The Church Renewal Podcast

Hey! It’s me again. Are you wondering what the future of the Church Renewal Podcast is? What ideas and topics are still out there waiting to be explored. Well, we wanted to scratch that itch for you and bring you a quick update on where we are going from here. As we look ahead to season 4 of the Church Renewal Podcast our sincere prayer is that you and your pastor and your church would be encourag...

We are jumping back into your podcast feed to bring you a bonus episode, cuz we love you. Today I sit down with Matt Bohling to ask him If Flourish Coaches work with churches outside of the Presbyterian Church of America (PCA). Spoiler alert, if your church is not a PCA church, and you are going to need a new lead pastor, we want to work with you to help you through your transition. But, even with...

I bet you were not expecting another bonus episode from your favorite two Flourish voices were you? That’s okay, we’re full of surprises! Today we are giving you a big picture, yet short conversation. We are talking about why the transition period is so critical for the life of the church. It might seem obvious, but like I said, we’re full of surprises. So, thanks for joining us again for this bon...

Surprise! I’m back with another bonus episode from Flourish Coaching. This conversation between me and Matt is a bit more retrospective and historical. As the Executive Director of Flourish Coaching, Matt Bohling’s personal story and life experience have a deep shaping impact on our ministry. Today I’m sitting down with Matt to hear where and how the idea for Flourish and the coaching playbook cam...

Today we are going to take a second look at the broader church transitioning field and I’m going to ask Matt about the specifics that distinguish Flourish coaches from other organizations that work in this same space. You might be surprised by some of our conversation today. If you did not catch the first part of this conversation you’ll find it linked below in the episode notes. Don't forget...

Today we are talking about next steps. How can your church get involved with Flourish Coaching? What is the process for partnering with Flourish Coaching either for consulting, or for obtaining a transitional pastor? We are going to talk through this process in today’s episode, and as always, if you want to know more, or if you want to start this conversation you can go to flourish coaching.org or...

You’ve probably never heard of a GRACE analysis. This tool developed by Ken Preddy provides a structure that you can use to develop a clearer picture of the most important areas in your church to address. More than just identifying pain points, the GRACE analysis looks at the whole life of your church and gives you an intentional way to move forward towards growth. Today, Matt is going to break do...

Okay, As we come to the end of the third season of the Church Renewal Podcast we have talked a lot about the ministry of Flourish Coaching. But what about the wider field of church transition? Are there other organizations that work in this specialized area? Who are they? What are the similarities and distinctions between them? And what, if any, is the relationship between them? Join us today as w...

We have already heard a " horror story about when the transition process fails. And, as I said in the last episode, we are intentionally doing a little bit of recovery and restoring. In that vein, we are talking about a Hallowed Story today. Matt and I will discuss one stand-out win that a church experienced as they worked with a Flourish Coach through their process of transitioning to a new...

We’ve dealt with a lot of heavy issues so far in season three. So, as we come around the final bend, we are going to take a breather and recover a little. We are going to start by talking about the “Sacred Assembly” If you haven’t heard of this concept, or even if you have, we’re glad you’re listening now. Join us as we discuss the power and kindness of God’s grace that we can experience as indivi...

This is the third and final installment of “The Humanity” deep-dive. We have already looked at the personal impact to the transitional pastor and his wife. Today we are going to consider the family and kids of the pastor. There are some unique experiences and stressors that our kids face, as they make their own transition into full adulthood. In many ways, having a father who is a transitional pas...

In today's episode we are bringing you the second half of the “Vetted, Trained, Coached” mini-series. We are going to pick up our conversation about the work that Flourish does as a ministry to train and prepare their coaches to be effective in guiding your church to a healthy landing point. If you haven’t listened to part one you’ll find it linked in the episode description . Go give it a li...

