed fishermen.

So the fishermen gathered regularly to talk about fishing.

Week after week, month after month, year after year, they met to discuss the importance of fishing. They held conferences about fishing. They formed committees to strategize about fishing. They built buildings called fisheries where fishermen could gather to talk about fishing together.

At every meeting, the same message was repeated: every fisherman should fish.

There was only one problem.

No one actually fished.

One day, a young man left one of the meetings and went fishing. The next day he came back and reported that he had caught two incredible fish. Everyone was amazed. He was celebrated, invited to share his story, and eventually placed on the board of the fishermen’s organization because of his experience.

Soon he became so busy talking about fishing that he no longer had time to fish.

The story ends with a haunting question: Is a person truly a fisherman if he never fishes?

Isn’t this so much like us?

We talk about disciple-making. We plan for disciple-making. But very few believers actually go fishing for men.

If we are going to call the whole church into mission, we must be clear. What exactly are we calling them to? And why does it matter? The church is not merely a place where disciples gather. It is a movement where disciples are sent. And if we are serious about forming disciples, we must mobilize our people for mission.

One of the clearest pictures of this comes from Matthew 14:13–21, the story of Jesus feeding the five thousand.

When Jesus stepped off the boat and saw the crowd, Scripture tells us He had compassion on them. The disciples, however, saw a logistical problem. It was late. The place was remote. The crowd was large. Their solution was simple: send the people away.

But Jesus gave them a surprising command. “They don’t need to go away. You give them something to eat.”

The disciples immediately pointed out their limitations: five loaves and two fish. Yet Jesus took what little they had, blessed it, and placed it back into their hands to distribute. By the end of the story, thousands had eaten and were satisfied.

Within this moment, we find several powerful reasons why mobilizing believers for mission matters.

1. Laboring for the Harvest Grows Our Affections, Causing Us to Move from Passivity to Compassion

Mission moves us from passivity to compassion. When Jesus looked at the crowd, He did not see an inconvenience. He saw people who were hurting and hungry. His heart moved toward them.

The same thing happens when believers begin to engage their communities. It is easy to remain distant from problems we never encounter personally. But when we step into the lives of people around us – where we live, work, and worship – our hearts begin to change.

Urban mission is not primarily about programs; it is about proximity. It is about presence. When we move closer to people, our affections begin to grow. What once felt distant becomes deeply personal.

Passivity can slowly give way to compassion.

2. Laboring for the Harvest Aligns Our Hearts with His, Taking Us from Rational to Irrational

The disciples approached the situation rationally. There were too many people and too few resources. From a practical standpoint, the solution was obvious: send the crowds away. Jesus, however, responded differently: “You give them something to eat.”

Mission often pushes us beyond what makes sense on paper. It invites us into a way of living where obedience takes precedence over calculation. As we participate in God’s work, something begins to shift within us. Our priorities start to align with His. We begin to care about what He cares about. And like Jesus, we begin to see crowds not as interruptions, but as opportunities for compassion and service, even when we don’t have what it takes to meet all of their needs. 

3. Laboring for the Harvest Reestablishes Our Identity, Reminding Us We are God’s Chosen Vessel

Jesus could have fed the crowd without involving the disciples at all. Yet He intentionally placed the responsibility in their hands. “You give them something to eat.” In doing so, He reminded them of who they were. Followers of Jesus that will become fishers of men. We are participants in the mission of God. We are vessels through which God works. When believers engage in mission, they rediscover this identity. They begin to see themselves not just as church attendees, but as ambassadors, witnesses, and disciple-makers sent into the world.

Mission clarifies who we are.

4. Laboring for the Harvest Reminds Us of Our Inadequacy, Driving Us to Pray and to Pursue the Spiritual Disciplines

The disciples quickly responded with the obvious problem: “We only have five loaves and two fish.” We often respond in the same way. We say we do not know enough. We do not have enough time. We are not trained enough. We are not resourced enough. Scripture is filled with people who offer similar excuses. Moses said he stuttered. David said he was too young. Sarah said she was too old. Mary said she was not yet married. Yet God repeatedly chooses ordinary, inadequate people to accomplish extraordinary things.

When we step into mission, we quickly realize that what we are attempting is beyond our ability. This is when we come to the conclusion that only God can do that. Then God calls us to bring what we have to Him, and this realization drives us toward prayer and dependence on Him.

5. Laboring for the Harvest Reminds Us of His Sufficiency, Strengthening Our Faith

What began with five loaves and two fish ended with thousands of people fed and 12 baskets of leftovers. The miracle began when the disciples placed what little they had into the hands of Jesus. The same principle applies today. When believers offer their time, their talents, their treasures, and their testimonies to the Lord, He multiplies what they bring.

Mission reminds us that the work ultimately belongs to God. Our role is simply to bring what we have and place it in His hands.

Mission Is Not an Elective

Too often the church treats outreach and mission like the cherry on top of the Christian life. Like it’s an optional activity for a few especially passionate believers.

