BCMB Pastor to Pastor Podcast: Recent Episodes
British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches
As a pastor or ministry leader, you have a high calling. And yet, the expectations of your role and the unique challenges you face in ministry can wear you down and wipe you out.
How can you lead effectively and courageously to carry out what God has called you to do?
Let’s chat, pastor to pastor.
Join Conference Minister, Rob Thiessen, as he explores the unique challenges of ministry with local pastors, scholars, experts, and other special guests from within the Mennonite Brethren community. Brought to you by the British Columbia Conference of Mennonite Brethren Churches (BCMB), the Pastor to Pastor Podcast will explore how to maintain healthy boundaries, how to dig into conflict and uncomfortable moments in ministry, and grapple with other issues in our world today.
The local church has been entrusted with the good news of Jesus Christ, so let’s encourage and equip one another to be faithful and effective in our leadership.
And I thought, if I would have had a vision, it would have been much, much too small. God had a much better vision for me than I could have imagined since my background was so troublesome that I could not envision big things. ~ Paul Thiessen We talk about being Mennonite Brethren as a denomination and church family, but there are still a number of us around who identify also with the personal heritage that comes from being part of a family that immigrated here as Mennonites from other countries. Sometimes it is easier to understand a denomination once you understand something about its roots.
When was the last time you sat down with an individual from an older generation who remembers what it was like to immigrate here to Canada as a Mennonite? Maybe you're an immigrant yourself, and can identify with some of the experiences that early Mennonite families had here.
Join Rob and his parents as they discuss how God shows up amidst war, persecution, and trials of life. Follow their journey as they reached into their new community through Willingdon Church.
Ken Dyck, creator of Freedom Session, says “it’s really a heart journey, discipleship, unpeeling, peeling back all the layers, getting to the heart – the root issues …it takes the biblical truths that we teach on Sunday, which are all solid, and helps walk through and apply them to the core areas of our heart.”
How many of us have taken the time to take a look in the mirror and do a self-inventory? To take stock of the major emotional times in our lives when we’ve been hurt, angered, or when we’ve done something that we are ashamed of? There’s a good chance we’ve all got moments in our past that we are not proud of, and times when we wish we could get a do-over.
So many of us spend time at the gym or out in nature taking care of our physical bodies, but how many of us take time to care for our hearts? To heal and to grow spiritually alongside all the rest of the things we do each day? How do we, as pastors, help our discipleship ministries to grow and to target the core of our church? What does an emotionally healthy and spiritually mature person look like?
On today’s episode, we are sitting down with The Village Church’s, Ken Dyck, who designed Freedom Session as a tool to equip churches. We will explore different ways that pastors can incorporate programs like Freedom Session into their discipleship ministries, why this type of ministry is important, and ways to avoid pitfalls that would undermine its effectiveness.
We had received both the benefits and the troubles that that pattern of community life would bring. You actually have to then teach about what the nature of body life is, you have to talk about what it means to be in Christ. Words like "koinonia" and "oikos" mean something. And to have spiritual gifts that are for the building of the body means something. And we actually had to biblically frame what membership meant. And so we started to do more of that, so that we could actually strengthen the discipleship process - moving people from baptism to wanting to actually be part of our covenant community membership. - John Neufeld How does your church deal with the interplay of membership and baptism? How does this method work in the greater framework of discipleship?
Join Rob and his guest, John Neufeld, from The Meeting Place church in Manitoba, as they look at what baptism, membership, and discipleship looks like in that church, and the challenges that they have faced along the way to their current framework.
Topics covered: * Membership and baptism, both tied and separated * Discipleship * Role of the Holy Spirit * LGBTQ community engagement * Heterosexuality and the church * Hierarchy of sin and consequences
As a pastor or ministry leader, you’re usually the one offering marriage or relationship advice. But, how are you doing in your own marriage or intimate relationships? Who are you going to when you need wisdom and encouragement?
In our second episode of the BCMB Pastor to Pastor Podcast, Conference Minister, Rob Thiessen, continues to dig in with Dr. John Radford in this insightful and timely conversation about marriage and ministry.
In his 16 years serving with Oasis Ministries as a psychologist and conflict consultant, Dr. Radford has had the opportunity to speak with nearly 500 ministry couples, many of whom were going through dry and difficult seasons in their marriage and ministry. His insights on boundaries, expectations, and vulnerability will help you create greater intimacy and openness in your marriage.
