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Show Intro Over the past 18 months, I’ve had the privilege of serving with and learning from Josh Miller, a pastor at The Summit Church and Director of Assessment with The Summit Network. I’ve learned a ton from Josh and I’m stoked to have him on the show to share some of his knowledge and passion for developing leaders with you.  In this episode, we talk about what leadership development looks like for new and aspiring pastors, how to develop spiritual vitality in the life of the leader, and an exciting opportunity for you to get intensive, hands-on ministry training through The Summit Church. Stream now http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/308940461-roblaughter-the-growing-pastor-podcast-episode-005-josh-miller.mp3 Listen & Subscribe iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Show Highlights 1:32 – Josh shares the highlights of his minstry story 4:12 – Rob asks Josh about leadership development 4:48 – Josh describes a holistic approach to leadership development, including head, heart, and hands 7:32 – How does a young leader get started in a leadership development pipeline? 9:40 – How young leaders rise up out of small groups and volunteer teams 12:16 – Common milestones that young leaders can look for as they grow 15:33 – Challenges that leaders experience during the leadership development process 20:08 – Advice for leaders who are frustrated with the pace of their leadership development 23:45 – Spiritual vitality in the life of the leader 27:18 – Josh discusses what he’s learning about spiritual disciplines 31:20 – How to learn from other Christians to help you grow in areas where you’re weak 33:41 – Josh shares an exciting opportunity to get hands-on ministry training Links & Resources Learn more and APPLY NOW for the Summit Ministry Apprenticeship The Summit Network Josh’s Leadership Blog Josh on the Twitter The post Josh Miller on leadership development, spiritual disciplines, and ministry training appeared first on Rob Laughter.

Show Intro I was recently blessed to join Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary Dr. Danny Akin on campus to share a Diet Coke and an encouraging conversation about missions, expository preaching, and how to grow as a young pastor.  In this interview, Dr. Akin shares wisdom he has gained from nearly 40 years in ministry and academics. He shares his experience being called into ministry and training as a young pastor, how to become a better pastor and leader through international missions, and how to improve as an expository preacher.  I hope you enjoy this episode of The Growing Pastor Podcast! Stream Now http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/306282551-roblaughter-thegrowingpastor004dannyakin.mp3 Listen & Subscribe iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Show Highlights 1:01 – Dr. Akin shares his story of ministry and academics 5:36 – How Dr. Akin knew God was calling him into ministry 9:42 – Subjective experience in salvation and calling to ministry 11:06 – The need for conviction in pastoral ministry 12:25 – Two things the pastor needs (a hunger for God’s word and a desire to teach) 15:10 – How SEBTS prepares students to go to the nations 19:30 – Dr. Akin shares advice for taking your first international mission trip 22:21 – What is expository preaching and why is it so important in the Church today? 25:06 – How to avoid “boring” expository preaching 26:21 – Practical ways for a young pastor to grow as a preacher 28:35 – What are some ways in which seminary is uniquely equipped to prepare men and women for ministry? 30:10 – What are some ways in which local churches are better equipped to train leaders than a seminary? 31:32 – Resources for getting started with theological education if you can’t get to seminary 33:58 – How to find your own voice in preaching 36:05 – How pastors can teach in the church when they aren’t the primary preacher on Sunday morning 38:05 – Where to find teaching opportunities early in your ministry Quotable Quotes “No matter where you are, if you are in God’s will, that’s a good place to be. It may not be easy or comfortable, but it is the best place to be.” “If you are going to pursue ministry, there needs to be in your heart a settled conviction that this is what God wants to do in your life. If you don’t have that, I don’t think you’ll go the distance.” “When men are considering ministry, if you have no desire to study God’s word, I don’t think that God is calling you. If you have no desire to share the gospel with lost people, I seriously doubt God is calling you.” “Things that once meant everything to me suddenly began to vanish from my radar screen. And things that I had never thought about before… suddenly those became my consuming passions.” “Every time I go [overseas]… it re-energizes me for the work that I do here.” “What you say is more important than how you say it, but how you say it has never been more important.” “Adrian Rogers used to say of his preaching, ‘I milk a lot of cows, but I church my own butter.’ If you listen to a significant number of men, it is unlikely that you will begin to copycat any one of them.” Links & Resources DanielAkin.com Dr. Akin on Twitter Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary SEBTS free online seminary classes The post Dr. Danny Akin on missions, preaching, and pastoral ministry appeared first on Rob Laughter.

Stream Now http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/305423483-roblaughter-thegrowingpastor003michaelschaffer.mp3 Listen & Subscribe iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Show Intro This interview with Christian Memes/Memes for Jesus founder Michael Schaffer was two years in the making. I had originally reached out to him as part of a blog series that I was writing on young leaders in the bible, and it was a joy to finally get to sit down and chat about missions, youth ministry, and of course, Memes for Jesus. In this interview, Michael talks about his time in ministry school learning to share the gospel around the United States, including what it’s like to minister in challenging environments like Mardi Gras.  He opens up about some of his challenges as a young leader and how he grew through them, and he gives us a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s like running Memes for Jesus and having a platform to reach 750,000 people with the gospel. Show Highlights 1:16 – Michael’s ministry story 1:55 – Michael’s experience at Missio Dei School of Missions and Evangelism 5:27 – Lessons learned on the mission field in New Orleans 7:10 – Experiencing reviling on the streets of New Orleans 8:44 – How to be bold in opposition 11:00 – Changed lives on the Mardi Gras trip 12:35 – How Michael is learning to reproduce himself as a youth pastor 15:00 – How introverts can be effective at building pastoral relationships 18:05 – How to move from “surface level” conversation to heart-level conversation 20:48 – How Michael experienced God calling him to be a youth pastor 25:00 – Lessons Michael is learning as a youth pastor (“I didn’t know anything.”) 29:07 – Learning to serve your senior pastor well 31:11 – Michael opens up about ministry challenges and how he grew through them 38:53 – How Christian Memes/Memes for Jesus got started 41:38 – How Memes for Jesus helped support and platform Michael’s ministry 43:20 – Staying humble when 750,000 people follow you 45:23 – The positive impact of Memes for Jesus 47:20 – What’s next for Memes for Jesus 50:03 – Where to connect with Michael and support his ministry online Links & Resources Below are some of the links and resources that we mentioned in this episode. Michael on Twitter | Instagram Support Michael’s work on Patreon Missio Dei School of Missions and Evangelism Memes for Jesus (Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Tumblr) Memes for Jesus store The post Michael Schaffer on missions, youth ministry, and Memes for Jesus appeared first on Rob Laughter.

