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Episode #15 – Dealing with Depression and Discouragement with Special Guest Mark Clifton

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Episode #15 - Dealing with Depression and Discouragement with Special Guest Mark Clifton
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Mark Clifton, Sr. Director of Replant of the North American Mission Board, stopped by the bootcamp and dropped some great knowledge and advice about how to deal with discouragement and depression as a Replanter.

How can a Replanter stay encouraged and healthy?

  • Unfortunately many don’t.
  • Pastors operate wounded and then wound others-spending $20 on a 10 cent problem.
  • Satan’s number 1 tool against a Pastor is depression/discouragement.
  • The weight of ministry creates a cycle of discouragement and depression that often creates a victim mentality and a context in which operating with emotional intelligence is difficult.

If you find your purpose, joy and meaning in how well your church is doing–you’ll be feeding off the congregation and not feeding them. And you’ll always be searching for Joy.

Find your joy in Jesus alone.

Talk to yourself, instead of listening to yourself.

Should a Pastor admit struggles and weaknesses?

  • You need to be vulnerable as a Pastor, but you also need to be cautious about how and with whom you are vulnerable.
  • Find a group of Leaders (Other Pastors, Director of Missions, Associational Missional Strategist, Elders) who you are living in community with and be vulnerable with them.
  • Be wise about your struggles with the congregation during your preaching.
  • We must remember that we have the Gospel-our trust is not in ourselves but in Jesus.
  • Use your weaknesses and inadequacies to point to the cross instead of using them to garner sympathy. 

What are some other sources of encouragement for a discouraged Pastor/Replanter?

  • Read the Scriptures
  • Read the Puritans
  • Listen to good sermons (Spurgeon, Martin Lloyd Jones)
  • The Valley of Vision
  • Read good biographies
  • Watch historical documentaries
  • Find a Hobby
  • Enjoy your family
    • Two rules for parenting: love Jesus and have fun
    • Don’t unload your church frustrations on your spouse/family.

Relax and remember that the church is the Lord’s, he is the one who will grow it and care for it.

Fight for your joy, the gospel and your church.

Are there some signs that it’s time to consider transitioning away from your church?

  • If the work is destroying your family, faith and your Christian walk-you may need to consider stepping down.

To be honest, some men should not be Pastors, and they need to come to terms with that. They could be called to be a good church leader, a great church member.

Every Pastor must have a clear call from God-or he shouldn’t be pastoring.

Often, in the midst of discouragement a Pastor is prone to choose isolation over community.

Find a good Christian counselor-for yourself and for your congregation. 

If you are a Pastor experiencing serious discouragement please reach out to someone for help today.

Helpful Resources

Revitalize by Andy Davis

Sermons by Martin Lloyd Jones

Medication and Depression by Bob Bickford

Pastor Hotline: 1-844-PASTOR1  (1-844-727-8671)

Episode #14 – Dealing with Church Debt in a Replant with Boots on the Ground Guest Kyle Bueerman

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Episode #14 - Dealing with Church Debt in a Replant with Boots on the Ground Guest Kyle Bueerman
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Pastor Kyle Bueermann, First Baptist Church Alamogordo NM

Background: Kyle was called to Replant/Revitalize a church with 60 people that was in 900K in debt.

Q: How do you deal with debt in a Replant?

Be certain of your call: the call to Replant a church is a necessity-especially when that church is in a difficult situation.

Commit to the church: Kyle says; “We bought a house to show the congregation that we were all in, we put ourselves on the line, I knew I needed to do that so I wouldn’t have an out.”

Find/Partner with a friendly lender and communicate with them regularly. FBC had the benefit of their note being with their denominational lender.

Be open and honest about your situation with those who are coming to be part of your church.

Look for ways to reduce your debt: we’ve been praying and seeking sell our land but also exercising patience.

Steady consistent and faithful leadership is important to create a positive attitude and culture among your people.

We are confident that God is not surprised by our circumstances-and we’re trusting him to provide and lead.

Define Reality and provide hope, and understand the thing that brings hope is the Gospel.

Be patient-in a Replant nothing happens fast.

 

Links

Not Another Baptist Podcast

Replanting Rural Churches

Wiley Drake

Ed Ogeron

Arkansas vs. LSU 2019

Episode #13 -Which Comes First In A Replant? Elders Or Deacons?

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Episode #13 -Which Comes First In A Replant? Elders Or Deacons?
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Nathan Pittman, Pastor, Mountain Bible Church, Livingston MT

Q: Is there a correct order regarding Elder or Deacons? Which should you have first in a Replant?

