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!
In this episode, Susanna Kidwell, member of the Connect 3 Ministries’ team, shares a conversation that ensued when two women with evangelism on their minds approached her at a local park. Reflecting on this encounter, she, Becky, and Kerry chat about the effectiveness of "cold call evangelism," friendship evangelism, and what faith communities can do/are doing to reach others with the gospel.
What is the work of a minister? What are the primary roles in which he should be engaged? In this podcast episode, Kerry encourages church leaders and church members to be sensitive to their preacher's busy schedule and to not expect more of him than he can possibly do.
In this podcast, Kerry shares a bizarre dream he had. Is there a lesson to be learned from it and from the recollection of events that occurred over forty-five years ago? You be the judge!
What is the function of Titus 2:11-14? What role does it play in the flow of Paul's letter to Titus? Join Kerry in his discussion of the real basis of Christian living in this beautiful text from the Apostle Paul!
Join Kerry in his discussion of a great passage about Jesus in Paul's letter to Titus. From Titus 2:11-14, he'll answer three questions: Who is Jesus? What did he do? and Why did he do it?
Should a Christian mother work outside the home? In this episode, Kerry and Becky take a look at Paul's admonition to Christian mothers that they be "keepers at home" in Titus 2:4,5. Also, they discuss the occasional nature of the New Testament epistles and John MacArthur's alarming interpretation and application of this text in Titus.
Why did Paul instruct Titus to teach moral behavior to the Christians on Crete? In this episode, Kerry is considering the implications of the three purpose clauses in Titus 2:5, 8, and 10 and the relationship between evangelism and morality.
This episode is all about Paul's two references to "sound doctrine" in his letter to Titus and what surprised Kerry in his study of Titus 2:1-10.
Kerry and Becky discuss the Steve Brannan interview (episode #191).
This is a conversation with Steve Brannan, one of the shepherds of the Homewood Church of Christ in Homewood, Alabama. Here are some of the questions Steve answers: What would you say to men who have been asked to consider accepting the role of elder? In your opinion, what are some of the qualities that make for an effective shepherd? What are some of the key lessons you've learned as one of Homewood's shepherds? How do the Homewood elders make decisions? Church members, current church leaders, ...
In this 13-minute episode, we are taking a look at Paul's description in Titus 1:10-16 of the false teachers on Crete. We are asking how this text should inform our understanding of the identity of false teachers today. Please consider these things with us!
According to the Apostle Paul in Titus 1:5-9, elders are not only teachers. They are also overseers and stewards of God. What does this mean? How does it inform their work? Also, what kind of men should elders be? We'll address these questions in this 8-minute podcast.
What is the work of elders in the church today? Are they primarily decision-makers? Or, should their primary work be to counsel and encourage? It's not easy for Christians to come to agreement on the function of elders. What did Paul see as the primary role of elders on the island of Crete, according to Titus 1:9? That's what we want to consider in this 11 1/2 minutes long episode.
Just as God entrusted the Apostle Paul with a sacred trust, so he has done the same with the church today. What is that sacred trust? We're going to Titus 1:3 in this 6-minute episode.
Paul explains the purpose of his apostleship in Titus 1:1,2. He writes that it is "in the hope of eternal life." What is the meaning of "eternal life"? Thanks for reflecting on this with Kerry in this 8-minute episode!
In this 6-minute episode, Kerry is thinking about Paul's self-designation in Titus 1:1 as "a servant of God." Was this Paul's favorite way of identifying himself? How would you like to be known and remembered?
In this episode, Kerry begins to share thoughts from his study of Paul's Letter to Titus. Some of the questions discussed in this 8 1/2-minute episode: What are the major themes of the pastoral epistles, 1 Timothy, Titus, and 2 Timothy? What do Christians need to know about the nature of New Testament letters?
What are some of the obstacles to keeping volunteers in the church? In this episode, the final one in their series on "Volunteerism in the Church," Kerry and Becky discuss the dangers of burnout and entitlement to volunteers and their ministry teams. Also, they briefly discuss what church leaders can do to deal with both.
In the fifth episode in the series, "Volunteerism in the Church," our focus is on one of the obstacles that can lead to volunteers becoming discouraged, feeling a lack of motivation, and even quitting their volunteer role. What can be done to keep other volunteers, unhealthy and difficult-to-get-along-with volunteers, from hurting the ministry team or church? How might church leaders go about firing a volunteer? These and other questions are discussed in this episode.
What volunteer ministry roles does your church need to fill? Who is in charge of recruiting and training your volunteers? What does your church's "onboarding funnel" look like? In this fourth episode in their series, "Volunteerism in the Church," Kerry, Becky, and Susanna discuss five important steps for church leaders to take as they consider a volunteer onboarding process.
Oftentimes, volunteers in the church don’t fully understand what they are supposed to do. Neither do they understand the significance of their assignment. In this third episode in the series, “Volunteerism in the Church,” Kerry, Becky, and Susanna discuss how church leaders can help volunteers understand their role and its significance.
What can church leaders do to remove the fear that some potential volunteers may have when approaching a new role? How can we lower barriers to entry and set expectations from the beginning so that people feel less anxiety about volunteering? And, what is the best way to recruit new volunteers? Answers to these questions and recommendations in this second episode in the series, “Volunteerism in the Church.”
Churches depend on volunteers to fill certain roles in the church’s programs. But, many church leaders are telling us that the number of volunteers in their churches has declined. So, what may done to recruit and keep volunteer servants? In this episode, we begin a series of podcasts on “Volunteerism in the Church.” Step one to encourage more volunteerism? Give people a vision for why they should volunteer. Don’t just tell them they are needed. Tell them why they are needed and how their role co...
In the past two Growing Steady Newsletters, Kerry has written articles on the topic of "Saved by Grace." Today, we are continuing that conversation by covering: Why Kerry personally chose to talk about this topic. Why is it important for Christians to understand that they are saved by grace and not because of what they do? Why does it matter? Encouragement for those who are themselves working through this topic. Four reasons Christians need to understand the concept of salvation by grace. If you...
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 as Kerry discusses the question: What should be our primary message to the world?
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 church family? For, in spite of our differences, the scriptures urge us to “accept one another” (Rom. 14:1-6; 15:7).
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.
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 "individual Outreach."
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.
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!
