Explorez tous les épisodes du podcast The Church Lobby
| Titre | Date | Durée | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ep 114: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon, with Austin Carty | 23 oct. 2025 | 01:05:44 | |
If you’re a preaching pastor, you know what it means to feel the burden and the joy of preparing and preaching a sermon every Sunday. No matter how many years we’ve done it, we can always use a little more help to do it better. Karl Vaters talks with Austin Carty about the craft of writing and delivering a weekly sermon, based on Austin’s latest book, Some of the Words Are Theirs: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon. Austin is the pastor of Boulevard Baptist Church, a small congregation in Anderson, SC. Karl and Austin talk about several of the aspects that go into sermon prep, including:
Links:
BONUS EPISODE (Subscribers Only) Five Questions to Help You Preach a Well-balanced Sermon, with Austin Carty One of the most important aspects in sermon prep and presentation today is making sure you know and acknowledge that there are points of view that are different from yours. But how do we recognize these points of view, while preaching the truth from God’s Word? Austin Carty helps us negotiate this potential minefield in a short conversation with Karl Vaters, based on Austin’s new book, Some of the Words Are Theirs: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon, by helping us ask these five questions:
Links: Some of the Words Are Theirs: The Art of Writing and Living a Sermon | |||
| Ep 113: What I Found on the Other Side of Church Growth, with Paul Dazet | 09 oct. 2025 | 00:42:11 | |
What happens when all the church growth principles that were working in your church, suddenly stop working when you need them the most? Karl Vaters interviews Paul Dazet about what happened to him, as the pastor of a fast-growing church shortly after he was diagnosed with cancer. Over 100 members left, saying things like “I just can’t handle being sad at church,” and “It used to be so energetic. Your illness changed the whole vibe.” Paul’s illness and the shaved head that went with it were seen as a show of weakness, need, and vulnerability that many people were uncomfortable seeing on a church platform. But it’s not all bad news. Paul also walks us through the positive changes he has made in his approach to pastoring, including allowing space for lament, and how he now defines ministry success. Links:
Bonus video The Five False Jesus’ of the “Successful” Church, with Paul Dazet Paul Dazet found out that a numerically-growing church isn’t necessarily a healthy church. In this Bonus content, Karl Vaters talks with Paul about the 5 ways churches can be tempted to see Jesus that are not what Jesus intended for his church. They are:
Links:
To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the | |||
| Ep 112: Making Room for Loss and Grief In Life and Ministry, with Leanne Friesen | 25 sept. 2025 | 00:52:05 | |
Karl Vaters interviews Leanne Friesen about grief. Specifically, how pastors, family members, and other caring people can help give people the room to process their grief when they go through a profound loss. Karl and Leanne also talk about how to process those feelings ourselves. Leanne is a former pastor and is the author of Grieving Room: Making Space for All the Hard Things after Death and Loss. She talks with wisdom and compassion about the difficult, but important principles she learned as she went through the death of her sister more than a decade ago. Links:
Bonus video How to Give People Room When They’re Not “Getting Over” Their Grief, with Leanne Friesen Karl Vaters interviews Leanne Friesen about one of the hardest aspects of grief – what happens when you can’t seem to “get over it” the way people seem to think you should? As Leanne explains, when a loved one dies, the ones who have lost them need room for grief to be a part of their lives for the rest of their life. By recognizing this, they can deal with it in a much healthier way. Links: To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 111: Using AI To Find Great Sermon Illustrations, with Darrell Stetler | 11 sept. 2025 | 00:48:39 | |
Karl Vaters talks with Darrell Stetler about a new AI program Darrell has created, called Sermon Illustrator. After a short introduction to what AI is, and some of the advantages and dangers of using it, they narrow in on this tool that helps pastors with a very specific task – finding illustrations (stories, metaphors, historical events, and so on) that can give your well-prepared sermon a story, a photo, a video, or another illustration that will help your content connect in a memorable way. Podcast Links:
Also from Darrell Stetler:
Social media:
Bonus Content Some Strengths and Dangers of Using AI for Sermon Prep, with Darrell Stetler Karl Vaters interviews Darrell Stetler about what AI is good for, and some of the dangers AI poses, specifically when it comes to prepping Sunday sermons. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 110: Healthy Goal-setting and Helping The Big Church Feel Small, with Luke Simmons | 28 août 2025 | 00:47:25 | |
Karl Vaters talks with Luke Simmons, the pastor of Ironwood Church in Mesa, AZ. Recently, Luke and his church elders decided to pursue a very ambitious goal with the aim of helping their large, growing congregation feel smaller and more connected. As a big-church pastor, Luke is not a typical Church Lobby guest, but he and Karl follow each other on X (formerly Twitter) and when Luke posted about this plan it inspired a lot of questions and curiosity. The plan is for the members of their elder team to have one-on-one meetings with 1,000 church members over coffee or a meal this coming year. If those numbers make you feel like this isn’t for you, give it a chance. Luke has a heart for people, and he’s interested in how to set numerical goals that help us reach non-numerical objectives of discipleship, fellowship, and service. Links:
Bonus video How To Conduct An Annual Leadership Meeting, with Luke Simmons Karl Vaters talks with Luke Simmons about some of the steps he follows to gain as much as possible from an annual leadership meeting with his church elders. Points include:
Links:
To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 109: The Future is Bivocational, with Andrew Hamilton | 14 août 2025 | 01:02:43 | |
