The Church Revitalization Podcast

Churches without leadership accountability have a one-way ticket to organizational implosion. This isn't an overstatement. It's the truth. When pastors lack effective accountability, eventually the ministry will fail. That's why leadership culture is one of the components we assess in our Church Ministry Analysis process. In this episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast, we'll dive into the fi...

Many would agree that, overall, 2020 was not fun. But, what if we saw the trials and struggles of 2020 as a kickstart to rethink how we approach everything we do? What if we broke the rhythm a little and made church fun again? In this episode, we'll talk about two keys to bringing joy back into ministry. To read today's show notes, visit: malphursgroup.com/72  

Choosing a church consulting partner is a huge responsibility. How do you navigate the complexity? How can you be sure you have chosen the right partner? That complexity is why we created this list of 10 tips you should know before hiring a church consultant. We want you to be well-informed about what to look out for in this space. To read today's show notes, visit: malphursgroup.com/71

In this week's episode, we outline one key action every church leader must take to prepare for 2021 and we share the details about an exciting giveaway.

When you choose to win at ministry but lose at home, you're on a dangerous road. You can win at both. It is possible to be a successful leader and have a healthy family life. But to win at both, you have to be intentional about winning at home. So if you're feeling like you're losing at home this Christmas after a long and hard year, we want to give you some incredibly simple-yet-powerful tips tha...

Want to see greater ministry fruit, a more productive staff, and less office drama? Communicate clearly. Lack of clarity in communication to ministry leaders delays effective church ministry. As Donald Miller says, "If you confuse, you lose," and that is exactly what happens in churches every day. This week on the Church Revitalization Podcast, we talked through three principles for better leaders...

"Is your church healthy?" is not intended to be a rhetorical question. The problem with the typical answers is that there is no consistent foundation for what should be measured.  Most church leaders have not taken the time to think about what should be measured or how to measure it.  This week on the podcast, we talked through five essentials of church health, so your church can get focused on wh...

Getting more out of your leadership is easier than you might think. You don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars getting another seminary degree or hundreds of dollars on a shelf-full of books. Improving the quality of your leadership is achieved by mastering your schedule. In this week's episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast, we'll give you a practical example of what it looks like...

Getting more out of your leadership is easier than you might think. You don't need to spend tens of thousands of dollars getting another seminary degree or hundreds of dollars on a shelf-full of books. Improving the quality of your leadership is achieved by mastering your schedule. In this week's episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast, we'll give you a practical example of what it looks like...

Covid restrictions don't have to mean your church can't reach more people this Christmas. This episode provides three practical outreach ideas churches of any size can implement quickly and on a budget. Read the show notes at malphursgroup.com/65

Empowerment is about authority . Authority is decision-making power. The heart of empowerment is the transfer of decision-making control over an area of ministry. No amount of leadership development--classroom training, reading, practicing, or mentoring--can produce a leader without ultimately handing off ministry to emerging leaders. Therefore, understanding and applying the concept of empowermen...

In the first few minutes of nearly every meeting with a new church contact, we'll inevitably hear their current attendance and their pre-covid attendance. I don't say that to give anyone a hard time, but instead to set up this week's topic on developing future-proof church metrics. You may think it's premature, but we're saying today...let go of the past and the numbers that went with it. It's ok...

Legislation, with the best of intentions, might change a person's behavior, but it will never change the condition of their heart. As our over-dramatized political divides get continuously pumped into our news feeds, we can all benefit from a reset of perspective. In this week's podcast episode, we're talking about the only winning campaign. The most amazing thing about Jesus's campaign for king-o...

The consequences of unhealthy leadership structures are self-evident: burnout, moral failures, low effectiveness, poor performance, arguing, apathy. These disastrous consequences are the reason why Jesus invested so much time and energy in his ministry to leadership development. Jesus taught that the effectiveness of ministry is directly proportional to the number of healthy leaders. In this episo...

Have you ever left a church leadership meeting and wanted to quit church altogether? Dysfunctional leadership is a common problem. In fact, for every church with a healthy leadership structure, there are likely dozens with leadership challenges. So if your church's leadership structure makes you want to pull your hair out, you aren't alone. God's design is for your church to have healthy, Biblical...

The unique challenges of the Covid pandemic highlighted how churches must reallocate personnel dollars in the future. As more ministry shifts online, churches will need to beef-up their digital ministry staffing. Additionally, volunteers saw unprecedented expectations placed on their shoulders during the pandemic. These changes have left many church leaders wondering--what should be a paid positio...

Budgeting your church's finances is rarely anyone's favorite thing to do, but it takes money to do ministry. Many people think that money is a "necessary evil" in the church, but money in and of itself is neither good nor evil. It's just a tool used for good or evil. As with any other tool, if used correctly, it will help you achieve your goals. The same goes for your budget, which is an expressio...

So much of our world is in flux, but the opportunity to reach people with the good news about Jesus has never been greater. If your church wants to make a good first impression with guests, it's often helpful to go back to simple, timeless principles that shape a good first impression. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, A.J. Mathieu interviews Greg Atkinson, founder of Worship I...

Too many pastors find themselves discouraged, and their ministry doesn't match what they thought it would be when they started their ministry. In this episode, we explore critical steps you can take to jumpstart your calling and put yourself back on the journey to thriving ministry. Our guest this episode is Dale Sellers, Executive Director of the 95 Network , and author of the book Stalled: Hope...

In Episode 55 of The Church Revitalization Podcast, we spoke with Bo Patterson. Bo is a Guide on the Malphurs Group team, but more relevantly, he is an expert in group ministry. He's personally launched dozens of groups at the churches where he has served over the past five years and launched ten new groups since the pandemic started. Bo gives highly practical insight into growing your small group...

Things are so uncertain right now, and leading churches right now feels like trying to balance on one rollerblade down a steep hill while juggling knives.   Here's the good news, you don't have to feel overwhelmed. The uncertainty of 2020 doesn't have to hold you back from making a clear plan for 2021. Your church can get unified, and your team can get a clear plan of action, no matter what curveb...

Now is the time to make smart and fast decisions. Churches that are waiting for "normal" are getting lost, falling behind. The key to thriving beyond 2020 is choosing to move forward with a bold vision for the future. In this episode, Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu outline how to summon the courage to move forward and what the future of the church could look like. Access the show notes at https://mal...

Pastors are struggling with exhaustion, frustration, and overwhelm. It feels like you are fighting a battle you cannot win, and for every two steps you take forward, 2020 knocks you back three steps.   There is a way out.   In this episode, Scott Ball & A.J. Mathieu walk through four actions you can take to reduce your fatigue and increase your effectiveness.   Read the show notes at malphursgroup...

If you're like most churches, most of your members haven't come back to in-person services. Your church might not even have them yet! At the same time, online attendance has been plummeting since Easter. According to Barna, as many as 30% of all engaged Christians, and 50% of millennials who attended church pre-Covid, don't engage with the church at all anymore. The good news? There's something yo...

The greatest barrier to making disciples is a lack of intentionality in our ministry. Given time, churches accumulate ministries and programs. It's inevitable. The majority of churches have cluttered "ministry garages" that are preventing them from doing what God designed them to do. Learn the four steps churches can take to build a more effective ministry in our post-Covid world. Read the show no...