Practical conversations for small and midsize church leaders.
Hosted by Dale Sellers, Executive Director of 95Network and former small church pastor, the 95Podcast addresses the real challenges pastors face every week—from church health, leadership clarity, to the everyday realities of leading without large staff or large budgets. These are straightforward conversations rooted in experience, not theory.
New episodes release every Tuesday wherever you listen to podcasts or delivered straight to your inbox.
Healthy pastors lead healthy churches, and healthy churches change the world. That’s why they’ve gathered a national network of providers who are passionate about helping pastors and their families stay on the road to mental, spiritual, and financial well-being.
Polly’s vision in life is to see people walk in the fullness of who God created them to be. For years Polly has been helping individuals find freedom and hope from hurting and stuck places. She was the founder and director of a ministry that helped people impacted by the sex industry find freedom and a new life. She also is a published author, speaker, Think Differently Coach, Certified NLP Practitioner, and an Organizational Consultant.
It’s not healthy to compare trauma from one person to another. Trauma is trauma. It doesn’t matter the “source” of your trauma whether it’s from vocational situations or even your upbringing. There’s no benefit in “downplaying” your trauma just because it doesn’t sound as serious as someone else’s.
God cannot be rushed. He will move through the Holy Spirit and do the work that He sees fit on his timeline and not ours.
Our goal at 95Network is to see churches not only grow but flourish. And to reach that goal, we need everyone’s help—both men and women!
Marriage is designed to point to God and His Kingdom. Our marriages should reflect Christ’s relationship with the church. As men, we must take ownership of our marriages and work diligently to create a place of protection for our wives.
Always ask yourself, “What did God say?” You can do anything if you’re confident that it’s what God has told you to do. When we delight ourselves in the Lord and commit to His ways (Psalm 37:4-5), we can go forward boldly, knowing He will be with us.
In the modern age of social media scrolling, you only have a small amount of time to get someone to stop and listen. Use those few seconds to craft something engaging and intriguing.
Identify your audience, and then provide the content they’re looking for. If you want to sell a product, you have to understand your audience. The same is true for your church. Ask yourself who you’re speaking to, and identify what those people are looking for. Then, work to provide that content for them.
Great performers are prepared for the encore. Performers know they’ll be remembered for their encore, not their primary performance. The encore portion of your life is the most important, so take advantage of the opportunities God has given you.
God doesn’t need our help. God can accomplish whatever He wants, and He certainly doesn’t need us to do that. However, He wants a relationship with us. His plan all along has been for us to do ministry FROM Him and not FOR Him.
Understanding and honesty are key components in diverse relationships. As you pursue a relationship with someone of a minority, communicate what you want to learn and be honest about it in your conversations.
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.
Start with alignment, not content. Kevin begins sermon prep by praying, seeking God’s direction, and dealing with “known sin” to remove spiritual and emotional friction.
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.
America’s churches are over-inspired and under-trained. People hear great messages but don’t know how to actually do ministry. The solution is creating workshop environments where people learn by doing, not just listening.
With a possible 160,000 churches facing pastoral transitions in the next decade, there’s a critical shortage of developed leaders ready to step into these roles.
