How do you stay focused when leading a struggling or declining church? In this episode of Revitalize and Replant, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst share a practical and biblical framework for maintaining strategic focus in church revitalization and replanting. They unpack “The 5 C’s”—five essential leadership principles for pastors navigating dying churches, conflict, and spiritual resistance.

Whether you’re leading a church replant, revitalization effort, or simply trying to refocus your ministry, this conversation will help you lead with clarity, courage, and Christ-centered conviction.

The 5 C’s of Strategic Church Revitalization:

• Compassion for People in Dying Churches
  Shepherd with empathy and patience as you walk with hurting congregations.
• Conflict Awareness
  Recognize and prepare for the inevitable tensions that come with change.
• Courage for Spiritual Warfare
  Lead boldly, knowing revitalization is both practical and spiritual work.
• Confidence in God’s Work
  Trust that God is at work—even when progress feels slow.
• Christ-Focus
  Keep Jesus at the center of every decision, strategy, and step forward.

Why This Matters:

Church revitalization requires more than strategy—it demands spiritual resilience, wise leadership, and unwavering focus on Christ. These five principles will help you stay grounded when ministry gets difficult.

If you’re navigating difficult conversations in ministry, this episode will equip you with a gospel-centered approach to confrontation that prioritizes humility, clarity, and restoration.

12 Ways to Confront Someone in Sin

1. Biblically
Follow the clear guidance of Scripture when addressing sin (see Matthew 18:15–20; Galatians 6:1).

2. Prayerfully
Seek God’s wisdom, discernment, and timing before and during the conversation.

3. Relationally
Confrontation is more effective when built on trust and an existing relationship.

4. Personally
Whenever possible, have the conversation face-to-face or by phone—not through text or email.

5. Humbly
Approach others with a posture of grace, remembering your own need for God’s mercy.

6. Prudently
Ask thoughtful questions rather than making assumptions or accusations.

7. Quickly
Address sin promptly before patterns become more deeply rooted.

8. Clearly
Speak truth directly and avoid vague or indirect language.

9. Redemptively
Keep the goal focused on repentance, healing, and restoration—not winning an argument.

10. Sorrowfully
Allow yourself to feel and express appropriate grief over sin, which can help communicate care and urgency.

11. Lovingly
Let love for God and others shape both your words and tone.

12. Mutually
Communicate your willingness to walk alongside them toward growth and victory.

Key Takeaways for Pastors and Church Leaders

• Biblical confrontation is essential for healthy church leadership.
• The goal is always restoration, not condemnation.
• Tone, timing, and relationship matter just as much as truth.
• Prayer and humility are foundational in every difficult conversation.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “12 Ways to Confront Someone in Sin” by Chuck Lawless

How to Lead Change in the Church:

• Move at a shepherd’s pace, not a CEO’s pace
• Teach clear, biblical reasons for change
• Honor the church’s past while guiding its future
• Communicate vision consistently and clearly
• Expect resistance—and respond with patience

Resources Related to This Episode:

• Land Ho! Seven Keys to Navigating the Adventurous and Challenging Waters of Change by Walker Armstrong and Mark Hallock

In this final installment of our mini-series on guardrails for ministry over the long haul, hosts Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst revisit one of the most overlooked but essential leadership traits for pastors: gentleness. Pastors often underestimate how their tone, posture, and attitude shape their ministry effectiveness. This episode challenges leaders to reflect on how they shepherd others and what it means to embody the gentleness of Christ in pastoral leadership through the lens of 1 Timothy 3:3.

Key Takeaways:

• Why gentleness is a biblical requirement—not a personality trait
• How harsh leadership damages trust and discipleship
• What it looks like to lead like a loving shepherd

In part 2 of this mini-series on guardrails for ministry over the long haul, hosts Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst unpack three critical guardrails every pastor needs to maintain integrity and credibility in their ministry calling. These practical and biblical principles help church leaders avoid common pitfalls that can derail their calling.

Key Guardrails for Pastors:

1. Don’t Touch the Money
Maintain financial accountability and avoid even the appearance of impropriety. Pastors should separate themselves from direct handling of church finances whenever possible.
“Not a lover of money.” — 1 Timothy 3:3

2. Don’t Be Weird with People
Healthy ministry requires emotional intelligence and relational integrity. Be approachable, safe, and above reproach in all interactions.
“Well thought of by outsiders.” — 1 Timothy 3:7

3. Don’t Be a Jerk
Leadership should be marked by humility, gentleness, and grace—not pride or harshness.
“Not violent but gentle.” — 1 Timothy 3:3

Ministry longevity begins with personal integrity. Together, the hosts discuss what it means to truly be a “one-woman man” in today’s world—remaining faithful not just physically, but also emotionally and in the online world.

Key Takeaways:

• Why marital faithfulness is essential for long-term ministry health
• How emotional and digital boundaries protect your calling
• The biblical standard for leadership from 1 Timothy 3

In this episode, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss five common markers of church decline and what leaders should watch for as they seek to revitalize struggling congregations.

Understanding these warning signs can help churches respond in a timely fashion and refocus on their mission before decline becomes irreversible.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• How declining attendance and disengagement signal deeper health issues
• Why an inward-focused church culture often leads to loss of mission
• How resistance to change and innovation can stall gospel impact
• Why pastoral burnout and lack of lay leadership weaken churches
• How financial strain and neglected facilities often reflect broader decline

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• “12 Markers of a Church on the Downslope” by Chuck Lawless

If you’re navigating church conflict, leadership pressure, or discouraging seasons in ministry, this episode offers biblical encouragement and practical guidance for persevering in your calling.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why humility, forgiveness, and grace are essential when leading through conflict
• How pastors can guard their hearts from bitterness and discouragement
• Why it’s critical to keep the gospel central during difficult seasons
• How to pursue restoration and reconciliation in church relationships
• What it looks like to trust God to build His church
• Why faithful leaders must resolve to stay and endure hardship

The conversation is honest, pastoral, and hopeful, calling churches back to evangelistic clarity and courage.

Key Topics

• Higher theological standards for baptism
• Re-baptism conversations
• The decline of public invitations
• Evangelism training gaps
• Ministry in a polarized culture

Resources Related to this Episode:

• 3 Circles Evangelism Kit
• Life in the Negative World by Aaron M. Renn

They discuss why a renewed commitment to text-driven, expository preaching is a gift to the local church—and why sermon preparation should never be casual. From the physical-Bibles-versus-iPad debate to the pulpit-versus-table dispute, this conversation explores how our methodology communicates our theology as pastors and preachers.

Key Topics

• The seriousness of sermon preparation
• The return to expository preaching?

Why It Matters

Church revitalization rarely outpaces the strength of its preaching. Faithful, text-driven proclamation anchors congregations in truth and builds long-term spiritual health.

In struggling churches especially, singing isn’t filler—it’s fuel.

Key Topics

• Why congregational volume matters
• The theological weight of lyrics
• Singing as discipleship
• Songs as hope in hardship

Why It Matters

What a church sings eventually becomes what a church believes. Healthy churches cultivate participation, clarity, and courage through biblically rich worship.

They argue that the Lord’s Supper is not a routine add-on but a formative act of worship that shapes church identity, unity, and gospel clarity.

Key Topics

• Weekly communion in Baptist life
• How and why to fence the table
• Teaching examination without creating confusion
• The Lord’s Supper as spiritual formation

Key Topics Discussed

• Celebration vs. reverence in baptism services
• Whether only pastors should baptize believers
• The role of the congregation in affirming conversion
• Wisdom and caution when baptizing children
• Baptism as a marker of regenerate church membership

Photos

• Click here to see a photo of Clifton!
• Click here to see a photo of the team!

Discover how signage, printed programs, parking, announcements, and simple language choices can dramatically improve guest experience and help people feel comfortable attending church for the first time.

This episode is perfect for pastors, church planters, greeter teams, and hospitality volunteers who want to make their services accessible and welcoming.

Key Topics Covered

• Making first-time guests feel comfortable
• Church signage and parking best practices
• Communicating clearly during worship gatherings
• Avoiding insider church language
• Effective — not overwhelming — announcements

Key Topics Covered

• Compassion for members of declining churches
• Recognizing and navigating conflict
• Spiritual warfare in church revitalization
• Trusting the authority of God’s Word
• Keeping ministry Christ-centered

Pastoral ministry is deeply rewarding—but it can also be deeply stressful. In this episode of the Revitalize & Replant Podcast, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst talk openly about five common anxieties pastors face and offer biblical encouragement and practical wisdom for navigating them faithfully.

From concerns about church growth to the pressures of preaching, pastors often carry unseen burdens. Naming these anxieties is the first step toward addressing them in a healthy, gospel-centered way.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Anxiety about church growth and attendance
• Anxiety about your family and balancing ministry at home
• Anxiety about personal finances and financial stability
• Anxiety about preaching and sermon preparation
• Anxiety about church conflict and leadership challenges

Whether you’re a church planter, revitalization pastor, or long-term shepherd in a small church, this episode will remind you that you’re not alone—and that God is faithful in every season of ministry.

In a world full of online sermons, Christian podcasts, and celebrity preachers, why does the local church pastor still matter most? In this episode of the Revitalize & Replant Podcast, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst share five biblical and practical reasons why God’s design for spiritual growth centers on the local church—and the shepherd He has called to lead it.

While podcasts and online sermons can be helpful resources, they can never replace the personal shepherding, accountability, and spiritual oversight of a local pastor. Your congregation doesn’t just need inspiration—they need incarnation.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Why a local church pastor knows your story, struggles, and spiritual needs
• The difference between shepherding and simply inspiring
• How growing under the same preaching builds unity in the congregation
• Why supporting your pastor strengthens the entire church
• God’s design for spiritual formation through the local church

If you’re a pastor navigating the influence of online ministry or a church member tempted to substitute digital sermons for faithful church involvement, this conversation will encourage you to embrace the beauty and responsibility of local church leadership.

In this episode, you’ll learn three key reasons church buildings still matter:

1. Every community needs a sacred space : why visible, physical churches remain a powerful gospel witness in local neighborhoods
2. A place for the corporate gathering: how church buildings support biblical worship, preaching, ordinances, and discipleship
3. A central space for under-resourced communities: the role church facilities play in serving practical needs and strengthening community life

This conversation is especially helpful for church planters, revitalization pastors, and church leaders thinking strategically about facilities, mission, and long-term ministry impact.

Preaching rarely goes exactly as planned. In this episode of Revitalize & Replant, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst talk honestly about what to do when unexpected disruptions happen in the pulpit—and how pastors can respond with calm, wisdom, and grace.

