Cultivate - Calvary Chapel Church Planting

In this episode, Brian Kelly and Nick Cady discuss who should plant churches and how churches can raise up and send out planters. They emphasize that the key qualifications are not perfection or full preparation, but spiritual health, humility, and teachability. Church planting requires faith, sacrifice, and a willingness to do uncomfortable things, but growth often happens in “need to know” and “need to grow” moments. They also highlight practical steps for pastors, including openly talking about church planting, creating internships or residencies, and inviting others into the process. Ultimately, God uses ordinary, imperfect people who are willing to step out in faith. Episode Highlights• Church planters should be spiritually healthy, teachable, and willing to step into discomfort• Most people feel unqualified, but growth happens as you step out in faith• “Need to know” and “need to grow” moments are where real development happens• Pastors can start by simply talking about church planting and casting vision publicly• Creating internships or residencies is one of the most effective ways to raise up leaders• Church planting often requires bi-vocational work, fundraising, and deep dependence on God• God consistently uses ordinary, flawed people who are willing to obey*****The Cultivate Church Planting Website: https://cultivatechurchplanting.comPledge to Plant: https://tally.so/r/3xj2BG

In this episode of the Cultivate Church Planting Podcast, Brian Kelly interviews Rob Salvato about his 30-year pastoral journey at Calvary Vista, including a thoughtful and Spirit-led transition to his successor and the church’s culture of church planting. Rob shares how he intentionally prepared his church for leadership transition by gradually releasing control, empowering staff, and cultivating a servant-leadership mindset. He also recounts his first church plant in Oregon, lessons learned about bi-vocational ministry, focusing on doing one thing well, and the importance of having a genuine burden for a city. The conversation highlights practical strategies for training church planters, investing deeply in future leaders, and recognizing that seasons of planting and supporting are directed by the Lord.Episode Highlights• Why pastors should begin planning succession long before they feel ready to step aside• The importance of slowly “letting go of the reins” to prepare both heart and congregation for transition• A real-life example of a healthy pastoral handoff after 30 years of leadership• Lessons from Rob’s first church plant, including why he now recommends getting a part-time job to integrate into the community• The wisdom of doing one thing really well when starting a church, instead of launching multiple ministries too quickly• A structured, year-long training pipeline Calvary Vista used to prepare church planters across every ministry area• Why investing deeply in leaders before sending them out produces long-term fruit• The mindset shift from “losing your best people” to seeing God raise up the next generation• Recognizing seasons of planting versus seasons of supporting and coming alongside other church planters*****The Cultivate Church Planting Website: https://cultivatechurchplanting.comPledge to Plant: https://tally.so/r/3xj2BG

In this episode of the Cultivate Church Planting Podcast, Brian Kelly and his guest speak directly to pastors leading healthy existing churches and challenge common objections to church planting. The conversation reframes church planting not as competition, but as a kingdom-minded responsibility. Using practical experience and vivid illustrations, the episode addresses fear of losing people, fear of losing key leaders, and fear of lacking resources, while emphasizing faith, obedience, and long-term legacy over institutional preservation.Episode Highlights• Why small and mid-sized churches are often best positioned to plant healthy churches• The three main reasons pastors hesitate to plant: competition, losing leaders, and lack of resources• The “banyan tree vs. banana tree” illustration for unhealthy growth vs. biblical multiplication• Why sending your best people strengthens, not weakens, the sending church• How God consistently provides after churches step out in obedience• A call for pastors to think beyond their own congregation toward lasting kingdom impact

