Small Town Big Church Podcast: Recent Episodes
Jon Sanders
The Small Town Big Church Podcast is all about encouraging, equipping, and challenging pastors and church leaders in small, rural towns. This podcast exists to help church leaders embrace the truth that God desires to do BIG things in small places!
In this episode, Jim Smucker, President of Keim Home Center shares inspiring thoughts about faith, formation, servant leadership, and the aspiring culture at Keim Home Center.
In this episode, Bishops George and Edward share wisdom nuggets about life, leadership, and following Jesus.
In this episode, Anya Schlegel shares inspiring insights about her faith journey growing up in Ukraine, leading a YWAM base, launching Waves of Hope, and being the point leader for Keim Cares.
In this episode, Kelly Miller and Laurel Miller share the heart, why, and how people can get involved with Fostering Love Holmes County. Note: Christie Mullet is the third member of the Fostering Love Holmes County dream team.
In this episode, Eric Jerkovic, Superintentendent at West Holmes Schools discusses his calling, journey in leadership, hiring staff, and the joys and challenges of being in the educational space.
In this episode, John Miller, owner of Superb Industries, shares about his faith journey and how the Bible has shaped his convictions about business, leadership, and sabbatarianism.
In this episode, Robert and Laurel Miller share inspiring insights about their marriage, lessons they have learned in business, and how they are seeking to flourish in all of life.
In this episode, George Dennehy shares how God rescued him from an orphange in Romania and has given him a platform to share his story of healing and redemption. www.thatarmlessguy.com
In this episode, Pat Miller and Larry Kaufman share Grace's vision for strong marriages and heathly families and a few helpful habits and rhythms for families to flourish at home.
In this episode, Pastor Jeremy Dawson shares about his journey in follow Jesus, and his calling and vision to impact New Delhi India, a city of 38 million people.
In this episode, Cassie Brown shares parts of her story and how God has called her to help wounded people find healing and wholeness in Christ.
In this episode, Mark Coblentz, follower of Jesus and entrepreneur shares wisdom and insights from his experiences in life and business.
In this episode, David Anthony Kaufman shares inspiring insights about his leadership journey, the power of a positive culture, and daily rhythms that help leaders flourish.
In this episode, Mark Miller shares his passion for church planting, multiplication, and business as mission as a pastor and entrepreneur.
In this episode, Kevin Bille shares great insights from his coaching experiences and how to win each day by showing up and being accountable.
In this episode, Eugene Hershberger shares his contagious approach to life and challenges people to look for daily opportunities to pray with people and take time to care.
In this episode, Pastor Dan Wigton shares his journey into vocational ministry and how Northside Church in Millersburg was started.
In this episode, Dave Schlabach shares some of the highs and lows of his 30 year coaching career and a few of the guiding principles that helped build a winning culture.
In this episode, Galen Burkholder, founder of Global Disciples shares their method of making disciples, multiplying churches, and the amazing things God is doing. www.globaldisciples.org
In this episode, Kevin Miller, entrepreneur and business owner shares inspiring insights about life, leadership, and loving people.
In this episode, Marcus Yoder, Director of Behalt (Amish Mennonite Heritage Center) shares some of the inspiring distinctives and contributions of the Anabaptist faith and practice.
In this epidsode, Dr. Garth Schrock shares his mission to help people through his calling as a Doctor of Chiropractic and owner of Ultimate Chiropractic.
In this episode, Patrick and Mary June Miller will inspire you with hope as they share their redepmtion story and how Christ is helping them flourish as a couple and in life.
In this episode Chad Stutzman shares some of his defining moments, leadership lessons, and how God called him into full time vocational ministry.
In this episode, Bob Habeger, a local business owner and entrepreneur shares some defining moments that have shaped his life, and how he seeks to lead and influence his team.
In this episode Pastor Kraig Anderson shares some defining moments, how he deals with pain, and his desire to have a vibrant daily walk with Christ.
In this episode Pastor Austin shares valuable insights about following Jesus and the WHY that fuels Grace's School of Mininstry (discipleship training school). www.allaboutgrace.org
In this episode, Dann Spader (author of 4 Chair Discipling) shares valuable insights about Jesus' method of making disciples and how every every follower of Jesus can be a multiplier.
