Coaching Christian Leaders

It's one thing to point out a problem.  But it's another thing to offer the solution. Pastor Dave Dent is a pastor that offers solutions.  Dave is the Associate Pastor of Adult Ministries at Mid Atlantic Community Church in Davidsonville Maryland.  

His ministry focus is to shepherd people through life's difficulties, to connect people into discipleship relationships.  Today, in this interview, Dave shares the ministry of Celebrate Recovery and how Jesus, through the Beatitudes, provides solutions.

Dave has been married to Catherine Kellogg Dent since November of 1997.  He has three daughters and one son.  Dave has a heart for recovery, but he also loves the process of discipleship.

Primarily, Dave shared the ministry of Celebrate Recovery.  Celebrate Recovery was instrumental in Dave's personal recovery from addiction.  Since then God has used Dave in the Celebrate Recovery ministry.

• Insourcing: Bringing Discipleship Back to the Local Church by Randy Pope
• Spiritual Discipleship: Principles of Following Christ For Every Believer by J. Oswald Sanders

Email Dave at:  [email protected]

I learned a great deal talking with Dave. Here are three things that stood out.

1. I came away with a much better understanding of Celebrate Recovery and what this ministry can provide to the local church.
2. Another takeaway is how inclusive Celebrate Recovery can be.  It is not just an addiction ministry. Celebrate Recovery can address other problems and it ministers to children and teens as well.
3. I really appreciated Dave's insights into discipleship.  For years discipleship has been the call of the western church.  Dave shared some resources that will help you in your discipleship ministry.

We would love for you to share your insights.  Maybe you have a background with Celebrate Recovery.  Please share your thoughts- what works and what doesn't.

Thanks for listening to Real Pastors.  If you are not a subscriber then please become one. That way you will never miss an episode.  You can subscribe at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, and most any third party podcast app.  Episodes are released once per month on the third Monday of the month.

Also, please leave a review of Real Pastors wherever you listen.  Your reviews help the podcast reach more people.

Finally, become a member of the Real Pastors Team.  You can do so by clicking HERE.  You will receive an email when we release a new episode.  The show notes will be emailed to you. And on occasion, we will send you Member Only Resources.  We will never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

It is extremely difficult to watch a family member or friend struggle with an alcohol or drug addiction.  You feel so helpless.  You are uncertain as to where to turn or what to say.  Pastors, too, struggle with counseling the addict. 

Hopefully this month's guest will give us some insights into the life and struggles of an addict. Our guest for this episode is John Burghauser. John is a Pastoral Care Worker with Stauros Ministries. He ministers daily to men and women who struggle with addiction.

Like those he helps, John once was an addict.  But Christ delivered him from this dependency.  Now he is living our 2 Corinthians 1:3-4 which says:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

And John does just that. He ministers to addicts from a place of understanding.

John and been married to his wife Peggy for 26 years.  They live just north of Baltimore in Nottingham Md.  He has served 14 years with Stauros Ministries.

John shared his journey and struggles. He also shared the work he does with Stauros Ministries.

• Soul Talk: The Language God Longs for Us to Speak by Larry Crabb
• Encouragement: The Unexpected Power of Building Others Up by Larry Crabb and Dan B. Allender PLLC
• Spirit-Controlled Temperament by Tim LaHaye

Email John at [email protected]

I think John taught us many things today.  Let me focus on just three: The first thing that struck me was the fact that we are no longer who we used to be now that we are in Christ.  You may have been an addict when Christ saved you, but now you are an addict no longer.  You are a new person in Christ. You are a child of God.

Of course we are sinners saved by grace. But I think we need to modify our view of self.  I am more than a saved sinner, I am a new creature.  Pastors, you need to share that with those you counsel and those you disciple.

The second thing that John taught me was the importance of the local church in the life of an addict.  The church can provide love and grace over and above that of any addiction ministry.  However, the church must remember that it is for the long-haul.  Walking with an addict can be sloppy, it will have its setbacks, and it will take time.

Finally pastors, don't blow off local resources that can help the addict.  Get informed and find out what city, county, or state services can be of service.  Some will be beneficial, others will not be.  You need to know which ones can truly help the addict.

We would love for you to share your insights.  Many of you have counseled and worked with addicts.  What has worked or not worked with you?  Please share in the comment section below.

Thanks for listening to Real Pastors.  If you are not a subscriber then please become one. That way you will never miss an episode.  You can subscribe at iTunes, Google Play, Stitcher, iHeartRadio, and most any third party podcast app.  Episodes are released once per month on the third Monday of the month.

Also, please leave a review of Real Pastors wherever you listen. Your reviews help the podcast reach more people.

Finally, become a member of the Real Pastors Team.  You can do so by clicking HERE.  You will receive an email when we release a new episode.  The show notes will be emailed to you. And on occasion, we will send you Member Only Resources.  We will never share your email address and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Dan Fox is the senior pastor of a church just south of Baltimore, Maryland.  He has been married to his wife, Paula, for 23 years and they have four kids.  Dan is a gifted teacher of the Bible and a person in demand when it comes the subject of mental illness.

