The Unfair Advantage

“Church planting is not an easy sport, it’s an obedient sport.” There are good reasons and bad reasons to plant a church. The difference between the two is almost always tied to motivation. On today’s episode, Andy Wood and Mike Hickerson unpack the 7 good reasons to plant a church and share personal stories from their own experiences in church planting. Welcome to Episode 009 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Mike Hickerson and Andy Wood. EPISODE LINKSThe Power of Place: Choosing Stability in a Rootless Age by Daniel GrotheThe Pastor: A Memoir by Eugene PetersonDo ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Checkout the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO ARE MIKE HICKERSON AND ANDY WOOD?Andy Wood is the Senior Pastor of Saddleback Church. Andy and his wife Stacie are answering God's call to serve at Saddleback after over a decade of church planting. The Wood's started South Bay Church in 2009 with two other families. South Bay Church officially changed their name to Echo.Church in January of 2018. Echo.Church has become one of the fastest growing churches in the most unchurched area of the United States and is now reaching over 2,300 people in regular attendance in three locations across Silicon Valley.Andy's passion is to create environments that engage the unchurched people of the Bay Area. Along with leading the church, Andy enjoys investing time in helping church planters and church leaders think more innovatively and strategically to reach people in the most unreached areas of North America. Andy and Stacie have three kids, Caedmon, Sammy, and Karis. Mike Hickerson is the Lead Pastor of Mission Church in Ventura, CA. Mike describes himself as a church planter, lucky husband, outnumbered dad of three daughters, Oklahoma Sooner fan, coffee addict, and a struggling surfer.SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry.Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches. 

“Back in that day, we didn’t have any church planting resources, any church planting organizations, books on church planting, nothing. So we just prayed.” On this episode we’re joined by Gene Appel, Senior Pastor of Eastside Christian Church, and Mike Breaux who serves on the teaching team of multiple churches throughout the country. Between them, these two ministry giants have over 60+ combined years of church planting wisdom, ministry experience, and encouragement for the next generation of leaders. Mike and Gene share their story of planting Canyon Ridge Christian Church in Las Vegas in 1993, which was really just the beginning of the story God had written for them. A journey of planting churches that plant churches. They give listeners a front row seat to their first church plant story and close with what they’re most hopeful for with the next generation of planters.Welcome to Episode 008 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Mike Hickerson and Andy Wood. EPISODE LINKSDo ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Checkout the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO ARE MIKE BREAUX AND GENE APPEL?Mike Breaux has spent 40 in ministry trying to bring hope to people. He has worn the hats of student ministry, worship leader, lead pastor, and church planter. He currently is on the teaching team at churches in SoCal, Dallas, Mississippi, North Carolina, and Indiana. He and wife Debbie live in Nicholasville, KY and have 3 kids and 10 grandkids.Gene Appel, senior pastor of Eastside Christian Church, a multi-site church based in Anaheim, CA, began his ministry as a 20-year old intern at Eastside. Gene returned in 2008 to lead Eastside into its next dynamic chapter. Since that time, Eastside has experienced rapid growth, consistently being named among the 100 fastest growing churches in America. Following in the footsteps of his late father, a pastor and Christian leader, Gene sensed God’s call on his life to ministry at an early age. He is a graduate of Lincoln Christian University and has done additional graduate work at Hope International University, who conferred upon him an honorary Doctor of Divinity. Recognized by many as a gifted leader with a passion for following Christ and a sensitivity for hurting people, Gene has coached church leaders from around the world on how to lead churches through healthy change. He is the author of several books and also was an award winning television commentator on CBS2 in Chicago. Gene and his wife Barbara are the parents of 3 married children - Jeremy, Alayna and Jenna, and have three grandsons. Gene’s hobbies include boating, fishing, and water skiing.SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry.Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  

