The Church Lobby
79 episodes - English - Latest episode: 4 days ago - ★★★★★ - 21 ratingsKarl Vaters interviews church leaders about the important issues of faith and ministry.
It's called The Church Lobby because:
The church lobby is where the church meets and does ministry.
The church lobby moves conversations from the stage to the floor.
The church lobby is a good place to take the temperature of a church’s health.
Karl Vaters is the author of several books, including Small Church Essentials and The Grasshopper Myth. Formerly known as Can This Work In a Small Church?, this podcast primarily looks at church leadership from a small church perspective.
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Episodes
Ep 072: De-Sizing the Church (pt 4): Unintended Consequences of the Church Growth Movement, with Bob Smietana
April 25, 2024 07:00 - 46 minutesKarl 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...
Ep 071: De-Sizing the Church (pt 3): What Eugene Peterson Is Still Teaching Us About Pastoral Ministry, with Winn Collier
April 18, 2024 07:00 - 39 minutesIf 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, hi...
Ep 070: De-Sizing the Church (pt 2): Why Christian Celebrity Culture Guarantees Moral Failure, with Katelyn Beaty
April 11, 2024 07:00 - 42 minutesOne 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 b...
Ep 069: De-Sizing the Church (pt 1): How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, with Karl Vaters
April 04, 2024 07:00 - 38 minutesWe 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 d...
Ep 068: The Small Church Worship Advantage, with Teresa Stewart
March 21, 2024 07:00 - 51 minutesHave 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: The Happy Birthday Effect Seeing and adju...
Ep 067: Beyond Burnout: Growing a Healthy Soul, with Ian Borkent
March 07, 2024 08:00 - 33 minutesIan 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,...
Ep 066: Brain Science, Christian Connection, and Character Development, with Michel Hendricks
February 22, 2024 20:46 - 49 minutesOur 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 conver...
Ep 065: Helping Small Churches Thrive (A special message from Karl Vaters)
February 08, 2024 08:00 - 47 minutesThis 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: ...
Ep 064: The Value of Pastoral Longevity (Gary Garcia interviews Karl Vaters)
February 01, 2024 08:00 - 19 minutesThis is the first of two very special episodes that we’re doing in back-to-back weeks, instead of our usual bi-weekly schedule. In January 2024, Karl and Shelley Vaters were honored by their home church as they ended 31 years on the pastoral staff—25 years as lead pastor, six years as teaching pastor. This, and the next episode of The Church Lobby are taken from that Sunday service. This episode features an on-stage interview in which Gary Garcia (the current lead pastor), asks Karl about the...
Ep 063: Using A.I. Without Losing Your Soul: A Step-by-Step Guide, with Jason Moore
January 19, 2024 08:01 - 1 hourA little over a year ago, A.I. came into our lives in a big way. Suddenly, it seemed to be everywhere. Karl Vaters talks with Jason Moore about what A.I. is, why it came into our lives so suddenly, and what its strengths and dangers are. Then they spend the bulk of this slightly longer-than-usual episode with Jason physically walking us through using A.I. in real time, showing it to us on his computer screen. This is a great episode to watch on our YouTube Channel, but we also describe every...
Ep 062: Maybe You Shouldn't Live-Stream Your Church Service, with Tim Fox
December 28, 2023 08:01 - 54 minutesEveryone has an opinion about live streaming, pro or con. As I sift through it, I only want to give a platform to the most helpful, thoughtful voices, and Tim Fox is one of them. In this podcast, we talk about the content of a Facebook post Tim wrote that challenged the reasons most churches live stream their services, while offering some thoughtful alternatives. Tim is not anti tech, but he is good at asking deeper questions about what we’re doing and why we’re doing it. He offers eight poin...
Ep 061: Why Reading Matters for Ministry, with Austin Carty
December 14, 2023 08:00 - 52 minutesPastors need to read, not just for information, but for formation. Austin Carty and Karl Vaters cover topics like: The importance of reading many types of books, not just works of theology and leadership How reading helps us become more mature, wise, and caring How reading the Bible with a sense of wonder helps embed its truths into our lives How important it is to take reading seriously, not a luxury, or as something I squeeze in around ministry, but as an essential aspect of growing in ...
