200churches Podcast: Ministry Encouragement For Pastors Of Small Churches

Lyle Parker joins Jeff to talk about his health transformation - to give other pastors hope! Lyle was pushing 300 pounds, in pain, tired, and depressed. That was just seven months ago. Today he is 216 pounds, full of energy and life, and excited about physical activity, ministry, food, and his family. Listen to Lyle's story and accept his invitation to join him. Lyle listened to Episode 332 last fall and it changed his life!

Jeff and Jonny talk again with Dr. Jeannine Brown, author of The Gospel As Stories. This is a great conversation about interpreting and reading the Gospels! So much fun! Jeannine is a Professor of Greek and New Testament at Bethel Seminary in St. Paul, Minnesota. This one is our gift to you - Enjoy!

Jeff and Jonny invite Dave Jacobs, Master of Small Church Disaster and host of https://www.smallchurchpastor.com to talk about being the church and doing ministry in our current reality. Dave also is the creator of the Small Church Pastor group on Facebook, with over 5,000 members! Check out Dave's latest book for pastors of small churches - Second Thoughts: 100 Things Small Church Pastors Need To Reconsider!

Jeff shares how he plans to approach the coming months and how you can too!

Special short episode. Personal words from Jeff. 

Jeff & Jonny talk about doing ministry in light of the social upheaval with the Coronavirus pandemic. Pastors have a great opportunity that we should seize - we have been trying to convince our church family for years that the building is not the church, THEY are! Now, we have a change to prove it in real life! A raw, uncut, and unedited conversation Jeff and Jonny had on Friday afternoon, March 13, 2020. Yes, Friday the 13th!

Jeff speaks from the heart about the opportunity pastors have as they lead in the midst of the Coronavirus crisis.

Josh Gagnon from https://www.nextlevel.church joins us to talk about how to recover the ability to dream big dreams for God again - like when you were younger and believed God for everything?! Get it back! Learn to dream again.Josh and Jeff talk extensively about the hope-filled message of his book: It's Not Over - Leaving Behind Disappointment and Learning To Dream Again.

Ian Borkent is the pastor of a C3 Church in the Netherlands and talks with Jeff about his experience over the last 13 years taking a church of 60 singles and turning it into a church of 450 with families, volunteers, and teams! So practical & encouraging!

Chris Morton from www.freshexpressionsus.org/ joins Jeff today to talk about innovative ways for church growth and church planting for the 21st century. Jeff and Jonny recorded in person for this very practical episode! Get Chris' FREE E-Book at www.freshexpressionsus.org/howtostart. Also check out the Fresh Expressions National Gathering at www.fxng2020.org, and some ideas for the dinner church approach Chris mentions in the episode at www.dinnerchurch.com.

Garry Poole from OneLife Advisors joins the guys to talk about an approach to outreach that Jeff terms "unvangelism". Anyone in any church can take this approach to reaching people with the Gospel. You can find Garry at https://www.onelifeadvisors.com or email Garry at garry@garrypoole.com

Jeff and Jonny are live in person with each other for this last episode of 2019! Assimilation is the monster pastors must wrestle with on a weekly basis, unless we delegate to someone more capable... a thought provoking episode! Enjoy!We referenced Greg Curtis a number of times. Here is a link to his site on Assimilation:https://www.gregcurtis-assimilation.com/

This is a long form conversation with a great leader and international worker (missionary) who shares leadership lessons from a lifetime of missions and ministry. Lessons from growing up an MK and now a veteran missionary himself. Listen at least twice!!We references two episodes that are a sure bet for a second listen - one with our good friend Dave Ronan, and another with Greg Curtis. Here are the links:https://www.200churches.com/blog/episode-72-how-to-crush-it-in-leadership-when-beginning-a-new-ministryhttps://www.200churches.com/blog/episode-273-how-to-connect-new-people-to-the-life-of-your-church-with-greg-curtisThis episode is sponsored by CoachingForPastors.org. If you are ready to transform your health in 2020, listen to Jeff's story at CoachingForPastors.org. 

Three leadership dynamics that make for a healthy church - observations from a veteran missionary who has the unique opportunity to visit many churches while on home assignment. Here is his perspective - enjoy and learn...

Dr. N.T. "Tom" Wright joins Jeff and Jonny again to talk about his heart for Scripture, how he practices devotions, thinks about spiritual formation, views Brexit and cultural upheaval, and thinks about ordinary sized church ministry. He even offers a free course for 200churches listeners! Here's the link to your free course on N.T. Wright Online! https://mailchi.mp/11686a63525e/cy753oqj64

Pastor Jake Fierberg is a bivocational pastor in Aurora CO. He talks with Jeff and Jonny about the blessings and challenges of working a secular job and pastoring a small congregation. This is a FANTASTIC episode - encouraging and inspirational! Jake has been a listener to the podcast for over five years and is now a personal friend of Jeff and Jonny... and maybe even N.T. Wright (more on that in a future episode!)

Jeff and Jonny speak with Dave Runyon, the author of The Art of Neighboring. You can find Dave's work at www.artofneighboring.com. This was a fun episode for the guys to record LIVE with Dave!

Jon Dunwell has been in ministry for 25 years from Student to Senior Pastor in churches small and large. He is a John Maxwell Certified Speaker, Trainer, and Coach. Jon talks with Jeff in this episode about effective follow up for first time guests, and gives detailed advice for how you can begin to improve your follow up of first time guests beginning this coming weekend! You can find John at https://www.johncmaxwellgroup.com/jondunwell/Coaching

Pastor Scott Buell was tired, hopeless, out of shape, overweight, and frustrated with himself. He could not manage his diet or health. After listening to Episode 332 of 200churches, he took action. What he has experienced is amazing! This is his story.If you are interested and want more information on how to succeed in your own personal health transformation - click here and fill out this form, and Jeff will contact you.

Jeff reviews 8 areas of our lives and ministry that we can evaluate as we enter into a new church year. Jonny gives his input on the front and back of the episode as the better looking Millennial of the two!