Pastors Thriving | Ministry, Leadership, Discipleship, Church Growth, Small Church Strategies

Episode 106: Why Summer Might Be the Most Important Season for Your Church Most pastors view summer as a season to survive. Attendance fluctuates. Families travel. Volunteer schedules become unpredictable. Ministry rhythms feel disrupted. It's easy to put growth, leadership development, and strategic planning on hold until everyone returns in the fall. But what if summer isn't a setback? What if s...

Episode 105: When Ministry Doesn't Go According to Plan Leadership is filled with moments we never expected. Plans fall apart. People let us down. Opportunities disappear. Prayers seem delayed. Recently, I had to make one of the toughest decisions I've faced in ministry. Just ten days before departure, our Sparrow Village Initiatives team had to postpone a long-awaited trip to serve 115 orphaned c...

I woke up around 2:30 in the morning with the thought that maybe I should get up and pray. Then another voice entered the conversation. "Don't bother." "You again?" "What do you want now?" "All you've done lately is make a mess." The next morning, I couldn't stop thinking about that moment—not because I believed it, but because I wondered how many pastors hear similar lies and quietly believe them...

Why does everything in your church still seem to depend on the same few faithful people? The same volunteers. The same leaders. The same families. The same exhausted core. If that sounds familiar, this episode is for you. In this conversation, Kevin unpacks one of the most common frustrations pastors face: carrying too much because engagement is concentrated in too few people. The hard truth? This...

Have you ever found yourself asking: “God… where are You?” You’ve been faithful. You’ve kept showing up. You’ve prayed. You’ve obeyed. And yet the breakthrough you’ve been pleading for still hasn’t come. In this deeply personal episode, Kevin opens up about walking through financial pressure, family medical strain, emotional exhaustion, and the uncomfortable reality of continuing to lead while qui...

After recognizing the pull toward isolation in leadership, the next question becomes simple—but important: What do you actually do about it? In this episode, Kevin walks pastors through a clear and grounded response to isolation—not by adding pressure, but by helping them take intentional steps toward connection. This is not about overhauling your leadership overnight. It’s about choosing a differ...

Episode 100 didn’t start the way Kevin expected. After recording a polished version, something didn’t sit right—so he scrapped it. What follows is a real, unfiltered conversation about something many pastors are experiencing but rarely name: Isolation. When pressure builds, many pastors don’t reach out—they pull back. But what feels safe in the moment often becomes the very thing that limits growt...

Does Your Church Have These Markers of Being Fully Engaged? Podcast: Pastors Thriving Host: Kevin Elworth Episode Summary What does a healthy, engaged church actually look like? After recognizing how easy it is for people to be present but not truly connected, the next question becomes clear: How do we know if our church is actually engaging people well? In this episode, Kevin outlines the core ma...

The Hidden Crisis in Most Churches (And Why Leaders Don’t See It) Podcast: Pastors Thriving Host: Kevin Elworth Episode Summary Many churches today appear healthy on the surface. Services run smoothly. Teams stay busy. Attendance holds steady. But beneath that activity, something quieter—and more concerning—is happening. People are present… but not engaged. In this episode, Kevin addresses a hidde...

In this episode of Pastors Thriving , Kevin sits down with Pastor Aaron McBride of Victory Baptist Church in Fallon, Nevada. Aaron shares the deeper story behind his book, When the Desert Blooms , and reflects on the seasons of uncertainty, pain, pruning, and personal transformation that shaped both his ministry and his heart. From strained relationships and desert seasons in leadership, to unexpe...

Hey Pastor! Many pastors secretly wonder: “Is it me?” When growth stalls, we often assume it’s preaching quality, relevance, or programming. But what if the real issue isn’t your sermon? In this episode, Kevin unpacks why church growth almost always stalls because of structure — not speaking ability. You’ll learn: Why preaching inspires but systems integrate The hidden leak in most churches Why yo...

If only 20% of your church is serving… you don’t have a people problem. You have a pathway problem. In this episode, Kevin unpacks the growing engagement crisis inside local churches. The old 80/20 rule isn’t accurate anymore. In many churches, it’s closer to 95/5 — and most of that 5% is staff. This isn’t about laziness. It’s about clarity. Kevin walks through: Why unclear engagement pathways sta...

