The Distraction of Division: 6 Distractions Plaguing the Church Today
Here’s the truth: When we get caught up on differences that really don’t matter in the long-run, we are limiting our effectiveness for ministry.
Real guidance for pastors navigating the challenges of everyday ministry.
Leading a small or midsize church comes with unique pressures. From burnout and soul care to church strategy and team development, our articles and podcast guides address the issues church leaders face every week.
Here’s the truth: When we get caught up on differences that really don’t matter in the long-run, we are limiting our effectiveness for ministry.
The topic of church growth has been used in many unhealthy ways over the years, causing a lot of pastors to experience insecurity about their ministry, and permitting some to become complacent.
The reality is that most pastors have never cheated on their spouses with another person. But many are having a different type of affair on a weekly basis.
Meet Thayne Sparke, Lead Pastor of Codell Community Church in Codell, Kansas, a town with a TOTAL of 50 people in it.
After serving in many different small churches throughout the years, I can understand the unique difficulties facing a worship leader in a small church.
For the past year, we’ve been hosting one-day events for pastors of small and mid-size churches all across the country.
Learn how you can host one!
These counseling principles come out of my experience in pastoring a small church. My prayer is that they will help you gain time in your week for preparing and planning.
Here are three lessons we learned about how “soaking the beans” can help a team grow their individual and collective EQ and achieve outstanding results.
Here are 5 crucial action for the pastor struggling with porn to take. Because as we all know, porn use is an ever-growing problem, and it’s one that church leaders are not immune to…
It’s one thing to cast vision. You can build a great team around new ideas and strategies. People will even verbally support you at the beginning. However, once you begin to implement the necessary changes is when your courage as a leader will be challenged.
The reality is that small churches are the backbone of the Church in America. 95% of churches in the U.S. are under 500 in average attendance. And around 87% of churches are under 200 in average attendance.
As Easter quickly approaches and candy collection, chocolate bunnies, and Family Eggstravaganzas fill churches across the country, this can easily become an overwhelming time for church leaders.

Discouraged. It’s how every leader has felt at one point or another when we want to be somewhere we’re not. Dale navigated his own experiences of disappointment in himself and uncovered key truths about leadership in ministry that can anchor and guide us today.
Dale Sellers of 95Network believes this trend is largely due to discouragement among our pastors. Many church leaders begin ministry with dreams of making an eternal impact. But years of striving, stress, and strain have left them feeling defeated, disillusioned, and stalled.
Thankfully, there is hope that ministry can turn around for the discouraged pastor. As a former minister who’s been in the trenches, Dale Sellers reveals that:
In STALLED, you will discover your sweet spot and realize you are closer to being “there” than you know.
All episodes will be posted here on the website, and are also available wherever you listen to podcasts.
Hosted by Caralee Culpepper and Dale Sellers, our executive director, and a former small church pastor, our 95Network podcast is a wealth of information specifically for small-church pastors—delivered in a candid, kind, and concise way. We cover pressing topics in modern ministry, annual trends, and more.
Most pastors aren’t refusing rest—they’re trapped by systems. Without a plan (and a bench), even a short break can feel impossible.
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Equipping can’t be reduced to a weekly performance; it requires presence, relationship, modeling, and shared life.
“If you got a pulse, he’s got a purpose for you.” Retirement isn’t the end of ministry; it’s a new season with fresh opportunities to serve, mentor, and impact the kingdom.
Self-awareness protects leaders from self-deception. Honest feedback is a guardrail for character and culture.
Build discipleship around practice, not just information. People grow through doing, feedback, and repetition in relationships.
Prayer is the engine, not the accessory. Easter effectiveness is not primarily about production, but about God’s presence.
Less Is More—With Intentionality. Doing less with your whole heart is better than doing more and being worn out. Fewer tactics executed with great intentionality will be more effective than an overwhelming production.
Have the Conversation Before There’s a Problem. You can’t wait for something negative to happen before talking to volunteers. Schedule regular check-ins not just about their area of service but about their lives.
The personal God gets personal with us. Biblical counseling explores the active, desiring heart beneath behavior and connects it to Christ’s finished work and the Spirit’s present ministry.
We regularly share practical insights for pastors leading small and midsize churches. If you’d like our latest articles, podcast episodes, and resources delivered straight to your inbox, sign up for the 95Network newsletter.
