According to a recent Lifeway Research study,  51% of pastors and church leaders in 2023 said they had seriously considered leaving their congregations, compared with only 21% in 2021. What does that mean? Church leaders are facing challenges! We discuss five of them in this episode including pastoral exhaustion, cultures that limit growth, and others. We also found helpful information in this article by Anthony Hilder. And don't forget to email phil@talantonservices.com for your free Talanton Mug! It's awesome!

Does your church stream any services other than Sunday morning? Matt has decided to start streaming his Wednesday Youth services. What do you think? What are the challenges and benefits?

Join Kyle, Phil, and Matt in a lively discussion about the unintended consequences of online church. We love online church; we need online church; but we need to do it better! One of the unintended consequences of the online paradigm is the difficulty in maintaining good connection, communication, and caring in regards to our online attenders. In other words--community! We want to help you find the best ways to do online church and we also need you to join the conversation, so please shoot us a DM, email, or comment. Thanks for joining us on the Thriving In Ministry Podcast!

Can we really engage in worship in an online service? Should Churches include their Praise and Worship sets as a part of their livestreams at all? If members only engage online, what are they missing in the area of worship? Kyle, Matt, & Phil discuss these questions and others in this episode. Join the conversation!

This week, we're beginning a mini-season featuring a few episodes in which we talk about the possible unintended consequences of online church. We start with giving and ask this compelling question: Is online giving robbing you of the opportunity to disciple your kids and new members in the area of giving? Are there other unintended consequences, and what do we do about them? Join the conversation!

On today's episode of the Thriving in Ministry Podcast, we talk about an issue close to the heart of every church leader—volunteers. We love them. Especially the most faithful ones. But if we're not careful, that faithfulness can turn to exhaustion, discouragement, and even disillusionment. How can we help them keep from getting burned out? Kyle Willis, Matt Dotson, and Phil Blount discuss this outstanding article from Churchtrac.com and speak from their own experience as well. Join the conversation!

Join us for the epic journey of 2024. Kyle, Matt & Phil have some fun talking New Year's resolutions and some other nonsense, but mostly give some pointed advice on 7 things to NOT do this year in your church. Join the conversation!

In this special episode, we take a quick break from our usual format and just hang out and talk all things Christmas! Join us as we discuss everything from Advent calendars to food to Santa Clause, i.e., does one of our staff still believe? We had a blast recording it; we hope you enjoy listening! Merry Christmas!

In our second episode of this new season and new chapter of TIM, Kyle Willis, Matt Dotson, and Phil Blount explore the question, "Is your church successful?" What does success mean for a church? Is it numbers only, or do numbers matter at all? Is it discipleship, spiritual growth, financial stability, or simply a matter of obedience to a mission? We explore these and other ideas, and we hope to hear your comments and questions as well! Join the conversation!

Is the Church a business? How should it be run in a businesslike manner--if at all? Join the Conversation as Kyle introduces his new podcast cohosts Matt Dotson and Phil Blount!

Kyle and Dace talk about the past and the future for their personal and professional lives as well as the TIM Podcast. Exciting things are happening!

On today’s episode of the Thriving in Ministry podcast, we interview Pastor Jeremy Freeman, and his son Caleb, on finding hope during catastrophe. Jeremy Freeman is the Pastor of First Baptist Church Newcastle. Jeremy and his wife Emily have 7 children, including Trey who went home to be with the Lord as a 7 year old in September 2013. Jeremy completed his undergraduate at the Oklahoma Baptist University and received his Master of Divinity degree from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in 2008. Outside of pastoring and spending time with his family, Jeremy enjoys reading, watching sports, and studying God’s Word. Jeremy Freeman is the author of the new book which releases on October 18th, entitled #butGod: The Power of Hope When Catastrophe Crashes In. Websites and Other LinksOrder #butGod Book by Jeremy FreemanFBC NewcastleDaily Pastor Online ContentTalanton Church Services