Over the last few months, several of our podcasts have been about bivo/covocationality, side hustles for pastors, and so on. And more are on the way. Why? Because the future of the church is bivocational. In this episode, Karl Vaters talks to Andrew Hamilton about the content from his book, The Future is Bivocational: Shaping Christian Leaders for a Post-Christian World, including the theological foundation for bivocational ministry, how work isn’t a sinful result of the fall, but an element of God’s creative design for us, and the value of covocational ministry for the pastor, the church, and the community. The second half of the conversation includes several very practical steps for any pastor who’s considering bivocationality, including:
And more Links:
Bonus video Eight Options for Finding Bivocational Work, with Andrew Hamilton Are you considering becoming a bivocational pastor? Karl Vaters talks to Andrew Hamilton about some practical work options that mesh well with a pastoral schedule and skillset, from the content from his book, The Future is Bivocational: Shaping Christian Leaders for a Post-Christian World, including:
To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 108: Creating an Environment for Discipleship to Thrive and Multiply, with Bryan Sims | 31 juil. 2025 | 01:07:14 | |
*ATTENTION NEEDED* Help us get to Malaysia by going to KarlVaters.com/support Anything you can give will be appreciated. Karl Vaters interviews Bryan Sims about creating an environment for discipleship to thrive, from his book, Creating Space: Cultivating Environments for Disciples of Jesus to Thrive and Multiply (co-written with Craig Robertson). In the first half of the book, and of our conversation, we talk about the importance of creating PSDs (Passionate Spiritual Disciples) and how the church needs to get better at creating space for it to happen among our church members. Then in the second half, we get practical, talking about four tools to help this happen in your church. Plus, Bryan addresses the five characteristics of healthy disciple-making environments, and more. Links:
Bonus video The 4 Stages of Disciple-making Environments, with Bryan Sims Karl Vaters interviews Bryan Sims about the 4 different types of environments that are needed for varying stages of spiritual growth, from his book, Creating Space: Cultivating Environments for Disciples of Jesus to Thrive and Multiply (co-written with Craig Robertson).
To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 107: Optimizing Your Church Website for Three Key Types of Visitors, with Derek Maxson | 17 juil. 2025 | 00:46:26 | |
Karl Vaters interviews Derek Maxson about some simple ways to make sure your church website is reaching the three kinds of people who are most likely to use it. Derek runs Spiffy.Church, an online ministry that specializes in helping smaller churches get the most from their websites, using limited time and resources. Derek and Karl talk about how to optimize your church website by making it simple and affordable, and how to use it to help three types of people.
Links:
Bonus video Three Simple Changes You Can Make To Your Church Website, with Derek Maxson Church websites shouldn’t be as complicated as we make them. In this bonus chat, Karl Vaters talks with Derek Maxson about a few quick changes you can make to your church website that will immediately make it better for everyone.
Links: To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 106: Segregation, Affinity Spaces, and How the Gospel Defeats Racism, with Mika Edmondson | 03 juil. 2025 | 01:05:01 | |
Karl Vaters interviews Mike Edmondson about the hot-button topics of racial segregation in the American church, why affinity spaces matter, and how the gospel defeats racism – even the racism that has sometimes been promoted within the institutional church. Mika speaks with experience, wisdom, directness, and grace, generating more light than heat. Some of what Mika and Karl talk about includes:
And more.
Links: To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 105: Recovering from Sexually Related Trauma, with Rachel Bren | 19 juin 2025 | 00:46:53 | |
Rachel Bren is a survivor of sexually related trauma, and now she serves with SRTServices.org, which helps people recover from their trauma, and can help you and your church. She’s also the co-host of the Grace & Grenades podcast. Karl Vaters interviews Rachel about what sexual related trauma is, how the church can help those dealing with it, some mistakes to avoid, and more. Links:
Bonus video How Your Church Can Help People Recover from Sexually Related Trauma, with Rachel Bren Karl Vaters talks with Rachel Bren about how SRTServices.org can come alongside your church to give you the tools to help people who are dealing with sexually related trauma. Links: To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 104: What Is the Minimum for a Church to be Viable? with Sam Peters | 05 juin 2025 | 00:54:36 | |
Karl Vaters interviews Sam Peters about the microchurch model, and more specifically, what are the minimum aspects that need to be in place for a church to be a church? If you’re serving a small church that’s considering if you have a viable path forward, the microchurch model is worth considering, and Sam offers some help for thinking about it in fresh, new ways. Sam Peters is a church consultant, and the author of several books, including Small Church, Big Opportunity; BIG Faith: Six Key Factors that Grow Your Faith in God, & Rebuilding Stronger: Navigating the Post-Pandemic Landscape of Worship. Links:
Bonus video The Limitations of the Institutional Church in Reaching the Community Karl Vaters interviews Sam Peters about some of the limitations that are now coming to light about the institutional church model (building, salary, etc.) that we’ve both spent our lives in. The challenges we talk about include: 1. Physical and Financial Constraints: Many churches invest most of their resources into maintaining buildings and programs rather than directly engaging the lost. This is especially difficult for smaller congregations. 2. Passive Churchgoers Instead of Active Disciple-Makers: Institutional churches can unintentionally foster a consumer mindset, where members attend services but are not equipped to lead or disciple others. 3. Limited Reach Beyond Church Walls: Most churches expect people to come to them rather than embedding the Gospel in everyday life and relationships. 4. Slow Adaptation to Cultural Shifts: In an age of rapid change, large churches with complex structures often struggle to pivot quickly to meet new challenges and opportunities. 5. Overemphasis on Sunday Gatherings: The primary focus in many churches is the Sunday experience, but disciple-making happens most effectively in smaller, relational environments. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 103: Helping Small Churches Win Guests, with Desmond Barrett | 22 mai 2025 | 01:01:36 | |
