In Episode 238, we delve into the topic of church size and why God uses the underdog to make a big impact. Join hosts Scott Ball & A.J. Mathieu as they discuss the neutral nature of church size and emphasize the significance of church health in fulfilling the mission. They share examples of small churches making significant local impacts and encourage pastors of all church sizes to utilize resources to fulfill God's plan for the global church. The hosts also reflect on the challenges faced by their organization and issue a call for support to continue their global church revitalization efforts. Tune in as they draw inspiration from the story of Gideon and explore how God uses small beginnings to achieve great things, emphasizing the importance of reliance on God's power and alignment with His will for success, rather than numbers.
Also See: Why God Uses Small Ministries to Make a Big Impact - Full Show NotesThe Purpose of the Church, According to Jesus
The fullest churches in history didn’t always make the most disciples. Some kept every pew occupied for years while quietly failing the neighborhood outside their doors. Jesus measured his followers by who they sent out more than by who showed up, and that standard is worth applying to your own church this week.
Plenty of pastors carry a quiet ache for the years when sanctuaries filled up Sunday morning, Sunday night, and again on a weeknight. Anyone who has preached to three rows of empty chairs knows that sting. That longing for a fuller building runs into three problems worth naming before you build a strategy around it.
Charles Spencer warns repair costs are leaving churches ‘struggling to survive’
Historical author, Charles Spencer, has warned that Britain’s historic churches are increasingly under threat due to the financial burden of maintaining them.
Writing for The Financial Times Spencer noted that in 2025 the Church of England alone needed over a billion pounds for major repairs across its 16,000 churches. Many such churches, especially those with smaller congregations, are “struggling to survive”, he argued.
Struggling with volunteer burnout in your church? The problem might not be commitment—it's temperament mismatch. In this episode, Scott Ball and AJ Mathieu reveal why understanding temperament in church volunteer roles is the game-changer your ministry needs.
Discover how to match volunteers to positions where they'll thrive, not just survive. Learn the four temperament types and their ideal ministry fits, spot signs of misalignment, and create a volunteer culture that energizes rather than drains.
Thriving as a Dominant-Type Leader: Deep on DiSC Part 1
Are you motivated by competition, winning, and success? Are you outspoken, determined, and always up for the challenge? You might be a D-Type (Dominant-Type) leader.
There are a lot of helpful tools for understanding your personality. At The Malphurs Group, we regularly use the DiSC Assessment. In this multi-part article and podcast series, we are exploring the primary DiSC types and how they impact your leadership.
In this first installment, you’ll learn the strengths, challenges, and keys to success for the D or Dominant type personality.
Are you always chasing the next big idea? Are you a connector and networker? You might be an I-Type (Influence-Type) leader.
There are a lot of helpful tools for understanding your personality. At The Malphurs Group, we regularly use the DiSC Assessment. In this multi-part article and podcast series, we are exploring the primary DiSC types and how they impact your leadership.
In this second installment, you’ll learn the strengths, challenges, and keys to success for the I or Influence type personality.
Do you value stability and loyalty? Do you avoid decisions that could lead to conflict? You might be an S-Type (Steady-Type) leader.
There are a lot of helpful tools for understanding your personality. At The Malphurs Group, we regularly use the DiSC Assessment. In this multi-part article and podcast series, we are exploring the primary DiSC types and how they impact your leadership.
In this third installment, you’ll learn the strengths, challenges, and keys to success for the S or Steady Type personality.
Are you a details person? Do you thrive in an environment with clear rules and guidelines? You might be a C-Type (Conscientious-Type) leader.
There are a lot of helpful tools for understanding your personality. At The Malphurs Group, we regularly use the DiSC Assessment. In this multi-part article and podcast series, we are exploring the primary DiSC types and how they impact your leadership.
In this final installment, you’ll learn the strengths, challenges, and keys to success for the C or Conscientious type personality.
Franklin Graham, one of President Trump’s most stalwart evangelical allies, did not offer any reasons for rejecting the federal funds, which would have been used for ‘immediate life-saving assistance to people affected by natural disasters.’
Sainting Charlie Kirk serves the MAGA movement. It doesn't serve the girls who believe it.
One year after Charlie Kirk's death, former tradwife Tia Levings writes about how sainting serves Christian patriarchy and TPUSA — not the teenage girls drawn into his myth.
More Than a Force: Who the Holy Spirit Really Is
The State of Theology study reveals an alarming percentage of evangelicals who are confused about the personhood of the Holy Spirit.
10 Duties of a Pastor Most Churches Never See
Your pastor was probably up before dawn today, and not for a workout. Between a hospital call, a budget spreadsheet, a sermon that still needs an ending, and a text from someone in crisis, the job holds ten distinct roles that rarely show up in a Sunday bulletin. Skip past any one of them and a church starts to feel it within months. Here is what each duty actually requires, what tends to go wrong, and where the congregation fits into carrying the weight.
Lifeway Research’s 2025 pastoral wellness data found that fewer pastors now keep a referral list of counselors or attend counseling training than a decade ago, even as the demands on their time have grown. A separate 2026 industry report tracked pastor satisfaction dropping from 72% to 52% between 2015 and 2022, with no recovery since. The job has not gotten smaller. The support system around it has.
