Every pastor knows the sting of criticism — sometimes it’s helpful, sometimes it’s ridiculous, and sometimes it’s downright harmful. In this episode, the Practically Pastoring crew share their wildest stories (yes, including “The Devil’s Deli”), break down the three buckets of feedback (helpful, misinformed, and harmful), and offer practical ways to filter feedback without losing your sanity.

Whether you’re navigating jeans critiques, worship song wars, or factionalism in leadership, this conversation will remind you that you’re not alone — and that some criticism really does belong in the trash.

Timestamps

• 0:00 – Cold open: The craziest feedback pastors get
• 1:00 – Why feedback stings but matters
• 2:00 – The “Devil’s Deli” letter: wildest church complaint ever
• 5:00 – Jeans, hymns, and checks for new clothes
• 7:00 – When feedback crosses into the personal
• 8:30 – The 3 buckets: helpful, misinformed, and harmful feedback
• 11:00 – Examples of truly helpful critique
• 15:00 – Worship wars & misinformed criticism
• 19:00 – Songwriting, licensing, and CCLI “witchcraft”
• 26:00 – The cultural gap behind church criticism
• 27:00 – Signs of toxic, harmful feedback (factionalism & power moves)
• 34:00 – Staff structure critiques and generational expectations
• 40:00 – Pain behind harmful feedback: what pastors often miss
• 44:00 – Why you need friends who aren’t impressed by you
• 49:00 – Lightning round: quick tips for processing feedback
• 51:30 – Final encouragement: thick skin, soft heart

Join Our Facebook Group - https://www.facebook.com/groups/practicallypastoring

🎧 Listen or Watch:

• Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx
• Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414
• YouTube - https://youtube.com/@practicallypastoring
• Website - PracticallyPastoring.com

How can churches take safety seriously without losing the heart of hospitality? In this episode of Practically Pastoring, Frank and Tim sit down with Jim Howard, Executive Director of Trinity Security Allies. With 38 years in law enforcement and years of experience training churches across the country, Jim explains why safety is a ministry — not just a security detail.

From handling nervous visitors, to guns in church, to protecting kids’ ministry, Jim helps pastors think through how to create a culture of safety that still feels like the gospel.

📧 Contact Jim: [email protected]
🌐 Learn more: https://trinitysecurityallies.com/

Timestamps:
00:00 – Welcome & guest introduction
02:00 – Jim’s story: from tragedy to church safety ministry
08:30 – Why church safety is a ministry, not just security
10:00 – Responding when visitors seem suspicious
13:40 – How to balance hospitality and safety
17:00 – Prevention, liability, and what pastors need to know
22:00 – Guns in church: policies, pitfalls, and wisdom
26:00 – Building safety culture without scaring people
32:00 – First steps for churches with little or no budget
35:00 – Training volunteers when you don’t have experts
40:00 – Active shooter training and real-life scenarios
42:00 – Why Jim does this: 1 Peter 5 and the call to shepherd the flock

Links from the show:
🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410e
🍎 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414
📺 YouTube - https://youtu.be/uwjN2WvbSGc
💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

Fall ministry is here — but is your church ready?

In this episode of Practically Pastoring, we share practical church leadership tips to help pastors and ministry leaders plan fall ministry events, reengage volunteers after summer, prepare a church budget, and communicate vision effectively.

Frank, Andrew, Tim, Jeff, and Delmar break down what they’re doing to set their churches up for a successful fall ministry season. We’ll cover church event ideas, community outreach strategies, Christmas service planning, and ways to keep your church momentum strong all the way to the end of the year.

If you’re a pastor, church planter, or ministry leader looking for fall ministry ideas, church event planning tips, or volunteer engagement strategies, this episode will give you tools you can use right now.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Cold open: School, football, pumpkin spice, and ChatGPT fact-checking sermons

00:25 – Why fall is a natural ministry reset for churches

01:57 – Attendance trends and on-ramp opportunities for new people

06:06 – Big & small fall church event ideas that work

13:24 – Using vision-focused gatherings to drive engagement

15:10 – Three simple community outreach ideas for churches this fall

22:04 – Navigating church budget season with vision and clarity

27:37 – How to start planning your Christmas services in the fall

32:01 – Volunteer reengagement & giving teams rest before the holiday sprint

37:08 – Four steps to crush fall: Ruthless prioritization, 3D thinking, calendar blocking, and overcommunication

44:50 – Why overcommunication matters and how to do it well

48:05 – Closing encouragement & CTAs

Links from the show:

🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410e

🍎 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414

📺 YouTube - https://youtu.be/uwjN2WvbSGc

💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

In this special Q&A episode, the Practically Pastoring crew tackles your questions! From favorite sermon prep playlists to the hard lessons of leadership, this one has laughs, insights, and a dose of raw honesty. We even talk about firing staff, shifting theological views, and how not to burn out your best volunteers.