Dan shared the story of his son's battle with schizophrenia.  This very personal story will give you insight into living with mental illness and maybe challenge your personal theology on the subject.  His son's journey changed Dan's point of view on mental illness.

Dan spoke of one book and recommended another two.  Here they are:

1. Surviving Schizophrenia: A Family Manual, by E. Fuller Torrey
2. Side by Side: Walking With Others in Wisdom and Love, by Edward T. Welch
3. Schizophrenia: A Blueprint for Recovery, by Milt Greek

Dan also recommended the organization Christian Counseling & Education Foundation

You can email Pastor Dan Fox at [email protected]

There are many things in this story that we can takeaway. I want to isolate three.

1. Not all mental illness is the same.  As pastors, we need to understand the general differences.  More importantly, we need to understand our limitations. Most pastors are not qualified to treat many forms of mental illness.  Pastors need to develop a referral list. This list should include trusted individuals who are qualified to deal with mental illness.
2. The church needs to be a safe place where people can freely share their struggles with mental illness.  The church is not a place where we shun or condemn the mentally ill.  Rather it should be a place of grace.
3. Finally, regardless of our qualifications, we can always give biblical counsel and we can always love those that are hurting.

We would love to hear your viewpoint on mental illness.  This can be a touchy subject with strong opinions on both sides.  Please leave your insights below in the comment section.

Thanks for following Real Pastors.  Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher, Google Play  or iHeartRadio.  We are also available on most any third party podcast app.

Also don't forget to sign up for our email newsletter. I will email you whenever there is a new episode.  These emails will include the show notes as well as "member only" materials.  I will never share your contact information and you can unsubscribe at any time. Just click HERE and join the team!

Glen Willet is the Worship and Discipleship Pastor at Westminster Baptist Church in Westminster Maryland.  He is an experienced church planter, a gifted musician, and a topnotch teacher of the Word.  Glen has been married to his wife, Barbara for 37 years. They have three sons and three grand kids.

God has used Glen to make a long-term impact through short-term missions.  Glen does this through the training of local national pastors and through a long-term commitment to one local community. Glen also shares how he has ministered to the homeless in the Baltimore and Westminster areas.

Glen recommended three books to help you develop a short-term mission program.

• Unfinished by Richard Stearns
• When Helping Hurts by Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert
• Glocalization by Bob Roberts Jr.

Glen can be reached at [email protected]

I had three takeaways from our conversation with Glen Willet.

1. Missions can be in your backyard.  Glen's work with the homeless in Baltimore and in Westminster is eye opening.  The homeless are an invisible people living in your community.  They're invisible because we tend to look right past them.  Invisible people can be the homeless or an immigrant community.  What can we do then to reach these people? First look around and find them.  Then develop a long-term plan to reach out. Impact will be made not with one evangelistic event but when you invest for the long haul.
2. Short-term missions can have a long-term impact when you focus on those that will be there for the long-term.  Glen and his team are training Haitian pastors.  Many many years from now, when Glen can no longer make that trip, these pastors will still be serving.  To make a long-term impact you must focus on those that will be there long-term. And I would encourage you focus on pastors.
3. Finally, focus your short-term trips on one community for the long-term.  It may be short-term for your church people, but because you are involved with one community it will have a long-term impact.

Thanks for following Real Pastors.  Don't forget to subscribe to the podcast at iTunes, Stitcher Radio, or Google Play.  We are also available on most any podcast app your phone may have.  Soon we will be on iHeartRadio.

Please leave feedback where you listen or you can leave feedback here in the comment section below.   If you comment below, I would appreciate your insights on the subject of short-term missions.

Also don't forget to sign up for our email newsletter.  I will email you whenever there is a new episode.  These emails will include the show notes as well as "member only" materials.  I will never share your contact information and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Tom and Danielle Brendle are missionaries with New Tribes Mission.  God has used them in Tribal Church Planting and in Member Care.  They have four sons, Levi, Jacob, Luke, and Josiah. They currently serve in Florida.

Tom and Danielle stressed the need for personal relationships between the church and its missionaries. They shared the need for mission oriented discipleship at the local church level. Tom and Danielle gave an overview of member care and encouraged the local church to participate in this care.

They recommended Dave and Irene Lewis' website Paracletos.org

Tom encouraged us to read the book Life With A Capital L by Matt Heard

Please email Tom and Danielle at [email protected]

I had three takeaways from Tom and Danielle's interview.

1. It is essential that churches build personal relationships with their missionaries.  Now that is easier said than done. And it will take time and intention to accomplish.  Often missionaries are just a picture on the wall or a check you mail.  How can you build better relationships?  I believe you should first evaluate every missionary that you support and then evaluate how you relate to them.  In August, we will send Real Pastor Team members a free tool that will help with this.  If you are not a team member, then sign up by clicking HERE.  This simple resource helped us transform our mission program.
2. Expose your children to missions and place your young adults in church leadership.  Many missionaries realize their calling when they are young.  So we need to be intentional in our discipleship of young people, exposing them to missions and missionaries.   Also, we need to move young adults into places of responsibility.  Children will catch the vision of missions and young adults will see their place in God's mission for the church.
3. Provide Member Care to your missionaries.  When your missionaries return home on furlough, are you including them in the body? Are you giving them a safe place to share and decompress? What are you doing to help with this difficult transition?  Many churches are as disconnected with their missionaries when they are home as they are when they are away.  Missionaries need a safe place and they need a church family.  So take every opportunity to provide care when a missionary returns home.