Karl Vaters interviews Desmond Barrett about how small churches can do a better job at reaching, welcoming, and keeping guests. Desmond is the author of Helping Small Churches Win Guests: Preparing to Increase Attendance, which is a short, but very practical book that pastors will find great benefit in. Karl and Desmond talk about:
Links:
Bonus video 5 Options When a Church Property is Too Big for the Congregation, with Desmond Barrett Karl Vaters talks with Desmond Barrett, the author of Helping Small Churches Win Guests: Preparing to Increase Attendance, about a subject that is a challenge for a growing number of congregations. What can you do when a church facility that was built to hold hundreds of people has just a handful or worshipers left? The five options they discuss are:
Links: Helping Small Churches Win Guests: Preparing to Increase Attendance To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 102: Five Trends In Technology and the Church, with Brad Hill | 08 mai 2025 | 00:50:45 | |
Karl Vaters interviews Brad Hill about some of the latest findings concerning the church and technology. Brad is the Chief Solutions Officer at Gloo, an organization that came out of nowhere a few years ago, and now seems to be everywhere. After clarifying Karl’s curiosity about who/what Gloo actually is, they talk about some of the important findings from a recent study Gloo conducted with Barna. If you’re not an early adopter of technology, this can help you navigate the fast-changing landscape without getting bogged down in details. The five findings Karl and Brad discuss are:
Links:
To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 101: Ministry Sustainability without Money Stress, with Eric Hoke | 24 avr. 2025 | 00:48:25 | |
Eric Hoke is known as the “I Help Pastors Get Jobs” Guy. Karl Vaters talks with Eric about how to build long-term sustainable ministry, reduce financial stress, and create value in the marketplace by becoming an intentionally covocational pastor. Eric’s new book, Market Street Pastor: Ministry Sustainability without Money Stress, addresses many of the issues involved in making the shift toward covocational ministry. This conversation covers the subjects of:
Links from this episode:
Bonus Content How to Build a LinkedIn Profile that Will Get Job Leads, with Eric Hoke LinkedIn remains a primary online site for those seeking employment, and it’s especially helpful for pastors seeking covocational employment. In this very practical conversation, Eric Hoke talks with Karl Vaters about some common mistakes to avoid and opportunities to take advantage of that will get you noticed—and get the side hustle job that suits your skills and needs. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 100: The Pastor, the Bible, and Growing Up In a Pastor’s Home (with Albert Vaters) | 10 avr. 2025 | 00:47:24 | |
For Episode 100, Karl Vaters has a very special conversation with his father, Albert Vaters, about the pastor’s relationship with God’s Word, the Bible. In addition to each of them spending 40 years as pastors (over 80 years of combined pastoral ministry!), they were also both raised as preacher’s kids, so they can speak from multiple perspectives about life in a pastor’s home. In this conversation, Karl and Albert talk about:
Links:
| |||
| Ep 099: Russ Taff, on Childhood Trauma, Church Hurt, Alcoholism, Fame, Redemption, and His New Album | 27 mars 2025 | 02:05:25 | |
Karl Vaters talks with Russ Taff. One of the great voices of Contemporary Christian Music (CCM) in the 1970s-90s, Russ won five Grammys, 13 Dove Awards, and was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame three times (with the Imperials, the Gaither Vocal Band, and as a solo artist). He also spent decades struggling with alcoholism, church hurt, and shame, stemming from the severe trauma he experienced in the pastor's house of his childhood. This interview is raw. It’s real, and it’s very emotional. In addition to talking through his testimony at length, Karl and Russ also take a song-by-song walk through his newest album, which is a journey through his story of pain, trauma, lament, and redemption. Links:
| |||
| Ep 098: Ten Things They Didn't Tell Me About Leadership, with Alberto Bello | 13 mars 2025 | 00:50:28 | |
Alberto Bello is a church planter in Bakersfield CA, and he’s written one of those books everyone says they could write, Ten Things They Didn't Tell Me About Leadership. Karl Vaters talks with Alberto about that book, the experiences that led to it, and the lessons to be learned from it. Including:
Links: | |||
| EP 097: Getting Your Church on the Road to Greater Health, with Mike Rubino | 27 févr. 2025 | 00:53:16 | |
Mike Rubino is a pastor in the unique ministry environment of Long Island NY. He’s also the founder and director of Church Revitalize, which helps churches that need to revitalize their ministry, through cohorts, coaching, and more. Karl Vaters talks with Mike about church revitalization, with a focus on Mike’s new workbook, The Revitalize Roadmap: Getting Your Church on the Road to Greater Health. Subjects include:
Links:
To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 096: Disability Inclusion In the Church, with Barb Stanley | 13 févr. 2025 | 00:41:12 | |
Every church should be open to everyone who wants to attend. So, we need to be more purposeful about making sure we're not unintentionally denying access without realizing it. Barbara Stanley oversees Wonderful Works Ministry, which equips churches to serve families affected by disability. They have a large and growing set of resources to help churches of all types. Karl Vaters talks with Barb about a variety of subjects, including:
Links: | |||
| Ep 95: The Clergy Sabbatical Toolkit, with Sean Nemecek | 30 janv. 2025 | 00:49:51 | |
A clergy sabbatical is not a luxury for the few, it’s an essential element in recalibrating your ministry and reestablishing healthy habits for ministry longevity. Sabbaticals are having a moment right now. With the accelerated pace of life and ministry, we’re recognizing their value in a fresh, new way. Sean Nemecek and the team at Pastor In Residence Ministries have been working with pastors for years, helping them get the most out of a sabbatical. And now they’ve put it all in one place with the Clergy Sabbatical Toolkit,, a practical guide that will help pastors, their congregations, and their families. Karl Vaters talkes with Sean talk about the aspects of an effective sabbatical, including:
