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.
Connection starts with God first. If leaders are not connected to God, they will not lead people into meaningful connection.
If the stress of not knowing what to do, or even knowing that you’ve made some wrong decisions in your leadership lately, is weighing you down, then it’s time for you to take a long walk with Jesus. Tell Him how you’re feeling about your life and ministry. He won’t be shocked by your admission.
A digital native is born into a world where technology and the internet have always existed—technology feels normal and natural. A digital immigrant is from an older generation that has had to adapt to technology. Like immigrants, they may carry an “accent” in how they use tech.
There is often too little effort made to understand a new believer’s background. That can lead us to be critical of their lack of follow-through—when we never clearly communicated expectations in the first place. Judging someone’s lack of follow-through against expectations they were never told about will absolutely create confusion.
Healthy transitions don’t happen accidentally. Succession works best when it’s intentional, slow enough to grieve and celebrate, and supported by objective outside help.
Doing ministry from Jesus means your leadership flows from intimacy, obedience, and dependence on the Holy Spirit. Doing ministry for Jesus often places the pressure on your own performance, strategy, and ability to produce results.
If you’re leading a small church, you already know the tension: you need rest, but you also feel responsible for everything from pastoral care to building maintenance.
Equipping can’t be reduced to a weekly performance; it requires presence, relationship, modeling, and shared life.
Here’s what I mean: Discerning the inner prompting (or voice) of the Holy Spirit can get complicated over the years. I’ve often felt confident that I can hear the Holy Spirit speak direction into my life. However, the sound of the Holy Spirit’s voice can sometimes feel very similar to the sound of my own conscience.
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.
Early in my ministry, one of the greatest challenges I had to overcome was thinking I had some clue about what Jesus had in mind when he first called me. If you’re like me, you probably had some preconceived notions when you accepted the call, too.
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.
Build discipleship around practice, not just information. People grow through doing, feedback, and repetition in relationships.
In this episode, Dale Sellers & Joseph Bennett interview trauma counselor Bridget Trammell about trauma, triggers, religious abuse, purity culture, and practical steps pastors can take to heal and lead healthier churches.
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.
Listen to Dale on The Stetzer ChurchLeader Podcast w/ Ed Stetzer discussing his book:
Get the 4 day Stalled devotional plan through YouVersion.
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