The Morning After Ministry Show

Welcome to The Morning After Ministry Show, where we're still recovering from Sunday… and probably will be until Wednesday.This week: • Frank filled in for Andrew at Safety Harbor—and didn't just bring the Word, he brought the crowd! (Did he charge admission?) • Andrew worshiped Lutheran-style for the first time ever at his son's graduation. Spoiler alert: there was incense, chanting, and maybe a little bit of liturgical envy. • Tim had a Sunday marathon—an XL sermon, new members class, and possibly a spiritual cramp or two by the end of it.We're talking pulpit swaps, denominational detours, and just how long a Sunday can really be. Pour another cup of coffee and join us for some laughs, some lessons, and a whole lot of real talk from the trenches of ministry.

It's just Andrew and Tim today, fresh off Mother's Day Sunday and feeling all the end-of-school-year energy (and exhaustion). With things slowing down just a bit in church life, we're reflecting on family rhythms, ministry moments, and how to keep showing up well when the calendar finally gives us a breather.This week we're talking about:• Mother's Day services and honoring moms well• New babies and how we navigate hospital/home visits in a Millennial & Gen Z world• End-of-year parenting chaos (seriously, how many awards days are too many?)• What to do when a church member lovingly rebukes you—and how to receive it with humility• Why May might be the sneakiest busy season in ministryGrab your lukewarm coffee and join us for the Morning After!

This week's episode is brought to you by turbulence, terminal floors, and the Lord's Day mercies.Andrew just returned (barely) from a denominational conference in Mound Bayou, MS. What should have been a routine ministry trip turned into a saga of emergency landings, missed connections, and one unforgettable overnight nap on the floor of the Charlotte airport. He rolled into church at 8:45am Sunday morning—rumpled, redeemed, and ready(ish) to preach by 10.Meanwhile, Tim took his talents to Las Vegas for a side gig—don't worry, it was all above board (he swears), and he only lost time, not tithe money. Also, it's the anniversary he almost died.And in a plot twist no one saw coming, Frank stepped into the pulpit at a church in Tampa, bringing the Word while the rest of us were bringing snacks to gate C12. As always, we're here to recap Sunday, laugh at our Mondays, and remind you that the Lord can use all things—even delayed flights and a stiff neck from sleeping under fluorescent lights—for His glory.

It's just your boys Andrew Larsen and Frank Gil today, and oh boy, there's a lot to unpack from an emotional, exciting Sunday! Lakeview's Baptism Sunday brought the celebration vibes! Tim brought the Word, preaching on spiritual gifts... and in true Morning After fashion, Frank somehow got thrown under the theological bus and labeled a cessationist. (Spoiler alert: he took it like a champ. Mostly.) Meanwhile over at Safety Harbor, it was a bittersweet morning. Andrew and the church family had to say goodbye to a beloved couple who have been a pillar of ministry and community life for years. Lots of hugs. Maybe even a manly tear or two.

Yesterday was Easter, and we're tired. Turns out Andrew is some kind of botany wiz, which works out well considering the plants on stage at Safety Harbor. Frank didn't preach, but he did manage to interviewed everyone he could. Hundreds of people are now blind after looking at Tim.

It's just Andrew in the studio today with Frank in his new home studio, as Tim is off doing real ministry—preaching in chapel at Trinity College (we're so proud). Meanwhile, Andrew wraped up the "Giving Up" sermon series at Safety Harbor and in Lakeview Land Frank pressed pause on 1 Corinthians to wave some palm branches and shout "Hosanna!"Plus, big news from Frank's church plant—a fresh new logo has dropped, and a merch launch is coming next week! Hoodies, hats, maybe even coffee mugs holy enough for your Monday morning caffeine needs.As always, we talk all things Sunday recap, sermon prep, and surviving the holy chaos of ministry life.

It's episode 290, and ministry life is keeping us scattered but still talking. Tim and Andrew caught up at a flag football game and watched Tim's son dominate. Immediately after church, Andrew headed off to chaperone a week-long field trip in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Frank's off speaking at an event in West Virginia, and Tim had to return to the regular schedule at Lakeview. We're gearing up for Easter Sunday, and reminding ourselves that the work (and the coffee) never stops.

Yesterday was a glorious day for Lakeview complete with bounce houses, food, and only one service! Safety Harbor shared their space with another church and you'd never even know they were here. Andrew had a wardrobe malfunction minutes before his sermon began. Tim is convinced that preaching one service is cheating. We are three weeks out from Easter…and not even close to ready.

Tim didn't even bother showing up to church, which gave Frank the freedom to openly mock him during his sermon. Andrew wrapped up his 8 week series in Numbers. Lakeview is prepping for a giant anniversary service. Safety Harbor is starting to gear up for Easter. Andrew played plumber, Frank went to church planter summer camp, Tim sat in a hot tub.