Links: Bonus Content Anger, Depression, and Temptation: Dealing with the Unexpected on Your Sabbatical, with Sean Nemecek Stuff happens when you step away from the hectic pace of everyday ministry life to take a multi-month sabbatical. Most of it is good, some of it is surprising, and if you’re not ready for it, some of it can cause damage. Thankfully, Sean Nemecek and the team at Pastor In Residence Ministries have been working with pastors for years, helping them get the most out of their sabbaticals. And now they’ve put it all in one place with the Clergy Sabbatical Toolkit. In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Sean about some of the unexpected things that happen on sabbatical, so you can be prepared to get the most out of your time of refreshing and renewal. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 94: Using Storytelling Techniques to Make Your Message Stick, with Payton Minzenmayer | 16 janv. 2025 | 00:49:53 | |
Have you ever noticed that people don’t pay attention to sermons the way they used to? It may not be the fault of shorter attention spans (not exclusively, anyway). There’s a lot more happening — and we, as pastors and communicators can do something about it. Karl Vaters talks with Payton Minzenmayer. He's a pastor, and the founder of ChristianStoryLab.com, a new website that offers great ideas to make our writing and speaking more engaging by using the aspects of story — just like Jesus did. Some of what they talk about includes:
Links:
You can follow Payton on LinkedIn and X. Bonus video (Supporters and Subscribers only) 3 Simple Habits to Elevate Your Writing and Speaking, with Payton Minzenmayer Storytelling is the most powerful form of communication. But most of us could use help to do it better. Karl Vaters talks with Payton Minzenmayer, of ChristianStoryLab.com, about the three habits Payton uses every day to strengthen his storytelling muscles. They’re simple, repeatable, and so helpful. Links: To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 93: Cultivating a Multiethnic Kingdom Culture, with Jamaal Williams and Timothy Paul Jones | 02 janv. 2025 | 01:00:54 | |
According to John’s vision in Revelation 7:9, heaven will be filled with people who are still recognized by their ethnicity (every nation, tribe, people, and language). So, if we want the church here and now to reflect that, Sunday mornings must stop being the most segregated time of the week. That’s the premise of Karl Vaters’ conversation with Jamaal Williams and Timothy Paul Jones, the co-authors of In Church as It Is in Heaven: Cultivating a Multiethnic Kingdom Culture, which Karl named as one of his best nonfiction books of the year for 2024. Jamaal and Timothy focus on what we can do to create a more kingdom-minded approach to ethnic diversity, while acknowledging that ethnic diversity is not the point of the church, but a byproduct of the gospel message. Links:
Bonus video 3 Steps to Move Your Church Toward Multiethnic Generosity, with Jamaal Williams and Timothy Paul Jones One of the habits (liturgies) that Jamaal Williams and Timothy Paul Jones suggest in their book, In Church as It Is in Heaven: Cultivating a Multiethnic Kingdom Culture, is to help your church move toward multiethnic generosity. Karl Vaters talks with them as they suggest a simple plan to visit a faithful, gospel-driven church outside your own ethnicity or culture once every three months. Embrace this habit as an opportunity to learn from sisters and brothers in other cultures. And when you do, walk through these three steps:
To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 92: How Christianity Became The Air We All Breathe, with Glen Scrivener | 19 déc. 2024 | 00:45:33 | |
The crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus changed everything. Not just for eternity, but for the world here and now. According to Glen Scrivener, the author of The Air We Breathe, How We All Came to Believe In Freedom, Kindness, Progress, and Equality, most of what we now consider to be self-evident human values were not so evident or common before Jesus. In this conversation, Karl and Glen talk about:
Podcast Links:
Bonus Summary How Good Theology Became the Basis for Good Science, with Glen Scrivener Good theology and good science are good friends. In this short conversation with Glen Scrivener, Karl Vaters asks him about the three legs upon which this reality sits. These three principles become clear when we have a better understanding of the first three chapters of the Bible:
To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 91: The Prophetic Voice of Deconstruction, with Scot McKnight | 05 déc. 2024 | 00:44:26 | |
Karl Vaters talks with Scot McKnight about what we can learn from those who are deconstructing their faith. This conversation is based on the content of Scot’s new book (co-written with Tommy Preson Phillips), Invisible Jesus: A Book about Leaving the Church and Looking for Christ. This is a challenging book and a challenging conversation, especially if you are to the right of center theologically and politically (like Scot and Karl). But I encourage you not to write it off for those reasons. Scot makes the case, through personal observation and thorough statistics, that people who use a term like “deconstruction” are probably not leaving Jesus, but are usually trying to find a simpler, more genuine representation of him than what they’ve seen in many of our churches. Deconstructors are asking important questions and shining a light on issues we need to pay attention to. Links from this Episode:
Bonus Content Summary
The Three Stages of Deconstruction From chapter 6 of Invisible Jesus: A Book about Leaving the Church and Looking for Christ, Scot McKnight shares the three distinct steps most deconstructors go through (Liminality, Elimination, and Liberation), and what they mean. Knowing these phases can be very helpful for us, as church leaders, to be involved in the conversation with them. When we step into this space instead of running from it, we have the chance to learn, and to guide them as they seek to draw closer to Jesus. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 90: How Bible Reading Can Jumpstart Your Church’s Discipleship, with Matt Lucas | 21 nov. 2024 | 00:51:34 | |
