In this episode of the Church Planting Podcast, Greg Nettle welcomes his longtime friend Brian Tome, founder and senior pastor of Crossroads Church in Cincinnati. Brian unpacks the unfiltered reality of church planting—from answering a magazine ad with 11 strangers to building a church that reaches tens of thousands weekly.

He shares how grit, vision clarity, and authenticity have shaped his journey, recounts his “two-for-one” approach to core team building, and challenges leaders to relentlessly pursue new people, not just transfer Christians. Brian and Greg discuss lessons learned the hard way, the importance of work ethic, and the pain and payoff of staying true to your calling—even when it means “ripping people’s ears off” before they rip off yours.

Brian also dives into Crossroads’ outreach—like fighting sex trafficking in Nepal, developing software for prison ministry, and building the CityLink Center. He reflects on personal health, relational boundaries, and leading with authenticity (yes, even smoking a Marlboro onstage once to make a point!). The conversation is packed with wisdom for anyone in the trenches of church leadership or just starting out.

Books/Resources Mentioned:

• The Five Marks of a Man by Brian Tome

• Man Camp

• Robert Lewis’ books on outreach and apologetics

01:20 - Brian’s journey to Cincinnati and unexpected beginnings
03:08 - The reality of early church planting: 11 people, high risk
04:30 - Building the core: relentless networking and vision casting
05:28 - Church planting in the 90s: no playbook, pure hustle
06:07 - Work ethic and chasing the right people for the vision
08:01 - Defining and protecting the church’s vision
09:21 - Vision morphs: from seeker to world-changing community
10:23 - Crossroads’ growth: campuses, online reach, and impact
11:11 - Outreach: Fighting sex trafficking, prison ministry, CityLink Center
12:00 - How outreach became central to Crossroads’ DNA
13:44 - Outrageous generosity and its ripple effect
14:21 - What Brian wishes he knew starting out: double-edged sword of no systems
15:54 - Creativity vs. standardization: finding your unique path
16:50 - The power and limitation of mentors and advice
18:52 - Keys to long-term health: personal, relational, spiritual
21:19 - Building authentic relationships inside the church
22:43 - Hobbies, friendships, and avoiding isolation in ministry
23:09 - The cost and value of authenticity in leadership
24:51 - Navigating church culture: authenticity and boundaries
26:13 - Authenticity means sharing struggles, not just victories
27:32 - Preaching: teaching rhythms, preparation, and team development
30:05 - Finding your own preaching rhythm and developing others
31:44 - Loving your spouse while leading a growing church
32:55 - Last words: legacy, faithfulness, and friendship