Pastor Life

Rev. John Daugherty led his church to merge with another church in his city. How did that process play out? What did he learn? What lessons apply to pastors whether or not they are considering a merger? Listen in and learn in this episode of Pastor Life Podcast.

Pastor Life Podcast welcome Rev. Dan Holloway, an experienced church consultant, to talk about when a church or pastor might want to call a consultant, what are the signs that it's time to do so, and how that process often unfolds.

Pinnacle founder and team leader Rev. Mark Tidsworth joins the pod to talk about assessments for ministry including tools for personal and professional development as well as inventories for churches.

Pinnacle Leadership Associates Operations Coordinator, Marci Wilson-Boggs, joins Pastor Life Podcast to talk about church communications strategies: websites, enews, social media, QR codes and more!

Pastor Life welcomes back Rev. Dr. Doug Cushing to talk about his approach to sermon-based small groups—why they are effective and how to implement and sustain these groups.

Rev. Dr. Eric Spivey joins Pastor Life to talk about healthy ways to begin a new charge, and tips for making the transition a smooth one both personally and professionally. This is Part Two of a two-part series on pastoral transitions.

Rev. Dr. Eric Spivey joins Pastor Life Podcast for part one of a two part series about pastoral transitions. In this episode, Rev. Spivey offers David and Rhonda things to think about as a pastor considers saying goodbye to a church when God leads elsewhere.

Rev. Dr. Dee Vaughan visits Pastor Life Podcast to teach us about the monologue sermons: how to prepare one, what to include, and why they are a valuable tool in any preacher's toolbelt.

David & Rhonda say "Teach Us Something We Don't Know" to Rev. Peggy Haymes. Rev. Haymes offers insight about trauma-informed ministry, what it is and why it matters.

Pastor Life launches Season 4: "Teach Us Something We Don't Know," with special guest Rev. Dr. Beth Yarborough of Pinnacle Leadership Associates. We know what flourishing is, and most of us know what depression is, but do we know what's in between? Learn this and more on this episode of Pastor Life!

Pastor Life welcomes Rev. Dr. Doug Cushing, an associate with Pinnacle Leadership Associates and Organizing Pastor of The Bridge Church in Leland, North Carolina. Doug shares insights about pastoral leadership in politically volatile times, and how pastors might point parishioners past a culture of contempt ubiquitous in American life in the 21st Century.

Pastor Life Podcast welcomes "The EcoPreacher"—Rev. Dr. Leah D. Schade from Lexington Theological Seminary. Dr. Schade is the author of several books, including three books related to ecological theology.

Eric Minton is a licensed psychotherapist, a writer, and a former Baptist pastor. He shares a psychotherapy practice with his wife where they offer individual, couple, and family therapy. In this episode of Pastor Life, Rev. Minton confronts capitalism and its stronghold over the church, encouraging pastors to think deeply about the economic system in which we live and breathe.

In this "Courageous Conversation" about race, Rhonda interviews Rev. Dr. Kevin Cosby & Rev. Jason Crosby from Empower West Louisville, a group of black and white clergy that meet weekly and work on empowering the residents of West Louisville. The conversation includes topics like critical race theory, reparations, and ways white pastors can become better allies to the black community.

Pastor Life welcomes John Noltner on this bonus episode. John is an award-winning photographer and storyteller who is traveling around the country collecting stories in a project he calls "A Peace of My Mind." John discusses how story and art can help bridge divides between people.

Rev. Mary Carol Anderson joins David and Rhonda for this episode. Mary Carol is the youth pastor at First Baptist Greenville, SC, a church that has had courageous conversations around LGBTQ inclusion. Mary Carol shares her experience as a youth pastor in that setting in a way that may prove helpful to other clergy having conversations in their parishes around the challenging topic of sexuality.

In this bonus episode, David & Rhonda explore the Braver Angels model for hosting constructive dialogue. Their guest is Rev. Beth Head, a retired pastor and the acting coordinator of the Florida chapter of Braver Angels.

How can churches talk about ministry with migrants and refugees? In this episode, David interviews Rev. Dr. Blake Hart with Carolina Immigrant Alliance about how pastors and churches can hold "Courageous Conversations" about immigration.

Pastor Life welcomes Rev. Elizabeth Hagan, author of "Brave Church" to the pod. Brave Church is a model for having courageous conversations within the context of the local church.

In this first episode of Season 3, "Courageous Conversations," David and Rhonda interview Mitch Randall, CEO of Good Faith Media. How can we engage in courageous conversations when we are coming from different understandings of truth? How can pastors help their people navigate today's confusing media landscape to discover and discern truth together? This discussion about "truth" serves as the launchpad for conversations around the challenging social issues of our day.

Rhonda & David offer a preview for Season 3 of Pastor Life: Courageous Conversations in which they will explore difficult social issues of the day like racism, immigration, truth, patriarchy, environment and more. Additionally, they will explore models for having these "Courageous Conversations" in ways that are constructive within congregations.

Rev. Jessica Williams of Central Seminary joins the pod to talk about the ReShaping Church initiative through the seminary's Thriving Congregations grant. David and Rhonda preview season 3 of Pastor Life Podcast: Courageous Conversations, coming September 2021.

Mark Tidsworth joins the pod once again to share reflections from Season 2 based on his book, ReShape: Emerging Church Practice in a Volatile World.

David interviews Pastor Matt Sturdevant of First Baptist Church of Lawrence, Kansas, about how he led his congregation through aligning staff roles and leadership structures to respond to a post-Covid world.

David & Rhonda interview Rev. Kathy Pickett, pastor of Prairie Baptist Church in Prairie Village, Kansas about how her church is choosing a growth mindset as they think about a post-COVID way of church life together.

Rhonda & David discuss chapter 5 of ReShape by Mark Tidsworth. David interviews Rev. Dr. Laurey Harrell, pastor of Johns Island Presbyterian Church.

Rhonda & David Interview Ircel Harrison of Pinnacle Leadership Associates about the need for debriefing traumatic, volatile experiences like COVID as a pathway for moving ahead as congregations.

David & Rhonda sit down with Eric Spivey, pastor of First Baptist Church of Gainesville, Florida to talk about the work of reconnecting church after COVID.

In this first episode of Season 2 of Pastor Life: Coming Back After COVID, Rhonda and David interview Mark Tidsworth, Pinnacle Team Leader and author of ReShape: Emerging Church Practice in a Volatile World. Mark talks about the inherent gift of disruption, and the opportunity churches have to come out of COVID in a way that is both faithful and vibrant.

David & Rhonda introduce Season 2 of Pastor Life: Coming Back After COVID. This season will feature special guests as we take a journey through Mark Tidsworth's timely book, "ReShape: Emerging Church Practice in a Volatile World." Season 2 of Pastor Life airs April 26, 2021.

Also: a preview for season 2 of Pastor Life!

Also: how can pastors navigate the transition to post-pandemic?

Also: what Are some tips for greater financial wellbeing?

Also: what to wear, what to wear?

Also: what is the benefit of asking questions as a homiletical technique?

Also: how do we create a "Rule of Life?"

Also: how might we reframe interruptions in life and work?

Also: how do we confront Christian Nationalism in our congregations and in our communities?

David Brown, founding pastor of the Welcome Table in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and Rhonda Blevins, pastor of Chapel by the Sea in Clearwater Beach, Florida, explore the wild and wonderful world of being a pastor. Like a couple of friends sitting down with a cup of coffee, they discuss ministry, church, family and culture. Pastor Life premiers February 15.