I sat down with Vance Roush, the founder and CEO of Overflow, to talk about the future of church giving. And honestly, this conversation changed the way I think about generosity in the church.

Vance is a former executive pastor turned tech founder who built Overflow to help churches unlock the 90% of wealth that most ministries never tap into.

If your church is only accepting giving through credit cards and bank transfers, you are leaving a massive amount of generosity on the table.

The Overflow Origin Story

Vance shared how Overflow started from a deeply personal place. He was serving as an executive pastor at a church in Silicon Valley, and he noticed a huge gap in how churches were accepting donations.

He told me, “I got a revelation. 90% of wealth in America is stored in this asset class that we never talk about in church. We typically point people exclusively to give from their checking and savings.”

That asset class? Stocks, crypto, ETFs, and other non-cash assets.

Most people in your church who work in tech, finance, or even just have a 401(k) are sitting on appreciated stock. But their church only gives them the option to give via debit card or ACH transfer.

Vance realized this was a massive blind spot. He launched Overflow in July 2020 to bridge that gap.

Why Stock and Crypto Giving Matters for Your Church

Here is what blew my mind during our conversation.

When someone donates stock directly to a church, two incredible things happen:

• The donor pays zero capital gains tax on the appreciated stock. Instead of selling the stock, paying taxes, and then donating what is left, they give the full value directly to the church.
• The church receives the full amount because as a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, when the church liquidates that stock, they also pay no capital gains tax.

Vance described setting up stock giving at his church and the results were staggering. He told me about one church that sent a single email to their congregation about stock giving.

“I thought we were going to raise maybe tens of thousands of dollars. Within 3 days, 32 people responded to that one email and we raised $1.1 million.”

That is not a typo. $1.1 million from one email in three days.

And this was not a mega church in Silicon Valley. Vance emphasized that normal churches across the country are seeing real results with stock and crypto giving.

Does This Really Work for Normal Churches?

I asked Vance this question because I knew pastors watching would be thinking the same thing.

He told me about churches in the Midwest, in the South, in rural areas that are all seeing significant gifts come through Overflow. It turns out that stock ownership is much more common than most pastors realize.

If someone in your congregation has a retirement account, a brokerage account, or receives stock options from their employer, they can give through Overflow.

And the process is simple. The donor goes to the church’s Overflow giving page, selects the stock or crypto they want to donate, and submits it. Overflow handles the liquidation and transfers the cash to the church.

The church gets a dashboard where they can track gifts, thank donors, and manage the proper documentation.

Tap to Give: Bringing Back the Sacred Moment

One of the coolest things Vance showed me during our conversation was the Overflow Tap device.

It is a small physical device that you can place at the end of a row, in the lobby, or at the welcome center. People just tap their phone on it and it takes them straight to a giving page.

Vance shared something powerful about why this matters for worship. He said, “Did you know actually that giving is one of the most sacred acts you can do? Because nobody knows what you gave. People know that you raise your hand. People know that you sit in the front row. People know that you’re taking notes. But in a service, no one knows what you gave.”

He believes the rise of technology in the church should enhance worship, not replace it. The Tap device brings giving back into the worship experience instead of relegating it to a recurring autopay that people set and forget.

And the Tap device is not just for giving. Churches are using it for connection cards, event registration, salvation responses, and more.

How AI Is Changing Church Giving

This part of our conversation really got me excited.

Vance shared how Overflow is using AI to help pastors better understand and disciple their givers. Their platform can analyze giving patterns and provide insights that help church leaders have better conversations with their congregation.

For example, the AI can identify when someone’s giving pattern changes, when a consistent giver stops giving, or when someone might be ready to take a next step in their generosity journey.

This is not about manipulating people. It is about stewarding relationships well.

As pastors, we already pay attention to who shows up on Sunday, who is serving, and who might be struggling. Vance argues that having data about giving patterns helps pastors care for their people more effectively.

The $30 Trillion Wealth Transfer and What It Means for Churches

Vance brought up something that every pastor needs to hear.

There is a massive wealth transfer happening right now. Baby boomers are passing down an estimated $30 trillion in assets to younger generations. Much of that wealth is in stocks, real estate, and other non-cash assets.

If your church can only accept cash, checks, and credit cards, you will miss out on this generational shift.

Churches that position themselves to accept stock, crypto, and other asset types will be the ones that benefit from this transfer. And the churches that ignore it will wonder why giving is declining even though attendance is steady.

Why People Don’t Give (And What Pastors Can Do About It)

Vance had a really honest take on why many people in the pews are not giving.

A big part of it comes down to friction. If it is hard to give, people will not do it. If the giving page takes too many clicks, if the options are limited, or if the experience feels outdated, you are losing potential givers.

But beyond friction, Vance also talked about the importance of teaching on generosity. He said many churches have stopped regularly preaching about giving because they are afraid of how it looks.

His advice? Make giving easy, teach on it consistently, and offer more ways for people to be generous.

A Simple Strategy That Can Unlock Six Figures in Giving

Vance dropped a practical gem that any pastor can implement right away.

Corporate gift matching.

