Best darrell owens Podcasts (2024)

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Ep 087: Covocational Pastoring: What It Is, And Why You Should Consider It (with Jon Sanders) 46:28

5d ago46:28

46:28

Working a side hustle is no longer the exception for pastors, it’s the norm. Embracing it might answer a lot of your (and your church’s) needs. Karl Vaters talks with Jon Sanders about the rise in covocational pastoring and why it’s something more pastors, especially small-church pastors, should take seriously. Jon is the co-host of the EntrePastor…

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Ep 086: Vibrant Ministry From A Traditional Building In A Difficult City, with Tim Walker 1:00:13

24d ago1:00:13

1:00:13

Why would a young church planter choose to do ministry in the poorest neighborhood of a city in crisis? Many churches are fleeing the inner cities. Grand old church buildings with deep histories sit empty. But Tim Walker and Restored Church are facing these realities head-on in Wilkes-Barre PA. Karl Vaters talks with Tim about subjects like: Their …

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Ep 085: The Necessity of Being Offended by Jesus, with Chase Replogle 45:19

1M ago45:19

45:19

Karl Vaters talks with Chase Replogle about one of the most controversial, but unavoidable topics today—living with offense without being offended. This material comes from his just-released book, A Sharp Compassion: 7 Hard Words to Heal Our Insecurities and Free Us from Offense. Karl and Chase talk about why offense is a necessary part of life, ho…

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Ep 084: How To Do A Great Trunk-or-Treat At Your Church, with Darrell Stetler 47:02

1M ago47:02

47:02

In September and October over 1.2 million people will search online for “Trunk-or-Treat near me.” Here’s how to be one of the churches they find. Karl Vaters talks with Darrell Stetler about practical steps to help churches of any size put on a high-quality, gospel-centered Trunk-or-Treat event. Darrell is a small-church pastor in Oklahoma City and…

1
Ep 083: Flyover Church: Jesus' Ministry in Rural Places, with Brad Roth 45:42

2M ago45:42

45:42

Karl Vaters talks with Brad Roth about the content from his new book, Flyover Church: How Jesus’ Ministry in Rural Places Is Good News Everywhere, for which Karl wrote the foreword. Topics include: How the rural church is different from the city and suburban church, not just in scale, but in type How metrics are very different in the rural church T…

1
Ep 082: Pastoring Difficult People, with Craig T. Owens 55:38

2M ago55:38

55:38

Sometimes pastors are our own worst enemy, so we need to recognize that God chose us for this work. There’s probably not a single pastor (at least not a long-term pastor) who can’t relate to the title of Craig T Owens’ latest book, When Sheep Bite: Help for Shepherd Leaders Who May Have Felt the Painful Bites. In this conversation, Karl Vaters talk…

1
Ep 081: Should Your Church Consider the Microchurch Model?, with Frank Wooden 49:27

3M ago49:27

49:27

Karl Vaters talks with Frank Wooden about Microchurches. Frank has been a church planter for decades, but is now concentrating on the Microchurch model as a valid, healthy alternative in a changing cultural landscape. Karl and Frank talk about: What Microchurch is Why it’s so appealing right now Some cautions to be aware of Three reasons the Microc…

1
Ep 080: Practical Ideas that Work In Small Churches, with Laurie Acker 33:29

3M ago33:29

33:29

Karl Vaters talks with Laurie Acker about the changing face of small church ministry, especially as it relates to recruiting, training, and relying on the volunteers who are so essential in helping small churches survive and thrive in a changing world. Laurie runs SmallChurchMinistry.com, an online ministry that provides resources and support for v…

1
Ep 079: Church Collaboration and Killing Consumerism in a Post-Christian Context, with Dan Nichols 49:45

4M ago49:45

49:45

Pastoring in a post-Christian context is different. The more counter-cultural our faith becomes, the more important it is to understand that Christian consumerism is deadly and church cooperation is essential. Karl Vaters talks with Dan Nichols about these subjects, including: Negotiating a cultural shift in a longstanding church Partnering with ot…

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Ep 078: De-sizing the Church (pt 10): First Reactions from Church Leaders 31:35

4M ago31:35

31:35

As we come to the end of our ten-part series based on De-sizing the Church, we’re highlighting portions of conversations Karl Vaters had with five church leaders from various backgrounds about their first reactions to reading the book. Drew Dyck (author and editor) talks about the dangers of Christian celebrity. Peyton Jones (author and church plan…

