Enduring Churches Podcast with Alan and Trent

Episode 224: Do’s and Don’t in Resignations

Episode 224: Do's and Don't in Resignations

Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com

Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com

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When its you?

Is it the right time?

- Start with  the right people
- Be gracious
- Be direct and positive
 - appreciative but confident in your decision
- Keep as little delay as possible in telling your key leaders and the whole church
- know some people will be upset you're leaving or that you did not meet with them personally.
- know your leadership influence is pretty much over in that environment
- make sure your church has key information

When its a staff member:

- What are the circumstances?
- When its for a person who has served well
 - be gracious and supportive
 - determine who is going to read the resignation
 - give the church an opportunity to show their appreciation

Episode 223: Do You Have a True Friend?

Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com

Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com

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Episode 223: Do You Have a True Friend?

Article from Christian Post

African proverb "You can go faster alone But you can go much farther together"   Is it possible for a pastor to have a true friend? its hard to find a friend at my church I find it hard to trust enough to be honest with someone from my church I worry if I share with someone from church - everyone will find out   What does a true friend do? Will come any time - any where to help Keeps confidences will be understanding but also honest They will check in on you from time to time They look out for your best interests They will give you an honest review of potential ideas They will be a guard for you AND your family   What does a pastor have to do to have a true friend? They have to be willing to open up to someone They have to be willing to be vulnerable They need to pray for discernment to know who to trust. They have to take time

Episode 222: Are You Teaching Your People to Pray?

Episode 222: Are You Teaching Your People to Pray?

Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com

Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com

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Pastor, Teach us to Pray

One. Model good praying for your congregation, pastor. “Being examples to the flock” (I Peter 5:3).

 

Two. Teach us to pray faithfully in the privacy of your home/office/car without ever telling anyone. Let this be between you and the Lord. Anything less turns us into hypocrites.  Telling people to do what we are not doing is never good.

 

Three. But in worship services, understand that people will be learning from you how to pray.They’re listening, and they are learning.

 

 

Four. Therefore, give advance thought to your public prayers. Work on praying better and more effectively.

 

Five.  Always be aware that people are not only praying with you, but listening to how you pray so they will know how to do it better. Even if they are not aware of it, they will be copying some of the things you do.

 

Six. . Teach us to pray when in public prayer:

 

–Most public prayers should be short.  Especially, those spontaneous prayers which we all do from time to time should be brief and to the point. Otherwise we will ramble and become repetitious.

 

 

 

When you pray in public, you are speaking to the Lord on behalf of everyone there.  So, your prayer says “we” and “our,” not “me” and “mine.”  See the Lord’s prayer for guidelines on this.

 

–The exception to short public prayers is when you are praying a formal dedicatory prayer, such as for an ordination of a minister, the dedication of a building, or some such.  David’s and Solomon’s prayers for the temple were long and profound and inspiring.

 

Seven.  You will also want to teach us about our private prayer.

 

–To have a definite time and place for prayer, preferably in the morning, and in a spot where you can leave your Bible and notebook.

 

–To continue praying throughout the day, in snippets (aka “prayer arrows”), as they have  a moment here and there. This surely is what “praying always” means.

 

–To pray as Jesus did: Beginning with praise, and then moving into our requests, and ending with praise and committal.

 

–To excise dead phrases from their prayers.

 

–To retain a sense of holiness in their prayer while at the same time being conversational.

Episode 221: Together in NOLA

Episode 221: Together in NOLA

 

Link to Episode 120 Ranger Danger

 

Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com

Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com

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Episode 219: 6 Shifts to Consider in Disciple Making

Episode 219: 6 Shifts to Consider in Disciple Making

1. From surface belief to conviction
   • "We are not transformed by facts and information, but by what we believe in our bones" - Jessie Cruickshank
2. From instruction to imitation (observation then imitation)
   • walking in the steps of Jesus
3. From programming to identification
   • I am learning disipleship versus  I  am  a disciple
4. From corporate to individual
   • Individualized rather than a one size fits all
   • mentor as guides ( a life to observe)
5. From option to expectation
   • we often make discipleships sound optional
   • Are you willing to be discipled? If not willing to make a commitment  and give the time - then you are not a follower of Jesus.
   • discipleship is a culture
6. From passive to active
   • do we just hope for results or do we see results?

Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com

Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com

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Episode 218: When You Say Yes To VBS

Episode 218: When You Say Yes To VBS

1. Find and train a VBS director (could be sports camp...)
2. Select the optimum time and dates for your context
   1. early, mid, late summer
   2. am or pm
   3. M-F, Tu-Sat, Su-Th, once a week for 5 weeks....
3. Train and support your workers
4. What is the role of the pastor?
   • whatever you want it to be
   • Be involved
   • Be available
   • Be evangelistic
5. Some of our best suggestions
   • Alan: Pray with your workers before the day begins
   • Alan:  I often was the funny skit guy
   • Alan: get down on a kids level to talk with them
   • Alan: mingle and talk with parents when they are picking up their kids. (we did not allow for drive by pick ups)
   • Trent: lead music and teach actions
   • Help with video and audiovisual
   • Help with registration
   • Lead in pledges
6. Follow up on decisions; keep family information for other events (get their permission)
7. Schedule baptisms soon

 

Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com

Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com

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Episode 217: Shuffling Shepherds and Sickly Sheep

Episode 217: Shuffling Shepherds and Sickly Sheep

 

Does Shuffling of  shepherds produce sickly sheep? Churches and denominations have developed a bad habit of shuffling shepherds.  This has lots of effects on churches   Discipleship is cut short Teach them to observe  (great commission KJV) Vision is cut short churches continue the same bad cycles and never move forward. The sheep suffer: Bad shepherds are moved to new locations and continue to kill the sheep The shepherd is not trusted: Trust is never developed You don't become someone's pastor till . . . Wolves move in: Other bad intentioned and selfish leaders move in - wolf in sheep's clothing. Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com Facebook Website

Episode 216: 7 Ways to Boost Attendance

7 ways to boost attendance:   Be evangelistic and see people baptized. its the evidence of a fruitful ministry Always be on mission!  local and beyond! Have  a vibrant, multiplying small group ministry. small segments grow more quickly Talk about the importance of regular church attendance> if we don't address it, what should we expect? avoid guilting Build a sense of expectation. a culture of high expectations is not a negative Expectation = excitement = I want to invite my friends Use special emphasis. not as successful as they once were, but can be successful Reach out to first time guests quickly The quicker you respond to a guest's visit, the more likely they are to return. Make connecting easy don't ask for too much don't speak as if everyone knows everything you are talking about. Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com Facebook Website

Episode 215: Responding to a New Pastoral Life Cycle

Episode 215: Responding to a New Pastoral Life Cycle

 

Thom Rainer and Church Answers have revised the pastoral life cycle:   https://churchanswers.com/blog/the-life-cycle-of-a-pastor-updated/   Honeymoon: 0 to 6 months.  Challenges and conflict: 6 months to 4 years.  Acceptance and stability: Year 4 to year 7.  Inflection point: Year 7 to year 10.  Mystery: After year 10   Some reactions to this:   Honeymoons are shorter and might not even exist bad processes in finding a pastor unhealthy pastors moving from church to church distrust of organizational leaders Inflection points will the church move in a positive or negative direction connection to other pastors willingness to re-evaluate one's own leadership habits of personal spiritual health Mystery of the long tenure no pattern larger church versus smaller church rural versus urban versus suburban "fire in the belly" or "just hanging on" Must re-establish your leadership every 2-3 years rather than every 4-5 years Everything is sped up.   Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com Facebook Website

Episode 214: Summertime

Episode 214: Summertime   Summertime is a time of opportunity   To experiment try some new things especially in outreach allow new people to explore new leadership roles To eliminate To establish momentum To evangelize To enjoy   Contact Alan: alan@dtbatogether.com Contact Trent: gasconadevalleybaptist@gmail.com Facebook Website