Talking Church

Episode 49: At River Valley, we love to host, and we desire to be great stewards of hosting our guests. To ring in the new year, Pastor Logan Ketterling sat down to explain the heart behind hosting well, why it is so important. Here are 10 ways to help your church host people best. We can't wait for you to listen!

Episode 48: Happy New Year! Pastor Logan wanted to take this week to celebrate all that God has done this year in River Valley Network! As Pastor Logan breaks down these exciting stories, know you had a big part to play in making this year amazing. Whether you attended our events, gathered some resources, or listened to the podcast, we are so grateful to have connected with you this year. Our goal...

Episode 47: From all of us here at River Valley Network, we want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. We are praying over your Christmas services, your congregation, your families, and your team! Let this be a time of rest as we point people to remember what this exciting season is all about!

Episode 46: Pastor Kirk Graham, our Executive Pastor of Local Ministries & Creative, jumps back in the podcast to discuss staff meeting culture & staff discipleship. Pastor Kirk is gifted at energizing the congregation, our team, and other pastors, and he has so much to offer to you when it comes to lifting the culture of your meetings & atmosphere. We know this will rejuvenate you as...

Episode 45: As a church, there can be what seems to feel like an unlimited number of events within the calendar year, let alone the calendar month! With all of your ministries going on, and each ministry needing weekly consistency combined with a few special events, it can be tricky to navigate planning the calendar. Our Associate Director of Experience, Michaela Johnson, and our Discipleship Past...

Episode 44: We are so excited to have Terry Parkman join us again for today's episode on what it truly means to disciple this next generation. Pastor Terry explains that our world today is post modernism, post church, and post truth. This means that culture today is moving from facts and truth and toward feelings, personal desires, and sin to be their truth. In the world's view, it doesn't matter...

Episode 43: Happy Thanksgiving Week! We wanted to take this week to highlight a conversation that Pastor Logan and Pastor Rob had about Pastor Rob's latest book, "Keep the Change." Pastor Rob shares his heart behind writing the book and the lasting impact that it will have on you and your team. We are praying that you have a safe and relaxing week, enjoy family and friends, and eat some great food...

Episode 42: Pastor Rob has been leading River Valley for well over 25 years. He has seen many changes in his staff, from healthy transitions to unhealthy transitions. In this episode, he breaks down all that he has learned from hiring and firing from his time in ministry. Hiring someone is an exciting and large step to take, as the people we hire in ministry are responsible for ministering to our...

Episode 41: We have a very special guest to introduce to you all today! Portia Allen has been in ministry for 12 years and leads alongside her husband Clinton here at River Valley Church. She has had the opportunity to speak in Minnesota and across the country and is passionate about uplifting and empowering people. As a pastors kid from Texas, she has a deep love for the church. Portia's passion...

Episode 40: Dr. Allen Tennison, a seasoned pastor & professor at North Central University, sits down for a conversation around what it means to be a pastor. Dr. Tennison beautifully explains the importance of both biblical and theological literacy, and how having this knowledge will benefit your church, your enrichment in God's heart, and how you can be best prepared to answer today's most dif...

Episode 39: Here at River Valley, we have a local outreach ministry called Serve Our Community. Vicki Hernandez is our pastor who oversees Serve Our Community, and we are so blessed to have her join us for this episode! Pastor Vicki breaks down the heart behind serving our community, the work it takes to coordinate and plan these events, and what pouring out does to the community and the church al...

Episode 38: Pastor Charlotte Gambill joins us today as we talk about recognizing the call of God on your life, and jumping into it with faith and joy. Charlotte Gambill is a renown author, speaker, and teaching pastor at Church of the Highlands, as well as building Life Church in the UK and the US. Pastor Charlotte discusses her experience in finding her calling, and the testimony on her life as i...

Episode 37: Our Lead Care Pastors, Mark & Pam Johnson, sit down with us this week to discuss Pastoral Care. Pastors Mar & Pam balance Care ministry so well, and it can be challenging when dealing with the most difficult seasons in many lives. Here at River Valley, our Care pastors are not the only pastors who carry the weight of Care ministry. We are all called to care and minister to our...

