Episodes
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Episode 73 - Rooting your life and ministry in the Gospel.
In the midst of the deep discouragements that can come our way in ministry, there is one thing that will keep us encouraged and focused on Christ: The Gospel. The Gospel protects us from flimsy self-dependence and the idol of oth- ers’ approval. It keeps us rooted in God Himself so that we will…
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Episode 72 - Key strategies to help you manage your schedule.
If you don't control and manage your schedule in ministry, everyone else will. So, how are you doing managing your schedule? This is a struggle for many pastors. In this episode, we want to help you think through how to strategically make the most of their time each day in order to be the most...
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Episode 71 - 5 Foundations for Building a Healthy Schedule.
“How well do you manage your schedule?” This is a question I often ask pastors and church leaders, especially those who are feeling discouraged or burned out. It’s amazing how interconnected the management of our schedules are with the joy and peace we experience day to day in ministry. In this...
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Episode 70 - 11 Principles for Biblical Conflict Resolution.
What does it look like to handle conflict in a God-honoring way? Whether criticized or caught up in a conflict, we are sinful people rubbing shoulders with other sinners. Fortunately, we follow a Savior who dealt with the same struggles and can sympathize. In every circumstance, the principles…
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Episode 69 - How do YOU deal with conflict in the church?
While conflict is inevitable in our ministries, the question for us is, how will we lead through the conflict that comes? Let's consider for a few minutes how you deal with conflict as a leader. What is your conflict style, your personal disposition, and your approach toward disputes both big and...
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Episode 68 - Facing criticism in a godly manner, Part 2 - Healthy and unhealthy ways to deal with criticism in ministry.
Being criticized is never fun. It never feels good. In this episode, Part 2 of a series dealing with criticism in ministry, we will consider a number of unhealthy, as well as, healthy ways to respond to criticism when it comes our way in the church. May each of us look at our own hearts and…
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Episode 67 - Facing criticism in a godly manner, Part 1: Why we should expect criticism in ministry.
I’ve never met a pastor who really loves to be criticized. And yet it’s a painful reality that we all experience. For this reason, every pastor must consider how we will respond to personal criticism in our ministries. In this episode, part one of a two part series, we will consider five reasons...
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Episode 66 - Loving and leading your kids in church revitalization.
As pastors and leaders, raising our kids in the church should not be a threat to their wellbeing but a huge opportunity to help them grow in their love for God and their love for the body of Christ. But how does that happen? While there is not one magic bullet, let's consider several keys to…
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Episode 65 - Loving and leading your wife in church revitalization.
Our #1 ministry in church revitalization is to our wives. God’s design for husbands is to sacrificially bleed and courageously lead their wives toward increased holiness and joy in Christ. That takes sacrifice, that takes intentionality, that takes courage, that takes boldness that only comes…
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Episode 64 - Eight strategies for cultivating a heart for long-haul ministry.
Once we have prayerfully considered what it would look like to be faithfully committed to a local church, and are convinced we should do this, the next step is to consider how we do it. What are some of those pieces that will help us not only to sustain the long haul, but to enjoy it, and to love...
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Episode 63 - Ten reasons for long-haul ministry.
The reality is this: when we look at churches that are healthy, vibrant, and growing, it is incredibly common to see a pastor (or pastors) who has been serving that same congregation for many years through both the good times and the bad. This is especially true in a revitalization context where…
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Episode 62 - How to strategically maximize your building for Kingdom purposes.
In this episode, we will consider five strategic ways a church can begin to make an impact on their community through their building. What might these look like for you and your congregation? We will also address seven potential obstacles or challenges you might face leading this kind of change.
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Episode 61 - Four reasons why you should maximize your empty space.
Many declining churches have been blessed with a building that has been used for effective ministry in the past and can be used for effective ministry once again in the future. However, right now, much of the building sits silent and untouched throughout the week. In this episode, let’s consider...
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Episode 60 - Leading effective children's and youth ministry in church revitalization. - Part 2
In our last episode, we considered some of the unique challenges, as well as some of the unique opportunities, for youth and children’s ministry in a church revitalization context. In light of these, let’s get really practical in this episode and consider eleven core strategies to help you…
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Episode 59 - Leading effective children's and youth ministry in church revitalization. - Part 1
How does a declining church effectively minister to children and teenagers? This is the question we are going to explore this week and next on the podcast. While there are no doubt unique challenges that come with ministry to children and teenagers in a church revitalization context, there are...
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Episode 58 - I:3 - A simple and doable evangelism strategy for your church.
Last week we considered why pursuing an evangelistic vision is so important in church revitalization, today we're going to look at how to actually do this. How do we mobilize a congregation for this type of strategic, evangelistic ministry? Let's consider a simple, but doable strategy called I:3.
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Episode 57 - 6 Reasons why we must mobilize our churches to evangelize the lost.