Remember to subscribe to the podcast.  You can subscribe at iTunes, Google Play, and Stitcher.  Also, please leave a review where you listen or comment below.

Finally, join the Real Pastors Team. Team members receive an email when a new episode is released, they receive a copy of each episode's show notes, and they receive special resources throughout the year.  We will never share your information and you can unsubscribe at any time.  Just click HERE to join.

Dr. Alban and his wife Joanne began their ministry in 1965 when they served as missionaries in Brazil. The Lord redirected their steps in 1975 and Dr. Alban took a pastorate in Tennessee.  Still having a passion for missions, he accepted a position with Berean Mission in 1979.  Since then, the Lord has used him to train and prepare new missionaries for the field. Dr. Alban served 16 years as Missions Department Chairman at Appalachian Bible College and in 2003, he became Professor of Global Studies at Liberty University.

Successes and struggles in ministry A key takeaway was that God did not call him to be someone else but to be the man He gifted him to be. The importance of the local church pastor in world missions Missions depend upon the pastor's leadership.

The Insanity of God: A True Story of Faith Resurrected by Nik Ripken and Gregg Lewis.

Toxic Charity by Robert D. Lupton

Please email Dr. Alban at [email protected]

Please subscribe to Real Pastors at iTunes, Google Play, or Stitcher Radio.  You should also sign up for our email updates. You will never miss an episode and you will receive additional membership materials.

Sometimes ministry ... hurts. Low pay, long hours, and the people!  In Episode 2, An Interview with Pastor Gary Buchman, Gary shared some of the pain of church work.

To overcome the heartaches of ministry, it is essential that you know why and for what God called you. So you need to define your mission and create a statement that communicates it. Stephanie Vozza of FastCompany Magazine wrote, "Whether it's a daily mantra or a quote to return to when times get tough, having a personal mission statement brings focus and purpose to your life."  You need to have your own mission statement.

Dr. Steven Covey wrote, "Write down your roles as you now see them. Are you satisfied with the mirror image of your life?" So write down your every role, every position you have. Then create a mission statement for each one.  However, you do not need a statement for every role.  Rather, examine each role and ask these three questions:

1. Does this role really matter?
2. How long will this role last?
3. Is it a role that God speaks of in His Bible?

I have only three mission statements; Father/Grandfather, Pastor, Husband.

The Character of Leadership: Nine Qualities that Define Great Leaders by Dr. Jeff Iorg

Stephanie Vozza, Personal Mission Statements of 5 Famous CEOs and Why You Should Write One Too - http://www.fastcompany.com/3026791/dialed/personal-mission-statements-of-5-famous-ceos-and-why-you-should-write-one-too

Dr. Steven Covey Article, The Community: Business Mission Statements - https://www.stephencovey.com/mission-statements.php

Dr. Jeff Iorg, How To Write Your Own Personal Mission Statement - http://www.lifeway.com/Article/How-to-Write-Your-Own-Personal-Mission-Statement

Pastor Gary Buchman is the pastor of Emmitsburg Community Bible Church, which is a church plant in Emmitsburg, Maryland.  Gary has also served as jail chaplain.  He has been married to his wife Debbie for 46 years.  They have five kids and 14 grandkids.

Gary also has a heart for hurting pastors.  On this episode he shares his ministry to coach pastors in need.

• He shared his strengths and weaknesses as a pastor.
• He told of the time that he and Debbie adopted their daughter.
• He shared the lowest point in his time as a pastor.
• He covered the ministry of pastor care.

Who is this Man? The Unpredictable Impact of the Inescapable Jesus  by John Ortberg

If God is Good; Faith in the Midst of Suffering and Evil by Randy Alcorn.

Gary can be reached at [email protected]

Tim Webster is the Senior Pastor of Fredericktowne Baptist Church in Walkersville Maryland.  Previously he was the Senior Pastor of at Uniontown Bible Church.  He is married to his best friend, Alice.  Between the two of them, they have 8 kids! Tim shares with us some of the highs and lows of ministry.  He focused part of his story on a recent battle with depression.

• How he and Alice were childhood sweethearts but lost contact and married others.  Years later they both lost their respective spouses to the same form of cancer.  Alice and Tim then reunited, fell in love, and married.
• He focused part of his story on a recent battle with depression.
• Finally, he shared the project - Church Cares.

Tim is a published author.  His book is Christ-Centered Pastors.

Tim recommended the book Deep & Wide by Andy Stanley.

If you have any questions for Tim you can email him at [email protected]

Welcome to Real Pastors.  At Real Pastors, we interview local church pastors, missionaries, and ministry leaders. The purpose is to hear their stories and learn from their experiences.

Episodes will be released once per month on the third Monday.