Monday Morning Pastor

Doug has a great conversation with a dear friend fresh off his sabbatical.  Cody has been in ministry for over 15 years and currently serves as a youth pastor in central PA.  He recently came off a really unique sabbatical adventure of hiking the Camino de Santiago.  We talk ministry, health, calling, and rest.  We hope you all have a great thanksgiving and enjoy time with family and friends.  Tha...

Doug and Bob chat with their friend JR Rozko about his story of becoming an Anglican Priest, the church he pastors with his wife Amy, and how he met Jesus.  JR is a gift and we are glad to share him with you all!   We’d love to hear from you. Drop us a line.  Doug – Douglas@bendingbranches.org   Bob – bob@kairospartnerships.org   **Monday Morning Pastor is produced by the incredibly gifted Joel Li...

Doug and Bob chat with professor and author Drew Keane about his book How to Use the Book of Common Prayer. You might be thinking, how does this relate to me, I am not an Anglican, nor do I want to be? I would challenge you and say that my own prayer life has been greatly impacted by the BCP over the past year.  There is a richness to learning from prayer that is much older and broader than the tr...

Doug and Bob chat with Pastor and author Caleb Campbell about the opportunities for discipleship and mission that are ahead of us in the election cycle. He brings into view some practical and creative ways to love and care for folks in your congregation who are living into the political fear in this season.  Caleb has had a lot of experience in this world as his church was deeply impacted by the 2...

Mark Matlock is Senior Fellow at Barna and a facilitator of innovation and impact. As the founder of WisdomWorks, he has been a consultant for many national and international faith-based organizations, helping them adapt to changing times by turning data and research into strategy and action. Having guided many projects with Barna, Mark's research provides insights into understanding younger gener...

Doug and Bob talk Church with Natalie Runion. One of the many things that we appreciate about Natalie is the way she is able to be honest, raw and hopeful for what is to come. Natalie talks about her new book, the story behind it, how this was one of the hardest books to write, and what she has discovered about the love she has for the Church in the process. We are glad to share this episode with...

Doug has a great chat with writer, editor, catechist and trained horticulturist — Julie Lane-Gay about her book on faith and liturgy titled The Riches of Your Grace . Julie has  been shaped by and thought deeply about the ways in which the Book of Common Prayer has formed her and the gift it is to shape us in our ordinary life.  I appreciate the ways in which liturgy has brought forward many deep...

Doug and Bob talk prayer, faith journey, culture, and the arts with our second time guest David Taylor.  For those not familiar with David, he is a theologian, author, speaker, priest, and director of initiatives in art and faith. A professor at Fuller Theological Seminary, he has lectured widely on the arts, from Thailand to South Africa. He has written for The Washington Post, Image Journal, The...

Both Bob and Doug were youth pastors, Doug was obviously better than Bob, but I digress.  This episode Bob and Doug talk with youth ministry legend Tic Long who has seen the scope from the early years of youth ministry being a thing until now.  It has the feel of a PBS documentary that could be next Ken Burns project.  Tic Long has spent most of his adult life in youth ministry and leadership. He...

Doug and Bob talk with Jeff Haanen the founder of The Denver Institute for Faith and Work. Jeff has learned that real transformation takes place “from the inside out.”  When emotional and spiritual health and the pursuit of truth gives birth to healthy work and thriving relationships, leaders are positioned to make long-lasting positive social and cultural impact.  As pastors one of the most impor...

Doug and Bob talk with pastor of 30+ years and author Shane Stanford about life in ministry in the midst of difficult seasons.   If you find yourself going through a difficult season we know this will be an encouragement and blessing to you.  Ministry is a tough journey and it doesn’t have to tank you even when things are not going well, Shane helps keep the focus on Jesus’ love and loving like Je...

Doug has an insightful, serious, and fun conversation with Stephanie, Jessica, and Jenna three Pastors’ wives who decided to write a book about their experiences.  This important conversation brings to light the everyday good and sometimes difficult realities that pastors’ spouses go through.  If you are a pastor, you must listen.  If you are a spouse of a pastor, I sense you will learn even more...

If we asked 100 pastors to rate their top ten authors have shaped their theology and imagination for the Gospel the most, I believe C.S. Lewis would be high on all of the lists. Mere Christianity, Narnia, The Problem of Pain, God on The Dock, Screwtape letters… the list can go on.  Doug and Bob talk with Mark Noll about C.S. Lewis and his legacy and reception in America during his early years befo...