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Ep 077: De-Sizing The Church (pt 9): The Danger of Idolizing Outcomes, with Mike Rubino 19:38

5M ago19:38

19:38

Karl Vaters talks with Mike Rubino about his First Reaction to the first chapter of De-sizing the Church, The Danger of Idolizing Outcomes. Karl and Mike look at: The difference between a church that is trending or transforming The biggest mistakes churches make regarding metrics Why “idolatry” is not too strong a term for how many churches and pas…

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Ep 076: De-Sizing the Church (pt 8): Are We Too Quick to Replatform Fallen Pastors? with Matt Steen 24:25

5M ago24:25

24:25

A conversation with Matt Steen about the potential dangers of replatforming fallen pastors too quickly. This is the first of three First Reaction episodes in which I talk to people who read advance copies of De-sizing the Church to get their response to some of the issues I raise in it. As the co-founder of Chemistry Staffing, which helps churches …

1
Ep 075: De-Sizing the Church (pt 7) How To Use Your God-given Platform Well, with Daniel Darling 29:11

5M ago29:11

29:11

Fame and celebrity have many downsides. But Daniel Darling brings a balanced approach to this subject by reminding us that fame is also what allows a good message to get through the clutter. In this episode, Karl talks with Dan about a Twitter thread Dan wrote expressing appreciation for the fame of Tim Keller. It was Tim Keller's platform and the …

1
Ep 074: De-Sizing the Church (pt 6): Reframing Ministry Success to Reach the Misfits and the Marginalized, with Dave Gibbons 38:45

5M ago38:45

38:45

What happens when a pastor sets out, not to minister to people who look like him, but to purposely reach people who look as different from his current congregation as possible? That’s what Dave Gibbons, the founding pastor of Newsong Church in Orange County, CA did. In this episode, Karl Vaters talks with him about the planting of Newsong, the chal…

1
Ep 073: De-Sizing the Church (pt 5): Forming a Goodness Culture In the Local Church, with Scot McKnight 39:47

6M ago39:47

39:47

Meritocracy has become embedded in the American church. In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Scot McKnight about why this is dangerous, how to notice the warning signs of a toxic church culture, the problems with being or following a narcissistic leader, and more. Scot McKnight is the co-author (with Laura Barringer) of A Church Called Tov:…

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Ep 072: De-Sizing the Church (pt 4): Unintended Consequences of the Church Growth Movement, with Bob Smietana 44:42

6M ago44:42

44:42

Karl Vaters interviews Bob Smietana, a columnist for Religion News Service, and the author of Reorganized Religion: The Reshaping of the American Church and Why it Matters. Bob and Karl discuss some of unintended consequences of the Church Growth Movement from Bob's unique vantage point. They also delve into the dangers of bigness and what we can d…

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Ep 071: De-Sizing the Church (pt 3): What Eugene Peterson Is Still Teaching Us About Pastoral Ministry, with Winn Collier 38:07

6M ago38:07

38:07

If small church pastors have a modern patron saint, Eugene Peterson might be it. In this episode, Karl Vaters talks with Peterson’s biographer, Winn Collier about the places where Winn’s book, A Burning in My Bones: The Authorized Biography of Eugene H. Peterson, Translator of The Message, overlaps with Karl's book, De-sizing the Church. They talk …

1
Ep 070: De-Sizing the Church (pt 2): Why Christian Celebrity Culture Guarantees Moral Failure, with Katelyn Beaty 40:53

6M ago40:53

40:53

One of the biggest dangers of our obsession with church size is the rise of the Christian celebrity culture. Katelyn Beaty is the author of Celebrities for Jesus: How Personas, Platforms, and Profits Are Hurting the Church. Katelyn defines celebrity as “social power without proximity.” In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Katelyn about what…

1
Ep 069: De-Sizing the Church (pt 1): How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What's Next, with Karl Vaters 36:30

7M ago36:30

36:30

We have an unhealthy relationship with bigness in the church. Especially in the American church. And it’s killing us. The rate of church closures, departing members, and pastoral burnout is growing exponentially. This is the first episode of a series of podcasts based on Karl Vaters’ new book, De-Sizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Scienc…

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Ep 068: The Small Church Worship Advantage, with Teresa Stewart 49:25

