The Small Church Ministry Podcast | Podcast Guru

Details

The only podcast created for volunteers and everyday leaders in smaller congregations, this show embraces small church ministry as a place where God is already at work. Founder of Small Church Ministry and Everyday Influence, Laurie Graham Ertl shares why small churches matter—not as a scaled-down version of something bigger, but as powerful communities with their own unique strengths. Each episode offers creative solutions to real challenges with a mix of honest encouragement, leadership skills, and actionable next steps. Laurie hosts the show with a perspective shaped by decades in ministry on every side of small church life—as a volunteer, staff leader, and pastor’s spouse. She knows both the pressure and the beauty of small churches firsthand, and brings steady encouragement, practical wisdom, and deep care for both volunteers and ministry leaders.

Recent Episodes

251: That Ministry Decision Didn’t Go Your Way ... Now What?

What do you do when the pastor says no, the board chooses something different, or a ministry decision you care deeply about doesn't go your way? It's easy to go from disappointment to feeling like we have no power at all. In this episode, Laurie talks about how to care for what's happening inside us, recognize what was actually decided, and find the choices and influence that are still ours. Listen in for: ➡️ Why not having the final say doesn't mean having no say at all ➡️ Laurie's 4 A...

35 MIN

250: Is It Wrong to Want More People to Show Up?

In this episode, Laurie talks about what happens after the numbers disappoint us. Because the problem usually isn't that we wanted more people to come. It's what we start making that number mean about the people who didn't come, the ministry we planned, ourselves, or even what God is doing. Listen in for: ➡️ Why it’s okay to want more people to show up ➡️ What happens when disappointment turns into blame ➡️ What attendance numbers can tell us ... and what they can’t ➡️ Why a smaller num...

41 MIN

249: What If We’ve Been Getting Empathy Wrong? | with Soul Shepherding’s Kristi Gaultiere

Most of us think we know what empathy is. But what if we’ve spent years caring for people, serving in church, and even trying to love people well without ever really learning how to receive or give it? In this conversation with Soul Shepherding’s Kristi Gaultiere, co-author of Deeply Loved, we’re talking about why empathy is so often misunderstood in the church and what could change in our relationships, our ministries, and our own emotional health if we got better at it. Listen in for: ➡️ Wh...

38 MIN

248: Just Because You Can Do It All, Doesn’t Mean You Should | with Charmaine Stulp

Last week, women from small churches came together for our Women Reaching Women Conference, and this week we're giving you a peek inside! In a small church, being capable can get you into trouble because when you can do a little bit of everything, it's easy to end up doing it all. In this session, Charmaine Stulp helps us get more intentional about where we invest our time, strengths, and influence. Listen in for: ➡️ How to recognize your own sweet spots ➡️ The difference between ...

32 MIN

247: From Women’s Ministry to Reaching Women: The Ministry Is in the Conversation | with Dee Bryce

What if reaching women has a lot less to do with getting them to our activities and a lot more to do with how we walk alongside them? In this conversation with Dee Bryce, we’re rethinking women’s ministry, invitations, growth, and even what it means to minister to someone when every woman doesn’t need the same thing. Because sometimes the ministry really is in the conversation. Listen in for: ➡️ The difference between recruiting women and actually reaching them ➡️ Why every woman ...

34 MIN