Trench Talk

Support the Ministry through a financial donation(2:00) Historical and Biblical support for plurality of Elders.(4:30) Practical benefit of plurality of Elders(7:40) Which comes first raising up Elders or moving to the process of having an Elder-led polity?(14:05) How do you identify Elders within your congregation?(17:00) How do you intentionally raise up men to be Elders?(20:35) How not to raise up Elders(30:00) What 3 qualities does Brian look for in an Elder?

Show Notes:Find us on iTunes(2:30) Intitial Thoughts on how to handle the business of the church(4:00) What do you know vs. what are you supposed to do?(7:00) Is making a transition a wise decision?(10:15) Can you begin to shepherd and establish a relationship with a new church in the midst of a pandemic?(13:00) Should a church proceed with calling a pastor in the midst of a pandemic?(15:45) Should you leave a church in the midst of a pandemic?(17:45) Is the financial situation of the new church an important aspect to know?(20:00) Pastors Salary Podcast from 2017.(20:30) Final words of encouragement

Show Notes:Contact us(2:10) Biblical Foundation for this conversation.(6:20) Be careful to not speak of things we cannot speak on with certainty(7:45) How do we shepherd members in their social media usage?(12:25) How do we do marriage counseling?(19:00) How do we proceed with widow care?(23:00) How do you conduct a funeral in this time?(25:15) How do yo proceed with Summer plans?(26:55) What about the Lord’s Supper?(27:30) What about church discipline?(30:00) What do you do if you are in a ministry transition?(34:00) How do you keep your schedule consitent when nothing seems consistent?

How do we prepare to gather again? What do we need to be thinking about before we reopen? Should your church allow your members to hug, shake hands, etc.? Do you continue children’s or nursery ministry? Do you gather if less than 50% of your church is not attending?Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.

How should a pastor address underlying sin within the congregation? What biblical passages inform us on this topic? Should sin be confronted from the pulpit? What are practical steps pastors can take to correct but also provide hope?

How do you drive your church toward true and authentic community in your church? What does that mean and how do you show that to your church? Do you have to have small groups to cultivate this community? Are large events anithetical to authentic community?

What does it mean to be productive as a pastor? How do we define productivity? Does productivity follow to closely to the business world? How is productivity for a pastor different than for a business leader?Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.

No one knows and loves the sheep of their flock like the shepherd; the pastor. As a pastor how do you shepherd your flock through crisis? Does crisis call a pastor to alter his sermon series? How can pastors fulfill their calling in new and creative ways given the circumstances? How can we care for our flocks when we cannot be with them? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused churches to think about things they had not done previously. How should churches (and Pastors) navigate these times? What changes and what stays the same? The call to minister the Word in season and out of season stays the same. How can this be done well outside of the preaching of the Word? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.

How do we show vulnerabilty while being careful? What is the balance? What Biblical texts should we refer to for information? Is this propensity to put on a strong persona ultimately driven by fear? How do you fight to be vulnerable with your congregation?Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.