From technical issues to personal and medical interruptions, this conversation offers practical encouragement for pastors and church planters navigating real-life preaching challenges.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn How to Respond When:

• Technology fails during a sermon (microphones, slides, livestreams, and more)
• You start coughing, sneezing, or lose your voice while preaching
• You lose your place or your train of thought mid-sermon
• A medical emergency or major interruption happens during the service

Whether you’re a seasoned pastor or a new church planter, this episode will help you prepare for the unexpected and stay focused on faithfully proclaiming the gospel—even when things go wrong.

In Part 2 of this two-part conversation on the Revitalize & Replant Podcast, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst continue discussing how pastors can develop a faithful and effective preaching style over time. Building on insights from H.B. Charles Jr., this episode focuses on long-term growth, healthy evaluation, and the freedom that comes from trusting God with the process—especially in church revitalization and replant settings.

This conversation helps pastors pursue growth in preaching without becoming discouraged, defensive, or overly self-focused.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn How To:

• Practice thoughtful self-critique without losing heart
• Seek and receive healthy feedback that strengthens your preaching
• Strive for excellence while depending on God’s grace
• Grow with patience instead of rushing maturity
• Stop worrying about style and focus on faithful proclamation

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “10 Ways to Develop Your Style of Preaching from H.B. Charles Jr.” by Nathan Millican

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation on the Revitalize & Replant Podcast, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss how pastors can begin developing a faithful and effective preaching style without imitation or performance pressure. Drawing from insights by H.B. Charles Jr., the hosts focus on foundational disciplines that shape a preacher over time—especially for pastors serving in church revitalization and replant contexts.

Rather than chasing trends or personalities, this episode emphasizes the importance of faithfulness, clarity, and consistency in the pulpit.

In This Episode, You’ll Learn How To:

• Grow as a preacher by consistently preaching the Word
• Improve your craft by intentionally studying preaching
• Stay anchored by focusing on the message, not yourself
• Develop authenticity by learning to be yourself
• Learn from others by exposing yourself to great preaching

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “10 Ways to Develop Your Style of Preaching from H.B. Charles Jr.” by Nathan Millican

Key Topics Covered:

• Why acknowledging grief is essential in funeral services
• How to clearly present the hope of the gospel in moments of loss
• Calling hearers to respond to the gospel with wisdom and pastoral sensitivity

3 Principles for Preaching the Gospel at Funerals:

1. Acknowledge the need to grieve, honoring the pain and loss families experience.
2. Make the hope of the gospel clear, pointing to Christ’s victory over sin and death.
3. Call for listeners to respond to the gospel, inviting faith without manipulation or pressure.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “Preaching the Gospel at Funerals” by Brian Croft
• “Conduct Gospel-Centered Funerals” by Brian Croft and Phil Newton

In this episode of the Revitalize & Replant Podcast, hosts Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss practical, gospel-centered ways churches can minister to children with autism and special needs. Whether your church is revitalizing, replanting, or simply seeking to become more inclusive, this conversation offers actionable guidance for creating a welcoming, supportive environment for families of individuals with special needs.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why acknowledging disabilities as part of God’s world shapes healthier ministry
• How humility in leadership strengthens special needs ministry
• The importance of training volunteers to serve children with autism
• Creating inclusive, welcoming church environments
• Providing quiet and safe spaces for children with sensory sensitivities

5 Practical Tips for Ministering to Children with Autism:

1. Acknowledge that disabilities are a part of our world and an opportunity for the church to reflect Christ’s compassion.
2. Lead with humility, recognizing that learning and listening are essential.
3. Train volunteers and ministry leaders to understand and support children with autism.
4. Create a welcoming and inclusive environment for children and their families.
5. Offer quiet, safe spaces for children who need sensory breaks during church activities.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “Laying the Best Foundation for Starting a Special Needs Ministry” from the Southern Baptists of Texas Convention

In this episode of the Replant & Revitalize Podcast, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst share practical and pastoral guidance for effectively ministering to senior adults within the local church. As many congregations face aging memberships and declining attendance among older adults, this conversation offers actionable steps to help church leaders reconnect with, value, and retain senior adults as vital members of the body of Christ.

These tips are especially relevant for pastors, replanters, and church revitalization leaders who want to foster unity across generations while honoring the faithfulness and legacy of older church members.

5 Practical Tips for Senior Adult Ministry

1. Publicly acknowledge senior adults and recognize their history, faithfulness, and foundational role in the life of the church
2. Visit senior adult Sunday morning classes to listen, build trust, and strengthen relational connections
3. Intentionally include senior adults in corporate worship, ensuring they feel seen, welcomed, and valued
4. Identify trusted leaders or representatives within the senior adult community to help foster communication and fellowship
5. Create and promote ministry opportunities designed for senior adults, allowing them to serve according to their gifts, experience, and availability

This episode emphasizes that retaining senior adults is not simply about programming—it’s about cultivating respect, belonging, and meaningful engagement within the church family.

Why Senior Adult Engagement Matters in Church Revitalization

Senior adults bring spiritual maturity, consistency, generosity, and volunteer leadership to the local church. Churches that fail to engage older members risk losing not only attendance, but wisdom, unity, and long-term sustainability.

Resources Related to This Episode

• “What NOT to Name Your Senior Adult Ministry” from Texas Baptists

In this episode of the Replant & Revitalize Podcast, Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss a sobering trend impacting many churches today: the growing number of senior adults leaving the local church. This conversation is based on Thom Rainer’s article, “The Silent Exodus of Senior Adults,” and it explores both the causes and the consequences of this shift.

As churches focus on reaching younger generations, many senior adults feel overlooked, disconnected, or unable to fully participate. This episode helps pastors and church leaders better understand the challenges aging church members face—and why retaining and caring for senior adults is essential to healthy church revitalization.

Key Reasons Senior Adults are Leaving Churches

• Since 2000, church attendance among adults age 65 and older has declined by approximately 15%
• Physical limitations such as mobility challenges, hearing loss, and vision issues make attending church more difficult
• The emotional impact of losing peers and longtime friends within the congregation
• Shifting church priorities that emphasize young families and children, often at the expense of senior adult ministry
• When senior adults leave, churches lose valuable financial support, institutional wisdom, and volunteer leadership

This episode challenges church leaders to consider how their ministry strategies, worship services, facilities, and programming communicate value—or neglect—to older members of the congregation.

Why This Matters for Church Replanting and Revitalization

Senior adults often carry deep spiritual maturity, faithfulness, and commitment to the local church. Ignoring their needs can weaken a church’s health, mission, and sustainability. This conversation equips leaders to rethink engagement, accessibility, and discipleship for aging members.

Resources Related to This Episode

• “The Silent Exodus of Senior Adults” by Thom Rainer

This discussion helps church leaders discern whether these returning practices are helpful tools for gospel ministry or remnants better left in the past.

Church Practices and Ministry Trends Discussed

• Church choirs and their role in congregational worship
• The church parlor as a space for fellowship and connection
• Weekly home visitation as a discipleship strategy
• The return of hymnals in worship services
• Wednesday night fellowship meals and community-building
• A casual approach to recruiting children’s ministry volunteers
• Program-driven philosophies of ministry
• Large pulpits and traditional sanctuary design
• Special music and choir anthems
• Food pantries as a community outreach tool
• Use of the King James Version (KJV) in preaching and teaching
• Office hours for ministry staff and accessibility
• Landline phones and church communication methods

Whether you’re leading a declining church, revitalizing a legacy congregation, or planting with an awareness of church history, this episode offers practical insight into how the past can inform the future of local church ministry.

Resources Related to This Episode

• “Twenty Relics of Church Past” by Thom Rainer

Are some church traditions from the past making a comeback? In this episode of the Revitalize & Replant podcast, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss insights from an article by Thom Rainer that examines historical church practices that may be re-emerging in today’s ministry context.

This conversation helps pastors and church leaders think critically about tradition, culture, and ministry effectiveness—distinguishing between meaningful practices and those that may hinder church revitalization.

In this episode, Mark and Mark discuss church practices that may be returning, including:

1. Sunday evening worship services
2. Stand-and-greet moments during worship
3. Suits and ties in church attire
4. The use of organs in worship services
5. Printed church newsletters
6. Prolonged and frequent business meetings
7. Referring to small groups as “Sunday School”

Whether you’re leading a traditional congregation, revitalizing an aging church, or navigating cultural change, this episode offers helpful perspective on how churches can honor the past while staying mission-focused.

Resources Related to This Episode:

“Twenty Relics of Church Past” by Thom Rainer

How can a pastor discern whether it’s time to step aside for the health of a declining church? In this episode of the Revitalize & Replant podcast, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock continue their discussion of an article by Chuck Lawless, focusing on deeper, more sobering indicators that a pastor may have stayed too long in one place.

This conversation offers honest reflection for pastors, church leaders, and revitalization teams navigating leadership fatigue, declining momentum, and difficult transition decisions.

In this episode, you’ll learn additional signs that a pastor may have stayed too long:

1. The church has lost passion and excitement for its mission and ministry.
2. The remaining congregation consists primarily of long-term members with no new growth or generational reach.
3. Financial survival—paying the bills—has overshadowed ministry and mission.
4. The pastor increasingly isolates himself from the church family.
5. The pastor becomes resigned to allowing the church to die on his watch.

This episode is especially relevant for pastors serving in declining churches, those considering church revitalization or replanting, and leadership teams seeking wisdom about healthy pastoral transitions.

Resources Related to This Episode:

“8 Indications that a Pastor of a Declining Church May Have Stayed Too Long” by Chuck Lawless

Why should pastors and church leaders invest in revitalizing dying churches instead of closing their doors? In this episode of the Revitalize & Replant podcast, Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock unpack the biblical, missional, and practical reasons why church revitalization and replanting are vital to the health of local congregations and their communities.

This conversation explores the heart behind revitalization and why declining churches remain important to God, their communities, and the Great Commission.

In this episode, you’ll learn why church revitalization is important because:

1. Revitalization creates gospel opportunities for people to come to faith in Jesus Christ.
2. The remaining members of declining churches still matter and deserve faithful pastoral care.
3. Local neighborhoods need healthy, gospel-centered churches.
4. Revitalizing churches ultimately exists for the glory of God.

Whether you are a pastor considering church revitalization, a leader in a struggling congregation, or someone exploring church replanting, this episode offers encouragement and clarity for the journey.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• Reclaiming Glory: Revitalizing Dying Churches by Mark Clifton

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock talk about how pastors can deepen their daily prayer life, reflecting on an article from Chuck Lawless about seven things Tom Elliff prays for every day. If you’re a pastor, ministry leader, church planter, or replanter, this episode will encourage you to build a more intentional, Scripture-shaped pattern of prayer.