On today’s episode of the Thriving in Ministry podcast, we interview Matt and Allison Willis on Making Disciples, using the new MasterLife Together material.  Matt Willis | Allison Willis BioMatt and Allison Willis are the authors of the new book MasterLife Together, which releases October 3rd through Lifeway. MasterLife Together is an updated edition of MasterLife which has sold hundreds of thousands of copies and become some of the most frequently used discipleship materials over the last 40 years. Currently at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, Matt Willis is the Associate Pastor of Missions and Evangelism. Matt has a master’s of divinity from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary and also co-authored Learning to Soar: How to Grow Through Transitions and Trials. Allison is a registered dietitian with a master’s degree in dietetics and is a nutrition counselor. Allison edited a simplified version of Be Transformed: Discovering Biblical Solutions to Life’s Problems, which she helped translate into South Asian languages and used to train women over- seas. Matt and Allison Willis met each other in college on an international mission trip over 20 years ago. While serving the Lord together is how their relation- ship began, they went on to serve as missionaries with the International Mission Board for 7 years in South Asia. I’m Kyle Willis, Founder of Talanton Church Services, and Dr. Dace Clifton, from DailyPastor.com, and a pastor from Central Texas is out on sabbatical.Websites and Other LinksMasterLife Together Discipleship CurriculumI Aim to Be That Man: Avery Willis Jr. BiographyDaily Pastor Online ContentTalanton Church Services

Is the Church today a phenomenal place to work? How does working for your church compare to elite companies? How should a pastor encourage and lead church staff to fulfill your mission? On today’s episode of the Thriving in Ministry podcast, we interview Dr. Michael Steiner on how you can improve your church’s work week culture. Dr. Michael Steiner Bio Dr. Michael Steiner is the Vice President of Innovation and Communication at Southeastern University in Florida. Michael has a PhD in Organizational Psychology and is on a mission to help pastors make churches incredible places to work. He and his wife have 2 kids and while not pastoring, Michael enjoys encouraging church leaders through his TikTok channel @drmichaelsteiner. I’m Kyle Willis, Founder of Talanton Church Services, and Dr. Dace Clifton, from DailyPastor.com, and a pastor from Central Texas is out on sabbatical. Notable Quotable: "The New Testament does not prescribe any particular structure of Church governance. What it describes is a set of gifts that the Holy Spirit has moved upon the Church and has anointed people to do certain works at specific times. It describes what they could do, but it doesn't prescribe." (15:01)A Church Government Revolution - Peter Haas (17:22)"Every organization on the planet is trying to manufacture purpose. (Businesses) are spending millions of dollars per year in their HR department to manipulate and convince their employees that they are working on a cause greater than themselves. You as the Church already have that naturally; you don't need to make that up. Think about how radical that is. You are a part of growing and building and being an essential worker in the Kingdom of God." (19:33)The Living Reminder - Henri Nouwen (23:40)"The ultimate move of the Enemy is not to get you to hate God or hate the faith... the move of the Enemy is to get you to forget why you started in the first place." (23:45)"The word decide means to "cut away". So when you decide on a strategy that means you are cutting away a bunch of things that you could do, so that you can do the one thing that you were called to do. That is where you have to get as a Church." (28:28)Measure What Matters - John Doerr (30:33) OKR System - Objective and Key ResultsNeurobiology of Leadership: "Making decisions is the number one calorie activity in your body. There is nothing that burns calories more than making decisions. The prefrontal cortex accounts for 20% of all calories burned in a day. Making decisions takes a ton of power. Your brain will do whatever it can to avoid making a decision. That is why we created leaders." (35:14)How does a new person become adjusted into an organization? (42:11)  Role Clarity - Does a person understand what they are doing and why they are doing it? Self-Efficacy - Do they have the confidence they can accomplish the thing they are supposed to be doing? Acceptance - Are they a part of a web where they feel valued and they value that web in return? Websites and Other LinksDr. Michael Steiner TikTok @drmichaelsteinerDaily Pastor Online ContentTalanton Church Services

On this episode of the Thriving In Ministry podcast, we interview Craig T. Owens about the urgency of Sabbath and how it should be a verb in every pastor and church leader's life.  Craig T. Owens BioCraig T. Owens is the Pastor of Calvary Assemblies of God Church in Cedar Springs, Michigan. Craig graduated from Oral Roberts University in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where he met his wife Betsy over 35 years ago. In addition to being a pastor, he co-hosts “The Greg and Craig Show” Maximize Leadership podcast and is the author of the new book, Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics That Really Matter, which released in September 2021. I’m Kyle Willis, Founder of Talanton Church Services and Dr. Dace Clifton, from DailyPastor.com and a pastor from central Texas, is out on sabbatical. Pastor Craig T. Owens welcome back to the Thriving in Ministry podcast! Websites and Other LinksShepherd Leadership Book - AmazonCraig T. Owens - WebsiteCraig T. Owens - TwitterDaily Pastor Online ContentTalanton Church ServicesSow and Tether Music

