Trench Talk

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?

Christmas may only come once a year, but the calendar is full of holidays. Should you esteem one holiday more highly than another or treat every Sunday alike?In this episode, we walk through the calendar with Brian Croft and discuss how he handles more than a dozen holidays including:Sanctity of Life SundayValentine’s DayMother’s DayIndependence DayHalloweenChristmasIf you have questions about days we don’t address in this show, please leave a comment or send your questions to brian@practicalshepherding.com.

How do you keep a close eye on your public ministry? Do you have a way to keep yourself accountable and receive feedback? Listen as Brian Croft shows how service reviews answer these questions. Brian discusses additional benefits of service review such as:Training interns and aspiring pastors.Learning to give and receive criticism.Improve on all areas of the Sunday services.Grow as a preacher and service leader.If you are interested in starting or improving a service review, Brian explains the ground rules for this meeting and how to facilitate the conversation.

In this interview, Brian Croft and Kyle McClellan sit down with Erik Raymond to discuss his experience as church planter and writer. Listen as we discuss:How to write a helpful book reviewHow to train leaders while planting a churchWhy Erik writes for the ordinary pastorErik is pastor of Emmaus Bible Church in Omaha, Nebraska. He is married and the father of six children. In addition to his pastoral duties, Erik also maintains the Ordinary Pastor Blog.

Every pastor makes mistakes, and every pastor experiences pain in their work. How do you sort through your errors, and how do you deal with the pain? Brian Croft sits down with Kyle McClellan for the second part of an interview where they discuss the pains and missteps in ministry. Listen to Kyle’s story and get practical counsel for your ministry.Resources from this episode:Mea Culpa – Kyle McClellan – Kyle’s book recounting his pastoral experience, mistakes made and lessons learned.Mea Culpa Article – Part 1 – An overview of Kyle’s pastoral experiences.Mea Culpa Article – Part 2 – Pastoral lessons Kyle has learned.Grace Church – Fremont, Nebraska – Kyle McClellan’s church in Fremont, Nebraska.

Every pastor makes mistakes. But do you have the humility to admit and learn from your mistakes?Pastor Kyle McClellan has made mistakes, owned up to them and wants you to learn from his experiences as a pastor. This episode is the first part of Brian Croft’s interview with Kyle McClellan where they discuss Kyle’s pastoral journey. Listen to Kyle’s story and get practical counsel for your ministry.