Many people in your church work for companies that will match their charitable donations. Google, Apple, Microsoft, Amazon, and hundreds of other companies have matching programs.

He told me, “If you email your church three or four times between November and December reminding them of their corporate gift matching benefit, give them three lines that they can forward to HR about your church and the community work that your church does, then you will unlock significant giving. When I was doing it as executive pastor for our church, every single year over six figures in giving from Google matching, Apple matching, and so on.”

All the donor has to do is take their giving receipt, submit it to their company’s HR department, and ask them to match it. Most companies match up to $10,000 or even $20,000 per employee.

This is free money that your church is likely leaving on the table right now.

Why Churches Are Switching to Overflow (And Seeing a 9% Bump)

I asked Vance about migrating from another giving platform to Overflow, because I know that is one of the biggest hesitations pastors have.

He shared something that really surprised me. He said, “What was once seen as a bug is now the feature. People actually sign up for Overflow now to migrate. After 8 weeks of transferring those hundreds of recurring givers to Overflow’s platform, consistently over 9% pop in recurring giving.”

Why does this happen? Because when people migrate their recurring gift, they often realize they set it up years ago and never updated it. They have gotten raises, bonuses, and salary increases since then. The migration process gives them a natural moment to increase their giving.

On top of that, when the pastor announces the migration from the stage, it prompts people who were not yet recurring givers to sign up for the first time.

What Pastors Should Do Next

If this conversation resonated with you, here are some practical next steps:

• Explore stock and crypto giving. Visit overflow.co to book a demo with their team and see how it works for your church.
• Set up corporate gift matching reminders. Create a simple email template that your congregation can forward to their HR department.
• Evaluate your giving experience. Is it easy for someone to give during a service? On their phone? On your website? If there is friction, you are losing generosity.
• Teach on generosity consistently. Do not shy away from preaching about giving. Your people want to be generous. They just need to be invited into it.
• Consider how you are reaching new people. Growing your church means growing your giving base too. If you want help with using Facebook ads to reach new church guests, that is exactly what we do at ChurchCandy.

Vance and his team at Overflow are doing incredible work to help churches unlock generosity. I am grateful he took the time to sit down with me in Houston and share all of this.

If you want to learn more, head to overflow.co to book a demo.

And if you want to keep learning about how to grow your church, check out my conversation with Pastor Sherman Dumas on how he attracted 300 guests on launch day using Facebook ads.

What is one change you could make this year to increase giving at your church?

I sat down with Pastor Olu Lawal, the Online Campus Pastor at Shoreline City Church in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, to answer one question every growing church is asking: does your church actually need an online campus pastor? Olu’s experience at Shoreline City Church gives a clear answer, and it might surprise you.

The Online Campus as the Front Door

One of the first things Olu told me was that the online campus is not a lesser version of church. At Shoreline City Church, it is the front door. People who are looking for a new church often check out the online service before they ever set foot in a physical building.

“The online campus is really the front door to our church,” Olu shared. “We’re getting a lot of people who are looking for a new church. They go to our online service before they come to our physical locations.” That insight completely changes how churches should think about online ministry. It is not a backup option. It is often the first impression.

Why You Need a Dedicated Online Campus Pastor

Most churches that do online services have someone managing the technical side. But Olu makes the case for something deeper: someone whose entire job is to pastor the online congregation. Not just produce content, but actually care for people, follow up with them, connect them to community, and help them grow.

Without a dedicated pastor, online attenders fall through the cracks. They watch a service, feel moved, and then have no clear next step. They are never followed up with, never invited to a connect group, never given a reason to become part of the community. Olu’s role exists to prevent exactly that.

Online Connect Groups: How They Do It

One of the most practical parts of our conversation was about connect groups for the online community. At Shoreline City Church, they run three semesters a year with online groups that meet virtually. The groups are topic-based or activity-based, and they keep running even between semesters because people want to stay connected.

“We say that connect groups are how we do church,” Olu told me. “We mean that even for our online campus.” They currently have a basketball life group, a women’s book club, and many others. These are real relationships being built between people who may never meet in person but are still growing together in community.

Serving the Online Congregation

One thing that surprised me was how Shoreline City Church handles serving opportunities for their online members. Olu told me they have found creative ways to involve online attenders in the mission of the church, even from a distance. Prayer teams, social media volunteers, and administrative support roles can all be filled by people who are part of the online campus.

This kind of intentionality is what separates a thriving online campus from one that just streams a service. You have to think of online attenders as real church members who need real connection and real ways to contribute.

Starting an Online Campus: Where to Begin

I asked Olu what advice he would give to a church just starting to think about online ministry. His answer was practical and grounded. You do not have to have everything figured out on day one.

• Start with your existing content. Repurpose your sermon recordings into social media posts, clips, and highlights. You are already creating this content. Use it.
• Show up consistently. Regular online services build audience trust. Inconsistency kills momentum.
• Follow up with online attenders. Someone who watches your service online deserves a follow-up just as much as someone who visited in person.
• Create clear next steps. Tell online attenders exactly how to get connected, join a group, or plan a physical visit.
• Hire or appoint a dedicated person. If you are serious about online ministry, you need someone whose job it is to care for that community.

