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Pastor burnout is one of the biggest threats to long-term ministry, and it starts with how we measure our emotional health. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we offer a biblical framework for pastor mental health, church leader self-care, and building an inner life that can carry the weight of your calling. Looking at Jesus' rhythms of withdrawal and rest, we explain why you can't evaluate emotional health in a vacuum, and how to balance your inner life capacity against your outward calling as a pastor, husband, dad, and leader. You'll also learn how to spot the difference between thriving and just surviving, and why sabbaticals are about staying healthy, not fixing what's broken. Breaking Barriers helps pastors and churches grow so they can go.

What happens to a church's preaching when the lead pastor is gone for 12 weeks? Andrew Hopper and Bobby Herrington break down how Mercy Hill built a reproducible sermon culture — one big idea, one application, and a Word-centered service every single week — so that no single voice is the linchpin. If you've ever wondered how to build a preaching culture, structure sermon prep, or make the weekend gathering the hub of your church, this episode is for you.

What happens to a church's preaching when the lead pastor is gone for 12 weeks? Andrew Hopper and Bobby Herrington break down how Mercy Hill built a reproducible sermon culture — one big idea, one application, and a Word-centered service every single week — so that no single voice is the linchpin. If you've ever wondered how to build a preaching culture, structure sermon prep, or make the weekend gathering the hub of your church, this episode is for you.

Big days, first-time guests, and church growth strategy: this episode covers how to identify, plan, and maximize the days your church naturally sees a spike in attendance. We share our own big days calendar (Back to School weekend, Sent Weekend, Kids Week, Easter, Church at the Ballpark, and Christmas), the biblical case for big days from the book of Acts, and three practical takeaways every pastor can use to prepare for their next high-attendance Sunday. A must-listen for church leaders serious about outreach and first-time guest strategy.

Most churches wait too long to plan, and it costs them their best ideas. In this episode, we break down our real, internal process for planning a church's entire year: starting with vision casting, moving into high-level calendar planning, building ministry-specific plans, and finally tackling budget and resource management. We also dig into the tension every growing church faces between staying nimble and planning ahead, and why the "speedboat vs. aircraft carrier" problem changes as your staff grows. If you're a pastor, executive pastor, or ministry leader wondering when, and how, to start planning next year, this episode gives you a practical framework you can use right now. Website: ⁠https://breakinggrowthbarriers.com⁠Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakinggrowthbarriersFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakinggrowthbarriersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakinggrowthbarriers

Excellence in ministry and dependence on God aren't opposites, they belong together. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Andrew and Brant answer a question pastors ask them again and again: does striving for excellence lead to the kind of pride and burnout seen in stories like Mars Hill? Drawing on Scripture (Proverbs 21:31, Colossians 1:29, the parable of the talents, Nehemiah, and 2 Kings), they break down five biblical principles for church leaders: why preparation and dependence work together, why stewardship requires leveraging what God has given you, why prayer and action go hand in hand, why preparation is actually evidence of faith, and why the real danger for pastors is self-reliance — not hard work. A must-listen for pastors, church planters, and ministry leaders wrestling with how to work hard for God's glory without losing their dependence on Him.

Excellence in ministry and dependence on God aren't opposites, they belong together. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Andrew and Brant answer a question pastors ask them again and again: does striving for excellence lead to the kind of pride and burnout seen in stories like Mars Hill? Drawing on Scripture (Proverbs 21:31, Colossians 1:29, the parable of the talents, Nehemiah, and 2 Kings), they break down five biblical principles for church leaders: why preparation and dependence work together, why stewardship requires leveraging what God has given you, why prayer and action go hand in hand, why preparation is actually evidence of faith, and why the real danger for pastors is self-reliance — not hard work. A must-listen for pastors, church planters, and ministry leaders wrestling with how to work hard for God's glory without losing their dependence on Him.

How much should really change when you plant a church in a new context? In this episode of Breaking Barriers, Pastor Andrew sits down with Pastor Jeremy Dagger — who helped plant Mercy Hill Church before launching Port City Church in Halifax, Nova Scotia — to talk contextualization in church planting. They break down an 80/20 framework: what has to adapt based on culture and location, and what never changes no matter where you plant. Topics include reaching unreached and unchurched cities, discipleship pacing, preaching as the engine of the church, leadership development, and building a church with excellence. A must-listen for church planters, pastors, and ministry leaders thinking through church growth strategy in any context.