One of the great challenges in church revitalization is that oftentimes, dying churches have lost their vision and passion for sharing the gospel with a lost and dying world. Even for a pastor who is passionate about gospel proclamation, it can be hard to motivate a weary congregation. As a…
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Episode 56 - Reaching your community, Part 3 – Networking your community.
Let me state something obvious: Ministry is all about relationships. For this reason, it is crucial that as replanters and revitalizers we are committed to consistently build relationships of love and trust with as many people as we can in our community. This is at the heart of networking, which…
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Episode 55 - Reaching your community, Part 2 – Serving your community.
Reaching a community effectively begins with the hard work of getting to know the “ins and outs” of that particular neighborhood. This is why community exegesis is so important. However, it’s not enough to simply know about the community; you need to take the next step and begin to serve there…
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Episode 54 - Reaching your community, Part 1 – Knowing your community.
One of the challenges (and sad realities) in church revitalization is that a dying or declining church has most likely become a non-factor in their community. People don’t care about what’s going on in the church; those in the neighborhood may not even know that the church is doing anything...
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Episode 53 - A 3 step strategy to help you reimagine and relaunch your Christian education ministry.
One of the ministries that struggles the most in many dying and declining churches is the Christian education ministry. This ministry is critical in helping our people love God and love people with all that they are. Today on the podcast, I want us to consider a Three Step Strategy to help you…
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Episode 52 - 7 Challenges to revitalizing your Christian education ministry.
What do we do about the Christian Education or Sunday School ministry in a dying or declining church? Hear me well, I believe it's vitally important that Christian education play a central role in our churches; the question is what should it look like and how can we help it to be most effective.…
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Episode 51 - Eight marks of transformational groups.
Maybe you are like me. I've been part of all different kinds of small groups over the years, and I've loved each of them in different ways. But what I can tell you is that some were much more healthy, vibrant, and alive than others. As I've reflected on what I think sets these groups apart, I...
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Episode 50 - Designing and leading effective community groups.
Creating environments where people can care for one another and grow deeper in the Lord together is critical to the health of any congregation. This is where a strong community group ministry can be helpful. On a practical level, how do you design and lead effective community groups in your…
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Episode 49 - 9 Threats to Biblical community.
On this episode we are going to name nine potential threats to transformational, biblical community in the local church. These are things we need to be aware of as leaders, because they are going to be constantly working against our attempts to lead the church into true, Christ-centered,...
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Episode 48 - Leading Gospel-centered Sunday mornings
My guess is that, like every struggling congregation, there are many areas that need help in your church, many areas that could use your time and attention. However, you can’t focus on everything, especially at the beginning of your ministry at the church. So, what is most important? Where should...
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Episode 47 - Developing a ministry strategy. - Part 2
Today is Part 2 of a two week episode where we are talking about how to practically develop and lead a clear ministry strategy in your church. Where are you taking people? How are you strategically and purposefully helping them to grow as disciples of Jesus? What is your game plan? This episode…
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Episode 46 - Developing a ministry strategy. - Part 1
A common issue faced by many dying churches is that they’ve lost their sense of purpose and vision. They might have some strategic phrases listed on their website. They might even have a hodgepodge of ministry offerings. However, at the end of the day, these churches often lack a cohesive and...
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Episode 45 - Making church membership meaningful.
Many dying and declining churches have lost sight of what membership should look like and how members should function within the church. These churches can be quick to lower the bar of membership just to keep people around, but this ends up backfiring for the health of the church. To correct…
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Episode 44 - Raising up pastor-elders and deacons in your church.
One of the biggest issues that we see in dying and declining churches is a lack of strong leadership. Who is in charge? It can get pretty messy. Individuals who should not be in leadership, are, and those who might be more qualified leaders, aren’t. Well, the Bible clearly lays out for us the two...
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Episode 43 - Why you can and should start a church revitalization internship or residency.
Pastors. We need them. Big time. Strong, humble, visionary yet convictional pastors can be tough to find in the church these days. And yet the need for these types of leaders is greater than ever. This is particularly true when it comes to helping replant and revitalize dying churches. As we…
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Episode 42 - 7 key ingredients for developing leaders. - Part 2
Let's continue to talk about seven key ingredients for developing leaders in our churches. Last week we looked at 1-4, today we will consider 5-7: #5. Give freedom to try and fail, #6 Saturate with encouragement, and #7. Give feedback.
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Episode 41 - 7 key ingredients for developing leaders. - Part 1
Most of us feel on a gut-level that developing and deploying leaders is the right thing to do. But just because we share that conviction doesn’t make it easy. How do we do it? Where do we begin? This week and next we will be considering seven important aspects of creating a leadership development...
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Episode 40 - 5 Reasons why we must develop leaders.
Regardless of the size of your church, we as pastors must be intentional to make the development of healthy leaders a top priority. Here are five reasons why.