Many churches today are busy—but not all are effective. Staff calendars are full. Sundays are prepared. Volunteers are scheduled. And yet, people are quietly drifting away—unnoticed, unseen, and unsupported. In this episode of Pastors Thriving , Kevin addresses a growing and often unrecognized issue in church life: the systemic overlooking of people . Not because churches don’t care—but because th...

Pastors today are carrying immense pressure—often quietly. Pressure to prove their calling. Pressure to justify their leadership. Pressure to keep going, even when the cost feels too high. In this episode of Pastors Thriving , Kevin invites pastors into a reflective, Scripture-anchored conversation centered on the story of Jephthah in Judges 11. Rather than approaching the passage academically, Ke...

As we step into 2026, many pastors are quietly hoping for relief—but instead feel a steady, underlying pressure that never fully lifts. In this episode, Kevin Elworth names 10 quiet pressures pastors are carrying—pressures that rarely get acknowledged, talked about, or addressed in church culture. These aren’t dramatic crises. They’re subtle, cumulative weights that often lead to exhaustion, isola...

Ministry can feel heavier than anyone prepared you for. If you’re still faithful, still praying, still leading—but quietly exhausted—this episode is for you. In this conversation, Kevin speaks directly to pastors who feel the growing weight of leadership, expectations, and responsibility. Not to fix you. Not to push you harder. But to remind you that heaviness does not mean failure—and exhaustion...

Episode: The Money Mindset You’re Teaching Your Kids (Without Realizing It) In this episode, Kevin unpacks how most of us learned money—not through wisdom, but through fear—and how those lessons quietly shape our parenting, leadership, and ministry. You’ll hear about: Why most financial beliefs are inherited, not chosen How fear becomes the filter through which money is taught The Super Bowl comme...

What’s really the most important part of discipleship? It’s not a new program, a sermon series, or even the latest ministry model. It’s a decision. In this episode, Kevin unpacks why engagement and transformation in your church start the moment you decide, “This is what we’re going to be about.” You’ll discover: Why churches often stay stuck asking “How?” instead of deciding “We will.” How Jesus g...

Many pastors are doing everything they know to do—praying, preaching, serving faithfully—yet still feel exhausted, stalled, or quietly discouraged. In this episode, Kevin Elworth returns to Pastors Thriving after a short pause to address a tension most pastors feel but rarely say out loud: Faithfulness alone doesn’t guarantee effectiveness. This conversation reframes burnout, disengaged volunteers...

What if your church’s discipleship system could multiply without adding a single new program? In this fast-paced episode, Kevin unpacks three powerful shifts every pastor must make to move from maintenance to movement in their discipleship culture. Drawing from his Make More Disciples Challenge , Kevin explains how small mindset shifts can unlock massive ministry impact. In this episode, you’ll le...

Today on Pastors Thriving , I welcome Pastor Bryan Samms , lead pastor of River City Baptist Church in Jacksonville, FL. Bryan and his wife, Angie, along with their five kids, are living proof that prayer and radical belief in an almighty God still move mountains today. Now, you might be thinking, “Isn’t that what every church is about?” Great question—and in this power-packed episode, you’ll disc...

In this episode of Pastors Thriving , I sit down with Pastor Emmanuel Kuta from Kenya to hear firsthand about the miraculous movement of God unfolding in his ministry. From healings to transformations, Pastor Emmanuel shares stories that will stir your faith and encourage you to believe for more in your own context. Whether you’re pastoring a small church or leading a growing ministry, these mirac...

In this episode of Pastors Thriving , I sit down with Meme Mulugeta, a woman with a powerful story of redemption and renewal. Meme shares how the Lord has led her out of a wilderness season into a fresh place of growth, freedom, and obedience to His Spirit. If you’ve ever felt stuck, dry, or desolate in your spiritual journey, Meme’s testimony will encourage you to keep trusting the Lord’s leading...

What if your church’s discipleship system could multiply without adding a single new program? In this fast-paced episode, Kevin unpacks three powerful shifts every pastor must make to move from maintenance to movement in their discipleship culture. Drawing from his Make More Disciples Challenge , Kevin explains how small mindset shifts can unlock massive ministry impact. In this episode, you’ll le...

Special episode in honor of Charlie Kirk and his profound and powerful legacy