Ep 060: How Just Showing Up Can Change Everything, with Drew Dyck
November 30, 2023 18:27 - 44 minutesJust showing up in people’s lives is such an important aspect of life and ministry. Karl Vaters talks with Drew Dyck about why this is so important, as outlined in Drew’s new book, Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything (A Guide for Exhausted Christians). Including: The value of our physical presence in pastoral ministry The importance of quantity vs quality time How showing up is not the end game, it’s the onramp for healthy life and ministry Links from this episo...
Ep 059: How Churches Can Stop Burning Out Pastors, with Josh Taylor
November 16, 2023 08:01 - 56 minutesBurnout is a huge issue among pastors. But did you know there’s a simple (but not simplistic) way to start addressing and reducing burnout? And that your congregation can help you with it? That’s the premise of Karl's conversation with Josh Taylor, based on his book, A Preach Well Church: How Churches Can Stop Burning Out Pastors. Josh and Karl talk about what causes ministry stress, and how to start relieving that stress by doing the two primary tasks pastors are called to do – preaching and...
Ep 058: The Power of Prayer In Church Revitalization, with Lavern E. “Bud” Brown
November 02, 2023 07:01 - 56 minutesThere are so many books about how to turn a lifeless church around. Most concentrate on the pastor’s role. But what about the role of the congregation members? In small churches, this is especially important. Karl Vaters talks with Bud Brown about how to help the congregation become agents of life and hope in a dying church through the power of prayer, from the content of the book, Lifeless to New Life: Biblical prayers to resurrect the lifeless church. The importance of praying the evangeli...
Ep 057: How to Turn Board Meetings Into God Meetings, with Dave Beckwith
October 19, 2023 07:00 - 41 minutesIn a recent survey, 80 percent of respondents said "yes" to the question, “since serving on a church board, do you feel your spiritual life has declined?” Why is this happening, and what can be done about it? In this episode, Karl Vaters talks with Dave Beckwith about How to Turn Your Board Meetings Into God Meetings, including How our current corporate style of board meetings isn’t just unbiblical, it’s causing great harm to boards, pastors and the churches they serve How to shift to a mor...
Ep 056: You're Pastoring More People Than You Think, with Chad Brooks
October 05, 2023 07:01 - 40 minutesWith people attending church less frequently now, you average Sunday attendance represents a smaller percent of your regulars than ever befofe. And it affects how we pastor them and what they expect of the church in ways we may not realize. Karl Vaters talks about this with Chad Brooks, a co-vocational pastor, blogger at RevChadBrooks.com, and the host of the Productive Pastor podcast, about: Why church size matters— but not in the way you think it does How to determine how many people you’...
Ep 055: What I Learned By Taking A Sabbatical, with Karl Vaters
September 21, 2023 07:01 - 33 minutesIn this solo episode, Karl Vaters shares 22 lessons he learned on his recent sabbatical that will help you if you’re considering one yourself. Including: How long it should be How to prepare for it What to expect, emotionally and mentally How to fade in and fade out of it slowly and more BONUS MATERIAL (Available to Patreon supporters and newsletter subscribers on our Youtube channel) How We Found Great Churches On Our Sabbatical In the supplement to this episode, Karl Vaters dives a ...
Ep 054: 10 Surprising Stats That Prove Church Size Matters, with Brady Shearer
September 07, 2023 22:50 - 1 hourKarl Vaters talks with Brady Shearer, summarizing a report about church trends and church size. Karl and Brady talk about those stats and what they mean for small church ministry, including: How stats don’t tell you a church’s story, but they can help you see things you might not otherwise pay attention to Good news about racial, age and ethnic diversity in churches over the last 20 years Plus, Brady uses his technical skills from his work with Pro Church Tools, to help churches navigate t...