Writing for The Financial Times Spencer noted that in 2025 the Church of England alone needed over a billion pounds for major repairs across its 16,000 churches. Many such churches, especially those with smaller congregations, are “struggling to survive”, he argued.
Building maintenance is serious challenge facing churches with smaller congregations and declining attendance and giving in the United States. It is a factor that has contributed to the closure of a number of US churches.Why Temperament Matters in Church Volunteer Roles (Stop Volunteer Burnout)
Struggling with volunteer burnout in your church? The problem might not be commitment—it's temperament mismatch. In this episode, Scott Ball and AJ Mathieu reveal why understanding temperament in church volunteer roles is the game-changer your ministry needs.
Discover how to match volunteers to positions where they'll thrive, not just survive. Learn the four temperament types and their ideal ministry fits, spot signs of misalignment, and create a volunteer culture that energizes rather than drains.
Thriving as a Dominant-Type Leader: Deep on DiSC Part 1
Are you motivated by competition, winning, and success? Are you outspoken, determined, and always up for the challenge? You might be a D-Type (Dominant-Type) leader.
There are a lot of helpful tools for understanding your personality. At The Malphurs Group, we regularly use the DiSC Assessment. In this multi-part article and podcast series, we are exploring the primary DiSC types and how they impact your leadership.
In this first installment, you’ll learn the strengths, challenges, and keys to success for the D or Dominant type personality.
Also See: Thriving as a Dominant-Type Leader: Deep on DiSC Part 1 - Full Show NotesLeading as an Influence-Type Leader: Deep on DiSC Part 2
Are you always chasing the next big idea? Are you a connector and networker? You might be an I-Type (Influence-Type) leader.
There are a lot of helpful tools for understanding your personality. At The Malphurs Group, we regularly use the DiSC Assessment. In this multi-part article and podcast series, we are exploring the primary DiSC types and how they impact your leadership.
In this second installment, you’ll learn the strengths, challenges, and keys to success for the I or Influence type personality.
Also See: Leveraging Influence – Leading as an I-Type Leader: Deep on DiSC Part 2 - Full Show NotesLeading as a Steady-Type Leader: Deep on DiSC Part 3
Do you value stability and loyalty? Do you avoid decisions that could lead to conflict? You might be an S-Type (Steady-Type) leader.
There are a lot of helpful tools for understanding your personality. At The Malphurs Group, we regularly use the DiSC Assessment. In this multi-part article and podcast series, we are exploring the primary DiSC types and how they impact your leadership.
In this third installment, you’ll learn the strengths, challenges, and keys to success for the S or Steady Type personality.
Also See: Shepherding Your Church – Leading as an S-Type Leader: Deep on DiSC Part 3 - Full Show NotesManaging as a Conscientious-Type Leader: Deep on DiSC Part 4
Are you a details person? Do you thrive in an environment with clear rules and guidelines? You might be a C-Type (Conscientious-Type) leader.
There are a lot of helpful tools for understanding your personality. At The Malphurs Group, we regularly use the DiSC Assessment. In this multi-part article and podcast series, we are exploring the primary DiSC types and how they impact your leadership.
In this final installment, you’ll learn the strengths, challenges, and keys to success for the C or Conscientious type personality.
Also See: Dealing with the Details – Managing as a C-Type Leader: Deep on DiSC Part 4 - Full Show NotesSamaritan's Purse turns down $300M from State Department for humanitarian relief
Franklin Graham, one of President Trump’s most stalwart evangelical allies, did not offer any reasons for rejecting the federal funds, which would have been used for ‘immediate life-saving assistance to people affected by natural disasters.’
Sainting Charlie Kirk serves the MAGA movement. It doesn't serve the girls who believe it.
One year after Charlie Kirk's death, former tradwife Tia Levings writes about how sainting serves Christian patriarchy and TPUSA — not the teenage girls drawn into his myth.
More Than a Force: Who the Holy Spirit Really Is
The State of Theology study reveals an alarming percentage of evangelicals who are confused about the personhood of the Holy Spirit.
10 Duties of a Pastor Most Churches Never See
Your pastor was probably up before dawn today, and not for a workout. Between a hospital call, a budget spreadsheet, a sermon that still needs an ending, and a text from someone in crisis, the job holds ten distinct roles that rarely show up in a Sunday bulletin. Skip past any one of them and a church starts to feel it within months. Here is what each duty actually requires, what tends to go wrong, and where the congregation fits into carrying the weight.
Lifeway Research’s 2025 pastoral wellness data found that fewer pastors now keep a referral list of counselors or attend counseling training than a decade ago, even as the demands on their time have grown. A separate 2026 industry report tracked pastor satisfaction dropping from 72% to 52% between 2015 and 2022, with no recovery since. The job has not gotten smaller. The support system around it has.
Spiritual Burnout: When the Pastor Stops Feeling God
Every Sunday, thousands of pastors preach about the presence of God while privately wondering where he went. They pray from the pulpit with confidence, then drive home unsure whether anyone was listening. This is spiritual burnout, and most congregations have no idea their pastor is in it.