⏱️ Timestamps:

0:00 - Summer break & podcast intro

2:00 - Church merch & thrift store shirts

4:00 - Sermon prep playlists (Lo-fi, silence, & alien grunge!)

8:45 - Developing leaders without burnout

13:00 - Churchy phrases we’d outlaw

14:00 - Leadership lessons learned the hard way

17:00 - What we’d do differently our first year

22:00 - Sermon prep rhythms & staying fresh

31:00 - When to let staff or volunteers go

36:30 - The theological views we’ve changed

Links from the show:

🌐 Listen anywhere: ⁠⁠https://practicallypastoring.com/⁠⁠

🫂 Join our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/practicallypastoring⁠⁠

👕 Follow us in Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/practicallypastoring⁠⁠

📧 Join our mailing list: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3plt5so⁠⁠

👕 Church Merch - https://www.promotionsguy.com/churchmerch

Hosts:

🧔🏽‍♂️ Frank Gil - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/pastorfrankgil/⁠⁠

👨🏼 Jeff Simpson - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffcsimpson/⁠⁠

👱🏼‍♂️ Delmar Peet -  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/delmarpeet/⁠⁠

👨🏼‍💼 Andrew Larsen - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/andrewjlarsen/⁠⁠

🏋🏼 Timothy Miller - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/timothyamiller/⁠⁠

Listen or Watch on

🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410e

🍎 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414

📺 YouTube - https://youtu.be/uwjN2WvbSGc

💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

🔔 Subscribe & Turn on Notifications so you never miss an episode!

Leaving a church, especially when you're in leadership, is never easy. In this episode, the guys dive into how to discern when it's time to leave, how to exit with grace, and how to care well for the people you're leaving behind.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Intro and welcome

01:10 – Sponsor: Church Merch

02:10 – Reddit Post: Youth Pastor Seeking Exit Advice

03:20 – When church leadership dysfunction prompts leaving

04:15 – Avoiding a victim mindset when leaving

05:00 – Trusting God to care for those you leave

06:00 – How to communicate your exit without causing drama

07:30 – Focusing on where you're going, not what you're leaving

08:45 – Dispelling rumors and over communicating

10:00 – Teaching kids about healthy transitions

12:00 – Leaving well vs. spiritual codependency

14:00 – When staying too long causes harm

16:00 – Personal stories and lessons from past transitions

18:00 – Final thoughts on leaving with integrity

Links from the show:

🌐 Listen anywhere: ⁠⁠https://practicallypastoring.com/⁠⁠

🫂 Join our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/practicallypastoring⁠⁠

👕 Follow us in Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/practicallypastoring⁠⁠

📧 Join our mailing list: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3plt5so⁠⁠

👕 Church Merch - https://www.promotionsguy.com/churchmerch

Hosts:

🧔🏽‍♂️ Frank Gil - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/pastorfrankgil/⁠⁠

👨🏼 Jeff Simpson - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffcsimpson/⁠⁠

👱🏼‍♂️ Delmar Peet - ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/delmarpeet/⁠⁠

👨🏼‍💼 Andrew Larsen - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/andrewjlarsen/⁠⁠

🏋🏼 Timothy Miller - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/timothyamiller/⁠⁠

Listen or Watch on

🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410e

🍎 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414

📺 YouTube - https://youtu.be/uwjN2WvbSGc

💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

🔔 Subscribe & Turn on Notifications so you never miss an episode!

This week on Practically Pastoring, we’re talking about one of the most frustrating parts of church leadership: getting people to sign up for stuff! From event planning woes to generational divides, we’re diving deep into why people avoid sign-up sheets and how pastors can adapt and lead with wisdom and grace.

⏰ Timestamps:

00:00 - Intro & Topic Setup

01:15 - Listener Question from Reddit

03:20 - Why People Don’t Sign Up

05:00 - Generational Differences in Sign-Ups

06:45 - Burnout and Fear of Overcommitting

08:00 - Letting Events Flop (On Purpose!)