Ep 053: The Secret Power of Kindness, with Greg Atkinson
August 24, 2023 07:00 - 54 minutesKarl Vaters talks with Greg Atkinson, the author of several books, including The Secret Power of Kindness: 10 Keys to Unlocking Your Capacity to Change the World. Greg is probably most well-known as one of the leading church experts on hospitality and First Impressions. In this conversation, Greg talks about his brave choice to end the cycle of abuse he inherited from his family and choose kindness instead. Plus, he answers several important questions, like What is kindness? Why is kindness...
Ep 052: The Power of Forgiveness, with Dr. Bruce & Toni Hebel
August 03, 2023 16:10 - 50 minutesForgiveness may be the most desired, but among the least understood virtues found in scripture, and in life. Karl Vaters talks with Dr. Bruce & Toni Hebel, co-authors of Forgiving Forward: Unleashing the Forgiveness Revolution. In this episode we talk about The Power of Forgiveness, including a lot of ideas that may feel counterintuitive to you, so lean in and hear the biblical foundation they’re building on. It may even reframe this entire issue for you. They also provide answers to questio...
Ep 051: Unlock Your Bible, with Dianne Finkelde
July 14, 2023 18:12 - 34 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Dianne Finkelde, the author of several books, including Unlock Your Bible: The How-to Study Guide for Everyday Christians. Karl and Dianne talk about, not just the importance of reading the Bible, but how to read it in a way that the everyday person can understand it, appreciate it, and do what it says, including: Letting the Bible explain the Bible Hearing God as he speaks to us through its pages How to remember what we read Going deeper with character studies, wor...
Ep 050: How To Plan A Sabbatical, with Karl Vaters
June 22, 2023 23:45 - 25 minutesIf you've never taken a sabbatical or wondered why they matter, this podcast is a great introduction to it. In this solo podcast, Karl Vaters talks about: Why sabbaticals matter for pastors An important lesson on time management from the life of the Apostle Paul Why Karl is taking his sabbatical now The sabbatical template he will follow How to get the most out of a sabbatical Links: PastorSoul.com The DREAM Guide Bonus Chat (on YouTube, available to donors and newsletter subscribe...
Ep 049: YouTube Strategy for Churches, with Sallie Guillory
June 08, 2023 17:00 - 50 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Sallie Guillory, the author of YouTube Strategy for Churches: A practical guide for your church to reach more people through YouTube. Karl and Sallie talk about some extremely practical ideas to use the world’s biggest video platform and second largest search engine to help people find your content, including: How to get more mileage out of the content you’re already creating Creating videos that answer the questions people are actually asking How to create short vid...
Ep 048: Post-Pandemic Trends In Small Church Ministry, with Dale Sellers
May 18, 2023 07:00 - 40 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Dale Sellers of the 95 Network, which provides resources for the 95 percent of churches that are not large. In this conversation, Dale and Karl talk about some of the important issues facing small churches as we come out of the pandemic and look ahead to 5-10 years of fallout, including: The need for rest and soul care for pastors Why the expected wave of pastoral resignations hasn’t happened What to do instead of chasing absent members The importance of accurately ...
Ep 047: Overcoming The Dangers of Elitist Christianity, with Michael Clary
May 04, 2023 07:01 - 44 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Michael Clary about the dangers of what he calls Elitist Christianity. This conversation was inspired by a Twitter thread Michael wrote in which he confessed to an arrogant attitude he had developed as a young, successful church planter. Michael found himself looking down on pastors and Christians who hadn’t had his training, even though they were the people whose shoulders he was standing on. His vulnerability, confession, and repentance hold great lessons for all of u...
Ep 046: Team Leadership: Lessons from the Apostle Paul, with Ryan Lokkesmoe
April 20, 2023 07:01 - 51 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Ryan Lokkesmoe, a church-planter and the author of a new book, Paul and His Team: What the Early Church Can Teach Us About Leadership and Influence. Karl and Ryan talk about what we can learn from the way Paul worked with his ministry team, and how those lessons translate to ministry today. Including: How Paul dealt with conflict, not seeing people as enemies to be defeated, but as people God loves and who can be redeemed just as he was redeemed. Paul’s Kingdom Diplom...