7M ago49:25

49:25

Have you ever felt like your church is “less than” because you don’t have a worship experience with the talented musicians you’ve seen in larger churches? According to Teresa Stewart, not only is that not needed for an excellent worship experience, but the small church actually has advantages that are not always available to our big-church friends.…

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Ep 067: Beyond Burnout: Growing a Healthy Soul, with Ian Borkent 32:08

8M ago32:08

32:08

Ian Borkent is a pastor in the Netherlands who walked through a season of ministry burnout and now helps pastors address this issue in their own lives through the ministry of Grow a Healthy Soul. In this episode we’ll talk about the causes of pastoral burnout, how to avoid it, and how to recruit church members to the task of helping pastors by empl…

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Ep 066: Brain Science, Christian Connection, and Character Development, with Michel Hendricks 47:54

8M ago47:54

47:54

Our brains are the most important, but least understood part of our body. In this episode, Karl Vaters interviews Michel Hendricks about the fascinating place where faith and brain science intersect. Michel is the co-author (with Jim Wilder) of The Other Half of Church: Christian Community, Brain Science, and Overcoming Spiritual Stagnation, which …

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Ep 065: Helping Small Churches Thrive (A special message from Karl Vaters) 47:19

8M ago47:19

47:19

This is the second of two very special episodes that we’re doing in back-to-back weeks instead of our usual bi-weekly schedule. This episode features the message I preached in January 2024, on the day our church honored Shelley and me for our 31 years of serving the church on staff. In this message, I talked about what we’re doing next, including w…

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Ep 064: The Value of Pastoral Longevity (Gary Garcia interviews Karl Vaters) 18:59

9M ago18:59

18:59

This is the first of two very special episodes that we’re doing in back-to-back weeks, instead of our usual bi-weekly schedule. In January 2024, Karl and Shelley Vaters were honored by their home church as they ended 31 years on the pastoral staff—25 years as lead pastor, six years as teaching pastor. This, and the next episode of The Church Lobby …

1
Ep 063: Using A.I. Without Losing Your Soul: A Step-by-Step Guide, with Jason Moore 1:11:58

9M ago1:11:58

1:11:58

A little over a year ago, A.I. came into our lives in a big way. Suddenly, it seemed to be everywhere. Karl Vaters talks with Jason Moore about what A.I. is, why it came into our lives so suddenly, and what its strengths and dangers are. Then they spend the bulk of this slightly longer-than-usual episode with Jason physically walking us through usi…

1
Ep 062: Maybe You Shouldn't Live-Stream Your Church Service, with Tim Fox 52:22

10M ago52:22

52:22

Everyone has an opinion about live streaming, pro or con. As I sift through it, I only want to give a platform to the most helpful, thoughtful voices, and Tim Fox is one of them. In this podcast, we talk about the content of a Facebook post Tim wrote that challenged the reasons most churches live stream their services, while offering some thoughtfu…

1
Ep 061: Why Reading Matters for Ministry, with Austin Carty 50:58

10M ago50:58

50:58

Pastors need to read, not just for information, but for formation. Austin Carty and Karl Vaters cover topics like: The importance of reading many types of books, not just works of theology and leadership How reading helps us become more mature, wise, and caring How reading the Bible with a sense of wonder helps embed its truths into our lives How i…

1
Ep 060: How Just Showing Up Can Change Everything, with Drew Dyck 43:02

11M ago43:02

43:02

Just showing up in people’s lives is such an important aspect of life and ministry. Karl Vaters talks with Drew Dyck about why this is so important, as outlined in Drew’s new book, Just Show Up: How Small Acts of Faithfulness Change Everything (A Guide for Exhausted Christians). Including: The value of our physical presence in pastoral ministry The…

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Ep 059: How Churches Can Stop Burning Out Pastors, with Josh Taylor 54:44

11M ago54:44

54:44

Burnout is a huge issue among pastors. But did you know there’s a simple (but not simplistic) way to start addressing and reducing burnout? And that your congregation can help you with it? That’s the premise of Karl's conversation with Josh Taylor, based on his book, A Preach Well Church: How Churches Can Stop Burning Out Pastors. Josh and Karl tal…

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Ep 058: The Power of Prayer In Church Revitalization, with Lavern E. “Bud” Brown 54:56

12M ago54:56

54:56

There are so many books about how to turn a lifeless church around. Most concentrate on the pastor’s role. But what about the role of the congregation members? In small churches, this is especially important. Karl Vaters talks with Bud Brown about how to help the congregation become agents of life and hope in a dying church through the power of pra…

