Church for the Rest of Us Podcast

Episode 0111: Leading Through COVID-19: Hold the Plan LooselyIn this episode, we talk about reopening Family Church during the coronapocolypse. Pastor Aaron Filippone and Pastor Derek Simpson join the conversation. Based on our guiding principles and when looking at the data, we’re going to be in season for the long haul. As it ebbs and flows, we’re going to have to continue being flexible, adapta...

Episode 0110: Leading Through COVID-19: Brainerd Baptist ChurchMicah Fries, Lead Pastor of Brainerd Baptist Church in Chattanooga, Tennessee joins the podcast. We discuss the journey of reopening Brainerd Baptist Church during the COVID-19 pandemic. Pastor Micah tells us about how the precautionary actions they’ve implemented, how they’ve simplified their services, and how they’ve accommodated for...

Episode 0109: Leading Through COVID-19: Calvary ChurchSenior Pastor, Willy Rice, from Calvary Church in Clearwater, Florida. We broach the topic of reopening churches amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, and what it has taken to get to this point in terms of following guidelines and navigating the new normal. We also talk about the importance of opening up the conversation around the topic of racism in A...

Episode 0108: Leading Through COVID-19 – Cross ChurchAs some churches continue to meet virtually every Sunday, some are beginning to reopen. Senior Pastor of Cross Church, Nick Floyd, joins the conversation to talk about his experience with reopening church. He walks us through the process, communication, and safety measures they prioritized versus the ones they left more flexible. He also shares...

Episode 0107: Leading Through COVID-19: Coach Chris HobbsThere is a significant overlap between the running of a school and a church. Both can provide the other with helpful strategies to overcome the obstacles presented by the COVID-10 pandemic. We welcome Coach Chris Hobbs to the podcast. He is the Athletic Director at The King’s Academy and joins the conversation. We talk practically about pres...

Episode 0106: Leading Through COVID-19: The Village ChurchAs the COVID-19 pandemic continues to shape our reality, it’s helpful to learn how other churches are  coping with this new normal. Today's guest is Pastor Josh Patterson, Lead Pastor of The Village Church in Texas. He shares what he and his team have  experienced with adapting to the coronavirus crisis, while still meeting the needs o...

Episode 0105: Leading Through COVID-19: Virtual First ConnectionOn this episode we focus on church membership during the coronavirus crisis. We highlight the assimilation process and how we go about connecting with new people who are interested in becoming members of Family Church. Social distancing does create some barriers to the way we usually do things and our emphasis on meaningful membership...

Episode 0104: Leading Through COVID-19: Groups StrategyOn this episode, Pastor Aaron Filippone and Angel Turbeville join the conversation. Aaron leads our Love Our Neighbors team and Angel has been an integral part in developing our virtual groups strategy. We discuss how we can continue to live on mission and love our neighbors in the midst of the coronavirus. With no gatherings possible due to s...

Episode 0103: Leading Through COVID-19: Fellowship Church ReopeningIn this episode, we are joined by our friends from Fellowship Church in Dallas, Texas. Pastor Ed Young and Dr. John Cross just reopened their church service after months of closure from the coronavirus. Many churches are starting to think about reopening but are unsure of the right approach and what to expect when they open their d...

Episode 0102: Leading Through COVID-19: Loving Our NeighborsPastor Aaron Filippone and Pastor Larry Mayer join us on the podcast. Both are highly engaged in the Family Church Network and our local community. Aaron leads the network’s Love Our Neighbors team. They have first-hand experience on how we continue loving our people in this time of social distancing. As we settle in to how we do church i...

Episode 0101: Leading Through COVID-19 – Leading Through COVID-19: Opportunity to Reinvent We discuss how the coronavirus crisis has presented churches, leaders, and organizations with the opportunity to reinvent themselves. We’ve previously used the analogy of having to move out of our house into an apartment and the necessary adjustments we have had to make. While this season is not going to las...

Episode 0100: Leading Through COVID-19: Connection Behind ContentVisiting us today is Kadi Cole. Kadi is a leadership and organizational consultant, author, and speaker. She is the author of Developing Female Leaders: Navigate the Minefields and Release the Potential of Women in Your Church. We discuss how important leadership is in times of crisis. Rather than getting into a mere crisis managemen...

