Strength for Today's Pastor

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Sandy Adams is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Stone Mountain, Georgia. He is known as a tremendous communicator and teacher of God's Word.

At the recent International Pastor's Conference in Southern California, Sandy delivered a message entitled "Just Because You Can Doesn't Mean You Should". His text was from 1 Samuel 24, the account of David having had a chance to kill Saul in a cave in En Gedi, but refused to touch the Lord's anointed. Yet, he did cut off the corner of Saul's robe.

At first glance, the story doesn't indicate any serious wrongdoing on David's part, but upon further review... his action had an insidious evil about it, one that David himself was troubled by what he's done.

"Just because we can doesn't mean that we should." It's an incredibly appropriate aphorism for all in spiritual leadership; for anyone who has been anointed by God in such a way that his/her authority gives him/her opportunities to do things that may be possible, but that should not be seized upon.

An epic message, one that is greatly needed in this hour of the church.

Here is the transcript of Sandy's message, just as he delivered it.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1-QY02yk8MrYGiZXtNC6PxBcEpu00lXLD/view?usp=drive_link

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

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Welcome to podcast 153. Today, it’s a blessing and honor to welcome Thom Rainer. Our subject will be church revitalization, a subject that Dr. Rainer is an expert on…

Thom S. Rainer is an author, researcher, speaker, and former president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Prior to LifeWay, he served at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary for twelve years where he was the founding dean of the Billy Graham School of Missions and Evangelism. He is a 1977 graduate of the University of Alabama and earned his Master of Divinity and Ph.D. degrees from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary.

Thom also serves as the Founder and CEO of Church Answers, a huge and effective resource for training, equipping, and revitalizing churches and ministers.

Thom, thanks for agreeing to be with us today. And welcome!

INTERVIEW

Thom, a while back I read an article you wrote entitled “Three Types of Church Revitalization.” Reading it helped me and our team better understand what we do, and have been doing since 2008.

In that article, you wrote that “Over 300,000 churches in America need significant revitalization.”

What do you think that number today? Is the church on an upswing, or is it continuing to decline?

The article uses the story written in the prophecy of Haggai as a reference point. In a real sense, Israel was in great need of revitalization. Their priorities were messed up!

DR. RAINER'S RESPONSE

In your article, you wrote:

“Like the rebuilding of the temple, there are two foundational issues that must be addressed in church revitalization. First, the church must have the right leaders on board. Second, the behavioral patterns of the church members must change.

“No infusion of methodologies or innovations can take place until these two issues are addressed. Such is the reason most revitalizations fail, and only a few succeed. Let’s look at that reality in light of three approaches.”

I’d love for you to elaborate on these two foundational issues, and on what happened in Haggai’s day.

DR. RAINER'S RESPONSE

It seems to me that unless leaders are honest about their current condition, and are willing to take a deep and honest dive into their own hearts and practices, revitalization will not occur.

So, what are good first steps in church revitalization?

RESOURCES

Thom Rainer has made many, many resources available. Here are just a few…

1.Article cited in this episode: download here: https://us4.campaign-archive.com/?u=e900691004213b8049094abdb&id=edd1c05103&e=ba1b3e8bad

2.Websites:

https://churchanswers.com (Thom Rainer, Founder and CEO)

Includes paid resources: courses, assessment tools, etc., and free resources: blog articles, webinars, etc.

3.Podcasts:

•The Church Answers Podcast

•The Church Answers Podcast

•Rainer On Leadership

•Revitalize & Replant

4.Books:

— Who Moved My Pulpit? Leading Change In The Church

— I Will: Nine Habits of the Outwardly Focused Christian

— Transformational Church: Creating a New Scorecard for Churches

— Breakout Churches: Discover How to Make the Leap

— Surprising Insights from the Unchurched and Proven Ways to Reach Them

— Simple Church: Returning to God’s Process for Making Disciples

— The Post-Quarantine Church: Six Urgent Challenges and Opportunities That Will Determine the Future of Your Congregation

— Becoming A Welcoming Church

— Autopsy of a Deceased Church: 12 Ways to Keep Yours Alive

— I Am A Church Member

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

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In episode 152, Bill Holdridge sits down with pastor Nick Cady of White Fields Community Church in Longmont, Colorado. The topic is the backstory of Nick's book, The God I Won't Believe In.

How would you complete this sentence, “I could never believe in a God who…?”

In 2019, Nick Cady asked the Internet that very question. The responses, along with other research, highlighted nine common themes – topics which people say make it hard for them to embrace Christianity. What began as a nine-week series of messages addressing these barriers, quickly became the most popular, most requested series on Nick's podcasts, church website, radio program, and even on USB drives in the church bookstore. This book is the culmination of those requests, research, and feedback – adapted as a resource to help you, your friends and family through some of the most difficult questions about God and the Bible.

Every pastor knows, we humans are all subject to struggles of various kinds. Even those who already believe in Christ can sometimes struggle with and question things about God, Christianity, and the Bible.

The book aims to help the struggler move from doubt, questions, and unbelief to a strengthened faith and belief in the true God of the Bible. It's also an equipping tool for pastors and congregants, to help the helpers as thy assist friends and family members who struggle with some of these questions.

The interview brings insight into the need for this kind of apologetics.

