We're Kerry and Becky Holton, a husband and wife ministry team who advocate for the wellness of the church, its leaders, and its future. On this podcast, we simply share with you the things we're thinking on. The goal? To help us all continue to grow in the areas of life, spirituality, theology, church and mental health. Join us each week, as we write about church wellness in the Growing Steady Newsletter and expand on those conversations in this podcast. Keep growing, friends!
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#176: Christ-Centered or Church-Centered?
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Has our primary message to our communities and world become what makes our church different from the ones our religious neighbors attend? Does our emphasis need to change? Jesus, our hope and joy, should be our message. Let’s first tell people the story of Jesus. Then we can talk about the church and why we believe and practice what we do. Tune in …
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#175: Differences We Should Accept in the Body of Christ
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Since we have been looking for a new church home, we have wondered: Will our future church accept us? After all, we may not be like them. We may be different in several ways. That got us to thinking: So, what are the differences we should accept in each other in the Body of Christ? What dissimilarities should we overlook in those who make up our ch…
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#174: Looking for a Church Home
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As many of you know, we’ve been looking for a church home since moving to a different state. We have visited several churches, and in this podcast, we share some of our impressions after visiting a small, rural church and a large urban church.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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After developing a relationship with someone who needs the Lord, it's time to share our experience! Can you share your story when called upon? What was your life like before you came to know the Lord? How did you meet him? What is your life like since he became your friend. "Share Your Story" is the sixth and last episode in the series on "individu…
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In episode number 5 in the series, "Individual Outreach," Kerry and Becky talk about the next step in building a friendship with those who may not yet know the Lord, serving them. Listen in for a discussion of the biblical warrant for serving others and practical suggestions for doing so.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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This episode is a discussion of step three in a proposed process of what individual followers of Jesus can do to reach out to their unbelieving friends. Tune in for some very practical action steps!Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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This is the third episode in the series, "Individual Outreach." In this episode Kerry and Becky discuss the need for us to first listen to those whom we are trying to reach for the Lord before we speak. Listening comes before speaking!Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#169: Begin with Prayer
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In the second episode of their series, "Individual Outreach," the Holtons discuss step one in the Ferguson brothers' book: Five Everyday Ways to Love Your Neighbor and Change the World. This episode is all about beginning with prayer. The encouragement in this podcast is to choose just one person who needs the Lord, and begin praying for that one.…
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#168: Building Relationships with Those Who Don't Know Jesus
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One of the reasons followers of Jesus may not be reaching the lost could be that they don't really know any. That is, they may not have any non-Christian friends. In this episode, Kerry and Becky begin a new series on "Individual Outreach." Episode one in the series is on the need to build relationships with people who don't yet know the Lord.…
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#167: Serve Your Community
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In this final episode in their series, "Community Outreach," Becky and Kerry discuss first, the legitimacy of churches addressing the felt needs of those in their communities. Then, they discuss several practical suggestions for how churches can serve people with the love of God. "Presence before preaching" is a concept church leaders should consid…
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#166: Implement a Guest Followup Strategy
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Does your church have a step-by-step plan for following up with guests to your Sunday morning assemblies? In this episode in the series, "Community Outreach," Kerry and Becky offer several tips for how churches may follow up with those who come to the assembly.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#165: Give Special Attention to Your Children's Ministry
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If you want your church to reach outsiders, you'll want to go all out for the children. In this episode, Becky and Kerry discuss five recommendations for doing just that. This episode is number four in their series on "Community Outreach."Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#164: Design Your Sunday Gatherings with Outsiders in Mind
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Is it legitimate and biblical for church leaders to design their Sunday worship assembly with outsiders in mind? Is there a connection between the Sunday assembly and community outreach? Becky and Kerry discuss these questions and nine suggestions for improving the weekend services for the sake of outsiders in this episode, number 3 in their series…
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#163: Give Attention to Your Digital Presence
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In this week's episode, Kerry and Becky offer a few tips and suggestions for churches who wish to use their online and digital presence to reach outsiders.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#162: Develop an Outward Focus
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Perhaps the very first step for churches to take to increase their community outreach is for their church to develop an outward focus. In this episode, Kerry and Becky discuss the need for an outward focus--so many churches seem to have turned inward--and they offer five suggestions for doing so. This is episode #2 in the series, "Community Outreac…
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#161: Coming Attractions
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In this first podcast episode of the new year, Kerry and Becky preview the topics they plan to discuss and produce in The Effective Church Leaders Podcast in 2024. Also, they announce the subject matter for first free webinar of the year, scheduled for February 13.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#160: Revealing the Vision & Next Steps
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In this final episode in their series, "Vision Casting for Your Church," Kerry and Becky discuss tips for introducing the vision to the church and recommended next steps to take once the vision has been approved.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#159: How to Craft a Vision Statement