“Delders” leaders in a local church who are actually Deacons but lead like Elders. (h/t Mike Hubbard, Pastor, Genesis Church)

Baptist Faith and Message side by side comparison 1925, 1963, 2000 (search the terms Elders, Deacons, Pastor)

Which came first in the emerging church? A case can be made for Deacons from Acts chapter 6. 

In most cases, even in dying or declining churches, you likely have men who are serving as Deacons. If they are serving well, meet the qualifications of Elders and desire the office this group can become a primary source from which to develop potential Elders.

One of the keys in preparing your church for Elders is to teach about them from the scriptures.

In some instances a campus church or mission church can lean on the processes of their sponsoring/sending church to vet, train and install deacons and elders.

You may want to begin your potential selection of Deacons and Elders by inviting them into an informal before formal process.

Be patient and wise, take your time, don’t get in a rush choosing Deacons and Elders.

Make note, Elders need to desire to the office. Pressuring, pursuing and encouraging a man who doesn’t aspire to the office will not go well.

Finding Elders and Deacons, Thabiti Anyabwile

Paul’s Vision for the Deacons, Alexander Strauch

On Being a Deacon, Mark Hallock

EP7: How NOT to build a lasting Elder team

 

Fun Links

Ed Ogeron

Calling the Hogs “Razorback” style

Calling the hogs, farm style

 

Episode #12 – Redeeming a Church’s Bad Reputation with BOOTS ON THE GROUND GUEST Carey Long

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Episode #12 - Redeeming a Church's Bad Reputation with BOOTS ON THE GROUND GUEST Carey Long
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Carey Long, Pastor, Northside Baptist Church, Slidell LA

Q:  What are some practical ways we can help change our church’s reputation/image in the community?

This is a complicated and layered question.

A bad reputation is not built, nor is it fixed overnight.

Discover/Ask: what has our church done that has created a bad reputation in the community?

A way to learn what the community thinks of your church: FourFold Panoramic Assessment by Keelan Cook

Ask the community: “If our church was to be an asset to this community what could we do?”

Consider your church’s history: repent and make reconciliation where possible.

Own and repent of past sins.

Process with your people the findings of your community assessments about your church’s reputation.

A name change is not a strategy to jettison your church’s bad reputation.

Keeping the name is at times, a more powerful picture of the Gospel and the power of forgiveness and redemption Jesus brings to us and the church.

Salvation doesn’t erase our past, it changes it.

Changing a church’s reputation involves changing the church’s culture.

The Pastor’s leadership is key in helping to change the church’s reputation.  

Pastoral involvement in the community along with some church members is key.  As your people engage in the community people get a new image and experience with your church.

Utilize your church’s facilities to bless the community.

Changing the image or reputation of your church takes a long time.

At times, you may need to help correct mis-information about your church in the community proactively.

Let God be your defender, it’s His church.

You will rarely win over the critics who will not engage with you.  You can win over the folks who will interact with you as you patiently help them see what God is doing in your church.

Seek the welfare of the community: Jeremiah 29:7

Engage your community with no-strings attached.

 

 

Episode #11 – Thankfulness and Encouragement with Mark Hallock

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Episode #11 - Thankfulness and Encouragement with Mark Hallock
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Mark Hallock Lead Pastor, The Calvary Family of Churches, Englewood Baptist Church

In Replanting you can be thankful that 

  • God has called you to the mission of seeing churches raised from the dead
  • You have been called to preach the word
  • You have been placed in a particular community that needs to hear the gospel

The last thing a church needs is a thankless pastor!

How to cultivate thankfulness

  • Your personal devotion life is key-being in the word everyday.
  • Remember and be amazed at how you have been saved by Jesus!

 The Relentless Encourager by Mark Hallock and Scott Iken

  • Encouragement is a differentiator that makes you want to follow a leader!
  • The warmth and love that is experienced through encouragement creates a response to the one who exhibits it from an authentic life.

Best Hallock Quote of the Show:

“Many of us have encouraging thoughts, but we don’t let those translate into encouraging words. Until encouragement flows from my tongue to your ear it’s not encouragement. It’s just a nice thought that you had that no one is blessed by.”  -Mark Hallock

What keeps us from encouraging others?

  • Lack of intentionality
  • Laziness
  • Pride (especially in leaders)
  • Insecurity

Being an effective leader in a small dying church is different than serving in a large church, this is why warmth, hugs, encouragement and healthy touch are important to bring about a new culture.