Ep 045: Dealing With Burnout In Ministry, with Sean Nemecek
April 06, 2023 07:00 - 45 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Sean Nemecek, author of the just-released book, The Weary Leader’s Guide to Burnout: A Journey from Exhaustion to Wholeness. In this episode we’re talking to pastors who are wondering if they might be dealing with burnout in ministry. Sean walks us through the following steps: What is burnout, and why does it seem to be on the rise, lately? How do I know if I’m struggling with is burnout? How do I take steps to recover from burnout? How do I protect myself from futu...
Ep 044: Ministry in Today’s Rural Church, with Brad Roth
March 23, 2023 07:01 - 50 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Brad Roth, a Mennonite pastor in rural Kansas, a blogger at DoxologyProject.com, and the author of God's Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church. Brad and Karl talk about four concepts from his book: The importance of Rural church Acedia The importance of Place A New Way to Measure Growth They also have an important conversation about replacing the typical metrics of demographics and attendance with what Brad calls “getting weird” as we assess chur...
Ep 043 : Church Metrics that Really Matter, with Craig T. Owens
March 09, 2023 20:01 - 53 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Craig T. Owens, a pastor, author, co-host of the podcast “The Craig and Greg Show”, and a blogger at CraigTOwens.com. In this conversation, Karl and Craig talk about the subjects addressed in his recent book, Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics that Really Matter. Some of the important subjects include: Using biblical metrics for pastoral ministry The tendency to lead based in confidence or humility The essential nature of sabbath in a life of ministry The relationship...
Ep 042: Making Space for Ministry and Life In an Increasingly Cluttered World, with Daniel Sih
February 23, 2023 08:01 - 52 minutesIn this conversation, Karl Vaters talks to Daniel Sih about the information in his recent book, Spacemaker: How to Unplug, Unwind and Think Clearly in the Digital Age. Specifically, we address three areas that are having a massive effect on our lives and ministries: Clutter Neuroplasticity The stories we tell In our increasingly tech-driven world, the technology that used to be (and still can be) so helpful is now causing significant changes to the way we work, worship, live, communicate ...
Ep 041: Ministry as a Solo Pastor, with Gary L. McIntosh
February 09, 2023 08:01 - 56 minutesAn interview with Gary L. McIntosh about the principles in his new book, The Solo Pastor: Understanding and Overcoming the Challenges of Leading a Church Alone. In this episode, Karl Vaters talks with Dr. McIntosh about: The relentlessness of being a solo pastor How influence works in the solo-pastor church What expectations people have of the solo pastor Our connectedness to the congregation The great hopefulness of solo-pastoring Support This Work: Visit the Website Subscribe to weekl...
Ep 040: How Excellence Looks Different In Small Churches, with Erik Reed
January 26, 2023 08:01 - 41 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Erik Reed, a pastor in Nashville TN. This conversation is, surprisingly, based on a Twitter thread Erik wrote about how excellence in smaller churches looks different than it does in bigger churches. Karl and Erik talk about The dangers of small churches trying to imitate larger churches The attractiveness of authenticity The importance of investing our time and resources wisely Examples of what small-church excellence actually looks like Instead of pushing for the...
Ep 039: Polycentric Leadership: Church as a Discipleship Movement, with Dan White Jr.
January 12, 2023 08:01 - 1 hourKarl Vaters interviews Dan White Jr.. the coauthor (with JR Woodward) of The Church as Movement: Starting and Sustaining Missional-Incarnational Communities. They talk about why we need a complete rethinking of how we do church, from the current, popular ways of seeing it as an institution or a series of programs, to seeing it as the movement Jesus intended it to be. Specifically, Dan builds the case for a new type of leadership he calls Polycentric Leadership. To get there, Dan and Karl disc...