Lakeview is preparing for their 30th anniversary party, Safety Harbor had a work day that Andrew barely attended. Tim talked about demons in his sermon, and Frank is prepping to preach back to back weeks at Lakeview for the first time! Andrew actually got to attend a wedding with no role to play. (It was also pretty wild.)

Tim is away with his family, so Frank has moved over a chair. Got a message from our old pal Dylan, and it made us think about awful interview processes. Both Lakeview and Safety Harbor had new members classes. We're comparing and contrasting them. Frank's new role comes with several less structured Sundays. Andrew's praise team is not thrilled with the length of his Numbers series.

After the Practical(ly) Pastoring Conference, it turns out we still had life and ministry to attend to. Andrew found out his kid was allergic to bee stings the hard way. Frank preached at Lakeview and people assumed Tim had the weekend off, they were wrong. We all had crazy weekends with weddings and church events

We're back in the ole familiar recording space with Frank out of town. Andrew was a ghost of himself this week dealing with the flu. Timmy took his daughters on a daddy daughter date. Lakeview is having to deal with some unruly students at youth group. Safety Harbor had a very successful chili cook off. We both watched the game at home with zero church obligations!

Andrew knew it was communion Sunday, but also completely forgot that it was communion Sunday. Tim has been asked to go on a potentially dangerous mission trip. Should he go? Frank is crushing it at Lakeview.

Tim had the week off of preaching, because Frank was preaching in series for the first time, all while Andrew wished he wasn't preaching the sermon he was preaching. We are talking through missing time when kids are sick, balancing office time and working from home. Safety Harbor had more people sitting than usual, and Frank wore his mic wrong.

Tim got a new car, and found a sucker to buy his old one. Frank attended his first elders' meeting, and Lakeview is now offering golf cart tours during the service. Safety Harbor had a last minute un-decking of the halls. We got together to watch a disappointing football game.

We're back! After the holiday hustle, we're diving into all things ministry, life, and the hilarity of the Sunday aftermath. In this episode, we reflect on holiday highs, sermon wins (and fails), and the challenges of recharging for the new year. Join us as we share candid stories, practical insights, and the usual dose of humor to kickstart your week in ministry. Whether you're a pastor, church leader, or just someone looking for relatable post-weekend laughs, this episode is for you. Tune in and let's tackle the morning after, together!

It is that magical time of the year again! We are going through our Christmas services and Advent activities so far. Lakeview is making a big tech change. Safety Harbor has been a hotbed of activity. We are going on a triple Disney date tomorrow.

We're back and in person together. Frank is sitting in again too! We're talking through the beginning of Advent at Lakeview and Safety Harbor. Tim skipped football to be a pastor. Andrew stepped back in after being away for a few weeks, and got several compliments on the guest speaker.

Frank preached at Andrew's church… again. Pretty sure it's just Frank's church now. Jeff is down from Charm City. Lakeview is decked out for all things Christmas, and we have no idea when Andrew is coming home

Frank preached at Safety Harbor and will probably take over. Good thing Lakeview already hired him. Tim preached on sex and scared off a few parents…what else is new?

We've got a new man on the couch. You might know him. Andrew leaves on Sabbatical trip on Wednesday, and wants to know how much to post. Tim and Frank are heading to a conference tomorrow. Safety Harbor celebrated their annual Thanksgiving Sunday. Lakeview is in the process of finalizing the 2025 budget.

Andrew recycled part of a sermon from 7 years ago, and doesn't know if he should feel relieved or insulted that no-one seemed to notice. Tim had a guest preacher, but somehow found himself working even more than usual on Sunday. Lakeview had its last membership class of the year. Safety Harbor is undergoing a bunch of renovations, which is great, unless you need to get work done. We're wondering how early is too early to show up to a meeting.

If we look a little bit older and wiser than we did last week, it is because we are. We both had birthdays this week, and the celebrations just don't hit the same when you are a grown-up. Both of our churches are preparing to host elections next week, and we are talking through getting a jump on holiday happenings.

It was a week of trying to get back to normal after the storms. Andrew played church administrator and realized why it is so important to have a good one. Tim did a funeral for a stranger. Lakeview is wrapping up their hurricane recovery damage. Safety Harbor kicked off a sermon series that actually started last week. 

Both of our families, homes, and churches survived Hurricane Milton, kind of. We'll walk you through what it looked like for each of us, and then discuss what ministry has looked like the past five days. We are discussing the awkwardness of asking for and accepting help, and what to do next.

We are preparing for yet another hurricane here in greater Tampa Bay. Tim's family is staying put, while Andrew's is getting out of Dodge. We are talking through what the past few weeks have been like being pastors to storm victims, and realizing that there are some things we just aren't good at. 

