4 Last-Minute Reminders for Your Easter Service
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.
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.
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.
As we work with small and mid-size churches across the country, we love to share the stories of those we partner with. We recently caught up with Bobby Lewis, Lead Pastor of RiverPoint Church in Pelham, AL, who we sponsored through our grant funds for leadership coaching.
What is it like to pastor a small church? Here are 6 honest words the pastors in our network used to describe the role of leading a small church…
The natural reaction for a pastor after being burned is to go inward and just do it all ourselves. We may even be convinced that the only way to get things done right is to do them on our own.
Sometimes the biggest shift that happens in a church begins within the leader. That’s what happened for Jason Allison, Lead Pastor of Terra Nova Community Church in Delaware, OH, this past year.
Worship teams are an essential aspect of nearly every church, and have become an integral part of most church services. So here are some ideas to help a pastor or worship leader develop a healthy worship team in a smaller church:
Every church will go through painful experiences at some point. Moral failure, loss, division, and the list goes on. As pastors, our ability to process the event and lead our congregation through the pain is crucial.
If we’re honest, most of us struggle with the superhero complex. We love the feeling of being needed by our congregation, but it leads us to reject the biblical structure God gives us.
When we hold on to all the ministry as our church starts to grow, we soon lack the additional leaders we need for sustainable growth and we never move from simply holding the title of a pastor to gaining the influence as a leader.
David made a decision to separate from his team and stay behind. He allowed a restlessness on the inside to take him out of the game. As a leader, I tend to create problems when I start hanging out on the edge of the isolation river bank.
Pastor, instead of allowing this Christmas season to be a time that you just need to push through, let this be a time where you intentionally draw closer to your God. Let this be a season that you rediscover some truths in Scripture:
We have some 95Network one-day events coming up in early 2019 — if you’re in the area, we’d love to meet you:

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.
We usually have it backwards. . . Most of us rest from work. However, God’s desire for us is that we work from rest.
Fault leads to shame; responsibility leads to freedom. Responsibility shows you what you can actually change and release what you cannot control.
Discernment stays human. AI can help refine communication, brainstorm, or summarize—but leaders must verify and own what’s shared.
Connection starts with God first. If leaders are not connected to God, they will not lead people into meaningful connection.
Kids ministry deserves top-tier support. If the mission includes evangelism and disciple-making, the next generation should be resourced accordingly.
Most pastors aren’t refusing rest—they’re trapped by systems. Without a plan (and a bench), even a short break can feel impossible.
Preparation beats panic. Healthy leaders build a plan before the crisis—then execute calmly when disruption hits.
Equipping can’t be reduced to a weekly performance; it requires presence, relationship, modeling, and shared life.
Prayer isn’t the warm-up—it’s the engine. Ministry strength doesn’t come from personal drive; it comes from dependence on Jesus and consistent prayer.
“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.
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.
