Practical(ly) Pastoring

In this episode of  Practically Pastoring , Andrew, Tim, Delmar, and Jeff tackle two questions that seem unrelated at first, but both get at the heart of pastoral health and long-term sustainability in ministry. The first question comes from a pastor who took a new associate role in a new state and is finding that while family life is going well, church life feels flat, disconnected, and hard to l...

In this episode of Practically Pastoring, Andrew, Tim, and Jeff tackle two ministry questions that hit both structure and soul. First, they dig into church constitutions and bylaws, especially what happens when a church’s governing documents were written for an earlier season and now create real bottlenecks for staffing, leadership, and growth. The conversation explores the difference between gove...

In this episode of Practically Pastoring, Andrew, Jeff, and Delmar tackle two timely ministry questions that force pastors to think carefully about doctrine, discipleship, public witness, and pastoral wisdom. The first question centers on baby dedication and what standards churches should use when the family situation is complicated. The guys discuss the difference between dedication and baptism,...

In this episode of Practically Pastoring, the guys tackle two heavy, real-world ministry situations that require courage, wisdom, and a steady hand. First, they discuss what to do when a staff member or elder appears to mislead the congregation during a church meeting. From Matthew 18 conversations to questions of trust, bitterness, and leadership integrity, the conversation digs into how pastors...

This week on Practical(ly) Pastoring, Andrew, Tim, Delmar, and Jeff tackle two questions straight from the Facebook group, and both of them hit close to home. First, they discuss the sting pastors feel when key families skip their church’s Easter service for the bigger production down the road. Is that just modern church culture, a discipleship issue, a membership issue, or simply one of those wou...

This week on Practically Pastoring, the guys dive into a conversation a lot of pastors know they need to have, but would rather keep punting down the road: retirement. Sparked by a question from a pastor in his early 40s who is realizing he may be late to the conversation, the episode tackles what it looks like to start getting serious about retirement planning, especially if no one ever helped yo...

This week on Practically Pastoring, Andrew sits down with Tim, Delmar, and Jeff for a wide-ranging conversation that starts with a tough pastoral leadership question and ends with Holy Week and Easter check-ins. Question 1 is a sticky restoration situation: a man who confessed an emotional affair, continued the relationship for a year during a messy divorce, and has been out of meaningful church m...

At the Practically Pastoring Conference, Adam Powers makes a biblical case for elder-led ministry from Hebrews 13:17. He argues that pastors must resist treating churches like businesses and people like customers, and instead recover the hard, joyful work of caring for souls. This talk explores the duty of the church, the duty of elders, and the shared delight that comes when leaders shepherd fait...

We’re launching a new podcast. Get a Job with Andrew and Riley  is a limited-run series following a real-time ministry job search—from the moment you realize it might be time to leave, all the way through interviews, candidating, and whatever comes next. Riley is living it. Andrew is asking the questions. And together, we’re pulling back the curtain on what the process actually looks like—honestly...

Welcome back to Practically Pastoring. Andrew hosts Jeff, Del, Frank, and guest missionary Zach Harrod, serving in Prague, for an episode that is equal parts pastoral weight, practical systems, and classic pastor banter. Question 1, Kids ministry trauma and safety A church leader asks how to care well for an 11-year-old who disclosed abuse (now under investigation by police and CPS) while also pro...

This is a session from the Practical(ly) Pastoring Conference. Chad Williams, lead teaching pastor at Building 28 in Clearwater and former church planter and Chick-fil-A leader, argues that many churches accidentally build discipleship like a corporate ladder. The result is efficiency without formation, status without maturity, and a system where people feel stuck. Using the 1911 South Pole race a...

First, an anonymous pastor shares a painfully honest question: a longtime member left a small church for a megachurch, but keeps reaching back for hospital visits and crisis care. The pastor wants to be gracious, but the situation feels like being the “pastoral side piece.” The guys talk through what is fair, what is faithful, and how to set boundaries that are clear without being petty. Then, the...

Pastors don’t start cynical or burned out. But somewhere along the way, the wine runs out and we keep preaching, leading, and carrying burdens we were never meant to carry. In a Practically Pastoring Conference session, Tim Wildsmith walks through John 2:1–11 and connects it with Matthew 11:28–30 , offering a simple but piercing invitation: name the need, surrender the burden, and pursue soul rest...

