Karl Vaters interviews Bob Roberts Jr., a pastor, author, global strategist and more. Bob has a heart for Jesus, for the Gospel, for all kinds of people, and for the role of the small congregation in fulfilling God’s mission. Karl and Bob have a free-wheeling conversation that touches on many subjects, all of which can help every church and every church leader.Links from this episode:My Promised Land by Ari ShavitArt and Faith: A Theology of Making by Makoto FujimuraGlocal.netMultifaithneighborsnetwork.orgTwitter & Instagram: @bobrobertsjrBobRobertsjr.com To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

My podcast guest this week is Gary Garcia — again.This time we talk about Pastoral Transition from a unique perspective. I was Gary’s lead pastor for 25 years, then Gary became the lead pastor, while I stayed on the pastoral staff with him.In this episode Gary and I talk aboutWhy that happenedHow we did itHow it’s been going sinceSome key points about making a successful pastoral transition will include:We need to know God is calling us to do it, even if it’s outside our comfort zone.We must spend the necessary time to talk, think and pray about it. It’s better to do it well than do it fast.Each needs to support the other. The former lead pastor must truly let go of control, and the new pastor needs to honor the past without being intimidated by it.Links from this Episode:DownloadYouthMinistries.comFind Gary on Instagram To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

Karl Vaters and Gary Garcia have worked together at the same church for 29 years. For the first 25 years Karl was the lead pastor. For the last 4 years Gary has been the lead pastor.This is the first of two episodes with them. In the next one they will talk about everything surrounding the pastoral transition, but in this episode they talk aboutHow to stay in ministry long-termHow to stay fresh while in the same churchHow to work together wellAdvice for those wanting to stay strong in ministry for the long haulTo get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

Karl Vaters interviews Tom Harris about the important, but underserved topic of Intentional Interim Pastorates. Tom is the co-author of Soaring Between Pastors: 8 Actions to Thrive During a Pastoral Transition. He also serves as the president of IPM: Interim Pastor Ministries.In this conversation, Tom and Karl talk about the importance of interim pastorates, including how an intentional interim can help prepare a church to hit the ground running when they call a new pastor. Links from this episode:InterimPastors.comSoaring Between Pastors To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

Karl Vaters interviews Rich Brown on the importance of long-term pastorates.Rich is the author of Extended Stays: A Closer Look at Longer Pastorates. He has served for decades as a pastor and in Christian higher education. Currently he serves with IPM (Interim Pastor Ministries).In this conversation, Karl and Rich talk about why long-term pastorates are good for the church, the pastor, the pastor’s family, and for the community we're called to reach.Including:Some shocking stats about pastoral tenureWhy a series of short-term stays can be problematicHow to make a long-term stay effective for everyoneHow to grow deeper through transition without relocationand more.From the Episode:Rich@interimpastors.comExtended Stays by Rich BrownInterimPastorMinistries.comThe Forgotten Church by Glenn DamanTurnaround Strategies For the Small Church by Ron CrandellTransforming Church in Rural America by Shannon O’DellGrowing Young - Fuller SeminaryChurch Revitalization in Rural America by Tom CheyneySmall Church Checkup by Kay Kotan & Phil SchroederLeading the Smaller Church by Glenn C. DamanTo get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

Karl Vaters interviews Matt Henslee about the importance of having small church representation in denominational leadership.In addition to being a small church pastor and authoring/co-authoring several books, Matt has recently been appointed to leadership in his denomination (the Southern Baptist Conference) on both a regional and national level.Karl and Matt talk about how this came happened and how important it is for all church groups, including denominations, to make a place for small church pastors in leadership. Links from this Episode:Jonah Over CoffeeReplanting Rural ChurchesPreachingSource.com To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

Karl interviews Jean Morgan, a small church pastor who wrote a Master’s thesis about the correlation between a pastor’s personality and the size of the church they serve.In this conversation, Jean and Karl talk aboutThe way Jean made this assessmentThe initial resultsThe possible impact of his results for us as small church pastors What we discover is that our effectiveness in small church ministry is less about our personality type and far more about1. Our feelings of effectiveness2. Listening closely to our calling, not to the outside voices that tell us we need to hit certain numbers3. How God can use any personality type to accomplish his will for his church Jean's Masters Thesis can be found here https://karlvaters.com/small-church-pastor-personality-types/To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

Karl talks with Lori Andrews about trauma, its effect on the brain, and how to use this information as we lead through challenging times.Topics include:How can we help people cope with the constant flow of low-to-moderate-level trauma?The value of consistency in worship services.How to help kids prepare for children’s services.The neurobiological benefits of corporate worship. Lori has a doctorate in Education, specializing in chronic trauma and broken family systems, with training in neurobiology. She works with at-risk youth, and she has spent many years in small-church ministry. Links from this episode:Freshhope.usmentalhealthgracealliance.orgTo get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

Karl interviews Drew Dyck about Writing for Ministry, includingThe differences between preaching and writingHow to get started writing for ministry publicationsWhat book publishers are looking for (including from small church pastors)Drew has spent decades as a writer and editor for major church publishers, and is the author of several books, most recently "Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control from the Bible and Brain Science (A Guide for Sinners, Quitters, and Procrastinators)."Links from this episode:“Your Future Self Will Thank You: Secrets to Self-Control From The Bible And Brain Science” https://www.drewdyck.com/your-future-self-will-thank-youTwitter Handle @drewdyckdrewdyck.com“Bird by Bird” by Anne LamottTo get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

Greg Atkinson is one the world’s leading voices in First Impressions for churches. He also wrote "Secrets of a Secret Shopper: Reaching and Keeping Church Guests" as a guide for small churches.In this conversation, Karl Vaters interviews Greg aboutOnline presenceHow everyone in a small church is on the First Impressions "team”Why small churches may need to work harder on First Impressions than our big church friendsA few tips for small churches to increase their first impression with little or no moneyTo get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.