Introducing The Church Lobby Podcast! (A Bonus Episode)
January 02, 2023 08:01 - 16 minutesWelcome to the first episode of The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry. In this episode, Karl talks about some of the big news coming from this ministry over the coming months, including four big reasons for the name change: Why The Church Lobby? 1) The church lobby is where the church meets and does ministry 2) It shifts the emphasis of our pastoral conversations from the stage to the floor 3) It’s a good place to take the temperature of a church’s health 4) The ...
Our Final CTWIASC Podcast! And What’s Next (Special Bonus Episode)
December 19, 2022 08:01 - 16 minutesYes, you read that title right. This is the last episode of “Can This Work in a Small Church?” No, we aren’t stopping the podcast. We’re changing the name. In this special bonus episode, Karl has no guests. Instead, he talks about the following: The three big reasons we’re changing the name What the new direction will look like What the new name of the podcast will be If you’d like to see the new name and logo so you’ll recognize it when it appears on your device, here’s a link to the epi...
Ep 038: A Discipleship Strategy Small Churches Can Actually Follow, with Darrell Stetler
December 05, 2022 21:20 - 52 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Darrell Stetler, a small-church pastor, father of seven, and creator of NewStart discipleship curriculum, written with the needs and strengths of small churches in mind. In this conversation, Darrell and Karl talk about the importance of discipleship in the life of the church – and as a central role in our calling as pastors. Some key topics include: The importance of helping people create discipleship habits, not just filling their heads with information Making sure ...
Ep 037: Seculosity: Ministry In The Era Of Secular Religion, with David Zahl
November 14, 2022 08:01 - 58 minutesKarl Vaters interviews David Zahl, author of Seculosity: How Career, Parenting, Technology, Food, Politics, and Romance Became Our New Religion and What to Do about It. In this episode, Karl and David have a wide-ranging conversation about how the religious landscape has changed in our culture, but not in the ways you may have thought. According to David, we haven’t become less religious, but the objects of our worship and the rituals and rules around that worship have changed from vertical t...
Ep 036: Why Proximity and Longevity Matter in Pastoral Ministry, with Alan Briggs
October 20, 2022 17:12 - 45 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Alan Briggs, a pastor, the author of Staying is the New Going, the host of the Right Side Up Leadership podcast and StayForth.com. Karl and Alan talk about why geography matters in church leadership. Especially in an increasingly-mobile and increasingly-electronic world, staying planted where God put you is more important than ever for effective, incarnational ministry. Staying in a church long-term may have its challenges, but they are far outweighed by their advanta...
Ep 035: Should You Start a Podcast? And Positive Ministry Trends, with Aron Utecht
October 03, 2022 07:01 - 47 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Aron Utecht, a pastor and the host of the Good Ideas for Churches podcast. Karl and Aron talk about some of the positive trends he’s been seeing in the church and among pastors, including a refocusing on mission rather than an obsession with methods. They also talk about the value of podcasting for pastors and churches, including what question we must answer before we’re ready to ask “should I start a podcast?” Hint: sometimes the answer is “no”. In a lot of situations ...
Ep 034: Technology, Ministry, and Keeping People's Attention, with Rick Hiemstra
September 19, 2022 07:01 - 47 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Rick Hiemstra, a former small church pastor, now serving as the Director of Research at the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada. Rick and Karl talk about a wide variety of subjects, including the Church Growth Movement, technology and how it has affected the way we approach pastoring. Some helpful insights include: What has people’s attention is what shapes them, and technology has radically altered what has our attention How technology has shaped people’s expectation of...
Ep 033: Leveraging the Strengths of Your Small Church, with Ron Klassen
September 05, 2022 07:01 - 50 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Ron Klassen of the Rural Home Missionary Association (RHMA) about seeing the unique nature of the small church, not as a problem to be solved, but as a strength to leverage, and even to exploit. Here are a few highlights: Small churches have unique ministry gifts that shouldn’t be seen as problems to fix, but as positives to exploit. The relational aspect of small churches is something we need to lean into, not shy away from. It will even make you come across as a bet...
