The Church Lobby

Discontent is a tricky monster. It’s so easy to spot it in others, but easy to overlook in ourselves.
Karl Vaters interviews pastor Chris Maxwell about what contentment is not (laziness or mediocrity), what it is (an inner peace), what causes so much discontentment, why contentment is essential for healthy lives and ministries, and so much more.
This is based on the content of Chris’ new book, Contentment: What You’re Searching for May Already Be Yours.
Bonus Content Summary
How to Practice Contentment In Our Calling, with Chris Maxwell
Karl Vaters talks with Chris Maxwell about 6 simple steps we can practice to overcome discontent and embrace the inner peace of contentment, including”
Redefine Success
Embrace Limits
Celebrate the Ordinary
Stay Curious, Not Competitive
Let Joy Lead You
Stay With God, Not Just the Goal

This is based on the content of Chris’ new book, Contentment: What You’re Searching for May Already Be Yours.
Links:
Contentment: What You’re Searching for May Already Be Yours.
The Bible Project

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Kevin Foster is the founding pastor of LifeBridge Community Church in Fresno, CA, a church that made a radical shift in emphasis several years ago when the brokenness of the people in their lower income city led them to run to the brokenness.
Karl and Kevin talk about:
Redefining success in ministry
How young leaders are not rejecting ministry—they’re rejecting the narrow definitions they’ve seen modeled
A new way to look at church metrics
How to finance ministry to broken people

and a lot more.
Links
Run to the Brokenness: How Your Church Can Be the Center of Your Community
RuntotheBrokenness.com

Bonus Content
How to Overcome the Occupational Hazards of Ministry, with Kevin Foster
Karl Vaters talks with Kevin Foster about the hazards of ministry that so many pastors experience, and how to overcome them.
They include:
1) Becoming a Casualty of Others’ Brokenness
2) Leading Through the Tension of Frustration
3) Comparing Yourself to Other Churches
Kevin is the founding pastor of LifeBridge Community Church in Fresno, CA, and the author of Run to the Brokenness: How Your Church Can Be the Center of Your Community.
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Karl Vaters talks with Sam Rainer about some massive changes that are happening, and how the looming pastoral shortage will affect everything about the way churches function in the next generation or two.
Based on Sam’s article, The Coming Massive Wave of Retiring Pastors and Church Staff, this conversation covers what caused this crisis along with some hopeful solutions including the rise of bi- and co-vocational ministry, opportunities for interim pastor ministry, the importance of planning your pastoral succession, and so much more.
Links:
The Coming Massive Wave of Retiring Pastors and Church Staff (article)
Church Answers
Church Answers University certification program
Calendly
KarlVaters.com/OnDeck

Bonus Content
How To Prepare Your Church for Your Pastoral Retirement, with Sam Rainer
Karl Vaters talks with Sam Rainer about what you can do prepare your church if you’re a pastor who’s set to retire soon, including the following three proactive steps:
Evaluate your leadership pipeline
Create flexibility in your staffing model.
Honor and utilize experienced pastors.

Mentioned in this episode:
On Deck Landing Page

Prayer is a foundation of a healthy Christian life and church. Karl Vaters talks with Chris Paavola about four strategic ways his church prays that can help any church lay a more solid foundation for health.
The foundation of this conversation is a talk Chris gives to pastors, titled 4 Ways Small Churches Can Grow in Prayer.
Sunday Intercessory Prayer
Prayer Services
Prayerwalking
A new way to take prayer requests

This last point comes straight from the Bible using the for/that method. It can make your church prayer request times feel less like gossip and more like the time of connection and intercession they’re meant to be.
Chris Paavola is a pastor in Battle Creek Michigan who has written and spoken extensively about prayer, including Pray What You See: A Five-Week Prayerwalk Challenge.
Bonus Content
One Statement, One Question: The Power of a Simple Witness in a Complicated World, with Chris Paavola
Karl Vaters talks with Chris Paavola about how the resurrection of Jesus changed (and still changes) everything, especially to cut through the clutter by bringing unbelievers into the real reason we believe what we believe.
One Statement: “That’s not why I believe.”
One Question: “What do you think happened on Easter morning?”
Links:
PrayForYourChurch.com
@chris_paavola on Instagram
@chris_paavola on X (Twitter)
Using AI To Find Great Sermon Illustrations, with Darrell Stetler (Ep 111)
Books:
Pray What You See: A Five-Week Prayerwalk Challenge
25 Prayers to Christmas: Praying through the Christmas story
52 Prayers for Your Church: Because there's so much to pray
The Seven Symbols of Ash: An Interactive Ash Wednesday Experience
Less for More: Seven fasts in seven weeks for more of Jesus
40 Prayers to Launch: 40 prayers to help people pray for your church plant’s launch
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Karl Vaters talks with Tim Walker about three important subjects: First, they talk about the new world of the “side hustle” culture, and why it can be an answer for pastors and churches to do more ministry with less stress.
Second, the importance of creating margin in our life, our finances, our time, our energy, and our families.
Third, Tim introduces us to the importance of time away from the church, the value of travel, and how to do this well without adding an additional financial burden, through the lessons he's learned about travel hacking.
Tim is the pastor of Restored Church in Wilkes-Barre, PA, and runs the Travel Multiplier website.
Links:
Travel Multiplier
Seats.aero
Point.me
The Church Lobby, Ep 86 with Tim Walker

There is no Bonus Content for this episode.
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