A Plain Account

Leading people in a church can be an act of mutual submission, discipleship, and pastoral care. Episode Rundown: * A theology of mutual submission. * Leadership in the church. * The volunteer problem in small churches. * Our approach to volunteer management

Church buildings. They're a major investment, a time-suck, and also a place of transformational ministry. Let's talk about facility management! Episode rundown: * Facility maintenance as a percentage of the church’s budget * Current facility issues that we are dealing with * Our approach to facility management * Major renovations & capital campaigns * Dealing with insurance

The Advent and Christmas seasons are over. Tis the season for some reflective criticism on what went well, where the Spirit worked, and what we could change next year. Episode Rundown: * Our Advent themes * Christmas Eve stories * Looking ahead to 2025

Retired Nazarene District Superintendent Kim Smith talks through a lifetime of pastoral lessons learned, both good and bad. --- In our final episode with retired District Superintendent Kim Smith, we talk lessons in pastoral ministry! Kim shares his decades of experience and both positive and negative lessons learned. Episode Rundown: Listening to the Spirit Leading people with relationships inste...

Rev. Kim Smith retired as the District Superintendent of Iowa District of the Church of the Nazarene. He's now returning to the pastorate in a small church restart. He shares his story & his approach to intentional missional relationships. --- We’re pleased to have Rev. Kim Smith join with the Jasons for the next two episodes of the Sacred and Small podcast. Kim was a retired District Superint...

Jason & Jason continue their two part series on liminality in the church by talking about the liminal relationship between a church and the community.

Jason & Jason start a two part series on liminality in the church by talking about the way small church pastors can speak prophetically to their congregations.

Join Alicia and Megan as they discuss preaching through Advent!

SHOW NOTES  Our texts this week are here   Our prayer this week is from Jan Richardson’s Circle of Grace We highly recommend J erusha Neal’s Overshadowed Preacher Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount    Other resources on our website : commentaries, dis...

SHOW NOTES  Contact us to have a conversation about supporting the show: podcast@aplainaccount.org How to Eat Together as a Church , a webinar with Rev. Pardue and N4CC Jewish Voices for Peace on zionism . Our texts this week are ⁠⁠here⁠⁠   Our prayer this week is from Jan Richardson in Circle of Grace, a Book of Blessings for the Seasons Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affil...

SHOW NOTES  Our texts this week are ⁠here⁠   Our prayer this week is “For Breaking Bread with Others” from ⁠ Feminist Prayers for My Daughter by Shannon K. Evans ⁠ Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show ⁠ https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount ⁠    Other resources on our ⁠website⁠ : commentari...

SHOW NOTES  Our texts this week are here   Our prayer this week is “For A Faith Community” from Feminist Prayers for My Daughter by Shannon K. Evans  A quick review of the historical context for eunuchs in the ancient world: https://www.britannica.com/topic/eunuch   Two ancient references worth considering that highlight the non-binary reality of eunuchs: The first one is from St. Augustine who de...

SHOW NOTES  Our texts this week are here   Our prayer this week is “We Are Baffled” from Awed To Heaven, Rooted in Earth by Walter Breuggemann   N. T. Wright quote from Surprised By Hope : “Once we get the resurrection straight, we can and must get mission straight. […] People who believe in the resurrection, in God making a whole new world in which everything will be set right at last, are unstop...

SHOW NOTES  Our texts this week are here   Our prayer this week is from Liturgies For Hope by Audrey Elledge and Elizabeth Moore – “A Liturgy For Those Embracing the Mystery of Faith”  Disability Theology: My Body is Not A Prayer Request, by Amy Kenny  N. T. Wright quote from Surprised By Hope : “Once we get the resurrection straight, we can and must get mission straight. […] People who believe in...

SHOW NOTES Our texts this week are here   Listen to the text: YouVersioin Bible App , Dwell Bible Explore Alabaster Bibles Our prayer this week: Easter Sunday: While It Was Still Dark, by Jan Richardson Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount    Other reso...

SHOW NOTES  Our texts this week are here   Our prayer this week: “Blessing of Palms” by Jan Richardson Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount    Other resources on our website : commentaries, discipleship, liturgics, music.

SHOW NOTES  Our texts this week are here   Our prayer this week: Awed To Heaven Rooted In Earth, Walter Brueggemann – “We Try As Best We Can To Live By Bread Alone”  Also mentioned: “Caminante no hay camino” by Antonio Machado    Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/...

SHOW NOTES  Our texts this week are here   Our prayer this week: A Liturgy for Giving Thanks from Liturgies for Hope: Sixty Prayers for the Highs, the Lows, and Everything in Between Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount    Other resources on our website...

SHOW NOTES  Our texts this week are here Our prayer this week: “For This Lovely Day” from The Lives We Actually Have Alicia’s Ash Wednesday playlist and Lent playlist A prayer of unknowing by Thomas Merton  Browse our curated booklists! Purchasing through this affiliate link generates a small commission for us and is a great way to support the show https://bookshop.org/shop/aplainaccount    Other...