This kind of intentional online outreach connects directly to what I teach through ChurchCandy. The churches that run Facebook and Instagram ads and then have a strong online presence see much better results because there is somewhere for those people to land.

Final Thought

Olu Lawal makes a compelling case that every growing church needs to take their online congregation seriously. The online campus is not a lesser form of church. It is often the first touch point that eventually leads someone to show up in person. If you are not investing in your online presence, you are likely losing people who were already interested.

For more on using digital tools to reach more people, check out my conversation with Michael Whittle on why pastors should be paying attention to AI in ministry.

I sat down with Ruslan KD, one of the most well-known Christian content creators online, and his pastor, Jeff Moore from Rhythm Church in Oceanside, California. This conversation covered everything from pastoring influencers to navigating controversy in the church to how social media is reshaping ministry. If you are a pastor trying to figure out how to engage with the online world, this episode is for you.

How Ruslan Found Rhythm Church

Ruslan told me he and his family have been at Rhythm Church for almost two years, after attending on and off since the church launched in 2020. He and Jeff have known each other for over 10 years. That long-standing relationship was the foundation for Ruslan eventually planting his family at Rhythm.

“We’ve been officially at Rhythm for almost two years,” Ruslan shared. “Jeff and I have known each other for over 10 years. That relationship mattered.” People follow relationship before they follow programs.

What It Takes to Pastor Influencers

I asked Jeff what it is like to pastor someone with a massive online following. His answer was grounded. The biggest challenge is not the fame itself, but the unique pressures that come with public visibility.

“At the end of the day, Ruslan is a husband and a father who needs pastoral care like everyone else,” Jeff told me.

Navigating Controversy in the Church

Ruslan is known for tackling difficult topics online. He said he genuinely wants honest conversations that push the church forward.

“I would argue that it would be in celebrity pastors’ best interest to sit down and have the uncomfortable conversations,” Ruslan said. “That veil of status and power is done in this era.”

Social Media as a Ministry Tool

Ruslan and Jeff both believe that social media is one of the greatest tools the church has for reaching people, but only if it is used with authenticity. The era of polished, over-produced church content is fading. What works now is real, honest, and relatable content.

This aligns with what I see across our ChurchCandy partner churches. The ads that perform best are the ones that feel real. I recently wrote about why social media is the greatest opportunity for church growth, and this conversation reinforced everything I believe about authentic digital outreach.

Pastoring in California

Jeff shared honestly about the challenges of leading a church in Southern California. The culture is secular and many people have strong opinions about organized religion. But Jeff sees that as an opportunity. Rhythm Church leans into biblical teaching without compromise.

“Let’s get back to preaching the word of God,” Jeff said. In a culture that is constantly shifting, the Word of God is the one thing that does not change.

Key Takeaways for Church Leaders

• Authenticity wins. On social media and in the pulpit, people can tell when you are being real.
• Pastor the person, not the platform. If you have influencers in your church, treat them like anyone else.
• Lean into hard conversations. Thoughtful engagement builds trust.
• Social media is a mission field. Use it to reach people with truth and love.
• Preach the Bible. In a world of shifting culture, the Word of God remains constant.

Final Thought

This conversation with Ruslan and Jeff was refreshingly honest. Whether you are a pastor, a content creator, or someone trying to figure out how faith and social media intersect, this episode will challenge and encourage you.

For more on digital platforms and church growth, check out my conversation with Brady Shearer about the future of church media.

I sat down with Pastor Mike Santiago from Focus Church in Raleigh, North Carolina, to talk about what it takes to plant a church from zero in a city where you have no network. Mike moved to Raleigh without knowing anyone, built a launch team from scratch, and grew Focus Church into a multi-campus ministry over the course of 11 years. He also leads Break 200, an organization that helps churches get past the 200 average attendance mark.

Moving to Raleigh With No Network

Mike did not have a built-in audience or a sending church in Raleigh. He moved there with his family and started from nothing. His strategy for building a launch team was simple: meet everyone. He invited strangers into his house for Sunday night gatherings. He scheduled coffee meetings back to back. If someone had a cousin in Raleigh, Mike was meeting them.

“If you had a pulse, you had a purpose in those days,” Mike told me. That hustle and relational energy is what built the foundation for Focus Church’s launch.

The Big Launch and Early Growth

Focus Church used the traditional attractional model for their launch. They built a launch team, set a date (the second Sunday in September), and went big. The grand opening was a success, and the church started growing from there.

But Mike was honest that the first few years were hard. Keeping momentum after launch day is where most church plants struggle. The excitement fades, the crowds thin, and you have to find a way to sustain growth through genuine ministry, not just events.

That kind of launch day momentum is something I’ve seen with other pastors too. Pastor Sherman Dumas had 300 people show up on his opening Sunday at Kingdom Culture, with 60% of those guests coming through Facebook ads.

The Biggest Mistake Church Planters Make

I asked Mike what the most common mistake is that he sees pastors and church planters make. His answer was direct: they make it too hard for people to step into the system of serving at the church.

