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95Podcast Recast Summary – 300 Podcasts And Still Going Strong! (w/ Jon Sanders & Jason Allison) – Episode 314

95Podcast Recast Summary – 300 Podcasts And Still Going Strong! (w/ Jon Sanders & Jason Allison) – Episode 314

Authentic Ministry ConversationsBi-vocational Pastor TipsBy Dale SellersCalendar StewardshipChurch Leadership PodcastDelegation in Small ChurchesMinistry SuccessionPastoral HealthSmall Church HelpSmall Church LeadersSmall Church PartnershipSmall Church SupportSoul Care For Pastors

It’s time to celebrate!

We are releasing the 300th episode of the 95Podcast today. Wow! That’s so hard to believe. Our first episode was released on July 31, 2019, featuring Austin Savage as our host. Austin was so instrumental in the launch of the podcast. He had a vision and an understanding of the potential impact a podcast could have, specifically focused on serving small and midsize church leaders. As of today, there have been over 150,000 downloads of the 95Podcast since we began.

95Network teammates Jon Sanders and Jason Allison join Dale in the celebration on today’s podcast. It’s a fun look back at the impact of the podcast over the years. There have been so many wonderful guests who have joined us. We’ve included 12 of our favorite conversations in today’s show notes in case you may have missed them. 

Key points in brief

  • Celebrating 300 episodes serving small and midsize church leaders who often feel unseen.
  • Best episodes are honest, unslick, and full of practical help.
  • Lead from health: name trauma, pursue counseling, and steward your calendar.
  • Protect focused time for sermon prep and creativity; say no by default.
  • Prioritize soul care rhythms and peer support to avoid isolation.
  • Plan healthy succession and model handoffs for your team and church.
  • Actionables provided for pastors and bivocational pastors, plus a printable checklist.
  • Why the podcast began and who it serves: pastors in small and midsize churches, especially those who often feel unseen.
  • What makes a great episode: honesty, relatability, and practical help without being “slick.”
  • Emotional health and trauma: naming trauma, pursuing healing, and leading from health following Dale’s near-drowning and counseling journey.
  • Practical leadership rhythms: calendar stewardship, protecting creative time, and soul care.
  • Succession: modeling a healthy handoff for the podcast and broader leadership.

Key takeaways

  • The 95Podcast exists to serve small and midsize church leaders who often feel unseen.
  • Authentic, unslick conversations deliver the most impact and trust.
  • Leader health matters: name trauma, seek help, and build soul-care rhythms.
  • Steward your calendar to protect deep work and creativity.
  • Model healthy succession and handoffs as part of finishing well.

Quotes

  • “I’m always thinking, what do I wish someone would have told me back then?”
  • “We don’t edit the podcast. It’s a real conversation, not slick production.”
  • “Ministers don’t trust other ministers. Authenticity and transparency build that trust back.”
  • “I texted: ‘I’m broken. I can’t put it back together. I need help.’ That’s where healing started.”
  • “Protect your calendar or it will run over you.”
  • “You won’t get better if you’re bitter.”
  • “Sometimes the reason we’re still here is simply that we didn’t quit.”
  • “My hope is to hand this off well. Succession done right is part of health.”
  • “We exist to help small and midsize church leaders who often feel unseen.”
  • “Authenticity isn’t a style choice. It’s how trust is rebuilt.”
  • “There wasn’t a 95Network when I needed it. That’s why we show up now.”
  • “If you don’t plan your calendar, it will plan you.”
  • “Lead from health. Your church feels whatever you refuse to face.”
  • “Relevancy for small churches beats celebrity every time.”
  • “Handing things off well is part of finishing well.”

Standout episodes and resources mentioned:

Action steps for listeners

  • Subscribe and share the episode to reach more small-church leaders who need encouragement and practical tools.
  • Protect creative time this week by blocking focused morning hours on your calendar.
  • If you’re feeling stuck or alone, reach out via Contact Us for help and connection.

Actionable steps for pastors

  • Do a 15-minute emotional check-in today. Name what you’re feeling and why. If something hurts, write one step to address it this week.
  • Block your mornings. Protect 8:00–12:00 for deep work, sermon prep, and creative thinking. Say no by default. Add people to this block only when you choose to.
  • Schedule soul care. Put two recurring monthly appointments on your calendar: one with a counselor, coach, or trusted mentor, and one half-day of solitude with Jesus.
  • Start a “health dashboard.” Track weekly: sleep hours, exercise, time with spouse/family, time with friends, quiet time, and workload. Adjust next week based on what you see.
  • Build a peer circle. Text two pastors today to propose a monthly 60-minute Zoom for mutual encouragement and prayer.
  • Clarify your calling fit. List your top 5 energizers and top 5 drainers at church. Share with a supervisor or board and identify one small change you’ll make this month.
  • Pre-plan rest. Put your next two days off and your next vacation on the calendar now. Guard them like critical meetings.
  • Teach your board about succession. Share one article or episode on healthy handoffs and schedule a 30-minute discussion at your next meeting.
  • Create a crisis card. Write three names to call when you hit the wall, plus your counselor’s number. Keep it in your wallet and phone notes.
  • Invite help. If you’re overwhelmed, use Contact Us to start a conversation with 95Network today.

