Nexus Church Planting Podcast

15 Sean Thomé | Developing a Prayer Strategy

Developing a Prayer Strategy with Sean Thomé | Nexus Church Planting Podcast What if prayer wasn't the thing you did around your strategy — but actually was the strategy? In this conversation, Andrew Estes sits down with Sean Thomé, Executive Director of Expand Network, to talk honestly about what it looks like to lead a church or ministry from a place of dependence on God. Sean shares how Expand moved from being "a network that prays" to a network with an intentional, embedded prayer strategy — and what that shift has unlocked in their work across Portland, the U.S., and around the world. If you're a pastor, planter, or ministry leader who's tired of bookending the real work with a quick opening and closing prayer, this one's for you. 🌐 Learn more about Nexus Church Planting & Leader Care: https://nexus.us 🔗 Learn more about Expand Network: https://expandnw.org 📘 Extreme Prayer: The Impossible Prayers God Promises to Answer by Greg Pruett: https://www.tyndale.com/p/extreme-prayer/9781414386249 In this episode: * Why most churches have a budget strategy and a ministry strategy — but no prayer strategy * The Greg Pruett moment that reframed everything for Sean: "In America you pray about the strategy. In Africa, prayer is the strategy." * How pride keeps leaders from seeking the Father first * Practical first steps: starting with Colossians 4:2 and the Lord's Prayer * Why prayer changes us before it changes our circumstances * Real stories of God answering prayer over staffing, finances, and unexpected partnerships in Uganda and Springfield, Massachusetts * Sean's personal daily rhythm using Pete Greig's PRAY acronym (Pause, Rejoice, Ask, Yield) and the Lectio 365 app * Praying through the Lord's Prayer as a five-day strategic framework * Honest words for the pastor in a dry season — and why most leaders are "overworked and under-prayed for" About our guest: Sean Thomé is the Executive Director of Expand Network (formerly NWCEA), a ministry committed to encouraging pastors, training disciples, and planting churches — locally in the Portland metro and globally in places like Uganda and Springfield, Massachusetts. Sean has been a church planter, a youth pastor, and now spends his days coming alongside leaders and helping them build ministries that move from praying about the work to letting prayer be the work. Connect with Expand: https://expandnw.org Quotable moments: "In America, you guys pray about your strategy. In Africa, prayer is our strategy." — Greg Pruett (quoted by Sean) "Prayer changes us first and puts us in the right posture with God." "Almost every pastor I know is overworked and under-prayed for." — Dean Trune (quoted by Sean) "Part of a prayer strategy is knowing that you have a team of people who love you and are praying for you. No strings attached. And the majority of pastors do not have that." Resources mentioned: * Book: Extreme Prayer: The Impossible Prayers God Promises to Answer by Greg Pruett * Book/Method: How to Pray: A Simple Guide for Normal People by Pete Greig (the PRAY framework: Pause, Rejoice, Ask, Yield) * App: Lectio 365 — daily devotional from the 24-7 Prayer movement * Scripture: Colossians 4:2, Luke 11:1, the Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6) Connect with Nexus: 🌐 https://nexus.us 🎙️ Subscribe to the podcast and leave a review — it helps other pastors and planters find us 📺 Watch the full episode on YouTube and hit subscribe for more conversations with church planters and ministry leaders #PrayerStrategy #ChurchPlanting #PastoralLeadership #NexusChurchPlanting #ExpandNetwork #ExtremePrayer #PeteGreig #Lectio365 #DiscipleMaking #MinistryLeadership

14 Brady Sticker | ThinkNEXT ChurchCandy.com Sponsor Highlight

This bonus session from ThinkNEXT 2026 features Brady Sticker from ChurchCandy.com, bringing practical insight into digital outreach and church growth. Brady shares real-world strategies for reaching people online and connecting them to your local church. You’ll learn: • How to effectively use social media to reach your city • Practical frameworks for digital engagement • Why marketing can be a tool for gospel impact This session is incredibly practical and gives you tools you can implement immediately.

13 Clint Burns, Phil Claycomb, & John Honold | ThinkNEXT Session 7

This final session from ThinkNEXT 2026 begins with a devotional from Clint Burns, Director of Coaching at Nexus, setting the tone with a call to faithfulness, clarity, and dependence on God in leadership. From there, Phil Claycomb and John Honold lead into a powerful teaching on The Antioch Church and what it means for the future of church planting and multiplication. As we close out our From Maintenance to Multiplication theme, this session brings it all together by pointing back to a biblical model of sending, equipping, and multiplying leaders.  In this session: • Discover what made the Antioch church a launching point for movement • Rethink how churches develop and send leaders today • Explore what it looks like to align your church with a multiplication mindset This is a fitting and challenging conclusion to ThinkNEXT, calling leaders to step into a more intentional, sending-focused future.

12 Andrew Estes | ThinkNEXT Session 6

Session 6 – Nexus Opportunities & Running with Scissors (Andrew Estes) In Session 6, Andrew Estes shares a leadership challenge around risk, faith, and stepping into what God is calling you to next. Using the idea of “running with scissors,” Andrew challenges leaders to examine why we often start with bold faith but drift into safety and comfort over time. You’ll be challenged to reflect on: • Where you’ve stopped taking risks in ministry • How fear subtly shapes leadership decisions • What it looks like to step back into bold, faith-driven leadership This session is both practical and deeply personal for leaders navigating growth and uncertainty.

11 Roy Moran | ThinkNEXT Session 5

Session 5 continues Roy Moran’s HABITS training from ThinkNEXT 2026. This teaching builds on the foundation and moves deeper into how disciple-making actually works in real life, especially in everyday environments like neighborhoods, workplaces, and relational networks. You’ll learn: • How to move from groups to multiplication • Why leadership development must be built in, not added later • How to create self-sustaining disciples who make disciples This is where theory becomes practice.