EST. - For the Established Church with Sam Rainer and Josh King

Every season has its end, and this includes church programs and events. When the moment arrives for them to go, the question arises. How should a pastor gracefully navigate ending them? Terminating a program or event is not always straightforward and may often lead to tensions within the church. In this week's episode, Josh and Sam explore various pastoral strategies to address these challenges ef...

When you leave a church, what should you say as you exit? There is a time to speak up. And there is a time to shut up. But how can you discern? Josh and Sam discuss the ways you can leave a church without burning it down on this week's episode. Episode Sponsors: Churchteams: Are you tired of multiple applications for church check-in, giving, membership, and scheduling? Churchteams was built to bri...

Children's ministry has changed rapidly in the last few years, especially at small and mid-size churches. Curriculum choices are becoming more important. Volunteer needs are creating new stress points. Anxiety among children is on the rise. And hiring is shifting as churches select internal candidates. Jenny Smith, Awana's lead curriculum developer, joins the show with Josh and Sam to discuss thes...

Almost every church wants to focus more on outreach. Recreation ministry is a great way to connect with the neighborhood around your church. Unfortunately, many churches overlook the power of sports, even though the popularity of sports is overwhelming. Josh and Sam interview Kevin Drake, Executive Director of Upward Sports, to discuss how churches can use sports outreach to invite families in. Ep...

Most every church has expectations with giving records. Who can know what and when? Smaller churches can be even more challenging, especially if a couple of families are giving the majority of funds. What should you do if you are the pastor? What should you do if you are the key giver? Episode Sponsors: Churchteams: Are you tired of multiple applications for church check-in, giving, membership, an...

The upcoming year could prove pivotal for many churches. Josh and Sam discuss what they expect to happen in churches in 2024. Trends in giving are changing. The roles of women in leadership could reach a boiling point in some tribes. The megachurch movement will continue to fade. And seminary education will start to shift in favor of shorter programs. Episode Sponsors: Churchteams: Are you tired o...

Recreation ministry is one of the biggest opportunities for churches right now. It's a great way to connect spiritual health with physical health. Josh and Sam interview Drew Provence, the Director of Partner Engagement at Upward Sports. The three of them discuss how every church can utilize recreation ministry. Visit Upward.org/ChurchAnswers. Why is now the right time for churches to consider rec...

The month of December is a chaotic mess of busyness for most pastors. Josh and Sam discuss why in this episode. The co-hosts give some practical tips on how to manage the stress of December and have a little fun. Episode Sponsors: Churchteams: Are you tired of multiple applications for church check-in, giving, membership, and scheduling? Churchteams was built to bring together all your people and...

There is a growing trend of pastors seeking a marketplace job outside of ministry. What's happening? Eric Hoke joins Josh and Sam to discuss the implications. More pastors are finding it difficult to make ends meet financially, while at the same time, ministry is becoming more stressful. You can learn more about some of Eric's solutions at ihelppastorsgetjobs.com . Episode Sponsors: Churchteams: A...

Does a pastor's salary matter? If so, to what degree? Art Rainer, president of Christian Money Solutions, joins Sam on this week's episode. They discuss the sensitive subject of money. Ministry can be tough for a variety of reasons, but financial frustrations are often at the top of the list. You can learn more at ChristianMoneySolutions.com. Episode Sponsors: Churchteams: Are you tired of multipl...

What's the best way to use technology to communicate with your church? Boyd Pelley, co-founder of Churchteams, joins Sam on the show to discuss how churches use different system to communicate with people throughout the assimilation process. When should you use texting? And when should you use a church app? We have some specific and practical answers to these questions. You can learn more at Churc...

Churches should provide basic tools for pastors and staff to accomplish their jobs. Josh and Sam discuss the best practices for providing church staff with technology needs. They share how to set up the budget and what accountability should be in place to avoid abuses of the system. Episode Sponsors: Churchteams: Are you tired of multiple applications for church check-in, giving, membership, and s...

