People with money in the church often live by the Golden Rule, “Whoever has the gold makes the rules.” If you’re a pastor, how do you handle those who believe that their gifts to the church give them the right to run the place? Join Steve Brown, along with pastors Kevin Labby and Zach Van Dyke, as they talk about it.
There’s a special kind of suffering reserved for people who have screwed up bad enough to be rejected by communities who say they believe in forgiveness and restoration. It’s a pain that brings perspective, but only after lament. Join Garth Cross on SBE for a discussion of his book, ‘Outside the Camp: A Former Pastor Looks at the Church from a Distance.’
We’re living in toxic times, and pastors are often called by God to stand against the status quo. If God’s shepherds aren’t challenging their congregations, they’re no longer ministering to them… they’ve joined them. Join Steve, along with pastors Zach Van Dyke and Kevin Labby, as they talk about how pastors can prepare for, process, and protect themselves during the inevitable controversy that will come if they’re actually doing their job.
Most pastors are relatively good people. They’re kind, compassionate, and gentle. The problem is, when you’re that way, you tend to think everybody else is that way, too. Without being a little paranoid, pastors can trust too much and end up blindsided by those who are out to get them. Join Steve, along with pastors Zach Van Dyke and Kevin Labby, as they discuss the healthy pastoral paranoia that’s crucial for survival in ministry.
In our series, Politics in the Church, we’ve seen that church is often not a safe place for pastors. Stepping into the role of church leader can be like stepping into a hurricane. One of the most dangerous things for a pastor is to be naive about that. Join Steve as he talks with Michael Osborne about his new book, ‘Surviving Ministry: How to Weather the Storms of Church Leadership.’
Formal places of power are often not the real places of power. Sometimes the little old lady teaching the Bible study can have more influence in the church than all the elders and deacons combined. A lot of pastors get into trouble when they don’t recognize these pockets of power. Listen for help with identifying pockets of power and how to deal with them. Don’t wait until it’s too late.
In our series, Politics in the Church, Steve has been helping pastors deal with power struggles in their congregations. We’ve seen that church is not a safe place for pastors unless they make it a safe place. But what happens when the uptight, angry, vocal minority in a church wins the battle and forces a good pastor and his family out?
Christian subculture would have us believe that Jesus died to make us nice. Sure there’s the fruit of the Spirit, but being nice is something different. Being nice will cut the legs off of Christian boldness and keep truth from being spoken. Nice pastors will be eaten alive. Join Steve Brown as he chats with pastors Kevin Labby and Zach Van Dyke about the need for pastors to develop a mean streak.