Trench Talk

Find us on iTunes FREE 40-Week 2021 Replant Cohort Application Brian’s Transition Announcement (7:30) Avoiding the typical transition (9:00) A proper and biblical ecclesiology (11:50) Prepare to leave long before you leave (25:25) Make sure there are other pastors to faithfully shepherd (26:15) What if you feel you cannot leave? (28:30) Should I stay or should I go?

(00:30) Write a review on iTunes (2:30) We keep them poor and God will keep them humble (6:45) Negative examples of higher pay for ministers (11:00) Being mindful in our contexts and callings (18:30) Pastors wrestling through financial issues with their church (21:00) Final words and wisdom on these things

How much should our families determine where we go in ministry? How do you balance leading your family and following at times in ministry? What might a pastor’s wife struggle with in ministry situations? Pastor, are you caring for your wife as you would other members (or worse) or are you treating her as your wife? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench...

Show Notes: Find us on iTunes Support the ministry of Practical Shepherding (1:52) Biblical Texts that inform our social media use (5:18) Blessings of Social Media (23:40) Curses of Social Media (28:30) Final Thoughts

Show Notes: (3:25) Major milestones in members lives. (5:45) The unique cycle of a long pastorate. (7:20) Front row seat to the power of conversion. (9:00) The two weights in preaching. (10:45) Seeing those trained for and sent out for ministry. (12:00) Changed by the Word. (14:45) Seeing the congregation love one another well. (17:00) Pastoral Mentors and friends. (19:00) Friendships with older m...

Find us on iTunes Support the ministry through a financial donation . (2:00) Biblical Framework for Church Membership. (5:42) Sheep of the fold vs. sheep outside the fold. (7:15) Will a pastor give an account for non-members? (9:15) How do you talk to non-members about their status within the church? (14:30) The application of Hebrews 13 to non-members. (21:55) Final word.

Show Notes: Find us on iTunes Contact us (2:15) Scriptural Basis (10:00) Concerns about contentious discourse within a local church (12:00) Sharing your opinion on these matters within the local church (16:45) Mediating contentious views (21:00) Faithfully addressing contention publicly (29:15) How to navigate when the contention spills into your own backyard (33:30) What are pastors called to do?

Find us on iTunes Support the ministry of Practical Shepherding (2:30) The fulfillment of the Great Commission (5:30) Reactive church planting (7:25) Proactive church planting (11:15) Encouraging your members to support planting (16:00) Determining the spiritual need in a geographical location (22:00) Practical steps to identifying locations for planting (25:25) Why not to plant a church

(1:30) Biblical foundation for reading well. (4:15) Categories of reading: devotional, theological, commentaries, and ecclesiology. (5:45) Books on Pastoral Ministry (9:36) Books on Preaching (11:15) Devotional Books (14:20) Pastoral Biographies (17:32) Systematic Theologies (22:20) Ecclesiology (25:48) Should a pastor buy a commentary set or single volumes?

Support the Ministry through a financial donation (2:00) Historical and Biblical support for plurality of Elders. (4:30) Practical benefit of plurality of Elders (7:40) Which comes first raising up Elders or moving to the process of having an Elder-led polity? (14:05) How do you identify Elders within your congregation? (17:00) How do you intentionally raise up men to be Elders? (20:35) How not to...

Show Notes: Find us on iTunes (2:30) Intitial Thoughts on how to handle the business of the church (4:00) What do you know vs. what are you supposed to do? (7:00) Is making a transition a wise decision? (10:15) Can you begin to shepherd and establish a relationship with a new church in the midst of a pandemic? (13:00) Should a church proceed with calling a pastor in the midst of a pandemic? (15:45...

Show Notes: Contact us (2:10) Biblical Foundation for this conversation. (6:20) Be careful to not speak of things we cannot speak on with certainty (7:45) How do we shepherd members in their social media usage? (12:25) How do we do marriage counseling? (19:00) How do we proceed with widow care? (23:00) How do you conduct a funeral in this time? (25:15) How do yo proceed with Summer plans? (26:55)...

How do we prepare to gather again? What do we need to be thinking about before we reopen? Should your church allow your members to hug, shake hands, etc.? Do you continue children’s or nursery ministry? Do you gather if less than 50% of your church is not attending? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.

How should a pastor address underlying sin within the congregation? What biblical passages inform us on this topic? Should sin be confronted from the pulpit? What are practical steps pastors can take to correct but also provide hope?

How do you drive your church toward true and authentic community in your church? What does that mean and how do you show that to your church? Do you have to have small groups to cultivate this community? Are large events anithetical to authentic community?

What does it mean to be productive as a pastor? How do we define productivity? Does productivity follow to closely to the business world? How is productivity for a pastor different than for a business leader? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.

No one knows and loves the sheep of their flock like the shepherd; the pastor. As a pastor how do you shepherd your flock through crisis? Does crisis call a pastor to alter his sermon series? How can pastors fulfill their calling in new and creative ways given the circumstances? How can we care for our flocks when we cannot be with them? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on...

The COVID-19 pandemic has caused churches to think about things they had not done previously. How should churches (and Pastors) navigate these times? What changes and what stays the same? The call to minister the Word in season and out of season stays the same. How can this be done well outside of the preaching of the Word? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode o...

How do we show vulnerabilty while being careful? What is the balance? What Biblical texts should we refer to for information? Is this propensity to put on a strong persona ultimately driven by fear? How do you fight to be vulnerable with your congregation? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these, and many more on this episode of Trench Talk.

How can pastors exhibit a tender heart while still having thick skin? How do you keep loving the flock when you fear them breaking your heart? Where are you most prone to error, tender-heartedness or thick skin? Should you deny close friendships due to the risk of being hurt? How do we wisely pursue tenderness and thick skin simultaneously? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio discuss these questions in t...

What should cause us to choose the books of the Bible that we preach through? Should you look at the specific flock God has given you when selecting books to preach? What would be some books you would start with as you begin your preaching ministry? Should we use some forms of caution when selecting the books we preach through? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer on this episode of Trench Talk.

Where does pastoral lonliness show up most vividly? Is the lonliness pastors experience unique in some ways? What biblical grounding do we have to define this and chart a course to pursue Christ and shepherd the flock in the midst of lonliness? How should pastors seek a support system while in a difficult situation?

Resources mentioned in this episode. Prepare them To Shepherd by Brian Croft Biblical Eldership by Alexander Strauch Nine Marks of a Healthy Church by Mark Dever

How can pastors encourage members (particularly the men) in their church to read good books? Is “I just don’t read” a good enough excuse? Should a pastor be careful with the books he recommends his members read? What other tips would you give to assist your members in taking in good books? Brian Croft and Jim Savastio answer these questions and more on this week’s edition of Trenchtalk.

How do pastors pastor other pastors? What scriptures address this charge? What responsibility do pastors have to call other pastors to repentance for the good of the flock? How do you encourage a healthy eldership that causes equality among other pastors? All of these questions and more covered on this episode of Trenchtalk with Brian Croft and Jim Savastio.