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.

Pastor Ed Taylor is an open book in private as well as in public. His transparency and sincerity are evident in this podcast episode, in which Ed provides abundant encouragement with regard to dealing with extreme loss, the pastor's calling, the pastor's own self-assessment and identity (spoiler alert: the pastor is not to be deemed successful on the basis of the size of your church!), and thinking and living within the good things that God has done and is doing. Ed is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Aurora, Colorado, a solid, growing and relevant congregation near Denver. He and the church have completed 20 years as a fellowship, and during those years Ed has learned, and is learning valuable and transferable lessons in life and ministry. Ed's keeping it real...

Paul Berry assumed the senior pastor role at Calvary Chapel Santa Maria, CA in 1992. When he started, there were 50-60 people in attendance, but there was a e mere skeleton of a leadership team. Therefore in the very first months of his pastorate, Paul dug in and began raising up men who would serve the Lord, His church, and their families in the way Christ called them to. In this podcast, Paul will share with us what they did, how they did it, and why they did it. Also, resources are available for Paul’s SOM curriculum. He argues that men need to be given responsibility and authority, and the opportunity to truly lead and minister within the church and community. This is a must listen for those wanting encouragement and help in the area of developing Biblical leadership in the church.

Pastors are often isolated and feel alone. It's difficult to find others that can relate to the unique challenges of the ministry. Not too surprisingly, pastors report that they often suffer from discouragement, and even depression.

Tim Brown has been in pastoral ministry since 1973, and a senior pastor since 1985. He is widely regarded as a very wise man, full of sage advice and interesting insights on matters of theology and church life. In episode 019, Tim shares his thoughts on the subject of the pastoral ministry's greatest challenge. His conclusions may surprise you. But they most definitely will challenge and encourage any senior pastor, or anyone in ministry for that matter. Tim argues that the greatest challenge in ministry is not the need to be pure, but rather the need to remain ____________. Tune in and see if you agree.

Join host Bill Holdridge and Pastor Trip Kimball as they discuss some of the how-to's of disciple making, especially within the ministry of the senior/lead pastor. Questions like, who should we look for? or what is the goal of disciple making? or how did Jesus do it? are part of the discussion.

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.

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.

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.

You've heard about this idea, and you've been thinking about it. There are roadblocks to consider, and you're reviewing some of them in your own mind. Yet just the hope of an extended restorative time away charges your batteries. How can the obstacles to actually doing this be overcome? What about your church's leadership, how will they ever get on board? Why not just take an extra week of vacation? In this podcast, Pastor John Cowan of Poimen Ministries responds to these questions with Program Host Bill Holdridge. May the Lord bless you as you live in, and enter into His rest!