New ministry ideas can feel risky — but they don't have to be random. Learn how to know when to innovate vs. repeat what's working, and how to cast vision for a new program. Most of what a healthy church does every year should not be new. But every so often, a gap between your vision and your current results tells you it's time to try something different. This is a case study of launching a new idea-growing groups connected to a larger growth goal for the year. Perfect for pastors and church leaders thinking about small group strategy, church vision casting, and ministry growth. Conference: https://breakinggrowthbarriers.com/conferenceWebsite: ⁠https://breakinggrowthbarriers.com⁠Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakinggrowthbarriersFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakinggrowthbarriersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakinggrowthbarriers

A scorecard is one of the most practical leadership tools for churches, but most pastors have never seen one built. In this episode of Breaking Barriers, we break down what a ministry scorecard is, why lead measures matter more than lag measures, and the exact step-by-step process our team uses to create one — including real examples from church planting, missions, and student ministry. If you've ever wondered how to measure ministry effectiveness without waiting until year-end to find out if you're winning, this episode gives you a simple, repeatable framework you can use with your own team this week. Conference: https://breakinggrowthbarriers.com/conferenceWebsite: ⁠https://breakinggrowthbarriers.com⁠Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakinggrowthbarriersFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakinggrowthbarriersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakinggrowthbarriers

Most churches try to flip a switch and expect a sending culture overnight. It doesn't work that way. In this episode, we break down the real pipeline that turns first-time volunteers into missionaries and church planters — the small, inconvenient "yeses" that build up over years until someone's ready for the big one. Plus: the actual numbers behind how our church sent out 266 people, and why your Easter and Christmas services might be doing more discipleship work than you think. Website: ⁠https://breakinggrowthbarriers.com⁠Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakinggrowthbarriersFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakinggrowthbarriersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakinggrowthbarriers

Most churches overlook the college campus right in their backyard. Skip Allen of Hope Church in Shelby, NC shares how his small-town church built a thriving college ministry at Gardner-Webb University using a simple Gather-Group-Give-Go flywheel. They are now sending out residents, missionaries, and church planters. If you have a campus near your church, this episode is for you! Hope Church in Shelby: https://www.hopeshelby.org Website: ⁠https://breakinggrowthbarriers.com⁠Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakinggrowthbarriersFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakinggrowthbarriersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakinggrowthbarriers

What does it take to build a healthy church-planting collaborative? In this episode, Pastor Andrew and Pastor Bobby share the 8 cultural distinctives that define the Mercy Hill Collaborative. From being unapologetically growth-oriented to prioritizing parent planting over partner planting to placing a high value on preaching and the gathered church, this episode is a must-listen for pastors serious about building a multiplication movement. Learn why church growth and church planting are inseparable, and how the right cultural alignment creates lasting kingdom momentum. Website: ⁠⁠https://breakinggrowthbarriers.com⁠⁠Facebook Group: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakinggrowthbarriers⁠Facebook: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/breakinggrowthbarriers⁠Instagram: ⁠https://www.instagram.com/breakinggrowthbarriers⁠

What does it take to build a healthy church-planting collaborative? In this episode, Pastor Andrew and Pastor Bobby share the 8 cultural distinctives that define the Mercy Hill Collaborative. From being unapologetically growth-oriented to prioritizing parent planting over partner planting to placing a high value on preaching and the gathered church, this episode is a must-listen for pastors serious about building a multiplication movement. Learn why church growth and church planting are inseparable, and how the right cultural alignment creates lasting kingdom momentum. Website: ⁠https://breakinggrowthbarriers.com⁠Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakinggrowthbarriersFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakinggrowthbarriersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakinggrowthbarriers

Pastors in their 30s run on energy. Pastors in their 40s have to learn to run on something else. In this episode, we get honest about what that transition actually looks and feels like — from preaching five services a weekend and doing sermon planning at 9:30 PM, to realizing that the highest-leverage thing you can do for your church isn't more hours, it's better decisions. We walk through Arthur Brooks' From Strength to Strength, the warrior-to-king framework, and what the Bible has to say about the glory of gray hair. Practical, personal, and built for the pastor who wants to lead well for the long haul. Topics: pastoral leadership, ministry burnout, church growth, leadership transitions, From Strength to Strength, pastor in 40s, crystallized wisdom Website: ⁠https://breakinggrowthbarriers.com⁠Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/breakinggrowthbarriersFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/breakinggrowthbarriersInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/breakinggrowthbarriers