Pastoral Problems

Pastor’s Kids, Expectations & Other Bad Ideas

Being a pastor’s kid comes with some unique experiences—and sometimes some pretty ridiculous expectations.

In Episode 12, Phil and Justin talk about what it’s like growing up in ministry, raising kids while pastoring a church, and the pressure that can come with being labeled a “PK.” Phil reflects on growing up in the church fishbowl, where plenty of people were watching and the phrase “You’re the pastor’s kid—you should be the example” was never far away.

They talk about why pastor’s kids shouldn’t be expected to live by some special spiritual standard simply because of what their parents do—and why the opposite extreme isn’t healthy either. Being the pastor’s kid shouldn’t mean you have to be perfect, but it also shouldn’t mean everybody is afraid to correct you. The goal is the same as it should be for every kid: boundaries, accountability, grace, and learning what it means to follow Jesus for themselves.

The conversation also gets into the importance of healthy relationships around ministry families. Pastors need people they trust enough to talk honestly about parenting, frustration, and the things happening behind the scenes without feeling judged or like the whole church is watching.

Of course, it takes nearly half the episode to discover that this is actually what they’re talking about.

Before they get there, Phil tells the story of his son deciding to become Spider-Man and breaking his clavicle, Justin responds with his own terrifying broken-collarbone camp story, Guitar of the Week gets wildly out of control, and somehow the conversation travels through John Mayer, Dolly Parton, Kenny Chesney, concert tickets, golden retrievers, church appliances, Hurricane Helene, bad German accents, and an off-brand high-school production of Grease.

By the end, even Phil and Justin admit this may have been the Seinfeld episode of Pastoral Problems: an entire show about seemingly nothing that somehow still ends up somewhere useful.

Have a pastoral problem, funny ministry story, question, or topic you want us to talk about? Email us at [email protected].

And if you’re enjoying Pastoral Problems, make sure to like, share, subscribe, and leave a comment. It helps more pastors and ministry leaders discover the show—and reminds us that none of us are the only ones dealing with this stuff.

Churches have disagreed over theology for two thousand years. Apparently, we’ve also decided to fight about thermostats, coffee, carpet, chairs, Christmas trees, and where everybody sits.

In Episode 10, Phil and Justin count down the top ten dumbest arguments churches have and talk about why seemingly insignificant issues can become surprisingly serious conflicts.

From thermostat wars and coffee in the sanctuary to pews vs. chairs, worship volume, what the pastor wears, Christmas decorations, territorial church seating, ministry space, and the eternal battle between hymns and contemporary worship, they’ve either seen it, heard about it, or had to pastor through it.

But underneath the ridiculous arguments is a much more important conversation: What happens when personal preference starts masquerading as biblical conviction?

Phil and Justin talk about keeping the “why” in front of people, choosing Kingdom over preference, listening for the deeper concern underneath a complaint, and recognizing the difference between hearing someone and simply doing whatever they ask. Sometimes the argument really isn’t about the carpet, the coffee, or the music at all.

And because getting to the actual topic in a reasonable amount of time would apparently violate the spirit of Pastoral Problems, the episode also includes a disastrous golf outing, losing six pounds “the hard way,” deodorant theology, TikTok preachers, Snapchat politics, AOL’s “You’ve Got Mail,” Dollar General anointing oil, skinny jeans, and enough rabbit trails to fill another episode.

The takeaway: not every disagreement is worth a church fight, and not every strong preference is a biblical principle.

Have a pastoral problem, funny ministry story, question, or topic you want us to talk about? Email us at [email protected].

And if you’re enjoying Pastoral Problems, make sure to like, share, subscribe, and leave a comment. It helps more pastors and ministry leaders discover the show—and lets us know you’re out there listening.

What College Accidentally Taught Us About Ministry

Sometimes you don’t realize what God was preparing you for until years later.

In Episode 9, Phil and Justin look back at college, old research papers, changing majors, grad school, sermon preparation, and the strange ways their education ended up shaping the way they do ministry today.

Phil talks about deciding to go back to school for a Master of Divinity, while Justin considers jumping back into graduate work himself. That turns into a conversation about whether more education actually makes you a better pastor, the difference between genuinely learning and simply checking boxes for a degree, and why some of the skills they thought were just part of surviving college became incredibly useful in ministry.

Justin realizes that years of researching and writing papers every week were unknowingly preparing him for the weekly rhythm of studying, writing, and preaching sermons. Phil shares the advice he received years ago that sermons are, in many ways, research papers—just delivered differently.