But mission is not an elective. It is a means for discipleship.

One of my early pastors used to say, “Never teach someone the Bible without also encouraging them to share their faith.” If we only teach knowledge without sending people out, we often produce arrogance. But when believers step into evangelism, they quickly realize that salvation is a supernatural work of God.

That realization produces humility. Cultivating the discipline of being on mission changes us.

In fact, mission is one of the primary ways God forms us spiritually. When believers step into the work of disciple-making, they grow in compassion, humility, dependence, and faith. So when we mobilize our churches for urban mission, we are not simply asking them to help solve problems in the city. We are inviting them into the very process through which God forms disciples.

Disciples are not made by sitting on the sidelines. They are made on mission.

More often it starts with a deep burden God places on the heart of a leader, often a pioneering leader. It is a deep sense that something new needs to happen so more people can experience the love of God and a relationship with Jesus.

At Exponential, one of the ways we create space for those ideas to be identified and grow is through NEXT Ventures. NEXT Ventures is an initiative designed to identify, encourage, and accelerate innovative ministry projects that have the potential to multiply Gospel impact.

NEXT Ventures exists to come alongside pioneer leaders who are building new expressions of the church, experimenting with new ministry models, or responding creatively to emerging challenges in their community and our world. Our goal is not to simply celebrate innovation, but to help it take root, grow, and eventually multiply. 

NEXT Ventures is a growing portfolio of 70+ ministry projects that is also a family. We are friends on mission. Through this community, peer coaching, and catalytic resources we seek to intentionally help leaders clarify their vision and take their next bold steps toward even greater Kingdom impact. 

One of the key on-ramps into our family is the NEXT Ventures Pitching Deck, which takes place each year at Exponential Global in Orlando, Florida. During each of the four breakout sessions at the conference, we give three to four ministry leaders the opportunity to pitch their ideas, models, and early progress to a panel of leaders and peers. 

In many ways, Pitching Deck functions like an incubator moment – an opportunity for pioneer leaders to share the vision God has given them, the problem they are trying to solve, and how they believe their project could serve the mission of Jesus in a fresh way. These seven minute pitches must clearly articulate the impact God is having through their ministry.

Beyond that, these project leaders are pitching for the opportunity to apply for NEXT Ventures Shark Tank which will be held in Jacksonville, Florida on Sept. 28 and 29.  Only 12 ministry projects will be invited to pitch at Shark Tank, where micro-grants and an expanded partnership with Next Ventures will be extended. 

During the 2026 Exponential Global Conference, we hosted the latest version of Pitching Deck. We heard from 15 projects representing a wide range of contexts and innovative ministry approaches. These presentations were heard by a panel of judges, and they were scored on the following criteria:

• Innovative – Is it a creative and/or unique approach to ministry? 
• Impacting – Are there measurable and reproducible results?
• Sustainable – Does it have the infrastructure to support its staff and ministry? 
• Scalable – Is there a reproducible model to support exponential growth?
• Diverse – Does this represent diversity of age, gender, ethnicity?
• Transferable – Is it possible to replicate these practices in the church?

What follows is a summary of each session and the leaders who stepped forward to share their bold pitches. 

Pitching Deck Session #1

Session one kicked off with Aidan Britnell pitching Kaleo AI. Kaleo AI is reimagining what it means for the Gospel to be heard by removing language as a barrier. By combining custom-trained AI with a radically simple user experience, they have equipped 500+ churches to instantly translate entire worship gatherings without the need for costly infrastructure or personnel. 

Estuary Go!, founded by Joey Tomassoni, is igniting a movement of everyday missionaries by equipping churches to move beyond their walls and into the lives of people in the places where they work, live, and play. Through their GO! Ecosystem and AWAKEN model, they are uniting churches within cities for collective, disciple making impact that multipliers leaders and transforms communities. With 26 partnerships already in motion and vision to add 100 more each year, they are helping the church rediscover its calling as a sent people. 

Liminal founder Aaron Barnett is stepping boldly into the “in-between” spaces of young adulthood – those defining transition moments where identity, calling, and faith are forged. Anchored in a commitment to stay on the wall until the work is done, Liminal is cultivating environments where young leaders co-create with God through service, community, calling, and worship. What began as a Spirit-led vision in late 2024 is quickly taking shape into a movement, forming and sending a generation who will not drift through transition, but be discipled and deployed through it. 

Academy Training, led by Lance Frickle, is scaling accessible, high-impact training for church planters around the world. They are equipping leaders not just with knowledge, but with actionable plans and coaching support to multiply. Through a unique blend of on-demand content and live cohort-based coaching, they are forming practitioners who can immediately implement and reproduce what they’ve learned. With six completed tracks and a vision to expand into Spanish, French, and beyond, they are lowering barriers and accelerating a global movement of disciple-makers and church planters.

