Joe Petrone from www.orchardalliance.com, shares his journey of coming to faith, then experiencing huge disappointment in two of his first three churches he attended. Successful, driven, and prosperous, Joe was broken on the inside. This is a moving story!

Joe works with pastors and churches now helping them to raise necessary Kingdom funds needed for completing the Great Commission! Joe and Jeff had a conversation on the phone related to denominational support, and Jeff realized that Joe's story would encourage and inspire pastors as they preach, lead, visit, and share the Gospel. If Joe came to faith, any lost person in your town is fair game!

A great story of faith and victory in Christ! Enjoy!

John Finkelde from www.growahealthychurch.com joins Jeff to talk to pastors about what he sees as the challenges that face them today. From changing culture to changing tech to burnout, he offers real life solutions. This is an incredible episode!

John Finkelde coaches pastors and consults with churches on a full time basis. He is deeply connected in the personal and professional lives of pastors, and understands their pain points and the things that challenge them in ministry.

Jeff asked him to share some of the solutions he coaches his pastors towards in the following areas:

• Personal discouragement and burnout
• Competing with our people listening to the best preaching online
• The decline of cultural and societal values
• Sexual orientation, same sex marriage, and other related cultural realities
• and more...

If you would like to contact John, you can reach him at john@growahealthychurch.com.

Check out his website here!

Jeff unpacks the phrase - "The church grew beyond the pastor's ability to lead it." Why does this happen? Especially when the church only grows to 250 people?! 

At the beginning of 2019, Jeff dives into what it takes to stay a step ahead of your church, to continue to grow as a leader. As goes the pastor, so goes the church. Pastor, what is your plan to grow personally in 2019? If we have no plan to grow, why would we think that our church or church family will grow?

​Enjoy the episode!

Dave Jacobs is definitely the OG Friend of the Show! He has been recording with Jeff and Jonny since 2013, when they were all in High School! Well, maybe not in High School... but a lot younger!

Dave is the founder of SmallChurchPastor.com, blogs at DaveJacobs.net, and is the Benevolent Dictator of the Small Church Pastor Group on Facebook. If you are a lead or senior pastor, and are not in that group, you should request membership in it! 

Dave joined Jeff and Jonny LIVE in the studio in Des Moines, IA and the three of them talked all about the importance of vision. Vision is like the gas in your churches tank. Don't run out of gas! Dave shares 5 ways to keep vision alive in your 200church, and the guys chime in regularly.

CHECK OUT ALL OF DAVE'S BOOKS RIGHT HERE!

This is a very fun, encouraging episode! Enjoy!

Tyler Ramsbey is the pastor at Renovation Church in Garretson, South Dakota. Tyler is committed to his church plant ministry, to his family, to learning and growing, and to involvement in his community. If it sounds like Tyler is a busy guy, you'd be fooled. He has some amazing secrets to share about how he maintains strong family health.

Tyler has been a 200churches listener for years, and has reached out to encourage Jeff and Jonny several times. We are thrilled to have Tyler as our guest on Episode 308. Tyler is a classic Millennial who will both encourage and inspire you.

Enjoy!

This is a fantastic leadership and ministry episode with Rob Tarnoviski, Lead Pastor of Bethel Church in Northeast Philadelphia. Rob has been in that role for 23 years and shares just a ton of wisdom on the pastor's personal life, balancing stress and the demands of ministry, keeping family relationships healthy in a busy ministry, and so much more!

Rob and Jeff were roommates in college way back in the middle 80's, and together they now have more than 50 years of pastoral ministry between them. I (Jeff) listen to every message that Rob preaches at Bethel, even though I know he's just a knucklehead I met in college. We've been great friends for over 35 years now and I have all the respect in the world for Rob. 

This episode is a great gift of inspiration, instruction, and encouragement from Rob to YOU! We know you'll enjoy it and truly benefit from it!

​Enjoy!

