Trench Talk: Recent Episodes
Practical Shepherding
Practical Shepherding is a Gospel-driven resource center for pastors and church leaders to equip them in the practical matters of pastoral ministry. In this podcast, pastor Brian Croft sits down with other pastors to discuss the gritty details of pastoral ministry. Our goal is to examine the life and work of a pastor and give helpful guidance for our brothers laboring with us. This is a podcast by pastors for pastors. We are in the trenches of ministry with you, and we want to equip you to continue in this task.
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(01:36) Biblical framework and Setting up the topic
(06:13) Connection to seminary
(10:00) Know your English bible
(12:59) Teach a children’s Sunday School class
(14:19) The care and cultivation of your own soul
(17:04) Caring for those who are hurting
(24:45) Develop instincts to care for people
(27:30) Final word and prayer
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(02:19) Setting up the topic and Biblical Framework
(06:33) Other life circumstances matter
(08:29) Expectations of functions of the pastors
(12:40) Expectations of lay pastors
(16:15) Expectations of time for lay pastors
(20:05) Expectations for deacons
(25:46) Ways to recognize and acknowledge those who support the work of ministry
(29:19) Final word and prayer
(02:23) Biblical background and setting up the topic
(08:42) Evaluating your preaching ministry
(12:35) Ministry of the Word, private and public
(19:30) Effectiveness as you grow older in ministry
(22:44) Knowing our gifting in ministry to be effective
(25:37) How should people leaving our church cause us to evaluate our effectiveness
(31:37) Final word and prayer
Listen to part 1 with George McDearmon
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(01:13) Jim introduces George McDearmon
(02:49) Details of his ministry: the size of the congregation and its community
(05:15) The call to ministry: internal aspirations and character externally confirmed by a local church
(07:41) What is the role of seminary in the call to ministry?
(10:16) How convictions changed over time
(11:39) Jim’s response seminary at the recommendation from George, breadth in ministry, etc.
(14:38) Being a small church with kingdom impact
(21:25) God’s providence in 2 church plants
(24:55) Biblical priorities for a pastor
(31:47) Caring for your own soul in ministry: relationship with the Lord, his family, and physical exercise
(39:41) Final words and prayer
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(01:19) Jim introduces George McDearmon
(03:10) Getting to know George McDearmon
(07:24) The call to ministry and beginning in the work
(14:16) Joys of shepherding a church for 46-years
(19:16) Challenges of shepherding a church for 46-years
(23:28) Challenges to your family in ministry
(26:19) Knowing when it was time to transition from pastoring
(35:09) Life after full time ministry
(39:33) Jim reflects on this conversation
(41:10) Prayer
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(01:39) Setting up the conversation
(04:14) Biblical foundation: Making the best of the opportunities
(08:08) Reasons pastors are devalued as they get older
(09:19) The cool and young culture
(11:08) What is trying to be accomplished in the church
(13:49) Pastors pivoting as they get older
(14:48) Essentials and circumstances
(17:41) Doing ministry in weakness as long as you can
(22:13) Build, stabilize, transition
(26:33) Transitioning from full-time ministry in a local church
(31:02) Potential fruitfulness in the second half of your ministry
(37:48) Final word and prayer
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(01:25) Setting up the conversation and biblical foundation
(06:42) Practical steps to develop a church budget
(11:08) Steps to take when your church doesn’t meet budget
(18:58) Creative ways to meet shortfalls while not compromising mission
(24:45) When pastors disagree on spending categories
(31:17) When the pastor’s salary is being questioned
(36:20) An encouragement to pastors when money is tight
(39:00) Final word and prayer
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(02:12) Biblical background and setting up the topic
(08:42) Moral clarity or Gospel clarity?
(12:20) Practical ways to balance the tension
(13:02) What kind of ministry do you want? Word-centered or world-centered
(15:40) Train your people to love everyone who enters the doors of your church
(17:46) Be knowledgeable about who your congregation is
(20:48) Preach pastorally for the good of your people
(22:37) Remember love involves hard things
(29:30) Final words and prayer
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(01:58) Biblical foundation and setting up the topic (2 Timothy 2:2)
(06:43) Finding mentors as a young man
(12:23) Impact of mentors in your early adulthood
Ep. 199 with Austin Walker
Ep. 200 with Mai Walker
(17:57) The impact of finding a mentor mid-ministry
(24:22) Benefitting from the mentors of others
(26:08) Advice for finding a mentor: have a posture of teachability
(30:51) Reasons you should find an older man to be mentored by
(38:42) Final word and prayer
If you are looking for a ministry mentor contact us. We would love to connect you to a faithful ministry mentor.
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(01:36) Biblical foundation and setting up the topic
(06:36) The pastoral struggle with delegation and administration
(09:34) Two pastors: too much or too little administration
(18:04) The importance of administration
(23:43) Practicing and growing in administration
(32:18) Final word and prayer
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(01:33) Setting up the topic and biblical framework
(07:15) Distinguishing sufferings
(11:55) Important questions: Who are you?, how do you live?, and how do we suffer well?
(16:51) Pastoring in the realities of grief and death with the goodness of God
(21:11) Public versus private handling of these crises
(23:30) Tension between focus on the eternal and today
(30:05) Practical ways to prepare your people to suffer well
(32:17) Final word and Prayer
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(01:37) Setting up the topic and biblical framework
(07:31) The pressure of how much do you say or not say?
(09:42) Handling congregational pressures
(13:12) Distinguishing pastoral responsibility, and responsibility as a citizen
(17:52) Should church members vote in elections?
(22:58) Should you encourage your members to vote for a particular candidate?
(32:19) Determining your line as a pastor in a local church
(33:29) Final word and prayer
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(02:07) Biblical understanding
(13:59) Ways to discern warfare versus failure
(19:33) Signs the enemy is attacking the church
(24:22) Combatting fights from the enemy
(35:27) Final word and prayer
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(03:19) Biblical understanding and setting up the conversation
(06:43) Strive to master the Bible
(09:48) Perfect your preaching craft
(12:54) Learn to wisely access and digest information
(16:48) Learn from a wise older mentor and mentor a younger pastor
(18:44) Cultivate an intellectual and biblical curiosity
(23:22) Audit formal theological courses
(25:41) Develop a new hobby
(27:04) final word and prayer
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(03:41) Biblical Framework and setting up the conversation
(08:01) The misconception that good theology protects us from falling
(10:57) The misconception that being older protects us from falling
(13:42) The combustible nature of our own heart—1 Corinthians 10
(19:18) Genuine safeguards to stand and be accountable
(24:52) Protecting and shepherding the flock when a prominent pastor falls
(28:04) Final word and prayer
Brian, Stephen, and Matthew provide an update on how SBC went and other developments from the last few months for ATC.
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(02:24) Setting up the topic and biblical foundation
(12:42) The pursuit of a home run sermon
(15:00) Fear of man in preparation and preaching
(18:21) A healthy rhythm for sermon preparation
(24:21) Preparation in your early days of ministry
(26:06) Encouragement to pursue faithfulness in preparing sermons
(29:19) Strategy in using commentaries in preparation
(34:29) Practical ways to fight isolation in the study
(38:13) Final words and prayer
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(01:41) Setting up the topic and biblical framework
(04:49) Defining what a missionary is and the Internal and external call
(11:32) Supporting versus being a missionary
(16:39) Helping someone discern the call to mission work
(22:29) The unique gifting of missionaries
(23:37) The difficult toll on the family
(25:59) Helping someone discern the call to pastor
(26:32) Do you have language skills and do you travel well
(28:40) Is your wife supportive and do you have a shepherds heart
(32:35) Shepherding as the training ground to join the missionary work
(33:30) The congregations roll in affirming and sending missionaries and pastors
(36:33) Final word and prayer
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(01:06) Setting the conversation and biblical understanding
(08:54) Should a pastor stay in his congregation after he transitions from being a pastor?
(15:11) Should the long-term pastor be involved in the process of finding his replacement?
(24:47) What can a pastor do to prepare himself and his flock for his transition?
(29:09) Thoughts for the solo pastor
(31:01) Final words and prayer
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(02:08) Biblical understanding
(08:01) The pastor’s role in helping members grieve
(16:40) Pastoral care for families during funeral planning and visitation
(24:03) Pastoral care after burying a loved one
(31:13) Final word and prayer
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(03:07) Biblical support for caring for seasonal visitors
(05:57) Practical ways to welcome seasonal visitors
(09:47) What a church should share/not share with seasonal guests
(18:13) Showing hospitality to frequent visitors who don’t intend to join
(24:00) Embracing being a sending church
(29:25) Showing hospitality to frequent visitors who might intend to join
(34:50) Final word and prayer
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(02:00) Introducing Joel Littlefield
(05:10) The unique challenges to ministry in Maine
(08:00) Why the topic of Kingdom-minded pastor?
(12:42) The ministry of Isaac Case
(15:36) The Kingdom-Minded Pastor
(19:54) Who is The Kingdom-Minded Pastor for?
(22:33) How do you hope this book will impact other pastors
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Advancing the Church (ATC) Podcast Episode
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(02:07) Biblical framework for giving for gospel advancement
(06:02) How Reformed Baptist Church Louisville determined missions giving
(10:00) Cooperative Program giving for Auburndale and other Southern Baptist Churches
(14:48) How do we appropriate missions giving as a church?
(18:12) Being strategic and intentional in missions giving
(22:44) Prioritizing when church funds are limited
(25:57) Determining who receives support and who doesn’t
(29:12) Final word and prayer
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(03:34) Biblical understanding of overseeing the flock in counseling them
(08:14) Important aspects of shepherding/engaging in this way
Stay in your lane with the ministry of the Word
The ministry of [physical] presence
The ministry of [emotional] presence
General wisdom and discernment
Listening patiently and ask probing questions
(20:30) The pressures that pastors might face when counseling
(32:39) Final word and prayer
(01:46) Steve Bray of Mile One Mission
(06:08) Matthew Spandler-Davison of 20schemes and Church in Hard Places
(12:17) What is Advancing the Church (ATC)?
(16:24) Are we adding more to this coalition?
(23:11) Why ATC?
(28:20) How you can support Advancing the Church
Why is it important for pastors to read books? What types of books do Brian and Jim recommend?Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.
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New Resources: Pastoral Perseverance and The Unhurried Pastor
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(02:09) Biblical understanding
(05:43) Reasons why pastors pursue perfectionism
(14:29) Rooted in Pride
(15:10) How pastors can work on their perfectionism
(18:06) Before God, before others, before ourseleves
(26:09) How perfectionism affects us and those around us
(27:08) Final words and prayer
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(02:40) Setting up the conversation and biblical understanding
(07:53) Members who reject our ministry and leave
(12:28) Members who are always criticizing not blessing
(18:47) Members who criticize our family
(21:06) Acknowledge the guilt of our humanity
(26:03) Don’t be passive aggressive, beware of the cumulative effect, don’t be suspicious of all new members
(30:28) Think servantly
(32:20) Strive toward a balanced approach
(34:01) Final word and prayer
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New Resources: Pastoral Perseverance and The Unhurried Pastor
(03:09) Biblical understanding of what a church is, what is a healthy church, what is membership, and more.
(10:05) Measuring the involvement of members
(15:07) Measuring the receptivity of the Word
(20:57) Measuring the number of people involved
(24:43) Measuring the financial stability
(31:29) Final word and prayer
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(02:42) The background of The Unhurried Pastor
(07:33) The essentials of ministry and The Unhurried Pastor
(10:12) How detrimental are the regular distractions to faithful pastoral ministry?
(17:05) The purpose of the book: reorient your ministry around the essentials of faithful ministry
(18:01) The structure of the book
(23:48) Tools for re-orienting your day-to-day schedule as a pastor
(25:40) The need for silence and stillness
(28:21) Personally wrestling with being the hurried pastor
(30:26) Testimony of burnout being hurried
(32:10) Final word and prayer
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(01:55) Biblical understanding
(06:05) How the church changing effects your housing
(12:48) Jim’s ideal location for ministering near the church
(14:22) Brian’s story and changes in ministry
(19:31) Practical considerations
(19:43) Where are your people?
(24:08) What can you afford?
(26:17) Can you be hospitable there?
(31:13) Final word and Prayer
What does Harbor Network do to care for pastors? What are common hardships that pastors are facing? How can pastors develop a resiliency to stay in a hard place? What words of encouragement do pastors need today? Brian Croft and Ronnie Martin address these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.