In this episode, they walk through seven daily pastoral prayers:

1. A continual awareness of God’s presence

• Praying for a “looming sense” of God’s nearness throughout the day.
• Learning to live, lead, and make decisions with a constant God-consciousness.

2. A pure heart

• Asking God to search your motives, cleanse hidden sin, and guard your integrity.
• Understanding why personal holiness is essential for pastoral ministry.

3. The fullness of the Holy Spirit

• Praying to be led, empowered, and sustained by the Spirit in every aspect of ministry.

4. The gifts and graces of the Spirit

• Seeking spiritual gifts and Christlike character to serve your people well.
• Asking God to bear visible fruit in and through your life.

5. Protection from bringing reproach on Christ

• Pleading with God that you would do nothing that gives the enemy an opportunity to mock your Lord.
• Talking honestly about temptation, spiritual warfare, and the fear of disqualifying yourself.

6. God’s hand on your family

• Praying for your spouse, children, and loved ones serving God around the world.
• Thinking about how to shepherd both your church and your home.

7. Faithfulness to God’s calling and vision

• Asking the Lord to keep you true to the mission He’s given you.
• Staying focused and steadfast in seasons of discouragement, transition, or slow growth.

This episode is especially helpful for:

• Pastors wanting a daily prayer framework
• Leaders in church revitalization and replanting
• Anyone longing to grow in spiritual depth, dependence, and perseverance in ministry

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• Article: “7 Things My Pastoral Hero Prays Every Day” by Chuck Lawless

Listen in for a practical, worshipful guide to daily pastoral prayer, learning to seek God for purity, power, protection, and perseverance in ministry.

Merry Christmas from the Revitalize and Replant podcast. In part 2 of our Christmas Special, Dan Hurst shares a personal and powerful Christmas story from his childhood as a missionary kid in Honduras, reflecting on what Christmas looks like in the midst of uncertainty, hardship, and fear.

Set during a season of political unrest and darkness, this story centers on a simple, candlelit children’s Christmas program in a small church with no electricity—and a child’s quiet declaration: “This year for Christmas, I need peace.” That moment became a lasting reminder that Christmas is not about what we want, but about what we need—and that true peace and hope are found in Christ alone.

Whether you are listening as a pastor, a church planter, or with your family during the Christmas season, we pray this story encourages your heart and points you to the lasting peace that only Jesus can provide.

Merry Christmas from the Revitalize and Replant podcast. In part 1 of our Christmas Special, Dan Hurst reads Luke 2, sharing the story of Christmas and recounting the birth of Jesus Christ and the good news first announced to the shepherds.

This familiar passage reminds us that the Savior entered the world in humility—wrapped in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger because there was no room for Him at the inn. Yet heaven itself rejoiced, declaring, “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased.”

As the shepherds hurried to Bethlehem to see what the Lord had made known to them, they found Mary, Joseph, and the baby lying in a manger. Mary treasured these things and pondered them in her heart, inviting us to pause and reflect on the wonder and meaning of Christ’s coming.

Whether you are listening as a pastor, a church planter, or with your family during the Christmas season, we pray this Scripture reading draws your heart back to the hope, peace, and joy found in Jesus.

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock talk about how to leave a church well—in a way that honors Christ, loves His people, and protects your own spiritual health. Drawing from H.B. Charles Jr.’s article, “When It’s Time to Leave a Church,” they walk through practical steps for transitioning from one church to another with humility and integrity.

In this episode, they unpack 7 ways to leave a church in a healthy, biblical way:

1. Pray

• Seek the Lord earnestly before making any decisions.
• Ask for wisdom, clarity, and a heart that desires God’s glory above your preferences.

2. Examine your motives

• Be honest about why you want to leave.
• Evaluate whether your reasons are rooted in conviction, calling, or frustration and hurt.

3. Review the commitments you’ve made

• Remember membership vows, ministry roles, and responsibilities.
• Think carefully about how to finish well and hand off your areas of service.

4. Deal with unresolved interpersonal conflict

• Don’t use a church transfer to avoid biblical reconciliation.
• Whenever possible, seek peace, forgiveness, and restored relationships before you go.

5. Consider how your departure will affect others

• Reflect on how your decision impacts your family, friends, small group, and church leaders.
• Aim to leave in a way that builds up the church rather than causing division or confusion.

6. Know where you’re going before you leave

• Don’t drift into churchlessness.
• Identify another faithful, gospel-preaching church where you can plug in, submit to leadership, and serve.

7. Have an honest exit conversation with your pastor

• Meet with your pastor or elders to share your decision respectfully.
• Express gratitude, share concerns graciously, and invite them to pray for you as you transition.

This episode is especially helpful for:

• Believers wondering how to leave a church well
• Members processing a potential church transition
• Pastors and leaders shepherding people through church moves

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• “When It’s Time to Leave a Church” by HB Charles

Listen in for pastoral, practical guidance on leaving a church biblically, guarding unity, and honoring Christ and His bride even in seasons of transition.

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock walk through bad and good reasons to leave a church, drawing from H.B. Charles Jr.’s article, “When It’s Time to Leave a Church.” If you’re wrestling with whether to stay or go, this episode will help you think biblically and wisely about church membership, commitment, and discernment.

They explore “red light” reasons not to leave a church (bad reasons):

• Sin: leaving instead of repenting or reconciling.
• Disagreements over secondary doctrinal issues: elevating non-essential issues to a breaking point.
• Disunity: walking away rather than pursuing peace and unity in Christ.
• Personal offenses: allowing hurt feelings or misunderstandings to drive decisions.
• Unwillingness to submit to spiritual authority: resisting God-given leadership rather than humbly engaging.
• A low view of the church: treating church as optional, consumer-based, or disposable.
• Disregard for the truth: leaving when God’s Word confronts your preferences or lifestyle.

They also talk about “green light” reasons that may indicate it’s time to leave a church (good reasons):

• A gospel reason: the church no longer clearly preaches or guards the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• A doctrinal reason: the church drifts into serious theological error or abandons biblical authority.
• A personal reason: unique circumstances such as relocation, calling, or family needs that make joining another faithful church wise.

This episode is especially helpful for:

• Believers struggling with whether to leave a church
• Pastors and elders helping members process church transitions
• Christians wanting a more biblical view of church membership and commitment

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• “When It’s Time to Leave a Church” by HB Charles

Listen in for a pastoral, gospel-centered conversation on leaving a church wisely, staying for the right reasons, and loving Christ’s bride well.

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock talk honestly about why many pastors’ kids (PKs) struggle spiritually or walk away from the faith, using Chuck Lawless’s article, “10 Reasons Preacher’s Kids Strayed,” as a starting point.

If you’re a pastor, ministry leader, or parent in church leadership, this episode will help you better understand the unique pressures pastors’ kids face and how to care for their hearts with wisdom and grace.

In this episode, they unpack 10 reasons pastors’ kids stray from the church or from faith:

1. They weren’t (and aren’t) perfect.

• PKs often feel pressure to be the “ideal Christian kid.”
• Constant expectations and scrutiny can lead to burnout, resentment, or hidden struggles.

2. The church told them how to live, but didn’t personally walk with them.

• They heard the rules and standards but lacked discipleship, mentoring, and real-life guidance.

3. They didn’t know what to do when their pastor-parent seemed too busy.

• Ministry can crowd out family time, leaving kids feeling overlooked or unimportant.

4. They kept their struggles to themselves.

• Fear of judgment or hurting their parents’ reputation can keep PKs silent about doubts and sin.

5. They felt overwhelmed by temptation and didn’t know how to respond.

• Without safe, honest conversations about sin, grace, and repentance, temptation can isolate them.

6. They weren’t actually saved yet.

• Growing up in a ministry home doesn’t guarantee genuine conversion or a personal relationship with Christ.

7. They wanted to experiment.

• Curiosity, peer pressure, or a desire for independence can lead them to test boundaries and pursue the world.

8. They were rebelling against the church.

• Hurts, hypocrisy, or church conflict can cause PKs to push back against the church and its expectations.

9. They saw too much of the “underbelly” of church life.

• Witnessing criticism, conflict, betrayal, or gossip about their parents can deeply wound pastors’ kids.

10. They followed the lead of their church friends.

• The influence of peers—whether spiritually apathetic or openly rebellious—can pull PKs away from the Lord.

This episode offers pastoral wisdom and practical ideas for:

• Protecting and shepherding your own kids as a pastor
• Creating a church culture that cares well for pastors’ families
• Helping pastors’ kids process church hurt, doubt, and disappointment

Resources Mentioned in This Episode:

• “10 Reasons Preacher’s Kids Strayed” by Chuck Lawless
• “How does a pastor respond to: ‘When is my child ready for baptism?’” by Mark Hallock

Listen in for a thoughtful conversation on pastors’ kids, church hurt, and helping PKs follow Jesus with authentic, lasting faith.

In this episode, they unpack six ways to earn trust as a pastor:

1. Listen more than you speak
   • Learn how intentional listening builds pastoral credibility.
   • Discover why slowing down, asking good questions, and really hearing your people matters more than having all the answers.
2. Follow through on what you say you’ll do
   • Understand how consistency and reliability create trust over time.
   • Explore simple practices to keep your word and manage expectations in your church.
3. Be present in crisis—and in everyday life
   • See why showing up at hospital bedsides, funerals, and hard moments is crucial.
   • Learn the importance of being there for non-crisis moments too: ball games, coffees, and casual conversations.
4. Be a joyful pastor
   • Discover how genuine joy and hope influence the culture of your congregation.
   • Hear why a pastor’s attitude can either drain or energize a church family.
5. Celebrate what God is doing in your church
   • Learn how to highlight small wins and stories of God’s faithfulness.
   • Use celebration to encourage your people and shape a culture of gratitude and expectancy.
6. Stay—especially when it’s hard
   • Explore why long-term presence is one of the most powerful ways to build trust.
   • Hear insights on perseverance, calling, and staying put in seasons of discouragement or slow growth.

This episode is especially helpful for:

• Pastors in church revitalization or replanting
• New pastors seeking to build trust early in their ministry
• Church leaders wanting to strengthen unity and health in their congregation

Listen in for practical, gospel-centered wisdom on building trust as a pastor, earning credibility in ministry, and shepherding your church with faithfulness over the long haul.

