Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Jim Elliff on what to do when travel ball becomes an idol in the lives of folks in your church.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “When Ball Becomes Baal” by Jim Elliff

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Vanderbloemen on how to handle underperforming church staff members:

• Why firing staff members may prove more difficult in a smaller church
• What you must consider about the long-term health of both the church and the staff member
• What happens when you fail to address an ineffective team member
• What church leaders should do in these sticky situations!

Resources Related to This Episode:

• How to Handle an Ineffective Church Staff Member

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some ways to diagnose whether your church is ready to enter into a season of revitalization and renewal:

1. Hearts that are humble – “This is the Lord’s church, not ours.”
2. Desire to reach the community with the gospel – “This is our mission and mission field.”
3. Commitment to submit to the Bible – “The Word of God is our authority.”
4. Willingness to take risks and do whatever it takes – “We are desperate to see God move here.”
5. Belief that God can actually revitalize dying churches – “God isn’t done with us.”

Resources Related to This Episode:

• Falling in Love with Jesus (Again) by David Jackson
• Flickering Lamps: Christ and His Church by Henry and Richard Blackaby
• God’s Not Done with Your Church by Mark Hallock

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some ways to build trust in your local church:

1. Be you.
2. Listen actively.
3. Show consistency.
4. Pursue, but know when to give space.
5. Follow through on commitments.
6. Lean into the awkward.
7. Don’t be easily offended.

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst share some thoughts on the recent SBC Annual Meeting:

• Love the brothers
• A wonderful Small Church Pastor’s Lunch
• The SBC Pastor’s Conference
• Our heart for missions
• The miracle that is the SBC

Resources Related to This Episode:

• 2025 Replant Summit

Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Chuck Lawless on the importance of patience in ministry.

1. Jesus, our role model, was patient with His disciples.
2. Patience is a witness of the Spirit in our lives.
3. In many cases, somebody has also been patient with us.
4. Many church members are themselves undisciplined.
5. They are often under stress unbeknownst to us.
6. Sometimes, they’re not truly believers.
7. We occasionally expect church members to quickly buy into something we’ve been considering for months.

Resources Related to This Episode:

• “7 Reasons We Must Be Patient with Church Members” by Chuck Lawless

Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Jim Farrer at Biblical Leadership about why some situations are more difficult for churches today.

1. Churches are filled with “ignostics”—they are ignorant of biblical truth.
2. Many people are dealing with problems that our churches have not been equipped to handle.

Resources Related to this Episode:

• “10 Reasons Why It’s Harder for the Church Today” by Jim Farrer

Mark Clifton and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Jim Farrer at Biblical Leadership about why some situations are more difficult for churches today.

1. So much time and energy is spent on maintaining current strategies
2. The reality of transfer growth
3. The vast majority of growth is coming from churches planted in the last couple of decades
4. The world around us has changed
    

Resources Related to this Episode:

• “10 Reasons Why It’s Harder for the Church Today” by Jim Farrer

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss an article from Chris Crain, Executive Director of the Birmingham Metro Baptist Association. Here are some causes for conflict in churches.

1. Pride
2. Spiritual and Emotional Immaturity
3. Change and Inflexibility
4. Abuses of Power
5. Church Politics
6. Unclear Authority
7. Personality Differences

Mark Clifton, Mark Hallock, and Dan Hurst discuss some different styles of church leadership.

1. The authoritarian leader creates a culture of fear.
2. The disengaged leader creates a culture of floundering.
3. The directive leader creates a culture of flourishing.