In the early days of a Replant-just about everyone is discouraged!  It so important to be an encourager!

 

Notable Quotes from Mark:

“What you bleed as a leader, is what your people will bleed in time.” 

“The culture of a dying church is changed by the encouragement and love of the leader.”

“You can’t fake being a loving encouraging person for long! You need to beg God to make you an encouraging person.”

“The lack of encouragement is robbing you and others of joy!”

“Being an encourager is like Christmas everyday!”

 

Mark’s Children’s book: Our Great God! 

Other books by Mark Hallock

 

Episode # 10 – Luter Replant Legacy Part Two with Chip Luter (Boots on the Ground Highlight)

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Episode # 10 - Luter Replant Legacy Part Two with Chip Luter (Boots on the Ground Highlight)
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Chip Luter Pastor, Idlewild @ The Springs

Lessons Learned from my Father, Dr. Fred Luter

As a Pastors’ kid, I was able to watch a pastor who was a great shepherd.  

When you meet a pastor whose staff knows more about the church than he does he is not a Pastor Shepherd.

My father was a great example of a Pastor/Shepherd.

One of the best lessons I learned is that I was never an interruption to my dad, even when he was busy.  He loved me and modeled for me what it was like to be a great pastor and a great father.

As a kid I never felt like I was in competition with the church. There was never a time where I didn’t like the church.

My dad showed me how to not live in isolation as a pastor-he demonstrated the value of connecting with other Pastors who are ministering in my area.

 

New Orleans Dictionary Gris-gris: voodoo, a powerful spell put on something/someone.

 

The Idlewild Story

Trinity Baptist Church was dying and located in a changing/transitioning area, the youngest  was 60 and they were down to eight people.

  • The Neighborhood was 60% African American, 30% White, 18% Hispanic.
  • 50% of the neighborhood was aged 18 and younger.

I was not looking to Replant, I was happy serving where I was.

Idlewild was intentional about hiring a person of color.

The congregation had determined to give the building to Idlewild for ministry.

In January 2014 Idlewild began a ministry called “Adopt a Block” where they regularly entered the neighborhood to meet and pray for the people. They provided connection events and opportunities to reach the community. 

Pastor Ken Whitten shaped the approach with this philosophy; “We didn’t just want to go to them, we want to grow among them.”

Advice for Replanting in a multi-cultural context

Be intentional from the very beginning

It’s best if the Replanter is already engaged and active in multicultural relationships.

The people drawn to our church were not drawn because we have multicultural worship, they were drawn to our church because the church was intentional in the approach to reach the community-both white people and people of color were actively involved meeting people in the community.

People bought in even before they came to attend a worship service.

We gave opportunity and value to a variety of styles in worship as a natural expression of who we are.

Check out the church program mentioned here

Church Program

Episode #9 – The Luter Replant Legacy Part 1 with Dr. Fred Luter (Boots on the Ground Highlight)

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Episode #9 - The Luter Replant Legacy Part 1 with Dr. Fred Luter (Boots on the Ground Highlight)
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This is the first episode of a 2-part ? BOOTS ON THE GROUND HIGHLIGHT ?about Dr. Fred Luter Jr. and his son Fred “Chip” Luter III. In part 1 we will hear from Dr. Fred about his replanting journey at Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in New Orleans and in part 2 we will hear from Chip and his journey to replanting with Idlewild in Tampa.

Dr. Fred Luter starting pastoring Franklin Avenue Baptist church 33 years ago when most people suspected the church was about to die. Local ministry leaders even told Pastor Fred that he was the wrong choice and he just needed to bury the church. Years later Franklin Avenue is a powerful testimony to God’s faithfulness through Dr. Fred who eventually became the first African-American President of the Southern Baptist Convention.

33 years of pastoral ministry has given Pastor Fred some great wisdom and we are excited to share it with you. Here are a few highlights:

  • The key to pastoral ministry is faithfulness to who God has called you to be and where he has called you to serve.
  • One of the greatest challenges in many dying churches is to remind them that the WORD of GOD works. Pastors must be faithful to the Word.
  • Replanters must be VISIONARY SHEPHERDS that have TACTICAL PATIENCE: Pastor Fred shares about taking 2-3 years to move Franklin Avenue from funding their church through selling chicken suppers to faithful and biblical giving.
  • Replanters must have a MISSIONAL FOCUS and GOSPEL ORIENTATION: Fred shares how he had a creative and missional strategy to engage the men in his community that were not coming to church through watching a pay-per-view boxing match. He then followed this up with personal evangelism and discipleship.
  • Replanters must make their families a priority. Pastor Fred has held hard to regular time off on a weekly basis to invest in his marriage and his kids.