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(02:54) Biblical Background
(06:23) When a pastor shifts theological positions
(10:37) The blessing of mentors in helping not break more things than you need to
(14:15) Something Jim needed to fix: my own combative attitude
(16:13) Something Brian needed to fix: my preaching
(17:49) Something Jim needed to fix: More grace less law
(20:06) Something Brian needed to fix: too rigid decision-making
(22:20) Something Jim needed to fix: too rigid expectations for new members
(24:42) Something Brian needed to fix: pastors and deacons, and training and investing in women
(27:09) Final word and prayer
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(02:36) Biblical background
(04:35) Auburndale’s ability to care for those with physical disabilities
(06:57) Making this a priority among your congregation
(13:47) Differing degrees of care to meet differing degrees of needs
(16:56) Practical ways to care for those with disabilities
(17:29) Ways to care for those with physical disabilities
(20:45) Ways to care for those with mental disabilities
(25:09) Final word and prayer
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(01:48) Jim’s Brazil trip Recap
(04:01) Biblical Framework
(08:41) Why going to the hospital is important
(10:48) Seize the moment to minister amidst difficulty
(13:10) Overcoming fear and anxiety
(19:20) Practical ways to minister in this context
(19:22) The ministry of presence
(20:18) Stay for only 5 to 10 minutes
(22:45) Pray with them
(23:20) Bring a physical bible
(25:05) Dress appropriately
(29:38) Ask if you can help them with something
(31:25) Final word and prayer
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(02:21) Biblical framework
(06:21) Pastoral limitations and the expectations of others
(09:10) Expectations a pastor faces
(09:12) You’ll be able to fix every problem
(10:28) You will preach your best sermon every Sunday
(12:10) My family will have it all together
(12:32) How to die to expectations without letting them kill you
(14:57) Awareness of your own limitations
(16:27) Acknowledging I cannot change anyone
(18:27) Paul and the Thessalonians
(21:26) A balancing act in pastoring
(25:21) Realizing what you are responsible for
(26:36) Final word and prayer
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Out Now: Pastoral Perseverance
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(02:30) Biblical framework
(06:47) Scenarios that create a difficult hiring
(08:04) Misinterpreting calling and evaluation of gifts
(10:25) Misjudging their gifting
(13:50) Misunderstanding the role of seminary
(17:00) Too narrow of requirements in an ideal church
(18:49) A propensity to be with the sheep
(25:35) Practical Steps to preparing for vocational ministry
(25:45) Look for opportunities to preach
(28:24) Look for areas to grow
(29:20) Engage in widow care
(30:54) Trust God’s providence
(32:11) Final word and prayer
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(01:37) Setting the table and theological understanding
(04:00) Aspects of ministry that were surprising
(09:31) Aspects of ministry that were most difficult
(15:19) Aspects of ministry that were the most joyful
(21:35) Final word and prayer
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(02:23) Introduction and how Brian and James got to this point
(04:26) Background and ministry of James Carroll
(08:55) How Facing Snarls and Scowls came to be
(18:11) How Being a Pastor came to be
(21:56) How Practically Trained Pastors came to be
(32:13) What is Pastoral Perseverance about?
(38:47) Friendship, Final word and prayer
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(02:04) Biblical Understanding
(03:39) Life: “You’ve got to have more faith”
(05:53) Preaching: “You’ve got to find your own set of jokes”
(07:45) Altar call: “Learn how to manipulate the emotions of your congregation”
(10:56) Friendship: “don’t make friends in the church”
(12:23) Ministry: “change everything at first”
(14:16) Ministry: “You can only spend 5 years at a church”
(16:51) Preaching: “Don’t write your own sermons”
(18:00) Ministry: “you can’t build a church on doctrine”
18:37 Ministry: “Grow the church by catering to needs”
(19:51) Ministry: “throw away the methods of how church used to be done”
(23:40) Training: “don’t get in the way of a persons calling”
(25:31) Preaching: “Have your pulpit ready for the recent headlines”
(27:10) Preaching: “you can adequately shepherd the flock from the pulpit”
(28:25) Ministry: “if you do everything right you will have ministry fruit”
(30:00) Final word and prayer
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(02:59) Biblical understanding
(08:31) Serious accusations where an investigation must take place
(11:15) Different levels of accusations and how to handle them
(13:48) The importance of qualified Elder/Pastors within the church
(16:46) Technology and the secret lives of pastors
(19:21) Technology and the destruction of ministries through false accusations
(23:22) Advice to pastors to minister in the tension
(29:15) Final word and prayer
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(02:25) Biblical foundation
(08:15) Faithfully evaluating spiritual fruit
(14:13) Lack of fruit and evaluating calling
(19:48) Fruit from following a faithful ministry
(22:04) Lack of fruit tied to gifting
(25:11) Finding a pastoral mentor to help grow in gifting
(26:19) Is faithful ministry enough to be labeled as fruitful?
(31:11) Final word and prayer
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(01:58) Biblical Foundation
(05:37) Jim’s complicated relationship with social media
(10:17) Brian’s intentional use of social media
(14:39) Awareness in social media use
(19:32) Avoiding conflict on social media
(24:37) Guarding from sensual vices on social media
(26:22) Leveraging social media for faithful ministry purposes
(36:13) Final word and prayer
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(03:34) Biblical foundation
(09:46) The use of NDA’s in unjustified terminations
(11:29) How this HappensPainting the picture
Reasons why this happens
(17:42) Unclear expectations of the qualifications of a pastor
(19:50) The hiring process is broken from the beginning
(23:48) You upset the wrong person
What do you do?
(25:58) Challenge the termination honestly
(28:45) Amend the NDA
(30:47) Encouragement to the congregation
(32:50) Challenge the leadership
(36:15) Final word and prayer
(02:20) How Jim, as an outsider, viewed the beginning of the ministry
(07:04) Brian’s reflecting on how the ministry began
(09:18) Auburndale Baptist Church as Practical Shepherding began
(17:03) Who came up with the name Practical Shepherding and why?
(22:00) The formation of the ministry
(27:20) What does a typical week look like for you?
Find out more about the NAMB Replant Cohort
(30:40) How will the growth of the ministry continue to help pastors thrive?
(34:28) How do you evaluate the core calling when opportunities of growth arise?
The event mentioned has already taken place at the time of posting
(36:58) The stewardship of the ministry for years to come
(39:51) Jim’s view from the beginning of the ministry
(43:53) Prayer
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(02:20) Biblical foundation
(08:28) Where do you start?
(16:54) Steps to reconciliation
(25:35) Your priority in ministry is your wife
(31:26) Final word and prayer
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(01:53) Biblical framework
(04:20) Challenges in bringing in new members
(05:20) Shepherding the delivery person
(08:49) Challenges in a Revitalization context
(10:00) Practical Ways to welcome new members well
Welcome them through preaching
Welcome them through living life together
Welcome them through connecting them to others
Welcome them through connecting them to serving
Welcome them through theological contextualization
Welcome them through committed prayer
(22:13) Final word and prayer
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(03:16) Biblical framework for this discussion
(07:25) Reasons for comparison and pulling back the curtain
(10:19) Questioning your calling
(11:29) A stewardship of pastoral gifting
Ways to avoid the comparison game
(14:51) Content but longing for more
(17:15) Pray for spiritual eyes
(19:32) Growing in gratitude
(20:48) Recognize the stewardship you’ve been given
(25:00) Getting away from asking, “how big is your church?”
(29:30) Final word and prayer
Mea Culpa and the importance of place
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(02:08) Biblical foundation for ministry in a local church
(06:54) Jim’s personal journey in ministry outside of the local church
(11:54) Jim’s reaction to being invited to do ministry outside of the local church
(14:01) Brian’s personal journey in ministry outside of the local church
(17:37) An encouragement to prioritize your local church
(20:13) The primary calling of local church ministry
(28:20) Advice to discern when to serve outside the church
(33:57) Final word and prayer
(02:16) Biblical framework for lament
(08:42) Categories of pastoral lament: church members leaving
(12:58) Categories of pastoral lament: Shepherding through tragedy
(17:18) Categories of pastoral lament: Feeling ineffective in ministry
(20:33) Categories of pastoral lament: Limitations in ministry
(22:58) Categories of pastoral lament: state of the church and the world
(26:38) Engaging lament: taking it to the Lord
(29:01) Engaging lament: taking it to another person
(30:27) Engaging lament: public expression
(31:17) Engaging lament: model it before your people
(32:49) Final word and prayer
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(02:20) Getting to know Robert Briggs
(05:14) a difficult start of ministry
(07:24) Training for ministry
(10:11) Discerning the Lord’s call to move
(15:51) Pastoring a church after pastoral trauma
(19:17) Joys and sorrows in ministry
(22:38) The state of the American church
(26:24) Training other men for ministry
(28:54) The importance of family in ministry
(31:26) Encouragement to other pastors
(33:54) Final word and prayer
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(02:35) Biblical understanding and setting the foundation
(06:10) The example of Paul’s ministry in Ephesus
(08:36) How important is having an affection toward your elders?
(12:45) How important is trusting your fellow elders?
(17:32) Determining fit among biblically qualified men
(19:50) How important is a relationship with an elders family in serving together?
(22:31) Final words and prayer
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(03:10) Theological framework for multiple (and paid) pastors
(06:54) Jim Savastio’s church staff experience
(09:39) Brian Croft’s church staff experience
(13:15) Reasons you would or wouldn’t hire another pastor
(17:48) Hire a pastor first then look for a pastor skilled in complimentary ways
(22:23) Using the term pastor when the role isn’t to shepherd or teach the Word
(25:19) FInal word and prayer
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(01:42) Biblical foundation and setting up the topic
(05:17) Preaching a gospel you don’t know
(09:21) Prevention: Love for the Word
(10:55) Prevention: pursue silence over noise and busyness
(12:05) Prevention: Relationships with family, friends, and church members
(13:57) Prevention: serving Jesus and intimately walking with him
(17:44) Recovery: Identify your hearts condition
(21:07) Recovery: talk with somebody
(23:01) Recovery: courage to endure the consequences
(26:31) Final words and prayer
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(02:37) Biblical foundation
(07:44) Differences of context and personality as it pertains to grit through hardship
(12:20) Tough skin and a soft heart
(13:11) Is grit related to calling?
(20:06) Gauging grit in ministry
(26:00) Grit is not strength
(26:29) Final words and prayer
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(03:10) Biblical foundation and setting up the conversation
(07:28) Personal history with denominations
(16:52) Benefits of joining a denomination or network: missional impact
(19:18) Benefit of remaining independent: avoiding denominational scandals
(23:00) Benefit of joining a denomination or network: foundation of fellowship
(24:29) Benefit of remaining independent: focus on the churches not the denominational structure
(28:33) Wisdom to discern joining a denomination or network
(33:51) Helping new generations see the joys of denominational life
(36:41) Final words and prayer
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(02:33) Biblical foundation and setting up the conversation
(08:36) Burnout versus the normal wear of ministry
(11:55) Questions to aid diagnosing burnout
(18:36) Refilling the tank when burnout is near
(27:40) Prayer for pastors
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(03:18) Biblical understanding and setting up the topic
(09:35) Uncovering potential immaturity and valuing practical maturity
(12:51) Practical ways to care for the older members in your congregation
(13:11) Go to their home
(14:47) Be conscious but not self conscious of your age
(19:18) Be humble in your relationship with them
(21:00) Be ready to learn from them.
(24:45) Helping older members find their place
(29:18) Older members want to be heard and honored
(32:05) Final words and prayer
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(02:02) Biblical Foundation and framing the conversation
(5:42) Temperament and personality in the Bible and church history
(07:38) Contrasting temperament
Extrovert/introvert
Four classic categories
Optimist/pessimist
(15:12) Strengths and weaknesses of an extroverted temperament
(20:15) Strengths and weaknesses of an introverted temperament
(28:02) temperamental changes during ministry
(30:13) Temperament and relationships with staff and spouse
(34:00) Final word and prayer
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(03:33) Biblical Foundation and framing the conversation
(06:09) Topics that pastors feel pressures to comment on:
Political issues
Cultural issues
Ecclesiastical/church issues,
(14:26) When to talk and when not to talk
(24:38) Helpful ways pastors can talk about politics
(29:42) Final words and prayer
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(02:09) Biblical Foundation and framing the conversation
(05:47) Discerning reality from our own expectations and insecurities
(09:51) Evaluating if you are operating out of fear or insecurities
(~16:00) Recognizing we minister in the sight of God
(20:21) Functioning out of the freedom of serving Christ
(21:20) Faithful ministry of the Word
(23:45) Examples of pressures when preaching
(25:32) Addressing patterns of sin and public disruptions
(28:30) Shifts in cultural pressures
(31:00) Final word and prayer
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(02:51) Biblical foundation
(09:18) Public aspects to recognize you are becoming their pastor
(18:47) Private aspects in recognizing you are becoming their pastor
(25:07) Leading when credibility has been built
(33:05) Final word and prayer
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(02:55) Biblical foundation
(05:50) Balancing loving them where they are while pushing them toward maturity
(09:25) Differentiating immaturity versus newness of faith
(12:00) The personal responsibility of maturity
(18:40) Handling the frustration that comes from an immature congregation
(20:40) Trusting the Lord to use His Word
(22:21) Aligning expectations with the Lord’s
(26:30) Final Word and Prayer
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(02:50) Biblical foundation for this discussion
(05:05) Take heed to: yourself, the doctrine, the flock
(07:17) It’s okay to have stepped away from ministry
(08:10) Practical determinations for when to step back into ministry
(12:04) Was I carrying un-needed burdens or expectations?