On this episode, Josh proposes what he believes is a secret weapon for church leaders. Ad Hoc committees are used to make specific decisions within a determined timeframe. Sam counters with why he believes standing committees are also important. When should you use each one? The co-hosts debate the issue. Episode Sponsors: Churchteams: Are you tired of multiple applications for church check-in, gi...

Sam moved his office to the third floor of the church's education building. Josh moved his entire team to an offsite office building two miles from the church campus. Who made the best move and why? On this episode, the cohosts discuss the benefits and downsides of office arrangements. People can have an emotional connection to the church building, and there is a sociological benefit to office spa...

Many churches killed their worship bulletins during the pandemic. Are they totally dead? No, and they are beginning to make a comeback. Josh and Sam discuss their perspective on how churches can use print media in strategic ways. What should the print bulletin contain now? And how should it differ from your digital communication? Episode Sponsor: Are you tired of multiple applications for church c...

Current and accurate megachurch stats are hard to find. While there are still many megachurches in the United States, the movement is beginning to wane. What was a Baby Boomer movement is not energizing younger generations in the same way. What does the future hold? Josh and Sam take a deeper dive into the current impact of megachurches and speculate some about the future direction of these church...

Talk is cheap, but encouragement is worth its weight in gold. Why do pastors need encouragement? And how can lay people in the church help pastors by being more encouraging? Josh and Sam interview Joe Humphries of jhgroup.pro . Joe is a longtime executive leadership coach and believes encouragement is one of the greatest ways to fill up pastors and keep them in a safe place for ministry. Episode S...

Every church leader should work to minimize hurt and maximize unity among the congregation. Sometimes the church hurts the pastor. Sometimes the pastor hurts the church. Josh and Sam discuss the difference between trauma and church hurt. On this episode, they cover forms of church hurt and some practical ways to help others heal. Episode Sponsor: Are you tired of multiple applications for church c...

There is a looming deferred maintenance crisis coming for churches. Big facility costs can be challenging. Josh and Sam talk about the situation at West Bradenton with the failing air conditioning system. What can churches do to minimize the risk of surprising facility expenses? On this episode, the two co-hosts discuss some practical ways to lower the pain level of large capital expenses. Episode...

Guess what? Your community is changing whether you realize it or not. Demographics are shifting just about everywhere in the United States. What should the church do? Josh and Sam get feisty in this episode with some differing views. They talk about strategies for today and some history involving the church growth movement. Episode Sponsor: Are you tired of multiple applications for church check-i...

You will not lead a comfortable life when you do ministry with conviction. What constitutes a "big risk" in ministry? Josh and Sam interview Scott Pattison of the Global Methodist Church. Scott took a significant risk later in his ministry career, leaving behind a safety net. In this interview, Scott discusses how you can deal with the unknown. Episode Sponsor: Are you tired of multiple applicatio...

Search committees can be strange creatures. Josh and Sam talk about the church search process from the perspective of the pastor. It seems there are few standards among search committees. They all act differently. Additionally, many churches are searching for unicorn candidates and silver-bullet solutions. What does this mean for the way churches conduct pastoral searches right now? Episode Sponso...

What are pastors in their 30s and 40s saying right now? Josh and Sam discuss a few items they are hearing at ground level. With the average age of a pastor being around 60 years old, there are far fewer younger pastors than in the past. Those who are in ministry, however, have a lot of hope for the church, especially smaller congregations. The co-hosts discuss why Millennial pastors have less of a...

For decades, the pattern for most pastors was to "climb the ladder" from a small church to a mid-size church, then land at a large church. What if bigger is not better? Josh and Sam discuss why some pastors may decide to go to a smaller church. They cover issues of personal fit, season of ministry, financial considerations, geography, culture, and community. Episode Sponsor: Are you tired of multi...

Josh and Sam discuss a recent survey that reveals where people pray. Far fewer people pray in the church building than they thought. How can congregations teach corporate prayer and encourage people to pray more? This episode covers best practices for pastors and church leaders. Episode Sponsor: Are you tired of multiple applications for church check-in, giving, membership, and scheduling? Churcht...