Welcome to the Cultivate Church Planting Podcast!Brian Kelly is joined by cohost Pilgrim Benham and guest Pastor Zeddie Muzungu of Calvary Chapel Kampala to unpack why Uganda and East Africa are a strategic hotspot for church planting. They talk through the unique advantages and dangers of foreign missionaries, the tribal dynamics that make a neutral outsider surprisingly effective, and the desperate need for solid Bible teaching in a country that is statistically 80 percent Christian but lightly discipled.Zeddie shares how Calvary Chapel Kampala grew out of Brian’s early missionary work, how their Bible college has sent church planters across Uganda and into surrounding nations, and his vision to relocate the college to a larger rural campus so more students can be trained and sent into the harvest. Episode highlights• The backstory: Brian moving to Uganda in his early twenties, planting Calvary Chapel Kampala, launching a Bible college, and Zeddie coming through that program before later becoming the pastor. • Why foreign missionaries still matter: a non tribal outsider can draw people from many tribes without the built in bias that often divides Ugandan churches. • The missionary danger: importing Western culture and politics instead of humbly learning the local culture and serving under it. • The real need: Uganda may be 80 percent “Christian” on paper, but there is a shortage of Bible teaching churches and serious discipleship, especially outside urban centers. • Expositional teaching as a game changer: people encounter verse by verse teaching for the first time, get “ruined” for shallow church, and beg for churches to be planted in their regions. • Vision for the future: moving the Bible college out of downtown Kampala to a property with dorms, increasing intake from about 15 students to as many as 50 and multiplying church planters across East and Central Africa. • How listeners can help: pray about going short or long term, consider joining a church planting team rather than leading from day one, and support works like Calvary Chapel Kampala where one dollar goes very far in training and sending planters.*****The Cultivate Church Planting Website: https://cultivatechurchplanting.comPledge to Plant: https://tally.so/r/3xj2BG

Brian Kelly sits down with Pilgrim Benham to talk through what makes church plants healthy and sustainable. They cover the move of Calvary Chapel Bible College to the West Church campus in Bradenton, how online and legacy training are expanding, and what planters should consider when choosing urban or suburban contexts. The conversation lands on a “garden planting” model, practical training pipelines for preachers and pastors, and why long-term partnerships beat parachute launches.Episode highlights• CCBC’s new season in Bradenton and the growing online footprint• Urban church realities vs. suburban stability• “Garden planting” as a reproducible approach for nearby towns• Building a preaching pipeline and pastoral residency before sending• Funding, partnerships, and why two years of prep often pays off• A vision to equip, send, and support planters*****Support Church Plating – https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving In the dropdown select “Church Planting”*****The cultivate church planting podcast is part of CGN Media, a podcast network that points to Christ. Check out cgnmedia.org for more great shows, ways to support the ministry.The Cultivate Church Planting Website: https://cultivatechurchplanting.comThe CGN Media Website: https://cgnmedia.orgPledge to Plant: https://tally.so/r/3xj2BG

Welcome to the Cultivate Church Planting Podcast with Brian Kelly. In this episode, Brian is joined by Daniel Williams to introduce a special guest, David Downs, who has been serving in Turin, Italy, for nearly two decades. David shares his journey of moving overseas, navigating cultural and bureaucratic challenges, and seeing God provide in unexpected ways.You’ll hear about the realities of planting a church in a city of over two million people, the importance of pursuing unity among evangelical churches, and the vision for raising up leaders and establishing a lasting gospel presence in northern Italy.If you’ve ever wondered what long-term missions and church planting look like in Europe, this conversation offers an honest and encouraging perspective on both the trials and the triumphs of ministry in Italy.*****Support Church Plating – https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving In the dropdown select “Church Planting”*****The cultivate church planting podcast is part of CGN Media, a podcast network that points to Christ. Check out cgnmedia.org for more great shows, ways to support the ministry.The Cultivate Church Planting Website: https://cultivatechurchplanting.comThe CGN Media Website: https://cgnmedia.orgPledge to Plant: https://tally.so/r/3xj2BG