Episode 0099: Leading Through COVID-19: Reopening Church TBDThe coronavirus pandemic continues, and in this episode, we discuss what reopening church will look like. When the government lifts some of the social distancing restrictions, how will it affect us when we gather in the future? How is it going to impact the way we do church? While new cases have slowed and even seem to be declining in som...

Episode 0098: Leading Through COVID-19: Multisite Before and After the CrisisDr. Gregg Allison from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary joins us to talk about the multisite church model before and after the COVID-19 crisis. Dr. Allison started his research as a skeptic, but after hosting a course and finding strong Biblical support for it, he has become an advocate. He tells us about his boo...

Episode 0097: Leading Through COVID-19: Staying Connected to Our KidsOne of our core values at Family Church is building families. In this episode Pastor George Estornell joins us. Pastor George is the Pastor to Kids and Families of our Downtown campus, as well as leads our network-wide kids ministry team. He shares simple and creative solutions that any church leader can use with the resources th...

Episode 0096: Leading Through COVID-19: Engaging StudentsTyler Core, Pastor to Students and Families of our Downtown campus and leads our student ministry. Tyler and his wife, Ashley have a heart for students and walking a road of discipleship with the young leaders in our network. With the rise of social media, the nature of student ministry has experienced a total evolution and is proving to be...

Episode 0095: Leading Through COVID-19: Financial PlanningScott Crawford, Business Administrator and CFO of the Family Church Network, joins the conversation. As churches are seeing a decline in offerings, it’s important to seriously reconsider budgets and financial strategies. In this episode, we look at our financial plan amidst the coronavirus crisis. We discuss looking at income versus expendi...

Episode 0094: Leading Through COVID-19 – Celebrating the OrdinancesBaptism and the Lord’s Supper are two faith practices Jesus told us to observe as a church. COVID-19 has called for us to change the way we celebrate our ordinances. We have pressed on to take the Lord’s Supper each week and have also performed baptisms, being mindful of physical distancing. We had to think about the theological an...

CFTROU 0093: Leading Through COVID-19: Collaboration During a CrisisAs we continue the conversation of leading through the COVID-19 crisis, we welcome two of our esteemed pastors to talk about the shift in our organizational model and the how they have led through that change. Pastor Seth Carter serves as the Creative Arts Pastor of the Family Church Network and directs all creative initiatives of...

CFTROU 0092: Leading Through COVID-19: Crisis Response TeamIn this episode, we welcome our guest, Pastor Derek Simpson to the show. He serves as the campus pastor of our Downtown campus and leads the Family Church Network Matrix team. In response to the COVID-19 crisis, our church mobilized a cross-functional task force of leaders from different departments. As quarterback of this crisis response...

CFTROU 0091: Leading Through COVID-19: Campus Pastor Q & AIn this episode, Lead Pastor of the Family Church Network, speaks with campus pastors of our Family Church Sherbrooke, Jimmy Muir and Todd Thomas. As pastors in a multisite network of neighborhood churches, they have developed a way to stay connected to their people, including leaders and groups. In this Q & A discussion, they share...

CFTROU 0090: Leading Through COVID-19 – Digital LearningsOn the podcast, Pastor Jimmy leads a discussion of how we find creative ways to stay connected to our teams and congregations during a time of crisis. Our Communications Team is featured on this episode to discuss how we are leveraging digital platforms to stay close to our church family. Leslee Bennett and Carly Seelman lead our digital ini...

CFTROU 0089: Leading Through COVID-19: Communication ToolsWe are joined by Pastor Aaron Filippone, Campus Pastor of Family Church Gardens, and Carly Seelman, Communications and Marketing Manager of the Family Church Network. Communications is a significant focus, specifically on communicating with our teams and congregations. How do we stay connected in this environment of social distancing? Pasto...

CFTROU 0088: Leading Through COVID-19 – Immediate ResponseWe have never experienced anything like the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. It is changing the way we do church. We are responding to the evolving circumstances surrounding the outbreak and our leadership has come together to create an action plan. Face-to-face communication is our preference; however, this global health threat has forced...

CFTROU 0087: Multisite Church for the Rest of Us – The Jimmy Scroggins StoryThis season we are diving into the world of multisite churches. Our Lead Pastor, Jimmy Scroggins, is a pioneer and well-versed in the multisite movement. He shares the lessons he has learned along the way to building the Family Church Network. He explains the framework and the Biblical foundation involved with developing a...