10:00 - Casting Vision for Sign-Ups

13:30 - Tools: Planning Center, Google Forms, Meal Train

16:00 - Announcements Strategy That Actually Works

21:30 - Event Fatigue and Killing Sacred Cows

27:00 - Making Sign-Ups Frictionless

30:00 - Relational Recruiting Over Mass Messaging

35:00 - Final Thoughts: It’s Gonna Be Okay

⸻

Links from the show:

🌐 Listen anywhere: ⁠⁠https://practicallypastoring.com/⁠⁠

🫂 Join our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/practicallypastoring⁠⁠

👕 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/practicallypastoring⁠⁠

📧 Join our mailing list: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3plt5so⁠⁠

👕 Church Merch - https://www.promotionsguy.com/churchmerch

Hosts:

🧔🏽‍♂️ Frank Gil - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/pastorfrankgil/⁠⁠

👨🏼 Jeff Simpson - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffcsimpson/⁠⁠

👱🏼‍♂️ Delmar Peet - ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/delmarpeet/⁠⁠

👨🏼‍💼 Andrew Larsen - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/andrewjlarsen/⁠⁠

🏋🏼 Timothy Miller - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/timothyamiller/⁠⁠

Listen or Watch on

🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410e

🍎 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414

📺 YouTube - https://youtu.be/uwjN2WvbSGc

💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

🔔 Subscribe & Turn on Notifications so you never miss an episode!

In this episode, the Practically Pastoring crew tackles a tough but necessary topic: what do you do when a long-time volunteer is actually causing harm in your ministry? From nursery drama to worship team woes, the guys share practical advice on how to set clear expectations, implement safe church policies, and have those difficult conversations with grace and firmness.

⏱️ Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro & Church Merch Shoutout
02:20 - Listener Question: The Problematic Nursery Volunteer
04:45 - Stories of Inheriting Difficult Volunteers
06:00 - Using Policy to Address Outdated Practices
08:40 - Why It's So Hard to Have These Conversations
10:30 - The Role of Elders and Church Leadership
12:30 - Avoiding Emotional Fallout
14:10 - Honoring Legacy While Making Changes
16:00 - Practical Tips for Onboarding and Training Volunteers
20:00 - Who Should Be in the Room for the Hard Talk?
23:00 - Preparing for Emotional Blowback
25:00 - Advice for Younger Pastors

Links from the show:
🌐 Listen anywhere: ⁠⁠https://practicallypastoring.com/⁠⁠
🫂 Join our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/practicallypastoring⁠⁠
👕 Follow us in Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/practicallypastoring⁠⁠
📧 Join our mailing list: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3plt5so⁠⁠

👕 Church Merch - https://www.promotionsguy.com/churchmerch

Hosts:
🧔🏽‍♂️ Frank Gil - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/pastorfrankgil/⁠⁠
👨🏼 Jeff Simpson - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffcsimpson/⁠⁠
👱🏼‍♂️ Delmar Peet - ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/delmarpeet/⁠⁠
👨🏼‍💼 Andrew Larsen - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/andrewjlarsen/⁠⁠
🏋🏼 Timothy Miller - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/timothyamiller/⁠⁠

🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410e
🍎 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414
📺 YouTube - https://youtu.be/uwjN2WvbSGc
💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

🔔 Subscribe & Turn on Notifications so you never miss an episode!

In this episode of Practically Pastoring, we tackle a brutally honest question from a young pastor on Reddit: “What do I do when the church I pastor isn’t one I would even attend?”

If you’ve ever found yourself disillusioned in church leadership, unsure how to lead change without blowing things up, or just feeling like a glorified chaplain instead of a visionary leader—this conversation is for you. We talk about how young pastors can handle resistance in established churches, how to keep showing up when your ministry expectations don’t match reality, and how to kill the idols of platform and popularity in favor of faithful ministry.

You'll hear real stories, raw encouragement, and practical wisdom for discerning when it’s time to press on—and when it might be time to move on. Whether you're battling pastoral burnout, navigating church vision challenges, or just trying to love a congregation that doesn’t seem to want to change, we hope this episode meets you right where you are.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Cold Open & Sponsor Shoutout (Church Merch!)02:00 – The Reddit Question: “I’m Just a Chaplain Now”04:15 – Why 2.5 Years Isn’t Enough to Lead Major Change06:30 – Pastoring vs. Idealism: Facing Reality with Grace10:00 – The “Reach the City” Idol & Unrealistic Expectations13:00 – Can You Serve a Church You Wouldn’t Attend?17:00 – Building Trust Before Leading Change20:00 – Finding Low-Hanging Fruit to Start Vision24:00 – When Older Members Say They Want Young People…26:00 – Discernment: Faithfulness or Futility?29:00 – Killing Bitterness, Finding Calling31:00 – How a Ministry Brotherhood Can Save Your Soul33:00 – Final Encouragement: Feed the Sheep, Not Flip a Franchise

Whether you're a senior leader or still early in your ministry journey, this episode offers a lifeline of clarity and compassion in the tension between church health, personal calling, and quiet faithfulness. If you're feeling stuck or discouraged—you are not alone."

