It’s Pastor Appreciation Month — but how should churches actually handle it? This week, the guys get honest about recognizing pastors, the misuse of the “pastor” title, developing small group leaders, and what to do when you’re burned out and ready to quit ministry.
⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 — Cold Open: Pastor Appreciation Month is weird
00:51 — Should churches only honor the lead pastor?
03:35 — How different churches celebrate pastors
05:19 — When Pastor Appreciation Month gets awkward
07:03 — How lead pastors can appreciate their staff
08:17 — Are youth pastors “real pastors”?
10:29 — What the Bible actually says about the role of pastor/elder
11:13 — Rise & Fall, ordination, and rushing people into ministry
13:20 — Why American church culture gets the title “pastor” wrong
14:23 — The discipleship issue behind church leadership titles
15:24 — Youth pastor longevity & maturity in ministry
16:19 — Should you start Pastor Appreciation Month at your church?
17:13 — 💥 Practically Pastoring Conference 2026 (Feb 9–11, Lakeview Church)
21:11 — How to develop and onboard small group leaders
24:25 — The “Coach, Contact, Celebrate” method for retaining volunteers
26:40 — Don’t confuse hosting a small group with leading one
28:44 — Building healthy structures and rotations for small groups
35:16 — When to ask someone to lead (and for how long)
35:37 — When you want to quit ministry but still love the church
36:57 — Burnout, calling, and waiting on God’s timing
39:16 — Staying faithful when ministry gets hard
45:05 — “You’re not a bad pastor for being tired”
46:22 — Finding community and healing when you step back from ministry
48:19 — Prayer for pastors who are hurting
49:19 — Outro + Practically Pastoring Conference reminder
👇 Listen or watch here:
🎧 Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/show/0xJqPmXn1MqaznnV8MHFKx?si=4a942df64e48410e
🍎 Apple Podcasts - https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/practical-ly-pastoring/id1522043414
📺 YouTube - https://www.youtube.com/@practicallypastoring
💻 PracticallyPastoring.com
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