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500 Words on Pastoral Timing
Stop preaching while they’re still listening. They’ll keep returning to the table if you leave them wanting more.

9 Things I Love to Hear In a Sermon
After thousands of sermons, you stop being impressed by the flash, and you start noticing the essentials.

The Pastor, the Bible, and Growing Up In a Pastor’s Home, with Albert Vaters (Ep 100)
The pastor’s home should be a place of joy, hope, faith, and generosity. Our foundation is found in the Bible and our first ministry is at home.

Why I Don’t Read The Bible For Sermon Material
When we treat the Bible like a collection of sermon texts, we can lose the wonder and the beauty of it.

Apollo 13, Crisis Management, And The First Rule Of Church Leadership (Video)
Small churches may not have all the resources we wish we had, but that doesn’t mean we can’t do great ministry.

Responsive Design: Church Leadership Ideas That Don’t Adapt For Size Are Behind The Curve
It’s not up to the small church to adapt your ideas for our size. Use responsive design so your product is usable in all church sizes.

Russ Taff, on Childhood Trauma, Church Hurt, Alcoholism, Fame, & Redemption (Ep 99)
A preacher’s kid with a ton of unacknowledged trauma becomes one of the world’s most heralded Christian singers. This is the Russ Taff story.

There’s A Pastor Reading This Who’s Living A Secret Life
Confessing voluntarily instead of hoping no one finds out (which they will), is your best chance at healing.

Want Quality Over Quantity? Here Are Four Questions Every Ministry Must Ask
Ministries must resist the temptation of shortcuts and superficiality. We must ask ourselves: What are we compromising for the sake of growth?
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Author
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Karl Vaters produces resources for Helping Small Churches Thrive at KarlVaters.com.
He's the author of five books on church leadership, including his newest, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next. His other books include The Grasshopper Myth and Small Church Essentials.
Karl also hosts a bi-weekly podcast, The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry, featuring in-depth interviews about topics that concern pastors, especially those who minister in a small church context. He has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience.
You can follow Karl on Facebook, Instagram, X, YouTube, and LinkedIn, or Contact Karl to inquire about speaking, writing, and consultation.
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