This episode kicks off our Stop Doing This to Volunteers series by naming a simple but overlooked leadership habit: never revisiting where someone serves once they’ve said yes.

We talk about the fear that keeps churches from inviting movement, and the belief many people carry that enjoying their role — or wanting something different — is somehow selfish instead of faithful.

In this episode, we cover:

1. Why long-term service doesn’t always mean long-term fit
2. The fear that asking “what would you rather be doing?” will leave you short-handed
3. Why liking what we do - and wanting something different - doesn’t make us less holy

RESOURCES MENTIONED

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Your small church already has a digital ministry - whether you’ve planned for it or not. Through your website, social media, and emails, you’re constantly communicating who you are and what people can expect, sometimes clearly and sometimes unintentionally sending the wrong message.

In this episode, we talk about why that matters more than we think and how small, thoughtful shifts can help your digital presence reflect your heart, not just your information.

In this episode, we talk about:

1. How churches unintentionally communicate confusion, pressure, or disconnection online
2. Why your digital presence shapes trust long before someone ever visits in person
3. What “digital ministry” actually means for small churches (without adding more work)
4. Simple ways to align your online presence with the experience you want people to have

Connect with Leslie Kons: studiokons.com

Join our free Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry

Rate, Review, & Follow Laurie on Apple Podcasts

"I love Laurie and The Small Church Ministry Podcast!!" << If that's like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps Small Church Ministry support and reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let us know what you loved most about this episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This is the best way to stay updated on the new episodes we release weekly. If you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on future episodes. Follow now!

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Support the show

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If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches who need to hear this.

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to Small Church Ministry Podcast! See you next week!

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Creative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry
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We’re sharing something special this week. Right after our Women’s Ministry for Small Churches Conference, we’re bringing you the opening mainstage session - a conversation that pushes back on the pressure-filled, program-heavy version of outreach many of us were handed.

In this episode, we explore:

1. Why traditional outreach models often don’t work in small churches
2. How Jesus-centered outreach starts with people, not programs
3. What it looks like to live with our communities instead of trying to draw people in
4. Simple, relational ways to practice outreach without burnout or pressure

Get the replays before Wednesday at midnight! www.smallchurchsummits.com

Join our free Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry

Rate, Review, & Follow Laurie on Apple Podcasts

"I love Laurie and The Small Church Ministry Podcast!!" << If that's like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps Small Church Ministry support and reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let us know what you loved most about this episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This is the best way to stay updated on the new episodes we release weekly. If you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on future episodes. Follow now!

Get the Ministry Bundles here!

Support the show

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches who need to hear this.

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to Small Church Ministry Podcast! See you next week!

FOLLOW US:
Website: smallchurchministry.com
Instagram: instagram.com/smallchurchministry
Facebook: facebook.com/smallchurchministry
Creative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry
Small Church Network: smallchurchministry.com/membership

So much of what forms our faith doesn’t happen in programs, events, or official roles. It happens through real women who show up, listen, love, and stay.

In this episode, Traci Mason and I share personal stories of women in our church lives who shaped us in lasting ways without ever being “in charge.”

This is an honest, grateful conversation about influence that’s relational, faithful, and far more impactful than we often realize.

In this episode, we talk about:

1. The women who shaped our faith through presence, consistency, and care
2. Why informal, relational influence often forms people more deeply than organized ministry
3. How small, faithful actions ripple through a church over time
4. What this kind of influence invites all of us to notice - and become

Connect with Traci Mason:

tracesplace@msn.com

Get your FREE ticket to the Women's Ministry for Small Churches Conference! >> www.smallchurchsummits.com

Join our free Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry

Rate, Review, & Follow Laurie on Apple Podcasts

"I love Laurie and The Small Church Ministry Podcast!!" << If that's like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps Small Church Ministry support and reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let us know what you loved most about this episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This is the best way to stay updated on the new episodes we release weekly. If you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on future episodes. Follow now!

Get the Ministry Bundles here!

Support the show

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches who need to hear this.

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to Small Church Ministry Podcast! See you next week!

FOLLOW US:
Website: smallchurchministry.com
Instagram: instagram.com/smallchurchministry
Facebook: facebook.com/smallchurchministry
Creative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry
Small Church Network: smallchurchministry.com/membership

So much women’s ministry is built on calendars, themes, and events - and yet many women still feel unseen, overwhelmed, or disconnected.

In this episode, Jessica Francavilla and I talk about what it looks like to actually discern what women need in a given season, and why programs alone often miss the deeper spiritual and emotional realities women are carrying.

We share how a small, multi-generational team listened, paid attention, and responded in ways that were more relational, more human, and far more impactful than another event.

In This Episode, We Talk About:

1. Why well-intentioned programs often miss what women are really walking through
2. How discernment starts with listening, not planning
3. What a multi-generational approach reveals that one age group can’t see alone
4. How presence and responsiveness can reshape ministry without adding more to the calendar

Connect with Jessica Francavilla:

www.cityoffreedom.info

www.livinghopeva.com

Get your FREE ticket to the Women's Ministry for Small Churches Conference! >> www.smallchurchsummits.com

Join our free Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry

Rate, Review, & Follow Laurie on Apple Podcasts

"I love Laurie and The Small Church Ministry Podcast!!" << If that's like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps Small Church Ministry support and reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let us know what you loved most about this episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This is the best way to stay updated on the new episodes we release weekly. If you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on future episodes. Follow now!

