During today’s podcast, Jon and Caralee welcome one of our team members, Gwen Rutz. Gwen serves as the lead pastor of The Crossing church in Clinton, Oklahoma, and is on the leadership team for the Oklahoma Network of Women Ministers. She and her husband, Troy, are about to embark on an exciting new phase of ministry in the marketplace through their business, Native Arrow Archery.

We’re talking with Gwen about how she got involved with 95Network and how our coaching program helped her create a focus and tangible goals for leading her congregation. She’ll also share about her life and how God has been preparing her to hand off the baton to someone else so she can go where He is leading. It’s a great conversation with so much energy and hope! I pray it blesses you. 

 

 

Links to Resources Mentioned or Related

Key Takeaways

1) Coaching is an investment. Pastors sometimes struggle with a scarcity mindset—fearing there won’t be enough resources to go around. But investing in your church’s health isn’t an option; it’s necessary.

2) Coaching gives pastors a focus. Leading a church can be overwhelming. At 95Network, a coach’s job is to help you concentrate on one area at a time so that you can improve it before moving on to the next phase. 

3) 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. 

4) We’re all interim pastors. Whether we admit it or not, our time as a pastor is limited. Let’s focus on what matters most during each season of our lives.

 

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