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock continue their conversation on how churches can effectively reach small towns and rural communities, using the Converge article “10 Ways to Reach Your Rural Community” as a springboard. If you’re a rural pastor, church replanter, or leader in a small-town church, this episode will help you think creatively about evangelism, outreach, and community engagement in your context.

In this episode, they explore how to:

1. Take your hobby out of the church lobby

• Use your personal interests—sports, crafts, coffee, hunting, music—to build real relationships in the community.
• Host hobby-based gatherings in neutral spaces like coffee shops, parks, or community centers to connect with unchurched neighbors.

2. Be a good neighbor in practical, everyday ways

• Live out the gospel through simple acts of kindness, presence, and service in your small town.
• Look for opportunities to help your literal neighbors, local businesses, and community organizations.

3. Turn your church’s “wow factor” up to 11 on one thing

• Identify one outreach, ministry, or community event your church can do with excellence.
• Focus your limited resources to make a big impact in a specific area that blesses your rural community.

4. Go “all in” on building bridges to your community

• Invest time and energy in long-term relationships with schools, city leaders, nonprofits, and local families.
• Create ongoing partnerships instead of one-time projects, so your church becomes a trusted presence in town.

Ideal for:

• Rural and small-town pastors
• Church replanters and revitalization leaders
• Churches wanting to reach their rural community with the gospel

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Article: “10 Ways to Reach Your Rural Community” by the Converge Network

Use this episode as a practical guide for rural church revitalization, small-town church outreach strategies, and community engagement that keeps Christ and His mission at the center.

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock unpack practical ways churches can reach small towns and rural communities, drawing from the Converge article, “10 Ways to Reach Your Rural Community.” If you’re a pastor or church leader in a small town, this episode will help you think more strategically about evangelism, outreach, and community presence in a rural context.

In this episode, they discuss how to:

1. Make sure no second-time guest slips through the cracks.

• Create simple follow-up systems for visitors.
• Help guests connect with real relationships, not just programs.

2. Get your church into the local news and community conversation.

• Look for ways to serve that are newsworthy in your small town.
• Build relationships with local media, schools, and civic leaders.

3. Get “schooled” by engaging your local schools.

• Support teachers, staff, and students in practical ways.
• Volunteer, mentor, and show up consistently at school events.

4. Be offensive—in the right way.

• Play offense by taking the gospel outside your building.
• Move from a “come and see” mindset to a “go and tell” lifestyle.

5. Bust out of the Sunday morning box.

• Think beyond worship services to weekly rhythms of mission.
• Use everyday spaces and everyday routines for intentional outreach.

6. Be a regular in your community.

• Build a faithful presence at local coffee shops, restaurants, and parks.
• Become known as a pastor or church member who genuinely cares.

Ideal for:

• Rural pastors
• Replanters in small towns
• Church leaders looking to reach their local community more effectively

Resources Mentioned in This Episode

• Article: “10 Ways to Reach Your Rural Community” by the Converge Network

Use this conversation as a practical playbook for rural church revitalization, small-town church outreach, and community engagement that keeps the gospel at the center.

Some Highlights:

1. Be thankful that God called you to be a pastor.
2. Be thankful for those who have shaped you.
3. Be thankful for those who have had patience with you.
4. Be thankful to God, who has not removed His calling from you.

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst record a live episode from the 2025 Replant Summit answering listeners’ questions.

• What decisions or circumstances help a church decide, “We can’t do this ourselves”?
• Why churches of 200 or less must be involved in replanting other churches.
• How to handle disagreements over secondary or tertiary issues in the work of revitalization/replanting.

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Kevin DeYoung for some helpful tips on preaching from the Puritans. Puritan preaching was characterized by these markers:

1. Expository
2. Doctrinal
3. Orderly
4. Plain
5. Focused on Christ

Resources Related to this Episode:

• “5 Preaching Tips from the Puritans” by Kevin DeYoung

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some sure-fire ways to fail in revitalization.

Some Highlights:

1. Lack of humility
2. Lack of patience
3. Lack of faith
4. Lack of perseverance
5. Lack of love

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss some simple tips from H.B. Charles for improving your preaching.

Some Highlights:

1. Read
2. Pray
3. Think
4. Write
5. Love
6. Rest
7. Live

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “7 Ways to Grow in Your Preaching” by HB Charles

Mark Clifton and Mark Hallock discuss an article from Chuck Lawless about why pastors and church leaders should feel uncomfortable in church.

Some Highlights:

1. You will be worshiping the one and only, true and living God.
2. The Word of God penetrates to the depth of our being (Heb. 4:12).
3. All of us have sin to deal with.
4. Lost people should be there.
5. A supernatural enemy will want you to ignore or deny God’s Word.
6. You might have to deal with that person who “gets under your skin.”
7. The command of the Great Commission is still in effect.
8. If you’re a leader, you’ll answer for the way you care for the souls of the church (Heb. 13:17).
9. If you’re the preacher, your responsibility is great.
10. I say it again: None of us is perfect.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “10 Reasons Why Attending Church Should Make You Feel Uncomfortable This Weekend” by Chuck Lawless

Some Highlights:

1. They don’t recognize the decline of cultural Christianity.
2. They have many “church rules.”
3. They have leaders who have never led in a highly unchurched mission field.
4. They confuse tradition with the truth.
5. They do outreach the way they’ve always done it.
6. They are experiencing significant conflict due to frustration.
7. They are very slow to respond.
8. They have significant facility challenges.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “8 Reasons Many Bible-Belt Churches Are in Decline” by Thom Rainer

Some Highlights:

1. Doing pastoral care vs. leading the organization
2. Focusing on private study vs. doing public ministry
3. Prioritizing new members vs. concentrating on longer-term members
4. Doing evangelism vs. doing discipleship
5. Budgeting for staff vs. budgeting for ministry and missions
6. Changing things too quickly vs. changing them too slowly
7. Spending time with family vs. being with the church family
8. Reaching our neighbors vs. reaching the nations
9. Honoring the past vs. preparing for the future
10. Ministering to older folks vs. ministering to the young
11. Extending grace vs. carrying out church discipline
12. Hanging out with non-believers who need the gospel vs. hanging out with believers who love their church staff

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “12 Balancing Acts in Ministry You Might Face This Week” by Chuck Lawless

Some Highlights:

• Raising up leaders from the next generation isn’t optional.
• Begin to pray for God to lead young leaders to your church.
• Set aside resources and/or find partners to help bring a young leader on as a resident.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• https://www.thesaltnetwork.com/
• https://www.thecalvary.org/

Some Highlights:

• The importance of inter-generational ministry for raising up next-gen leaders
• Why potlucks still work for community

Resources Related to This Episode:

• https://www.thesaltnetwork.com/
• https://www.thecalvary.org/

Some Highlights:

• The importance of transitioning leadership to a new generation of leaders
• Leadership development is key
• The impact of a church’s “footprint” in its community
• Partnership with local businesses to minister to the community

Resources Related to This Episode:

• To connect with Colin, reach out to cpugh_contractor@namb.net

“The Big Three” in Rural Ministry:

• Vocational Identity
• Low Resources
• Isolation

Some Highlights:

1. Real disciples come away “smelling” like Jesus.
2. True discipleship is about presence.
3. The answer is not new discipleship material—it’s walking with Jesus.
4. A four-step process to read Scripture:
   • Summarize
   • Expose
   • Change
   • Prepare

Resources Related to This Episode:

• Reading It Right

Some Highlights:

1. Do you desire the ministry?
2. Does your character meet God’s expectations?
3. Is your household in order?
4. Has God gifted you to teach and preach His Word?
5. Does your church affirm your calling?
6. Do you love the people of God?
7. Are you passionate about the gospel and the Great Commission?
8. Are you engaged in fruitful ministry?
9. Are you ready to defend the faith?
10. Are you willing to surrender?

Resources Related to This Episode:

• Discerning Your Call to Ministry: How to Know For Sure and What to Do About It by Jason K. Allen

Some Highlights:

1. Take initiative and pursue first-time guests.
2. Welcome with enthusiasm.
3. Show individual care.
4. Be genuine and authentic.
5. Serve people with joy.
6. Communicate clearly.

Some Highlights:

1. Discouragements are about God’s reign—so yield to His wife and His loving providence.
2. Discouragements are about learning spiritual consistency—so maintain spiritual disciplines.
3. Discouragements are about the affections—so cultivate a heart of worship.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “Pastor, Don’t Waste Your Discouragement” by Phil A. Newton

Some Highlights:

1. To grow in biblical knowledge
2. To develop teachers
3. To foster deeper community
4. To engage the city better
5. To embrace the role of the church

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “5 Reasons We Switched from Small Groups to Sunday School” by Jim Davis

Some Highlights:

1. The small group’s purpose must be clear.
2. Intentional organization matters.
3. Workers must be trained.
4. Concern must be focused on the lost.
5. Pastoral care via the small group must be organized.
6. The goal of the Sunday School class is to multiply, to “plant” another class from the current class.
7. Space matters.
8. The class must “go after” the lost.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “10 Small Group Lessons from Old-Fashioned Sunday School” by Chuck Lawless
• “Recapturing Flake’s Formula for Groups” by Ken Braddy

Some Highlights:

1. The Gossip/Talker
2. The Exploder
3. The Passive-Aggressive
4. The Cynic

Some Highlights:

1. Entitlement
2. Greed
3. Control
4. Callousness
5. Tribalism
6. Unbalanced Gospel

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “When to Distrust Your Pastor” by Garrett Kell

Some Highlights:

1. Isolation
2. Lack of accountability
3. Defensiveness

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “When to Distrust Your Pastor” by Garrett Kell

Some Highlights:

1. Appeal too quickly to God’s sovereignty
2. Launch into a story of how God used your suffering
3. Minimize the wrongdoing that caused the suffering
4. Emphasize character formation while neglecting comfort and compassion

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “How Not to Help a Sufferer” by Gavin Ortlund

Some Highlights:

1. Make sure the gathering is truly God-centered, not man-centered.
2. Help people feel the weight and joy of worshiping God, not shallow and joyless.
3. Let theological conviction shape every component, not pragmatism.
4. Preach the Word with precision, passion, and application, not sloppy, dull, and impractical.
5. Celebrate the Lord’s Supper consistently with intentionality, not as an afterthought.
6. Do what you can with excellence, not what you can’t and not half-way.
7. Keep it simple, not unnecessarily complex.
8. Choose songs that are singable and sound in doctrine, not simply what is popular.
9. Encourage congregational singing, not disengaged observing.
10. Make sacrificial giving a worship opportunity, not something to be avoided.
11. Regularly cast vision for how our worship of God must fuel the mission of God to make disciples, never assuming people drift toward the mission.