On today’s episode of the Cultivate Church Planting Podcast, Brian Kelly and co-host Nick Cady sit down with their friend Kike Torres from Mexico. Over the last 14 years, Kike has been part of planting 13 churches—some from scratch, others through replanting struggling congregations.Kike talks about the central role prayer has played in these works, including a simple but powerful practice of praying for nine months before launching a church. He also shares how his team builds preaching calendars together, raises up pastors through residency, and stays connected through monthly prayer and training calls.The conversation ranges from fresh stories of church plants inMexico and Panama, to lessons on leadership, pastoral health, and the signs of revival beginning to stir in Mexico.What you’ll hear about:·       Why prayer is the starting point for every new church·       The nine-month prayer model for discerning church plants·       Building and training preaching teams across multiple congregations·       Why healthy pastors are the key to healthy churches·       How churches in Mexico are preparing for both revival and opposition*****Support Church Plating – https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving In the dropdown select “Church Planting”*****The cultivate church planting podcast is part of CGN Media, a podcast network that points to Christ. Check out cgnmedia.org for more great shows, ways to support the ministry.The Cultivate Church Planting Website: https://cultivatechurchplanting.comThe CGN Media Website: https://cgnmedia.orgPledge to Plant: https://tally.so/r/3xj2BG

In this episode of the Cultivate Church Planting Podcast, host Brian Kelly and co-host Daniel Williams sit down with Ricardo “Kaka” Monteiro, a church planter and pastor from Brazil. Kaka shares his compelling journey from São Paulo to pastoring a growing church in Curitiba, including how a word from the Lord during the pandemic launched him into leadership.Kaka talks candidly about the decision to plant a second church in downtown Curitiba, the importance of raising up trusted leaders, and why he’s taking a sabbatical before launching again. The conversation touches on missionary life, parenting across cultures, and the strategic value of staying connected through conferences and online cohorts.With laughter, honest insights, and a vision for multiplication, this episode highlights how God is at work in Brazil—and how rest, relationships, and a strong leadership team make long-term ministry sustainable.*****Support Church Plating – https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving In the dropdown select “Church Planting”*****The cultivate church planting podcast is part of CGN Media, a podcast network that points to Christ. Check out cgnmedia.org for more great shows, ways to support the ministry.The Cultivate Church Planting Website: https://cultivatechurchplanting.comThe CGN Media Website: https://cgnmedia.orgPledge to Plant: https://tally.so/r/3xj2BG

Welcome back to the Cultivate Church Planting Podcast! Inthis episode, Brian Kelly is joined by Pastor Brian Brodersen and Pastor Nick Cady for a lively and insightful conversation about church planting around the globe—from Europe to Latin America to New England. They talk about the need to reignite passion for planting in places where momentum has slowed, and highlight fresh opportunities in places like Peru, Brazil, Hungary, and Portugal. You’ll hear stories about swimming with dolphins, encounters with gators, and the challenges of learning a new language—but at the heart of it all is a shared vision to raise up new leaders, support national pastors, and see the gospel spread through healthy, thriving churches. Don’t miss this fun and faith-filled conversation on where the Spirit is moving and how you can be a part of it.*****Support Church Plating – https://cgn.churchcenter.com/giving In the dropdown select “Church Planting”*****The cultivate church planting podcast is part of CGN Media, a podcast network that points to Christ. Check out cgnmedia.org for more great shows, ways to support the ministry.The Cultivate Church Planting Website: https://cultivatechurchplanting.comThe CGN Media Website: https://cgnmedia.orgPledge to Plant: https://tally.so/r/3xj2BGThe cultivate church planting podcast is part of CGN Media, a podcast network that points to Christ. Check out cgnmedia.org for more great shows, ways to support the ministry.

Ryan Marr, the lead pastor of a vibrant church in St. Petersburg, Florida, shares his journey of navigating church transitions and rebuilding trust after challenging leadership changes. He dives into his experiences in a transient community and managing a massive former Walmart facility. Ryan offers valuable insights on the importance of patience in leadership, effective financial management, and the emotional complexities of guiding a church. He encourages fellow planters to foster genuine relationships and reminds them that no one should lead alone.