Vocabulary word of the day –  Lagniappe

If you enjoyed this episode please share it with your friends, subscribe to the podcast on your favorite podcast platform, and leave us a rating.

Our sponsor, One Eighty Digital, just launched two new products that we think could really help your church. The first is called Launchpad, it’s an all-in-one custom branding and website bundle developed specifically for planters, replanters, & revitalizers who need to get things moving quickly. The second is Church Quicksite. It was created for churches working with tight budgets and can help get them an amazing new church website in as little as 1 week at a really affordable price. Check out OneEighty.Church to learn more about these special new offerings and how OneEighty can help your church Move Forward!

Episode #8 – How to Handle Bad Business Meetings with Boots on the Ground Guest Evan Skelton

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Episode #8 - How to Handle Bad Business Meetings with Boots on the Ground Guest Evan Skelton
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Bob, JimBo and special guest Evan Skelton, discuss how to handle business meetings that go bad.

“What do you do or how do you handle it when something blows up in a Family “business” meeting at church?

When Conflict Breaks Out

  1. Realize it’s not the end of the world. Every relationship experiences conflict. Conflict is a sign that the church family feels like they can be honest.
  2. Seek to maintain your composure-don’t get “hooked” by strong emotions and statements or retreat in fear. 
  3. Have a “co-moderator” who can help if you lose composure, be ready to turn over to someone who can handle the meeting during tense times.
  4. Move in a pastoral way towards people, slowly and deliberately. 
  5. Confront public misbehavior publically and model appropriate biblical behavior during times of conflict.
  6. Pay attention to your responses: tone, posture, facial expressions and how you are coming across.
  7. Look for teaching opportunities that are inherent within conflict-call it out
  8. Acknowledge the difficulty of the moment, the feel of the room, when conflict breaks out.
  9. Resist the urge to never allow questions or comments during the meetings-redeem it and model for people who to ask questions.
  10. Center on the gospel, show people how to communicate with gospel grace.
  11. Allow members multiple ways to ask questions during the business or family meetings. (cards, email, text)
  12. Instruct members gently about how to handle conflict in public.
  13. Be willing to go to member’s homes to work out conflict if needed and necessary.

 

Proactive Responses

  1. Celebrate victories, show pictures and show how God is moving in the church?
  2. Let others share positive stories and testimonies about what God is doing and what is happening.
  3. Do business after celebration and testimonies.
  4. Slow walk-test out ideas with influencers and thought leaders in the congregation, get their feedback before bringing a potentially difficult agenda item.
  5. Invite critics to become an advocate.
  6. Eat dinner together before business meetings.
  7. Consider changing the name of your business meetings-to family meetings.
  8. Teach your people to operate in the fruit of the spirit rather than walking in the flesh. Let them know that if that is not possible and if things get contentious the meeting will end.

Evan Skelton Pastor, Bayless Baptist Church

Resources:

The Peacemaking Pastor by Alfred Poirier

When Church Conflict Happens by Michael Hare

If you Bite and Devour One Another by Alexander Strauch

Facing Snarls and Scows by Brian Croft and James Carroll

 

Episode #7 – How NOT to Build a Lasting Elder Team

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Episode #7 - How NOT to Build a Lasting Elder Team
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In a Replant high capacity and qualified leaders are likely to be in short supply.

Don’t let the urgent need for leaders be a primary driving process for your seeking to install Elders.

Do not confuse excitement and enthusiasm as good indicators that you may have found the right person to engage as a leader.

The past church experiences of the leaders you are considering installing as leaders matters, do not ignore conflict that occured in previous churches. Discern the circumstances, issues and let that inform your decision regarding their leadership.

An Elder process is important-develop one and stick to it.

Elders share the load and burden of ministry.  It is important to develop leaders/elders who work together, especially when you as a Replanter are needing help or hurting.

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Episode #6 – Preparing for The Call to Replant – Boots on The Ground Highlight w/ Evan Skelton

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Episode #6 - Preparing for The Call to Replant - Boots on The Ground Highlight w/ Evan Skelton
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The guys welcomed Replant Pastor Evan Skelton to the Bootcamp to talk about preparing for the call to Replant a local church, Replant Residencies and failed Youth Internships. Buckle up, grab a snack and settle in for this slightly longer (than usual) but super important episode.

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