This week I interview Matt Steen, a former pastor and church planter, now with Chemistry Staffing, a ministry that helps churches find great staff members (and helps staff members find great churches).
The episode is filled with practical advice, including
- What’s changed in pastoral transition/placement over the last generation
- How the pandemic has accelerated pastoral transitions
- The five key principles to look for when looking for a new pastor or church
Of special help will be how Matt describes the difference between “close-fisted” and “open-handed” theological issues, as well as the importance of giving churches time to get used to a pastoral departure, and to get ready for a new pastor.
These principles are especially important in a small church context because the unique characteristics of the church need to be identified and accounted for in a pastoral search. And if they are, the so-called pastoral revolving door may just slow down for a lot of churches and pastors.
Link from this Episode
- Chemistrystaffing.com
- Before You Go, by Wade Hodges
- When to Leave, by Wade Hodges
- The Pastor: A Memoir, by Eugene H. Peterson
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Credits
Producer
Veronica Beaver | [email protected]
Editor
Phil Vaters | [email protected]
Music composed and performed by
Jack Wilkins | JackWilkinsMusic.com
Correspondence
Shelley Vaters | Shelley@KarlVaters.com
De-Sizing the Church (pt 4): Unintended Consequences of the Church Growth Movement, with Bob Smietana (Ep 072)
While the Church Growth Movement created larger churches and opportunities, it also created larger dangers.
De-sizing The Church: Overcoming The Arrogance/Shame Cycle
“In the first twenty years of the movement, research focused on principles; lately the focus has been on discovering new techniques, programs, or methods.” (Elmer Towns)
De-Sizing the Church (pt 3): What Eugene Peterson Is Still Teaching Us About Pastoral Ministry, with Winn Collier (Ep 071)
A conversation with Eugene Peterson’s biographer on how simple pastoral presence is the healthy alternative to Christian celebrity.
Author
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Karl 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.
Karl has served in small-church ministry for over 40 years, so he speaks and writes from decades of hands-on pastoral experience. He and his wife, Shelley have three children and two grandkids.