The Scott Stedman Podcast

In this episode, Scott interviews Carma Wood and Nic Stanton-Roark, the founders of the CHOGAffirm movement. We discuss their journey to creating their movement, the responses they have received, and what is next for COGAffirm moving forward.   To learn more about CHOG Affirm you can go to their website https://www.chogaffirm.com/

Scott and Micah discuss an article that lists the reasons and groups of people that had led to 40 million Americans leaving the church in the last few years.  We discuss the four groups featured in this "dechurching," and the solutions offered to bring people back to church.   For access to the article, click on the link below:  https://groundswellmovement.substack.com/p/the-great-dechurching

In this episode, Scott and Micah look at some of the subtle ways Christians can be Judgemental.  We look at some of the innocent and passive-aggressive ways that church people have used their words to judge others from visitors, to other church members, and pastors.

In this episode, Scott and Micah discuss the purpose of having multiple services. We discuss the benefits, shortcomings, and solutions to build a sense of community through various services.

in this episode, Scott and Micah discuss an article about the history of the Wesleyan churches and how they have an account of sticking up for minority groups since its foundations.  Regarding the LGBTQ, it seems like Wesleyan churches are not living up to defending this minority group.  We look deep into the article and try to figure out why that is.  Plus, we respond to a comment from the last p...

In this episode, Scott discusses the debate around the NFL, protests, and the national anthem.

In this episode, Scott, Micah, and special Guest Scott E. Stedman discuss the concept of Stewardship in ministry and the professional workplace. We discuss the topics of transitions, succession, and how the church can develop a plan to keep the church thriving for many years.

Scott and Micah discuss vacation bible school from its origins, to how it has shifted over the last decade. We discuss the variety of ways and methods of doing a VBS, writing your own VBS, and whether is VBS still a great outreach program for children and families.

Scott, Micah, and Guest Jeannette Flynn discuss Church health and its lifecycles in this episode. We talk in detail about the life cycles of churches, why so many churches get stuck, and when is an excellent time to seek a coach to help with the next steps in your church for growth and longevity

In this episode, Scott and Micah discuss the recent Town Hall presentation that the Church of God (Anderson, Indiana), released in July 2023. We look at the questions that were asked, Jim Lyons answers to those questions, and some lingering questions and insights.

In this episode, Scott discusses his time at a youth convention and notices some of the shortcomings of that convention compared to one he attended back in January.  Scott and Micah begin to discuss what are some practical things that one needs to do in developing or planning a convention that will make it smooth throughout the entirety of the event.

In this episode, Scott and Micah discuss the role of team building in ministry. We look at the benefits, reasons why most churches do not do team building, and some practical ways for churches to have team building, without breaking the bank. 

In this episode, Scott and Micah talk with Ashley and Karson Collins. They both talk about their individual ministry work, church planting, Karson's brokenness that led to an affair, and the steps they took to reconcile their marriage.

In this episode, Scott and Micah discuss an idea that one of Scott's professors mentioned about how a minister's experience in ministry can lead them to have Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Scott and Micah talk about their experiences and of other ministers and how the harshness of ministry changes their life and ministry output. Plus, Stories gone wild from Scott searching for the Church of God N...

This past week, The Church of God (Anderson, IN) had their General Assembly in Tampa, FL. Scott, Micah, and special guest, Trey Oldham talk about their experience at General Assembly from the in-person gatherings, virtual gatherings, and the topics that were discussed.

In this episode, Scott reflects on the events in Charlottesville, Virginia which is only a few communities away from him.

In this episode, Scott and Micah look at the differences between hiring support staff at a church and the lead pastor.  We discuss some of the challenges search committees have when looking for a lead pastor and even some of the common mistakes that churches make when hiring the lead. Plus Stories gone wild, and Mailcall.

On June 9th, The Church of God (Anderson, IN) put out a 90-minute Facebook live video in regards to the CHOG Affirm website and addressed where the Church of God Movement believed on the topic of human sexuality in regard to LGBTQIA people. In this episode, Scott, and Micah discuss the video and report on not only the COG view on human sexuality but also looked at how the National Leadership opera...

In this episode, Scott & Micah discuss some of the feedback from the last episode on COG & COG Affirm.  We then begin to talk about the challenges of Church Staffing and some steps to help assemble a team that will propel the effectiveness on the administrative side of the Church.

On May 26th, The Church of God (Anderson, IN) put out a post detailing that all official COG correspondence will come from official emails and social media sites and to not be swayed by any other groups claiming to be the Church of God. This vague post leads to speculation and the publicity of Church of God Affirm - people who are/were associated with The Church of God (Anderson, IN), calling on t...

Today, prices from food to housing have continued to rise.  The same can be said about ministry with program and operational costs continuing to climb and yet, what most people do not realize is that ministers and the churches they minister to have annual costs to support the national organizations they are a part of.  In this episode, Scott and Micah discuss the rising cost of ministerial license...

In our first ever Film for Thought this year, and our newest one since episode 80. Micah and Scott discuss the film "Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3.  We begin to unlock the cinematic themes in the movie and discuss how they connect to spiritual and psychological themes from abuse of power to transforming identity.

In this episode, Scott and Micah discuss the retirement of the General Director of the Church of God, Jim Lyons, and what that means for the future of the Church of God Movement.  We discuss all the great things Jim has done, and some of the hopes and concerns for the next director to tackle.

In this episode, Scott and Micah discuss long-term storytelling and how it captures the audience and takes them on a journey. When it comes to sermons, can the same methodology be applied to help lead people to have a fuller engagement with the sermon and the scriptures? We tackle this topic as well as following up on the Worship Leader Trademark and Stories gone wild.

In Episode 169, Scott and Micah reflected on the Asbury Revival and begin to wonder how many groups will try to capitalize on the revival.  In today's episode, we look at the various organizations that plan conventions, retreats, camp meetings, and conferences that have suddenly changed their event by calling it a revival.  We debate if this is a real revival that people are preparing for, are try...