(14:55) Operating outside of your gifting
(17:17) Taking heed to the flock that you shepherd
(23:21) Taking heed to doctrinal shifts in your congregation
(28:45) Assessing do I love difficult people?
(30:13) Prayer
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(1:44) The biblical foundation for hospitality
(6:12) Planning to be hospitable
(10:42) Never showing hospitality is a problem
(16:30) Hospitality does not mean extravagance
(20:31) Affording hospitality
(27:41) Final word and pray
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(03:03) Biblical foundation of pastoring and being pastored
(07:45) Is it them or is it him?
(10:51) Is it me?
(12:30) Competency, Integrity, and affection
(15:40) Evaluate our ministry while avoiding paranoia
(20::05) A righteous expectation for the shepherd and the sheep
(25:00) Don’t neglect them, continue pursuing them
(29:20) When a family begins to no longer receive your ministry
(33:33) Final word and prayer
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(01:41) Biblical Foundation
Savastio and Croft kids Podcast interviews
(07:50) How to do ministry with little kids
(12:33) Making wise decisions to pastor, husband, and father well
(17:24) When able, guard your day off as much as possible
(19:40) Use the flexibility of ministry well
(21:30) How can the congregation help a pastor guard his family time
(30:05) Biblical qualifications for pastors to love their families well
(31:05) Practical ways to care well for your family when your kids are young
The Pastor’s Family
(36:00) Unique benefits of parenting well with young kids
(38:28) Final word and prayer
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(02:18) Biblical understanding of living in tension and seeking balance
(06:20) The importance of balance in a pastor’s life
(09:27) Balancing administration, teaching/preaching, and shepherding in ministry
(15:46) Virtuous or sinful justification for imbalances in ministry
(20:00) Brian’s message to bi-vocational pastors
(22:37) Balance and keeping watch over your own soul
(30:05) Balancing and caring well in family responsibilities
(34:05) Being fully there with your family
(35:55) Final words and prayer
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(02:14) Biblical framework of abuse and caring for the abused
(08:25) What abuse are we talking about?
(12:59) The category of safety and taking it [abuse] seriously
(17:11) When a victim doesn’t want to report
(23:02) Being aware of the dynamics of abuse
(27:18) Practical steps pastors can take to care well for victims
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(03:30) Biblical framework for pastoral ministry as a servant
(07:48) Setting expectations in ministry; to serve the flock
(11:22) The benefit of the flock seeing you serve (in many ways)
(15:04) Wisdom to keep this up without going crazy
(16:49) Find joy in the presence of the saints
(18:40) You are one person and you can only do so much
(20:38) Think of ways to hand off tasks
(22:47) Lovingly instruct the congregation of what a pastor is and what he does
(26:23) Don’t be a control freak
(28:12) Final word and Prayer
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(01:53) Setting up the topic
(07:00) Advising men based on gifting
(09:55) Size of the congregation and the reality of bi-vocational ministry
(16:10) Should a gifted pastor preach to more people
(21:00) When to change shepherding strategy as the congregation changes
Pastor smarter not harder
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(30:55) Final word and prayer
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(3:12) Setting up the topic: The Importance of Doctrine
(6:30) Convictions
(10:30) Permissible doctrinal changes
(16:35) Reformed doctrinal shifts
(20:05) Political shifts
(21:43) Polity shifts
(23:37) Gifts of the Spirit
(26:15) Women in leadership
(28:36) Wisdom in shifting positions
(33:55) Final word and Prayer
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(1:55) Biblical Understanding of Church Membership
(6:07) a Church Covenant: What it means to be a member of the church
(8:38) Commitment of membership Members one of another
(12:04) What do you do with regular attenders who won’t join?
(13:37) Tethered or Untethered: How do you determine who is a committed member?
(17:44) What do you do with them member who watches online and is engaged?
(19:31) How does a pastor then call members to this commitment?
(26:00) Difficulties and directives surrounding correction and discipline of members
(28:26) Getting practical: 2 examples and how to handle them
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(02:55) Biblical framework of discouragement or losing heart in ministry
(06:00) The discouragements pastors battle
(06:05) The discouragement that comes by comparison
(06:55) The hardship brought by the nature of the work
(08:20) The discouragement of expectations
(09:38) The discouragement of lacking patience
(12:04) The discouragement of criticism
(14:27) The discouragement of the finances of the church
(16:30) Discouragement because of careless mistakes
(21:22) The downsides of the plodding: does what I do matter?
(23:29) Encouragements for battling discouragement
(24:28) Eternal, not earthly, rewards
(25:23) Have biblical expectations
(26:30) Find the encouragement
(28:35) Honor your humanity
(30:20) Receive counsel and encouragement from others
(31:30) Final word and prayer
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Listen to the previous episode on Qualifications and Roles of Pastors and Deacons
(01:47) Biblical framework for deacons
(07:22) Distinction of Leadership
(10:48) Functional and thriving
(14:08) Elders and deacons at RBC Louisville
(19:55) A mutual dependence on one another and specific authority
(25:00) Pastor, train your deacons on what they do
(30:49) Example from Auburndale Baptist Church
(33:55) Final word and prayer
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(01:40) The biblical foundation for deacons: Acts 6
(05:55) A relationship Intended to help but often harms
(08:08) Differences in qualifications
(10:45) a sufficiency of Scripture issue
(13:35) Tested: who should serve as a deacon?
(19:12) Female deacons in the New Testament?
(25:20) Females functioning as deacons
(27:15) Deacons role: leading in service
(33:58) Final word and Prayer
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(02:45) Biblical foundations for God’s sovereignty over our plans for 2023
(07:37) Planning when you’re weary and caring for your body, soul, family in 2023
(10:55) Essential elements of planning your sermon series in 2023 while providing margin to pivot
(16:49) Helpful tips for planning your events in 2023
(21:58) Embracing your own humanity and building in margin
(22:55) Planning to care for your family and yourself in 2023
(28:19) Final word and prayer
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(02:08) Biblical understanding of plurality of pastors/elders
(05:15) The distinction of those that teach
(08:25) Co-pastoring and the organic nature of eldering
(11:15) Cultivating plurality within your church
(18:35) Moving from a solo pastor model
(22:10) The organic nature of a church acknowledging the first among equals
(26:50) The tasks required to serve as a pastor/elder
(29:24) Final word and prayer
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(02:52) Introducing Mai Walker
(04:22) Upbringing in Wales
(6:38) Resisting the savior then Repenting
(11:20) Theologies in the church
(14:10) Thoughts on meeting & marrying a Pastor
(17:07) Early years in ministry with young children
(21:45) Roles of ministry for women in the church
(24:17) Joys from decades of ministry
(25:50) Struggles from decades of ministry
(27:03) Stickability and grit to stay even amidst hardship
(28:20) Children and the pastors family
(33:01) Advice for the pastors wife
(36:05) Advice for pastors
(37:30) Final words and prayer
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(00:36) Getting to know Austin Walker
(6:06) Austin’s call to ministry and training
(10:34) Formal theological education and being formed in the local church
(15:25) Marriage and early years in ministry
(20:53) Reflecting on joys in ministry
(28:24) Regrets in ministry
(30:25) Leaving pastoral ministry after 45 years
(34:40) A family of faith
(37:10) Message to younger pastors
(40:24) Final words and prayer
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(03:10) Biblical Framework
(08:55) Training in the academy vs. the church
(12:00) Seminary shortfalls
(17:30) Fighting for balance
(21:36) The benefits of church-based training
(25:05) Uniqueness of teaching pastors
(28:42) 2 Cautions: Motive in avoiding messiness of church ministry, and a lack of youth and seminary positions
(34:05) Flex your gifts in the local church
(36:09) Final word and prayer
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(01:57) Defining tradition and the biblical understanding of traditionalism
(11:53) Charting a course toward biblical faithfulness over human tradition
(16:02) Building and spending pastoral collateral
(19:30) Taking steps toward biblical faithfulness over human tradition
(25:45) Established traditions and how to balance them in the congregation
(35:49) Final words and prayer
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(01:47) Introduction and Biblical Framework
(11:11) Discerning if you need a sabbatical or if you need to step away
(14:22) Jim’s “break” and how the Lord used it
(17:22) Discussing, with your family, if you need a sabbatical or if you need to step away
(18:55) Discover other options for providing income if stepping away from a pastorate
(21:01) Financial fears that come up from “failing” in ministry
(24:48) Where do you go when pursuing a transition?
(28:53) Brian’s story of transitioning from pastoral ministry
(32:52) Considering another Church when transitioning
(35:05) Final words and prayer
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(01:21) Defining the dones
(05:31) Biblical foundation of the importance of gathering on the Lord’s Day
(09:49) The complexity of living in a technological world
(11:10) Implications of the dones in day-to-day ministry
(17:54) What about those who genuinely must rely on the online service
(19:32) Practical ways to pursue the dones
(24:32) If/When they don’t come back
(32:19) Removing a member carefully in a non-disciplinary way
(40:24) Final word and prayer
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(02:06) Framing the conversation
(07:25) Discussing your salary with the church
(10:21) Determining a fair salary
(16:00) Sharing your needs with the leaders
(21:00) Recognizing that expenses are more expensive than in 2021
(23:20) Cost of living increase is not a raise
(24:58) Your tenure at a church matters
(32:24) When you start from the bottom but think you’re
(35:25) Final words and prayer
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(01:56) History of sports for kids on Sundays
(03:20) The greater issue: Is Lord’s Day worship important?
(07:08) Brian and Jim’s theological differences on the Sabbath
(09:22) Wrestling with this issue in life
(16:20) Conflict and resolution surrounding these things
(19:04) Flexibility surrounding these things
(25:25) When and how do you address attendance with a church member?
(34:15) Convictionally Leading your family, not just your flock
(37:51) Final word and Prayer
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(2:44) Biblical understanding of shame
(8:21) Total depravity and the image of God
(10:11) Understanding your worth in pastoral ministry
(13:42) Ways to combat self-loathing, shame, and negative self-talk
(19:00) Accurately evaluating your ministry
(21:30) Practical steps to speak the gospel to yourself
(31:08) Final word and prayer
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(1:55) Biblical and Historical examples of established churches
(5:25) Categories and characteristics of an established church
(7:31) Priorities for your first year of pastoring an established church
(16:43) Priorities for your first 5-10 years of pastoring an established church
(27:05) When an established church searches for a new pastor
(32:23) How should an established church view an interim period
(37:32) Final word and prayer
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(01:53) Billy Graham and defining the Billy Graham Rule
(05:44) Biblical Understanding
(11:49) An example from another pastor
(12:55) Why a generation frowns on this rule
(19:42) The rule gone bad
(25:20) Practical questions to care well for those in your flock
(33:00) Final words and prayer
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(2:21) Biblical understanding for friendship
(4:51) Unique hurdles pastors face in finding meaningful friendship
(8:56) Pastoral friendship in the church
(16:56) Pastoral friendship out of the church
(22:34) Ways to pursue friendships in ministry and outside of the community
(29:50) Prayer
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(1:44) Membership in the Bible
(5:23) The process by which an attender becomes a member
(10:21) Changing a faulty process
(15:11) Commitments that must be made when joining a local church
(19:07) Defining Statement of faith from Church covenant
(23:40) Benefits for membership vs. non-membership
(30:42) Expectations for church members
(32:21) Final word and prayer
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(1:56) Biblical Understanding of the need for rest and vacation
(6:37) Church policies for vacations and how to talk about it
(14:00) Developing a policy to bless other staff members
(18:45) Determining how much time to take at one time
(25:41) The benefits of totally unplugging from email and phone
(27:11) Staycations and attending worship
(29:01) Recommendations to use the time well
(32:51) Prayer
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(2:23) Biblical Understanding
(10:06) Insecurities in comparison to the best preachers
(15:18) Allowing others to preach in your pulpit
(17:04) Divisiveness of online ministries
(24:30) The fruit that is being produced is important
(26:42) When members join in divisiveness
(29:13) God’s design for ministry and Shepherding
(32:19) Final words and prayer
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(1:48) Biblical Understanding for adversaries in ministry
(8:11) The hardship of internal adversaries (wolves or hurt sheep?)
(14:13) The context of Church Revitalization when it pertains to adversaries
(16:28) The hardship of external adversaries
(23:51) Enduring the hardship of adversaries in pastoral ministry
(32:50) Final word and prayer
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(2:15) Question 1: How can your church become more welcoming?
