200churches Podcast: Ministry Encouragement For Pastors Of Small Churches

On Episode 212 Greg Atkinson talks with the guys about your church’s first impressions and how they impact visitor retention, and ultimately the outreach of your church. This absolutely is a practical and helpful episode. You’ll love it!

Shea Zellweger pastors two churches in Connecticut with a total of about 100 in attendance. Shea has BIG VISION for what his churches can accomplish in their neighborhoods! Exciting, practical, and encouraging! You'll love Shea! He's a great young leader and so representative of Millennial pastors.

Jeff and Jonny talk with Ken Shigematsu, from Tenth Church in Vancouver BC. Ken talks about the spiritual disciplines he uses to center his life and he shares them with you! Yes, Ken talks contemplative, monks, and meditation! You'll learn a ton from Ken!

When Barb emailed in constructive criticism to Jeff and Jonny, they invited her and her husband to come on the podcast and provide the rest of the story! This is an extremely fun episode about the benefits of pastoral coaching. Isolation and loneliness do not have to be a part of your ministry and personal life. Check this episode out, and don't miss the bonus outtake at the end!

Rich Birch, from the UnSeminary Podcast and unseminary.com joins the guys to talk about his work at UnSeminary, AND how to think about needed systems, simply, in your small church. Lots of fun and very helpful!Rich is the author of Unreasonable Churches: 10 Churches Who Zagged When Others Zigged and Saw More Impact Because of It. These are not the famous churches we all hear about. They’re churches in Everytown, USA and you can find the book at www.unreasonablechurches.com.

Jonny and Jeff talk with Justin Irving and Andrew Gross about their book on the intersection of leadership resiliency and differentiation of self. How’s that for slim reading?! This is about how to lead from a position of psychological and emotional health! You need this, pastor. Really. Enjoy.

Chaplain David Craig, Jonny's brother, talks to us all the way from his ministry post in Afghanistan - sharing the importance of ministry to small groups of soldiers in harm's way. This is a unique and special episode!

We never say this, but EVERY PASTOR needs this episode! Jeff and Jonny talk with Bill Thrall, a pastor to pastors for decades, about how to pastor and lead in the most healthy way possible. Essentially they discuss how to survive the wounds of ministry, by trusting God and a few others, with YOU. Thrall says our faith is ultimately relational, not behavioral. Bill teaches us how to survive the wounds of ministry by trusting Jesus with not just our own sins, but the sins of others upon us. This is a very important episode.

Jeff talks with Ray Brandon, a Michigan pastor who shares how he gets coached for free, the benefits of coaching, and a great conversation with Jeff, his old boss! Ray planted his church 11 years ago, and just last year planted yet another church through his current church. This is a very practical, small church conversation!

Jeff and Jonny talk about what has been a recent and most serious conflict between them - while not giving details, they talk about the importance of conflict resolution in pastoral ministry. But folks, it was bad. Really bad. We were afraid even our podcast was in jeopardy! It is so, so important to learn how to resolve conflict in your life and ministry. Too many ministries and partnerships die because conflict is avoided, and separation ensues. This is an important episode!

Jeff and Jonny talk with Brian Zahnd, about his experience of moving from watery faith, to rich wine faith. His book, Water To Wine, outlines his 13 year journey to a deeper, richer, fuller faith and ministry. Brian is the pastor of Word of Life Church in St. Joseph, MO.

Jeff and Jonny talk with Ray Hollenbach from www.studentsofjesus.com about inspiring a Kingdom imagination in our people. Ray shares some questions that will motivate Kingdom living in the lives of our congregation. As always, there's lots of fun too!

This is an amazing conversation with NT scholar N.T. Wright, author of Surprised By Hope, The Day the Revolution Began, and dozens of other theological works. Tom Wright speaks at length on pastoral ministry in the small church - huge encouragement! Dr. Wright also answers our questions about www.NTWrightOnline.org.

The guys talk to Dr. Jeannine Brown about some deep stuff - interdisciplinary integration between theology and psychology, and other small church ministry junk like that! The is the stuff small church pastors honestly do deal with every day!Jeannine is a New Testament Scholar and Professor of NT at Bethel Seminary in San Diego and St. Paul, MN.

David Fitch from Northern Seminary in Chicago joins the guys to talk about the 7 disciplines of a church that help them meet Christ where he is already working in the community – thus with him becoming a faithful presence there... for the people. This episode is ultimately practical for the small church pastor to engage!

Dan Reiland, Executive Pastor at 12stone Church in Lawrenceville GA joins us to talk about the futile pursuit of a balanced life. Isn't that what we are always reaching for? Balance in life and ministry? Maybe balance is not what we should be pursuing though. Maybe there are other goals more worthy... This is a very helpful episode! Fun too!

The colorful and effervescent Dr. David Fitch from Northern Seminary in Chicago joins Jonny and Jeff in this episode, talking about the guiding presuppositions for his book, Faithful Presence. This is an episode that will get you thinking about what your church is being and doing in your neighborhood – and Fitch is a very fun conversation too!

Ray Hollenbach from StudentsOfJesus.com joins us to talk about Discipleship Philosophy and Leadership Transitions in a 200church. This is a brand new first time guest - a pastor's coach, college prof, and small church lover! Ray is a delightful man, who transitioned new leadership into his church after serving as lead pastor for 15 years, and has stayed in the church as a member! You are going to love this guy... Jonny and I do!

Dave Jacobs from SmallChurchPastor.com joins the boys to talk about obstacles to evangelism in small churches - and then shares some serious strategies for overcoming them! Jeff's paranoia over Australian animal dangers surfaces again at the end...

Karl "the Shark" Vaters joins Jonny and Jeff to talk about pastoring unhealthy churches and how to do it, and he even gives a ton of advice on what to do if you are an unhealthy pastor! Believe it or not, we try hard to make this an encouraging episode!