Trench Talk

Contact us we’d love to serve youGive financially to support the work of helping pastors thriveWrite a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify(01:19) Jim introduces George McDearmon(03:10) Getting to know George McDearmon(07:24) The call to ministry and beginning in the work(14:16) Joys of shepherding a church for 46-years(19:16) Challenges of shepherding a church for 46-years (23:28) Challenges to your family in ministry(26:19) Knowing when it was time to transition from pastoring (35:09) Life after full time ministry(39:33) Jim reflects on this conversation(41:10) Prayer

Contact us we’d love to serve youApply to stay at the Shepherd’s HouseExplore the Practically Trained Pastors Cohort NOW in Spanish! Give financially to support the work of helping pastors thriveWrite a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify(01:39) Setting up the conversation(04:14) Biblical foundation: Making the best of the opportunities(08:08) Reasons pastors are devalued as they get older(09:19) The cool and young culture(11:08) What is trying to be accomplished in the church(13:49) Pastors pivoting as they get older(14:48) Essentials and circumstances(17:41) Doing ministry in weakness as long as you can(22:13) Build, stabilize, transition(26:33) Transitioning from full-time ministry in a local church(31:02) Potential fruitfulness in the second half of your ministry(37:48) Final word and prayer

Contact us we’d love to serve youGive financially to support the work of helping pastors thriveWrite a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify(01:25) Setting up the conversation and biblical foundation(06:42) Practical steps to develop a church budget(11:08) Steps to take when your church doesn’t meet budget(18:58) Creative ways to meet shortfalls while not compromising mission(24:45) When pastors disagree on spending categories(31:17) When the pastor’s salary is being questioned(36:20) An encouragement to pastors when money is tight(39:00) Final word and prayer

Give financially to support the work of helping pastors thriveContact us we’d love to serve youExplore our online resourcesFind rest at a Shepherd’s House location nearest youWrite a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify(02:12) Biblical background and setting up the topic(08:42) Moral clarity or Gospel clarity?(12:20) Practical ways to balance the tension(13:02) What kind of ministry do you want? Word-centered or world-centered(15:40) Train your people to love everyone who enters the doors of your church(17:46) Be knowledgeable about who your congregation is (20:48) Preach pastorally for the good of your people(22:37) Remember love involves hard things(29:30) Final words and prayer

Give financially to support the work of helping pastors thriveContact us we’d love to serve youExplore our online resourcesFind rest at a Shepherd’s House location nearest youWrite a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify(01:58) Biblical foundation and setting up the topic (2 Timothy 2:2)(06:43) Finding mentors as a young man(12:23) Impact of mentors in your early adulthoodEp. 199 with Austin WalkerEp. 200 with Mai Walker (17:57) The impact of finding a mentor mid-ministry(24:22) Benefitting from the mentors of others(26:08) Advice for finding a mentor: have a posture of teachability(30:51) Reasons you should find an older man to be mentored by(38:42) Final word and prayerIf you are looking for a ministry mentor contact us. We would love to connect you to a faithful ministry mentor.

Show notes will be added shortly.

Give financially to support the work of helping pastors thriveContact us we’d love to serve youExplore our online resourcesFind rest at a Shepherd’s House location nearest youWrite a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify(01:36) Biblical foundation and setting up the topic(06:36) The pastoral struggle with delegation and administration(09:34) Two pastors: too much or too little administration(18:04) The importance of administration(23:43) Practicing and growing in administration(32:18) Final word and prayer

Give financially to support the work of helping pastors thriveContact us we’d love to serve youExplore our online resourcesFind rest at a Shepherd’s House location nearest youWrite a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify(01:33) Setting up the topic and biblical framework(07:15) Distinguishing sufferings(11:55) Important questions: Who are you?, how do you live?, and how do we suffer well?(16:51) Pastoring in the realities of grief and death with the goodness of God(21:11) Public versus private handling of these crises(23:30) Tension between focus on the eternal and today(30:05) Practical ways to prepare your people to suffer well(32:17) Final word and Prayer

Give financially to support the work of helping pastors thriveContact us we’d love to serve youExplore our online resourcesFind rest at a Shepherd’s House location nearest youWrite a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify(01:37) Setting up the topic and biblical framework(07:31) The pressure of how much do you say or not say? (09:42) Handling congregational pressures (13:12) Distinguishing pastoral responsibility, and responsibility as a citizen(17:52) Should church members vote in elections?(22:58) Should you encourage your members to vote for a particular candidate?(32:19) Determining your line as a pastor in a local church(33:29) Final word and prayer

Contact us we’d love to serve youExplore our online resourcesFind rest at a Shepherd’s House location nearest youApply to the 2025 Practically Trained Pastor’s CohortGive financially to support the work of helping pastors thriveWrite a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify(02:07) Biblical understanding(13:59) Ways to discern warfare versus failure(19:33) Signs the enemy is attacking the church(24:22) Combatting fights from the enemy(35:27) Final word and prayer