Potential Benefits:

• Time efficiency
• Access to a large amount of research and language resources

Potential Pitfalls:

• Risk of shallow theology
• Pastoral integrity
• Laziness

Resources Related to This Episode:

• John Piper’s AI Prayer

Some Highlights:

• Two cons of manuscript preaching:
  • Your delivery can be too wooden.
  • You can miss what the Spirit is doing in the worship gathering
• A manuscript can provide clarity and coherence.
• Even in a manuscript, leave room for what Hallock calls “rant time.”

Some Highlights:

• No notes DOES NOT mean no study
• Some of the potential pitfalls of preaching with no notes
• The importance of thinking through your introduction and closing
• You must know how you’re going to “land the plane”

Some Highlights:

• More social media issues
• Changing family dynamics
• Increasing cultural headwinds

Some Highlights:

• Mental health issues
• Senior life
• The current political environment
• Changing public schools
• Social media issues

Some Highlights:

1. Multiple worship styles created an “us-versus-them” mentality.
2. The church did not have the resources to do multiple styles with quality.
3. The church moved from multiple services to one service.
4. The millennial generation has influenced many churches.
5. Worship wars are waning.
6. Multiple generations are becoming more accustomed to different types of church music and worship styles.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “Six Reasons Some Churches are Moving Back to One Worship Style” by Kenny Lamm

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Sam Rainer on some simple and creative ways to love your local community.

Some Highlights:

1. Don’t go home.
2. Join the fun.
3. Live with your people.
4. Stop complaining.
5. Stay active.
6. Join a civic organization.
7. Try something new on a regular basis.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “Seven Ways to Love Your Community” by Sam Rainer

Some Highlights:

• Because they saw all of life as being lived coram deo—before the face of God
• Because they were highly decorated soldiers on the spiritual battlefield
• Because they were skilled physicians of the souls
• Because they understood contentment in Christ as the key to genuine happiness

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “Eight Reasons Why We Need the Puritans” by Jeff Robinson
• Little Pilgrim’s Progress: From John Bunyan’s Classic by Helen Taylor and Joanne Brubaker
• Following God Fully: An Introduction to the Puritans by Michael Reeves and Joel Beeke
• The Godly Man’s Picture by Thomas Watson

Some Highlights:

• Because they were mature and we are not
• Because they understood the deep sinfulness of the human heart
• Because they knew their best life was later
• Because they viewed the family as a little church

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “Eight Reasons Why We Need the Puritans” by Jeff Robinson
• A Quest for Godliness: The Puritan Vision of the Christian Life by J.I. Packer

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss whether counting worship attendance still makes sense, based on an article from Sam Rainer.

Healthy reasons to count:

• Rhythms build discipleship.
• Presence enables connection.
• Trends reveal direction.
• Opportunities increase.

Unhealthy reasons to count:

• Legalism creeps in.
• Growth becomes a game.
• Charisma overshadows calling.
• Quantity replaces quality.

Resources Related to This Episode:

“Does Counting Worship Attendance Still Make Sense for Churches?” by Sam Rainer

1. The disciplines slow us down.
2. They put us in a position to listen to God.
3. They emphasize relationships.
4. They force us to see where we place our dependence.
5. They uncover the sin that’s hindering our walk with God.
6. They correct our sins of omission.
7. They prepare us to teach and lead others.
8. They produce in us godly confidence and excitement.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “8 Reasons Spiritual Disciplines Matter” by Chuck Lawless

Some Highlights:

1. Be teachable
2. Know your identity
3. Faithfulness first
4. Develop a hard shell; maintain a soft heart
5. Simply don’t quit

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “5 Ways to Last 20 Years in the Same Church” by Mike Ayers

Some Highlights:

1. God commands me never to complain.
2. God commands me to give thanks in every circumstance.
3. God commands me to rejoice always, especially in times of trial.
4. I always deserve much worse than what I am suffering now; in fact, I deserve hell.
5. In light of the eternal happiness and glory I’ll experience in heaven, this present trial is brief and insignificant, even if it were to last a lifetime.
6. My suffering is far less than that which Christ suffered, yet He did not complain.
7. To complain is to say God is not just.
8. Faith and prayer exclude complaining.
9. This difficulty is being used by God for my good, and it is foolish for me to complain against it.
10. Those more faithful than I have suffered far worse than I and have done so without complaint.
11. Complaining denies that God’s grace is entirely sufficient for me.
12. The greatest suffering—the worst trial or difficulty—can never rob me of that which is of greatest value to me and my great joy: namely, the love of Christ.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “A 12-Point Cure for Complaining” by Bill Izard

Some Highlights:

1. Holiness produces joy.
2. Holiness takes intentionality.
3. Holiness will never be reached.
4. Holiness comes from God working through His Word.
5. Holiness requires us to think rightly about sin.
6. Holiness does not save us; only Christ does.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “Six Lessons on Holiness from Thomas Watson” by Cassie Watson
• The Godly Man’s Picture: Drawn with a Scripture Pencil by Thomas Watson

Some Highlights:

• Spend most of the time in your prayer meeting praying
• Avoid having people sit in rows
• Teach something from Scripture that might encourage prayer
• Be clear about how you will pray during that meeting
• Share current answers to prayer and thank God
• How to handle prayer requests effectively
• Prepare people beforehand to “jump right in and pray”

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “11 Ways to Enliven Prayer Meetings” by Steve Burchett
• Praying the Bible by Donald S. Whitney

• Why firing staff members may prove more difficult in a smaller church
• What you must consider about the long-term health of both the church and the staff member
• What happens when you fail to address an ineffective team member
• What church leaders should do in these sticky situations!

Resources Related to this Episode:

• How to Handle an Ineffective Church Staff Member

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some ways to diagnose whether your church is ready to enter into a season of revitalization and renewal:

1. Hearts that are humble – “This is the Lord’s church, not ours.”
2. Desire to reach the community with the gospel – “This is our mission and mission field.”
3. Commitment to submit to the Bible – “The Word of God is our authority.”
4. Willingness to take risks and do whatever it takes – “We are desperate to see God move here.”
5. Belief that God can actually revitalize dying churches – “God isn’t done with us.”

Resources Related to This Episode:

• Falling in Love with Jesus (Again) by David Jackson
• Flickering Lamps: Christ and His Church by Henry and Richard Blackaby
• God’s Not Done with Your Church by Mark Hallock

1. Be you.
2. Listen actively.
3. Show consistency.
4. Pursue, but know when to give space.
5. Follow through on commitments.
6. Lean into the awkward.
7. Don’t be easily offended.

• Love the brothers
• A wonderful Small Church Pastor’s Lunch
• The SBC Pastor’s Conference
• Our heart for missions
• The miracle that is the SBC

Resources Related to This Episode:

• 2025 Replant Summit

1. Jesus, our role model, was patient with His disciples.
2. Patience is a witness of the Spirit in our lives.
3. In many cases, somebody has also been patient with us.
4. Many church members are themselves undisciplined.
5. They are often under stress unbeknownst to us.
6. Sometimes, they’re not truly believers.
7. We occasionally expect church members to quickly buy into something we’ve been considering for months.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “7 Reasons We Must Be Patient with Church Members” by Chuck Lawless

1. Churches are filled with “ignostics” – they are ignorant of biblical truth.
2. Many people are dealing with problems that our churches have not been equipped to handle.

Resources Related to this Episode:

• “10 Reasons Why It’s Harder for the Church Today” by Jim Farrer

1. So much time and energy is spent on maintaining current strategies
2. The reality of transfer growth
3. The vast majority of growth is coming from churches planted in the last couple of decades
4. The world around us has changed

Resources Related to this Episode:

• “10 Reasons Why It’s Harder for the Church Today” by Jim Farrer

1. Pride
2. Spiritual and Emotional Immaturity
3. Change and Inflexibility
4. Abuses of Power
5. Church Politics
6. Unclear Authority
7. Personality Differences

1. The authoritarian leader creates a culture of fear.
2. The disengaged leader creates a culture of floundering.
3. The directive leader creates a culture of flourishing.

Resources Related to this Episode:

Leading Church Revitalization by Mark Hallock

1. The role of preaching in shepherding the church.
2. What is your strategy for raising up pastors and deacons in the life of your church?

Resources Related to this Episode:

Leading Church Revitalization by Mark Hallock

Resources Related to this Episode:

Leading Church Revitalization by Mark Hallock

1. How can a pastor know his flock?
2. Feeding, leading, and protecting require knowing the flock

Resources Related to this Episode:

Leading Church Revitalization by Mark Hallock

1. Why “Don’t change anything in the first year” is a bit too simplistic.
2. Help your folks understand the “why” behind changes.
3. Am I the right person to lead this change, and if not, am I better suited for a second-chair ministry?

1. How do you shepherd an unmarried couple who have been attending your church, but have been dishonest about their living situation?
2. A couple asks you to perform their marriage ceremony. They claim to be believers but are not actively involved in any church.
3. How do you shepherd church members who are unwise in their social media usage?
4. How do you shepherd a leader whose marriage is clearly not in a good spot, but they are unwilling to talk about it?
5. Issues surrounding alcohol usage.

1. Children and students comprise 25% or more of average worship attendance.
2. Conversion ratio reaches 20:1 or better.
3. Giving consistently exceeds expenses.
4. Deferred maintenance is minimized.
5. The number of people in groups is 80% or more of average worship attendance.

Resources Related to this Episode:

“How to Know Your Church is Revitalized (5 Key Indicators)” by Sam Rainer

• D.J.’s journey in ministry to this point, including his 20+ years at Church at the Mill.
• D.J.’s life as the son of a bivocational pastor and his experience in smaller membership churches.
• The heart behind the 2025 SBC Pastor’s Conference
• Why pastors of smaller churches should make it to the Pastor’s Conference and SBC Annual Meeting in Dallas in June.

1. Remember your family is your primary ministry.
2. Remember you are called to lead your family.
3. Acknowledge that ministry is hard on kids and costly to families.
4. Consider the stage your kids are in and the cost of ministry for them.
5. Take your kids’ challenges to your fellow leaders for prayer and care
6. Consider your home and family dynamics
7. Consider your church’s relational and cultural dynamics
8. Find outlets for relief
9. Consider stepping away from ministry.