Actionable steps for bi-vocational pastors

  • Micro check-in: Do a 5-minute emotional inventory at lunch. Name one feeling and one trigger. Text a trusted friend what you noticed.
  • Time blocks that flex: Protect two 90-minute blocks per week for deep work or sermon prep. Treat them as immovable unless there’s a family emergency.
  • Commute soul care: Use drive time for prayer, breath prayers, or a Scripture playlist. End each commute with one gratitude.
  • Weekly reset: 45-minute Sunday night or Monday reset to plan your top 3 ministry priorities and top 3 family priorities.
  • Family-first calendar: Put family events, rest, and spouse time on the calendar before church tasks. Share the calendar with your board.
  • Shared-load ministry: List 3 recurring tasks to delegate to volunteers this month. Train one person per task and accept “80 percent as good.”
  • Sabbatical-in-miniature: Schedule one half-day every quarter for extended rest and reflection. Put the next one on the calendar now.
  • Financial clarity: Do a 30-minute monthly money review. Track bivocational income, set aside taxes, and decide one step to reduce financial stress.
  • Support pod: Create a 3-person text thread with two other bivocational pastors for quick prayer and swaps.
  • Emergency plan: Draft a one-page plan for who covers preaching, care, and admin when work or family crises hit.
Printable checklist

Make a copy of the checklist: Bivocational Pastor Weekly Checklist

Copy this into a new page to track each week, or print it.

  • [ ] 5-minute emotional check-in completed
  • [ ] Two 90-minute deep-work blocks protected or rescheduled
  • [ ] Commute soul care practiced at least twice
  • [ ] Weekly reset done with Top 3 ministry and Top 3 family priorities
  • [ ] Family-first events confirmed on calendar
  • [ ] One task delegated or trained to a volunteer
  • [ ] Quarterly half-day rest scheduled or completed
  • [ ] 30-minute money review completed
  • [ ] Checked in with support pod
  • [ ] Emergency coverage plan updated or reviewed

Link To Podcast Audio: 95Podcast 315

Link To Podcast YouTube:

Links

Resources and guests mentioned:

Additional helpful links:

Q&A Transcript

Q: Why celebrate episode 300 and who is this podcast for?

A: We’re marking a milestone while restating the mission: serving small and midsize church leaders who often feel unseen. The podcast exists to offer honest, practical conversations that meet those leaders where they are.

Q: How did the 95Podcast begin?

A: The show launched in 2019 with a vision to help pastors in smaller contexts through authentic, unslick conversations that build trust and offer real help.

Q: What makes a great episode of the 95Podcast?

A: Honesty and relatability. We avoid over‑polish so the conversation stays real and useful. Practical takeaways beat production value every time.

Q: You’ve shared about walking through trauma. How has that shaped the podcast?

A: Facing trauma and pursuing counseling reframed leadership around health. We encourage leaders to name pain, seek help, and lead from a whole place because the church feels whatever leaders refuse to face.

Q: What rhythms help leaders stay healthy?

A: Steward the calendar. Protect focused morning hours for deep work and creativity. Schedule regular soul care through counseling, coaching, and solitude. Build peer support so ministry isn’t isolated.

Q: What do you say to a pastor who feels stuck or alone?

A: You’re not the only one. Start with a simple emotional check‑in, text a trusted friend, and ask for help. Sometimes the reason we’re still here is that we didn’t quit. Reach out for connection and resources.

Q: How should bivocational pastors adapt these practices?

A: Use micro rhythms. Short emotional inventories. Two 90‑minute deep‑work blocks per week. Commute‑time soul care. Plan a flexible weekly reset and put family first on the calendar.

Q: Any guidance on delegation in smaller churches?

A: List three recurring tasks and train one volunteer per task. Embrace “80 percent as good.” Shared load ministry keeps leaders in sustainable lanes and raises new contributors.

Q: What have been some formative conversations for the show?

A: Episodes around leader health, small‑church realities, and practical ministry systems. Guests like Bob Hamp, Karl Vaters, Carey Nieuwhof, Lance Witt, Tony Morgan, and Dan Reiland have offered enduring wisdom.

Q: How do you choose guests?

A: Relevance and authenticity over celebrity. We look for voices that practically serve small and midsize churches right now.

Q: What’s ahead for the podcast?

A: Continued collaboration, a focus on pastor health and financial clarity, and modeling healthy succession and handoffs as part of finishing well.

Q: What are the first three action steps listeners can take this week?

A: 1) Block focused morning hours for deep work. 2) Schedule a soul‑care touchpoint with a counselor, coach, or mentor. 3) Text two pastors to form a monthly encouragement and prayer circle.

Q: Where can listeners go for next steps or connection?

A: Visit the 95Network site for resources, membership, and to reach the team directly.

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