“The most common mistake any pastor or church planter makes is they make it so hard for people to step into the system of serving,” Mike said. When people feel like they have to jump through hoops to get involved, they disengage. The best churches make it easy for people to find their place and start contributing.

From No Building to 60 Acres

One of the most remarkable parts of Focus Church’s story is how they went from having nothing to inheriting a legacy church property with 60 acres and 70,000 square feet. A church in their network needed a pastor, and Focus Church needed a building. The two fit together perfectly.

Mike told me they inherited the property along with 30 years of debt. But through faithful stewardship and generosity from their congregation, they paid off all the debt and are now building a brand new facility on the property. “We went from having nothing to having way too much almost overnight,” Mike said.

Growing Past the 200 Barrier

Mike also leads Break 200, which helps churches push past the 200 attendance ceiling. He told me that most churches plateau at 200 because the pastor tries to do everything. The shift from 200 to 400 and beyond requires delegation, systems, and a willingness to let go of control.

His advice for breaking through that barrier:

• Build teams, not programs. Empower people to lead alongside you instead of doing everything yourself.
• Make serving easy. Remove barriers to entry. Let people try things without making them go through a three-month training process first.
• Invest in digital outreach. The churches that break through growth ceilings are the ones reaching new people consistently through Facebook and Instagram ads.
• Focus on systems. Growth without systems leads to burnout and chaos. Build the infrastructure to handle more people before the people arrive.
• Stay relational. Even as you grow, never lose the personal touch that made people fall in love with your church in the first place.

Building strong teams and personal follow-up is a strategy that works across different contexts. Pastor Ken Bennett used similar principles to grow Connect Church from 150 to 600 in just six months by combining Facebook ads with a hands-on follow-up system.

Final Thought

Mike Santiago has spent over a decade building Focus Church from the ground up, and the lessons he shares in this episode are invaluable for any church planter or pastor looking to grow. Whether you are just getting started or trying to break past a growth ceiling, Mike’s story will challenge and inspire you.

For more on church growth strategies, check out how Pastor Roberson Pier built New England’s largest church plant.

I sat down with Alex Suber, ChurchCandy’s Director of Operations, to break down exactly what is working right now to get new guests through church doors. Alex and I have worked together closely, and this conversation was packed with the strategies, mistakes, and insights we have learned from helping hundreds of churches grow with digital marketing.

The Two Biggest Factors That Determine Church Growth

After working with churches across the country, we have seen two factors that consistently separate growing churches from stuck ones: content quality and follow-up systems. If your content does not stop someone from scrolling, they will never visit. And if your follow-up is weak, the people who do visit will not come back.

It sounds simple, but most churches get one or both of these wrong. They either over-produce their content so it looks like a TV commercial (which people scroll right past), or they have no system for following up with guests after they visit.

Why Most Church Ads Fail

One of the biggest mistakes I see is churches creating ads that look like commercials. Fancy cameras, blurred lobby backgrounds, lower thirds with the pastor’s name. It looks professional, but the problem is that when people see something on their timeline that looks like an ad, they skip it.

The ads that perform best for our churches are the ones that feel real. A pastor talking to the camera on their phone. A genuine invitation to come check out the church. No scripts, no production crew. Just authenticity. That is what stops the scroll.

Alex and I also talked about the importance of fresh content. You cannot run the same ad for six months and expect it to keep performing. People get tired of seeing the same thing. We recommend churches create new ad content at least every few weeks.

The Follow-Up System That Actually Works

Getting someone to plan a visit is only half the battle. What happens after they fill out a form or show up on Sunday is what determines whether they come back. The churches that are growing the fastest have personal, hands-on follow-up systems.

Here is what we see working:

• Personal video messages. Send a short video from the pastor within 24 hours of someone planning a visit. Use their name. Make it personal.
• Text from a real number. Not an automated system. A real person texting from their cell phone so it shows up as an iMessage or blue bubble.
• Follow up more than once. Most churches follow up once and stop. The best churches follow up multiple times over several weeks.
• Retargeting ads. Keep showing ads to people who have already interacted with your church online. Stay in front of them so your church stays top of mind.

Pastor Sherman Dumas at Kingdom Culture uses personalized videos as part of his follow-up, and it is one of the main reasons their retention rate is so high. Pastor Ken Bennett at Connect Church built a detailed follow-up system that helped them grow from 150 to 600 in six months.

How to Calculate Your Ad Budget

One question I get all the time from pastors is, “How much should I spend on ads?” Alex and I built a calculator to help churches figure that out. The inputs are straightforward: how many new guests do you want per month, how many people typically come per family, and what your cost per planned visit is in your area.

For most churches, we see about 2.5 people per family that plans a visit. The cost per planned visit varies by market, but we walk through the math in this episode so you can see exactly what to expect.