In this episode, the guys tackle two real-life ministry situations pastors face all the time: 1) What do you do with the church member who constantly needs your attention—daily messages, constant crises, and an emotional drain that starts affecting your ministry and your family? 2) What do you say to the person preaching their very first sermon who feels unqualified, nervous, and unsure where to s...

Welcome back to Practically Pastoring. In this episode, we pull two real questions from Reddit and get painfully practical. Question 1: A rural Methodist pastor has seen real growth, but the “old guard” is wearing him down with constant complaints and unreasonable expectations. Question 2: A bi-vocational pastor/CTO is overloaded and torn between an IT master’s (paid for by work) and a doctorate i...

In this episode, the guys flip the script and interview Frank and Tim. Part 1: Frank gives a real-time update on the Cross & Crown Church plant (what’s working, what’s hard, what’s next, and the hunt for a launch location).Part 2: Tim walks through what it’s actually like for a sending church to release a pastor and dozens of people, while also preparing for a major vision campaign and buildin...

In this episode, Frank, Andrew, Jeff, and Delmar talk about the real pressure points we are feeling heading into 2026, what ministry plays are losing traction, and what we’re personally changing so we can last for the long haul (without burning out our people or ourselves).Timestamps 00:00 — Welcome back + New Year banter (and the great “koozie vs cozy” debate)01:49 — Q1: Biggest pressure point in...

Is Advent a Catholic tradition, or just a really old Christian rhythm we forgot existed? In this Advent themed episode, we answer two real pastor questions: “Is Advent a Catholic tradition? Will this cause issues in a Baptist church?”  “Do you sing Christmas carols during Advent, or wait until Christmas Eve?” (Also, why is this guy getting ambushed in elder meetings?) We talk history, Baptist bagg...

Welcome to the Practically Pastoring Hot Takes Episode — the one where we unintentionally roast half of evangelicalism and guarantee Andrew never gets invited to another conference again. From At-the-Movies sermons, to canceling church the Sunday after Christmas, to whether bad coffee means you hate visitors… this might be the most unhinged—and honest—episode we’ve ever recorded.  Grab your headp...

Today’s episode starts innocently enough with a simple question about office hours ……and ends with one of the wildest Reddit pastor stories we’ve EVER read . We’re talking:• Should pastors still keep traditional office hours?• How do you stay available without being chained to a church building?• Where do you meet people for confidential conversations?• How do you build culture when your staff is...

In this episode of the Practically Pastoring Podcast, the guys tackle some of the real parts of church leadership — like how to respond when disgruntled members try to recruit others, whether it’s okay to reuse old sermons, and what actually works for men’s and women’s ministry events. Practically Pastoring Conference 2026 — February 9–11, 2026 in sunny Florida! 🌴 It’s three days of real conversa...

It’s Pastor Appreciation Month — but how should churches actually handle it? This week, the guys get honest about recognizing pastors, the misuse of the “pastor” title, developing small group leaders, and what to do when you’re burned out and ready to quit ministry. ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 — Cold Open: Pastor Appreciation Month is weird 00:51 — Should churches only honor the lead pastor? 03:35 — How d...

Pastors’ mailbag time. We tackle anointing with oil in James 5, where the ethical lines are with MLMs in church life, and smart ways to use continuing-ed budgets without wasting a dollar. Chapters00:00 Cold Open + Intro01:10 Mailbag Setup: today’s questions03:00 Anointing with Oil (James 5): theology and practice19:30 When/How to anoint during services24:45 MLMs in Church: boundaries, policies, an...

Mike Gunn (Antioch Initiative) joins us to talk about why mission beats brand, how American churches can learn from the global church, and why Christian Nationalism is a distraction from the gospel. He shares a simple Acts 14 pattern for church planting and a call to recover an Acts 13 sending culture. Chapters 00:00 - Intro & Mike’s background (Acts 29, Antioch Initiative) 00:54 - Should ever...

What makes a faithful sermon ? Is it verse-by-verse exposition, topical teaching, or something deeper? In this episode of Practically Pastoring, Frank sits down with Michael Moore. A bi-vocational pastor and the creator behind Honest Youth Pastor. We talk about sermon prep, youth ministry curriculum, and the role of AI in preaching. Michael shares his framework for sermon reviews, how pastors shou...