What defines a successful church plant? Am I wired to lead? Do I have the right team in the right roles? On today’s episode of The Unfair Advantage, Andy Wood and Sean Morgan unpack both the qualitative and quantitative elements of a “successful” church plant. Then they go a layer deeper to reflect on the characteristics of the planter and the team surrounding them. Reaching people who are far from God is the why. How you’re equipping and setting expectations for yourself and your team is the how. Welcome to Episode 007 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Andy Wood. EPISODE LINKSDo ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Checkout the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS ANDY WOOD?Andy Wood is the Senior Pastor of Saddleback Church. Andy and his wife Stacie are answering God's call to serve at Saddleback after over a decade of church planting. The Wood's started South Bay Church in 2009 with two other families. South Bay Church officially changed their name to Echo.Church in January of 2018. Echo.Church has become one of the fastest growing churches in the most unchurched area of the United States and is now reaching over 2,300 people in regular attendance in three locations across Silicon Valley.Andy's passion is to create environments that engage the unchurched people of the Bay Area. Along with leading the church, Andy enjoys investing time in helping church planters and church leaders think innovatively and strategically to reach people in the most unreached areas of North America. Andy and Stacie have three kids, Caedmon, Sammy, and Karis. SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry.Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches. 

“Ministry and family is not an either/or. It’s both/and. But there’s certainly a priority. And if you get to the place where the family is not your priority, eventually you might have to make a choice.” Meet Andy and Stacie Wood. Andy is the Lead Pastor at Saddleback Church, and in this episode, he and his wife, Stacie, flip the script on the Unfair Advantage podcast by offering their own insights as interviewees on the topic of marriage and ministry. We’re joined by a guest host, Sean Morgan, who asks thoughtful questions about the dynamics of ministry and family life.Welcome to Episode 006 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast. EPISODE LINKSAtomic Habits by James ClearThe Quest for Authentic Manhood by Robert LewisPlanters do ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Checkout the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry.Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  

“Why would you waste your life right now, in the prime of your ministry, to go teach a couple hundred people at a movie theater in California?” Meet Mike Hickerson, Lead Pastor & Planter of Mission Church in Ventura, CA. In this episode, Mike shares he and his wife Jodi’s personal story as church planters and unpacks some great advice for planters that he wishes he had ten years ago. He encourages planters to “fight to the edges to be around lost people” and challenges all church leaders, “Don’t arrive. Always think like a church planter… because we’re all still on the hook for the great commission.” Welcome to Episode 005 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Andy Wood. EPISODE LINKSMoney Matters in Church by Steve Stroope Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni Do ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Checkout the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS MIKE HICKERSON?Mike Hickerson is the Lead Pastor of Mission Church in Ventura, CA. Mike describes himself as a church planter, lucky husband, outnumbered dad of three daughters, Oklahoma Sooner fan, coffee addict, and a struggling surfer.SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry.Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  

“If we don’t pay attention to the season of planting, it’s too late to try to manufacture a harvest that we didn’t plan for or plant for.” Meet Steve Stroope, Founding Pastor of Lakepointe Church in Rockwall, Texas. Packed with wisdom from the moment they press record, Andy dives in deep with Steve to better understand what he calls the Growth Gap and how to create leading indicators rather than focusing on goals that come from lagging indicators. In this episode, Steve unpacks the key profiles of church planters (as well as their launch teams), what drove success for Lakepointe, and the most important decisions he made along the way. Welcome to Episode 004 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Andy Wood. EPISODE LINKSLearn more about Strategic Launch NetworkRocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your BusinessDo ministry together! Three gatherings, nine planters, one cohesive journey. Checkout the Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohorts. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS STEVE STROOPE?Steve Stroope is the Founding Pastor of Lakepointe Church, Rockwall, Texas. Under his leadership, the church grew to more than 13,000 in weekly attendance. In 2020, after 40 years as Lead Pastor, he transitioned into consulting, coaching and writing. He works as an Executive Coach to major corporations all across America. Steve has written 3 books and will be releasing his 4th in 2023, Leading by Letting Go.SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry.Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  