Stream Now http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/304165647-roblaughter-the-growing-pastor-episode-002-cam-triggs.mp3 Listen & Subscribe iTunes | Google Play | Stitcher Show Intro This is my favorite episode of The Growing Pastor podcast yet. I’m joined today by my brother and friend, Cam Triggs. Cam is a church planting resident with The Summit Network preparing to plant a brand new church in Orlando, FL this spring called Grace Alive. It was such a pleasure to have Cam on the show. I’ve been blessed to get to know Cam and his family through our small group. He’s been a friend and encouragement through what’s been a challenging time in my ministry, and I think this podcast could be a great encouragement for you, too. In this episode, Cam and I talk about mentorship, the pros and cons to going to seminary, ministering from a place of connection with Christ and more. SHOW HIGHLIGHTS 1:08 – Cam’s ministry story and early life 2:40 – How God used music to introduce him to the gospel 3:41 – How the faithful witness of a security guard brought cam to faith 7:27 – How Cam’s mentoring experience fueled his passion for ministry 10:46 – How seminary prepared Cam to be a pastor and leader 13:27 – Finding the balance between theological education and connection to Christ 16:07 – What Cam learned as a student pastor 16:58 – The importance of serving in your local church 18:20 – How God uses your current season of ministry to prepare you for where he is leading you 19:25 – Debunking the “mentor myth” – how mentoring actually works in the body of Christ 22:00 – The importance of being a disciple maker 24:03 – Cam and Rob talk about church planting 24:22 – How God called Cam into church planting and how he confirmed and clarified that call 27:23 – How does an aspiring pastor get started in church planting? 30:08 – What do you do if your church doesn’t plant churches? 31:57 – Rob talks about what to do when your pastors say “not yet.” 33:37 – Ministering from a place of connection, not competence 35:45 – How Cam learned to minister from connection 37:28 – How to build an accountability structure for your ministry 39:40 – Cam’s favorite blogs or podcasts for growing as a leader and a pastor 40:05 – The most influential advice Cam has received as a ministry leader 40:20 – What Cam knows now that he wishes he knew at the beginning of his ministry QUOTABLE QUOTES 6:45 – “When you go first, it gives the person you’re sharing the gospel with the chance to go second.” 12:01 – “Training is required. Seminary may not be.” 17:15 – “Jesus isn’t coming back for a seminary. He’s coming back for his Church.” 22:20 – “[Discipleship] isn’t always mentor-to-mentee. A lot of times, it’s mutual discipleship that takes place.” 26:25 – “[Church planting] isn’t about a lone ranger going out by himself and people being drawn to his personality. It’s about developing other leaders.” 38:45 – “We need to realize that Scripture – the bread of life – is where we go to meet God, not to please God.” LINKS & RESOURCES Below are some of the links and resources that we mentioned in this episode. Connect with Cam and Grace Alive Grace Alive Grace Alive Social Media – Facebook | Twitter | Instagram Cam Triggs Get free seminary courses online Tim Keller Preaching Course on iTunes U Covenant Seminary Free Online Courses RTS Free Online Courses Blogs and resources to grow as a pastor and leader The Gospel Coalition H.B. Charles Jr. Blog J.D. Greear The post Cam Triggs on mentorship, seminary, and connection with Christ appeared first on Rob Laughter.

Welcome to the debut episode of The Growing Pastor podcast! I’m excited to have Eric Geiger of LifeWay Christian Resources joining me as my very first guest.  In this episode, Eric and I discuss the discipline of self-assessment and how new and aspiring pastors can use self-assessment to improve their personal walk and their ministry. Audio Content http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/301919329-rob-laughter-the-growing-pastor-episode-001-eric-geiger.mp3 Video Interview Mentioned In This Episode EricGeiger.com @EricGeiger 5 Leadership Questions Episode 117: Are Leaders Born or Made? If Dependence is the Objective, Weakness is an Advantage — Pastor J.D. Greear ClearView Baptist Church What’s Best Next: How the Gospel Transforms the Way You Get Things Done   The post Eric Geiger on Personal Assessment appeared first on Rob Laughter.

Welcome to a special pre-launch episode of The Growing Pastor podcast.  In this episode, I share some encouragement and advice that I’ve picked up on my first five years in ministry. Listen Online http://feeds.soundcloud.com/stream/301919332-rob-laughter-the-growing-pastor-episode-000-rob-laughter.mp3 Mentioned In This Episode The Call to Ministry – Dr. Al Mohler Spurgeon on pastoral calling If you enjoyed this episode, you may also enjoy my post 6 Lessons From My First 6 Months in Pastoral Ministry. The post Lessons from my first 5 years in ministry appeared first on Rob Laughter.