Ep 032: Teaching the Bible In Your Context, with Matt Whitman
August 15, 2022 07:01 - 56 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Matt Whitman, host of the Ten Minute Bible Hour podcast and YouTube channel. Karl and Matt talk about the intersection of Bible teaching/preaching and pastoral care. This conversation also covers The importance of our online presence How to avoid the temptation of living by clicks Taking care not to get stuck wandering down political and theological rabbit trails Why teaching about the Bible is as important as teaching from the Bible Links: The Ten Minute Bible H...
Ep 031: How To Find The Right Pastor/Church Fit, with Matt Steen
August 08, 2022 07:01 - 53 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Matt Steen, a former pastor and church planter, now with Chemistry Staffing, a ministry that helps churches find great staff members (and helps staff members find great churches). The episode is filled with practical advice, including What’s changed in pastoral transition/placement over the last generation How the pandemic has accelerated pastoral transitions The five key principles to look for when looking for a new pastor or church Of special help will be how Matt...
Ep 030: How Fixing the World Is Killing the Church, with Dr John C. Nugent
July 25, 2022 07:01 - 52 minutesKarl Vaters interviews John C. Nugent about this subject, which is at the root of some of the biggest challenges pastors are facing today. Dr. Nugent is the author of several books including Endangered Gospel: How Fixing the World Is Killing the Church. He is a professor of Old Testament studies at Great Lakes Christian College, and co-host of the After Class Podcast. John’s approach helps us understand where common misunderstandings about these issues come from so we can address them lovingl...
Ep 029: When “Can’t Miss” Church Growth Answers Don't Work, with Cory Hartman
July 11, 2022 07:01 - 57 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Cory Hartman, co-author of Future Church: Seven Laws of Real Church Growth about what happened when church growth answers didn't work for him or the church he served. His background and experiences will sound familiar to most small church leaders. And this conversation will be very encouraging. In this conversation, Cory and Karl talk about How Cory, a “failed” small church pastor became the co-author of a book about church growth (including an update of what "failure...
Ep 028: Ending Human Trafficking, with Dr. Sandra Morgan
June 20, 2022 07:01 - 58 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Dr. Sandie Morgan, co-author of the new book, Ending Human Trafficking. In this episode we talk about how healthy churches are uniquely positioned to help prevent human trafficking, including: What signs to look for in people who may be vulnerable How to partner with other agencies and law enforcement How to set proper policies Why we need to pay more attention to labor trafficking, not just sex trafficking How to find resources in our neighborhood And so much mor...
Ep 027: The Unexpected Origins of the Church Growth Movement, with Dr. Gary McIntosh
June 06, 2022 07:01 - 50 minutesKarl Vaters interviews Dr. Gary McIntosh about Donald McGavran's role as the pioneer of the church growth movement. But don’t let the term "church growth movement" stop you from listening. Dr. McIntosh tells us that the origins of church growth are far different than what most of us have been taught recently. Some of the misunderstandings he clears up include: That it came from the heart of a missionary, not a pastor That it was about being cross-cultural, not omni-cultural That it was foc...
Ep 026: Destigmatizing the "M" Word (Marketing) with Austin Savage
May 09, 2022 07:01 - 47 minutesAn interview with Austin Savage about the role of marketing in church leadership, including what marketing is, what it isn’t, and why we need to destigmatize it to use it effectively. You may know Austin from the work he did with 95Network.com, including several years co-hosting the 95Podcast with Dale Sellers. Recently, he established Austin Savage & Co. to help churches with creating content and using media in the church. In this conversation, Karl and Austin talk about The difference betw...
Ep 025: Why Your Church Needs A Website And Social Media, with Josh Givens
April 13, 2022 07:01 - 46 minutesSo, your church has a Facebook page? In a small church, that should be enough of an online presence, right? Wrong. It finally happened! The answer to the question, "Can This Work In A Small Church?" isn't "yes"! (Well, not entirely, anyway.) Find out why in this interview with Josh Givens. Topics include: The importance of getting online Why we must stay connected to the people we meet there Why we must invest money and time to own online real estate (a website) The importance of the past...