In this episode Milton and Anita Miller share some of their defining moments in life, and about our shared vision to serve the Uhrichsville and Dennison communities. If you want to donate to The Hill Hope Center Uhrichville, visit allaboutgrace.org.
In this episode, Griffin Long, Co-Founder and Director of Scared Ground shares about his journey and calling to serve individuals with disabilities and their families.
In this epidsode we will learn how God enlarges our souls through loss and helps us grieve well when we experience the dark night of the soul. Adapted from Pete Scazzero's book, Emotionallly Healthy Spirituality.
In this episode, we will discover some signs that people are falling alseep or drifting spiritually, and how to stay awake in 4 particular areas: spiritually, relationally, morally, and attitudinually.
In this episode, we will discover why many people are living defeated lives and how to live a victorious life from Acts 19.
In this episode, Robbie & Karen Keim share insights about their kingdom values and life experiences as business owners.
In this episode, we will seek to understand the final words of Jesus' on the cross and the life changing implications of it.
In this episode, we will discover a major dispute that happened in the church at Antioch, and how they resolved it to preserve the veracity of the gospel.
In this episode we will discover how God will let your circumstances bring you to a place of full surrender so he can redirect your life toward something greater.
In this episode Duane Detweiler shares valuable leadership insights as a lead pastor, conflict mediator, life coach, and coffee roaster.
In this episode, Paul Weaver shares incredible insights that he learned over the course of his life about family, relationships, business, values, generosity, and culture.
In this episode, Vince Mullet, co-owner of Mullet Cabinet shares some leadership insights that will inspire and challenge you on your leadership journey.
In this episode we will discover 4 outcomes of being a witness for Christ from Acts 4: 1 - 22. An Acts 1:8 witness will be persecuted for their faith in Christ, will be bold in declaring the name of Jesus, will realize that God uses ordinary people, and will discern when civil disobedience is permitted.
In this episode, we will look at the outpouring of the Holy Spirit in Acts 2 as a promise to be received, a power to be released, and a people to be transformed.
In this episode, Rocky and Kristie Favia share some defining moments, steps in their healing journey, and insights that have helped them follow Jesus.
In this episode, my friend Sam Yoder shares life and leadership insights as a husband, father, pastor, entrepreneur, and gospel influencer that will inspire you to live with purpose and intentionality.
In this episode, we celebrate Advent by discovering 6 kinds of people Jesus loves and came for as recorded in the gospels.
In this episode, Jake and Gail Troyer who are serving as Grace Church missionaries with YWAM share some of their defining moments and life lessons.
God's silence does not mean God is absent. In this episode we will discover 4 biblical reasons you can have hope when you are hurting or when God seems silent.
In this episode, Allen Andrews will share insights and trends in world missions, and some of their 34 year journey as missionaries with SIM International.
In this episdode, Kendra Kaufman will share some defining moments, and a few thougts on life, leadership and the Enneagram. Kendra is a certified Enneagram coach and is available for coaching sessions with you and your team. Cell: 330-231-8428. Email: Kendra@5812global.org
In this episode, Pastor Bob Fetterhoff will help us think about the events that are happening in the middle east from a historical and biblical perspective. www.walkthebible.org
All of us at times drift away from God and need help getting back. In this episode we will learn how to stop the slide before it slays you.
In this episode we will discover how to reubild your life, and that it isn't too late to start over, because failure is never final.
If you are alive and breathing, you have surely experienced problems. In this episdode we will discover helpful ways to resolve conflict and problems in our lives.
In this episode we will discover specific ways to overcome opposition and resistance in our rebuild efforts.
In this episode we will discover 4 practical things that Nehemiah did to start the rebuilding project in Jersualem. Doing these 4 things will help you rebuild. Nehemiah 2:11-20
In this episode we will unpack 4 principles from Nehemiah 2 that God will use to rebuild your life and the brokenness in our world.
In this episode, we will unpack how God will often let you see or experience the "rubble" that wrecks you for good, and prepares you to be a change agent.