(08:00) Ways Pastors can exemplify hospitality and welcome
(10:01) Question 2: How do you pastor a church after the previous pastor falls due to a scandal?
(14:38) Ways pastors have failed in these ways
(15:30) Question 3: How do you relate with staff and motivate them?
(20:40) Have a formal annual review but address conflict when needed
(23:02) Question 4: How involved should pastors be in Sunday School?
(28:01) Question 5: How many responsibilities should a pastor have in the church?
(34:50) Prayer
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(02:04) Biblical Perspective and overview
(04:23) a right desire for being known, seen, and loved
(06:28) Epidemic of loneliness and the peculiar nature of pastoral loneliness
(11:28) Examples of loneliness
(17:01) Practical ways to battle pastoral loneliness
Replant Cohort Information
(26:31) Loneliness while not being alone
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(31:48) Final word and prayer
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(1:50) Biblical Framework and Importance of Preaching
(5:05) What preparation look like
(8:16) Differences between one sermon weekly or three
(11:38) Handling texts differently and determining the length of text
(18:40) Step away from the work to meditate on the text
(19:35) The importance of application in preaching
(24:00) Extemporaneous or Manuscript sermons
(27:25) On using commentaries and other sermon audio
(29:35) Final words and prayer
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(03:48) Biblical Framework
(08:33) Proceeding knowing members won’t be there
(11:03) Adjusting the calendar in the Summer
(19:42) Creating margin for members
(25:25) Setting healthy expectations
(32:08) Final words and Prayer
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(01:41) Biblical understanding of the Church and under-shepherds
(04:37) Defining the terms leaving; ghosting
(08:04) Why this hurts so bad
(11:42) It’s always personal because pastors care
(13:55) It hurts the congregation
(17:59) Practical ways to work through these pastoral pains
(29:45) Final word and prayer
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Conduct Gospel-Centered Funerals
(2:38) Biblical Framework for Funerals
(6:51) What a pastor should think through when a church member dies
(13:55) Logistics for a funeral
(16:16) Essential elements of a funeral
(20:00) What a pastor should think through when a stranger dies
(23:02) Should a pastor be paid for conducting a funeral?
(24:58) Conducting a funeral for a person who committed suicide
(29:24) Conducting a funeral for a child
(33:40) Final Word and Prayer
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(02:02) Biblical Framework and definition for Lay Elders/Pastors
(5:40) Expectations as a Lay elder
(8:01) Weekly Responsibilities as a Lay elder
(10:00) How retirement has effected his lay elder role
(11:38) A staff pastor and managing expectations and responsibilities for lay elders
(18:13) How being a lay-elder impacts the family
(20:29) Different impact on life as a lay-elder
(21:50) Experience when a staff pastor takes a sabbatical
(24:08) What would you (Charlie) want a staff pastor to know about persevering as an elder?
(26:25) How would you (Charlie) want a staff pastor to relate and work with the lay-elders?
(28:23) How should a staff pastor share the burden of shepherding with lay-elders?
(31:51) Final word and prayer
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(02:37) Biblical Framework for Lay Elders
(05:55) Introduction of Charlie Hall
(14:24) Reflections from Jim about Charlie’s election as a Lay Elder
(18:40) Serving as a Lay Elder with MS
(23:45) Embracing the burdens of Ministry
(25:42) Reflections from Jim about Charlie’s serving as a Lay Elder
(28:09) Final word and prayer
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(03:15) Biblical Understanding on Pastors and Plurality
(08:30) Historical landscape of church structures
(10:40) Practical ways to change the model of church structure
(19:18) What to do after you preach the Word: Pray and Look
(27:37) Pastoring through the process
(33:40) Final words and prayer
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(02:30) Biblical understanding
(09:35) How do you feel it and not quit?
(15:54) Jim’s routines for preparing a sermon
(22:22) Brian’s routines for preparing a sermon
(29:07) Surviving the grind of administrative work
(33:54) Final words and encouragement for surviving the pastoral grind
(37:41) Prayer
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(1:07) Scenarios of Being Trapped"
(2:40) Biblical Framework
(6:25) Relating to being trapped in ministry
(8:15) Assessment & Advice on staying or going in ministry
(14:45) Frustrations that follow you, because they exist in all churches
(21:20) The way God works and the clarity to hear it
(26:30) Final words and prayer
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(02:07) Biblical framework for the discussion
(06:14) Examples of unique difficulties in ministry
(12:35) The cumulative effect of ministry hardships
(14:00) Difficulties of unmet expectations
(17:40) Why a pastor would accept the call of pastoral ministry
(22:52) Applications to endure hardships in ministry
(26:21) Final words & Prayer
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(01:58) Biblical Support for the importance of preaching
(05:29) Defining a sermon that “stinks”
(11:02) Subjectivity in sermon evaluation
(17:10) Advice for pastors who just preached a bad sermon
(21:35) Final words and prayer
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(02:08) Biblical Foundation for Rest
(03:44) Unpacking Brian’s tweet
(07:24) Things that keep us from “shutting down”
(14:30) Practical ways to put things aside
(23:25) Skills to becoming unburdened
(26:45) Final words and prayer
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(1:20) Biblical Understanding
(5:10) Discerning balancing your time between healthy and unhealthy sheep
(9:20) Accepting the fact that you can’t change people
(11:45) The helpfulness of triaging
(13:29) Practical ways to balance these shepherding responsibilities
(17:30) The importance of knowing your capacity
(20:00) Faithfulness is more important than effectiveness
(21:05) Prayer
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(2:26) Biblical Foundation for pastoral fatigue
(9:01) Sundays: Why Mondays are the way they are
(11:11) When fatigue, exhaustion, emotion ever set in on Sundays
(12:18) How Mondays looked for Brian
(16:50) How Sunday nights and Mondays looked for Jim
(21:00) Did you ever feel like quitting?
(23:01) Two things that change the way you handle Sunday evenings and Mondays
(25:15) Encouragement for your ministry of the Word
(27:00) Closing Prayer
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(2:08) Biblical Foundation
(7:20) The pastoral loss of people
(13:20) The joy of former structures of fellowship
(19:03) The loss of the regular rhythm of pastoral ministry
(24:55) The loss of in-home hospitality
(29:22) The loss of the pastor’s right to an opinion
(33:45) Final thoughts and prayer
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(01:58) The biblical foundation for pastors and deacons
(07:11) Identifying men called for leadership both reactive and proactive
(13:00) Importance and requirement of church involvement
(16:30) Things Brian and Jim look for before mentoring a young man
(23:28) Discerning when to keep and when to send those who you’ve trained
(29:40) Final words
(33:03) Prayer
The Shepherd’s House
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(2:26) Biblical Foundation for Sabbaticals
(6:38) The difference between vacation and sabbatical
(10:30) Brian’s Sabbatical and Jim’s Questions
(20:35) Jim’s Sabbatical and Brian’s Questions
(34:24) Guiding Principles for taking a sabbatical
(41:10) Final words and Prayer
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(2:23) Biblical Background of Patience
(5:32) Scriptural passages that exhort to patience
(7:11) Patience in ministry when dealing with things
(13:15) Patience in ministry when dealing with people
(19:00) Patience in ministry when dealing with God, and His dealing with you
(25:02) Final word and prayer
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(3:34) Biblical Background
(10:30) Preparing for a regular preaching ministry
(13:45) Reasons a pastor should leave (ministry and/or a specific church)
(26:10) Thoughts of quitting and the seeds of perseverance
(29:45) Seeking a small break to be rejuvenated
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(2:22) Biblical Understanding for teaching the gospel to children
(6:20) Ways pastors can intentionally help children and youth understand their sermons
(11:55) The model Jesus set for ministering and teaching children
(13:37) Addressing children in your sermons
(16:10) Creative ways to help children engage during gathered worship
(28:25) Final encouragement and prayer
Should it be a priority for a church to be multi-generational? What if the church isn’t, how might they pursue this? How can pastors get a good gauge on this aspect of church health?
Listen as Brian and Jim discuss these questions and much more on this episode of Trench Talk.
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The Shepherd’s House
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(2:41) Biblical Understanding for Multi-Generational Churches
(7:45) Caution toward hegemony of one generation or another
(9:38) Addressing the Problem
(12:10) Challenges to pursuing a multi-generational church
(12:45) The challenge of fear
(16:08) The challenge of theological understanding
(18:20) The challenge of seeing and showing value in the other
(21:56) The blessings and benefits of multi-generational ministry
(25:30) The blessing of wisdom learned from one another
(29:26) Practical steps to pursue multi-generational ministry
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(2:31) Biblical Foundations
(7:45) Determine church priorities and allocate funds to those priorities
(12:49) Approaching a budget surplus
(16:38) Approaching a budget deficit
(21:42) Handling that guy in the business meeting
(24:22) Final words
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(1:31) Biblical Foundations for faithfully leading.
(5:45) Lording in secular vocations versus in the Church.
(8:42) When the pulpit turns into a plat1form.
(11:30) The need of a tender conscience.
(13:41) Acknowledging the reality of the Chief-Shepherd.
(18:40) The blessing of plurality.
(24:00) The importance of relational collateral
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(2:00) The details of Jim’s Sabbatical
(08:15) Timeframe of unplugging during your sabbatical
(15:05) What was your sabbatical routine?
(17:53) How did you refresh physically?
(24:22) How did you refresh mentally and emotionally?
(26:12) How did the Lord meet you in your rest?
(29:30) Would you encourage others to take a sabbatical?
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(2:30) Continued blessings of the difficult early days
(09:50) Pastoral fathering and mentoring
(15:20) Helping pastors sustain a long ministry
(21:00) Pastoral self-care
(25:06) What one piece of advice would you give for pastors to care for their family
(28:03) The benefit of podcasting for pastors
(31:33) Current projects and Do you enjoy writing?
(35:28) Ways to pray for the Martins
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(1:45) Ministry and personal endeavors
(4:45) Conversion and call to ministry
(8:08) Involvement in music industry
(9:10) Rootedness and being known by faithful men
(14:00) The benefits of music background for shepherding
(15:40) Schooling and seminary training
(16:55) Transitioning to pastoral ministry
(24:02) From music ministry in SoCal to planting in the midwest
(33:00) Have conversations with faithful men about ministry calling
(34:10) Final words
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Book resource: Caring for Widows
Book resource: Conduct Gospel-Centered Funerals
(02:21) Biblical Foundation for caring for those who are dying
(06:22) Why caring for dying people is the heart of the pastor’s ministry
(11:50) Practical ways to shepherd those who are dying
(23:00) Final words
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(02:55) Biblical understanding of the weightiness of work
(09:15) You are where you are because you are human
(12:00) The need for outside help
(14:50) Practical ways to survive and thrive in ministry
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(2:15) The Biblical Understanding of Sabbath
(5:50) Defining Pastoral Sabbatical
(9:15) Deciding when to take a sabbatical
(18:00) What to do on a sabbatical
(24:00) Fears in taking a sabbatical
(27:50) Expecting God to meet with you
(30:55) Ways to Pray for Jim
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(02:20) Biblical Importance and Imperatives of Preaching
(6:25) What do you do when you are scheduled to preach and you have nothing?
(10:00) Aspects of accepting the reality of not always feeling it.
(16:00) Assessing your spiritual state on preaching
(17:45) Final thoughts
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(00:35) Pastoral Mentors and the need for spiritual fathers
(6:05) The role and importance of pastoral mentors
(12:15) Shepherd the flock of God that is AMONG YOU
(13:45) Joys of shepherding the flock
(25:05) Discouraging aspects of shepherding the flock
(29:45) Advice for all pastors
(33:45) Ways to pray for Doug
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(02:10) Doug Logan Introduction
(6:25) Replanting and a small view of pastoring
(12:43) The need for training through a planting residency
(17:02) Planting and robustly theological ministry
(24:30) Coming to Acts 29 and the vision to strengthen pastors and churches
(31:00) Grimke Seminary and resourcing urban churches
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(01:12) Introductory Information
(02:52) Biblical explanation of conversion and a credible profession of faith
(6:00) How to discern wounded sheep or wolves in sheep’s clothing?
(8:20) Root issues in conversion
(13:00) Affections are more important than words
(17:15) Fruits to evaluate conversion
(25:07) Final words
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(2:25) Biblical understanding
(9:55) When should a church not support a pastor fully
(16:30) Getting creative and setting a plan
(19:50) “If you paid us what we’re worth you couldn’t afford us.”
(21:25) If you aren’t supported by your church should you leave?
(24:00) The things you are called to
(28:42) Practical Counsel: Should I stay or should I go?