Phil also shares how the death of his grandfather unexpectedly changed the direction of his education and career. Creating a memorial video helped him discover a love for storytelling, which ultimately led him away from business and into communications, film, and video production.

And naturally, the conversation wanders through school drop-off rage, Chick-fil-A, college GPAs, Great Books, handwritten sermon notes, Google Docs vs. Microsoft Word, political jokes, and the regularly scheduled Guitar of the Week segment that somehow turns into “random junk in Justin’s office.”

The takeaway: you may not understand why you’re learning something right now, but God has a way of using experiences, skills, setbacks, and even random classes later in ways you never expected.

Have a pastoral problem, funny ministry story, question, or topic you want us to talk about? Email us at [email protected].

And if you’re enjoying Pastoral Problems, make sure to like, share, subscribe, and leave a comment. It helps more pastors and ministry leaders discover the show—and lets us know you’re out there listening.

Livestreaming Church Without Losing Your Mind

COVID forced churches everywhere to figure out livestreaming fast. But now that the dust has settled, pastors are still asking the same questions: Do we really need a livestream? How good does it need to be? And how do we do it without losing our minds?

In this episode, Phil and Justin talk about church livestreams, media ministry, production quality, and the pressure smaller churches often feel to compete with polished megachurch broadcasts. They discuss the real purpose of a livestream, why your church doesn’t need to look like Netflix, and how to think clearly about cameras, audio, volunteers, gear, and expectations.

Phil also shares how church media shaped his own story—from running cameras as a kid and learning from an old-school broadcast legend, to seeing firsthand how much creativity and ingenuity went into church production long before livestreaming became normal. The conversation is practical, honest, and encouraging for pastors and churches trying to reach people online without getting buried under pressure, comparison, or unnecessary complexity.

Plus, because this is Pastoral Problems, there are plenty of rabbit trails involving Chick-fil-A, Costco, Diet Coke, voiceover work, district bloopers, and a very important installment of Guitar of the Day.

Have a pastoral problem, funny ministry story, question, or topic you want us to talk about? Email us at [email protected].

And if you’re enjoying the show, make sure to like, share, subscribe, and leave a comment. It helps more pastors and ministry leaders find the podcast — and reminds us we’re not the only ones figuring this stuff out.

You can love the calling and still admit there are parts of ministry you’d rather not do.

In this episode, Phil and Justin talk about the necessary-but-not-so-fun parts of pastoral life—from hospital visits and emotionally heavy moments to changing the church marquee and all the random responsibilities nobody mentioned when you said yes to ministry.

Phil shares the story of a hospital stay that nearly turned deadly and how that experience changed the way he approaches hospital visitation. They also talk about the emotional toll of caring for people, why some ministry moments stick with you long after you leave, and the pressure pastors sometimes feel to pretend they love every single part of the job.

The truth is, some parts of ministry are incredibly rewarding. Some are exhausting. Some are awkward. And some are things you do simply because they matter.

Plus, there are plenty of rabbit trails involving terrible camera angles, AOL email addresses, accidental sermon endings, church signs, and the weird little things that somehow become part of pastoral life.

Have a pastoral problem, funny ministry story, question, or topic you want us to talk about? Email us at [email protected].

And if you’re enjoying the show, make sure to like, share, subscribe, and leave a comment. It helps more pastors and ministry leaders find the podcast—and reminds us that none of us are the only ones dealing with this stuff.

Few phrases make a pastor’s stomach drop faster than, “Pastor, some people are saying…”

But who are “some people”? What are they actually saying? And why didn’t they come talk to you themselves?

In this episode of Pastoral Problems, Phil Stanley and Justin Wright tackle church gossip, anonymous complaints, secondhand concerns, and the awkward telephone game that can develop inside a congregation. They talk about Matthew 18, when pastors should listen and when they should push back, how conflict avoidance can make small problems bigger, and why suspicion can quietly poison healthy relationships.

They also discuss the difference between protecting church unity and simply trying to control the conversation, why not every complaint requires an immediate response, and the importance of filling information gaps with trust instead of assuming the worst.

And, naturally, the conversation somehow includes sleep apnea, dangerous youth camp games, watermelon allergies, vaping in church, mission trip disasters, and several rabbit trails that have absolutely nothing to do with the stated topic.

If Pastoral Problems makes you laugh, think, or reminds you that you’re not the only one dealing with the strange realities of ministry, help us get the word out. Like the episode, subscribe to the podcast, share it with another pastor or ministry leader, and leave us a comment or review.