In this episode you will meet Pablo Delgado, the Executive Director of Open Arms Hispanic Ministries based in Orville Ohio. They are doing incredible holistic gospel ministry to the vulnerable. www.open-arms.us.
In this episode Vernon Mullet shares his journey of anger, depression, attempted suicide, and how God rescued him, and has given him a desire to help men find peace and community.
In this episode we will discover that life is not a straight line, but more of a zig zag with highs and lows and that in the lows of life, we can be assured that God is always working for our good and for his glory.
In this episode Matt Flinner openly shares his journey in addiction recovery and invites people to join his Life Recovery group to get help and to find freedom. Every Monday at 8pm. 1667 S. Washington St. Millersburg, OH 44654
In this episode you will be inpsired by Sam Kaufman and Corey Troyer about their expereince serving with Aim Right Ministries in Phoenix Arizona. You are going to love these guys.
In this episode we will discover 3 ways that God rebuilds our lives when everything falls apart and we experience loss.
In this episode we will discover reasons we don't have to worry, and how to win over worry.
In this episode I want to inspire you with the idea that we are kept by God, and empowered to contend for a biblical faith.
In this episode you will meet Jake and Karly Raber who were raised in rural towns and are now serving as disciple makers in Pattaya Thailand with Grace Church and 5812Global.org.
In this episode you will meet Larry Kaufman, the new Small Town Big Church podcast host, and hear a bit of his vision and get to know him.
In this final episode of the Small Town Big Church Podcast, I share my parting challenge to small town and rural church leaders. I remind you of your strategic and vital calling to serve in relatively small places. I challenge you to believe God for BIG things in small places. I implore you to embrace change and not resist it as the church heads into a new and exciting future. And finally, I sign off by thanking the many people who have had a part in this journey over the past eight years.
After years of being in and around pastoral ministry, after creating content for, connecting with, and coaching thousands of pastors around the country, I believe I have a really good pulse on the challenges facing pastors today. In this episode I’m going to list three of the biggest problems I see pastors needing to contend with and then offer up the ways I’m trying to be a part of the solution.
In this episode I share a few lessons on life and leadership that we can glean from the changing seasons of nature. I also share a huge announcement about the future of the Small Town Big Church podcast and my journey in life.
- If you live in an area where you experience all 4 seasons in a year, this will make a lot of sense to you.
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We recognize changing seasons when it comes to climate, but we’re often slow to recognize changing seasons of life.
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Here a few lessons about seasons:
- Seasons change and you have no control over them.
- I need to know what season I’m in.
- It’s smart to respond appropriately as the seasons change.
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It’s not helpful to compare myself to people who are experiencing a different season.
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Questions to consider:
- What season am I in?
- In life?
- In ministry?
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In family?
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Am I responding appropriately to the season I’m in?
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I want to end the show today by sharing an update and a big announcement regarding a changing season in my own life.
- The season of the Small Town Big Church Podcast/platform is coming to a close.
- Why?
- As my journey continues on I have better clarity on how I can BEST be serving pastors in this season of my life.
- There are many other great resources for the small town/rural church that did not exist a few years ago. I feel good about that.
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I am simplifying/focusing in order to be able to do more by doing less!
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Where do we go from here?
- I will have two more shows after this one.
- I’m not going away, just moving to some new platforms and I’m inviting you to join me there.
In this episode I interview Pastor Danny Davis about his newest book, In Him You Are. We talk about the importance of pastors having a clear understanding of their identity in Christ from which to do ministry. You can learn more about Danny’s book at davisinafrica.com
Pastor, how often do you preach? Or maybe a better question is how often do you get a break from preaching? Is it possible you’re preaching too often and too much? If you pastor a small or rural church, there’s a good chance the answer to that question is, “YES!” In this podcast episode I make a case for why it’s a good thing for you to get regular breaks from your preaching and offer up some ideas for getting those breaks.
- If you’re preaching more than 42 weeks in a year, I would argue you’re preaching too much.
Before I tell you why I think you should preach less, first let me address those pastors who are already pushing back and resisting the concept.
What are some reasons pastors preach too much?