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(3:02) Biblical understanding for disagreements among pastors
(6:32) Don’t pursue “yes men”: the importance of parody within the pastorate
(12:22) Importance of consensus in leadership decisions
(14:38) Importance of consensus in church discipline situations
(16:02) Importance of consensus in affirmation of primary doctrines
(19:38) Disagreements surrounding COVID-19 and health and safety precautions
(25:45) Disagreements on building projects and budget planning
(26:40) Disagreements where Pastors will not budge or accommodate, and one (or many) pastors need to step down
(30:16) Amount of congregational disclosure surrounding disagreements
Raising kids is difficulty no matter what your occupation. Listen as Jim and Brian discuss how hearing their children talk about being pastors kids, and what their relationships with the Lord (and His church) looks like now. They’ll answer questions like: What was it like for Brian and Jim to hear their kids be interviewed by one another? Was there anything their kids said that took them by surprise?
All this and more on this episode of Trenchtalk
What would the kids of a longtime pastor have to say about the church? Will they still love the church, the pastor, and the Lord? What advice might they give to pastors with young kids?
Jim Savastio asks these questions and more to Claire, Isabelle, and Abby Croft.
Listen to this special podcast. Part 2 in a series on Pastor’s Kids.
What would the kids of a longtime pastor have to say about the church? Will they still love the church, the pastor, and the Lord? What advice might they give to pastors with young kids?
Brian Croft asks these questions and more to Erin, Olivia, and David Savastio.
Listen to this special podcast. Part 1 in a series on Pastor’s Kids.
Show Notes:
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(1:54) Biblical Foundations
(8:28) Shepherd the flock that is among you
(13:15) Personal examples of confronting and avoiding
(21:10) Issues in culture that will require addressing
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(2:40) Biblical Foundation for Ministry
(8:51) Legitimate reasons to leave the church
(16:28) Leaving when the church won’t feed on the Word
(18:32) Leaving when the church won’t grow
(20:19) Leaving when the pastor missed his gifting
(23:49) Leaving when the church is financially burdening our family
(29:40) Leaving when you are mentally broken
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(2:04) Defining Plagiarism
(2:20) Biblical Foundation
(7:08) Brian and Jim’s background of sermon preparation
(12:10) How should pastors think about laboring in sermon preparation and delivery
(15:42) Using another’s work with and without attribution
(23:41) Practical steps to avoid plagiarism
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(2:11) Biblical Foundation: Determine Conviction vs. Carnality
(5:30) How to handle a situation where disappointment exists between paid staff
(11:55) Authority’s role in disagreement and disappointment
(14:45) How to handle disagreements among staff members
(22:00) The importance of relationship to curb disappointment and disagreement
(23:55) Differences can exist and not cause divisiveness
(27:38) Plurality means listening to your other elder/pastors
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(1:10) An Update from Jim Savastio
(5:15) An Update from Brian Croft
(10:53) Providing or concealing preaching yourself
(17:33) Biblical examples of using [and lacking] autobiography
(22:20) Preaching the text that in itself shares about your own life
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(2:18) Defining Paid, Bi-vocational, and Lay Pastor
(7:35) Expectations of time and commitment of a Lay-Pastor
(13:22) Make the effort (and accommodate) to bring the Bi-Vocational or Lay Pastors into the work
(16:15) How do you help Lay Pastors allocate their time most effectively
(21:10) Final words
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(02:05) Biblical foundation for shepherding single mothers
(06:11) Counseling and caring for mothers who are abandoned
(10:52) Meeting needs creatively when resources are sparse
(15:05) Asking wise questions to see how you can serve them individually
(18:00) Caring for single dads in the church
(20:09) Counseling single parents who have endured trauma
(23:36) Helping members remarry
(27:30) When a teen has a child and becomes a single mother
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(02:35) Biblical Background: Self control and a time for everything
(07:15) Serious men conveying a serious message
(08:05) Laughter, good for the soul
(09:41) Intentional vs. Unintentional humor
(16:00) What humor can do in your preaching
(22:17) Final words
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(02:10) The Biblical Foundation of Shepherding and Family Care
(07:05) Death and other situations that would cause you to return from your family vacation
(14:23) Recognizing the difference between being a solo pastor or serving among a plurality
(16:29) Coming back when the flock is in imminent danger of wolves
(21:27) Potentially postponing a vacation due to the passing of a member
(26:55) Prepare other men to serve and lead when you’re gone
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(04:25) New Testament examples of Pastoral Fellowship
(7:55) The 4 Requirements for partnership
(13:20) Differences can be beneficial
(17:10) Benefits from Pastoral Fellowships
(23:22) The Format of the Fellowship
(28:00) The content of the Fellowship
Resources on Pastoral Fellowship
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(01:36) The biblical reality of being members of the body
(5:59) Peculiar difficulties pastors face with friendship in the church
(11:01) The best place for pastors to look for friendships in the church
(16:15) When friendship is sought with an agenda
(20:45) Tips to pursue friendships in the church
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(01:04) Jim’s story of weakness
(05:45) How God works in weakness
(09:17) Embracing weakness in Ministry
(16:43) You only get one body
(20:01) Seeking support in weakness
(24:08) Setting up support for your times of weakness
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(02:09) Biblical Framework
(09:45) Preparing to safeguard your church
(13:35) Thoughts on NDA's
(17:30) Insurance coverage
(19:45) The usefulness of legal counsel
(25:00) Policies to Protect
(30:33) Final word
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(1:36) Managing Expectations as a Pastor
(4:45) Handling texts that talk about Pastors
(7:00) Explaining what a pastor is to children
(8:20) Where to start
(13:30) Resetting existing expectations
(17:30) The importance of expectations being biblical
(22:00) Going above expectations to provide care for the flock
(26:10) Biblical understanding of roles serves the church
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(2:41) Biblical Foundation of Actual Guilt and False Guilt
(7:20) The Idol of work and the fear of Laziness
(9:13) The Place of Guilt in not Resting
(11:18) Self-awareness in acknowledging guilt and not resting
(17:15) Mental and practical considerations to confronting guilt and pursuing rest
(21:55) Confronting a misinformed conscience and misplaced guilt
(23:42) Being misled about rest and work by other examples
(24:30) Practical pursuits to develop systems for rest
Articles on Sabbaticals and Rest
The Pastor’s Soul by Brian Croft and Jim Savastio
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(1:35) Biblical background for Sheep who are a blessing
(5:44) Balancing blessings and burdens in Pastoral Ministry
(9:45) Sheep are individuals and you should enjoy that
(11:25) Characteristics of sheep who are a blessing
(16:20) Identifying beloved sheep
(18:45) Practical ways to celebrate these members
(23:38) Don’t avoid the discouraging ones
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(3:22) Scripture’s Silence in the specifics, but speaks to wisdom, training, and gifting
(7:48) Jim and Brian’s formal theological training
(12:25) Assessing the call and gifting to [more] writing or training
(16:16) The motivation to [more] writing or formal training
(23:30) Discerning the differences in degrees and how they will help
(27:00) The importance of faithful ministry
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(2:11) Biblical Foundation of spiritual fruit
(7:10) COVID, the least important time to evaluate based on numerical growth
(9:08) Spiritual Growth and how to see it
(14:45) Measurables: peace, empathy, fear of God, fighting sin, etc.
(18:25) How is the Lord at work in your church, Jim?
(22:40) Ways Brian has seen the Lord work in the Church.
(25:25) Pastor, be encouraged.
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(1:40) Biblical Foundation of Ministry
(6:29) Exercising oversight in the church
(8:05) Sufficiency of Scripture
(9:45) Reporting and Priority of Finances
(13:32) Orderly administration within local churches
(16:15) Presenting well through a creative website, a clean building, and welcoming greeters
(19:48) Pursue excellence, but trust the word of God to build the church
(22:55) Advocating for biblical leadership
Oversee God’s People
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(03:22) The greater the influence the greater potential for harm
(04:35) Biblical foundation for keeping watch over yourself and ministry
(10:27) Creating safeguards in ministry
(15:35) The importance of pastoral friendship
(20:25) Red flags for ministry: lack of pastoral friendship, desiring to build the “brand” or church on yourself, ability in leading a secret life
Show Notes:
00:40 Practically Trained
(01:00) Contact Us
(01:53) Importance of the Preacher
(04:27) Importance of Individualism
(10:00) The value in resembling faithful men
(11:55) The good desires
(14:50) Beware of the similarities in style
(19:10) God does extraordinary things through ordinary men and ordinary means
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(2:00) The biblical foundation of expectations versus reality
(5:55) Anger and Guilt as a good thing
(8:00) A third and better way: Lament.
(13:15) When you don’t lament you grow in bitterness, anger, and guilt
(18:08) Difference between condemnation and conviction
(19:00) Deal with your guilt congregationally
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(1:45) Shepherds after my own heart
(8:49) The regular connection with your members
(16:15) Creative ways to regularly connect with your members
(21:27) Be encouraged by your own human limitations
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(2:37) Biblical Foundation and Theological Considerations
(6:40) Weeping with those who weep, and enduring
(10:45) What I should be doing, and what I am
(13:18) Overwhelmed because we are limited
(14:10) Confessions from withdrawing in pastoral ministry
(17:41) Becoming obsessed with the care of shepherding
(18:53) Casting your cares on Christ and finding someone to help bear these burdens
(21:08) Growing comfortable with sorrow and lament
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(1:55) Introductory Theological and Historical considerations
(5:50) Don’t lower your expectations of the Word of God
(7:30) The example of Jesus
(11:20) Fighting for patience, contentment, and biblical expectations
(15:40) Ministry hardships are to be expected
(17:20) Remember that church members will sin
(21:00) Some of these things will be learned only after 15-years of ministry
(22:19) Final Thoughts
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(3:10) An atmosphere of Transcendence or Immanence
(5:55) A caution against a theatrical environment
(8:40) Intentionally, not reactionary, setting the atmosphere
(13:15) Accomplishing a purpose in corporate worship through the environment
(17:38) A pulpit and dress that hides the preacher and directs the church Godward
(22:55) Many benefits to the casual atmosphere of churches
(24:00) A generation seeking rich history and a high church experience
(25:30) Pastors with a weighty message of eternal realities
(27:45) Authority vs. Authoritative
(29:20) Final Words
Show Notes:
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(2:30) Understand that you are human
(3:55) Addressing anger, bitterness, and hurt surrounding a firing
(5:50) The adversaries and the way they affect you as a human being
(7:10) A time for healing before re-entering
(9:05) Months not weeks, and months not years
(13:40) A general rule of 6-24 months
(18:20) What to do when you are in a tough decision at your church
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(3:07) The importance of a Church’s confession of faith
(7:00) First-tier doctrines and theological triage
(8:07) Doctrinal Distinctions within Statements of Faith
(12:50) How much agreement should there be to pastor a local church?
(18:30) Making it clear where you stand and how it differs from the church
(21:00) Your goal in Pastoral Ministry
(23:20) Final words
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(2:08) The biblical foundation for pressures in preaching
(5:01) In season and out of season
(8:45) Exposing the text, not imposing on the text, the context of the season?
(10:15) The healthy pressure in preaching
(13:12) Identifying the underlying and self-imposed pressure
(17:15) The unholy pressure of performance
(20:40) How to preach the same sermons through a different angle of the diamond
Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.
Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.
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(2:08) No Creed but the Bible and the importance of definitions
(5:50) A Definition of Each
(7:40) Who is the constitution for?
(15:10) Items that go into a constitution
(25:00) Helpful ways to use a church covenant
(28:00) Final Thoughts
This Trench Talk episode is a little different as Jim Savastio asks Brian specific questions about concluding his ministry at Auburndale.
How do you conclude over 17-years of faithful ministry? When the final sermon comes what do you say and how do you prepare? What aspects of ministry are you anticipating missing the most?
Show Notes:
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(2:38) Discerning wrong or right Criticism
(5:35) A Biblical Example from the book of James and 1 Timothy
(7:30) Are they a sheep or a wolf? An important distinction.
(11:00) Is what you’re receiving helpful Criticism or hateful Enmity?
(16:55) How do you address needing the congregation’s grace in making tough decisions?
(22:00) How do you discern when individual criticism turns to congregational division?
(23:55) Rejoice when criticism is brought to you.
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(1:41) The Biblical Foundation of the Fear of Man
( 9:30) Wisdom in awareness yet not being afraid
(11:00) How does the fear of man flesh itself out?
(14:40) The gift of expositional preaching
(22:10) Practical steps to combat the fear of man
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(2:20) Biblical Foundation for Leading during an Election Year
(5:00) Bring an eternal mindset to civics, politics, and all things.
(10:11) differences within evangelicalism (and our churches) when it comes to politics and social issues?
