Sacred + Small Podcast

Dr. Tiffany Ross, pastor at Gateway Church of the Nazarene, joined with the Jasons in the second of their two-part interview.

In this episode, the Jasons and Tiffany walk through their understanding of Lent, focusing on spiritual practices called, in Wesleyan circles, the means of grace. The means of grace are transformative in our lives, imparting God’s grace to us, inspiring us to act in faith, and result in grace for ourselves and others. They are the heart of spiritual formation, and the core of what the season of Lent is all about.

Episode rundown:

* What is Lent?

* Lent and the Means of Grace

* What are the means of grace?

* How are we practicing the means of grace this season?

This week the Jasons were glad to welcome Dr. Tiffany Ross, pastor at Gateway Church of the Nazarene onto the podcast!

We follow our ethnographic interviewing strategies to ask her “tell me about…” questions that get to the heart of her call from media production to full-time pastoral ministry. She recently felt called to come to Gateway Naz as their senior pastor, and she shares about that process of transition and what she learned about her people when she arrived.

Tiffany will join the podcast for a two-part series that will take us into the season of Lent.

Episode rundown:

* The season of Lent at Sacred and Small

* Meet Tiffany Ross

* Tiffany’s call to ministry

* An ethnographic narrative of Gateway Nazarene

In this two-part podcast series, the Jasons tackle the LASTS method of participant observation. What is participant observation? It is an immersive ethnographic methodology where you observe a community of people as an active participant within the community. Doing this allows a small church pastor or leader to get a hands-on experience of the culture of a community in action, and helps them better reflect on its embedded theologies and embodied liturgies.

In this second of two episodes, Jason Buckwalter observed a selected church worship service from Jason Hill’s church. This service was chosen because it was the first week that Cape Naz was implementing a new system to receive prayer requests.

Episode Rundown:

* Re-introducing the LASTS method

* Jason B reflects on a special service at Cape Church of the Nazarene

* We both draw some conclusions about the culture at Cape Naz

* We consider the LASTS method of participant observation

If you would like to try participant observation and the LASTS method in your own church, you can use this cheat sheet to get started!

In this two-part podcast series, the Jasons tackle the LASTS method of participant observation. What is participant observation? It is an immersive ethnographic methodology where you observe a community of people as an active participant with the community. Doing this allows you to get a more hands-on understanding of the culture of a community, like a church, and help you better reflect on it’s embedded theologies and embodied liturgies.

Over the next two episodes, the Jasons will watch a selected church worship service from the other’s church, take field notes on what we experience while watching using the LASTS parameters of language, actors/actions, space, time, and symbols, and then reflecting on our experience to try to describe the culture of the church.

This is something that any pastor can do in their own context to better understand the values that you express as a church.

Episode Rundown:

* Introducing the LASTS method

* Critical reflection

* Jason H reflects on a special service at Fulton Heartland

* We both draw some conclusions about the culture at Heartland

If you would like to try participant observation and the LASTS method in your own church, you can use this cheat sheet to get started!

Churches don’t run themselves. Pastors and people have to work together to bring about a local expression of Christ’s Body. Church administration matters. Especially in the small church. In this episode, our final episode in this short series of practical ministry, the Jasons cover the theological side of church administration - what it is, why it matters, and how we, as faithful pastors, should approach leading our people as volunteers.

Episode Rundown:

* A theology of mutual submission.

* Leadership in the church.

* The volunteer problem in small churches.

* Our approach to volunteer management

There’s a lot that goes into managing church facilities for both pastors and church leaders. This is especially true for the small church. In this episode, the Jasons get really practical, talking about the ins and outs of managing church facilities, renovation projects, raising funds, dealing with insurance, and so much more. It’s sometimes hard to see a building as part of the liturgy and mission of the church, but it can be if we allow it to be so. And it can also suck us out of our liturgy and mission if we let it. Best practices help us maintain our facilities while staying focused on what matters eternally.

Episode rundown:

* Facility maintenance as a percentage of the church’s budget

* Current facility issues that we are dealing with

* Our approach to facility management

* Major renovations & capital campaigns

* Dealing with insurance

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The Advent and Christmas seasons are over. That just means it’s time to start preparing for next year! In this episode, the Jasons go through their Advent experiences, reflectively critiquing what went well, where the Spirit moved, and what we might do differently next year. It’s never too early to start preparing for Advent.

Episode Rundown:

* Our Advent themes

* Christmas Eve stories

* Looking ahead to 2025

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In our final episode with retired District Superintendent Kim Smith, we talk lessons in pastoral ministry! Kim shares his decades of experience and both positive and negative lessons learned.

Episode Rundown:

* Listening to the Spirit

* Leading people with relationships instead of pushing them to do what you want

* Pastoring as an introvert

* Developing leaders and starting new ministries

* Inspiring cultural change

We’re pleased to have Rev. Kim Smith join with the Jasons for the next two episodes of the Sacred and Small podcast. Kim was a retired District Superintendent in the Church of the Nazarene who has now returned to pastoring, to help a church that was on the verge of closing recover it’s missional vitality.

Kim brings decades of pastoral experience and a heart for intentional missional relationships to the conversation. We discuss Kim’s story, missional relationships, and the distinction and necessity of both “attractional” and “missional” outreach in a small church.

In this episode of Sacred and Small, hosts Dr. Jason Hill and Dr. Jason Buckwalter dive into part two of their exploration of liminality—the in-between space the church occupies in today's cultural context. They unpack the role of the pastor as a prophetic and liminal presence within the small church, highlighting the need to step "sideways" to create room for the Spirit to work.

The conversation delves into the transition between Christendom and post-Christendom, addressing how cultural shifts challenge traditional church practices and perceptions. Drawing on insights from theologians like James K.A. Smith, Charles Taylor, and Andrew Root, they discuss how cultural exegesis can guide small churches in faithful, innovative ministry that resists outdated methods.

The episode introduces the concept of dialogical corporate sanctification, emphasizing ongoing dialogue between pastors, their congregations, and the broader culture shaped by the Spirit. The hosts also explore the dangers of the church adopting postures of colonialism, triumphalism, or uncritical absorption of culture, urging a more reflective and dialogical approach.

This thought-provoking discussion blends theological depth with practical insights, offering pastors and leaders a roadmap for navigating cultural complexity while remaining rooted in faithful mission and ministry. Whether you're a small church pastor or interested in understanding the dynamics of ministry in a changing world, this episode is packed with valuable insights.

Highlights:

* Understanding the church's place between Christendom and post-Christendom.

* The pastor’s role as a liminal, prophetic guide within the congregation.

* The theological and practical significance of dialogical sanctification.

* Avoiding pitfalls like colonialism and triumphalism in small church ministry.

* Embracing cultural exegesis as a tool for reimagining church mission.

Referenced Resources:

* A Secular Age by Charles Taylor

* Joining God, Remaking Church, Changing the World by Alan Roxburgh

* Leadership, God’s Agency, and Disruptions by Mark Lau Branson and Alan Roxburgh

* How Not to Be Secular by James K.A. Smith

* Andrew Root’s Congregation in a Secular Age series

* Holy God, Holy People by Tom Noble

Tune in to this rich conversation that inspires reflection, challenges assumptions, and offers hope for small churches navigating a liminal cultural space.