Wedding Season is in full swing in the Sunshine State. We both had full on Sports Dad Weekends. We're talking about serving in ministries outside of our churches. Both Safety Harbor and Lakeview elders are gathering, one group more often than the other. Safety Harbor has a major work project starting next week. Lakeview has moved to video announcements.

Tim is getting into the rhythm of preaching three times every Sunday morning. Andrew is wondering how long he's going to be playing youth pastor. Safety Harbor played host to Andrew's kids' birthday party. Lakeview is getting unsolicited resumes. And we're talking about why SEO and social media presence Toe-tally matters for churches.

Tim pretty much just lives at Lakeview now after yesterday. We are talking through exceptionally long ministry days and seasons and how we recover afterwards. Andrew's other duties as assigned took a toll on him on Thursday. We're getting into when to ask for help and when to white knuckle it. Both of our churches held our annual fantasy football drafts yesterday, we are in full on school mode.

Lakeview kicked off a brand new series, and celebrated baptisms. Safety Harbor had some unexpected guests, and threw a pool party. Andrew is in full on Ted Lasso mode, Tim got in a car accident. We're talking new service times, and when to announce them.

It was back to school day for Andrew's family and it all went horribly wrong. Tim had a potential new hire in town over the weekend, and even though he did not have to preach, he worked a lot this weekend. We are talking through some specifics of funerals, and how Andrew almost ruined a wedding.

*We recorded this episode during Hurricane Debby, and had power and internet issues. The episode ends abruptly, we don't actually get to talk about everything in the show show notes before the feed dies, but it's still fun.* We had a full show, with tons to discuss, and then a hurricane hit. We're talking church during a natural disaster, when to cancel and when to power through. We met with some pastor buddies and their elders on Saturday. Andrew almost ruined a wedding that even a monsoon couldn't ruin. Tim had to say goodbye to a church member.

We've both been gone a lot, and have come home to loss in our churches. We are talking through the intricacies of family vacation while comforting church members. Tim hasn't preached in two weeks, Andrew had a guest worship leader yesterday.

Andrew's family left Florida just to get stuck in the middle of a hurricane in Arkansas. Tim took his family to the beach, and brought the whole church with them. Safety Harbor had a first time guest preacher, and Lakeview celebrated baptisms.

We've been all over the map, hitting just about every SEC state for camp (Tim) and family vacation (Andrew). Both Lakeview and Safety Harbor had guest preachers. Andrew played visitor at a church, and Tim played youth ministry volunteer. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/morningafterministryshow/message

Safety Harbor threw Andrew a graduation party, Lakeview celebrated some graduations of their own. Tim has a kid who can drive. Andrew has less kids for a few weeks. We're talking through summer attendance, and how to plan meetings. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/morningafterministryshow/message

Tim and Andrew were both on trips this week. Andrew came back in time to preach, Tim came back in time to watch. We're talking through summer vacations, and preparing guest preachers. Both Safety Harbor and Lakeview celebrated communion. Lakeview got a new sign and Safety Harbor is getting one. We're asking the hard hitting questions: What should you call us? Is church softball dead? --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/morningafterministryshow/message

Things are happening in Lakeview Land. Not only is the congregation growing, but they are now entering into the wild world of adult rec league sports. Safety Harbor had to bring the outdoors in yesterday with the threat of storms. Andrew's dad was the hero of Sunday morning. Tim is so tired that he didn't even get his ice bath in this morning. Both of our families are wrapping up the school year. If you're enjoying the clips we are putting out on the socials, check out Opus Clips. It is super easy, and there is a free tier. https://www.opus.pro/?via=MorningAfter --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/morningafterministryshow/message

Tim and Andrew had two very different weeks. Andrew traveled across the southeastern United States to attend his graduation, see the sites, and visit family. Tim had a week full of meetings, planning and executing Mother's Day. We're talking through missing major holidays, and when it is time to hire more people. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/morningafterministryshow/message

Yesterday the congregation of Safety Harbor Community Church was treated to a delicious Cinco de Mayo breakfast prepared by the pastor and his wife…unfortunately some uncooked egg casserole might have sloshed out of the dish leaving Andrew's car smelling a little funky. Andrew and his family are traveling up to Virginia this week for his graduation. This Sunday will be the first he has not preached in 36 Sundays, but will also be the first of 7 Sundays he is not preaching between now and Thanksgiving.Lakeview celebrated Cinco de Baptisms, now if only Tim could remember everyone's names… If you want to check out Opus Clips, you can use our link: https://www.opus.pro/?via=MorningAfter --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/morningafterministryshow/message

We're bringing back lone of our favorite ways to talk about some of our least favorite things…The Ick. Lakeview officially opened their new disk golf course. Safety Harbor might need overflow seating, but only for the outside crew. Tim played field trip dad, and Andrew spend way too long in the dentist's chair. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/morningafterministryshow/message