Common Mistakes Churches Make With Digital Marketing

• Over-producing ad content. It needs to look natural, not like a commercial.
• Not following up quickly enough. Speed matters. If someone plans a visit on Monday and you do not reach out until Friday, they have already forgotten about you.
• Stopping ads too soon. Digital marketing is a long game. The churches that see the best results commit to running ads consistently, not just for a launch or Easter.
• Ignoring retargeting. Someone who visited your website or watched your video is way more likely to visit than a cold audience. Keep showing up in their feed.
• Not tracking results. If you do not know how many people planned a visit, how many showed up, and how many came back, you cannot improve.

Final Thought

Growing your church in 2025 is absolutely possible. But it requires intentional content, consistent advertising, and a follow-up system that makes every guest feel valued. Alex and I broke all of this down in this episode because we want every church to have the tools they need to reach more people.

If you are ready to get started, grab a free copy of my book, the Plan Your Visit Playbook, which walks you through the entire process step by step. And if you want more stories about what is working, check out how Pastor Derrick Hawkins brought 950 people to his church’s first Sunday.

Pastor Taurus Solomon never planned to plant a church. After a painful church split in Atlanta that left deep wounds, he did everything he could to avoid it. But God had other plans. What Taurus has built in Dallas, Texas, is a testament to what happens when you follow God through fear and come out on the other side.

Creating that kind of welcoming environment for people with church wounds is something I’ve seen other pastors prioritize too. Pastor Brandon Holmes at Promise Co. Church took a similar approach, reaching former drug dealers, single moms, and people who had sworn they would never step into a church again.

When God Calls You Through Pain

Before Dallas, Taurus was serving in ministry in Atlanta. Then a church split happened, and it broke something in him. He described the experience as painful on levels he did not have language for at the time. He was healing, his marriage was stable, and the last thing he wanted to do was start over.

“I was kicking and screaming. I was mad,” Taurus told me. “I did everything in my power to not plant a church.” But with healing came a new level of trust. He followed God to Dallas, terrified but obedient. And every fear he had turned out to be a lie.

“Honestly, every fear that I had about planting a church was not real. Everything the devil told me about it was a lie,” Taurus said.

Creating a Safe Place for the Hurting

Because Taurus experienced church hurt firsthand, he built his ministry to be a safe place for people carrying similar wounds. His church in Dallas is intentionally welcoming, non-judgmental, and focused on genuine care. People who have been burned by church before feel comfortable walking through the doors because the culture is built on honesty and love.

That focus on healing is something I see in the strongest churches. Pastor Sherman Dumas at Kingdom Culture shared a similar heart for reaching people who had walked away from church. When your ministry is built around restoration, people come and they stay.

How Digital Marketing Changed Everything

Taurus connected with ChurchCandy early on and started running Facebook and Instagram ads. The results were immediate. People in Dallas who had never heard of his church started showing up because they saw an ad on their phone.

One of the most powerful stories Taurus shared was about a woman named Elizabeth. She found out about the church through one of the very first ads they ran. She visited a conference, then joined the church when it officially launched. She and her husband had been through a miscarriage and were in a rocky place in their marriage. Through their connection to the church, their marriage was restored, and they are now in the healthiest place they have ever been.

“Because of connecting to our church through a Facebook ad, she’s now in the healthiest place she’s ever been in her marriage,” Taurus shared.

Stories like Elizabeth’s remind me of what Pastor Sherman Dumas shared about a woman named Tracy, who found Kingdom Culture through a Facebook ad and went from hesitant visitor to one of their strongest outreach leaders.

Overcoming the Fear of Church Planting

If you are a pastor wrestling with whether to plant a church, Taurus wants you to know something: the fear is normal, but it is not a reason to stop. He was honest about how terrifying the process was. Leaving a stable ministry, moving to a new city, starting from scratch. None of it felt safe. But looking back, he would do it all again.

His advice for aspiring church planters:

• Let God heal you first. You cannot lead others out of a place you have not walked through yourself.
• Do not let fear make your decisions. Fear will always tell you to stay comfortable. Obedience requires movement.
• Create an environment of safety. People who are hurting need to know they will not be judged when they walk through the door.
• Use digital marketing to reach people you cannot reach in person. Facebook ads put Taurus’s church in front of people like Elizabeth who would never have found it otherwise.
• Steward the stories. When God changes someone’s life through your ministry, celebrate it and share it.

Final Thought

Taurus Solomon’s story is proof that God can use your pain as the foundation for your purpose. What started as a season of hurt became a church that is changing lives in Dallas. If you are holding back because of fear or past wounds, let Taurus’s journey encourage you to take the next step.

For another powerful church planting story, check out how Pastor Sammy Gomes planted Fray Church and what you can learn from it.

Pastor Erik Oliveras announced his Axios Church plant in Lakeland, Florida, just weeks before the COVID-19 shutdowns hit in March 2020. While most people were retreating, Erik and his team were stepping out in faith. Their story is one of the most compelling examples of how adaptability and trust in God can turn an impossible situation into something incredible.

That combination of digital outreach and personal follow-up mirrors what other pastors have experienced. Pastor Sherman Dumas used the same approach at Kingdom Culture, where 60% of his first-time guests came through Facebook and Instagram ads.