(14:30) Prepare and encourage your congregation
(16:15) Important issues in a political (and biblical) platform
(26:00) Hope in God
(27:45) Final words
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(3:15) The Biblical understanding of apostacy
(6:45) The Pastoral responsibility to shepherd each soul
(11:00) The necessity of the Christian connected to the Church
(19:00) Should you discipline the member who doesn’t want to be pursued
(23:45) Final words and Prayer
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(2:25) The desire for a multigenerational church
(10:55) Living life with them
(13:00) The power of the Word and the one who brings it
(17:00) Paul’s three-fold exhortation
(19:15) An older shepherd with younger a flock
(22:22) Unique joys of shepherding
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(1:30) an Issue of Biblical Sufficiency
(5:20) The essentials and the circumstances of worship
(19:30) How should pastors plan for the next 6-months?
(26:40) Thinking creatively about new ministry
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(5:15) They should feel confident in your competence to handle their trouble in a biblical way
(5:50) This is cultivated by a healthy relationship and established trust between members and their pastor
(7:45) Don’t wait for them to come to you, go to them
(9:10) Lloyd-Jones “could assess better through question and answer than by a stethoscope”
(10:30) Not sharing details from pastoral conversations from the pulpit, but sharing personal vulnerability
(12:15) Be inviting but not pushy
(17:00) How to create this culture so that it trickles down to the congregation
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(2:45) Biblical Understanding of corporate Prayer
(10:45) Pay attention to prayer
(11:30) Prayer as more than a transition
(14:00) Paul’s example of prayers
(16:30) “Preaching” prayers
(18:50) Gathered Worship and the “Pastoral” Prayer
(26:00) Teaching the congregation how to pray
(32:00) Praying as not to overwhelm
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Brian’s Transition Announcement
(7:30) Avoiding the typical transition
(9:00) A proper and biblical ecclesiology
(11:50) Prepare to leave long before you leave
(25:25) Make sure there are other pastors to faithfully shepherd
(26:15) What if you feel you cannot leave?
(28:30) Should I stay or should I go?
(00:30) Write a review on iTunes
(2:30) We keep them poor and God will keep them humble
(6:45) Negative examples of higher pay for ministers
(11:00) Being mindful in our contexts and callings
(18:30) Pastors wrestling through financial issues with their church
(21:00) Final words and wisdom on these things
How much should our families determine where we go in ministry? How do you balance leading your family and following at times in ministry? What might a pastor’s wife struggle with in ministry situations? Pastor, are you caring for your wife as you would other members (or worse) or are you treating her as your wife?
Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.
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(1:52) Biblical Texts that inform our social media use
(5:18) Blessings of Social Media
(23:40) Curses of Social Media
(28:30) Final Thoughts
Show Notes:
(3:25) Major milestones in members lives.
(5:45) The unique cycle of a long pastorate.
(7:20) Front row seat to the power of conversion.
(9:00) The two weights in preaching.
(10:45) Seeing those trained for and sent out for ministry.
(12:00) Changed by the Word.
(14:45) Seeing the congregation love one another well.
(17:00) Pastoral Mentors and friends.
(19:00) Friendships with older members.
(20:15) Joy of studying the Word for “work”.
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(2:00) Biblical Framework for Church Membership.
(5:42) Sheep of the fold vs. sheep outside the fold.
(7:15) Will a pastor give an account for non-members?
(9:15) How do you talk to non-members about their status within the church?
(14:30) The application of Hebrews 13 to non-members.
(21:55) Final word.
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(2:15) Scriptural Basis
(10:00) Concerns about contentious discourse within a local church
(12:00) Sharing your opinion on these matters within the local church
(16:45) Mediating contentious views
(21:00) Faithfully addressing contention publicly
(29:15) How to navigate when the contention spills into your own backyard
(33:30) What are pastors called to do?
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(2:30) The fulfillment of the Great Commission
(5:30) Reactive church planting
(7:25) Proactive church planting
(11:15) Encouraging your members to support planting
(16:00) Determining the spiritual need in a geographical location
(22:00) Practical steps to identifying locations for planting
(25:25) Why not to plant a church
(1:30) Biblical foundation for reading well.
(4:15) Categories of reading: devotional, theological, commentaries, and ecclesiology.
(5:45) Books on Pastoral Ministry
(9:36) Books on Preaching
(11:15) Devotional Books
(14:20) Pastoral Biographies
(17:32) Systematic Theologies
(22:20) Ecclesiology
(25:48) Should a pastor buy a commentary set or single volumes?
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(2:00) Historical and Biblical support for plurality of Elders.
(4:30) Practical benefit of plurality of Elders
(7:40) Which comes first raising up Elders or moving to the process of having an Elder-led polity?
(14:05) How do you identify Elders within your congregation?
(17:00) How do you intentionally raise up men to be Elders?
(20:35) How not to raise up Elders
(30:00) What 3 qualities does Brian look for in an Elder?
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(2:30) Intitial Thoughts on how to handle the business of the church
(4:00) What do you know vs. what are you supposed to do?
(7:00) Is making a transition a wise decision?
(10:15) Can you begin to shepherd and establish a relationship with a new church in the midst of a pandemic?
(13:00) Should a church proceed with calling a pastor in the midst of a pandemic?
(15:45) Should you leave a church in the midst of a pandemic?
(17:45) Is the financial situation of the new church an important aspect to know?
(20:00) Pastors Salary Podcast from 2017.
(20:30) Final words of encouragement
Show Notes:
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(2:10) Biblical Foundation for this conversation.
(6:20) Be careful to not speak of things we cannot speak on with certainty
(7:45) How do we shepherd members in their social media usage?
(12:25) How do we do marriage counseling?
(19:00) How do we proceed with widow care?
(23:00) How do you conduct a funeral in this time?
(25:15) How do yo proceed with Summer plans?
(26:55) What about the Lord’s Supper?
(27:30) What about church discipline?
(30:00) What do you do if you are in a ministry transition?
(34:00) How do you keep your schedule consitent when nothing seems consistent?
How do we prepare to gather again? What do we need to be thinking about before we reopen? Should your church allow your members to hug, shake hands, etc.? Do you continue children’s or nursery ministry? Do you gather if less than 50% of your church is not attending?
Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.
How should a pastor address underlying sin within the congregation? What biblical passages inform us on this topic? Should sin be confronted from the pulpit? What are practical steps pastors can take to correct but also provide hope?
How do you drive your church toward true and authentic community in your church? What does that mean and how do you show that to your church? Do you have to have small groups to cultivate this community? Are large events anithetical to authentic community?
What does it mean to be productive as a pastor? How do we define productivity? Does productivity follow to closely to the business world? How is productivity for a pastor different than for a business leader?
Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.
No one knows and loves the sheep of their flock like the shepherd; the pastor. As a pastor how do you shepherd your flock through crisis? Does crisis call a pastor to alter his sermon series? How can pastors fulfill their calling in new and creative ways given the circumstances? How can we care for our flocks when we cannot be with them?
Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.
The COVID-19 pandemic has caused churches to think about things they had not done previously. How should churches (and Pastors) navigate these times? What changes and what stays the same? The call to minister the Word in season and out of season stays the same. How can this be done well outside of the preaching of the Word? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.
How do we show vulnerabilty while being careful? What is the balance? What Biblical texts should we refer to for information? Is this propensity to put on a strong persona ultimately driven by fear? How do you fight to be vulnerable with your congregation?
Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.
How can pastors exhibit a tender heart while still having thick skin? How do you keep loving the flock when you fear them breaking your heart? Where are you most prone to error, tender-heartedness or thick skin? Should you deny close friendships due to the risk of being hurt? How do we wisely pursue tenderness and thick skin simultaneously?
Brian Croft and Jim Savastio discuss these questions in this episode of Trench Talk.
What should cause us to choose the books of the Bible that we preach through? Should you look at the specific flock God has given you when selecting books to preach? What would be some books you would start with as you begin your preaching ministry? Should we use some forms of caution when selecting the books we preach through? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer on this episode of Trench Talk.
Where does pastoral lonliness show up most vividly? Is the lonliness pastors experience unique in some ways? What biblical grounding do we have to define this and chart a course to pursue Christ and shepherd the flock in the midst of lonliness? How should pastors seek a support system while in a difficult situation?
Resources mentioned in this episode.
Prepare them To Shepherd by Brian Croft
Biblical Eldership by Alexander Strauch
Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever
How can pastors encourage members (particularly the men) in their church to read good books? Is “I just don’t read” a good enough excuse? Should a pastor be careful with the books he recommends his members read? What other tips would you give to assist your members in taking in good books?
Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these questions and more on this week’s edition of Trenchtalk.
How do pastors pastor other pastors? What scriptures address this charge? What responsibility do pastors have to call other pastors to repentance for the good of the flock? How do you encourage a healthy eldership that causes equality among other pastors?
All of these questions and more covered on this episode of Trenchtalk with Brian Croft and Jim Savastio.
What is cynicism when it comes to pastoral ministry? When diagnosed how do you confront it? What biblical texts provide hope in confronting cynicism? How do we strive to be faithful in what God has entrusted to us while leaving to God what is God’s?
These questions and many more, all tackled in this episode of Trenchtalk with Brian Croft and Jim Savastio.
How does a pastor lead his family and children when they may be the only ones that age in the church? How do you lovingly shepherd your family in a difficult situation? Is it okay to have the mentality that my kids and wife should sacrifice for my ministry? How do we parent in a way that will lead them to love the Lord and the Church?
Is premarital counseling a biblical requirement? What should a pastors primary goal be when providing biblical premarital counseling to church members? Should a pastor require premarital counseling for couples under his care? What resources (other than the bible) do you take couples through?
All these issues are addressed by Brian Croft and Jim Savastio on this episode of Trenchtalk.
Why is Pastoral Ministry more draining than any other vocation? How do we fight through the fatigue that follows the Sunday gathering? Are there ways to identify a lack of sharpness of mind versus backsliding? Is the enemy scheming in these “blahs”? Am I neglecting caring for my own soul? How do I utilize my down time for rest?
Is it important to visit members in their homes? How frequently should I meet with them? Do in-home visits benefit my preaching ministry in any tangible way? What depth, if any, do these visits bring to my ministry? What principles do we see set forth in the scriptures? What does Puritan Pastor Richard Baxter have to say about this? How do I move from surface level to pastoral conversation? These questions are covered by Brian and Jim in this episode of Trench Talk.
How does the pastor approach the cultural expectations of weddings from a biblical perspective? Should a pastor be active or passive concerning a couple’s expectations for their wedding? In what cases should a wedding be regarded as a service of worship? What cultural elements are acceptable/unacceptable in a Christian wedding? Should a pastor conduct the wedding of two unbelievers? How long should a wedding sermon be? What music/songs are appropriate for a wedding ceremony? Should a pastor require couples whom he marries to undergo pre-marital counseling? Must a pastor agree to perform any marriage ceremony without exception? Should a church include guidelines in their constitution to regulate how marriages are conducted? Listen as Brian and Jim discuss these issues and more in this episode.
As pastors mature in ministry, how is it profitable to reflect on what advice they might give to their younger selves? What Scriptural warrant might a pastor have for such reflection? Does being in pastoral ministry increase one’s personal sanctification? How important is a pastor’s personal growth in sanctification? Should a pastor sweat the small stuff? How might a pastors understanding of believers being new creatures in Christ change over time? Why do seasoned pastors gradually learn to talk less and listen more? What is the hardest work of pastoral ministry? How does a pastor’s view of his family change over time? What might be the best advice a seasoned pastor could share with a younger pastor? Listen as Brian and Jim discuss these issues and more.
Are you a people-person type pastor who derives energy from connecting with and interacting with people? Why does silence make some pastors uneasy? Is the practice of silence and solitude a necessary discipline for pastors? How to noise and business affect the activity of our souls? How might a pastor practice the discipline of silence and solitude? Is there a one-size-fits-all approach to silence and solitude, or might there be various means of practicing these disciplines? What issues might a pastor wrestle with during times of silence and solitude? What might seasons of silence and solitude reveal about a pastor’s soul? Listen as Brian Croft and Al Pino discuss these issues and more on this episode.
Special guest Al Pino, Cuban-American pastor and church planter from South Florida, joins Brian in this episode. What is the church, and for what does the church exist? How does a pastor with a heart for missions plant a church in a diverse place like bustling, hustling Miami? What must a pastor/church-planter understand about himself? What role does pastoral gifting play in the work of church planting? Why do planting pastors have relatively short tenures in the churches they plant? What advice might an older church planter give to his younger self? Listen as Brian and Al discuss these issues and more in this episode.
Every pastor must think through the difficult topic of church discipline. What does Scripture say about the responsibility of the church to confront sin in its membership? Why is church discipline important in the life of the church? Who are the beneficiaries when church discipline is done well? How might a pastor introduce church discipline to a church that has never practiced church discipline? How might a pastor approach this issue slowly and deliberately so as to avoid shocking the church? Listen as Brian and Jim discuss these issue and more on this episode.
Does a pastor ever “arrive” in his preaching ministry? Should a pastor always progress in his competency to preach? What are some practical ways a preacher can grow in preaching competency? How might a pastor evaluate his own preaching? How might a pastor develop self-awareness in relation to his preaching? How might a pastor evaluate his preaching in relation to other preachers? Listen as Brian and Jim discuss these issues and more on this episode.
