Preparing For Easter (w/ Aimee Cottle) – Episode 275
We need to balance value and communication. It’s important that we invite people into something. Don’t necessarily make a mass appeal. Zero in on a specific thing that you want them to know.
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.
We need to balance value and communication. It’s important that we invite people into something. Don’t necessarily make a mass appeal. Zero in on a specific thing that you want them to know.
It takes intentional planning to integrate young people into the rhythm of any ministry. It never happens by chance.
The goal for every discipleship pathway should be to create small group environments for optimal interaction.
After observing many ministry marriages, we determined that we would not sacrifice our marriage and our children on the altar of ministry.
Growth and passion can only occur when individuals feel a strong sense of belonging.
Helping churches to change from being programed based to pathway based takes time. However, it can be done if trust is established by honoring where everyone in the room is coming from.
One of the goals of the devotional book is to move its reader towards spiritual transformation. Just like a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly, you can transform from a new Christian to a mature believer through the study of God’s Word.
Your true identity isn’t wrapped up in all of the things you overcome. It’s found in becoming the person that God created you to be from the start.
An annual retreat creates opportunities for clarifying your vision for your marriage and the life you’re building.
There are certainly a lot of hard times in ministry leadership. However, it’s good to remind ourselves from time to time of the ministry joys that we’ve encountered along the way.
It’s not a “badge of honor” to ignore your own personal emotional health for the sake of the ministry.
There comes a point when you must identify and begin to intentionally train your next leaders with your succession plan in mind.
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.
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.