Pitching Deck Session #2

Session two was kicked off with a pitch from Peyton Jones and Kris Langham. They are the founders of Disciplology. Disciplology is a disciple-making platform for a digital age—placing a daily, relational pathway into the hands of everyday believers. Co-developed by NewBreed Training and Through the Word, the platform guides users through Scripture, clear actionable next steps, and real-time voice interaction with disciple-making partners, turning formation into practice! Disciplology is poised to equip a new wave of disciples who don’t just consume content – but actively reproduce. They currently have 4,500 users and are dreaming about 1 million more by 2030.

Come to the River (C2TR) founder Andy Krajewski enthusiastically pitched next. Andy is calling the church back to the water, positioning baptism as a bold, public, and celebratory gateway from the world to the water to the church. Their first C2TR event saw over 500 attendees and 68 people baptized! He has a dream to scale this to a national movement where C2TR events are held across the nation. 

Project 3|26, founded by Brian Cooper, is inviting people into a daily, life-changing encounter with the Bible — one chapter a day, over 3 years and 26 days. By pairing each passage with clear study guides and companion podcasts, and equipping leaders to multiply the journey in small groups.

Grace Bomb, started by Patrick Linnell in 2019, is helping believers break out of their “Christian bubbles” with a simple, Spirit-led practice that turns everyday moments into opportunities for unexpected kindness and Gospel conversation. By equipping people to build the habit of “grace bombing,” they are activating ordinary Christians to live on mission in natural, relational ways. In 2025 alone, they put 92,390 grace bomb cards in the hands of believers around the world. Last year they received almost 1,100 impact stories. 

Pitching Deck Session #3

Session three of the Pitching Deck was kicked off by Holy Health, founded by Justin Roethlingshoefer. Holy Health is reframing health as a discipleship issue – aligning habits, rhythms, and lifestyle with God’s design for whole-person transformation. Through a fully integrated ecosystem of app, curriculum, and community, they are equipping believers to steward their bodies with intentionality and accountability. Already piloted in 20 churches, this movement is poised to scale – helping people experience not just better health, but a more holistic, embodied faith.

Break Free Ministries founder Michael Swalley pitched their dynamic ministry to Hip-Hop culture next. They are boldly stepping into the heart of that culture to see gospel-centered micro-churches launched! By mobilizing everyday missionaries – artists, dancers, and cultural influencers – they are forming “Fire Teams” that live on mission, make disciples, and start micro-churches embedded in their existing Hip-Hop networks around the world. What has emerged over the past two years is a reproducible movement, redefining church planting as something that flows through culture, not just into it.

OneChurch.io, founded by James Donley, is building digital infrastructure for a more unified Church – connecting leaders, churches, and communities beyond denominational lines within a shared local ecosystem. What began as a grassroots experiment in Florida is now evolving into a scalable platform, empowering cities like Lincoln, Nebraska to collaborate, communicate, and move together as friends on mission. As this model replicates, it holds the potential to reimagine how the Church shows up – locally unified, digitally connected, and collectively on mission.

Seeds of Change founder Doug Beutler pitched to end session three. Seeds of Change is investing in the often-overlooked pastors of smaller churches. They are cultivating a relational network where encouragement, coaching, and practical training help them thrive again. They are doing this by helping these churches who are declining or plateaued become disciple making churches. What started with a single church has quickly grown into a multiplying network, revealing the powerful impact that can emerge when small church leaders are seen and supported as they discover how to become places where disciple are made to multiple generations.

Pitching Deck Session #4

Session four was kicked off by Mark Wurtz who is the founder of 3E Internship. The 3E Internship is identifying and investing in young adults through a deeply immersive, year-long journey that integrates work, community, learning, and global missions. Rooted in a rhythm of shared life and real responsibility – from farm-based community living to international ministry experiences – the program is raising up young leaders with spiritual depth and a missional imagination.

The final pitch was from Michael Hewitt and his team from Pool Church. Pool Church is stepping into billiards culture with a creative and compelling expression of the gospel – turning pool tables into platforms for disciple-making. Through trick shots, digital content reaching millions, and relational micro-gatherings, they are reaching people in the billiards culture. What they hope emerges are micro-expressions of the church that gather around pool tables. 

If you have read this far. Stop and celebrate with the NEXT Ventures team. Wow, 14 innovative projects and 14 wonderful pitches!

NEXT Ventures Pitching Deck is more than a selection process – it offers a glimpse into the future of the church. Each project represented a leader who sees an opportunity where others might see a challenge. Some of these projects were invited to apply for Shark Tank this fall where they will have the opportunity to pitch for a micro-grant and a deeper partnership with Next Ventures. 

But regardless of the outcome of this year’s Pitching Deck or Shark Tank event this fall, the real win is a growing community of leaders who are willing to boldly step forward. And with those steps, they are courageously experimenting and pursuing new ways to multiply the mission of Jesus.

We are grateful for their courage, creativity, and bold faith these leaders bring to the frontline of their Kingdom ventures. We look forward to seeing how God continues to use their ideas to spark new expressions of ministry and church in the years ahead!