Small Church Leadership: Recent Episodes
Small Church Leadership
A podcast designed to help those involved in leading the small church in America. The episodes are designed to be practical and encouraging.
In this episode the guys share some frustrations that they've been feeling with the podcast and how they're planning on dealing with it.
The Small Church Leadership Podcast is changing for the better!
Where is God at during tragedy? Why did He allow it to happen? How do you process it?
In this episode the guys unpack some heavy soul tensions. This episode may leave you with more questions than answers. Hop into the tension and join the conversation!
One of the hardest truths about leadership is the fact that pain is part of the job. Some of the pain is self inflicted. Other pain comes from the actions of others. What is a leader to do when a season of pain comes? In this episode Joey shares some insights he's learned along the way and some principles from the book Leadership Pain by Dr. Samuel R. Chand.
Communication is a major part of a small church leader's life. Whether it's a sermon, a small group, or a staff meeting we all find ourselves sharing ideas and concepts with those in our ministries. In this episode Brian shares some communication insights he's learned from the book Make Noise by Eric Nuzum.
Everybody has habits. Some habits are good. Others are bad.
In this episode Kolbi shares how the book Atomic Habits by James Clear has helped him to lose 67 lbs, develop as a leader, and flourish as a man of God. There's also some boos and hisses from Brian and Joey as they fill out the Peanut Gallery!
In this episode the guys talk about dealing with conflict in your marriage in an emotionally healthy way.
Security and emergency preparedness is a vital, but overlooked ministry in the local church. In this episode the guys share how to approach various security issues and build systems to serve the church in that way.
Your spiritual health matters. As a leader it's important that you take time to have a strong relationship with Jesus. In this episode the guys share some struggles they've had when it comes to maintaining a healthy spiritual life as a pastor. They also share what they've found to be helpful along the way.
Ministry is mentally & emotionally draining. In this episode the guys talk about some struggles they've had and how God has helped them work through them. Your mental health matters and we want to encourage you and help you along the journey.
One of the easiest things for leaders to neglect is their physical health. Sadly, that neglect can result in us short circuiting our impact in ministry. In this episode the guys talk about their ups and downs in their physical fitness lives and give some tips that have helped them.
Preaching is a vital part of the ministry in the local church. As preachers we've been charged with feeding the souls of our church. In this episode the guys talk about how a preaching calendar helps in their small church contexts.
Preaching happens every week in the church. What is the best way to approach the preaching ministry of your church? For many preachers topical sermons are the key to reaching people for Jesus. Others say that verse-by-verse preaching is the only way to go. In this episode the guys talk about the benefits and drawbacks of both types of preaching and maybe even get a little heated!
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Ministry is one of the greatest joys in life and one of the greatest sources of stress. Leading in the church can wear on a leader's mental health. Sadly we've seen far too many casualties of ministry. In this episode the guys talk about things they've done to help them work through the mental and emotional difficulties in small church leadership. This episode is a must-listen!
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Financial stress takes a toll on everyone. Small church leaders face this tension constantly. Far too many times we overspend our personal money in order to make ministry happen. We get it. In this episode the guys talk about the stress points that finances have on small church leaders and give some practical advice on how to navigate budget cuts, salary cuts, and more as small church leaders.
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Ministry is one of the most stressful things any one can do. Sadly, that stress can often seep into our marriages and wreak havoc. In this episode the guys talk about how to deal with the ministry stress points in our marriages. This episode is a must listen for you if you need help setting realistic expectations and healthy boundaries with your church.
Connect with the SCL team on Facebook here.
Ministry has some of the highest highs and the lowest lows. It's vitally important to make sure that we are navigating ministry hurt properly. In this episode the guys share some ministry hurts they've experienced and talk about some ways to process pain in a healthy way.
Culture is vital to the success of your ministry. A healthy culture doesn't happen on accident. In this episode the guys talk about 6 core truths of a healthy culture.
Easter is right around the corner. It's a great time for churches to capitalize on their invite strategy.
In this episode the guys talk about the Easter wave and what items need to be on your checklist as a small church leader.
How do you develop leaders in a small church?
What are you supposed to look for?
How does your own leadership impact the team?
In this episode the guys talk about all these questions and more.
Attention Small Church Leader: Your health matters! One of the most valuable ways that you can invest in your health is by taking a sabbatical. Every 5-7 years it's recommended to take extended time away from ministry demands to replenish your tanks. In this episode the guys give you a checklist to look at as you plan your sabbatical.
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Having a team of leaders is a blessing to any small church. Unfortunately we've all had moments where we've sabotaged other leaders around us. In this episode the guys talk about the things that cause us to hinder developing other leaders around us. They also give a few principles to help grow a team of leaders for your small church.
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Insecurity is the downfall of many leaders. We all have some insecurity that we are wrestling with on some level. In this episode the guys talk about various leadership insecurities and how they've dealt with them. This episode is full of transparency. Check it out!
Connect with the guys here!
Hope is one of the most powerful forces known to man. Hopelessness is equally powerful, but comes with a hefty price. In this episode the guys talk about the things that are bringing discouragement and hope to them as small church leaders in 2022.
Connect with the guys on Facebook here!
