Trench Talk

You might not be asked to preach in Middle Earth (a.k.a. New Zealand) like Jim Savastio, but many preachers will serve as a guest preacher at some point in their ministry. No matter how often you preach as a guest, there are also unique joys and trials of a weekly preaching ministry at your own church.Here are some questions that come up in this conversation:What are the differences between guest preaching and preaching at your own church?What challenges and temptations attend guest preaching?How do you think through accepting invitations to preach outside of your church?How do you decide what to preach about when you are a guest?What are the challenges and pleasures of preaching in your own church week after week?

Could you say this to your church?“We were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8Brian Croft and Jim Savastio discuss how pastoral affections are necessary for weekly ministry. The relationship of a pastor to his church is more like the loving relationship of a marriage than it is the calculating processes of a manager. And this kind of love changes everything.

Brian and Jim talk about the crucial role that mentors have played in their lives, and how pastors can mentor others.Jim tells the story of how a devoted pastor of a small, rural church mentored him in ministry even at a young age.Brian recounts how a lack of mentors impacted his early life and ministry.Jim identifies key lessons his pastoral mentors taught him.How can pastors find a mentor?How can pastors be a mentor to others?

Brian Croft sits down with Jim Savastio to discuss life and ministry. Jim serves as the pastor of The Reformed Baptist Church of Louisville for the last 25 years, and serves as the president of the board of Practical Shepherding. He is married to Becky, and they have four children.Listen as Brian and Jim discuss the following topics:How did Jim sense his call to ministry?How did Jim’s plans change from ministry oversees to serve a church in Louisville?What is the fundamental role of a pastor?What is one joy and one challenge Jim has experienced in 25 years of pastoral ministry?What kind of experience have his wife and children had as a pastor’s family?

Miscarriage is a sorrowful, but all too common experience that calls for special pastoral care. Listen as Brian Croft discusses his own experience of a miscarriage, and how to care for others going through this loss. This episode address questions like…What is it like to experience a miscarriage?What do you say to someone who loses their baby?How does a pastor and a church care for someone grieving this loss?What does long-term care look like?

The first year of a pastor’s ministry can be one of the most challenging. In this episode, Pastor Brian Croft shares some of his own experiences, and gives advice for how pastors can navigate their first year in ministry. Listen as Brian engages with questions like:How does a pastor guard from cynicism in the face of opposition?What tasks should get special attention in the first year?How long should a pastor commit to serving at a church?Does the presence of enemies mean a pastor should leave?

“‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”– 2 Corinthians 12:9-10 ESVListen as Pastor Brian Croft unpacks this text and applies the principle of weakness to the pastor’s life. Brian shares his experience of his own weakness and the impact this has on his ministry.

We are excited to release our first Q&A episode where we discuss the following question submitted by one of our listeners:“I am subscribed to the podcast and think it is a great resource for pastors. I had a question I would love for you all to address on it. While not all traditions are bad, how is a pastor to go about leading a church out of a tradition that is not Biblical and could be harming the congregation spiritually, such as holding to a KJV-Only Perspective? I am from a home church that holds to such a view and I think it is why many in the church don’t read the Bible, because it comes off as a hard to read work of Shakespeare.”Listen to hear Brian engage with this question and share his advice.

Brian Croft provides updates on the various ministries he is involved in. For over 12 years he has served as the Senior Pastor of Auburndale Baptist Church. He also leads Practical Shepherding which he founded several years ago. For the last year, Brian has also served as the Senior Fellow for the Mathena Center for Church Revitalization at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Some of these updates include:The next Practical Shepherding Workshop is the night before T4G, April 11, in Louisville, Kentucky. You can register here. You can also see a complete list Practical Shepherding Workshops to be held over the coming months.Brian’s SBTS chapel message and panel discussion on church revitalization A Guide to Church Revitalization was publishedCompelling articles by Dr. James Carroll coming out as a book soonWays to pray for Brian and Practical Shepherding:That he would know where to devote his time between his various responsibilities.That God would provide finances for Practical Shepherding.For providential help to spread the message of Practical Shepherding to encourage pastors.

In this episode, Brian Croft sits down with his close friend and fellow pastor Rob Gibson to discuss the importance of friendships to a pastor’s life. Over the last three years, Brian and Rob have forged a deep connection that aids their walk before the Lord and their labor as pastors.They also discuss the practicalities of how they maintain their friendship in the midst of the gritty pastoral lifestyle. In this conversation, pastors can glean:What is at stake when a pastor doesn’t have a close friend?How can pastors form close friendships?Who is well-positioned to care for a pastor’s soul?What does a healthy pastoral friendship look like?