📎 Links from the show:

🌐 Listen anywhere: ⁠⁠https://practicallypastoring.com/⁠⁠🫂 Join our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/practicallypastoring⁠⁠👕 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/practicallypastoring⁠⁠📧 Join our mailing list: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3plt5so⁠⁠

👕 Church Merch - https://www.promotionsguy.com/churchmerch

Hosts:🧔🏽‍♂️ Frank Gil - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/pastorfrankgil/⁠⁠👨🏼 Jeff Simpson - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffcsimpson/⁠⁠👱🏼‍♂️ Delmar Peet - ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/delmarpeet/⁠⁠👨🏼‍💼 Andrew Larsen - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/andrewjlarsen/⁠⁠
🏋🏼 Timothy Miller - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/timothyamiller/⁠⁠

🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410e
🍎 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414
📺 YouTube - https://youtu.be/uwjN2WvbSGc
💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

🔔 Subscribe & Turn on Notifications so you never miss an episode!

In this episode of Practically Pastoring, Frank, Jeff, Delmar, Andrew, and Timothy dive deep into the growing cynicism toward the evangelical church. From meme accounts like Pastors with Props to heartbreaking scandals, distrust in church leadership is only getting worse.

We also discuss the solution of faithfulness over time, the importance of authenticity, and how to shepherd hurting people who are walking into our churches carrying heavy cynicism.

If you’re a pastor, ministry leader, or someone who's been feeling the tension around church culture lately — this conversation is for you.

🕒 Timestamps:00:00 - Intro and Church Distrust Today00:48 - Meet the Team + Church Merch Ad03:18 - How Meme Accounts Like Pastors with Props Are Fueling Cynicism05:03 - The Craziest Church Props We’ve Seen07:56 - Are Props in Preaching a Problem or a Tool?10:36 - What's Legitimate Criticism of the Modern Church?12:01 - Lavish Lifestyles, Abuse Scandals, and Trust Broken14:30 - Personality-Driven Churches and Authority Misuse15:44 - Inauthenticity in Churches and Why It Matters18:19 - How Cynicism Is Showing Up in Our Churches22:20 - Is Cynicism Different Between Generations?24:00 - Are Smaller Churches More Immune to Distrust?26:19 - What’s the Way Forward: How Pastors Should Rspond29:30 - Admitting When We’re Wrong (Serious Moment)30:34 - Ending on a Lighter Note: Our Favorite Sermon Props33:00 - Final Thoughts and How to Engage With Us

🌟 Links from the show:

🌐 Listen anywhere: ⁠⁠https://practicallypastoring.com/⁠⁠🫂 Join our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/practicallypastoring⁠⁠👕 Follow us on Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/practicallypastoring⁠⁠📧 Join our mailing list: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3plt5so⁠⁠

👕 Church Merch: https://www.promotionsguy.com/churchmerch

🎧 Listen or Watch on:
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410eApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414YouTube: https://youtu.be/uwjN2WvbSGcPracticallyPastoring.com

🔔 Subscribe & Turn on Notifications so you never miss an episode!

In this episode of Practically Pastoring, the crew debriefs Easter Sunday. What went well? What went sideways? And how do you lead through the Super Bowl of church services without losing your soul (or your voice)?

Plus, we get into:

• The emotional and logistical pressure pastors face on Easter

• Whether small churches should try to “compete” with bigger ones

• Why WrestleMania made it into our Sunday reflections

• What happens after Easter: follow-up, fatigue, and finding your rhythm again

👉 We also talk hydrangeas, visitor strategy, and why resurrection doesn’t end on Sunday.

⏱️ Timestamps:00:00 – Intro & Easter morning vibes04:10 – Wins, whiffs & weird moments from our services17:30 – Are small churches trying too hard to act big?29:00 – Post-Easter follow-up plans (or lack thereof)38:45 – Why Easter can feel both sacred and stressful47:15 – Encouragement for the week after Easter

Links from the show: 

Listen anywhere: ⁠⁠https://practicallypastoring.com/⁠⁠

Join our Facebook Group: ⁠⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/practicallypastoring⁠⁠ 

Follow us in Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/practicallypastoring⁠⁠ 

Join our mailing list: ⁠⁠https://bit.ly/3plt5so⁠⁠ 

Church Merch - https://www.promotionsguy.com/churchmerch

Hosts:

🧔🏽‍♂️ Frank Gil - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/pastorfrankgil/⁠⁠ 

👨🏼 Jeff Simpson - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/jeffcsimpson/⁠⁠ 

👱🏼‍♂️ Delmar Peet -  ⁠⁠https://instagram.com/delmarpeet/⁠⁠ 

👨🏼‍💼 Andrew Larsen - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/andrewjlarsen/⁠⁠ 

🏋🏼 Timothy Miller - ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/timothyamiller/⁠⁠ 

Listen or Watch on

🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410e 

🍎 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414 

📺 YouTube - https://youtu.be/uwjN2WvbSGc 

💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

🔔 Subscribe & Turn on Notifications so you never miss an episode!