Karl Vaters interviews Matt Lucas about starting your congregation on the road to spiritual maturity through increasing their Bible reading. Specifically, how reading the Bible at least four times a week is so powerful, it's been called "The Power of Four." Matt is the CEO of Our Daily Bread (known for their quarterly devotionals) and The Center for Bible Engagement. Karl and Matt talk about:
Links:
Bonus Content Summary A Congregational Survey to Help Track Your Congregation’s Spiritual Maturity, with Matt Lucas How do you know if your congregation is maturing? Tracking church attendance is not enough. Matt Lucas and the team at Our Daily Bread are creating a powerful new tool to help pastors and their congregations. In this Bonus Material, Karl Vaters talks with Matt as he shows us this new tool, explaining what it will do, how easy it will be, and how you’ll be able to use it to lead your congregation well. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 89: Vibrant Ministry After Retirement Age, with Lisa Northway | 07 nov. 2024 | 00:50:00 | |
Retirement isn’t what it used to be. In the U.S. military, retirement is mandatory at 62 years of age, but U.S. Army Garrison Chaplain (MAJ) Lisa A. Northway is an exception to that. Lisa, who’s currently stationed in Fort Sill, OK, has been called the “Grandma Moses” of the Army Chaplaincy. She recently received permission to extend her chaplaincy for a few more years. In this podcast, Karl Vaters talks with Lisa about how to have vibrant ministry past retirement age, including
Links from this Episode:
Bonus Content Navigating the Challenges of Being a Woman In Ministry, with Lisa Northway What roles does the Bible allow women to serve in the church? This is a hot-button topic, for sure. In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with U.S. Army Garrison Chaplain Lisa Northway about the challenges she faces as a woman in ministry, and how to address those issues among the troops she serves. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 088: The Gift of Small: Embracing Your Church’s Vocation, with Allen T. Stanton | 24 oct. 2024 | 00:46:51 | |
Small churches aren’t a problem to fix, they’re a unique part of the body of Christ that has gifts we need to embrace. Karl Vaters talks with Allen T. Stanton about the importance of embracing what’s right about small churches, not in spite of being small, but because they’re small, in a conversation based on the content of Allen's book, The Gift of Small: Embracing Your Church’s Vocation. Some of the subjects they cover include:
Links:
Bonus Content Four Practices to Help Your Small Church Stay Nimble, with Allen T. Stanton Karl Vaters talks with Allen T. Stanton about the importance of:
To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 087: Covocational Pastoring: What It Is, And Why You Should Consider It (with Jon Sanders) | 10 oct. 2024 | 00:46:28 | |
Working a side hustle is no longer the exception for pastors, it’s the norm. Embracing it might answer a lot of your (and your church’s) needs. Karl Vaters talks with Jon Sanders about the rise in covocational pastoring and why it’s something more pastors, especially small-church pastors, should take seriously. Jon is the co-host of the EntrePastors Podcast and the co-founder of EntrePastors.com (with Les Hughes). The culture around us is shifting. The idea that someone entering the workplace will get a single full-time job to pay the bills is a rarity. And the church is no exception. But, unlike the secular marketplace, we shouldn’t be playing catch-up with this. We can lead. Jon and Karl talk about several important aspects of bivo/covo ministry, including:
And more. Jon also serves as the Director of Coaching for the 95Network, a ministry that specializes in serving small to midsize churches. Podcast Links:
Bonus Material Finding a Covocational Job That Fits a Pastor’s Skills and Schedule, with Jon Sanders What marketplace jobs work well for covocational pastors? The skills you have honed as a pastor are highly desirable in the secular marketplace. But how can they be turned into a paying job that won’t interfere with your pastoral calling? In the bonus conversation I talk to Jon Sanders of EntrePastors.com about how to make that transition, including several real-life examples of pastors who have made that transition well. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 086: Vibrant Ministry From A Traditional Building In A Difficult City, with Tim Walker | 26 sept. 2024 | 01:00:13 | |
Why would a young church planter choose to do ministry in the poorest neighborhood of a city in crisis? Many churches are fleeing the inner cities. Grand old church buildings with deep histories sit empty. But Tim Walker and Restored Church are facing these realities head-on in Wilkes-Barre PA. Karl Vaters talks with Tim about subjects like:
Links from this episode:
Bonus Content How To Foster Pastoral Collaboration In Your Town, with Tim Walker Karl Vaters talks with Tim Walker about how he and other pastors in his town have created a network of ministry collaboration that blesses all churches and reaches the community more effectively. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 085: The Necessity of Being Offended by Jesus, with Chase Replogle | 12 sept. 2024 | 00:45:19 | |
Karl Vaters talks with Chase Replogle about one of the most controversial, but unavoidable topics today—living with offense without being offended. This material comes from his just-released book, A Sharp Compassion: 7 Hard Words to Heal Our Insecurities and Free Us from Offense. Karl and Chase talk about why offense is a necessary part of life, how to use it well, and deal with it properly. Subjects include:
Chase Replogle is also the author of The 5 Masculine Instincts: A Guide to Becoming a Better Man, and is the host of the Pastor Writer Podcast. He pastors the Bent Oak Church in Springfield, Missouri. Links from this episode:
Bonus Content Summary The Danger Of The Cult Of Self-affirmation Karl Vaters talks with Chase Replogle about the dangers of using self-affirmation as a guide to life and truth. Recent surveys have shown that self-affirmation, and specifically “how I feel at the moment” have widely replaced universal truths in many people’s lives. It’s also made its way into the church. While 91% of U.S. adults agree that “the best way to find yourself is by looking within yourself,” 76% of practicing Christians agreed with that statement. As Chase wrote in A Sharp Compassion, “Religion has not disappeared from America, as so many feared; instead, it has, like everything from our entertainment to our diets, become personalized. It has shifted from the risk of offense to the affirmation of the self.” | |||