Resources Related to this Episode:

“Help! My Kids Aren’t on Board with Ministry” by Barnabas Piper

1. The Dominator
2. The Dodger
3. The Debater
4. The Drainer

Resources Related to this Episode:

4 Difficult People You’ll Encounter in Ministry – and How to Handle Them by Christ Surratt

1. Every sermon needs to lead to an intentional ask, call, or response.
2. Never assume the hearer knows what to do. In fact, assume their next move needs to be directed by clearly articulated direction.
3. Spend time in your preparation:
   • Identifying what response should be made after the message.
   • Craft thoughtful expressions of calling for salvation, service, or obedience.
   • Decide whether there should be application following each point, or one invitational call at the end of the meeting.
4. Make sure you plan to leave significant time and energy for your invitation and never let it be an afterthought.

1. Become a praying church.
2. Understand the church’s mission.
3. Focus on what God can do.
4. The Word is the Word to follow.
5. Serve God with glory.

Resources Related to this Episode:

5 Steps to Local Church Renewal by Desmond Barrett

1. Ask the question, “What does what I’m wearing communicate?”
2. You don’t want your clothes to distract.
3. Wear clothes that are culturally appropriate, but plain.

“Be prayerful and honest with yourself about this. Sure, not everyone will agree with where you fall on this issue, but I would encourage two things: 1) make sure your conscience is clear before the Lord in this and 2) always err on the side of plain and unimpressive.” – Mark Hallock

Resources Related to this Episode:

What Should a Pastor Wear by Mark Hallock

1. Pray for a heart of brokenness, no matter the earthly cost.
2. Pray against the enemy’s desire to have them.
3. Pray specific Scripture over their life.

Resources Related to this Episode:

Pray Them Home by Sarah Walton

1. The “I want to show you how creative and clever I am” sermon.
2. The “I want to be real and authentic and vulnerable at all costs” sermon.
3. The “I am passionate about biblical and systematic theology, and you should be too” sermon.
4. The “I love to make the Bible practical for all people without explaining to them what it means” sermon.
5. The “I want you to live the purposeful, prosperous, victorious life you deserve” sermon.

Resources Related to this Episode:

5 Types of Sermons That Fall Short by Mark Hallock

Here are good questions to evaluate whether the things you are hearing are information you need to know as a pastor or if it’s entering into the realm of gossip:

1. Does this information involve me or affect me directly?
2. What is the motive of the person who passed this information on to me?
3. What is going on in my heart?

Resources Related to this Episode:

Fighting the “Respectable” Sins of Gossip and Slander by Mark Hallock

1. Know their names and basic info.
2. Know what they enjoy.
3. Know where they are spiritually.

Resources Related to this Episode:

3 Things Pastors Should Know About Every Kid in Your Church by Mark Hallock

Shepherding a Child’s Heart by Ted Tripp

 How does a Pastor Respond to: “When Is My Child Ready for Baptism?” by Mark Hallock

1. Don’t use a cheesy name for senior adult ministries.
2. Don’t underestimate the value of senior adults.
3. Find ways to connect your older adults with younger folks in the church.
4. Find some way for an older church to be involved in children’s ministry.
5. Use people to read Scripture publicly in your worship service.
6. Use prayer warriors to lead your people to pray.

1. Spiritual warfare
2. The surprising reality of pastoral leadership.
3. Sense of inadequacy
4. Critics and bullies
5. Loneliness

Resources Related to this Episode:

5 Reasons Pastors Get Depressed (And Why Tey Don’t Talk About It) by Thom Rainer

1. Love the church you have.
2. Love your community ministry footprint.
3. Change the scorecard.

1. Reconfigure your worship center to be an appropriate size for your congregation.
2. Use your building as an incubator for church plants.
3. Share your building with the community.
4. Share your building with appropriate non-profits.
5. Find ways to use your building to bless the community.

1. I didn’t know the context.
2. I brought the wrong toolkit.
3. I wasn’t spiritually prepared.
4. I loved the church I wanted, not the church I had.
5. Initially, I saw the community as a prospect to grow my church, rather than loving the community.

1. Do not undersell the pain of revitalization to your family.
2. Make sure your wife has some friendships outside the church that can strengthen her spiritually.
3. Find places for your kids to grow spiritually, even if it means they’re involved in another church’s children’s or youth ministries.
4. As a family, find another local church that has weeknight home/life groups.

1. Stick with Robert’s Rules of Order.
2. Be optimistic about the tone of the meeting.
3. Find ways to build consensus, particularly on contention issues, beforehand.
4. Have tactical patience when it comes to divisive issues.
5. Begin the meeting with worship and prayer.
6. Spend some time with the matriarchs and patriarchs of your church to get the history of business meetings in your church.

1. Form a prayer partnership between your congregation and another congregation.
2. Proactively find a church plant or ethnic congregation and invite them to use your building.
3. Do a special event of some kind (worship night, community outreach, retreat, etc.) with one or more churches in your community.
4. Send 3 or 4 families from your church to intentionally serve and help strengthen a declining congregation in your community for 6-12 months.
5. Take the lead as a congregation in coming alongside a dying church and replanting it as a new congregation with fresh hope and vision.

Resources Related to this Episode:

Save the Date for the 2025 Replant Summit! – August 25-26 in Alpharetta, GA

1. Be intentional about discipling your children.
2. Live out your love for Jesus in a genuine way in front of your kids.
3. Be cautious about how you talk about the church in front of your kids.
4. Laugh a lot with your kids.
5. If your kids see you quarrel with your spouse, make sure they see you make up too.

1. You must learn to be a better listener.
2. Don’t try to fix everything but just be a soft place to land.
3. Learn to love what your wife loves.
4. Be present.
5. Find ways to love her family.

1. Quit trying to worry about numerical results
2. Focus on the gospel and realize that my worth is found in Jesus Christ and what He has accomplished on the cross.
3. Listen more and talk less.
4. Cherish the small things and the small victories.
5. Only eternity will reveal the results of your labor.

Why do folks not come to church?

• We minimize the importance of the local church.
• We worship the idol of activities.
• We take a lot of vacations from church.
• We do not have high expectations of our members.
• We make infrequent attendees leaders in our churches.

Resources Related to this Episode:

Five Reasons Church Members Attend Less Frequently by Thom Rainer

Good questions to ask:

• What’s going right?
• What’s going wrong?
• What’s missing?
• What’s confusing?

• The value of systematic pastoral visits.
• Some key questions to ask in pastoral visits.

Resources Related to this Episode:

Christian Communicators Worldwide

Spiritual Inventory for Pastoral Visits

1. Invite them to your home.
2. Try to find out what drives them.
3. Within reason, give them some servant responsibility.
4. Confront them if they continue to cause problems in the church.

Resources Related to this Episode:

Leading Even the Cantankerous by Jim Elliff

1. Pride
2. Spiritual and Emotional Immaturity
3. Change and Inflexibility
4. Abuses of Power
5. Church Politics
6. Unclear Authority
7. Personality Differences

Resources Related to this Episode:

Seven Causes of Church Conflict by Chris Crain

• When you face awkward situations or personalities, as the leader you must keep it cool.
• Recognize that everyone is awkward. Get comfortable with “Leaning into the awkward.”
• The importance of emotional intelligence in leaders.
• There is a difference in awkward behavior and sinful behavior.
• Leaders cannot show favoritism with church members.
• The importance of understanding your own awkwardness as a leader.

• What does a typical house church meeting look like?
• Where do these house churches meet?
• What are the biggest challenges for house churches?
• How does the house church network handle their finances and missions?
• How is church discipline handled in the house church network?

Resources Related to this Episode:

Christian Communicators Wordwide

“Restoring Those Who Fall” – article on church discipline

Church on the Couch: One Way Believers Work Out Church Life in Homes

Christfellowshipkc.org

1. Many pastors have few prayer partners.
2. Only another pastor really understands the burdens pastors carry.
3. Pastors will answer to God for the spiritual care of the sheep they shepherd (Heb 13:17).
4. Pastors need friends.
5. Pastors face a real enemy who wants to destroy them.
6. Pastors need a prayer partner who is also a trusted listening ear.
7. Pastors sometimes struggle with hidden sin.
8. Some pastors wrestle with prioritizing their families – and they need prayer support and accountability.
9. Pastors never get done with their work.
10. Most pastors don’t pray enough.

Resources related to this episode:

10 Reasons Pastors Need Another Pastor as a Prayer Pastor by Chuck Lawless

Mark Clifton’s Recommedations:

• The River of Doubt by Candice Millard
• Scripture-Guided Worship by Joe Crider
• The Ways of God by Richard Blackaby

Mark Hallock’s Recommendations:

• The Devoted Mind by Kris Lungaard
• Spurgeon the Pastor by Geoff Chang
• Trusting God by Jerry Bridges
• Into His Presence: Praying with the Puritans by Tim Chesster
• The Care of Souls by Harold Senkbeil
• Pastors and Their Critics – Joel Beeke and Nicholas J. Thompson
• Joyful Perseverance: Staying Fresh throught the Ups and Downs of Ministry by Ajith Fernando

Kyle Bueermann’s Recommendations:

• A Wondrous Mystery: Daily Advent Devotionals by C.H. Spurgeon (Edited by Geoffrey Chang)
• Uncommon Greatness by Mark Miller
• The Overlooked Americans: The Resilience of our Rural Towns and What It Means for Our Country by Elizabeth Curried-Halkett

Dan Hurst’s Recommendations:

• Jesus the Revolutionary by H.S. Vigeveno
• The Christian World Liberation Front by Jeanne C. DeFazio

1. Church leaders are not raising up new leaders.
2. The pastor may be feeling a tug toward some other opportunity.
3. The church is comfortable where it is.
4. The community is changing.
5. The church operates in maintenance mode.
6. The church doesn’t pray much together anymore.

Resources Related to this Episode:

10 Reasons Why Churches Get Stuck, Stop Growing by Chuck Lawless

1. Nobody is paying much attention to the numbers.
2. The church has outgrown the pastor’s leadership style.
3. The church is out of space.
4. The church’s small groups have hit their maximum.

Resources Related to this Episode:

10 Reasons Why Churches Get Stuck, Stop Growing by Chuck Lawless

• Why most of the instruction from Scripture about the Lord’s Supper is corrective.
• We don’t “take” the Lord’s Supper, we “eat” the Lord’s Supper.
• What it means to “examine yourself” before eating the meal.
• The meal is an “apostolic tradition,” which is a command to obey.
• “Eat a meal together” is just another way to express fellowship.

Resources Related to this Episode:

Free E-Book: The Lord’s Supper is a Meal by Jim Elliff

https://www.ccwtoday.org/

1. The best change takes place on the wings of persistent study and prayer.
2. Many churches simply don’t recognize the need for change.
3. Some changes require structural change – even a change in the church’s by-laws at times – and that process usually takes a while.
4. Too much change in too little time can backfire.
5. Sometimes those members who’ve been the most faithful over the years are the ones who most need convincing of the change.
6. We’re often trying to change churches that have been in maintenance mode for a long time.
7. Some members aren’t unwilling to change; they’re just tired of change in general.

