Pastor, is counseling a burden or a blessing to you? How is your 1:1 ministry oriented? What's your end game? Paul LeBoutillier speaks with program host Bill Holdridge about counseling, and the way the Lord has taught him to approach it in his church of almost 30 years. It promises to be both liberating and encouraging to any pastor.

In episode 116 we’re joined by Roger Ulman, senior/lead pastor of Calvary Chapel Kalamazoo Valley, Michigan. Roger planted the church in 2000, after an interesting and God-ordained training process. This testimony is included in this interview. Roger is married to Lisa, his wife of 37 years. They have three children … two boys and a girl. #10 grandchild on the way. Roger Ulman is a pastor who is genuinely joyful, and very optimistic about ministry and life in general. Pastors always can use optimism and encouragement … these are very challenging times for pastors everywhere. So, where does such a positive outlook comes from? This could me a major key re: how we pastors serve the Lord Jesus and His people. Tune in to hear the not-so-secret secret of Divine Optimism in Pastoral Ministry.

Pastoral Transitions have an awful lot to teach us about pastoring the churches we currently pastor. There are lessons on developing leaders, about communication, about godly vision, and many other subjects. In this podcast, Pastor Ed Compean of Shoreline Calvary Chapel in Morro Bay, CA, and Pastor Jack Arnold of Calvary Mt. Si in North Bend, WA share their stories, stories which are intertwined, but also are very different. With them, show host Bill Holdridge explores subjects like reentry from the mission field, cultural adjustments, leadership equity and how to gain it, and vision for church and community.

Pastoral coaching has been a relatively new development in the past several years. Pastors, hungry to to their best and eager to find their ministry sweet spot, are more open than ever to have a seasoned 'coach' who can help them rediscover their passion, clarify their vision, and regain some of their strength. It's even better when the coach is a seasoned pastor himself. In this podcast, program host Bill Holdridge interviews Pastor Terry McNabb. Terry introduces us to the process of pastoral coaching ... what it is, why it's a healthy thing to do, and what to expect. Terry is a longtime and seasoned senior pastor who experienced a coaching relationship while in his former church. It was tremendously helpful to him, and set him on a course that greatly enhanced himself and his ministry.

Pastoral ministry—especially as it pertains to the office of pastor-teacher—can be extremely multi-faceted. For most pastors, there is far more to do than hours in which to do them. Especially considering the fact that pastors have wives and families. Especially considering that pastors require get proper rest ... in sleep and sabbath. Especially considering the need for exercise and good health habits. But does pastoral ministry have to be as multi-faceted as we've allowed it to become? Do we really need to run in all eight lanes of the race? Or is there one primary lane that we must stay in? What does that look like? Let's explore this important subject.

Brian Hill is on the younger side of pastoral ministry, but is much older in wisdom. Much has been said about the ways the Lord prepares His vessels, men in whom He pours Himself and then flows through them to equip and bless others. That's the journey of Brian Hill. This is a cool story, an encouraging bio of a man used by God. Testimonies are helpful to everyone. Pastoral testimonies are particularly helpful to pastors and leaders. Be encouraged!

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.

You may have heard this phrase, or even used it in a message: “I’d rather burn out than rust out!” Let’s be honest, many of us have worn that phrase as a badge of honor, as though it’s an honorable thing to burn out for God. Today, that phrase is a painful one … far too many of our brothers-in-arms have opted out of ministry (“I’m done, this isn’t what I signed up for!”), or have given up on ministry (due to discouragement or stress), or have been chased out of ministry due to their choices (ethical or moral failure. A recent Barna Group study found that 38% of pastors are seriously considering leaving full-time ministry. We see this trend as tragic, and as being part of much greater problems in today’s church. There are the expectations that people put on their pastors — and that pastors put on themselves … these can be debilitating. “Everywhere pastors go they are expected to be ‘on’ — ready to give stellar leadership, unending compassion, an inspiring message, anointed prayer, and words of encouragement.” Are there only two options? Is burnout in the ministry and in the life of a minister inevitable? And, if I don’t experience burnout, does that mean that I’m rusting out? The answer is “no.” There are not only two options. There is a third option, which is to learn a life lived under grace, with the right pace, and for the correct race. In this episode, we’re going to talking about the life-giving counsel of a book we’ve all read … written out of the true story of the author, Wayne Cordeiro. The book is entitled Leading on Empty: Refilling Your Tank and Renewing Your Passion. Two wonderful pastor-friends-teammates of mine will be helping me in this conversation … Trip Kimball and Terry McNabb. Trip is a long-time pastor-teacher, author, equipper, and discipler; Terry is also a long-time pastor-teacher, musician, and leadership coach. Terry and Trip have both been on our team of Poimen Ministries pastors, for years. You can learn more about them on our ministry website. to Trip and Terry: "Welcome to the program. I just finished reading Cordeiro’s book. I’ve had it on my bookshelf for a couple of years. I’m so blessed by what Wayne Cordeiro has written. I wish I’d have had (and looked for) a resource like this when I started my ministry back in 1976. It taught me things, reminded me of other things, and motivated my in areas of my own life as well. So, we’re gonna get into it, each of us. And this will explain why we’re recommending reading it."

Jimmy Morales pastors a wonderful church body in Las Vegas, Nevada. The name of the fellowship is Calvary Chapel Lone Mountain. I (show host Bill Holdridge) had the privilege of being with this congregation early in February of 2022. One of the plans we had for my time there was to record a podcast interview with Jimmy ... only in this podcast he would be the one interviewing me. He wanted to hear about pastoral transitions, so he prepared a list of commonly asked (or unasked) questions on that topic. So, that's what we talked about. Jimmy is not in the process of transition himself, nor is he planning a transition. He's still young, the church is exploding, and he's got a lot of gas left in his ministry tank. But Jimmy does have a heart for other pastors, and thus, the questions. When is a good time for a pastor to retire from his church pastorate? How does a transition process move forward? What should pastors do now, even those pastors who have years ahead of them in their present church? Is it better to choose a successor from within the fellowship, or from without? How involved should church leaders be in helping the pastor transition? And so on. Listen in. Pass it on. As we've said many times before, unless Jesus Christ returns before a pastor dies, someone else will pastor that church. Why not (at the very least) start pastoring as a pastor who is in transition? Why not have an emergency plan in case something happens to you? Why not invite outside counsel to come in and help with your thinking process?