Launching a Church in the Middle of COVID

Erik had been planning the launch of Axios Church for months. Then the world shut down. Instead of giving up, he pivoted. The church started meeting online, then in small outdoor gatherings, and eventually transitioned to in-person services. Every step required creativity and flexibility.

“We announced our church plant, and then a few weeks later, COVID hit,” Erik told me. “But God met us there. Every step of the way.” That willingness to adapt is something I have seen in the strongest church plants across our ChurchCandy network.

From Online to Two Services

One of the most impressive parts of Axios Church’s story is the growth. They started with nothing during a pandemic and grew so quickly that they had to add a second service. Erik told me that the growth was a direct result of building strong systems before they scaled.

He was honest about the tension between wanting to grow and not being ready for it. “We weren’t ready for the growth,” Erik said. “But we built systems first, and that’s what allowed us to sustain it when it came.” That is a lesson every church planter needs to hear. Growth without systems leads to chaos.

Finding a Permanent Location

Axios Church started as a mobile church meeting in a civic center. When they were told they needed to move out, they had just over a month to find and renovate a permanent location. Erik told me he did not know how to do drywall, did not know how to do much of anything construction-related. But they figured it out.

“I didn’t have a life for a month and a half,” Erik said. “I was at the church every day. We just figured it out and trusted God.” That kind of hustle reminds me of the Eden Church planting story, where the team also had to navigate finding the right space under pressure.

How ChurchCandy Fueled Their Growth

Erik connected with ChurchCandy early in their journey and started running Facebook and Instagram ads. The impact was immediate. Before the ads, people in the community did not even know Axios Church existed. Once the ads started running, awareness exploded.

“We took what we were doing and put it towards ads on social media and it blew up,” Erik said. But he also stressed that the ads worked because they had built the systems to handle the growth first. You cannot run effective ads if you do not have a follow-up process in place. Pastor Ken Bennett proved this same principle at Connect Church.

Raising Funds as a Church Plant

Erik and I talked about the financial realities of planting a church in a post-COVID world. Dino Rizzo, the executive director of ARC, recently told me that church planters today need to raise more money and be in their city longer than expected before launching. Erik’s experience confirms that. Fundraising is not optional. It is essential.

Erik shared how he and his team raised funds through personal relationships, church partnerships, and creative giving strategies. He encouraged future church planters to be transparent with potential supporters and to treat fundraising as a ministry, not a burden.

Advice for Post-COVID Church Planters

• Raise more money than you think you need. The post-COVID landscape is more expensive and more competitive.
• Build systems before you build crowds. Growth without infrastructure will collapse. Get your follow-up, volunteer, and communication systems in place first.
• Get into a permanent location as quickly as possible. Mobile church has advantages, but a permanent home builds stability and trust in the community.
• Start running ads early. ChurchCandy gave Axios Church visibility that word of mouth alone could never have achieved.
• Trust God with the timeline. COVID changed everything about when and how churches launch, but it did not change God’s faithfulness.

For pastors planting in difficult seasons, the key takeaway from Erik’s story is to keep moving forward. Pastor Ken Bennett faced similar uncertainty before partnering with ChurchCandy and went on to grow Connect Church from 150 to over 600 in just six months.

Final Thought

Erik Oliveras and Axios Church are a testament to what happens when faith meets preparation. Planting during COVID was not the plan, but God used it for something beautiful. If you are a church planter navigating uncertainty, this episode will encourage you to keep going.

For more on effective church planting strategies, check out how Pastor Derrick Hawkins brought 950 people to Promise City Church’s first Sunday.

I got to sit down with Greg Surratt, co-founder of ARC and founding pastor of Seacoast Church, for a conversation that every pastor needs to hear. Greg planted Seacoast in 1988, grew it to 14 campuses, transitioned lead pastor responsibilities to his son Josh, and now runs Pastor’s Collective, an organization dedicated to supporting the mental health and wellbeing of pastors. This was one of the most honest conversations about the realities of ministry I have ever had.

Planting Seacoast Church in 1988

Greg started Seacoast Church in Charleston, South Carolina, at a time when church planting looked completely different. There was no social media. There were no Facebook ads. He and his wife showed up with a vision and not much else. The early years were brutal. Greg talked openly about the financial struggles, the loneliness, and the moments where he almost quit.

“There were times I wanted to give up,” Greg told me. “But something kept pulling me forward.” That persistence paid off. Seacoast eventually grew into one of the pioneering multi-site churches in America.

Pioneering the Multi-Site Model

Greg was one of the early adopters of the multi-site church model. He told me about a group of church leaders who made a commitment to meet every six months for about four days to figure out how to do church in multiple locations. That group included leaders from Life Church, Willow Creek, and several others. Out of those meetings, the American version of multi-site was born.

At Seacoast, they started with movie theaters and pre-recorded messages because they wanted to keep costs low. “We were cheap,” Greg laughed. But the model worked, and they eventually grew to 14 campuses.

Building a Teaching Team

One topic that really stood out was Greg’s approach to developing a preaching team. Instead of relying on one communicator for every campus, Seacoast built a team of teachers. Greg told me they gave emerging communicators small group environments first, then let them preach in smaller settings, and gradually expanded their platform.