| Ep 084: How To Do A Great Trunk-or-Treat At Your Church, with Darrell Stetler | 29 août 2024 | 00:47:02 | |
In September and October over 1.2 million people will search online for “Trunk-or-Treat near me.” Here’s how to be one of the churches they find. Karl Vaters talks with Darrell Stetler about practical steps to help churches of any size put on a high-quality, gospel-centered Trunk-or-Treat event. Darrell is a small-church pastor in Oklahoma City and he has created a free 23-page guide called Trunk-orTreat Planning for Churches: A Step-by-step Guide. Karl and Darrell talk about:
Podcast Links:
Also from Darrell Stetler:
Social media:
Bonus Summary Yes, Your Church Can Do Trunk-or-Treat without Compromising Your Christian Values, with Darrell Stetler If you have problems with Halloween, I'm right there with you. Not a fan. In this short video, Darrell Stetler and Karl Vaters talk about:
Bonus Content Links:
| |||
| Ep 083: Flyover Church: Jesus' Ministry in Rural Places, with Brad Roth | 15 août 2024 | 00:45:42 | |
Karl Vaters talks with Brad Roth about the content from his new book, Flyover Church: How Jesus’ Ministry in Rural Places Is Good News Everywhere, for which Karl wrote the foreword. Topics include:
Brad is also the author of The Hunger Inside: How the Meal Jesus Gave Transforms Lives, and God's Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church. Links:
Brad Roth Bonus Chat summary One New Person: Toward An Authentic Metric For The Rural Church Karl Vaters talks with Brad Roth about how and why metrics work very differently in rural churches than in urban and suburban churches. As Brad wrote, “Most of us don’t need numbers to know whether our church is thriving. Numbers often stand in for intuition and attempt to substitute with a dashboard what can only be learned through years spent with a people in a place.” To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 082: Pastoring Difficult People, with Craig T. Owens | 01 août 2024 | 00:55:38 | |
Sometimes pastors are our own worst enemy, so we need to recognize that God chose us for this work. There’s probably not a single pastor (at least not a long-term pastor) who can’t relate to the title of Craig T Owens’ latest book, When Sheep Bite: Help for Shepherd Leaders Who May Have Felt the Painful Bites. In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Craig about what those bites mean, where they come from and what to do about them. Then they spend the bulk of the episode covering the chapters that make up the meat of his book:
Links:
BONUS MATERIAL Navigating Your Way Through Good Stress And Bad Stress, with Craig Owens Karl Vaters interviews Craig T Owens about the fact that there are two kinds of stress that we all face:
In life, as in ministry, it’s essential that we know the difference, and that we’re aware of how to reduce the negative, while embracing and growing with the positive. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 081: Should Your Church Consider the Microchurch Model?, with Frank Wooden | 18 juil. 2024 | 00:49:27 | |
Karl Vaters talks with Frank Wooden about Microchurches. Frank has been a church planter for decades, but is now concentrating on the Microchurch model as a valid, healthy alternative in a changing cultural landscape. Karl and Frank talk about:
And more
Links:
Bonus Content Summary How to Help an Existing Church Adapt to the Microchurch Model Karl Vaters talks with Frank Wooden about the value of the Microchurch model as an alternative for a church in crisis. They discuss how this model might help answer financial challenges, the importance of being proactive, what to do with a church’s institutional assets if they adapt this model, and how to address concerns from mature members. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 080: Practical Ideas that Work In Small Churches, with Laurie Acker | 04 juil. 2024 | 00:33:29 | |
Karl Vaters talks with Laurie Acker about the changing face of small church ministry, especially as it relates to recruiting, training, and relying on the volunteers who are so essential in helping small churches survive and thrive in a changing world. Laurie runs SmallChurchMinistry.com, an online ministry that provides resources and support for volunteers and ministry leaders in smaller churches. Ministries like this are so important because they help provide practical help for the volunteers who do small-church ministry without any prior training. Links from this episode:
Bonus Content Karl Vaters talks with Laurie Acker about Using a Planning Party to Jumpstart Youth/Kids Ministry. She suggests who should be involved, when to hold the meeting, and more. Karl and Laurie also talk about how healthy small churches are uniquely suited to meet the needs of youth and kids in an environment that values relationships and connection over programs and professionalism. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 079: Church Collaboration and Killing Consumerism in a Post-Christian Context, with Dan Nichols | 20 juin 2024 | 00:49:45 | |
Pastoring in a post-Christian context is different. The more counter-cultural our faith becomes, the more important it is to understand that Christian consumerism is deadly and church cooperation is essential. Karl Vaters talks with Dan Nichols about these subjects, including:
Dan Nichols is the pastor of Grace Christian Fellowship in Cortland NY, and the founder of Northeast Collaborative. Links:
Bonus Content Karl Vaters talks with Dan Nichols about Creating a Spirit of Generosity in a Local Church. Dan’s church takes an offering every year that they give away in its entirety to ministries outside their church. This year it will go to nine other local churches that they work alongside. Karl and Dan talk about how that kind of generosity happens, and what a pastor can do to start moving a church away from fear and toward being outrageously generous. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 078: De-sizing the Church (pt 10): First Reactions from Church Leaders | 06 juin 2024 | 00:31:35 | |
As we come to the end of our ten-part series based on De-sizing the Church, we’re highlighting portions of conversations Karl Vaters had with five church leaders from various backgrounds about their first reactions to reading the book.