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Once your church's Vision Casting Team has brainstormed ideas regarding what they believe God wants your church to be or do in the next several years, it's time to craft specific, challenging, and measurable vision statements. These vision statements or goals will "flesh out" the church's intermediate-range vision. How to craft those vision stateme…
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#158: How to Brainstorm Your Vision
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So, your church has selected a Vision Casting Team to craft a 3-5 year vision for your church. What's next? What does that team need to know before they begin the brainstorming process? And, what should the VC Team leader encourage the team to do as they brainstorm ideas to accomplish the church's mission? Join Kerry and Becky in this next episode …
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#157: Make Sure Your Vision for the Future Meets These Tests
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In this episode, Becky and Kerry discuss the three essential characteristics of effective vision statements/goals for your church.Von Becky and Kerry Holton
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#156: Know the Difference between Mission and Vision
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Once the vision casting team has been selected they need to be clear on the difference between the church's mission and her vision. This is one of the themes in episode #3 in the series, "Vision Casting for Your Church." In addition, Becky and Kerry discuss the importance of the vision casting team seeking God's vision for their church, rather than…
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#155: Selecting a Vision Casting Team
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Who should be given the task of discerning a church's vision? How many people should be on a vision casting team? What are some of the characteristics you are looking for in those who will work together on this team? These are some of the questions that are discussed in this second episode in the series, "Vision Casting for Your Church."…
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#154: Your Church Needs a Vision!
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In this first episode in their series, "Vision Casting for Your Church," Becky and Kerry discuss the rationale behind vision casting. They define what a vision is, then they provide half a dozen reasons why every church needs to have a clear and compelling set of goals for the future.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#153: Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ (8)
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In this final episode in their series on how church leaders can help members of their local churches identify and use their God-given gifts, Becky and Kerry discuss several gifts' assessments. They discuss free, online assessments for individuals. They also talk about three assessments for helping ministry teams identify their gifts and how these t…
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#152: Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ (7)
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In this episode in the series, "Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ," Becky and Kerry introduce the need for a certain ministry team in every local church. What is that ministry team? For lack of a better term, it's an "HR Department." This ministry team would recruit volunteers, list job openings in the church, publish job descriptions, ass…
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#151: Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ (6)
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What can church leaders do to encourage more volunteer engagement in their church? In this sixth episode of the series, "Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ," Kerry and Becky discuss five tips for encouraging people to serve and use their God-given gifts.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#150: Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ (5)
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More churches are reporting that they are finding it difficult to attract and keep volunteers. Volunteerism is on the decline. What can be done to alleviate this problem? In this episode, Kerry and Becky discuss some of the common barriers that prevent followers of Jesus from using their gifts. It's episode number five in their series to help Chris…
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#149: Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ (4)
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Every follower of Jesus and every church leader has a calling in the church and should feel a sense of calling! In this podcast, Kerry and Becky discuss some of the New Testament passages on the subject of a calling and raise six questions to help Christians identify their calling. This is episode #4 in the series, "Finding Your Purpose in the Body…
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#148: Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ (3)
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In this podcast, Kerry and Becky discuss four big ideas about gifts from Ephesians 4 and 1 Peter 4. What are the gifts in Ephesians 4? What is their purpose? What does it mean that we are "stewards" of "our" gifts? These are just a few of the questions discussed in episode 3 in the series, "Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ."…
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#147: Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ (2)
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Last week the Holtons examined what Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 12 about giftedness; this week, Kerry and Becky are reviewing Romans 12:3-8. Besides a brief discussion of the seven gifts mentioned in Romans 12, they also talk about the need to know ourselves and our gifts, to accept how God has gifted us, and to use what the Spirit of God has been …
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#146: Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ (1)
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In this episode, Kerry and Becky are beginning a new series entitled, "Finding Your Purpose in the Body of Christ." This week they take a look at 1 Corinthians 12 to find principles that are as relevant today, as they were when Paul first penned them. Some of these principles include these notions: There are varieties of gifts, and each gift is nec…
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#145: Church Health: Sunday Morning & the Worship Assembly
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Church leaders, how much attention are you giving to what happens in your church on Sunday morning? To the worship service? To the children's Bible classes or the children's Bible hour? To guest services? In this episode, Kerry and Becky discuss the importance of the weekend services. They talk about the need to give primary attention to what goes …
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#144: Church Health: Change and the Willingness to Change