Why is membership important in the life of the church? What does Scripture say concerning church membership? How is membership in the local church defined? What commitments are requisite to church membership? What processes should a person be required to undergo before becoming a church member? How should a church address bloated membership rolls? Listen as Brian and Jim address these issues and more in this episode.
Benevolence is an issue every pastor will deal with in his ministry. How do we handle these issues in a manner that is biblical and honors Christ? How do we practice generosity and demonstrate mercy while avoiding being taken advantage of when dealing with benevolence issues? How do we make the distinction between needs and wants when practicing benevolence?
Listen as Brian Croft, Jim Savastio and special guest Denny Dillman discuss these issues and more in this episode.
Pastor, the hard work of church revitalization is a unique experience and battle ground. It can feel like you’re all alone. But the trials you face are not new. Faithful preachers throughout scriptures and church history have encountered hostility, apathy, and adversity, and continue to do so today. In this episode, Brian Croft, James Carroll and Jim Savastio discuss the intricacies of preaching in difficult environs.
Pastor, the hard work of church revitalization is a unique experience and battle ground. It can feel like you’re all alone. But the trials you face are not new. Faithful preachers throughout scriptures and church history have encountered hostility, apathy, and adversity, and continue to do so today. In this episode, Brian Croft, James Carroll and Jim Savastio discuss the intricacies of preaching in difficult environs.
Why is ministering to the fainthearted and weak so vital to faithful pastoral ministry? How do we define and identify the fainthearted and the weak? How might a pastor guard his mind in relation to his view of weak and fainthearted sheep? What are the pastor’s biblical responsibilities toward the weak and faint of heart? How might a pastor foster sensitivity to those who are weak and fainthearted? How, practically, does a pastor minister faithfully to the weak and fainthearted? How might a pastor avoid becoming fatigued in ministering to the weak?
Listen as Brian and Jim address this challenging aspect of faithful pastoral ministry.
Caring for widows and widowers is an area of pastoral ministry that is often neglected. How should we define widowhood? Why is this ministry necessary? What are some needs that are common with widows and widowers? How should pastors lead their churches care for widows and widowers? What are some practical ways pastors and churches can minister to widows and widowers? Listen as Brian and Jim address the particulars of faithful ministry to widows and widowers.
Do those who are sick have a reasonable, biblical expectation that their pastor should visit them? How can pastors take the initiative to faithfully minister to the sick in the hospital and the home? Why do some pastors neglect this pastoral duty? What are some consequences of pastors not visiting the sick? What are some specific, practical things a pastor should do when visiting the sick? What and how should a pastor pray when visiting the sick? Listen as Brian and Jim address this needed aspect of faithful pastoral ministry.
What does Scripture say about pastors receiving gifts? Should pastors exercise caution in receiving such gifts? What might be some issues a pastor should consider when a member offers him a gift? How should a pastor view such gifts? What should be the posture of the pastor’s heart in receiving individual gifts? Listen as Brian and Jim consider the implications and nuances of receiving gifts from individual church members.
What role does the pastor play in the church’s work of evangelism? What does Scripture say about the pastor in relation to the work of evangelism? How does pastoral evangelism relate to the church’s tendency toward apostasy? What does pastoral evangelism look like in the context of the local church and its surrounding community? How might evangelism affect the preaching ministry of a pastor? Listen as Brian and Jim address this oft-neglected aspect of pastoral ministry.
What is that sin which can slowly, almost imperceptibly, permeate a pastor’s entire life and ministry? What is that sin that can, if left unconfronted, silently poison your soul and drive you from the field of faithful pastoral ministry? How might you deal with such a lethal sin and kill it before it kills you? Listen to this episode as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio address these questions and more.
Every pastor either has or will soon be criticized. What is God doing when people criticize him? How do we determine whether criticism is a mountain or a mole hill? What are some common criticism one occasions in pastoral ministry? Are all pastoral criticisms necessarily baseless? In what unhealthy ways do pastors sometimes handle criticism? How do we resist the impulse to defensiveness when criticized? Should we be comfortable as pastors if we receive no criticism? How should a pastor process criticisms? Listen as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio address these vital questions and more in this episode.
This month Practical Shepherding is celebrating 10 years of God’s blessing and providence. Listen as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio reflect on God’s guiding hand in the formation and growth of this ministry.
This month Practical Shepherding is celebrating 10 years of God’s blessing and providence. Listen as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio reflect on God’s guiding hand in the formation and growth of this ministry.
What does faithfulness in pastoral ministry look like? How does a pastor practice gentleness and patience in pastoral ministry and yet remain courageous to boldly guard the truth and protect the flock? How does a pastor discern when it is time to do battle and when it is time to simply be patient and loving? Listen as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio discuss the unusual tensions present in faithful pastoral ministry.
Jim Savastio unexpectedly experienced the onset of Bell’s Palsy in late November and has been unable to fill his pulpit for two months. Listen as Jim reflects on God’s good providences and what he is learning during this time of being laid aside.
In this episode, special guest Conrad Mbewe, pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia discusses the training of pastors and comments on the state of the global church.
In this episode, special guest Conrad Mbewe, pastor of Kabwata Baptist Church in Lusaka, Zambia discusses his conversion, calling, formative influences, and ministry with Brian and Jim.
How should a pastor take seriously the sobering task of shepherding the soul of every member of his congregation? What does exercising spiritual oversight of souls look like in the weekly rhythm of pastoral ministry? How does a minister prepare to face the day when he will give account for his stewardship of the souls entrusted to him? What are the categories of individual soul-care with which the minister should concern himself? How might a pastor create an environment in his church conducive to soul-care? What questions might the pastor ask his members in order to care well for their souls? Listen as Brian and Jim explore these questions and more in this podcast.
Biblically, how should pastors and deacons relate to and work with one another? What areas of overlap exist between these offices? How do pastors and deacons communicate with one another and how often should they meet together? How do pastors and deacons respect biblically appointed boundaries in their respective offices? Should deacons have concern for the physical needs of the pastor and his family? Do deacons need the pastors/elders’ approval of every decision they make?
Listen as Brian and Jim address these issues and more in this episode.
What are deacons and how are they supposed to function in the life of the church? What biblical characteristics should deacons evidence in their lives? What are the role-distinctions between the elders and deacons? How should deacons interact with the leadership of the church? How should deacons serve the leadership of the church? How might a pastor correct dysfunction in the diaconate?
Listen as Brian and Jim address these issues and more in this episode.
How does a pastor maintain a warm heart for the Word of God while ministering that Word week in and week out? What might help a pastor avoid becoming overly-familiar with the Word? How may a pastor guard against the Word becoming mere background noise in his ministry? Are pastors in danger of becoming overly-fond of the sound of their own voice in preaching? How does a pastor keep his affections properly stirred for the Word of God? Listen as Brian and Jim address these issues and more in this episode of Trench Talk.
What are the priorities of a pastor in the early years of ministry? How does a beginning pastor lay a God-honoring foundation for his ministry? What is the one thing such a pastor must do first and above all else? What commitments does the pastor make in relation to the flock? What should a pastor do in a situation where a church is significantly disconnected from its biblical priorities? How quickly can a pastor reasonably expect to make significant changes in the structure of a church? What kind of preaching is effective in the early years of ministry? On what categories should a pastor focus to avoid becoming a statistical casualty in pastoral ministry? Listen as Brian and Jim address these questions and more in this episode.
Do we have evidence in Scripture that men of God suffered through seasons of depression, and even anxiety? Do grief and sorrow have a valid, spiritual place in the life of pastors? What happens when pastors try to suppress pain and depressive impulses in their lives? Is it wrong for pastors to grieve before their people? What spiritual and physical practices might help during times of depression and anxiety? Listen as Brian and Jim discuss these and other questions in this episode.
What does it mean for a pastor to “take heed” to his physical wellbeing? Is there any spiritual value in stewarding our physical bodies well? How might a pastor balance and practice well the three disciplines of eating, exercise, and sleep? Listen as Brian and Jim address these and other questions from a biblical perspective.
How does a pastor press on and not grow weary in well-doing when there is little visible fruit resulting from his ministry? Is it possible to pastor well in a church that does not experience significant growth? In such circumstances, how does a pastor maintain hope, joy, and a vigorous ministry? What standards should a pastor of a small church use to evaluate the effectiveness of his ministry? Listen as Brian and Jim address these issues and more in this episode.
Moral failures by pastors–whether they be financial failures, sexual failures, abuse of authority, or some other form of gross immorality–seem increasingly common. Is any pastor immune to moral failure? How is it possible for a pastor to live a double life? How might a pastor guard himself against moral failure? What areas of pastoral life warrant special care? How might a pastor strike a reasonable balance between due caution and complete paralysis? How do we respond to those pastors who do fall into moral failure? Listen as Brian and Jim address these issues and more in this episode.
An oft-overlooked reality in pastoral ministry is that the pastor is a churchman first, and then a pastor. Pastors need those who can minister and speak God’s word into their lives and hold them accountable. In a word, pastors need pastors. Pastors need to be, first and always, disciples; the extraordinary call of a pastor never negates the ordinary call of a man to be a faithful follower of Lord Jesus. How might a pastor ensure that he partakes of the ordinary means of grace in the course of his ministry?
Listen as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio address these issues and more.
As a pastor, do you sometimes feel overwhelmed and ill-equipped to help some of your people? Given the brokenness, struggles, and sins of people living in a fallen world, how does a pastor who finds himself in over his head help the broken? How might you go about seeking help for others when you must search outside of yourself? How involved should a pastor be if he refers a member to counseling from someone else?
Listen as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio discuss these questions and more.
What issues should influence the rhythm of our preaching? Holidays? Church calendar? Cultural traditions? Significant world events? Significant events in the life of the congregation? When should a pastor deviate from his planned preaching schedule? Listen as Brian and Jim address these issues and more in this podcast.
Biblically speaking, what should a church plant or church revitalization look like? What deficits might emerge in a church plant and a church revitalization respectively? How might pastors navigate such deficits? How might pastors prioritize and persevere in church plants and church revitalizations? What distinct advantages exist in church planting and church revitalization respectively? What kind of commitments are necessary for pastors in church planting and church revitalization? Listen as Brian and Jim address these issues and more in this podcast.
How might a pastor shepherd well one who is leaving the church? What biblical truths should influence how we handle a member leaving our church? What church documents might dictate how we deal with a member leaving our church? How does a pastor and church address sin issues when they are an influencing element in a member leaving the church? How might a pastor and church handle feelings of rejection when a member leaves the church? How should a pastor and church interact with a member who is leaving the church? How should the reality that a church is a family influence how a member leaves the church? Listen as Brian and Jim discuss these issues and more in this podcast.
What are the circumstances under which it is right to resign your church? Should hostility and adversaries prompt us to resign our churches? Is an attempt by the church to “fire” you as pastor sufficient reason to leave a church? How do internal pressures influence the decision stay or go? Should outside counsel play a role in the decision to stay or go? If so, how? Should a pastor tell his church when he is considering resignation? Listen as Brian and Jim discuss these questions and more in this podcast.
Child sexual abuse in evangelical churches is shockingly more common than many think. Sexual predators often view the church as a “safe” environment for finding, grooming, and abusing their victims. What steps might a pastor and church take to establish a culture of prevention and recognition of sexual abuse? What responsibilities do pastors have in the investigation of accusations of sexual abuse? How should pastors prepare themselves to minister well to sexual abuse victims? Do pastors and churches need a written policy for dealing with sexual abuse? How does the hope of the gospel speak to victims of sexual abuse? Listen as Brian and Jim interview Rachel Denhollander concerning these issues and more.
Child sexual abuse in evangelical churches is shockingly more common than many think. Sexual predators often view the church as a “safe” environment for finding, grooming, and abusing their victims. What steps might a pastor and church take to establish a culture of prevention and recognition of sexual abuse? What responsibilities do pastors have in the investigation of accusations of sexual abuse? How should pastors prepare themselves to minister well to sexual abuse victims? Do pastors and churches need a written policy for dealing with sexual abuse? How does the hope of the gospel speak to victims of sexual abuse? Listen as Brian and Jim interview Rachel Denhollander concerning these issues and more.
What is unique about the pastor’s schedule? What scriptural mandates influence how we steward our time? What priorities influence the way a pastor schedules his time? How do unforeseen circumstances influence a pastor’s schedule? How might a pastor schedule his time to reflect his limitations? Listen as Brian and Jim discuss the complexities of the pastor’s schedule.
Church finances are too often the source of scandal. How does Scripture address the pastor’s responsibilities in relation to stewarding the finances of the church? What priorities should dictate financial expenditures? What safeguards should the pastor insist upon to guard against the abuse of finances? What level of financial disclosure is appropriate when handling church finances? Listen as Brian and Jim address these and other issues associated with faithful stewardship of church finances.
