Backstage Pastors Episode 12: Building Churches that Keep Growing w/ Rich Birch

Rich Birch joins Phil and Tyler for a wide-ranging conversation about church growth, executive leadership, and helping churches remove barriers that prevent people from encountering Jesus. Drawing from decades of executive pastor experience and hundreds of conversations through the UnSeminary Podcast, Rich shares the mission behind his work and the insights he’s gathered from one of the largest ongoing executive pastor surveys.

The conversation explores what today’s executive pastors are experiencing, including an encouraging sense of optimism alongside widespread staff exhaustion. Rich discusses why people—not finances or facilities—remain the greatest concern for executive pastors and offers practical ideas for improving staff health and leadership development.

Rich also challenges a common assumption about church growth by arguing that many churches don’t actually have a “back door” problem—they have a “front door” problem. He explains why churches should become obsessed with the guest experience, simplify every step of the first-time visitor journey, and intentionally build systems that help newcomers connect. Rich explains why personal invitations continue to be the single greatest driver of church growth and offers practical ways churches can equip and encourage their people to invite others consistently.

Mentioned Resources

🗣️ Follow Rich on Instagram

🗣️ Follow UnSeminenary on Instagram

💻 UnSeminenary Website

💻 Executive Pastor Direct Survey

📕 Unlocking Your Church’s Invite Culture by Rich Birch

📕 Church Growth Flywheel by Rich Birch

⛪️ Connexus Church

From Our Partners

💻 ⁠The Church Hub⁠: The Church Hub serves pastors, ministry leaders, and their spouses through equipping and training resources.

Connect with Phil Taylor

✉️ ⁠Get Phil’s Newsletter

✉️ ⁠⁠phil@backstagepastors.org⁠⁠

🗣️ ⁠⁠@philtaylorxp⁠⁠

📚 ⁠Books by Phil⁠

💻⁠ backstagepastors.org⁠

💻 ⁠plainjoestudios.com⁠

Connect with Tyler Drewitz

✉️ ⁠⁠tyler@myxp.church⁠⁠

🗣️ ⁠⁠@tylerdrewitz⁠⁠

💻 ⁠myxp.church⁠

💻⁠ ridgelineprinting.com⁠

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CHAPTERS

[7:55] Rich’s Mission and the Story Behind UnSeminary

[11:20] – Executive Pastor Survey: Hopeful but Tired

[20:40] – Why People Are Every Executive Pastor’s Biggest Challenge

[27:20] – The Front Door Problem: Helping First-Time Guests Connect

[39:30] – Seeing Church Through the Eyes of a First-Time Visitor

[42:00] – Building an Invite Culture That Fuels Growth

[50:25] – Encouragement for Executive Pastors

Editing and Support by The Good Podcast Co.
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