Resources related to this episode:

7 Reasons We Must Be Patient with Church Change by Chuck Lawless

Resources related to this episode:

• How can a solo pastor begin to identify and train leaders to help in the work of the ministry?
• How can you utilize parachurch ministries in the work of revitalizing your church?
• How can you prepare your church to minister to and disciple folks from messy backgrounds?

Suggested Resources:

Every Man a Warrior

Reclaiming Glory by Mark Clifton

1. We never expect church leaders to fall.
2. We genuinely love our leaders.
3. We watch a leader’s family suffer.
4. We watch a church grieve.
5. We know it’s not a good witness.
6. A call can create a faith crisis for others.
7. It makes us feel vulnerable.
8. It feels like it will never end.

Resources related to this episode:

8 Reasons the Fall of a Church Leader Hurts So Badly by Chuck Lawless

• Why Jim says “The Lord’s Supper is a meal.”
• The word for “fellowship” in the Bible means a meal.

Resources Related to this Episode:

Free E-Book: The Lord’s Supper is a Meal by Jim Elliff

https://www.ccwtoday.org/

1. An unfriendly stand-and-greet time in the worship service.
2. Unfriendly church members.
3. Unsafe and unclean children’s areas.
4. No place to get information on the church.
5. Bad church website.
6. Poor signage
7. Insider church language
8. Boring or bad church services
9. Members telling guests they were in the wrong pew or chair.
10. Dirty facilities.

Resources related to this episode:

Top 10 Reasons Visitors Don’t Come Back by Thom Rainer

1. Activities become synonymous with ministry.
2. Programs and ministries are added regularly, but few or none are ever deleted.
3. Programs and ministries become sacred cows.
4. The alignment question is not even asked on the front end.
5. Silo behavior among the different ministries of the church.
6. Lack of an evaluation process.
7. Ministry becomes facility-centered.
8. Lack of courageous leadership.

Resources related to this episode:

8 Reasons Churches Become Too Busy by Thom Rainer

1. When there are almost more committees in the church constitution than there are people in the church.
2. When the church has not examined, revised, and strengthened its committee structure in years (perhaps even a decade or longer).
3. When the progress of the church gets bogged down in competing or controlling committees.
4. When one committee is the power broker of the entire church.
5. When most committee members can’t tell you what their committee does.
6. When committees actually haven’t met or functioned for years.
7. When committees meet, but they don’t actually do anything.
8. When committee membership becomes a goal for church members who want power and control.
9. When the church still has business meetings simply so the committees can report.
10. When no one in the church will publicly question the value of these committees.

Resources related to this episode:

10 Indications That a Church’s Committees Are Out of Control by Chuck Lawless

1. Folks aren’t listening to your announcements (or reading your emails…or newsletters).
2. Announcements seldom include the “why” with the “what.”
3. Listeners hear a corporate announcement (if they hear it at all) for everyone else – not for themselves.
4. Some church members carry baggage that makes it difficult for them to hear a call for workers.
5. The wrong people make the announcements.
6. Announcements put the responsibility on the respondent rather than on the recruiter.
7. The church is making announcements, but not one’s praying for the Lord to raise up the laborers.

Resources related to this episode:

7 Reasons Why Announcements Don’t Usually Lead to Church Member Involvement by Chuck Lawless

The Seven Realities of Experiencing God:

1. God is always at work around you.
2. God pursues a loving relationship with us.
3. God invites us to join Him in His work.
4. God speaks to us by prayer, Scripture, circumstances, and the church.
5. When God speaks, it takes us to a crisis of belief that requires faith and action.
6. We must make major adjustments to join God in His work.
7. We come to know God by experience as we see Him accomplish His work through our obedience.

Additional Resources:

Return to Worship by Ron Owens

Experiencing God by Henry and Richard Blackaby

Blackaby Ministries, Intl.

1. Church websites are often outdated, boring…and useless.
2. Churches are not friendly.
3. Church facilities are not generally marked well.
4. Churches aren’t prepared for guests.
5. Churches are poorly equipped for protecting children.
6. Worship through music often needs improvement.
7. Preaching is often weak.
8. Churches are not always clear on “what to do” in response to worship.

1. Display confidence, but never cockiness.
2. Follow through, which means you never over-commit.
3. To earn and keep trust, put trust in others.
4. Extend grace but be firm in some non-negotiable principles.
5. Don’t be a know-it-all.
6. Exhibit humility but have courage to do the hard things.
7. Value people more than progress.

Resources related to this episode:

7 Ways to Earn and Keep Trust by Ron Edmondson

1. Community Disconnect Disease
2. Methodological Arthritis
3. “The Grass is Greener” Syndrome
4. Professional Wrestling Sickness
5. Program Nausea

Resources related to this episode:

10 Church Diseases That Might Be Afflicting Your Church by Chuck Lawless

Free NAMB Demographic Report

1. Congregational Myopia
2. Talking in Your Sleep Disease
3. “Unrecoverable Void” Syndrome
   • You must be willing to be fired.
   • You can’t make decisions based on not losing people.
4. Theological Self-Deception Ailment
5. Baby Believer Malady

Resources related to this episode:

10 Church Diseases That Might Be Afflicting Your Church by Chuck Lawless

CP Stories: Missionary stories

Some highlights from the episode:

• Bob’s unique health journey through the years.
• You cannot stay where you are and go with God also.
• Bob’s work around the world as a volunteer with Blackaby Ministries.

• Should an incoming pastor accept a call if the former pastor remains in the church?
• What should we sing on a Sunday?
• How can our church begin the process to help other churches replant or revitalize?
• How do we balance the attrition of older, seasoned saints with gaining newer, spiritually immature believers?
• What are the next steps after a successful initial revitalization process?

Here are some highlights:

• What is the difference between revitalization and replanting?
• Most churches need some form of revitalization.

Models of replanting:

• A church is adopted by a stronger, healthier church.
• Fostering – one or more churches come alongside a struggling church to nurture them back to health
• Campuses – a dying church becomes a campus of a healthier, stronger church
• Replanting from within – a new pastor works with existing resources, existing people, and some outside resources to bring a church back to health.

Resources related to this episode:

Replant Fostering Guide

Some highlights from the episode:

• What does a church look like when personal evangelism has left the room?
• How can your church develop an effective evangelism strategy?

Resources related to this episode:

• NAMB Evangelism Kit
• NAMB Evangelism Kit Online Course

1. Don’t make changes too quickly.
2. Don’t ignore the needs of your community.
3. Don’t fail to ask for help.
4. Don’t have any non-negotiables except for sound doctrine and the gospel.
5. Don’t neglect the pain it will cause your church members.
6. Don’t neglect the impact on your family.
7. Don’t neglect the importance of Christ-centered preaching.

Some highlights from the episode:

• How God changed JJ’s life through calling him to a replant.
• What happens when a community changes, but the local church does not.
• Many times, the remaining people in a replant or revitalization are demoralized. So, one of the primary jobs of a new pastor is to reinspire hope.
• The importance of the mindset of “Whatever it takes” in ministry.

1. They spend too much time trying to placate nagging critics.
2. They fail to be an example of an outward focus.
3. They do not emphasize member expectations in an entry level or membership class.
4. They fail to focus on corporate prayer.

Resources related to this podcast:

“Four Major Ways Pastors Hinder Church Revitalization” by Thom Rainer

Reclaiming Glory by Mark Clifton

1. Revitalization requires a long-term vision for a church.
2. It requires facing reality.
3. It demands patience.
4. It requires prayer.
5. It might requires asking for help.
6. It requires “stick-to-it-ness”
7. It might mean hurting people you love.
8. It requires taking a risk.

Resources related to this podcast:

“Why Some Pastors Aren’t Ready to Lead in Church Revitalization” by Chuck Lawless

1. Substantive changes in a church typically don’t hold until has been at a church at least 4-5 years.
2. The most common way to face reality in a church is to look at a 10-year attendance pattern.
3. Revitalization is not something that happens with the snap of a finger.
4. You don’t revitalize a church in your power. You do it through God’s power.
5. There are a lot of pastors and church leaders who just don’t want to ask for help.
6. If there were no risk in church revitalization, every church would be revitalized.
7. Don’t get into revitalization if you’re afraid to lead by faith.

Resources related to this podcast:

No Silver Bullets by Daniel Im

Pathways to Partnership by Bob Bickford and Mark Hallock

1. People need encouragement because life is hard.
2. People need encouragement because we have an enemy.
3. There are plenty of discouragers, but not enough encouragers.

Why don’t we encourage more?

• Pride
• Self-absorption

Resources related to this podcast:

The Relentless Encourager by Mark Hallock and Scott Iken

Here are some highlights from this episode:

• Sam’s story of revitalization at West Bradenton.
• What it means to believe that your church address is not an accident.
• The value of church fostering.

1. First, expect it.
2. Don’t lose your cool.
3. Don’t fuel the fire.
4. Swallow your pride.
5. Play the “happy ignorance” card
6. Remember their brokenness
7. Shower them with kindness
8. Take a break
9. Pray for the person.
10. ALWAYS “Matthew 18” a conflict

Resources related to this podcast:

“10 Ways to Deal with Difficult People in Your Church” by Brittany Rust

1. Stay connected
2. Say you are sorry for their loss
3. Call and ask specific questions
4. Refer to their husband’s acts or words – serious or humorous
5. Invite them to anything
6. Accept that they are where they are
7. Walk the talk

Resources related to this podcast:

“7 Ways to Care for Widows in Your Church” by Miriam Neff

1. Deacons are the lead servants of a church.
2. Deacons joyfully assist the pastor(s).
3. Deacons facilitate God-honoring worship.
4. Deacons help the poor, broken, and needy.
5. Deacons mobilize others to serve.

Resources related to this podcast:

On Being a Deacon by Jim Noble, Scott Thistlethwaite, Phil Von Kaenel, and Mark Hallock

1. A love for the Lord.
2. A love for people
3. Humility
4. Flexibility
5. Sacrifice

Resources related to this podcast:

On Being a Deacon by Jim Noble, Scott Thistlethwaite, Phil Von Kaenel, and Mark Hallock

Some highlights from the episode:

• The value of being a part of the Southern Baptist Convention.
• The value that normative-sized churches bring to the Convention.
• Some of the challenges that our Convention is facing these days.

1. Shepherd-pastors know their people.
2. Shepherd-pastors feed their people.
3. Shepherd-pastors lead their people.
4. Shepherd-pastors protect their people.