Topics Nick addresses include:

A God Who Condones Genocide

A God Who Says Some Love Is Wrong

A God Who Lets Bad Things Happen To Good People

A God Who Doesn't Answer My Prayers

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

SFTP Podcast number 150 focuses on how a ministry which is considered a frontlines ministry must first of all, be a healthy ministry. There must be the life of Jesus, the light of Jesus, and also the love of Jesus.

Today I’ll be speaking with Pastor Arnold, who ministers right in the thick of the ongoing cultural and spiritual rebellion against God which is so prevalent in these times in which we live.

Jack pastors Calvary Chapel Mt. Si, in North Bend, Washington. North Bend is only about 30 miles S.E. of Seattle. That part of Washington is known for its strong leftist leanings and politics, and is not typically fertile ground for the gospel.

Yet, the church in Mt. Si is thriving, and even though they've lost approximately 70 families—many of whom have relocated to more conservative, family friendly environs.

How has the Lord led Jack and his leadership team to equip the church to be the church of Jesus Christ?

Hear Jack's story. It's going to encourage and challenge you, that is a certainty.

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

Rich Cathers has written a book. He didn't write a book to write a book; he wrote a book that would advance a ministry passion of his ... the discipling of God's people into the Word of God. Helping them make Bible reading, Bible study, and Bible contemplation and application as much a part of their lives as breathing or eating.

So, the book is called Seven for Seven. As you listen to this episode, you'll discover the reason for the title (which all by itself will inspire you).

Rich Cathers has retired from his 25-year pastorate of Calvary Chapel in Fullerton, CA. He planted the church ... and in addition to being a church planter, Rich disciples men, coaches pastors, and advocates for the Bible to be a huge part of every believer's life.

From the Preface to the book: “I’ve laid out the book so that each page gives you the reading assignment for the day, as well as a short devotional article pulled from something in the reading.  These articles were written over the twenty-five-year period I pastored Calvary Chapel of Fullerton.  They were meant as a weekly encouragement to the church based on this same reading plan.

As you read along with us, you will note that I don’t comment on everything you’ve read.  You will notice I may not even comment on what you would think is the most famous or important passage in your reading.  My intent is to show you that sometimes even the smallest phrases in the Scripture can come alive and speak to you.”

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

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Pastor, is counseling a burden or a blessing to you?

How is your one on one ministry oriented?

What's your end game? What are you aiming to accomplish with the many hours you spend with people?

Paul LeBoutillier speaks with program host Bill Holdridge about counseling, and the way the Lord has taught him to approach it in his church of almost 30 years.

It promises to be both liberating and encouraging to any pastor.

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

Podcast number 147 features Pastor Paul LeBoutillier, who recently, and very excitedly, announced that he has written and published his first book.

This podcast is aimed at encouraging pastors who have something to say, to say it in written form!

In this episode, Paul will share with us about how the book came to be, some of the important components of writing a book, and encouragement to do so.

Paul is the founding pastor of Calvary Chapel Ontario, Oregon,which began in December of 1990. He is known as a practical, filled-with-wisdom Bible teacher who is dedicated to teaching the Bible. Paul doesn’t just teach from the Bible, he teaches the Bible itself, working hard to give the people the whole counsel of God contained in the 66 books of the Bible … book by book, chapter by chapter.

Paul was with us twice in the early days of this podcast, in episodes 23 (“What About Pastoral Counseling”) and 27 (“Maintaining Unity Among Church Leadership”). We recommend going back into the SFTP archives and giving them a listen. You'll be strengthened, for sure.

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

This is a podcast consisting of a message delivered by Pastor Gary Hamrick on June 4, 2023. He has graciously allowed us to replay it, in its entirety, and with the attached link to the sermon transcript.

From Pastor Gary: "...What we are now is a culture in chaos. We are a culture in chaos, rife with gender confusion and sexual perversion, and this so-called woke agenda. And it all needs a Biblical response. I want to begin by making it clear that this is not a sermon, in any way, of hatred or harm. We don't hate anyone, and we certainly don't want anyone to be harmed who might be different or who might believe differently from us as Christians. Despite the fact that our church islisted on a Facebook website where people have been taking shots—it's being investigated now by the attorney general and the sheriff's office because some have been wishing harm for those on that list—that's not us. We're not like that. And no one should interpret anything I say as inciting hatred or harm toward anyone."

This is not a hate sermon, but a truth-in-love sermon.

Here is a link to download the message in written format, which is a word-for-word transcription of Pastor Gary's message.

https://drive.google.com/file/d/174oC0lhb9mBqRKp__8SrWRnh2QPBhFfe/view?usp=sharing

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

In podcast 146 we’re dealing with a subject that is (or should be) on the heart of every pastor or elder in any church anywhere.

It’s an important, paradigm shifting, vision altering approach to ministry.

Patrick Farrell, senior/lead pastor of Calvary Chapel Wichita, Kansas, talks about the equipping of the saints for ministry, and in particular, preparing younger leaders for the Biblical roles they are being called to fulfill in the church.

Patrick led a major shift in the church he has pastored for 13 years, and it began about 8 years ago.

Patrick authored a three part series on the subject, entitled "Paradigm Shift: Equipping the Next Gen." They are subtitled Article A, Article B, and Article C.

Click on this link to download the entire article (spoiler alert ... this is really good stuff). Here's the link:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KJI49MH4uL3NKR53ZKR-lBfg_ftS5aso/view?usp=sharing

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!