Practical(ly) Pastoring

It’s Pastor Appreciation Month — but how should churches actually handle it? This week, the guys get honest about recognizing pastors, the misuse of the “pastor” title, developing small group leaders, and what to do when you’re burned out and ready to quit ministry.

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 — Cold Open: Pastor Appreciation Month is weird

00:51 — Should churches only honor the lead pastor?

03:35 — How different churches celebrate pastors

05:19 — When Pastor Appreciation Month gets awkward

07:03 — How lead pastors can appreciate their staff

08:17 — Are youth pastors “real pastors”?

10:29 — What the Bible actually says about the role of pastor/elder

11:13 — Rise & Fall, ordination, and rushing people into ministry

13:20 — Why American church culture gets the title “pastor” wrong

14:23 — The discipleship issue behind church leadership titles

15:24 — Youth pastor longevity & maturity in ministry

16:19 — Should you start Pastor Appreciation Month at your church?

17:13 — 💥 Practically Pastoring Conference 2026 (Feb 9–11, Lakeview Church)

21:11 — How to develop and onboard small group leaders

24:25 — The “Coach, Contact, Celebrate” method for retaining volunteers

26:40 — Don’t confuse hosting a small group with leading one

28:44 — Building healthy structures and rotations for small groups

35:16 — When to ask someone to lead (and for how long)

35:37 — When you want to quit ministry but still love the church

36:57 — Burnout, calling, and waiting on God’s timing

39:16 — Staying faithful when ministry gets hard

45:05 — “You’re not a bad pastor for being tired”

46:22 — Finding community and healing when you step back from ministry

48:19 — Prayer for pastors who are hurting

49:19 — Outro + Practically Pastoring Conference reminder

👇 Listen or watch here:

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

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

📺 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@practicallypastoring

💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

👥 Join the Conversation:

🫂 Facebook Group – https://www.facebook.com/share/g/17WmKxAa1h/

📸 Instagram – instagram.com/PracticallyPastoring

Facebook - facebook.com/practicallypastoring

Pastors’ mailbag time. We tackle anointing with oil in James 5, where the ethical lines are with MLMs in church life, and smart ways to use continuing-ed budgets without wasting a dollar.Chapters00:00 Cold Open + Intro01:10 Mailbag Setup: today’s questions03:00 Anointing with Oil (James 5): theology and practice19:30 When/How to anoint during services24:45 MLMs in Church: boundaries, policies, and wisdom41:20 Quick scenarios pastors face with MLM pressure45:40 Ad Read: Practically Pastoring Conference (Feb 9–11, 2026)47:00 Continuing Education on a Budget: plans that work1:04:00 Lightning-round resources and ideas1:08:15 Final thoughts and takeaways1:09:30 OutroPractically Pastoring Conference — Feb 9–11, 2026 at Lakeview Church. Early Bird $29. Use code JEFFHATESAI for $20 tickets. Learn more: practicallypastoringconference.comJoin the community- Facebook Group: Practically Pastoring- Subscribe here on the channel so you never miss an episode: https://www.youtube.com/@practicallypastoringLinks from the show:Listen anywhere: ⁠⁠https://practicallypastoring.com/⁠⁠Join our Facebook Group: ⁠https://www.facebook.com/groups/practicallypastoring⁠⁠Follow us in Instagram: ⁠⁠https://www.instagram.com/practicallypastoring⁠⁠👕 Church Merch - https://www.promotionsguy.com/churchmerchHosts:🧔🏽‍♂️ 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!

Mike Gunn (Antioch Initiative) joins us to talk about why mission beats brand, how American churches can learn from the global church, and why Christian Nationalism is a distraction from the gospel. He shares a simple Acts 14 pattern for church planting and a call to recover an Acts 13 sending culture.

Chapters

00:00 - Intro & Mike’s background (Acts 29, Antioch Initiative)

00:54 - Should every pastor address “the Charlie Kirk assassination” from the pulpit?

02:09 - How the global church views America (prosperity export, worship & prayer)

06:44 - Christian Nationalism: why it’s attractive—and why it’s anti-gospel

10:50 - Tips for planters a year out (mission > brand, contextualization, Acts 14 pattern)

17:35 - “The church doesn’t have a missions program—the church is God’s mission”

20:24 - Evangelism bell curve & mission drift

22:24 - Acts 13 sending: be willing to send your best

27:17 - The Antioch DNA: train and release

27:40 - Mike’s plug: prayer, persecution, connecting with pastors overseas

30:59 - Palestinian Christians, Gaza, and praying wisely

33:20 - PP Facebook Group invite & close

Follow Antioch Initiative

Website: antioch-initiative.com 

Instagram: instagtram.com/theantiochinitiative

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

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://www.youtube.com/@practicallypastoring

💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

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

What makes a faithful sermon? Is it verse-by-verse exposition, topical teaching, or something deeper? In this episode of Practically Pastoring, Frank sits down with Michael Moore. A bi-vocational pastor and the creator behind Honest Youth Pastor. We talk about sermon prep, youth ministry curriculum, and the role of AI in preaching.

Michael shares his framework for sermon reviews, how pastors should think about using curriculum, and why tribalism in the church can cloud our judgment of good preaching. Plus, we dive into the realities of critique, feedback, and how pastors can sharpen their sermons with humility and accountability.

If you’ve ever wrestled with sermon prep, preaching philosophy, or the future of pastoring in a digital age—this episode is for you.

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro & Michael Moore (“Honest Youth Pastor”)

01:00 – What makes a faithful sermon? Exegesis vs. exposition

07:20 – Why young preachers copy personalities over doing the hard work

09:50 – Youth pastors & curriculum: when is it helpful, when is it harmful?

17:10 – AI in preaching: ethical use or dangerous shortcut?

23:30 – The “taco illustration” for sermon prep & AI

31:00 – The importance of real feedback vs. AI feedback

33:00 – Michael’s documentaries on pastors & pushback he’s received

38:40 – Pastors people praise vs. pastors people roast (Russell Johnson, Tim Keller, etc.)

47:20 – The problem of tribalism in church circles

50:00 – How to create a sermon feedback system in smaller churches

57:20 – Why thick skin & structured critique are essential

01:01:20 – Final thoughts + Michael’s plugs

🔗 Michael Moore (Honest Youth Pastor)

📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/honestyouthpastor/

▶️ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCBFVkW3dp7YMDF_YfXAuHtQ

X/Twitter: https://x.com/honestyptweets

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

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

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

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

📺 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@practicallypastoring

💻 PracticallyPastoring.com

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

In this episode of Practically Pastoring, Frank, Jeff, Delmar, Andrew, and Tim tackle two big conversations pastors are facing:

1️⃣ Should a pastor’s faithfulness be judged by whether or not they mentioned Charlie Kirk’s assassination from the pulpit?

2️⃣ How should we shepherd well in a season where church attendance is spiking, with many calling it a revival?

We’ll talk honestly about pastoral pressure, online “coward” rhetoric, and the danger of reducing faithfulness to soundbites. And we’ll share practical advice on how to care for new people walking into your church for the first time in years.

Timestamps:

0:00 Cold Open

2:00 Should pastors be judged for silence?

10:00 Why “coward” language is harmful

20:00 Are we seeing revival?

30:00 Practical tips to steward new guests

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, Jeff Simpson, Delmar Peet, Andrew Larsen, Timothy Miller

🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx

🍎 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!

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!