Bob and Doug talk to Brad Griffin, a youth ministry lifer about the research of his newest book Faith Beyond Youth Ministry. Youth ministers, parents, pastors, elders, volunteers… everyone needs to listen.  If you are a youth pastor or volunteer, thank you!    Book: Faith Beyond Youth Group: Five Ways to For Character and Cultivate Life Long Discipleship   Information for coaching and spiritual di...

Bob and Doug talk to church planter and near death experiences researcher John Burke about his new book Imagine the God of Heaven. This was a very interesting conversation and we hope it is encouraging to you.   Links  John’s Book: Imagine The God of Heaven  You can read the first 3 chapters immediately ï Chapters 1-3 - immediate access here Watch a sample week of the 4-week small group Video curr...

Doug has a conversation with Jay Kim about the book of Colossians.  Jay wrote a bible study guide on the book that came out of a sermon series on Colossians.  We also talk about the trend of pastors leading churches that look totally different after the pandemic.  Jay talks about saying goodbye to good people and the toll it takes on the life of the pastor and the life of the church.  We hope you...

Happy November, we are really excited to start out this month with an epic interview with Lee Strobel about his new book Is God Real? Exploring the Ultimate Question of Life. We get into some great practical resources for churches around evangelism and apologetics.  Send this to the evangelists in your churches, they will be blessed.   Lee’s book: Is God Real? Exploring the Ultimate Question of Li...

Pastors and leaders, thanks for the ways in which you serve behind the scenes of your congregations, it may not be noticed, but we see it, and we thank you for it.  This week, We have a conversation with Doug’s co-pastor Ben Pitzen.  Many are blessed to work on healthy teams but I am blessed to work with Ben.  He is gracious, compassionate, patient, and kind.  He is my friend and I am glad that yo...

Jason is an international speaker on the topic of chastity, love, sexuality, gender identity to high school and college students.  It is evident that he has a heart for the Gospel and young people and we are grateful to have him on MMP.  Also, Jason is the first Catholic that we have had the privilege to interview and learn from.  Resources  Jason’s ministry: www.chasity.com  Information for coach...

Pastor appreciation month is hear!  On behalf of Bob, Doug, and the folks at Kairos Partnerships we want to say a big thanks for all you do.  We hope you learn as you listen to deep discernment, wisdom, and decision making on the craft of naming your sermon as to not be confused with a romance novel title.  Big thanks to our guest and friend Caleb Mangum of https://www.nuttynovelties.com   Lastly,...

Pastors and leaders, thanks for the ways in which you serve behind the scenes of your congregations, it may not be noticed, but we see it, and we thank you for it.  This week, We have a conversation with my(Doug’s) spiritual director about spiritual direction, life as a minister and the need to care for pastors.  I have known Owen for years now and I am so glad I have a chance to interview him and...

Pastor appreciation month is here!  On behalf of Bob, Doug, and the folks at Kairos Partnerships we want to say a big thanks for all you do.  We hope you learn as you listen to deep discernment, wisdom, and decision making on the craft of naming your sermon as to not be confused with a romance novel title.  Big thanks to our guest and friend Caleb Mangum of https://www.nuttynovelties.com   Lastly,...

Leadership is hard if anyone offers you a quick and easy guide to leadership bliss, run away. As we are in Pastor Appreciation month we want to acknowledge how hard it is to lead, and we want to say thank you for leading pastors!  Keep it up!  On to our show, It isn’t everyday you have a chance to talk to a former NFL player turned pastor (Leonce) and a leading church researcher (Warren) at the sa...

Pastor appreciation month is hear!  On behalf of Bob, Doug, and the folks at Kairos Partnerships we want to say a big thanks for all you do.  We hope you enjoy the poem written by our friend Caleb Mangum.  Lastly, we will be giving away books, a hand written poem, and other prizes all month long each Wednesday with our special podcast Romance novel title or Sermon title .  Here are the ways to get...

Pastors, you are not immune from experiencing struggles with mental health.  let that sink in.  Much of our job places us in the middle of some very tense and difficult moments in the lives of the people we serve.  These experiences can lead to some serious depletion and damage to our mental health.  We hope that: 1. You will hear something in this podcast that encourages you and helps you know th...