Episode 36: We are very honored to be joined by Pastor Oneka Mcclellan for this week's episode! Pastor Oneka shares her and her family's exciting journey in ministry. As they left something so secure in being the Executive Pastors at their old church, to go launch a new church, she explains the thoughts, emotions, and faith it took to obey the Lord's calling on their lives. Stepping out in faith i...

Episode 35: Welcome back to Talking Church! We are joined today by Pastor Gabi O'Rourke, our Lead Youth Pastor, and Andrew Snead, our Lead Go Kids Pastor, who break down their areas of Next Gen Ministry, and how we run our Next Gen play here at River Valley. Gabi & Andrew dive into the similarities and differences of their ministries, and they share the practical side of their ministries, as w...

Episode 34: Logan and Pastor Rob sit down to discuss the season of uncertainty that we all are feeling right now. With inflation rising, the country at odds, and various markets falling, it can be difficult to find the courage to continue running the mission that God has called you to do. Pastor Rob shares the various "crises" that he has had to lead through over the years, and how we can practica...

Episode 33: Listen in this week as Nathan Finochio and Logan dive deep into theology, the Bible and how our beliefs in it differ in culture's beliefs today, and how that relates to pastoring through these times with topics that can be difficult to navigate. Nathan gives clear insight on staying biblically literate as we navigate these questions that our world is asking, and why following the instr...

Episode 32: This week's episode is very special, as evangelist and author John Bevere joins us to discuss the danger of compromising your conscience, accountability, work-ethic, and John's greatest goals in ministry. John articulates the responsibility that we have of listening to your conscience, and we pray that this conversation blesses you and your ministry! Listen now, and invite some friends...

Episode 31: Services are such a crucial aspect of many of our ministries. Whether it be a Sunday service for your congregation, a worship service dedicated to seeking after God, or a big Christmas Eve service where families gather together under candlelight. Services are important, and much ministry happens before, during, and after service time. Aaron Johnson, our Local Creative Pastor, and Caleb...

Episode 30: On today's episode, we are joined by two of our 500 missionaries! Our "bullseye" at River Valley is to send out 500 missionaries from our church into the field. Our heart is global, and we are living to reach the lost! This family is passionate about reaching the buddhist world, and they share their testimony of their calling, their road to the field, the support they need, and the rea...

Episode 29: River Valley Church's newest campus pastors Kaleb & Autumn Graham join us from Maple Grove, Minnesota, to discuss their journey to launch our newest campus in this past year! Maple Grove opened in the Spring of 2022, and the preparation leading to that date was nothing short than dedication, tenacity, and boldness, all covered by prayer. Has God given you the dream to plant a churc...

Episode 28: Pastor Rob Ketterling joins us again for a conversation on running efficiently in ministry while finding Godly rest. Resting as a Christ follower should be different from the world's interpretation, and for those in the ministry, resting should definitely look different. Logan and Pastor Rob discuss method's of rest that haven't worked, and they share the ways that do work for them now...

Episode 27: Dr. Barnabas Mtokambali joins us for today's episode all the way from Tanzania! Dr. Barnabas is the leader of the Assemblies of God Tanzania, and he doesn't just have a vision to plant churches, but he is well n his way to plant 40,000 churches throughout Tanzania and Africa. As he breaks down his passion, his call, and his journey, ask yourself, what visions will God make a reality th...

Episode 26: Tune in on today's episode of Talking Church! We are very honored and excited to welcome our guest this week, Pastor Chris Hodges! Lead Pastor of Church of the Highlands in Birmingham, Alabama, Pastor Chris is here to talk with us about his perspective on the American Church today, how we can grow into being "seeker sensitive," and where he sees us as the church heading in the years ah...

Episode 25: We are very excited to share with you all one of our highlighted breakout sessions from this past year's River Valley Conference! Our Executive Pastor of Local ministries at River Valley, Pastor Kirk Graham, shared his teaching on what it's like to be "on" in ministry. People are wired differently, and have different levels of communicating, but we believe that whether you are introver...