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On this week’s episode of Sacred & Small, Michaele LaVigne joins the Jasons to talk spiritual direction. God never intended for us to walk the path of discipleship and spiritual formation alone. He certainly never intended for pastors and spiritual leaders to do so. As a spiritual director, Michaele comes alongside people to encourage them on their spiritual journey, suggest spiritual practices and means of grace, and provide guidance and prayer. In this episode, Michaele outlines what spiritual direction is and talks about her own journey as a pastor, disciple-maker, church planter, and her transition into her current role both in spiritual direction and at NTS. Episode rundown: 1. Tell us about spiritual direction 2. Michaele’s ministry journey to Spiritual Direction 3. The need - why spiritual direction in a seminary setting This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

Advent is just a few weeks away! On this episode of the Sacred & Small Podcast, the Jasons are joined by Danny Quanstrum, who recently accepted a call to pastor Trinity Church of the Nazarene in Florissant, MO. In this episode… Danny talks about approaching Advent in a new place that is not as liturgical as his previous pastoring environment. Jason Buckwalter talks about the development of his Advent devotional, We Wait. Jason Hill talks about preaching Advent for the 16th year. How can you freshen up the scriptures? And do you need to as a pastor? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

Pastoral transitions can be complicated, messy, dangerous for pastors and churches, but also life-giving and fruitful. Friend of the podcast, Pastor Danny Quanstrum, recently accepted the call to pastor Trinity Chruch of the Nazarene in Florissant, MO, joining Jason Buckwalter and Jason Hill on the Missouri District! In this episode, the guys talk about Danny’s transition to Trinity from a spiritual and practical perspective. We also dig into the ethnography of the transition — what appealed to him about Trinity Nazarene and what he found when he arrived. Episode rundown: * Introducing Danny Quanstrum * Setting the stage: Danny’s transition to Trinity * The decision-making process * Ethnography — Tell us about Trinity Nazarene! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

On this episode of the Sacred & Small podcast, our own Jason Buckwalter talks about the new ministry opportunity that he has accepted. In addition to his responsibilities as pastor at Fulton Heartland Church of the Nazarene, Jason will also be the chaplain of Westminster College. Jason shares this story of how this new ministry came to be, what he’s learned about Westminister, and how he’ll approach his ministry there. We also talk quite a bit about the concept of “my ministry” vs. the “ministry of the church,” and how to better integrate the church and our life together into one cohesive movement of the Kingdom of God. The rundown: * Bucky’s new ministry opportunity at Westminster * The decision-making process of starting a new ministry * Ethnography at Westminster * “Your ministry” vs. “the ministry of the church” * Approaching ministry on a college campus This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

This week on Sacred & Small, the Jasons were pleased to welcome Jessica Hill onto the podcast. Yes, Jessica is Jason Hill’s wife, but she also has over a decade of work with domestic violence agencies throughout the state of Missouri. Jessica joined the podcast to tell the story of how she got involved in domestic violence advocacy, her leadership of the Safe House of Southeast Missouri, and her new role in public affairs with MOCADSV, a statewide coalition of domestic violence service providers. The rundown: * Jessica shares her story. * Advocacy as a calling (not unlike a call to ministry.) * The work of MOCADSV. * Domestic violence — the vital information * Domestic violence and the church We hope you enjoy this episode! If you or your church are interested in engaging in ministry to victims of domestic violence, or if you think someone in your congregation is experiencing domestic violence, please message us! We would be happy to put you in touch with service providers in your area. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

In the second of a two-part conversation, Karl Vaters joins the Jasons to talk about his latest book Desizing the Church: How Church Growth Became a Science, Then an Obsession, and What’s Next. The church growth movement has had a monumental influence on the way that pastors and church leaders understand the church, pastoral success, congregational viability, and even the perceived work of the Holy Spirit. Some of it was positive. Much of it was not. In Desizing the Church, Karl Vaters walks through the history and impact of the church growth movement and what it means for small church pastors. This episode should help you better understand how the church growth movement impacts your ministry and your church and discover healthier ways to pursue congregational revitalization that aren’t so dependent upon numbers and statistics. Jason Buckwalter and I, Jason Hill, both highly recommend Desizing the Church for pastors of any size, but particularly for our audience of largely small church pastors and readers! Give it a read! You can pick it up from Amazon or your favorite book seller. Thanks for reading Sacred + Small! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

On this week’s Sacred & Small podcast, author and speaker Karl Vaters joins the Jasons to share his small church story. Karl is the author of 5 books, including The Grasshopper Myth, and Small Church Essentials. His most recent book, Desizing the Church, addresses the rise of the church growth movement, how it changed the evangelical church’s ecclesiology, and how what comes next. Karl has over four decades of experience ministering in small churches and to small church pastors. In this episode, the first of two with Karl, he shares his call to ministry and his approach to pastoring during the rise of the church growth movement. If you would like to learn more about Karl’s ministry, check out his site - karlvaters.com. Or read his books: The Grasshopper Myth, Small Church Essentials, 100 Days to a Healthier Church, Desizing the Church, and The Church Recovery Guide. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