David Fitch, from Northern Seminary in Chicago, joins the guys to talk about how the church is finding its way in our current culture - a culture of ideological antagonisms - cultural conflicts. This episode is somewhat deep, but ultimately important because as pastors we must help our people to figure out how to follow Jesus in a culture that wants to divide us.

David has another podcast called "Theology on Mission" that we always encourage our listeners to subscribe to - because, it makes you think! Jonny and I believe that thinking is a great discipline and too often overlooked in ministry leadership circles.

An interesting observation in this episode is that small churches are likely better able thank larger churches to navigate these issues in an irenic and constructive way.

David is such a sharp guy - we LOVED talking with him and hope that you enjoy listening just as much! Below are a couple links to David's works...

Awakenings Gathering 2019 (Special Discount until December 31!)

Northern Seminary

The Church of Us vs. Them: Freedom from a Faith That Feeds on Making Enemies

Faithful Presence: Seven Disciplines That Shape the Church for Mission

Yes, that's a picture of me, down almost 50 pounds! Just since October 5th! There's another pic at the bottom of this email...

[If you're interested in joining me in the New Year to get in better shape, lose weight, and begin to adopt healthy lifestyle habits - CLICK HERE for more info!]

In this brand NEW Episode 305, David Bush joins me to talk about how he has worked with me to shed a ton of weight, gain a lot of energy, adopt habits for a healthier lifestyle, and think differently about FOOD.

And I am offering this challenge to you Pastor! If you are, like I was, tired of being unhealthy, fatigued, and unable to fit into most of the clothes in your closet, then JOIN ME! I want to offer you hope!

Listen to this episode, then click on the "I'M INTERESTED" button in the post at 200churches.com for Episode 305, and I will connect with you! 

For the first 20 pastors, I will personally connect with you, and coach you through at least the next three months. I can't handle more than 20 myself, so for the first 20, we'll make it a "get healthy" group of pastors, we'll form a private Facebook group, and we'll take this journey TOGETHER!

[If you already know you're interested, and you've just been waiting for an opportunity to join with other pastors to turn over a healthy new leaf in the New Year, just CLICK HERE now. Be one of the first 20!]

Honestly though, we can handle all of the pastors that respond! I have friends. :-) They will help. It will be FUN - and yes, even YOU can get healthy! If I did it, anyone can!

Hey, you know who you are pastor, I'm one of you. I'd had it! You'll hear my story on the episode. Then come back, click the I'M INTERESTED button, give me your info, and I'll connect with you.

Have HOPE! 2019 absolutely can be the healthiest year of our lives!

Jonny helped and encouraged me in all of this! So from both of us, Merry Christmas! (Episodes will keep coming right through Christmas and New Year's! Enjoy!)

If you listen to Episode 304 and realize you want to learn more about GRACE, TrueFace teaches a great course you can find right here! You should check it out!

John Lynch has a unique style and approach to teaching biblical truth, especially the original good news of the Gospel of God's Grace! This episode will deluge you with encouragement and hope that just maybe... God loves you more than you could ever imagine.

And... that even as a pastor of a small church, God is crazy about you and is on your side. Jeff has always said that small church pastors are many times the Rodney Dangerfields of ministry, they don't get any respect! So if you are ready for an hour of coaching, encouragement, and friendship - go ahead and listen to this episode with John Lynch, from www.trueface.org.

Rob Tarnoviski has been serving in the same church in Northeast Philly since Easter, 1996! Rob has been riding the ups and downs, the highs and lows, experiencing the thrill of victory, and at times the agony of defeat! He comes to the 200churches Podcast Studio with a ton of wisdom and experience and freely shares all in this virtual MasterClass on Ministry Leadership for you, our listeners.

You will totally enjoy this episode and your pastoral muscles will be strengthened by it.

Pastor Rob Tarnoviski from www.bchurch.tv joined Jeff to talk all about leadership, ministry growth, and how to lead a thriving, outward-focused church. This episode is so practical, helpful, and inspirational! So glad to share it with you! Enjoy!