Enduring Churches Podcast with Alan and Trent

Episode 68: Personal Challenges to Enduring in Ministry

 

• Loneliness

 

• Personal sin

 

• Marital/Family problems

 

• Spiritual drift

 

• Emotional toll of ministry

 

• Dwelling on the down moments

 

• Financial mismanagement or not making enough

 

• Health issues

Episode 67: How to Spot a Contentious Church and How to Help It

 

Most people don’t see the depth of how contentious a church can become because they themselves are not contentious.

 

Some root causes

1. Short pastor tenures with the same long term lay leadership.
2. A history of contention.

• Ask lots of questions about history before you go to that church.

A stubborn attraction to the past. Structures and attitudes that promote disharmony. An unchallenged church bully. - shadow pastor Business meetings that become a free for all.

 

What to do?

1. Don’t be surprised: the enemy loves discord.
2. If without a pastor consider an intentional interim or transitional pastor.
3. Address it directly and work with through the pain.
4. Encourage prayer for one another.
5. Pray for Godly leaders to emerge
6. Consider structures that make it harder to have contention.
7. Move challenging business meeting items to teams or boards for consideration.
8. Consider if you can survive it.

• We are called to say "yes" to God even if it means staying and fighting
• Someone needs to be "the guy" who will change things so its better for the next guy
• Have a good group of mentor pastors to be able to visit with.
• Be constantly communicating with your spouse and kids - ask them how they are feeling

Episode 66: 8 Leadership Hats We Wear

• Servant Leader - overarching approach for ministry. Make ministry about Jesus.

 

• Entrepreneurial Leader - willingness to start new initiatives.

 

• Visionary Leader - ability to see the future and move the church towards it.

 

• Intellectual Leader - communicating Biblical and Doctrinal truth. Learning and growing, knowing where to get good information.

 

• Organizational Leader - understanding principles of how organizations work best to accomplish long term goals.

 

• Community Leader - being visible in your community and having a positive reputation.

 

• Crisis Leader - able to shift into a whole new level of leadership, fluid decision making.

 

• Decisive Leader - having the strength to make a tough decision and to stand by it.

Episode 65: Multiplication Matters

 

Why multiplication is important

• Explosive growth is a Biblical event - Pentecost
• Changes the dynamics of a church
• Enlarges God’s kingdom

 

Hindrances to multiplication

• Fear of failure
• Loss of relationships
• Turf-mindedness
• Not willing to invest the time
• Not thinking we know enough

 

Best places to start multiplication

• Small groups
• Worship services
• Outreach events
• Church planting
• Prayer times

 

The church will die with just addition - we just can't keep up numerically

We grow people who carry on the vision and the church will thrive with multiplication!

Get to know Todd better here

Episode 64: Should You Market Your Church?

 

You're investing and equipping

 

Ephesians 4: 11So Christ himself gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the pastors and teachers, 12 to equip his people for works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up 13until we all reach unity in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God and become mature, attaining to the whole measure of the fullness of Christ.

 

Marketing your church gives your members tools to start conversations and to let folks know what God is doing in your church

 

So ask yourself - "What is your church doing to get the word out about church and in turn Jesus?"

 

Purpose: is it for kingdom work or personal reputation?

 

Ways you already market

• Sermon art
• Church logo
• Information cards
• Gift bags
• Signage
• Apparel

 

Marketing is changing…

• Insourcing to outsourcing - What can folks in your church do - and what should you get someone outside to do?
  • Website
• Mail out to e-mail outs, texts
• Guerilla marketing to social marketing
• video is expected
• egiving - develop generosity - this can be a way to get the word out too.
• Pray for technology people to come to church - then give them permission to work.

 

Hindrances:

• Old wine in new wineskins
• New wine in old wineskins
• Cost
• Measurables

 

Book: Connect: How to Grow Your Church in 28 Days by Don Corder

Join us for our conversation with Kelly Pollock. The bi-vocational youth minister at Patterson Avenue Baptist Church.

Episode 63: Pastoring a Long Established Church

 

Taking the pastorate of an older church...

 

 

• Change does take time. Be patient.

 

• The attitude “We were here before you got here and will be here after you’re gone” usually proves true. Your attitude toward that statement will be reflected in the changes you choose to make and in your leadership.

 

• The only way you change #2 is by staying a long time and doing a lot of funerals.

 

• Make yourself as much of the community’s pastor as well as your churches.

 

• Laugh at yourself a lot, many older churches take themselves way too serious, so set a good tone.

 

• BE VISIBLE!

Episode 62: Is my need to be right killing my church?

 

“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 

1 Peter 5:5

 

All churches are looking for the complete package (which doesn't exist)

a great preacher and great pastor

 

Rarely do you find someone outside of Jesus who is great at both.  

 

 

So Today I want to ask you - how are you at the pastoral care part?

 

to get you to think about this - we want to talk about dogmatic behavior

 

The "KNOW IT ALL"  

There are certain people that need to be right all the time. These people tend to be argumentative, provoking confrontation, attacking other points of view, defending their points of view.

• Know anybody like that?
• Are you sometimes like that?
• some people are not only always right – they are never wrong.

You have a choice between being right and being kind - choose kind.

• Do you have a teachable spirit or not?  
• Can you learn from your deacons?  
• Can you learn from others on your staff?  
• Can you learn from the older ladies in your church?
• Can you learn from someone in your church who opposes you or chews you out?

Sometimes Christians and even Pastors can be so dogmatic about their opinions that they literally kill their church.  

1. Not talking about points that scripture is clear about
2. But even with theology we can be kind without saying scripture is wrong
3. Listen - If you hear yourself always talking then there is a problem
4. Ask questions - and listen
5. Ask for forgiveness

 

A need to be always right comes from a very insecure place - 

• Bob Goff said sometimes they are sharks and sometimes they are just insecure dolphins.
• Unconditional love verses Conditional love (based in fear)
• Whatever it is that you feel is inadequate about you has made you unable to love yourself. Being unable to love yourself has made you unable to love others.