Critical reflection. We’ve talked about it regularly on the podcast. What is it? How do we do it? Why is it important? In this episode of the Sacred and Small Podcast, the Jasons dig into the concept of critical reflection and use some of their own summer experiences to consider the subject. Crticial reflection includes concepts like lament and repentance and, in the end, helps us move as individuals and churches toward sanctification, better alignment with God’s will and way. As you listen to this episode, take a moment to consider your own summer. How did God move? What challenges did you run into? Reflect on those things and consider what God would like to teach you and your people through those experiences. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

Greetings Sacred & Small’ers! It’s great to be back with you for another season of the Sacred & Small podcast. We have a great season planned out for you, including some special guests who are leaders in the world of (small) church leaders. Plus we’ll have a great new group of small church pastors, who will join us to share their story and talk about the great things God is doing in and through their churches. In today’s episode, Bucky and Jason Hill catch up on their summers, try to be funny, and eventually get around to talking about how they handle quiet seasons in the church. We dig in to the concept of being proactive vs. reactive and how some proactivity during quiet seasons can help us when the inevitable challenges of small church leadership require reactivity. As always, you can listen to the podcast right here on Substack. Or you can find us through the A Plain Account podcast network on Spotify, Apple podcasts, and other great podcast outlets. It’s great to be back! Thanks, as always, for listening. (Or reading along with the transcription.) Thanks for reading Sacred + Small! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

In the final episode of season one of the Sacred & Small podcast, Pastor Mike Palmer, District Superintendent of the Missouri District Church of the Nazarene joins the Jasons to talk all things small church. Pastor Mike first shares the ethnography and demographics of the Missouri District Church of the Nazarene. The Missouri District is a district made up of almost entirely small churches — churches of around 200 or less in worship attendance. Pastor Mike has served the district for 19 years as DS and even longer as a pastor and evangelist. He has seen it all, and he shares from his experience about the challenges facing both small churches and small pastors and how the church can overcome them. He also advocates for the small church and small church pastors. The small church has a great opportunity ahead of them and is capable of doing even greater things than larger churches, if the pastor and people are willing to pursue God’s mission and not get caught up in power struggles and traditions. Join with our conversation! We would love to hear what challenges you think are facing the small church and what opportunities God is calling small churches to. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

In this week’s episode, Pastor Mike Palmer, District Superintendent of the Missouri District Church of the Nazarene, joins the Jasons to talk about his pastoral journey. Pastor Mike is retiring in the summer of 2025 after 19 years of service in the DS role. In this episode, Pastor Mike and the Jasons talk about Mike’s call to ministry and his experience as an evangelist/revivalist before being elected to the DS position. Revivals and evangelistic gatherings, like the old camp meetings, aren’t as popular as they used to be. We discuss why that is, the important role that experiences play in our greater spiritual life and discipleship, and the ways that churches/districts are filling those gaps today. We are so grateful to have Pastor Mike with us and wish him all the best in his retirement! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

Sabbath is one of the 10 commandments. But when the week gets busy, it seems like one that pastors — including the two Jasons — too willingly break. In this episode of the Sacred & Small podcast, the Jasons talk about the concept of sabbath and their personal practices of rest. We then talk about the importance of rest for our congregations, and how we try to work in seasons of rest and recovery for our people. How do you and your congregation practice rest? We would love to hear from you! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

The Easter letdown. The Jasons don’t know who coined the phrase but we have both experienced it. In this episode of the Sacred and Small podcast, the Jasons gather to talk about how their Easter and Holy Week services went, what went well and what didn’t, and what they expect over the next few weeks. Don’t let the Easter letdown get you down! Christ is resurrected. And that’s good news for the church, even when you aren’t having an egg hunt. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

Easter is nearly upon us! It’s an important day for pastors of churches of any size. In this episode of the Sacred & Small podcast, Sam Sprunger has a conversation with the Jasons about all things Easter. What is it? What are the essential missional and liturgical elements we include for Easter? How do we approach Holy Week in our churches? Episode Rundown: What is Easter? What are the essential elements of Easter? How are you practicing Easter and Holy Week in your church? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com

A big part of what we want to do here at Sacred & Small is tell small church stories! In this episode, Sam Sprunger, pastor at Webster Groves Church of the Nazarene in St. Louis, MO, joins us to share his path to ministry and the missional ministry of Webster. Webster’s story is of particular interest to us because our own Jason Buckwalter was a youth pastor there before taking his current senior pastor position at Fulton Heartland. Sam and Jason are able to share the ways that Webster’s culture has changed over the years and how that’s played itself out liturgically and missionally. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit sacredandsmall.substack.com