Enduring Churches Podcast with Alan and Trent

Episode 319: Does Your Church Have an Acts 1:8 Strategy

Episode 319: Does Your Church Have an Acts 1:8 Strategy

 

1. take a look at your yearly stats for the last 5 to 10 years. 
   1. Look for attendance trends
   2. Look for baptism trends
   3. Look for Missions giving and involvement trends
2. Ask the hard questions
   1. Are we currently doing or planning to do a gospel outreach effort in our local community?
   2. Are we currently doing or planning to do a gospel outreach effort in our state?
   3. Are we currently doing or planning to do a gospel outreach effort in our nation or region?
   4. Are we currently doing or planning to do a gospel outreach effort in our world?
3. Missions doesn't equal projects - Missions always equals sharing the gospel
4. Size doesn't matter
   1. Church size doesn't give us an excuse
   2. Its ok to start with a small group going and sharing.
5. Going to one area usually overflows to other areas

Episode 318: 5 Things You Might Not Be Aware of

 

1. more people care about your ministry than you realize
2. more people know about your churches  strengths and its problems than you would believe
3. the church down the street has just as many issues as your church does
4. your congregations has something to offer God's Kingdom.
5. God has a purpose and plan for you right now

Episode 317: Time Change: Preparing for Transitions

Episode 317: Time Change: Preparing for Transitions   It seems that every doctor’s appointment I have now requires some kind of prep work and most of it is unpleasant.   If you’re not there you will be someday. Why? Because time in this world is not static and life moves on. Someone once said that all pastors are interims. From a time standpoint, that is certainly true. Because of this, we have a responsibility in setting a tone for times of transition.    Succession planning is a hot topic in ministry circles. But succession only works where people have a healthy view of transitions. As church leaders, how we handle transitions of people in and out of our churches will have a great impact on the future of the church and the health of their transitions. Here are a few things we can do to help build a healthy environment for transitions:   1) Celebrate people who have a calling to ministry and send them with your blessing.   2) When people move, consider commissioning them to their new community, encouraging them to find a Biblical church, joining and serving in it.   3) When people leave due to church conflict, continue to love them, and pray for them. Be sure you have exhausted every chance at reconciliation.   4) Celebrate lay leaders who have served faithfully for a long time and help them plan succession for their area of ministry.   5) Talk about transition, preach about transition. In the flow of preaching, the Bible has a lot to say about transitions (healthy and unhealthy) in the lives of the patriarchs, the kings, the prophets. Jesus’ preparation for the disciples to minister without Him is a good example as well as Paul’s later writings where his death seems immanent.

Episode 316: When Is too Much?

Episode 316: When Is too Much

 

Can You have too much women's ministry and men's ministry? Can you have too much student ministry and children's ministry?   Does it take away from the family dynamic? Does it undercut the corporate gathering? Are they taking away from evangelism? Are they creating opportunities for outreach and service? Are they a breeding ground for gossip? Do they complement one another? Do they have a strategic plan and purpose?

Episode 315: Riley Prather

Episode 315: Riley Prather

 

Enjoy our talk with Riley Prather a church planter/pastor from Conneticut. He also works with the SEND Network of the SBC

Episode 314: Crisis Leadership

Episode 314: Crisis Leadership   Here are what I call 5 “P”s for crisis management: 1. Preparation - have you built a collaborative team to walk with you and help you in crisis?   2. People - your leadership team, your lay leaders, your church, and your community are all affected by a crisis. How are you prepared to minister and communicate with each group?   Jeff Iorg   You cannot lead if you cannot bring and inflict pain   3. Process - you have to work through a process. Differing situations require different processes, but you have to commit to working the process.   4. Perception - like it or not, how we handle a crisis will reflect on us personally, on the church, and on the Lord. We need to communicate quickly, clearly, and honestly with as much information as is appropriate. Remember that everything you do from the platform disciples your congregation.   5. Possibilities - COVID taught all of us that crisis also brings forward possibilities. In the business world, they speak about organizational learning. Certainly our churches learn and grow. For us, it goes deeper, a crisis is an opportunity to demonstrate our faith is real. All for His good and for His glory!     Put these in your back pocket, hopefully you won’t need them often, but they will be there when you need them.

Episode 313: 5 Mistakes In Our Preaching Plan

Episode 313: 5 Mistakes In Our Preaching Plan

1. We get tunnel vision and miss the bigger picture
2. We get fixated on one style and one method
3. We plan for only our voice to be heard
4. We forget the importance of flexibility
5. We preach at issues.

Episode 312: Why its Important for Church Leaders to have a Godly Handle on their Money

Episode 312: Why its Important for Church Leaders to have a Godly Handle on their Money

 

Ecclesiastes 5:10 Whoever loves money never has enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with their income. This too is meaningless. So we need to ask what is it that you really love?   What gives you a sense of fulfillment? Of course we would say God - but remember in Revelation 2 Jesus commends the church at Ephesus for many things but ends saying they have left their first love.   So why is this so important to work on. We are an example to our church in all parts of our lives. Any questions about handling money ethically can stop giving and crush a ministry. We can't trust both God and money - every day its a choice Money is a high anxiety topic We feel inadequate because we weren’t trained to deal with it. People’s giving pays our salary, so we feel defensive. Other people think they know more than we do (and sometimes they do).   Tips to keep away from financial temptations Pastor or wife should not be the ones who count and deposit money given Ministry leaders and their spouses should be in constant communication about their finances - no hiding - transparency Do your best to be debt free - this will help you keep the temptation to get more in control.  When you have less pressure to pay bills, you have less temptation to get money. Do your best to NOT know who gives what Don't have people hand you money - if they try to- refer them to someone else. Get an accountant who knows ministry taxes Always check and double check on investment counselors

Episode 311: Where are the Kids?

Episode 311: Where are the Kids?

1. Are you prepared for kids
   1. pray for families
   2. a compelling place for kids
   3. safe and clean
      1. background checks, policies and procedures
   4. technology
2. Is your service family friendly
   1. "We want kids, but we don't want to adapt our service."
   2. make them feel wanted
   3. allow more kids into your service
   4. let kids participate
3. Embrace families when they visit and get to know their friends
   1. adopt families who visit
   2. go to their school and sporting events
   3. relationships matter
4. Create partnership opportunities with like-minded churches with more resources.
   1. not a competition
   2. many larger churches would like to help smaller churches, but don't know how.
5. Don't take it personally when families don't stick.
   1. family dynamics can leave us feeling discouraged.
   2. or grandparents - now they follow their grandkids

 

Episode 310: Routine or Rigidity

Episode 310: Routine or Rigidity

Routines are important
1. Build strong habits
2. Help us work efficiently
3. Fits in with our personalities
4. Gives us a sense of control

Rigidity means we cannot flex our routine
1. When we can't meet needs of our church, because of our insistence on our schedule
2. When an change in our routine ruins our day.
3. Can lead to behavioral issues such as depression, obsessive compulsion, anxiety...

Some suggestions:
- Think of your schedule in blocks or sections that have built in flexibility
- Be prepared for interruptions
- Trust God with your schedule
- Get input from people close to you