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Ep 057: How to Turn Board Meetings Into God Meetings, with Dave Beckwith 39:29

1y ago39:29

39:29

In a recent survey, 80 percent of respondents said "yes" to the question, “since serving on a church board, do you feel your spiritual life has declined?” Why is this happening, and what can be done about it? In this episode, Karl Vaters talks with Dave Beckwith about How to Turn Your Board Meetings Into God Meetings, including How our current corp…

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Ep 056: You're Pastoring More People Than You Think, with Chad Brooks 38:42

1y ago38:42

38:42

With people attending church less frequently now, you average Sunday attendance represents a smaller percent of your regulars than ever befofe. And it affects how we pastor them and what they expect of the church in ways we may not realize. Karl Vaters talks about this with Chad Brooks, a co-vocational pastor, blogger at RevChadBrooks.com, and the …

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Ep 055: What I Learned By Taking A Sabbatical, with Karl Vaters 31:36

1y ago31:36

31:36

In this solo episode, Karl Vaters shares 22 lessons he learned on his recent sabbatical that will help you if you’re considering one yourself. Including: How long it should be How to prepare for it What to expect, emotionally and mentally How to fade in and fade out of it slowly and more BONUS MATERIAL How We Found Great Churches On Our Sabbatical …

1
Ep 054: 10 Surprising Stats That Prove Church Size Matters, with Brady Shearer 1:01:43

1y ago1:01:43

1:01:43

Karl Vaters talks with Brady Shearer, summarizing a report about church trends and church size. Karl and Brady talk about those stats and what they mean for small church ministry, including: How stats don’t tell you a church’s story, but they can help you see things you might not otherwise pay attention to Good news about racial, age and ethnic div…

1
Ep 053: The Secret Power of Kindness, with Greg Atkinson 53:10

1y ago53:10

53:10

Karl Vaters talks with Greg Atkinson, the author of several books, including The Secret Power of Kindness: 10 Keys to Unlocking Your Capacity to Change the World. Greg is probably most well-known as one of the leading church experts on hospitality and First Impressions. In this conversation, Greg talks about his brave choice to end the cycle of abu…

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Ep 052: The Power of Forgiveness, with Dr. Bruce & Toni Hebel 48:37

1y ago48:37

48:37

Forgiveness may be the most desired, but among the least understood virtues found in scripture, and in life. Karl Vaters talks with Dr. Bruce & Toni Hebel, co-authors of Forgiving Forward: Unleashing the Forgiveness Revolution. In this episode we talk about The Power of Forgiveness, including a lot of ideas that may feel counterintuitive to you, so…

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Ep 051: Unlock Your Bible, with Dianne Finkelde 32:42

1+ y ago32:42

32:42

Karl Vaters interviews Dianne Finkelde, the author of several books, including Unlock Your Bible: The How-to Study Guide for Everyday Christians. Karl and Dianne talk about, not just the importance of reading the Bible, but how to read it in a way that the everyday person can understand it, appreciate it, and do what it says, including: Letting the…

1
Ep 050: How To Plan A Sabbatical, with Karl Vaters 23:25

1+ y ago23:25

23:25

If you've never taken a sabbatical or wondered why they matter, this podcast is a great introduction to it. In this solo podcast, Karl Vaters talks about: Why sabbaticals matter for pastors An important lesson on time management from the life of the Apostle Paul Why Karl is taking his sabbatical now The sabbatical template he will follow How to get…

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Ep 049: YouTube Strategy for Churches, with Sallie Guillory 48:34

1+ y ago48:34

48:34

Karl Vaters interviews Sallie Guillory, the author of YouTube Strategy for Churches: A practical guide for your church to reach more people through YouTube. Karl and Sallie talk about some extremely practical ideas to use the world’s biggest video platform and second largest search engine to help people find your content, including: How to get more…

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Ep 048: Post-Pandemic Trends In Small Church Ministry, with Dale Sellers 39:05

1+ y ago39:05

39:05

Karl Vaters interviews Dale Sellers of the 95 Network, which provides resources for the 95 percent of churches that are not large. In this conversation, Dale and Karl talk about some of the important issues facing small churches as we come out of the pandemic and look ahead to 5-10 years of fallout, including: The need for rest and soul care for pa…

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Ep 047: Overcoming The Dangers of Elitist Christianity, with Michael Clary 1:01:45