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Episode 39 - Leading with the Word - Getting practical.
So, what exactly does it look like on a day to day, week to week basis, to lead a declining church with the Word? Let's get practical and consider several different ways we must lead.
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Episode 38 - Leading with the Word- Who or what has authority, really?
As with any struggling organization, in order to lead change effectively, we must first determine who or what holds the power, authority, and greatest influence in a congregation. Remember this: whomever or whatever has the most authority and greatest influence in a church is the “force” that...
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Episode 37 - Preaching in Church Revitalization, Part 4 - 3 Ways To Keep Growing As A Preacher
Declining churches need pastors who faithfully preach the Word of God, week in and week out. Today we talk about some practical ways to continue growing as a preacher in church revitalization.
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Episode 36 - Preaching in Church Revitalization, Part 3 - 5 Major Benefits Of Expositional Preaching
Particularly in churches needing to be revitalized, God uses the faithful, expositional preaching of His Word to bring real hope, real conviction, and real transformation to a congregation. The benefits of expositional preaching are many...for today, let’s consider five of them.
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Episode 35 - Preaching in Church Revitalization, Part 2 - Expositional Preaching 101...plus, 5 types of sermons that fall short.
God's people need to be fed good food from God's Word that comes through the weekly diet of faithful, expositional preaching. So, what exactly is expositional preaching? And why is it so important? Let's talk about it....plus, let's consider 5 types of sermons that fall short.
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Episode 34 - Preaching in Church Revitalization, Part 1 - The Word is what we preach!
Revitalized churches begin with revitalized pulpits. Healthy, God-honoring church revitalization cannot be sustained over the long haul apart from the steady anchor of a faithful, biblical pulpit. This episode is the first of several, in which we will be talking about the importance of preaching…
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Episode 33 - Mobilizing your congregation to prioritize prayer.
Dying and declining churches desperately need God to move in power! This is why our responsibility as leaders is to spend alot of time on our knees, praying for God to do just that. In this episode we continue to talk about different ways we as pastors and churches must pray in church...
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Episode 32 - Church revitalization begins on your knees in persistent prayer.
Church revitalization begins in one place: on your knees in persistent prayer. This week and next we will consider twelve specific ways we as shepherd pastors must pray for our lives, our leadership, our congregations, and our ministries. Many of these prayers are critical in any area of pastoral...
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Episode 31 - Several sure ways to build or lose trust with a congregation.
The top priority for any pastor or leader going into a church replanting or revitalization context is to build trust and win the hearts of the people who are already there. Sadly, many fail to do this very thing. And as a result, hurt, distrust, and division ensues. In this episode, let's talk...
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Episode 30 - Building trust through encouragement, clear communication, and meaningful visits.
On this episode, we talk about three important ways a pastor can build trust with a congregation. These include: 1) intentional, conistent encouragement, 2) clear communication (especially when it comes to leading changes), 3) and making meaningful visits to the sick and hurting.
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Episode 29 - 5 ways to lose trust and credibility as a pastor.
When it comes to earning trust and credibility as a pastor, sometimes the best way to learn is by discovering what not to do. It is for this reason that this week I want us to consider five sure ways to lose trust and credibility in ministry. These are 5 things to try and avoid at all costs!
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Episode 28- Developing a shepherding strategy: Part 7 - The Shepherding Meeting.
For many pastors, meetings are one of the least favorite parts of the job, and you might want to write off the meeting I am about to describe. However, I think you will find that developing and instituting a regular shepherding meeting might become the most important meeting you have in your life...
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Episode 27 - Developing a shepherding strategy: Part 6 - Protecting the flock under your care.
Along with knowing, feeding, and leading the flock, biblical shepherding involves protecting the flock. Our people are in need of protection. In Acts 20:28 we read these words for shepherd leaders: “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers.”…
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Episode 26 - Developing a shepherding strategy: Part 5 - Leading the flock with wisdom, love, and vision.
Shepherd pastors are called to lead. A biblical, visionary shepherding model intentionally includes three key leadership components that must be integrated into any effective shapherding strategy. Let's talk about them.
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Episode 25 - Developing a shepherding strategy: Part 4 - Feeding your flock the food they need.
God's people need nourishment for their souls. For this reason, they need shepherds who will feed them good food from the Word of God. While as pastors we must work hard to know our people and their needs on a personal level, knowing the flock well must lead us to take whatever steps necessary to...
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Episode 24 - Developing a shepherding strategy: Part 3 - How to know your flock.
There is nothing quite like the ongoing, committed, loving relationship between a shepherd-pastor and the sheep under his care. This is why it is so critical for pastors to establish regular, personal contact with each individual sheep in order to know them well. In this episode, we discuss three...
About this show
Leading Church Revitalization is a podcast designed to bring encouragement and equipping to pastors and leaders who serve declining and dying churches.
Hosted by
Mark Hallock
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