Have a pastoral problem, ministry story, or topic you’d like Phil and Justin to tackle? Send us an email—we’d love to hear from you. [email protected]

How far ahead should a pastor plan their sermons? Does a preaching calendar leave enough room for the Holy Spirit? And what happens when funerals, vacations, sick kids, church emergencies, and regular life completely wreck the plan?

This week, Phil and Justin compare their very different approaches to sermon prep—from year-long preaching calendars to Sunday-morning manuscripts—and talk about balancing preparation with flexibility. They get into sharing the pulpit, re-preaching old sermons, expository vs. topical preaching, sermon notes, AI, Google Docs, and those Sundays when God seems to throw a curveball at everything you prepared.

Plus, there are the usual rabbit trails involving protein shakes, collect calls, expensive pencils, and sermon ideas showing up in some very questionable places.

The takeaway: plan well, stay flexible, and don’t beat yourself up when ministry doesn’t go according to schedule.

Have a pastoral problem, funny ministry story, question, or topic you want us to talk about? Email us at [email protected].

And if you’re enjoying the podcast, make sure to like, share, subscribe, and leave a comment. It helps more pastors and ministry leaders find the show—and lets us know you’re out there listening.

Sometimes worship is powerful.

Sometimes the Holy Spirit moves.

And sometimes the drummer starts the song so fast that everybody on stage is about to meet Jesus.

In this episode of Pastoral Problems, Phil Stanley and Justin Wright swap worship-team horror stories involving wrong songs, wrong keys, runaway tempos, forgotten lyrics, talkback microphones, awkward restarts, and one worship leader who somehow managed to get booed by an entire youth camp in the middle of worship.

Then the conversation turns to modern worship production. Do we really need eleven guitar parts on one song? Are multitracks helping local churches—or creating an unrealistic standard that smaller worship teams are expected to reproduce? And when every sound, cue, click, and arrangement is programmed ahead of time, do musicians still have room to actually respond to the moment?

Phil and Justin talk about tracks, click cues, worship technology, musical authenticity, and finding the balance between preparation and flexibility.

Because your worship team doesn’t have to sound exactly like the recording.

If we wanted Spotify, we could just play Spotify.

If you enjoyed the episode, like, share, and leave us a comment with your favorite worship-team disaster—or tell us where you land on multitracks in worship.

If you're listening on a podcast platform, we'd greatly appreciate a 5-star rating to help more people discover the show.

Have a question, topic suggestion, ministry story, or pastoral problem you'd like us to discuss? Email us at [email protected].

Pastoral Problems is hosted by Phil Stanley and Justin Wright and produced by Brightworx Media.

Ministry can give you some incredible victories—and then punch you in the mouth five minutes later.

In this episode of Pastoral Problems, Phil Stanley and Justin Wright start with golf scores, an alarming number of guitars, a collapsing drum shield, fake church plants, disastrous summer weddings, and a few rabbit trails that probably should have stayed off the air.

Eventually, they get serious about one of the hardest lessons pastors have to learn: how to get back up when ministry doesn’t go the way you expected.

Using Joshua’s defeat at Ai, Peter’s failure, and their own experiences in ministry, Phil and Justin talk about handling disappointment, people leaving, personal mistakes, and the emotional swing between incredible ministry wins and unexpected gut punches.

The goal isn’t learning how to never get knocked down. It’s learning how to trust that God isn’t surprised by what happened—and keep moving forward.

If you enjoyed the episode, like, share, and leave us a comment with your own pastoral problem or ministry story. And if you’re listening on a podcast platform, we’d greatly appreciate a 5-star rating to help more people find the show.

Have a question, story, topic suggestion, or pastoral problem you want us to talk about? Email us at [email protected].

Pastoral Problems is hosted by Phil Stanley and Justin Wright and produced by Brightworx Media.

God Called Her to Pastor. Apparently Heaven Forgot to Check the Bylaws.In our very first "official" episode of Pastoral Problems, we jump straight into a conversation that has generated plenty of discussion in the Church: women in ministry and pastoral leadership.We believe God calls and equips women to serve at every level of ministry, including as pastors, and in this episode we talk through why. We discuss Scripture, church culture, leadership, some of the arguments surrounding the issue, and what we’ve seen through our own experiences in ministry.It’s an honest, thoughtful conversation about calling, gifting, and making room for the people God has chosen to use.Grab some coffee and join Phil Stanley and Justin Wright for Episode 1 of Pastoral Problems.Pastoral problems are inevitable. Becoming one is optional.Reach out to us at [email protected]