Links:
To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 077: De-Sizing The Church (pt 9): The Danger of Idolizing Outcomes, with Mike Rubino | 30 mai 2024 | 00:19:38 | |
Karl Vaters talks with Mike Rubino about his First Reaction to the first chapter of De-sizing the Church, The Danger of Idolizing Outcomes. Karl and Mike look at:
When we’re obsessed with doing something that Jesus never told us to do we’re always in danger of it becoming an idol. And the weight of that is more than we can bear. Mike Rubino is the pastor of Cornerstone Bible Church, Port Jefferson Station, on Long island NY, and the founder of the Church Revitalize Center. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 076: De-Sizing the Church (pt 8): Are We Too Quick to Replatform Fallen Pastors? with Matt Steen | 23 mai 2024 | 00:24:25 | |
A conversation with Matt Steen about the potential dangers of replatforming fallen pastors too quickly. This is the first of three First Reaction episodes in which I talk to people who read advance copies of De-sizing the Church to get their response to some of the issues I raise in it. As the co-founder of Chemistry Staffing, which helps churches find great staff members, and staff members find awesome churches, Matt has a unique insight about the right time to replatform pastors after they’ve failed morally. Matt and I also address the issues of Platform Addiction, the effect on victims when we replatform fallen pastors too quickly (or at all), and the important idea that restoring someone back into ministry doesn't always mean getting them back on a platform again. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 075: De-Sizing the Church (pt 7) How To Use Your God-given Platform Well, with Daniel Darling | 16 mai 2024 | 00:29:11 | |
Fame and celebrity have many downsides. But Daniel Darling brings a balanced approach to this subject by reminding us that fame is also what allows a good message to get through the clutter. In this episode, Karl talks with Dan about a Twitter thread Dan wrote expressing appreciation for the fame of Tim Keller. It was Tim Keller's platform and the celebrity status it gave him that allowed Dan and so many others to be introduced to Keller’s teachings. Dan’s perspective on the value of having a platform is an important balance to our conversations about the dangers of celebrity. Dan Darling is the director of The Land Center, a columnist for WORLD and an opinion contributor for USA Today. Links:
Karl's new book, De-sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, is now available wherever you buy books, either electronically or in print. If you’ve read the book and you’d like Karl to speak to your group about the issues he raises in it, reach out at KarlVaters.com/Contact Me. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 074: De-Sizing the Church (pt 6): Reframing Ministry Success to Reach the Misfits and the Marginalized, with Dave Gibbons | 10 mai 2024 | 00:38:45 | |
What happens when a pastor sets out, not to minister to people who look like him, but to purposely reach people who look as different from his current congregation as possible? That’s what Dave Gibbons, the founding pastor of Newsong Church in Orange County, CA did. In this episode, Karl Vaters talks with him about the planting of Newsong, the challenges Dave faced when he decided to guide them to look more like the diverse county they were ministering in. Dave talks honestly and vulnerably about how the Holy Spirit challenged him to reach out to the misfits and the marginalized. This challenged him and the church in huge ways, including a massive drop in attendance that he had to find his way through emotionally, financially, and spiritually. Karl's new book, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next is now available wherever you buy books, either electronically or in print. If you’ve read the book and you’d like Karl to speak to your group about the issues he raises in it, reach out at KarlVaters.com/contactme. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 073: De-Sizing the Church (pt 5): Forming a Goodness Culture In the Local Church, with Scot McKnight | 02 mai 2024 | 00:39:47 | |
Meritocracy has become embedded in the American church. In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Scot McKnight about why this is dangerous, how to notice the warning signs of a toxic church culture, the problems with being or following a narcissistic leader, and more. Scot McKnight is the co-author (with Laura Barringer) of A Church Called Tov: Forming a Goodness Culture That Resists Abuses of Power and Promotes Healing. Karl's new book, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next is now available wherever you buy books, either electronically or in print. If you’ve read the book and you’d like Karl to speak to your group about the issues he raises in it, reach out at KarlVaters.com/contactme. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 072: De-Sizing the Church (pt 4): Unintended Consequences of the Church Growth Movement, with Bob Smietana | 25 avr. 2024 | 00:44:42 | |
Karl Vaters interviews Bob Smietana, a columnist for Religion News Service, and the author of Reorganized Religion: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why it Matters. Bob and Karl discuss some of unintended consequences of the Church Growth Movement from Bob's unique vantage point. They also delve into the dangers of bigness and what we can do about it. Then they discuss Smietana’s fascinating article, “There’s a Reason Every Hit Worship Song Sounds the Same,” and what it says about the current church culture. Links
Karl's new book, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next is now available wherever you buy books, either electronically or in print. If you’ve read the book and you’d like me to speak to your group about the issues I raise in it, reach out to me at KarlVaters.com/contactme. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 071: De-Sizing the Church (pt 3): What Eugene Peterson Is Still Teaching Us About Pastoral Ministry, with Winn Collier | 18 avr. 2024 | 00:38:07 | |
If small church pastors have a modern patron saint, Eugene Peterson might be it. In this episode, Karl Vaters talks with Peterson’s biographer, Winn Collier about the places where Winn’s book, A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message, overlaps with Karl's book, De-sizing the Church. They talk about how Winn was entrusted to write Peterson’s authorized bio, why people (especially pastors) are still so fascinated by Peterson’s writings, his life, and the way he pastored. Then they narrow in on how Peterson accurately, but fairly critiqued the church growth movement and our obsession with bigness. Finally, they address several parts of Peterson’s life and ministry that didn’t fit into De-sizing the Church, including:
Links:
Karl's new book, De-sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, is now available wherever you buy books, either electronically or in print. If you’ve read the book and you’d like Karl to speak to your group about the issues he raises in it, reach out at KarlVaters.com/Contact Me. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 070: De-Sizing the Church (pt 2): Why Christian Celebrity Culture Guarantees Moral Failure, with Katelyn Beaty | 11 avr. 2024 | 00:40:53 | |