- Immaturity/inexperience in preaching (you don’t know what you don’t know)
- Pride/insecurity
- Messiah complex (my people need me)
- Lack of team to fill the pulpit (ultimately a leadership issue)
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Lack of resources to invest in good pulpit supply
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Here are some reasons I think it’s good for you to preach less often:
- Regular breaks keeps you rested and fresh
- Regular breaks allows you to have weeks where you can focus on other big ministry projects without having to write a sermon.
- It’s good for your church to hear from different perspectives on a regular basis
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It allows you time to focus on the bigger preaching calendar
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Ideas to help you catch regular breaks in your preaching:
- Video series
- Guest speaker (from inside or outside the church)
- Special events – do something fun and different on a Sunday morning that doesn’t include a sermon
Most pastors report feeling overwhelmed and stressed out much of the time. They often find themselves running from one meeting to the next or reacting to multiple interruptions and distractions most days rather than making progress on the work they really need to be doing. In this episode I share several practical resources for pastors who need to get a better handle on their schedules.
- Talk about pastors “finding the time” to get things done.
- We don’t find the time. We manage our time.
- We’ve all been given the same 24 hours a day. Some people are simply better managers than others.
- Recommendations:
- Use a calendar
- Use a commitment tracking system (close the open loops in your life)
- Budget your time (time blocking)
- Eliminate distractions (shut off notifications to certain apps, do not disturb mode, airplane mode, etc.)
- Utilize a scheduling tool. (I recommend Calendly.)
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https://calendly.grsm.io/fi5t2224cm1o
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Resources:
- Redeeming Your Time – Jordan Raynor
- The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
- Calendly
If there has ever been a time when leadership is needed in the rural church…it is NOW! We are living in transformational times and so much is changing right in front of us. Yet sadly, at the same time, the Church in rural America is facing a crisis of leadership. In this podcast I identify the source of this leadership crisis and offer a few practical solutions to it.
- Problems:
- Bad church structure
- Unbiblical expectations of church people
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Pastors are “unable” or unwilling to LEAD
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Solution:
- It’s simply time to overhaul the system!
- For some pastors that may mean “fighting” right where they’re at.
- For other pastors that will mean you need to leave and start something new and healthy.
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For many pastors this will mean boldly stepping into new ways of “doing church.”
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But hear me clearly, settling for the status quo is not a good option. The churches and leaders that fight to maintain “the way it’s always been” in this season will not survive.
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Questions:
- Are you the LEADER God has called you to be?
- What action step do I need to take in my pastoral leadership right now?
If you need help changing your bylaws or navigating some other change in your leadership journey, please don’t hesitate to reach out. I’m here for you.
Do you feel like you are stuck in one or more areas of your life or ministry? In this episode I share what I believe might be one of the biggest things that is keeping you there.
- What if you knew you couldn’t mess up God’s plans for your life this year?
In this episode I share an inspirational challenge as we begin a new year. Have you ever had a time when you encountered a message that came from multiple sources, but you were able to hear the voice of God speaking consistently through it? Well, recently that has been the case for me and I want to share this message with you in hopes that it might encourage you as well.
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What if you knew you couldn’t mess up God’s plans for your life this year?
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Quote from Jordan Raynor in Redeeming Your Time:
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“But in His great grace, our heavenly Father has given us a tremendous amount of freedom to choose exactly how we will contribute to that mission. And guess what? As long as you are obeying his commands, you can’t make a wrong decision.”
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Scripture I’ve read recently:
Psalm 1: Oh, the joys of those who do not
follow the advice of the wicked,
or stand around with sinners,
or join in with mockers.
2 But they delight in the law of the Lord,
meditating on it day and night.
3 They are like trees planted along the riverbank,bearing fruit each season.Their leaves never wither,
and they prosper in all they do.
4 But not the wicked!
They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind.
5 They will be condemned at the time of judgment.
Sinners will have no place among the godly.
6 For the Lord watches over the path of the godly,
but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.
- I’ve also recently been challenged by John Michael Clark (The Family Captain) (Episode #308) with the reality that God put Adam in the garden with the mandate to:
- “Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky and over every living creature that moves on the ground.”
