The Church Revitalization Podcast

Join hosts Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu as they dive into a fiery conversation on church revitalization in this thought-provoking episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast. In "Burning Revitalization Questions," Scott and A.J. take turns posing three hot-button questions each, sparking lively discussions and sharing their unfiltered hot takes. In this episode, Scott and A.J. explore critical iss...

Where did this common view that equates the pastor's ministry primarily with hands-on pastoral care come from? While Scripture uses shepherd imagery, shepherds did much more than just provide pastoral care for their sheep. On this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we're asking the question, "Is pastoral care the primary role of the pastor?" and sharing our experiences with churches on...

It's been said that any publicity is good publicity, but when it comes to the Church, nothing could be further from the truth. The Southern Baptist Convention has had quite a year, and most involved parties would probably have preferred last week's meeting go unnoticed. Instead, though, we had Rick Warren in a social media battle against the SBC. On this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcas...

Power resides in every church-whether it wants it or not. The important question is how the church, whether universal or local, should handle its power as it seeks to influence people for God. The answer is church polity. Polity concerns whom the church empowers. It answers the question, "Who has the authority to exercise power in the church?" On this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast,...

It's a frustrating position to be in, thinking you're the only one that wants to see positive change in your church. That might really be the case, or it may just be that nobody has yet dared broach the topic. It might as well be you! So how can you move from something you're just thinking about to a movement toward change? We've mapped out the first four steps in this episode of the Church Revita...

Why is it so difficult to disciple men effectively? Every man has his own unique challenges, but all men are in need of spiritual growth and vitality. Unfortunately, most churches place minimal focus on developing men. It's just too hard. But if your church is ready to step up and make a difference in the lives of the men in your congregation, there are five key principles that can help you get be...

Public speaking regularly tops the list of things people fear–even more than death! But pastors are called to put away their fears and boldly proclaim the word of truth Sunday after Sunday. It's critical that pastors not only put together a competent message, but a compelling sermon. There are a few bad habits that crop up frequently, and avoiding them can elevate a "decent" sermon to a genuinely...

How many times have you said, "We don't have enough volunteers"? This is among the most common challenges that church leaders face. Is it possible to actually get ahead, to have the volunteers we need, and to truly have an embarrassment of riches when it comes to our volunteer rosters? While volunteer recruitment will never be easy or automatic, it is possible to get ahead and not feel desperate o...

Do you (or your church) love the thought of participating in the movement of the Gospel around the world? Do you (or your church) want to see disciples on every continent become disciple-makers? Do you (or your church) see the value in building up leaders that can lead well into a challenging and uncertain future? We do! And if you answered "yes" to one or more of those questions, then you are in...

Have you ever looked around your worship center on a Sunday morning, and people aren't singing along? Or noticed people scrolling their phones during your sermon? Everyone gets distracted from time to time, but if you've noticed a growing sense of apathy from your congregation on a Sunday morning, it's time to fix it. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we'll explore three key wa...

A church in decline is painful for almost everyone involved, especially the leadership. There is no definitive answer as to when you should consider moving to one service, but when attendance is down to one-quarter to one-third full in each service, it may be time for this discussion. On this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we're reviewing some things you need to know before you make...

"We want to be a multigenerational church!" This is a common refrain in churches we work with. But when we show up to services on Sunday morning, we see a lot of white hair and hear too few babies. Desiring to minister across generations is a holy desire, but it requires that you take time to think like a missionary and truly understand the next generation. In this episode of the Church Revitaliza...

A spiritually unhealthy church may find short-term gains, but sustainability only comes when people, and church leadership in particular, are right with God and others. Beginning a revitalization process in the church should first include an introspective look at the spiritual condition of those working on the revitalization plan. As a part of this week's episode of the Church Revitalization Podca...

Church leaders serve various functions within the church, but there are certain capabilities or competencies that are essential to leaders at any level and of any function. One of these core competencies is spiritual mentorship. This week on the Church Revitalization Podcast, we'll go deeper into what it means to be a spiritual mentor and explore how the core competency of spiritual mentorship man...

Being elevated to a leadership position does not make anyone immune to being emotionally unhealthy. Likewise, leadership promotions should not be taken as an affirmation of a clean bill of emotional health. This week on the Church Revitalization Podcast, we talk through five common emotional disorders that can hold people back from excelling as a leader and leading effective teams. To read today's...

This week's episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast takes a little lighter tone. We explore the diverse landscape of American evangelicalism by taking a quiz based on an article by Mere Orthodoxy called " The Six Way Fracturing of Evangelicalism ." Of the six categories outlined in the article where will we end up? You'll hear it unfold in real time as we go through it and anxiously await the...

One of the most common hurdles as churches begin to grow is how to transition from one to two services. If your church has outgrown its capacity for a single service, it may be time to start considering the possibility of moving to two worship services. In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we'll explore the reasons why this transition can be beneficial for your church, as well as...

We haven't done the hard work for you, just given you a path. A common question that we as Malphurs Group Guides get from pastors that we work with is "Do you have any suggestions for sermon topics that will help with revitalization?" Generally, the answer is to preach through the primary topics of a healthy church: Great Commission mandate, building up mature disciples, and having a compelling fu...

Leading and directing are both crucial functions of effective church leadership, but they involve different approaches and goals. Our goal is to help you better understand the difference between leading and directing and how to apply each approach depending on the situation.  To read today's show notes, visit:  https://malphursgroup.com/179

What does "revival" even mean? Is that what is happening? That is what we are diving into on this episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast. To read today's show notes, visit:  https://malphursgroup.com/178  

Dying churches are stagnant, and thriving churches are full of life. The difference is action, animation, movement, and even the dreaded word….change. This week on the Church Revitalization Podcast, we talk about the basics of working through an action plan. To read today's show notes, visit:  https://malphursgroup.com/177   #TheMalphursGroup #revitalization #actionplan #churchculture #churchhealt...

The news has been filled with stories of the amazing things that artificial intelligence (AI) can do. It can write song lyrics, give you advice on what to do on your next vacation, and even write business plans. As artificial intelligence grows in prominence and ability, pastors might start to wonder: exactly how good is an AI sermon? Beyond this question, is AI something pastors should embrace or...

Honesty is always the best policy. In this episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast, we're not really accusing any church of actively lying. We certainly understand the motivations behind this list of things churches tell themselves. We try to make things sound better than they really are. That doesn't help anyone. It's better to face the facts and do the work of establishing where our church...

More churches articulate a vision than reach one. In fact, the number of churches that actually make progress toward their goals is small. It's easy to get overwhelmed by obstacles to change, the tyranny of the urgent, and other roadblocks to actualizing your God-given vision. But you shouldn't give up! In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, we're going to focus on how you can use s...

We are starting off the new year with a recap of the top 5 topics we covered last year on the podcast. What would you add to this list of top topics? Download the free pdf, Top 10 of 2022: https://malphursgroup.com/173