Talking Church

Talking Church is a podcast hosted by River Valley Network that discusses trends in the church and culture. In each episode, you will learn from ministry leaders on a variety of subjects, develop your leadership skills and break new growth barriers!

A Prayer for Your Christmas & New Year

As we close out the year, I wanted to say a prayer for you, your church an your family as you work hard to minster through the final stretch of the year. Merry Christmas & Happy New Year from Logan and the Talking Church team! 

12-24
02:33

Why I Became a Pastor: Early Stories from Pastor Rob Ketterling

Episode 152: Pastor Rob joins Pastor Logan this week to share pivotal moments from his early life that shaped his ministry and worldview. From transformative mission trips to Brazil and India, to navigating personal revelations and college experiences, Pastor Rob takes us on a journey of faith, growth, and adventure. He reflects on the impact of early mentorship, cross-cultural ministry, and a commitment to accountability and resilience in leadership.

12-17
40:30

5 Must Have Meetings to Plan a Big Event

Episode 151: In this episode, Pastor Logan is joined by River Valley Church’s Annie Judd (Art Director) and Maddie Bennett (Event Project Management), to discuss essential meetings for effective event planning. They emphasize the importance of collaboration, creativity, and clear communication among team members. They cover several topics, which include the significance of vision meetings, brainstorming sessions, the process of pitching creative ideas, service planning, as well as provide structure and offer insights for debriefing after events to ensure continuous improvement and foster a culture of excellence.Click the link below for the PDF resource for this episode!https://www.rivervalleynetwork.org/talking-church/

12-12
52:38

Lessons From the Biggest Church You've Never Heard Of

Ep 150: In this weeks episode of Talking Church, Pastor Logan is joined by Pastor Greg Reade and Pastor Dave Simiele, leaders at Christ Fellowship Church, to discuss their experiences and insights on church growth, the importance of humility and integrity in leadership, and the challenges of managing a multi-campus church. One of the biggest churches in America with over 25,000 in attendance, they have managed the tensions at every level and will share insights they’ve learned from their decades on the team.

12-03
36:27

Grow Your Church in 2025. No Frills, More Presence | Michael Koulianos

Episode 149: Michael Koulianos joins Pastor Logan and shares the journey of founding Jesus Image, emphasizing the importance of worship and the presence of God in ministry, and how to foster a sustainable church environment that prioritizes spiritual growth and community engagement.  He also explores the current search for authenticity among young people in the church, the challenges of maintaining church culture amidst changing societal values, and the balance between ministry and family life.

11-26
51:49

Moving From Creative Person to Creative Leader

Episode 148: Kirk Graham and Aaron Johnson join Logan to share how they grew from being a creative person to becoming a creative leader.  They give insight on the need for organizational skills, the value of training up new creatives and how to navigate making decisions that will help the team mature. 

11-19
42:30

Avoiding Church Rivalry | Clarence St. John

Episode 147: In this enlightening conversation, Pastor Clarence shares his extensive experience in pastoral leadership, discussing the importance of unity among churches, navigating the challenges of interim pastorship, and the need for adaptation in ministry amidst cultural changes. He reflects on sustaining through difficult times, raising the next generation of pastors, and the significance of personal spiritual discipline. 

11-12
43:46

Responding to "Purity Culture" | Phylicia Masonheimer

Episode 146: Phylicia Masonheimer joins the podcast to respond to the difficulties of holiness and purity culture.  Phylicia shares her personal struggle with shame and erotica and how she overcame that by the power of the Holy Spirit.  Phylicia has a passion for helping women learn the Bible and recover from the trauma of their past. 

11-05
52:54

Using Video Games to Reach The Next Generation | Jon Rush

Episode 145: Jon Rush joins Logan in discussing the intersection of video gaming and ministry. Jon emphasizing its cultural relevance, the potential of video games as a tool for evangelism and the dangers and opportunities of virtual reality becoming more and more real.

10-29
43:49

They Both Had Abortions, Now They're Fighting To Stop Them

Episode 144: Aniela Chis and Jeff Bradford from Human Coalition join Logan to discuss overcoming the trauma of abortion and how they are helping resource women to choose life, regardless of their circumstances.

10-24
53:39

Can Pastors Endorse a Candidate? (w/ Attorney Ryan Bangert)

Episode 143: Logan and Ryan discuss the Johnson Amendment, the importance and challenges pastors face in communicating political issues, the protection of First Amendment rights, and do their best to answer the question: "Can pastors endorse a political candidate?"

10-22
34:11

How to Handle Criticism in Ministry w/ Russell Johnson

Episode 142: Logan sits down with Pastor Russell Johnson from The Pursuit NW share how he handles criticism, his transition from politics to pastor, and what excited him about the next generation.

10-15
52:09

Make Theology Great Again | Dr. Joel Muddamalle

Episode 141: Dr. Joel Muddamalle joins Logan to talk about building our theology framework, working with multiple denominations and how we we can apply theology in our daily life.

10-08
47:39

A Stroke Survivor's Message of Hope | Katherine Wolf

Episode 140: Katherine Wolf join Logan to share her miraculous story of surviving a stroke, and how she had to relearn to eat, speak and walk. She encourages listeners that despite your circumstances, suffering may be a greater gift than you realize.

10-01
33:55

Can Christians Shape the Culture? Ebenezer Endiryas

Episode 139: This week Logan is joined by Pastor Ebenezer Endiryas, host of "Shaping The Culture" podcast, to discuss growing up in an Ethiopian church, being a single pastor, church planting and his history in podcasting

09-24
38:41

Am I Trying too Hard? Striving vs. Seizing | Rob Ketterling

Talking Church Episode 138: On this week's episode Logan is joined by Pastor Rob Ketterling. They discuss the tension between striving for success and maintaining humility, the importance of mentorship, and the dangers of entitlement.

09-17
43:02

Redefining Identity: A Pastor’s Journey from Church Leader to Faithful Servant

Talking Church Episode 137: On this week’s episode of the podcast Logan is joined by Thomas Pannikar. Thomas shares his journey of stepping out of full time ministry and going into the marketplace.They discuss identity struggles faced by pastors and the challenges of balancing their roles as spiritual leaders with their personal sense of self. They emphasize the importance of separating one’s identity from their job title and focusing on the broader calling of serving God and others.

09-10
53:39

How to Lead at an Executive Level

Talking Church Episode 136: This week’s episode of the podcast is a breakout session from River Valley Conference. Executive Pastors Kirk Graham and Chris Book sit down with CFO Steve Chaney to talk about how to lead at an executive level. They discuss the church's operational and strategic framework, focusing on how the leadership team interacts and supports Pastor Rob's global mission.

09-03
01:07:51

The Theology of Work and Rest

Talking Church Episode 135: This week’s episode is Dr. Allen Tennison’s breakout session from River Valley Conference talking about the theology of work and rest. He elaborates on the importance of work in Christian theology, emphasizing that work is not merely a task to be avoided or escaped but an extension of God's work

08-27
01:01:25

Gen Alpha is Here

Talking Church Episode 134: This week's episode is Pastor Terry Parkman's breakout session from River Valley Conference. He emphasizes the need to adapt ministry and educational models to engage effectively with Gen Alpha, who are growing up in a world dominated by rapid technological advancements.

08-20
58:26

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