Resources related to this podcast:

“Shepherding is a Two-Way Street” by Mark Hallock

“5 Ways to be a Faithful, Healthy Church Member” by Mark Hallock

The Priorities of a Shepherd-Pastor by Mark Hallock

1. The importance of knowing your people’s names.
2. Ask, “What kind of shepherd am I?”
3. As a church member, ask yourself, “What kind of sheep am I?”

5 emphases for healthy church members:

• Attend regularly
• Engage deeply
• Preserve unity
• Serve faithfully
• Extend grace continually

Resources related to this podcast:

“Shepherding is a Two-Way Street” by Mark Hallock

5 Ways to Be a Faithful, Healthy Church Member by Mark Hallock

The Priorities of a Shepherd-Pastor by Mark Hallock

Here are some highlights:

1. The importance of winning the hearts of your people.
2. The importance of serving your community without expecting anything in return.
3. Getting people to agree to a change and getting them to believe in a change are two different things.
4. The importance of humility in pastoral leadership.
5. Dealing with mistakes and regret in pastoral leadership.

1. The problems will only worsen.
2. Future generations are forsaken.
3. Leaders will have regrets.
4. Churches will miss opportunities for solutions.
5. There is no urgency for change.
6. Maintenance ministries engender frustration and conflict.
7. Churches in denial are usually disobedient.
8. Many of these churches will tolerate open and flagrant sin.
9. The church will lose its best members.
10. Comfort becomes an idol.

Resources related to this podcast:

“Dangers of Denial in a Declining Church” by Thom Rainer

1. Make room for meaningful relationships
2. Teach cultural discernment
3. Make reverse mentoring a priority
4. Embrace the potency of vocational discipleship
5. Facilitate connection with Jesus

Resources related to this podcast:

“5 Reasons Millennials Stay Connected to Church” by Barna Research

1. Wait for the right time to implement change.
2. Don’t underestimate the power of persistent love.
3. Don’t underestimate the joy of winning those who were once hostile to you.
4. Don’t neglect your elderly members – they’re one of your greatest gifts.
5. Labor for the satisfaction of seeking unhealthy, dysfunctional church patterns broken.

Resources related to this podcast:

“Five Unexpected Lessons in Church Revitalization” by Brian Croft

1. Have a good great website.
2. Easy parking
3. Friendly greeters
4. Interior signs
5. Exceptional childcare
6. Visitor-friendly sanctuary
7. Acknowledge visitors during the service
8. Post-service connection
9. Follow up

Resources related to this podcast:

“10 of the Best Ways to Make Visitors Feel Welcome at Your Church” by Outreach Magazine

We Want You Here by Thom Rainer

Becoming a Welcoming Church by Thom Rainer

1. Nobody’s even talking about the possibility of mission drift – almost as if “it surely won’t happen here.”
2. IF the church has a mission statement, it’s only a sentence on the website.
3. The church ministries have been, and continue to be, siloed from each other.
4. Pastoral leaders have lost any sense of vision for the church.
5. Members have expected their pastoral leaders to take care of them primarily rather than reach outsiders.
6. Recent – and sometimes, not so recent, conflict has left scars in the congregation.
7. Leaders hesitate to make hard calls to keep the mission primary.
8. The church has been large enough that the drift is so slow it’s almost imperceptible.
9. The church’s leadership recruitment process is weak.

Resources related to this podcast:

“9 Reasons Churches Drift from Their Mission” by Chuck Lawless

Anatomy of a Revived Church by Thom Rainer

1. Members leave to help plant or revitalize a church.
2. Your church sends missionaries to the field.
3. Your church places pastors in other local churches.
4. Members relocate to improve their family situation.
5. Divisive or unconverted members leave.

Resources related to this podcast:

“5 Reasons a Shrinking Church May Be a Good Thing” by Brian Croft

1. Leaders are “fixers” by nature.
2. We never learned how to pray.
3. Prayer has become more about ritual than about relationship.
4. Prayerlessness can be hidden.
5. We don’t really believe prayer works.
6. We have never been broken under God’s hand.
7. Leaders read the Word in a one-sided way.
8. Some leaders have simply lost hope.
9. We miss the gospel focus on the prayer life of Jesus.
10. We have no role models.
11. We don’t have God-sized goals.

Resources related to this podcast:

“11 Reasons Church Leaders Struggle with Prayer” by Chuck Lawless

1. Busyness can ruin our joy.
2. Busyness can rob our hearts.
3. Busyness can cover up the rot in our souls.

Resources related to this podcast:

“Three Dangers of Being Crazy Busy” by Kevin DeYoung

            Part 1

            Part 2

            Part 3

1. The “doom and gloom” member
2. The “on the edge of leaving” member
3. The “amateur theologian” member
4. The “have you heard?” member
5. The “church shopper” member
6. The “constitutional lawyer” member
7. The “internet sermon troll” member
8. The “nostalgia” member
9. The “unforgiving saint” member
10. The “on permanent sabbatical” member
11. The “unidentified ‘pot stirrer’” member
12. The “financial threat” member
13. The “professional critic” member

Resources related to this podcast:

https://chucklawless.com/2020/01/13-church-members-who-sometimes-drive-me-crazy/

1. I will accept whatever means God may use to make me more humble and therefore more dependent on Him.
2. I will seek to peacefully and humbly to resolve the conflict face to face immediately, unless it is providentially impossible to do so.
3. I will thoroughly repent of any known sin in my life and will sincerely express my repentance to those who are concerned, even if there is blame on the other side.
4. I will be painfully accurate in my words about myself, even if it embarrasses or condemns me.
5. I will gladly leave vengeance to God, who sees and evaluates with perfection.
6. I will give thanks in everything, and rejoice in the Lord always, for this is safe for me.
7. I will forgive from my heart when I’m asked to forgive.
8. I will refuse to let Satan, the archenemy of believers, gain the ultimate victory in this conflict.

Resources related to this podcast:

https://ftc.co/resource-library/blog-entries/15-resolves-for-maintaining-spiritual-balance-in-severe-interpersonal-conflicts/

1. Shifting Attendance Patterns
2. Shrinking Groups but Growing Importance
3. Increasing Diversity
4. Equipping Women to Serve and Lead
5. Rising Prosperity Gospel
6. Helping the Deconstructors Reconstruct
7. Overcoming Economic Headwinds
8. Calming Fears

Resources related to this podcast:

https://research.lifeway.com/2024/01/12/10-trends-impacting-the-church-in-2024/

1. Find a Scripture passage to anchor yourself in the power of God and His call on your life.
2. Find a song that calls you back to the heart of God and increases your affection for Him.
3. Collect mentors like baseball cards.
4. Set goals and get accountability for them.
5. Celebrate something every day.

1. The church becomes fixated on external preferences and not internal devotion.
2. The church falls in love with commitments but neglects people.
3. The church leaders seek religious prominence instead of humble service.
4. The church hides double standards with artificial religious rules.
5. The church kills the heart of worship with a religious presentation.
6. The church adds to the gospel to burden people.

Resources related to this podcast:

“Six Ways the Church Becomes Hypocritical” by Sam Rainer

1. An admission of a problem and a need
2. Humility
3. A willingness to do things differently – sometimes radically differently
4. New leadership or renewed leadership
5. Renewed focus on the community
6. Members praying for revitalization
7. Change in membership attitudes from selfish to selfless
8. A focus on evangelism

Resources related to this podcast:

“8 Characteristics of Successful Church Revitalizations” by Thom Rainer

1. We mourn when marriages fall apart.
2. We hurt when young people make decisions that lead to trouble.
3. We occasionally beat ourselves up when our sermon wasn’t nearly as strong as we thought it would be.
4. We sometimes grieve the sin of others more than they do.
5. We ache when our church must carry out church discipline.
6. We struggle when the churches we lead aren’t growing.
7. We sometimes hurt when we see the loneliness and struggles of our families.
8. We quietly grieve funerals for persons who showed no evidence of Christian conversion.
9. We wrestle with loneliness when we don’t know how to develop strong friendships.
10. We often feel guilty even expressing any of these thoughts.

Resources related to this podcast:

“10 Heartaches of Being a Pastor” by Chuck Lawless

1. “Point” has become ubiquitous.
2. “Life” has a new life.
3. Tim Keller put Redeemer back into vogue.
4. City Church, usually with another name in front of it.
5. Christ Church.
6. Five biggies the past ten years: Journey, Bridge, Foundry, Mosaic, and Generation
7. Cross has made a surge: Cross Church, Cross Fellowship, etc.
8. Simple Church.
9. Meaningful Names: Impact. Potential. Epic. Transformation. Renovation. Innovate.
10. “Fellowship” can be found in almost any town.
11. Grace.
12. Many churches like the new factor: New Life. New Hope.
13. Moving on up: Elevate, Vertical, Summit.
14. Not English (Greek or Latin): Eklessia, Ecclesia, Koinonia, Agape, etc.

Resources related to this podcast:

“Contemporary Trends in Church Names” by Thom Rainer

1. “I saw them treat others better because of their faith.”
2. “I saw them caring for people’s needs because of their faith.”
3. “I saw them be happier because of their faith.”
4. “I saw them use their faith to solve problems in our community.”
5. “I saw them use their faith to help them solve their personal problems.”
6. “I saw multiple races/ethnicities working together in a church.”

Resources related to this podcast:

“7 Ways to Draw the Unchurched to Your Church” by Aaron Earls

1. Remember that you are entirely unaware of the impact of your ministry.
2. Be happy to know that you may not be able to change much but lives.
3. Be energized by the concept that your church could become the most loving church in the world.

Resources related to this podcast:

“The Rural Church Dilemma” by Jim Eliff

1. Come in Christ’s Name.
2. Delight in Him.
3. Express Your Longings to Him.
4. Read a Psalm.
5. Sing to Him.
6. Intercede for Others.
7. Place Your Day Before Him.
8. Petition Him for Other Special Needs.
9. Meditate on His Word.
10. Offer Thanks to Him.

Resources related to this podcast:

“An Intimate Hour with God” by Jim Eliff

1. It will teach you the nature of the church.
2. It will teach you the nature of humility.
3. It will teach you the nature of unity.

Resources related to this podcast:

“3 Reasons to Stay in a Church That’s Not Cool Enough” by Michael Kelley

1. The sermon outline means less to me now.
2. More Bible and fewer books.
3. Fewer personal and family illustrations.
4. More intentional about preaching Jesus.

Resources related to this podcast:

“4 Ways My Preaching Has Evolved (And How Yours Should Too)” – by Jason K. Allen