This is something I think more churches need to hear. Developing multiple voices strengthens the church and protects against burnout. If everything depends on one person behind the pulpit, you are building on a fragile foundation.

Transitioning to His Son Josh

Greg openly shared what it was like to transition lead pastor responsibilities to his son Josh. When I asked him what it feels like not to be “the man” anymore, he did not flinch. One of his granddaughters asked him, “Papa, what’s it like not to preach at Easter at Seacoast?” Greg told me he has found peace in that transition.

“I think I’m the happiest I’ve ever been,” Greg said. That kind of humility and willingness to step back is rare in church leadership, and it is something every pastor should think about as they plan for the future of their church.

Why Pastor Mental Health Matters

The most important part of our conversation centered on pastor mental health. Greg shared some sobering statistics: over 3,000 pastors quit full-time ministry every year, and 38% have seriously considered stepping down. The reasons are consistent: stress, isolation, and loneliness.

“You can say everybody’s job is stressful, but a pastor’s job is uniquely stressful,” Greg said. “One minute you’re walking someone through a heart-crushing situation, and the next you’re deciding how many widgets to buy. Then you’ve got your personal family stuff. It just goes up, down, up, down. You weren’t created for that.”

That is why Greg launched Pastor’s Collective. The organization provides resources, community, and support for pastors who are struggling. Greg believes the church needs to prioritize the mental health of its leaders, and I could not agree more.

Advice for Pastors and Church Planters

• Do not carry burdens alone. Jesus said His yoke is easy and His burden is light. Many pastors are carrying loads that were never theirs to carry.
• Fight isolation. Find a group of pastors you can be honest with. Loneliness is one of the biggest threats to your ministry and your health.
• Plan for succession early. Building a teaching team and developing leaders is not a sign of weakness. It is wisdom.
• Take your mental health seriously. If you would tell a church member to see a counselor, you should be willing to do the same.
• Stay in the game. The early years are the hardest, but persistence matters. Greg almost quit multiple times, and now Seacoast has impacted thousands.

Final Thought

Greg Surratt has seen it all in ministry. He planted a church from nothing, pioneered multi-site, transitioned leadership to the next generation, and now spends his time making sure pastors do not burn out alone. If you are a pastor feeling the weight of ministry, this conversation is for you. You are not alone, and there are people like Greg who want to help.

For more conversations about the realities of church leadership, check out my conversation with Michael Whittle about how AI is changing pastoral ministry.

My conversation with Pastor Rod Vargas from Union Houston in Houston, Texas, was one of the most raw and honest I have had on this podcast. Rod is pastoring in Spring Branch, one of Houston’s most diverse and challenging neighborhoods. His church reaches immigrants, single moms, former addicts, business owners, and people living in extreme poverty, all in the same room on Sunday morning.

From Addiction to the Pulpit

Rod’s story does not start in a seminary. It starts in a rehab center. He grew up in Houston and battled addiction for years before encountering God in a powerful way. While in rehab in Spring Branch, he felt God give him a heart for that specific community. Years later, when it came time to plant a church, the Lord brought him right back to that same neighborhood.

“The Lord gave me a heart for Spring Branch,” Rod told me. “Most of the people here are immigrants, people with lots of wealth and extreme poverty.”

Why Inner-City Ministry Looks Different

One of the most eye-opening parts of our conversation was when Rod explained why the typical church planting playbook does not always work in the city. In the suburbs, you can run a tight one-hour service with three songs and a sermon, launch a growth track, and people will come. But in the inner city, the people Rod serves are working at rail yards, on oil fields, and running construction companies.

“Bounce houses work in the suburbs. Bring bounce houses to the city, and your church kids are going to be the only ones there,” Rod said. The methods have to match the people you are trying to reach.

Rod’s approach is built on authentic relationships and discipleship. That kind of personal investment is what Pastor Brandon Holmes also emphasized when he talked about building trust at Promise Co. Church.

Building Community Through Discipleship

Rod told me that discipleship is the backbone of everything at Union Houston. They do not just want people to attend on Sundays. They want people to grow, to serve, and to become leaders themselves.

“Because we pastored them. We loved them. And they saw that this wasn’t just leadership but a relationship,” Rod said about the people who now help lead the church.

That same commitment to discipleship over attendance is something Pastor Ken Bennett at Connect Church also practices. His detailed follow-up system, where the team remembers guests’ kids’ names and coffee preferences, helped grow the church from 150 to 600 in six months.

The Role of Digital Outreach in Urban Ministry

When I asked Rod about using ChurchCandy, he was honest about the impact. Adding Facebook and Instagram ads gave Union Houston visibility they could not have gotten otherwise. From the moment someone plans a visit, they get a personal video from Rod.

“The moment people plan their visit, they get my video. They’re already introduced to how we communicate,” Rod shared. Pastor Sherman Dumas uses a similar personalized follow-up strategy at Kingdom Culture.