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God is our Father who is pleased to see his children filling the earth, subduing it, and ruling over it for His glory.
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Recently I had a powerful coaching call with someone in which we discovered an awesome breakthrough: If I am delighting myself in the Lord, I can trust the desires of my heart.
- What if you knew you couldn’t mess up God’s plans for your life this year?
- What would you attempt to do for His glory and the good of others?
In this episode I have a conversation with Roy Yanke of PIR (Pastors in Residence) Ministries about the current status of pastoral health in the Church. We talk about the need for pastors to implement life giving rhythms into their daily schedules. We also talk about how a pastor can determine if they are simply in need of a break or need to transition out of pastoral ministry altogether.
In my coaching work with church leaders, I often see pastors struggling with narratives they aren’t even aware are taking place in their minds. These “voices” can come from internal and external, spoken and unspoken expectations. They can come from years of church tradition. They can come from a demanding parent or other voice from the past. In this episode, I want to challenge pastors with this powerful question, “Who said so?”
When we can identify where a voice is coming from, we have much more clarity and power to ascertain whether that voice is one we need to listen to or not.
Whose voice should I be leaning into?
- God
- Self
- Family (Spouse)
- Trusted advisors
In this show I’m going to label a few common areas in which churches place unbiblical and unrealistic expectations upon their pastors and I will share how you can overcome them.
- Time
Many churches think that because they have a “full-time” pastor it literally means they have a full-time pastor.
- Workload
The pastor is expected to do pretty much everything in the church.
- Money
It’s not uncommon for churches to have an expectation of what a pastor should view as an acceptable standard of living.
- Family roles
It’s not just the pastor we have hired, but we also get access to their spouse and sometimes their kids as well.
- Activities/interests outside of church
The pastor needs to be careful about how they spend their time outside of their church role.
How do you overcome this?
- Learn to see your church as just ONE of your clients, and not your employer.
- Be willing to have an honest conversation with the leadership in which you set healthy boundaries for yourself and your family.
- Be willing to LEAVE a toxic environment and move into a much healthier place!
Recently I have had a number of pastors reach out to me asking questions about church discipline. In this episode I share a few of my thoughts on the subject as well as a word of caution based on a painful experience of my own that came out of a church discipline situation.
- It's biblical, even though we don't see many churches do it today.
- The goal is restoration…not punishment.
- Everything must be done in love.
- Deal with the problem at the smallest level.
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“Private repentance for private sin; public repentance for public sin.”
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Membership question: Who are we responsible for?
- Social media considerations. Be careful.
- There is a purpose and a point in church discipline!
- People can experience love, accountability, correction, restoration, and forgiveness through Christ’s family.
5 Reasons to Consider Video Venue for Your Rural Church:
- It WORKS!
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It allows your church to hear from an endless supply of gifted communicators.
- It provides an avenue for you to get a consistent break from preaching.
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It opens the door for many different creative ways of communicating God’s Word.
Examples: -
Christmas series we filmed in the Black Hills
- Redemption series
- It opens the door for many new strategies for planting new churches, campuses, or micro-sites.
In this episode I interview Rick Magee of Kids Outdoor Zone. KOZ is a ministry that provides men of your church with training and curriculum to mentor boys using outdoor adventure.
I recently was involved in a training on the fire department in which we were cutting a large hole in the roof of a commercial building. We were discussing the need to have our crew and others keep an eye on our surroundings as the person running the saw can get too focused on their task that they can become unaware of a growing danger/threat to their safety.
The same is true in our lives. We can become so focused on the day-to-day details that we overlook growing issues that are more obvious to others.
This is why we need to be intentional about checking our blind spots.
- I need to recognize that I HAVE blind spots in my life.
- I need to be intentional about checking them on a regular basis. (“Your best thinking got you to where you are today.”)
When we come back from the break I’ll share angles from which we can check our blind spots.
In this episode I have a conversation with Dee Ann Schnautz about the vital role of that pastor’s wives play in the ministry and the need for them to pursue spiritual, mental, emotional, and physical health. Dee Ann has been a rural pastor’s wife for over 38 years and has a tremendous understanding of the joys and challenges of serving in that capacity.