Talking Church is a podcast hosted by River Valley Network that discusses trends in the church and culture. In each episode, you will learn from ministry leaders on a variety of subjects, develop your leadership skills and break new growth barriers!
Episode 36: We are very honored to be joined by Pastor Oneka Mcclellan for this week's episode! Pastor Oneka shares her and her family's exciting journey in ministry. As they left something so secure in being the Executive Pastors at their old church, to go launch a new church, she explains the thoughts, emotions, and faith it took to obey the Lord's calling on their lives. Stepping out in faith is not easy, and Oneka talks about holding onto the Lord as you take each step!
Episode 37: Our Lead Care Pastors, Mark & Pam Johnson, sit down with us this week to discuss Pastoral Care. Pastors Mark & Pam balance care ministry so well, and it can be challenging when dealing with the most difficult seasons in many lives. Mark & Pam break down their experiences, advice, and what their goals are when caring for individuals. This is a great resource for all pastors as we will all continue to walk through tough seasons with people. Listen now and prepare to fill up a note page!
Episode 38: Pastor Charlotte Gambill joins us today as we talk about recognizing the call of God on your life, and jumping into it with faith and joy. Charlotte Gambill is a renown author, speaker, and teaching pastor at Church of the Highlands, as well as building Life Church in the UK and the US. Pastor Charlotte discusses her experience in finding her calling, and the testimony on her life as it came to stepping out in boldness to be obedient to the Lord's guidance. She also dives into leadership, the Queen's passing, and so much more. Grab onto the wisdom and experience that Charlotte has to share today!
Episode 39: Here at River Valley, we have a local outreach ministry called Serve Our Community. Vicki Hernandez is our pastor who oversees Serve Our Community, and we are so blessed to have her join us for this episode! Pastor Vicki breaks down the heart behind serving our community, the work it takes to coordinate and plan these events, and what pouring out does to the community and the church alike. When we give with our own time and energy, it is amazing what God does to our hearts and to the community that receives it as well!
Episode 40: Dr. Allen Tennison, a seasoned pastor & professor at North Central University, sits down for a conversation around what it means to be a pastor. Dr. Tennison beautifully explains the importance of both biblical and theological literacy, and how having this knowledge will benefit your church, your enrichment in God's heart, and how you can be best prepared to answer today's most difficult questions.
Episode 41: We have a very special guest to introduce to you all today! Portia Allen has been in ministry for 12 years and leads alongside her husband Clinton here at River Valley Church. She has had the opportunity to speak in Minnesota and across the country and is passionate about uplifting and empowering people. As a pastors kid from Texas, she has a deep love for the church. Portia's passion for equipping and helping the church is very powerful. Her time with us in this episode will be very helpful as your church navigates culture's most pressing questions.
Episode 42: Pastor Rob has been leading River Valley for well over 25 years. He has seen many changes in his staff, from healthy transitions to unhealthy transitions. In this episode, he breaks down all that he has learned from hiring and firing from his time in ministry. Hiring someone is an exciting and large step to take, as the people we hire in ministry are responsible for ministering to our congregations. Having to let people go is another challenge, and Pastor Rob speaks to it all as he has seen many challenges in this area of leading an organization!
Episode 43: Happy Thanksgiving Week! We wanted to take this week to highlight a conversation that Pastor Logan and Pastor Rob had about Pastor Rob's latest book, "Keep the Change." Pastor Rob shares his heart behind writing the book and the lasting impact that it will have on you and your team. We are praying that you have a safe and relaxing week, enjoy family and friends, and eat some great food as we thank God for all that he has given us!
Episode 44: We are so excited to have Terry Parkman join us again for today's episode on what it truly means to disciple this next generation. Pastor Terry explains that our world today is post modernism, post church, and post truth. This means that culture today is moving from facts and truth and toward feelings, personal desires, and sin to be their truth. In the world's view, it doesn't matter what the facts say, because you can just create your own truth. The next generation is getting taught to live this way, and we need to be equipped to truly minister to them!
Episode 45: As a church, there can be what seems to feel like an unlimited number of events within the calendar year, let alone the calendar month! With all of your ministries going on, and each ministry needing weekly consistency combined with a few special events, it can be tricky to navigate planning the calendar. Our Associate Director of Experience, Michaela Johnson, and our Discipleship Pastor, Connor Ketterling, break down how River Valley plans their church-wide calendar, as well as their own personal calendars as they navigate ministry life on top of that. With the amount of campuses, staff, and congregants that River Valley has, we are excited to share our victories and lessons we learned with you!
Episode 46: Pastor Kirk Graham, our Executive Pastor of Local Ministries & Creative, jumps back in the podcast to discuss staff meeting culture & staff discipleship. Pastor Kirk is gifted at energizing the congregation, our team, and other pastors, and he has so much to offer to you when it comes to lifting the culture of your meetings & atmosphere. We know this will rejuvenate you as you dream new ways to bring the most joy to your team, as that is what our God can bring to us each and every day!
Episode 47: From all of us here at River Valley Network, we want to wish you all a very Merry Christmas. We are praying over your Christmas services, your congregation, your families, and your team! Let this be a time of rest as we point people to remember what this exciting season is all about!