What happens when a church health assessment falls on deaf ears, leading to an unexpected closure? Matt, our guest, shares his poignant journey through the trials of unsuccessful church transitions, offering a candid look at what went wrong and what could have been done differently. Listen as we shed light on the importance of cultivating an attitude of openness and being attuned to the Spirit&apo...

Ever wondered how power dynamics shape the health of your church community? Join us as we explore the complexities that arise when certain individuals or families hold sway over church decisions, potentially disrupting harmony within leadership structures. We'll discuss the importance of establishing clear authority lines and fostering unity between elder and deacon boards to ensure that the...

Today we are bringing you Part 2 of our three part mini series called “The Humanity” where we look at the impact and cost to the life of the transitional pastor and his family. If you haven’t listened to part 1 yet you can find it in the episode description below. In part 2 we are going to look at the impact borne by the wife of the transitional pastor. These women are noteworthy and deserving of...

In today’s episode we are bringing you the first part of a a two-part mini series called, “Vetted, Trained Coached”. In this deep-dive we are going to unpack the process that all Flourish Coaches go through in order to be ready and able to guide your congregation through the transition process to find your next lead pastor. If you are interested in finding out more, or in talking with us about bec...

In today’s episode we are bringing you the first part of a a two-part mini series called, “Vetted, Trained Coached”. In this deep-dive we are going to unpack the process that all Flourish Coaches go through in order to be ready and able to guide your congregation through the transition process to find your next lead pastor. If you are interested in finding out more, or in talking with us about bec...

 We have already discussed the first and second phases of a church in transition. The first phase: " The Church Health Assessment " and the second phase, “ What is Envisioning” are linked in the episode description below. If you haven’t listened to these episodes stop here and go listen to them first then come back here. Welcome back! Ok, I’m just assuming that you did stop and listen to...

So far in Season three we’ve talked a lot about the theoretical reasons for using a transitional pastor, but we haven’t really discussed what the Transitional Pastor is actually doing. So, today, I’m sitting down with Matt to ask him to dive into the details of the job description, tasks, responsibilities and the day-to-day activities of your transitional pastor.  Discover the transformative journ...

Here’s an obvious question; If I need a new lead pastor, won’t using a transitional pastor slow down the process of finding the next guy to hire? If you were not thinking about this question, I bet you are now. So, we are going to try to answer it today. If, as we are talking, you have other questions that you want answered, please drop us an e-mail to info@flourishcoaching.org after you listen to...

Today Matt and I are discussing the productive years of a pastor. Just like a church has a normal life cycle, a pastor also has a ministry life cycle. Knowing where you, as a pastor, or where your pastor is in his cycle will not only help you to plan for the future, it will also help you better understand why your church is the way it is right now, and show you how you can more fully engage all of...

This is the last in the 4-part deep-dive, called, “Will My church need a transitional pastor?” In this final installment we are going to look at some much more difficult and painful situations that you need to be aware of. Gross moral failure or betrayal; The last pastor leaving under duress. Tragedy within the congregation; Back-biting and bitterness in the church, and; A church controlled by a s...

If you have never thought about your church as having a life cycle, or if you think that the whole idea is unbiblical I hope that today’s episode challenges you to re-visit this topic. We have already mentioned the church life cycle and the phases of Incline, Recline and Decline; Today I’m going to ask Matt to unpack this concept for us. And, if, as you listen, you are wondering if your church is...

This is the third part in the “Will My Church Need a Transitional Pastor?” Deep-dive. Today we will discuss some more signs you can look for in your church. A church in ‘Recline” or “Decline”; Physical improvements are all over 10 years old; Disagreement among the elders over the mission or vision of the church, and; Loss of trust n, or on-going complaints about the leaders. As you listen , think...

 The second phase for a church in transition is “Envisioning” After completing a Church Health Assessment and answering the questions, “Where have we been?” And, “Where are we now?”, it is necessary to answer two more questions, “Who are we?” And, “Where are we going?” This is the phase we call “Envisioning”, This is what we are going to unpack in today’s episode. We invite you to think about your...