Get the Ministry Bundles here!

Support the show

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches who need to hear this.

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to Small Church Ministry Podcast! See you next week!

FOLLOW US:
Website: smallchurchministry.com
Instagram: instagram.com/smallchurchministry
Facebook: facebook.com/smallchurchministry
Creative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry
Small Church Network: smallchurchministry.com/membership

After decades of ministry in small churches — including years as a pastor’s wife — Abigail Doust has learned what truly serves women and what quietly pushes them away.

In this episode, we talk honestly about moving beyond stereotypes, events-for-events’-sake, and one-person leadership, and toward ministry that helps women feel seen, known, and spiritually formed.

This is a grounded, experience-rich conversation about gathering women well, building teams, and creating space for authentic faith to grow.

In this episode, we talk about:

1. The difference between women’s ministry and a ministry that actually serves women
2. Why many women quietly avoid church events — and what changes that
3. How small teams and shared leadership create healthier ministry
4. What discipleship looks like when we focus on the whole person, not attendance

Connect with Abigail Doust:

equippingforimpact.com

Get your FREE ticket to the Women's Ministry for Small Churches Conference! >> www.smallchurchsummits.com

Join our free Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry

Rate, Review, & Follow Laurie on Apple Podcasts

"I love Laurie and The Small Church Ministry Podcast!!" << If that's like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps Small Church Ministry support and reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let us know what you loved most about this episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This is the best way to stay updated on the new episodes we release weekly. If you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on future episodes. Follow now!

Get the Ministry Bundles here!

Support the show

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches who need to hear this.

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to Small Church Ministry Podcast! See you next week!

FOLLOW US:
Website: smallchurchministry.com
Instagram: instagram.com/smallchurchministry
Facebook: facebook.com/smallchurchministry
Creative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry
Small Church Network: smallchurchministry.com/membership

Burnout doesn’t happen because your pastor failed, your church is unhealthy, or no one stepped up to help. It happens when we believe we have no choice and keep serving under pressure instead of agency.

In this episode, we talk honestly about why burnout isn’t someone else’s fault, why that truth can feel uncomfortable at first, and why it’s also the doorway to real change.

You’ll hear:

1. The stories that keep us stuck in burnout without realizing it
2. Why waiting for leadership or circumstances to change rarely brings relief
3. How agency creates options (even when nothing else changes)
4. What it looks like to serve faithfully without burning yourself out

Join our free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry

Rate, Review, & Follow Laurie on Apple Podcasts

"I love Laurie and The Small Church Ministry Podcast!!" << If that's like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps Small Church Ministry support and reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let us know what you loved most about this episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This is the best way to stay updated on the new episodes we release weekly. If you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on future episodes. Follow now!

Get the Ministry Bundles here!

Support the show

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches who need to hear this.

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to Small Church Ministry Podcast! See you next week!

FOLLOW US:
Website: smallchurchministry.com
Instagram: instagram.com/smallchurchministry
Facebook: facebook.com/smallchurchministry
Creative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry
Small Church Network: smallchurchministry.com/membership

As we wrap up 2025, we’re looking at the conversations that truly landed with small churches - the episodes and quotes that sparked response, resonance, and even pushback.

Topics like decline, pressure, money, conflict, and culture change weren’t just popular; they named real life. In this episode, we explore what that tells us.

And why honesty mattered more than neat solutions.

You’ll hear:

1. What this year’s most-downloaded episodes and most-shared posts reveal for all of us
2. Why honest conversations drew people in, even when they were uncomfortable
3. The unexpected hope running through some tough topics
4. A grounded way to close the year and look ahead with more peace and hope than ever

Get $20 off your first month of the Small Church Network! (Hit the monthly payment option to redeem): www.clc.thrivecart.com/small-church-network

Join our free Facebook Community: www.facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry

Rate, Review, & Follow Laurie on Apple Podcasts

"I love Laurie and The Small Church Ministry Podcast!!" << If that's like you, please consider rating and reviewing my show! This helps Small Church Ministry support and reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches! Click here, scroll to the bottom, tap to rate with five stars, and select “Write a Review.” Then, let us know what you loved most about this episode!

Also, if you haven’t done so already, follow the podcast. This is the best way to stay updated on the new episodes we release weekly. If you’re not following, there’s a good chance you’ll miss out on future episodes. Follow now!

Get the Ministry Bundles here!

Support the show

SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW

If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review on Apple Podcasts! Your support helps us reach more people -- just like you -- in small churches who need to hear this.

🎙 Thanks for tuning in to Small Church Ministry Podcast! See you next week!

FOLLOW US:
Website: smallchurchministry.com
Instagram: instagram.com/smallchurchministry
Facebook: facebook.com/smallchurchministry
Creative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministry
Small Church Network: smallchurchministry.com/membership