{"podcast":{"title":"Pastors Thriving | Ministry, Leadership, Discipleship, Church Growth, Small Church Strategies","slug":"pastors-thriving-ministry-leadership-discipleship-church-growth-small-church-strategies-6589021","podcast_index_feed_id":6589021,"rss_url":"https://media.rss.com/kevinelworthunplugged/feed.xml","website_url":"http://www.pastorsthriving.com","image_url":"https://media.rss.com/kevinelworthunplugged/20240601_110619_eb9f1dfa08fcb16867f48f3494be5110.png","author":"Kevin Elworth-Business & Ministry Coach, Passive Income, Entrepreneur Pastor, Ministry Marketing","episode_count":142,"summary":"The SOURCE for Pastor help, encouragement, strategies for growth and Leadership Hey Pastor! Do you wish you knew the secret to growing your church while finding balance between ministry and your family? Do you find yourself updating your resume and browsing the job ads on ministryjobs.com ? Do you want to develop leaders within your church to relieve the burden from your shoulders, but instead you’re constantly dealing with drama and conflict? You’re in the right place. Welcome to Pastors Thriving, where you will learn the secrets to leadership growth in your church - spiritually, numerically, and financially. You’ll learn how to equip and develop your staff and congregation so that you don’t have to feel alone on this journey - and enjoy the ministry that you’ve been called to once again. Hi, I’m Kevin. Twenty-year ministry veteran, husband of a powerhouse wife, the father of 5 wonderful kids, and lover of Jesus powered by coffee and tacos. It wasn’t long ago that I grew a church from zero to 700 in five short years and wrestled with the trauma and drama that goes along with intense church growth. It wasn’t until I learned the power of creativity and how I could harness it to lea…","last_synced_at":"2026-06-18T20:17:17.951612+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pastors-thriving-ministry-leadership-discipleship-church-growth-small-church-strategies-6589021"},"episode":{"title":"091 - Why Ministry Feels Heavier Than It Should","slug":"091-why-ministry-feels-heavier-than-it-should","published_at":"2026-01-20T06:34:00+00:00","page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pastors-thriving-ministry-leadership-discipleship-church-growth-small-church-strategies-6589021/091-why-ministry-feels-heavier-than-it-should","show_page_url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pastors-thriving-ministry-leadership-discipleship-church-growth-small-church-strategies-6589021","url":"https://rss.com/podcasts/kevinelworthunplugged/2450340","audio_url":"https://content.rss.com/episodes/226009/2450340/kevinelworthunplugged/2026_01_13_16_32_11_97bb135b-d07b-42e5-ab9b-bd0a99f1ddcc.mp3","summary":"Ministry can feel heavier than anyone prepared you for. If you’re still faithful, still praying, still leading—but quietly exhausted—this episode is for you. In this conversation, Kevin speaks directly to pastors who feel the growing weight of leadership, expectations, and responsibility. Not to fix you. Not to push you harder. But to remind you that heaviness does not mean failure—and exhaustion does not mean disobedience. This episode creates space to pause, breathe, and remember what God actually asked you to carry—and what He didn’t. In this episode, we explore: Why ministry feels heavier than it used to The emotional and spiritual weight pastors carry in silence How misplaced responsibility creates exhaustion Why faithfulness and results are not the same thing What it looks like to rest in God’s sustaining promise How to lead without carrying burdens you were never meant to hold If you’ve been questioning your capacity, your calling, or your faithfulness, this episode is an invitation to slow down and breathe again. Key Scripture referenced: 1 Thessalonians 5:24 Philippians 4:6–7 John 16:33 Psalm 127:1 This episode is part of an ongoing series for pastors who want to lead with clarity, health, and faithfulness—without burning out or carrying unnecessary weight.","meta_description":"Ministry can feel heavier than anyone prepared you for. If you’re still faithful, still praying, still leading—but quietly exhausted—this episode is for y…","key_points":[],"chapters":[],"topics":[],"duration_seconds":1024,"processing_state":"not_requested","actions":[{"name":"request_transcript","method":"POST","url":"https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/pastors-thriving-ministry-leadership-discipleship-church-growth-small-church-strategies-6589021/episodes/091-why-ministry-feels-heavier-than-it-should/transcription-requests","description":"Idempotently request low-priority transcript generation for this episode."},{"name":"read_markdown","method":"GET","url":"https://stenobird.com/podcast/pastors-thriving-ministry-leadership-discipleship-church-growth-small-church-strategies-6589021/091-why-ministry-feels-heavier-than-it-should.md","description":"Read the agent-friendly Markdown representation of this episode resource."}]}}