Pastor Alan Stoddard wrote his doctoral thesis for Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary on the subject of sermon based small groups. That thesis eventually became a book, entitled Groups that Revitalize: Bringing New Life to Your Church through Sermon-Based Small Groups, co-authored with Kenneth Priest. Alan is passionate about the amazing discipleship opportunities doing sermon based small groups provides for any church ... especially for churches that are committed to expositional Bible teaching. He shares with us his discoveries and methods in truly making authentic disciples according to the bible. In today's podcast, we will find useful ideas and resources to reach people for eternity.

When we (Poimen Ministries) enter into a coaching relationship with a senior/lead pastor, the purpose is to help the pastor discover many of the things he already knows. And then to help him discover how to move forward in his calling and vision. In this podcast, host Bill Holdridge interviews Pastor Terry McNabb. Terry underwent a coaching process during the course of his own pastoral ministry, and it was not only life and ministry changing, but has also become the foundation of his coaching approach to pastors in this current stage of his ministry. Five areas of focus are worked through in a coaching relationship: Calling, Vision, Mission, Organization, and Communication. These five areas of focus will be explained by Pastor Terry in this very helpful episode of Strength for Today's Pastor.

Danny Lehmann is a leader in Youth With A Mission (YWAM), an international missions and church planting thrust that has had a tremendous world-wide Kingdom impact. In this podcast, Danny will be talking with us on the subject of vision. Specifically, we’ll be talking about a Biblical pattern for seeing and receiving God’s vision for our lives and ministries. Danny is keen on the subject of church life as well, having served for many years with Pastor Bill Stonebraker at Calvary Chapel Honolulu. YWAM has been, from its inception, big on hearing God's voice, obeying His voice, and persevering through the word commanded by that voice. YWAM founder Loren Cunningham has modeled that approach, and YWAMers have sought to emulate his pattern. Danny Lehmann has written four books on evangelism: Go! The Excitement of Personal Evangelism, For the Gospel’s Sake, Bringin’ Em Back Alive, and Beautiful Feet. He has also written on the subject of spiritual discipline: Before You Hit the Wall, as well as STOKED! Firing Up Your Passion for God. His latest book is entitled The Next Big Thing: How Little Choices Can Make a Big Impact. Danny lives in Kailua-Kona, Hawaii, with his wife Linda and now serves as part of the leadership team for YWAM Kona. NOTES from Danny's 5 Points about asking for, receiving, and implementing the vision the Lord gives us: 1) The PRAYER FOR THE VISION. Nehemiah 1:1-10 … his vision was initiated by God and prayed through by Nehemiah. Also Habakkuk 1:2-4; 12-17 … he cried out to God because of the injustice in the land and the LORD’s seeming indifference to it all. 2) THE POSTURE FOR RECEIVING THE VISION. (we must do the possible) Habakkuk 2:1 I will stand my watch and set myself on the rampart, and watch to see what He will say to me, and what I will answer when I am corrected. 3) THE PROPHETIC WORD THE DETAILS OF THE VISION. Habakkuk 2:2 “Write the vision and make it plain upon tablets that he that reads it may run.” 4) FOR THE PROLIFERATION OF THE VISION. The vision must cast so that others may run with it. Habakkuk 2:2-3 Then the Lord answered me and said: “Write the vision and make it plain on tablets, that he may run who reads it. For the vision is yet for an appointed time; but at the end it will speak, and it will not lie. Though it tarries, wait for it; because it will surely come, It will not tarry. 5) PERSEVERANCE TO OBEY THE VISION. Often there is a “death of a vision,” so that God’s will and word can be resurrected.