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In this episode, #3 in their series on Church Health, Kerry and Becky discuss a third characteristic of healthy and growing churches: change is expected and is a part of their church's culture. They give a few examples of the kind of change that churches should consider in order to accomplish their mission. Also, they discuss why so many churches a…
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#143: Church Health: Outreach
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How healthy is your church? In this episode, Kerry and Becky talk about a second characteristic of healthy and growing churches: they prioritize reaching new people. They have an "outsider focus." Many churches seem to be "insider focused," which may partially explain why they are not growing. Tune in to this discussion of some of the statements re…
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#142: Church Health: Mission & Vision
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How healthy is your church? Using their Church Health Assessment as a discussion starter, Kerry and Becky talk about what they see as some of the characteristics of healthy and growing churches. In today's episode, the first in this series, they discuss the importance of mission and vision to church health.…
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#141: 2023 Church Trends (2)
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This episode is Part 2 of a series on 2023 church trends. The discussion here is about trends related to churches' online, digital presence, the sermon, the volunteer crisis in many churches, and ministerial burnout.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#140: 2023 Church Trends (1)
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In this episode Kerry and Becky discuss two of the eight predicted trends itemized in Carey Nieuwhof's blogpost: "Future Church: 8 Church Trends to Watch in 2023." They have to do with the decline of the Boomer generation in church and the openness to spirituality of members of Gen Z.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#139: The Leadership Team of Your Church
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Who should be on the leadership team of a church? In our experience, the leadership team of most churches is comprised of the elders--and only the elders. New Testament elders are responsible for the spiritual oversight of their church. That's biblical. But, why must they be the ones or the only ones who are responsible for setting the direction an…
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#138: Best Practices of Elderships
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In this episode, Kerry and Becky identify five best practices submitted to them by elders across the country.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#137: Onboarding New Elders
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How may an eldership orient additional elders to their new role? In this episode, Kerry and Becky offer three general suggestions for onboarding new elders. They consider what an eldership may do to build trust, provide key information about church policies, processes, and systems, and introduce new elders to their role and expectations. Also, they…
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#136: A 5-Step Method for Appointing Elders
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Join Kerry and Becky as they discuss a recommended way to select and appoint elders in the local church. They discuss a 5-step plan, with special focus on who should screen nominees.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#135: Looking Forward: A Conversation with One of God's Shepherds
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Listen in as John Royse, an elder of the church, identifies and discusses exciting opportunities he sees for the church. John talks about the church's mission, missions, children's ministry, and the willingness to adapt to changing times. In this podcast, he challenges us all to look forward to the opportunities that are available.…
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#134: More Questions from the Mailbag
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Is it biblical and advisable for ministers to serve as elders? Are all elders ordained by the Holy Spirit? Who oversees the overseers? Responses to these and other questions from listeners to this podcast are the subject of this episode.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#132: Questions from the Mail Bag
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If the scriptures support paying elders, why is this practice so uncommon? How involved should elders be in scheduling and planning church events? In today's episode, Kerry and Becky discuss two questions raised by listeners to the podcast.Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#133: Who Should Be Involved in the Selection of Elders?
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In this episode, Kerry and Becky respond to a couple of questions raised by listeners. They are: Who should have a say in the appointment of a church's elders? and To what extent should the members of a congregation be involved in the selection of the church's elders? Kerry and Becky affirm that three groups or parties should have a say in who serv…
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#131: Elders and Accountability
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This week, we are talking about holding elders accountable in the local church. How is that done? What kind of culture needs to be developed in the church and between elders and ministers that would allow the kind of mutual accountability which blesses the church? Answers to these questions and other beneficial ideas are presented in this week's po…
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Why does there seem to be a shortage of men who are willing to serve as elders? What can be done to encourage more men to serve? How might the church train future elders? These and other questions are addressed in this conversation with Bryan Bost, a longtime evangelist, missionary to Brazil, and elder of the church.…
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#129: Elders and Authority
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What is the nature of the authority of a church's elders? What are the limits of their authority? What can be done about elders who overstep their authority? What is their work and what kind of men should they be? These and other questions are addressed in this episode in our series on "Elders." Kirk Castleman, longtime gospel preacher and missiona…
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#128: Three Duties of Elders
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Kerry and Becky discuss three specific duties of elders in this episode. Elders are to make decisions, teach the word of God, and care for God's children. This episode is #2 in their series on "Elders."Von Kerry and Becky Holton
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#127: What Is the Role of Elders?
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In this first episode in their series on "Elders," Kerry and Becky discuss the overall role of elders who are trying to imitate first century, New Testament elders. That role is to provide spiritual oversight. Of note in this episode is an explanation of the definition of an overseer or episkopos, according to the New Testament. There is also a bri…
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