In receiving members from another church, to what biblical principles should the receiving pastor and church adhere? Given that many leave their former church upset or hurt, does the receiving pastor and church have a responsibility to help them resolve such issues? What courtesies does a receiving church owe the former pastor and church? Listen as Brian and Jim address these and other critical issues related to rightly receiving members into our flocks.
In light of the Sutherland Springs Texas church shooting, the question of safety and security at churches is front and center in the minds of conscientious pastors. What theological issues should inform our views on safety and security? Is it “spiritual” to think in terms of possessing a right to safety and security? How did Jesus address these issues with his disciples? Is there a biblical doctrine of self-preservation? Do concerns for safety at times limit our effectiveness in advancing the gospel? Practically, what measures should a pastor and church take to ensure the safety of the congregation? Listen as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio address these and many other related questions.
In our cultural milieu where accusations of sexual harassment headline each day’s news, pastors must exercise wisdom and discernment in relating to female church members. How may pastors shepherd female members well in such a context? Do women in our congregation feel neglected in relation to pastoral care? What does Scripture have to say about how pastors should relate to women in their congregation? What role does the pastor’s wife play in determining how a pastor relates to his female congregants? How might a pastor relate to women in his church in a manner that is both properly guarded and biblically relational?
Listen as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio address these issues and more in this podcast.
Many pastors identify faithful prayer for their flock as an area of failure in their ministries. How does a pastor pray faithfully and consistently for every member of his congregation? How might a pastor create a systematic prayer-guide? What should we pray when praying for the flock? How does Scripture inform the way we should pray for our members? How might we engage the entire congregation to faithfully pray for fellow members? Listen as Brian and Jim answer these questions and more in this podcast.
Pastors’ wives bear a unique burden. To what extent should the pastor share the burdens of pastoral ministry with his spouse? What is the distinction between the pastor protecting his wife and the pastor shutting his wife out in relation to the burdens pressing upon him? Might there be dangers involved in exposing the pastor’s wife to certain problems with which the pastor wrestles? How might the pastor understand when to share with his wife and when to protect her? Listen as Brian and Jim address the critical issue of how much a pastor should tell his wife.
Discussion of the pastor’s salary is often an uncomfortable conversation for both the pastor and the church. How might both parties enter into frank, humble, God-honoring dialogue on this issue? What does Scripture say concerning the pastor’s salary? What should the attitude of the church be regarding the pastor’s compensation? What should the pastor’s attitude be? How might a church approach evaluating the worth of a pastor’s ministry? Should education and experience be factors in determining pastoral compensation? Should the pastor allow someone in the church to serve as his advocate in matters of pastoral compensation? Listen as Brian and Jim address these questions from a biblical, pastoral, and ecclesiastic perspective.
The number of churches requiring a bi-vocational pastor is trending upward, and bi-vo ministry is a demanding task. While many—if not most—bi-vo pastors would prefer full-time ministry, how might those called to such a duty find contentment in their calling? Given the stringent demands of shepherding one’s family, shepherding the flock of God, and part-or full-time employment, how can the bi-vo pastor find the proper balance in expending his time and energy? How might the bi-vo pastor lead his congregation to understand and be sensitive to the demands upon his time? Listen as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio address these and other pertinent issues pertaining to the honorable task of bi-vocational pastoral ministry.
In this episode, Brian Croft and Jim Savastio further explore the need for pastoral rest as they discuss the theological basis of recreation, the benefits of recreation for avoiding pastoral burn-out, symptoms of a pastor’s need for recreation, the practicalities of avoiding counter-productive recreation, and the blessings of family-oriented recreation.
Listen as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio discuss the often neglected issue of pastoral rest. From the vacation to the day off to the pastoral sabbatical, Brian and Jim explore the biblical necessity of rest and offer practical insights for avoiding pastoral burn-out.
Every parent and pastor’s desire is to see children converted from sin and rebellion to forgiveness and obedience to the gospel. At the same time, few topics are so theologically charged as the conversion, baptism, and membership of children. The stakes are no lower for the relational impact these issues have on a pastor’s ministry. Pastors would do well to think carefully and practically before facing the variety of issues that attend the relationship of children to the church.
So listen (twice!) as Brian Croft and Jim Savastio share their insights from decades of pastoral experience and Biblical thought.
This episode features a conversation between a full-time, senior pastor and a part-time, associate pastor. Listen as Brian Croft and Josh Scherrer discuss:
How does a team of pastors work together? How can staff pastors work together with lay pastors? What are the advantages of having lay pastors? What are the challenges that lay pastors face? What should you look for in a lay pastor? How do you appoint lay pastors?
You might not be asked to preach in Middle Earth (a.k.a. New Zealand) like Jim Savastio, but many preachers will serve as a guest preacher at some point in their ministry. No matter how often you preach as a guest, there are also unique joys and trials of a weekly preaching ministry at your own church.
Here are some questions that come up in this conversation:
What are the differences between guest preaching and preaching at your own church?
What challenges and temptations attend guest preaching?
How do you think through accepting invitations to preach outside of your church?
How do you decide what to preach about when you are a guest?
What are the challenges and pleasures of preaching in your own church week after week?
Could you say this to your church?
“We were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8
Brian Croft and Jim Savastio discuss how pastoral affections are necessary for weekly ministry. The relationship of a pastor to his church is more like the loving relationship of a marriage than it is the calculating processes of a manager. And this kind of love changes everything.
Brian and Jim talk about the crucial role that mentors have played in their lives, and how pastors can mentor others.
Jim tells the story of how a devoted pastor of a small, rural church mentored him in ministry even at a young age.
Brian recounts how a lack of mentors impacted his early life and ministry.
Jim identifies key lessons his pastoral mentors taught him.
How can pastors find a mentor?
How can pastors be a mentor to others?
Brian Croft sits down with Jim Savastio to discuss life and ministry. Jim serves as the pastor of The Reformed Baptist Church of Louisville for the last 25 years, and serves as the president of the board of Practical Shepherding. He is married to Becky, and they have four children.
Listen as Brian and Jim discuss the following topics:
How did Jim sense his call to ministry?
How did Jim’s plans change from ministry oversees to serve a church in Louisville?
What is the fundamental role of a pastor?
What is one joy and one challenge Jim has experienced in 25 years of pastoral ministry?
What kind of experience have his wife and children had as a pastor’s family?
Miscarriage is a sorrowful, but all too common experience that calls for special pastoral care. Listen as Brian Croft discusses his own experience of a miscarriage, and how to care for others going through this loss. This episode address questions like…
What is it like to experience a miscarriage?
What do you say to someone who loses their baby?
How does a pastor and a church care for someone grieving this loss?
What does long-term care look like?
The first year of a pastor’s ministry can be one of the most challenging. In this episode, Pastor Brian Croft shares some of his own experiences, and gives advice for how pastors can navigate their first year in ministry. Listen as Brian engages with questions like:
How does a pastor guard from cynicism in the face of opposition?
What tasks should get special attention in the first year?
How long should a pastor commit to serving at a church?
Does the presence of enemies mean a pastor should leave?
“‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”
– 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESV
Listen as Pastor Brian Croft unpacks this text and applies the principle of weakness to the pastor’s life. Brian shares his experience of his own weakness and the impact this has on his ministry.
We are excited to release our first Q&A episode where we discuss the following question submitted by one of our listeners:
“I am subscribed to the podcast and think it is a great resource for pastors. I had a question I would love for you all to address on it. While not all traditions are bad, how is a pastor to go about leading a church out of a tradition that is not Biblical and could be harming the congregation spiritually, such as holding to a KJV-Only Perspective? I am from a home church that holds to such a view and I think it is why many in the church don’t read the Bible, because it comes off as a hard to read work of Shakespeare.”
Listen to hear Brian engage with this question and share his advice.
Brian Croft provides updates on the various ministries he is involved in. For over 12 years he has served as the Senior Pastor of Auburndale Baptist Church. He also leads Practical Shepherding which he founded several years ago. For the last year, Brian has also served as the Senior Fellow for the Mathena Center for Church Revitalization at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of these updates include:
The next Practical Shepherding Workshop is the night before T4G, April 11, in Louisville, Kentucky. You can register here. You can also see a complete list Practical Shepherding Workshops to be held over the coming months.
Brian’s SBTS chapel message and panel discussion on church revitalization
A Guide to Church Revitalization was published
Compelling articles by Dr. James Carroll coming out as a book soon
Ways to pray for Brian and Practical Shepherding:
That he would know where to devote his time between his various responsibilities.
That God would provide finances for Practical Shepherding.
For providential help to spread the message of Practical Shepherding to encourage pastors.
In this episode, Brian Croft sits down with his close friend and fellow pastor Rob Gibson to discuss the importance of friendships to a pastor’s life. Over the last three years, Brian and Rob have forged a deep connection that aids their walk before the Lord and their labor as pastors.
They also discuss the practicalities of how they maintain their friendship in the midst of the gritty pastoral lifestyle. In this conversation, pastors can glean:
What is at stake when a pastor doesn’t have a close friend?
How can pastors form close friendships?
Who is well-positioned to care for a pastor’s soul?
What does a healthy pastoral friendship look like?
Christmas may only come once a year, but the calendar is full of holidays. Should you esteem one holiday more highly than another or treat every Sunday alike?
In this episode, we walk through the calendar with Brian Croft and discuss how he handles more than a dozen holidays including:
Sanctity of Life Sunday
Valentine’s Day
Mother’s Day
Independence Day
Halloween
Christmas
If you have questions about days we don’t address in this show, please leave a comment or send your questions to brian@practicalshepherding.com.
How do you keep a close eye on your public ministry? Do you have a way to keep yourself accountable and receive feedback? Listen as Brian Croft shows how service reviews answer these questions. Brian discusses additional benefits of service review such as:
Training interns and aspiring pastors.
Learning to give and receive criticism.
Improve on all areas of the Sunday services.
Grow as a preacher and service leader.
If you are interested in starting or improving a service review, Brian explains the ground rules for this meeting and how to facilitate the conversation.
In this interview, Brian Croft and Kyle McClellan sit down with Erik Raymond to discuss his experience as church planter and writer. Listen as we discuss:
How to write a helpful book review
How to train leaders while planting a church
Why Erik writes for the ordinary pastor
Erik is pastor of Emmaus Bible Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He is married and the father of six children. In addition to his pastoral duties, Erik also maintains the Ordinary Pastor Blog.
Every pastor makes mistakes, and every pastor experiences pain in their work. How do you sort through your errors, and how do you deal with the pain? Brian Croft sits down with Kyle McClellan for the second part of an interview where they discuss the pains and missteps in ministry. Listen to Kyle’s story and get practical counsel for your ministry.
Resources from this episode:
Mea Culpa – Kyle McClellan – Kyle’s book recounting his pastoral experience, mistakes made and lessons learned.
Mea Culpa Article – Part 1 – An overview of Kyle’s pastoral experiences.
Mea Culpa Article – Part 2 – Pastoral lessons Kyle has learned.
Grace Church – Fremont, Nebraska – Kyle McClellan’s church in Fremont, Nebraska.
Every pastor makes mistakes. But do you have the humility to admit and learn from your mistakes?
Pastor Kyle McClellan has made mistakes, owned up to them and wants you to learn from his experiences as a pastor. This episode is the first part of Brian Croft’s interview with Kyle McClellan where they discuss Kyle’s pastoral journey. Listen to Kyle’s story and get practical counsel for your ministry.
Service leading takes more than public speaking skills. Leading a worship service calls for Biblical reflection and care for God’s people. Whether you are a pastor or a lay-leader in your church, you will find help for leading the church in public worship gatherings. In this episode, pastors Brian Croft and Jason Adkins give practical advice for leading a worship service, answering questions such as:
How do you prepare to lead a service?
Should you write out your public prayers ahead of time or pray spontaneously?
How long should you pray?
What does a good Scripture reading sound like?
How do you learn projection and pace?
Sunday is coming – how do you plan the service? Which songs and Scripture readings do you choose? And what order should they be arranged in? You will find answers in this episode as well as advice for non-musical pastors and how to prepare your Sunday service with a pastor’s heart. Listen as pastors Brian Croft and Jason Adkins discuss how they plan services on a weekly basis.
“If you pulled me aside on a Sunday and asked me why we chose that song, I would tell you something about the sermon.” – Jason Adkins
Pastors don’t just care for their people in the pew on Sunday. Faithful shepherds will also be with the sheep in the hospital on Wednesday. What should you talk about when you visit? How do you prepare for the unexpected? How long should you stay? Listen to Brian Croft and Scott Wells answer these questions and more as they give step by step instructions for visiting the sick.
In this episode, Brian Croft and Scott Wells discuss how men can prepare for pastoral ministry.