Advice for Pastors Considering Urban Ministry

• Be yourself. Stop trying to fit into a model built for a different context. The Lord has given you a unique voice for your community.
• Invest in relationships first. Before you build programs, build trust.
• Rethink your methods. What works in the suburbs may not work in the city.
• Use every tool available. Digital outreach and personal follow-up work together.
• Stay faithful to your vision. One of Rod’s mentors told him, “Never let go of the vision God gave you.”

Final Thought

Pastor Rod Vargas is proving that church growth in the inner city is possible when you lead with love and meet people where they are. If you are a pastor in an urban context, listen to this episode.

For more stories, check out my conversation with Pastor Pradeepan Jeeva about planting in America’s most unchurched city.

Most church planters chase big cities, but Pastor Rory Chance did the opposite. After more than 20 years in ministry, he and his wife took a leap of faith and planted Genesis Church in Monroe, Louisiana, a small town already packed with churches. What makes their story stand out is that they became a home for people who had been unchurched or hurt by previous church experiences, and they used Facebook ads from day one to reach them.

From San Antonio to Monroe: Answering the Call

Rory grew up in San Antonio, Texas. He always thought he would live in a city. But God had different plans. About 11 years ago, God planted him and his family in Monroe, Louisiana. They built deep roots and relationships in the community. Then, while attending the ARC Launch Planters Conference, Rory felt a clear confirmation that God was calling him to plant a church right there in Monroe.

“It’s a small community with tons of churches. Not somewhere that I ever would have thought that we would plant,” Rory told me. But he followed the call, and Genesis Church was born.

Reaching the Unchurched in a Churched Community

What makes Genesis Church unique is the people they reach. Rory told me that most of their congregation are people who had either left the church or never been part of one. In a town with churches on every corner, Genesis became a safe place for people carrying church hurt.

“Our ministry has really become a place where a lot of people who have been unchurched for a while or gone through church have found a place to call home,” Rory shared.

That reality shaped everything about how they do ministry. Rory and his team focus on being authentic, creating a welcoming environment, and making sure every guest feels seen from the moment they walk through the door. Pastor Sherman Dumas shared a similar experience at Kingdom Culture, where many of their visitors had also been away from church for years.

Using Facebook Ads From the Very Beginning

Before Genesis Church even launched, Rory’s team started running ads through ChurchCandy. They used the ads to build a launch team, invite people to interest meetings, and create awareness in the community. And it worked.

Rory explained how the ads helped them connect with people who were interested in learning more about the church. Not everyone who filled out a form ended up grabbing coffee, but the team did not stop there. They pointed those people to interest meetings and found other ways to stay connected.

“Because we run ads and we’re one of the only churches that run ads, we’re often one of the first churches that people visit in our area. So as a church plant, that’s invaluable,” Rory said.

That approach mirrors what I see across our ChurchCandy partner churches. The ones who commit to running consistent ads week after week are the ones who build real momentum. Pastor Ken Bennett at Connect Church used a similar consistent approach and grew from 150 to 600 in six months.

Stewardship of Every Lead

One of the biggest things Rory and I talked about is stewardship. A lot of churches will spend money on ads, get a list of names, and then let those names sit in a database. That breaks my heart. Because if you are spending the church’s money to reach people, you owe it to your congregation and to God to follow up with every single one of them.

Rory gets that. His team treats every lead as a real person, not just a number. They follow up personally, they invite people to next steps, and they make sure no one falls through the cracks.

“We always talk about stewardship,” Rory told me. “If you’re going to invest money into reaching people, you have to steward those connections well.”

That commitment to stewarding every connection is a principle I hear again and again from successful church planters. Pastor Brandon Holmes took it even further by meeting every lead for one-on-one coffee, turning first-time clicks into lasting relationships at Promise Co. Church.

Is Church Planting What He Expected?

I asked Rory to be honest about whether church planting has been what he thought it would be. He laughed and said it has been both harder and more rewarding than he imagined. The challenges of building teams, managing finances, finding a permanent location, and leading through uncertainty are real. But so are the stories of life change.

Rory shared stories of people walking into Genesis Church broken and walking out with hope. Families being restored. Individuals finding purpose for the first time. Those moments make every challenge worth it.

Advice for Aspiring Church Planters

Toward the end of our conversation, I asked Rory what advice he would give to someone thinking about planting a church, especially in a small town. Here is what he shared:

• Build strong relationships in your community before you launch. People need to trust you before they will follow you.
• Be patient with the process. Growth in a small town looks different than in a big city, but it is just as meaningful.
• Invest in digital outreach early. Running ads from day one gave Genesis Church a head start that most church plants never get.
• Steward every connection. Follow up with every person who shows interest. Do not let names sit in a database.
• Stay true to your calling. There will be hard days. But if God called you to it, He will see you through it.

Final Thought

Pastor Rory Chance is proof that small-town church planting works when you combine genuine love for people with smart strategy. Genesis Church continues to grow because they meet people where they are, both online and in person. If you are a pastor wondering whether digital ads can work for your church, the answer is yes. And if you are planting in a small town, do not let the size of your city limit the size of your vision.

If you want to hear more stories like this, check out my conversation with Pastor Roberson Pier about building New England’s largest church plant.