Don and his wife Natalie discuss Premarital Counseling and why they see it as important to churches in light of many pastors not doing or seeing the importance of an intense counseling period before or even during a marriage.

Open talk: Church life

Why we are discussing this

1. Highest rate of divorce is now in Christian homes

a. Doesn’t look well to the world

b. Christians give into worldly view

2. Pastors focused less on marriage counseling

a. Look to more professionals

b. CEO style has killed the vision

c. Most think discussing bills, money, jobs is all that needs to be done

3. Simple cure or fixes

a. Pastors meet with couples

b. Dinners with couples

c. Advise what works in your marriage

i. Keep dating each other

Erik and Don interview with Randy Adams, executive director of the Northwest Baptist Convention (NWBC), and nominee for president of the Southern Baptist Convention, top discuss his vision for the SBC as well as ask some questions on their hearts and minds.

See Randy's site for his announcement: https://randyadams.org/2020/01/14/my-commitment-to-southern-baptists/

In this episode Don asks Erik questions based on reading he has from training he is going through in revitalization at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in light of things the revitalization pastor must do to help his church along in the replanting process.

The question includes:

Do we focus too much on the family aspect that we neglect the missional aspect?

Do we challenge the “spiritual” people in their “faith”?

Do we understand the true family nature of the Church in light of 1st century thinking?

Has the American Church created students for lectures, or followers for doing?

With Bible studies and small groups beginning to fail in churches, what is the next gathering type outside of the norms?

Why do churches struggle to do evangelism?

In the events of the last few months how are we taking care of ourselves mentally? Don flies solo and explains Erik's absence and explains why he'll be taking time off social media. This is also a challenge to the American Church as he explains how vast its different from the Church of the 1st century.

Don suggested When the Church Was a Family by Joseph Hellerman and here's the link

The events of the last few weeks and even year have given pastors a lot to think and sift through as we lead our churches and staffs in a new era. It has caused us to have examine how to handle and respond to the issues at hand, with people in our churches on both sides of the discussion. Tied to this is that churches may begin to meet in full again within the next several months as the anti-virus shot is taxed out. So, Don discusses three points in the messiness laid out that revitalizers will have to trudge through.

 The State of the Union:

o We all have members and regular attenders of our churches that are on either side of the political aisle.

o Understand that in all of this, the Left wants their story out, the Right wants theirs out too.

o Bring up friend who came down on me for sharing something from a “non-News source” but shared from one twice and then denied the story from credible one.

o We must be Wise as Serpents and Gentle as Doves

 The State of the Pandemic

o Not everyone is coming back

o Churches that did not disciple will pay highest price

 Larger Churches have seen a decline

 Some Smaller Churches have seen increase

o Smarter and more creative ways to evangelize.

o Discipleship and evangelism will become the new way to grow the Church

 The State of the Kingdom

o We live in America, but we are citizens of heaven

o Faith over Fear

o God knows our futures

o In All things, God is sovereign

Being the pastor’s wife means more than smiling and supporting your husband. You have to deal with people who are not happy with him, and in many cases, you’re wearing as many hats as your husband in a revitalization. Today, Don interviews his wife Natalie on the pressures she’s felt since coming to Legacy Church as the wife of a church replanter.

1. You Feel Like You Have to Defend Your Husband at Every Turn.

2. You’re Wearing as Many Hats as Your Husband Is.

3. Parents Do Not Understand the Limited Recourses the Church Has.

Don reflects on the positives of 2020 and what the Church needs to do for 2021

Replicate link https://www.amazon.com/Replicate-Create-Culture-Disciple-Making-Right/dp/0802419992/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=replicate&qid=1609445152&sr=8-1

Preaching for the Rest of Us link https://www.amazon.com/Preaching-Rest-Us-Essentials-Text-Driven/dp/1462761623/ref=sr_1_1?crid=RJ4KC5O1IJKE&dchild=1&keywords=preaching+for+the+rest+of+us&qid=1609445241&sprefix=preaching+for+the+%2Caps%2C183&sr=8-1

Mark discusses what replanting is like and the challenges many will face who choose this path for their churches.

Don gives and update of the after affects he's having from contacting COVID

In this episode, Don looks at things churches are realizing and pondering when the crisis is over.