“One of the most dangerous things to happen to your church plant is for you to get to 100 people. Because now you have enough people in your church to distract you from the mission of your church.” Meet Sean Sears, Church Planter & Founding Pastor of Grace Church in Boston, MA. In this episode, Sean shares his deep passion for staying on mission as a church planter by continuously surrounding yourself with the people you’re trying to reach. He encourages planters that you don’t have to create momentum for your church, the Holy Spirit will do that… your job is to identify the barriers that are keeping you from finding that momentum and becoming a “barrier buster”. Self-proclaimed as “the most accidental church planter ever” this is an authentic conversation that will encourage you and reignite your mission for the kingdom. Welcome to Episode 003 of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Andy Wood. EPISODE LINKSLearn more about the Strategic Launch Network. Be on the lookout for catalytic relationships. One of the ways you may be called to invest in these relationships is by joining the first ever Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohort. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS SEAN SEARS?Sean and Billie started Grace Church in 2005 with 3 Christian college students and their spiritually disconnected neighbors across the street. Grace Church planted their first church in 2009 and has planted an additional eight churches and partnered with another twenty-ish. Sean’s side hustle is real estate, his hobby is old man basketball at the Y and he’s a sucker for documentaries. SPONSORSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry.Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  

Ray Johnston, Founding Pastor of Bayside Church in Sacramento, shares insights on church planting and leading with vision. He emphasizes the importance of defining outcomes, owning Christmas, Easter, and kids, and winning the battle for values by focusing on youth. Ray discusses the stages of church planting, rebuilding post-COVID, embracing change, unity through shared vision, and strategies for successful church planting and team building.

“The difference between 45 hours a week and 65 hours is not necessarily more church growth, it’s just an unhealthy leader.” Meet Carey Nieuwhof, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and church planter. On the maiden voyage of The Unfair Advantage podcast, we’ve set the bar high. Carey shares the story behind the story of his church plant, unpacks the difference between great managers and great leaders, and gets vulnerable and authentic about what the Carey today would tell twenty-five year old Carey just getting started in the church world. You won’t want to miss it. Welcome to the very first episode of The Unfair Advantage Podcast with Andy Wood. INSIGHTS FROM CAREYThe story behind the story: Connexus Church launch, November 2007Carey began serving in ministry in Central Ontario in 1995 and recounts the early days of his church plant. You can do more with 300 aligned people than 3,000 aligned people.When you plant, you want people around you who believe nothing is impossible with God. Carey shares, “I wasn’t particularly innovative, I just did attractional church years before anyone else in our community. We were about 5-10 years ahead of anyone else.” Great managers vs. great leaders: what's the difference?Great leaders have an entrepreneurial zeal Managers manage what was already built. Leaders create something out of nothing. What in your life have you gone from nothing to something on? If you don’t have that story, you may not be right for church planting. “If you don’t have a good reason to plant a church, that’s a good reason to not plant a church.”The advantage of being in a room with other leadersWhen I first planted, I didn’t have colleagues or peers as resources, I had books. Cohorts allow you to get insider information. You now have access to the people on stage at the conferences you’ve been attending for years. You can ask your questions, you can get answers. It’s gold. Most of us really align ourselves by affinity, not by denomination. If you have the opportunity to go to a cohort as a church planter, do it. What would Carey say today to a twenty-five year old Carey? Your value isn’t tied up in what you produce. There’s another way to get the results you want, but it’s probably not something you would naturally do. You're gonna push so hard and drive so hard, and work is going to provide so much value for you, you’re probably going to mess up your 30’s and miss some great moments with your kids. The difference between 45 hours a week and 65 hours is not necessarily more church growth, it’s just an unhealthy leader. EPISODE LINKSWhether you’re overwhelmed, overworked or overcommitted, At Your Best is the strategy to get your time, energy and priorities working in your favor. Get a copy of Carey’s most recent book – At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your FavorBe on the lookout for catalytic relationships. One of the ways you may be called to invest in these relationships is by joining the first ever Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohort. Get more information today at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS CAREY NIEUWHOF?Carey Nieuwhof is a best-selling leadership author, speaker, podcaster, former attorney, and church planter. He hosts one of today’s most influential leadership podcasts, and his online content is accessed by leaders over 1.5 million times a month. He speaks to leaders around the world about leadership, change, and personal growth. His best-selling book, At Your Best: How to Get Time, Energy, and Priorities Working in Your Favor, is designed to help every leader escape stress and begin living at a sustainable pace and has been profiled by Forbes, Fast Company, and Business Insider. Careynieuwhof.com Twitter & Facebook: @cnieuwhof | Instagram & TikTok: @careynieuwhofSPONSORThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry.Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.