Anger is something that each of us experiences from time to time. However if we're not careful anger can become our default emotional response in ministry. As small church leaders it's critically important that we regularly take an emotional inventory to see whether or not we're becoming angry pastors and leaders.
In this episode the guys talk about an article entitled "13 Signs You're An Angry Pastor."
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Ministry comes with a set of lessons that we learn along the way. In this episode the guys share some things from an article entitled: 10 Things I Wish Someone Had Told Me 25 Years Ago.
Having a target is important in leadership. A target helps to guard you from aiming at the wrong things and guide you to an intended goal. One helpful tool to do that is by having one word that you focus on as a goal. That one word operates as a true north for all that you're trying to accomplish in that year or season of life.
In this episode the guys talk about their one word for 2022 and their hopes and apprehensions with it.
Vision is immensely important in any organization. In this episode the guys share some helpful tips about casting vision in your church.
This season of ministry has been difficult for every pastor and church. COVID-19 has impacted everything that we do. Over this season we've experienced many highs and lows. In this episode the guys talk about the challenges that pastors have been facing and do their best to offer some helpful encouragement along the way.
Every year the guys focus on one word as a theme for their personal lives. In this episode they share how that one word has been shown over 2021 and they look ahead towards what 2022 may have to offer.
We've all heard the saying "if you fail to plan then you plan to fail." In this episode the guys talk about their personal leadership growth plan. They share the things that are working and the things that are not working as well and offer some encouragement along the way.
Preaching is a big part of the weekly ministries of any church. Sunday comes around every 7 days and with it the responsibility of leading God's people through the Word.
In this episode the guys share some sermon life-hacks they've developed over the years to help make the sermon-writing process a little easier along the way.
Contentment can be elusive in life. It can be especially elusive to the small church leader. In this episode the guys answer some hard questions about contentment in ministry. They also share places where they have missed contentment as small church leaders.
Every small church leader has dealt with a lack of resources at one point or another. In this episode the guys talk about how they've worked with and around the lack of resources over the course of their ministries.
In this episode the guys discuss some of their favorite episodes from the previous year. It's a celebration as they look back to what God has done and they look ahead at the next season of the Small Church Leadership Podcast.
Time management is a struggle for most small church leaders. In this episode the guys talk about some of the things they've done to help get a better handle on their schedule. This episode will help you wherever you are to make the most of your time.
Discouragement is a constant presence in the life of a small church leader. In this episode the guys talk about some of the different discouraging situations they've faced and how they've processed them.
This summer Joey and Kolbi both took some time away on sabbaticals. In this episode the they unpack what happened during that time. They also share what they wish they had done to make their sabbatical time more productive. They both had some powerful encounters with God and show how every small church leader can have their own encounter during a time of sabbatical.
In this episode the guys talk about prayer and how it has challenged, convicted, and changed them as pastors.
In this episode the guys talk about what expectations pastors bring to churches and how they've dealt with them over the years.
The guys talk about the various expectations that come with being a pastor and how they have dealt with them.
In this episode Brian takes the lead and talks about the book Grasping God's Word. The guys discuss Bible interpretation and how important that is in the life of a leader.
In this episode Joey takes the reins and talks about the book Celebration of Discipline. The guys talk about what it means to have spiritual disciplines in the life of a leader.
In this episode the guys discuss the book Soundtracks by Jon Acuff. This book has had a huge impact on Kolbi and he shares the things that changed the game for him.
The guys talk about Internet promotion and marketing and some other creative ideas for the fall growth strategy wave.
The guys talk about the things small churches need to do for a successful fall growth wave strategy.
In this episode the guys talk about the importance of regular Sabbath, regular planning retreats, and Sabbaticals.
The Guys talk about how important it is to find help whenever you are struggling mentally and emotionally. It's okay to not be okay, but it's not okay to stay not okay!
The guys talk about how serious depression is in the life of small church leaders and some steps to help process it along the way.
The guys talk about the pain of criticism and how they have learned to deal with the criticism that comes along with being a small church leader.
The guys talk about having a correct self-image as a pastor and what to do if you're out of whack.
In this episode the guys talk about the reality that some people will never follow you as a leader
The guys talk about the challenges of trying to maintain constant growth in the local church.
The guys discuss the hard ministry lesson that people and money will inevitably leave and how to deal with it.
The guys talk about the big picture of strategy and how important it is for your local church.
The guys talk about developing leaders with an intentional system in your local church.
The guys talk about things that you can do on the backside of Easter to help get your Easter guests back and connected to the life of the church.
In this episode the guys talk about the 4-weeks leading up to Easter and how to maximize that time for impact.
The guys discuss weekly giving and offer a few thoughts on the financial system of the local church.
The guys talk about helping people get connected to the life of your church with a Connections/Assimilation System
The guys discuss the importance of having a clearly defined Sunday morning system behind your Sunday morning worship service.
The guys talk about ways to help increase the consistency of financial giving in your church
The guys talk about ways to get more volunteers and how to honor the ones you currently have
The guys discuss the pastor's family life and how important it is to make sure you're intentional about building a life-giving family culture
In this episode the guys talk about how important having a healthy spiritual life is for small church leaders.