You’ll learn: * Why pastors often default to the expectations and demands of others. * How to develop the critical skill of immediacy (or “being present”) with your family at the end of the day. * How you and your pastoral staff team can grow in understanding the unique challenges your spouses face. * And, the signs you need to get help and who you can reach out to.
By inviting others and your spouse into your world, you can thrive in ministry for the long haul. Have the courage to be fully yourself in your marriage and close relationships.
“Camp changed the trajectory of my life because I was able to experience things that I hadn’t done before,” says Kate Reid, Director of Camp Likely.
Whether it’s being out of your regular environment and in God’s creation, or the new experiences and opportunities to face your fears, or the lasting relationships and discipleship – the camp experience has long been a place for life transformation.
In fact, many leaders in your church today may be able to trace a key spiritual or leadership moment back to their days at camp. But how can we bridge the divide between the local church and camp ministry? How can we invest in people, not just programs?
On today’s episode, we’re sitting down with BCMB Bible Camp Directors, Kate Reid (Camp Likely) and David Seely (Stillwood), alongside BCMB Camp Society Chair and Youth Pastor for Central Community Church, Jonathan Kornelsen, to discuss how camp ministry dovetails with the work of the local church in building God’s Kingdom.
Healthy relationship boundaries are paramount to living out the calling God has on our lives.
Surely, everybody knows that adultery and abuse are wrong. So, why do we need to talk about boundaries? And, why are we doing so poorly in our culture — and even in our churches — in maintaining them?
On today’s episode, Rob Thiessen is joined by Northview Community Church’s Pastor of Care, Thaleia Sawatzky, and Ministry Intern, Kendra Gerbrandt, to discuss healthy boundaries as both an act of loving protection for your church community and loving obedience to God.
Rob, Thaleia, and Kendra dive right into the importance of knowing yourself, the inclination of your heart, and your posture towards the Lord.
You’ll learn: * How to keep your eyes wide open and set boundaries specific to your situation * How to establish habits and clear boundaries that are preventative, but also adaptive. * And, the surprising importance of physical self-care and hobbies in maintaining healthy boundaries.
As a leader, crossing boundaries can lead to pain, betrayal, and distrust. It’s a heartbreaking situation for your family and your church. Invest in your holistic self-care (physical, social, mental/emotional, and spiritual) to thrive in your ministry.
Ministering to the ageing and dying in your church is good and important work.
Yes, we have sermons to prepare and people to lead, but we cannot forget those members of our congregations who are suffering or walking through difficult new seasons in their lives.
How can the “Church” care for those in need? Does it always need to be the pastor? And, how does it look different in big vs. small churches?
On today’s episode, we’re joined once again by Northview Community Church’s Pastor of Care, Thaleia Sawatzky, and Ministry Intern, Kendra Gerbrandt. Kendra brings a unique perspective to this topic as a registered nurse specializing in tertiary palliative care. Her insights into prayer for non-believers and their families and the amazing lessons we can learn from the ageing and dying will encourage and equip you for this important work.
Together, we’ll explore: * How to be okay with being uncomfortable * The hidden grief of transitions * How to do a hospital or care home visit – what to do and what not to do, what to say, and questions you can ask * How to minister to people whose loved ones have dementia * And more
We pray that this episode will help you do your ministry more effectively, courageously, humbly, and more dependent on His Spirit.
Show Notes: * Walking with God Through Pain and Suffering – Tim Keller * When Your Family’s Lost a Loved One – David & Nancy Guthrie * Suffering and the Goodness of God – Edited by Christopher W. Morgan & Robert A. Peterson * GriefShare seminars and support groups * careleader.org
What does it mean to be collaborative as Mennonite Brethren? In a conference where our participation is voluntary, how do we engage and lean in on a local, provincial, and national level?
On today’s episode, Conference Minister, Rob Thiessen, sits down with Elton DaSilva, the National Director for the Canadian Conference of MB Churches, to discuss the new collaborative model put forward by the national conference.
You’ll also get to know a little more about Elton DaSilva in his new role, hear some interesting tidbits on the early Anabaptist movement, learn about some of the ministry needs in Québec and among First Nations, and see how God is moving among the Mennonite Brethren in Brazil.