One of the biggest dangers of our obsession with church size is the rise of the Christian celebrity culture. Katelyn Beaty is the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. Katelyn defines celebrity as “social power without proximity.” In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Katelyn about what that means, why it’s a problem, and why we in the church are so susceptible to the lure of celebrity. There’s also great hope for those who have been led astray by Christian celebrity culture, whether you’re the one following a celebrity, or if you’re the one desiring to be followed. Links: Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church Karl's new book, De-sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, is now available wherever you buy books, either electronically or in print. If you’ve read the book and you’d like Karl to speak to your group about the issues he raises in it, reach out at KarlVaters.com/Contact Me. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 069: De-Sizing the Church (pt 1): How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, with Karl Vaters | 04 avr. 2024 | 00:36:30 | |
We have an unhealthy relationship with bigness in the church. Especially in the American church. And it’s killing us. The rate of church closures, departing members, and pastoral burnout is growing exponentially. This is the first episode of a series of podcasts based on Karl Vaters’ new book, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. Karl talks about how we became so obsessed with bigness in the church, why it’s dangerous, and what we can do to change course. Look for upcoming De-sizing the Church episodes in which Karl interviews Katelyn Beaty, Scot McKnight, Winn Collier, and more. Karl's new book, De-sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, is now available wherever you buy books, either electronically or in print. If you’ve read the book and you’d like Karl to speak to your group about the issues he raises in it, reach out at KarlVaters.com/Contact Me. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 068: The Small Church Worship Advantage, with Teresa Stewart | 21 mars 2024 | 00:49:25 | |
Have you ever felt like your church is “less than” because you don’t have a worship experience with the talented musicians you’ve seen in larger churches? According to Teresa Stewart, not only is that not needed for an excellent worship experience, but the small church actually has advantages that are not always available to our big-church friends. In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Teresa Stewart about some of those advantages, including:
Teresa Stewart is the author of The Small Church Advantage: Seven Powerful Worship Practices that Work Best in Small Settings. Teresa’s approach is simple, practical, and applicable in most small-church settings. She challenges some of the ways we’ve thought about small-church worship, offers viable alternatives, then gives some wonderful step-by-step advice about how to curate worship to be more participatory without letting chaos reign. Links from this Episode:
Bonus Content The Role of Conversation in Small-Church Worship, with Teresa Stewart Karl Vaters talks with Teresa Stewart about conversation can be incorporated into the small-church experience. She encourages us to start slow and small. And she helps us curate the experience so it doesn't become a free-for-all. As Teresa wrote in her book, “Conversation in worship is not an anything-goes pursuit. It should serve and deepen the worship. Begin by curating worship in one element of your usual order.” On a very practical level, Teresa talks about the three levels of questions and conversation. Knowing these levels will help you approach this with wisdom and patience, allowing people to participate while maintaining a sense of direction. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 067: Beyond Burnout: Growing a Healthy Soul, with Ian Borkent | 07 mars 2024 | 00:32:08 | |
Ian Borkent is a pastor in the Netherlands who walked through a season of ministry burnout and now helps pastors address this issue in their own lives through the ministry of Grow a Healthy Soul. In this episode we’ll talk about the causes of pastoral burnout, how to avoid it, and how to recruit church members to the task of helping pastors by employing the five-fold ministry gifts. Also, I’ll be sharing some of content of my new book, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next (coming April 2, 2024) and how our obsession with bigness is a major contributing factor to pastoral burnout, church scandals, and more. Links From This Episode Bonus Chat (Available to Patreon supporters and newsletter subscribers on our YouTube channel) Helping Your Pastor Lead Beyond Burnout Karl Vaters talks with Ian Borkent about how congregation members have a calling to help their pastor, including what pastors can do to let congregation members know they need their help. They also talk about Bunjee Cord Leadership, plus the importance of simply asking for help, and working through the discomfort of not doing everything. Link: How to Lead and Still Have a Life: The 8 Principles of Less is More Leadership, by H. Dale Burke. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 066: Brain Science, Christian Connection, and Character Development, with Michel Hendricks | 23 févr. 2024 | 00:47:54 | |
Our brains are the most important, but least understood part of our body. In this episode, Karl Vaters interviews Michel Hendricks about the fascinating place where faith and brain science intersect. Michel is the co-author (with Jim Wilder) of The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation, which Karl listed as one of his top ten books in 2023. If a conversation about brain science sounds intimidating, it’s not. Both the book and this conversation put the cookies on a low shelf for all of us. Michel is the Director of Life Model Consulting at LifeModelWorks.org where he works with churches and organizations to help bring maturity and the transformation of character back into the center of Christian practice. Links:
BONUS MATERIAL The Importance of Joy and Gratitude in Ministry Karl Vaters talks with Michel Hendricks, the co-author (with Jim Wilder) of The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation about the concept that “God designed our brains to run on joy like a car runs on fuel.” The conversation includes why joy "leaks", how to refill our joy tank, and the three importance points of convergence about joy. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||
| Ep 065: Helping Small Churches Thrive (A special message from Karl Vaters) | 08 févr. 2024 | 00:47:19 | |
This is the second of two very special episodes that we’re doing in back-to-back weeks instead of our usual bi-weekly schedule. This episode features the message I preached in January 2024, on the day our church honored Shelley and me for our 31 years of serving the church on staff. In this message, I talked about what we’re doing next, including why God has called us to the ministry of Helping Small Churches Thrive. It includes some of the key points we teach to Small Church Pastors, like:
It also includes how people can support us in this new era of ministry. We will no longer be receiving a salary from the church, but we’re raising all our own funds to be missionaries to the small churches in need. But the churches that need the help the most can afford it the least. To become a financial supporter, please visit https://karlvaters.com/support/. The message ends with one of the most touching stories I’ve ever heard about a Small Church Pastor who, like so many others, is one of the unsung heroes of the faith. To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter. | |||