Does anybody even practice what we call church discipline anymore? And if a church does practice church discipline, why do they do it? How do they do it? What is its purpose? Show host and Poimen Ministries Director Bill Holdridge draws from the scriptures, coupled with his experience in pastoral ministry, to make suggestions to pastors about the whys and how's of church disciple. For instance, Bill calls us these principles in mind: Church discipline is closely related to Christian discipleship. If the church discipline process requires separation from the body, the goal of the excommunication is restoration. Church discipline is actually an application of Divine chastening. To be a Great Commission church, the church must exercise church discipline with its many forms and applications. To be a holy church, the church must practice church disciple. To develop mature believers, the church must trust Jesus to assist Him as He perfects His people. One tool He uses is church discipline. This podcast is aimed at helping pastors and churches do this better, with grace and truth applied at the same time. BULLET POINT #1- Church discipline is closely related to Christian discipleship. Discipline and discipleship are part of the same idea. Discipleship could also be called preventative church discipline. When congregants are discipled, they are not candidates for church discipline. A person who is in the Word, in prayer, in fellowship, who exercises his/her spiritual gifts for others’ sake, who is involved in the Great Commission, who is accountable, etc. has made himself immune to the need for corrective church discipline. BULLET POINT #2- Church discipline is actually an application of Divine chastening. (Hebrews 12:6-8) BULLET POINT #3- Matthew 18:15-18 has to do with interpersonal conflicts. Against you is not found in Codex Vaticanus, Codex Sinaiticus do not contain these words, but the Majority text does. (https://credohouse.org/blog/textual-problem-study-matthew-1815) BULLET POINT #4- The number of people who are made aware of the discipline is determined by the number of people who know the ones being disciplined. BULLET POINT #5- If the church discipline process requires separation from the body, the goal of the excommunication is restoration. Restoration to God, first. Then to other believers, second. (Galatians 6:1) BULLET POINT #6- Authority to exercise church disciple comes directly from the Lord Jesus Christ. (Matthew 28:18-20) BULLET POINT #7- Conditions must be clear for the disciplined person’s return into full fellowship. BULLET POINT #8- The church governing documents (Bylaws) and board minutes must be consistent with the Bible’s teaching on church discipline, and internally consistent with BOD minutes or elder’s meeting minutes. BULLET POINT #9- Effective church discipline requires a deep team of leaders that are all-in, and who understand how church discipline should be practiced, Biblically.

Pastoral transition is real, and unless Jesus Christ returns for His church before a specific pastor dies, someone else will be the pastor of his church! In this podcast, Poimen Ministries Director Bill Holdridge provides fodder for thought for the senior/lead pastor who is considering whether or not to move on to something else. Is the senior pastor certain that it's his time to leave? Does he feel called to be an essential part of the selection of his successor? Will the next pastor come from within the church, or from without? What are the vital parts of any successful transition? These subjects are all discussed in this podcast. Poimen Ministries invites any senior/lead pastor with questions on pastoral transition to reach out to them at strongerpastors@gmail.com.

Pastor Don Rypstra is in his last days of a long pastorate in Rochester, Minnesota. He and his wife's move to northern Idaho means that a new normal is waiting for them, but also that someone will be called into an exciting opportunity to pastor and reach the people of Rochester, home of the world-renowned Mayo Clinic. Pastor Don is not unlike many pastors, world-wide. Don is conscientious, faithful, thoughtful, and committed to Christ and the gospel. Another thing Don has been: he's been bi-vocational throughout his senior/lead pastor life. Over 25 years ago, he moved his family from California to Rochester in a career related move. Then the Lord called him into pastoral ministry, and to start a church. Which is what he did. Don refers to himself as a small church pastor. More and more, others refer to such pastors as normal sized church pastors, because it's a more accurate description in terms of average church size in the U.S. In this podcast, Don tells part of their story to show host Bill Holdridge. Not only is their story told, but the opportunity is now open to another called and gifted man to assume the leadership of Calvary Chapel Rochester.

Pastor Tim Brown joins show host Bill Holdridge in this huge issue for pastors ... made even more do due to this particular election year. Pastor Tim has a gift of turning complexities into simplicity, which can be very helpful for pastors who want tips on how to navigate these choppy waters and stormy seas. Tim is the pastor of Calvary Chapel in Fremont, California.

Every senior/lead pastor knows about the Great Commission and its importance in fulfilling God's vision for the church. But what does that look like in the life and ministry of the busy pastor? Pastor Trip Kimball has a long history of pouring into people that they might follow Christ well. In this podcast, program host Bill Holdridge will interview Pastor Trip to help us all discover how we can grow as disciplers.

How can the senior or lead pastor connect with the people in his church? How should he conduct himself, and what are some great ways to reach the people that are attending the church? Of course, this is vital if the Great Commission will be fulfilled. Bill Holdridge, host of Strength for Today's Pastor, interviews Pastor Al James in this very important session on the role of the senior/lead pastor.

Pastor Dale Lewis is an example of a man who continues to allow the Lord to do what He wants in and through his life. Dale has pastored two churches: Calvary Chapel Merced in the central valley of California, and Bitterroot Calvary Chapel in Hamilton, Montana. He has since retired from the church in Montana, and now lives in Florida, from which he continues to serve the Lord within his calling and gifting. I’ve known Dale since 1981, and will never forget the Sunday morning when he and his wife Donna both raised their hands to receive Christ. As an older pastor friend of mine used to say, “They got saved real good.” Dale is not only a follower of Jesus Christ, he is also a discipler of men. Dale is also involved with a project stemming from his many years of verse-by-verse Bible teaching. Through scripturesupply.com, the Word of God is going out to anyone in the world who can read manuscript Bible teaching notes in any of 103 languages. Keep listening to the end. There is a huge opportunity for pastors to become better equipped to mentor others.