1+ y ago1:01:45

1:01:45

Karl Vaters interviews Michael Clary about the dangers of what he calls Elitist Christianity. This conversation was inspired by a Twitter thread Michael wrote in which he confessed to an arrogant attitude he had developed as a young, successful church planter. Michael found himself looking down on pastors and Christians who hadn’t had his training,…

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Ep 046: Team Leadership: Lessons from the Apostle Paul, with Ryan Lokkesmoe 49:59

1+ y ago49:59

49:59

Karl Vaters interviews Ryan Lokkesmoe, a church-planter and the author of a new book, Paul and His Team: What the Early Church Can Teach Us About Leadership and Influence. Karl and Ryan talk about what we can learn from the way Paul worked with his ministry team, and how those lessons translate to ministry today. Including: How Paul dealt with conf…

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Ep 045: Dealing With Burnout In Ministry, with Sean Nemecek 53:13

1+ y ago53:13

53:13

Karl Vaters interviews Sean Nemecek, author of the just-released book, The Weary Leader’s Guide to Burnout: A Journey from Exhaustion to Wholeness. In this episode we’re talking to pastors who are wondering if they might be dealing with burnout in ministry. Sean walks us through the following steps: What is burnout, and why does it seem to be on th…

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Ep 044: Ministry in Today’s Rural Church, with Brad Roth 48:38

1+ y ago48:38

48:38

Karl Vaters interviews Brad Roth, a Mennonite pastor in rural Kansas, a blogger at DoxologyProject.com, and the author of God's Country: Faith, Hope, and the Future of the Rural Church. Brad and Karl talk about four concepts from his book: The importance of Rural church Acedia The importance of Place A New Way to Measure Growth They also have an im…

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Ep 043 : Church Metrics that Really Matter, with Craig T. Owens 52:00

1+ y ago52:00

52:00

Karl Vaters interviews Craig T. Owens, a pastor, author, co-host of the podcast “The Craig and Greg Show”, and a blogger at CraigTOwens.com. In this conversation, Karl and Craig talk about the subjects addressed in his recent book, Shepherd Leadership: The Metrics that Really Matter. Some of the important subjects include: Using biblical metrics fo…

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Ep 042: Making Space for Ministry and Life In an Increasingly Cluttered World, with Daniel Sih 50:53

1+ y ago50:53

50:53

In this conversation, Karl Vaters talks to Daniel Sih about the information in his recent book, Spacemaker: How to Unplug, Unwind and Think Clearly in the Digital Age. Specifically, we address three areas that are having a massive effect on our lives and ministries: Clutter Neuroplasticity The stories we tell In our increasingly tech-driven world, …

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Ep 041: Ministry as a Solo Pastor, with Gary L. McIntosh 48:36

1+ y ago48:36

48:36

An interview with Gary L. McIntosh about the principles in his new book, The Solo Pastor: Understanding and Overcoming the Challenges of Leading a Church Alone. In this episode, Karl Vaters talks with Dr. McIntosh about: The relentlessness of being a solo pastor How influence works in the solo-pastor church What expectations people have of the solo…

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Ep 040: How Excellence Looks Different In Small Churches, with Erik Reed 40:09

1+ y ago40:09

40:09

Karl Vaters interviews Erik Reed, a pastor in Nashville TN. This conversation is, surprisingly, based on a Twitter thread Erik wrote about how excellence in smaller churches looks different than it does in bigger churches. Karl and Erik talk about The dangers of small churches trying to imitate larger churches The attractiveness of authenticity The…

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Ep 039: Polycentric Leadership: Church as a Discipleship Movement, with Dan White Jr. 1:03:48

2y ago1:03:48

1:03:48

Karl Vaters interviews Dan White Jr.. the coauthor (with JR Woodward) of The Church as Movement: Starting and Sustaining Missional-Incarnational Communities. They talk about why we need a complete rethinking of how we do church, from the current, popular ways of seeing it as an institution or a series of programs, to seeing it as the movement Jesus…

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Introducing The Church Lobby Podcast! (A Bonus Episode) 15:39

2y ago15:39

15:39

Welcome to the first episode of The Church Lobby: Conversations on Faith & Ministry. In this episode, Karl talks about some of the big news coming from this ministry over the coming months, including four big reasons for the name change: Why The Church Lobby? 1) The church lobby is where the church meets and does ministry 2) It shifts the emphasis …

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