Small Town Podcast

In this episode you will meet Larry Kaufman, the new Small Town Big Church podcast host, and hear a bit of his vision and get to know him.

In this episode I share the vision for my podcast and 4 proofs from Romans 8 that will embolden you to live and lead like God is for you. 

In this final episode of the Small Town Big Church Podcast, I share my parting challenge to small town and rural church leaders. I remind you of your strategic and vital calling to serve in relatively small places. I challenge you to believe God for BIG things in small places. I implore you to embrace change and not resist it as the church heads into a new and exciting future. And finally, I sign off by thanking the many people who have had a part in this journey over the past eight years.

After years of being in and around pastoral ministry, after creating content for, connecting with, and coaching thousands of pastors around the country, I believe I have a really good pulse on the challenges facing pastors today. In this episode I'm going to list three of the biggest problems I see pastors needing to contend with and then offer up the ways I'm trying to be a part of the solution.

In this episode I share a few lessons on life and leadership that we can glean from the changing seasons of nature. I also share a huge announcement about the future of the Small Town Big Church podcast and my journey in life.

• If you live in an area where you experience all 4 seasons in a year, this will make a lot of sense to you.
• We recognize changing seasons when it comes to climate, but we're often slow to recognize changing seasons of life.

• Here a few lessons about seasons:
• Seasons change and you have no control over them.
• I need to know what season I'm in.
• It's smart to respond appropriately as the seasons change.
• It's not helpful to compare myself to people who are experiencing a different season.

• Questions to consider:
• What season am I in?
• In life?
• In ministry?
• In family?
• Am I responding appropriately to the season I'm in?

• I want to end the show today by sharing an update and a big announcement regarding a changing season in my own life.
• The season of the Small Town Big Church Podcast/platform is coming to a close.
• Why?
• As my journey continues on I have better clarity on how I can BEST be serving pastors in this season of my life.
• There are many other great resources for the small town/rural church that did not exist a few years ago. I feel good about that.
• I am simplifying/focusing in order to be able to do more by doing less!
• Where do we go from here?
• I will have two more shows after this one.
• I'm not going away, just moving to some new platforms and I'm inviting you to join me there.

In this episode I interview Pastor Danny Davis about his newest book, In Him You Are. We talk about the importance of pastors having a clear understanding of their identity in Christ from which to do ministry. You can learn more about Danny's book at davisinafrica.com

Pastor, how often do you preach? Or maybe a better question is how often do you get a break from preaching? Is it possible you're preaching too often and too much? If you pastor a small or rural church, there's a good chance the answer to that question is, "YES!" In this podcast episode I make a case for why it's a good thing for you to get regular breaks from your preaching and offer up some ideas for getting those breaks.

• If you're preaching more than 42 weeks in a year, I would argue you're preaching too much.

Before I tell you why I think you should preach less, first let me address those pastors who are already pushing back and resisting the concept.

What are some reasons pastors preach too much?

• Immaturity/inexperience in preaching (you don't know what you don't know)
• Pride/insecurity
• Messiah complex (my people need me)
• Lack of team to fill the pulpit (ultimately a leadership issue)
• Lack of resources to invest in good pulpit supply

• Here are some reasons I think it's good for you to preach less often:
• Regular breaks keeps you rested and fresh
• Regular breaks allows you to have weeks where you can focus on other big ministry projects without having to write a sermon.
• It's good for your church to hear from different perspectives on a regular basis
• It allows you time to focus on the bigger preaching calendar

• Ideas to help you catch regular breaks in your preaching:
• Video series
• Guest speaker (from inside or outside the church)
• Special events – do something fun and different on a Sunday morning that doesn't include a sermon

Most pastors report feeling overwhelmed and stressed out much of the time. They often find themselves running from one meeting to the next or reacting to multiple interruptions and distractions most days rather than making progress on the work they really need to be doing. In this episode I share several practical resources for pastors who need to get a better handle on their schedules.

• Talk about pastors "finding the time" to get things done.
• We don't find the time. We manage our time.
• We've all been given the same 24 hours a day. Some people are simply better managers than others.
• Recommendations:
• Use a calendar
• Use a commitment tracking system (close the open loops in your life)
• Budget your time (time blocking)
• Eliminate distractions (shut off notifications to certain apps, do not disturb mode, airplane mode, etc.)
• Utilize a scheduling tool. (I recommend Calendly.)
• https://calendly.grsm.io/fi5t2224cm1o

• Resources:
• Redeeming Your Time – Jordan Raynor
• The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry
• Calendly

If there has ever been a time when leadership is needed in the rural church…it is NOW! We are living in transformational times and so much is changing right in front of us. Yet sadly, at the same time, the Church in rural America is facing a crisis of leadership. In this podcast I identify the source of this leadership crisis and offer a few practical solutions to it.

• Problems:
• Bad church structure
• Unbiblical expectations of church people
• Pastors are "unable" or unwilling to LEAD

• Solution:
• It's simply time to overhaul the system!
• For some pastors that may mean "fighting" right where they're at.
• For other pastors that will mean you need to leave and start something new and healthy.
• For many pastors this will mean boldly stepping into new ways of "doing church."
• But hear me clearly, settling for the status quo is not a good option. The churches and leaders that fight to maintain "the way it's always been" in this season will not survive.

• Questions:
• Are you the LEADER God has called you to be?
• What action step do I need to take in my pastoral leadership right now?

If you need help changing your bylaws or navigating some other change in your leadership journey, please don't hesitate to reach out. I'm here for you.