Cliff Stabler become a mentor of mine when I was a young church planting pastor serving on the Monterey Peninsula in California. Cliff befriended me, and over time became a huge influence in my life. On a personal note, I am part of a four pastor fellowship and mutual strengthening group which includes Cliff. It's amazing, really. Cliff's calling is to reproduce Christ-like close followers of Jesus Christ who are steeped in the New Covenant and who depend upon the Holy Spirit for everything. Within that calling, Cliff's passion is to disciple men. Former senior/lead pastor, former missionary, and former church consultant, Cliff has a wealth of wisdom and experience from the Holy Spirit's work in his life over his 81+ years. Cliff shares in this podcast episode some of the things he has practiced and learned in his ministry to men—transferable concepts for any senior/lead pastor. Cliff (at the urging of two of us in our pastor's group) recently finished a new book. I call it his Magnum Opus. Part auto-biographical, part testimonial, part ministerial, part instructive, part discipleship manual, the book is a treasure trove of wisdom. I wrote a chapter for the book, which you may find interesting. Here is the link for a free download of the pdf version: The Other Side (by Cliff Stabler). Hope you enjoy this interview!

Paul exhorted Timothy to "be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry" (2 Timothy 4:5). Yet for the busy pastor, this is often a very challenging and perhaps lacking area in his life and ministry. In this episode, Pastor David Johnston strengthens us by giving very practical and strong ways to fulfill this part of our calling. David is a bi-vocational senior pastor who serves in Calabasas, California. He is a pastor-teacher, but also gifted as an evangelist. As an evangelist, he is uniquely positioned to equip his fellow pastors to follow Paul's admonition to his young protege. Spoiler alert: this will bless you.

Neal Pirolo is a missionary and kingdom builder. His excellent book Serving As Senders Today has been used by countless churches and missionaries as a primary text concerning the "how to" of sending and being a missionary ... from recruitment to return from the field. His followup work The Reentry Team: Caring For Your Returning Missionaries is also a vital work which will help ensure a successful return for missionaries to their country of origin. This podcast explains how caring for missionaries is not only financial. As referred to in the epistle to the Philippians, there are at least six ways to care for missionaries. Learn how your church can do a great job sending and maintaining a fruitful, kingdom relationship with those you send out or support into another culture.

Divided leadership leads to a compromised and ineffective church. All pastors know this to be true. So how can we surround ourselves with men who aren't "yes men," who can weigh in solidly in the decision making processes of church leadership, and at the same time have men that are loyal and unified with one another. Pastor Paul LeBoutillier believes that we don't need 100% agreement on everything, but that it's essential to be in 100% unity with each other. Paul is the longtime senior pastor of Calvary Chapel in Ontario, Oregon. He brings almost 30 years of experience into this great discussion.

Stepping aside from a senior pastor role can be a fearful and uncertain venture. Who will lead this church moving forward? How will the congregation adjust to a new pastor? What will I do after the transition is complete? Pastor Bill Walden of Cornerstone Ministries of Napa, CA (now called Calvary Chapel Napa), led his elders and church through a five year process that is going very well on both ends. Bill and his leaders read a lot, prayed a lot, talked a lot, and planned a lot. And the end result is working. If you're considering transitioning your church in the future, this will encourage you. Remember: unless you are still the senior pastor when Jesus returns, someone else will be the senior pastor of your church!