While the Southern Baptist Convention continues to lament the Guidepost report on sexual abuse, there were some critical steps missed over the last few years. How did the SBC miss with the Predator Database? What can a Predator Database tell us about the movement of abusers within the Church? How can the Church use data and technology to recognize potential abusers in their report? Why has it taken so long to put reforms in place? These are some of the questions we attempt to answer in this week's episode of the Thriving in Ministry Podcast.  I’m Kyle Willis, Founder of Talanton Church Services, and as always Dr. Dace Clifton, from DailyPastor.com and also a SBC pastor from Central Texas. Websites and Other LinksDaily Pastor Online ContentTalanton Church Servicespastor, church leadership, Southern Baptist Convention, SBC Sexual Abuse Task Force, Guidepost, sexual abuse, Talanton Church Services

It's been several weeks since we have released a new episode, so welcome back to the Thriving in Ministry Podcast. Join us this week as Kyle Willis and Dr. Dace Clifton talk about some church trends, current events, and catch up with one another on a personal level. I’m Kyle Willis, Founder of Talanton Church Services, and as always Dr. Dace Clifton, from DailyPastor.com and also a pastor from Texas.Websites and Other LinksDaily Pastor Online ContentTalanton Church Serviceschurch, pastor, margin, burnout, church leadership, current events, church trends, Talanton Church Services

On today’s episode of the Thriving in Ministry podcast, we hear from Pastor Caleb Moore on how to create margin, avoid burnout, and lead effectively in ministry. Caleb Moore BioCaleb Moore is the Pastor of Catoosa First in Catoosa, Oklahoma. Caleb Moore is also the author of The Disappearing Garden: How to live in Babylon when you were made for Eden. Caleb and his wife Adrian have three boys and while not pastoring, Caleb enjoys hosting the Dog Backwards Podcast, which focus on Christian apologetics. I am Kyle Willis of Talanton Church Services, and Dr. Dace Clifton, from DailyPastor.com will not be joining us this week. Pastor Caleb Moore welcome to the Thriving in Ministry podcast!Verse of the Day"and he went outside and wept bitterly." - Luke 22:62Websites and Other LinksCaleb Moore Website The Disappearing Garden Book Dog Backwards PodcastDaily Pastor Online ContentTalanton Church Serviceschurch, pastor, margin, burnout, church leadership, Talanton Church Services, Caleb Moore, Dog Backwards Podcast

On today’s episode of the Thriving in Ministry podcast, we hear from Pastor  Andrew Franklin and how the church can more clearly understand sexuality and Christianity.  Andrew Franklin BioPastor Andrew Franklin is the Lead Pastor of Mosaic Community Church in Eastside Seattle, Washington. Andrew was born and raised in Oklahoma City and graduated from the University of Oklahoma before moving to New York City to pursue a Broadway career. Andrew Franklin is the author of Created for Love, about reclaiming Jesus's Vision for Sexuality, Gender & Relationships. Andrew and his wife, Jordyn, have been married for eight years and have four kids. Andrew enjoys theatre, literature, and jazz music.I’m Kyle Willis, Founder of Talanton Church Services, and as always Dr. Dace Clifton, from DailyPastor.com and also a pastor from Texas. Pastor Andrew Franklin welcome to the Thriving in Ministry podcast!Verse of the Day"and to know this love that surpasses knowledge - that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." - Ephesians 3:19Websites and Other LinksCreated For Love Book - Andrew FranklinAndrew Franklin - Mosaic Family Church SeattleDaily Pastor Online ContentTalanton Church Serviceshomosexuality, gender identity, church, pastor, margin, burnout, church leadership, Talanton Church Services, Daily Pastor, Andrew Franklin

Phillip Koo Bio Dr. Phillip Koo is the Leadership Residency Director at Christ Chapel Bible Church in Fort, Worth, Texas. On today's episode Kyle Willis, Founder of Talanton Church Services, and  Dr. Dace Clifton, from DailyPastor.com, talk with Phillip Koo about creating margin, avoiding burnout, and church leadership, especially as it relates to Seminary students or pastors in a residency program. Websites and Other LinksDaily Pastor Online ContentTalanton Church Services