The condition is common, well documented, and almost never named out loud. Research from Barna, Lifeway, and Duke’s Clergy Health Initiative describes the workload side of pastoral exhaustion in detail. The interior side gets far less attention: the slow fading of a pastor’s own sense of God while he or she keeps leading everyone else toward him. This article covers what spiritual burnout looks like, why pastors hide it, what earlier Christians called it, and what brings people back.
Josh and Sam discuss why many churches have moved away from old-school hymns, not always because they reject them, but because worship culture has changed. Modern worship music is often easier to lead with a band, more familiar to younger generations, and shaped by digital platforms, conferences, and major worship publishers. But the disappearance of hymns can also come at a cost. Hymns often carry theological depth, congregational memory, and a sense of continuity with the broader church. In this episode, we discuss why hymns have faded in many churches and how leaders can reintroduce them wisely without turning worship into a generational battle.
A teenager told me he does not smile. Five minutes earlier, he had sat through my whole talk on why he should. That moment taught me more about preaching than most seminary classes did, and it explains why some sermon topics belong in your pulpit every single year.
Paul told Timothy to fan into flame the gift God had given him (2 Timothy 1:6) and to keep reminding the church of the basics (2 Timothy 2:14). Peter said he would keep reminding believers of truths they already knew (2 Peter 1:12). Paul even told the Philippians that writing the same things again was no trouble for him and kept them safe (Philippians 3:1). The apostles repeated themselves on purpose. So should you.
I’m Praying for You: 3 Ways to Intentionally Pray for Others
What made middle-school-me yearn for an email from my summer camp pen pal and current-me rush to open a handwritten notecard? It’s the same desire—to feel remembered. To know that someone took the time to boot up an old computer or find a stamp just to let me know they care.
When Silence Is Not Complicity
There are moments when God’s people must speak clearly, courageously and at personal cost.
But silence is not always complicity.
Every Sunday, thousands of pastors preach about the presence of God while privately wondering where he went. They pray from the pulpit with confidence, then drive home unsure whether anyone was listening. This is spiritual burnout, and most congregations have no idea their pastor is in it.
The condition is common, well documented, and almost never named out loud. Research from Barna, Lifeway, and Duke’s Clergy Health Initiative describes the workload side of pastoral exhaustion in detail. The interior side gets far less attention: the slow fading of a pastor’s own sense of God while he or she keeps leading everyone else toward him. This article covers what spiritual burnout looks like, why pastors hide it, what earlier Christians called it, and what brings people back.
Also See: Pastor Burnout: The Dark Night Most Congregations Never SeeWhy Don't Churches Sing Old-School Hymns Anymore?
Josh and Sam discuss why many churches have moved away from old-school hymns, not always because they reject them, but because worship culture has changed. Modern worship music is often easier to lead with a band, more familiar to younger generations, and shaped by digital platforms, conferences, and major worship publishers. But the disappearance of hymns can also come at a cost. Hymns often carry theological depth, congregational memory, and a sense of continuity with the broader church. In this episode, we discuss why hymns have faded in many churches and how leaders can reintroduce them wisely without turning worship into a generational battle.
What I have observed about the latest crop of worship songs is their range is not a comfortable one for the average singer in the congregation, they contain phrases and verses that are theologically unsound and promote beliefs that are not found in Scripture or derived from Scripture, and they focus on "me" and not God. The type of tunes to which they are set and the frequency of the repetition of verses cause the brain to produce oxytocin and what congregations experience as a spiritual high is a chemically induced one and addictive. Increasingly the motive for writing them is to make money rather to give thanks and praise to God. They also tend to be throwaway songs - sung for a brief season and then discarded. Rather than being exposed to hymns and other sacred music that witnesseses to the faith of previous generations of Christians and that of Christians in other lands and cultures, congregations, particularly young people, are being subjected to worship music that conveys the message that the Christian faith is ever-shifting, impermanent, and rootless and the purpose of worship music is first of all consumer gratificaton and not the glorifying and honoring of God.7 Sermon Topics Your Church Needs To Hear on Repeat
A teenager told me he does not smile. Five minutes earlier, he had sat through my whole talk on why he should. That moment taught me more about preaching than most seminary classes did, and it explains why some sermon topics belong in your pulpit every single year.
Paul told Timothy to fan into flame the gift God had given him (2 Timothy 1:6) and to keep reminding the church of the basics (2 Timothy 2:14). Peter said he would keep reminding believers of truths they already knew (2 Peter 1:12). Paul even told the Philippians that writing the same things again was no trouble for him and kept them safe (Philippians 3:1). The apostles repeated themselves on purpose. So should you.
I’m Praying for You: 3 Ways to Intentionally Pray for Others
What made middle-school-me yearn for an email from my summer camp pen pal and current-me rush to open a handwritten notecard? It’s the same desire—to feel remembered. To know that someone took the time to boot up an old computer or find a stamp just to let me know they care.
When Silence Is Not Complicity
There are moments when God’s people must speak clearly, courageously and at personal cost.
But silence is not always complicity.
Image Credit: Martin's Chapel United Methodist Church
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