DiscoverThe Small Church Ministry Podcast
The Small Church Ministry Podcast
Claim Ownership

The Small Church Ministry Podcast

Author: Laurie Graham Ertl

Subscribed: 78Played: 3,147
Share

Description

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 the Small Church Network, 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.

249 Episodes
Reverse
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...
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 ...
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 ...
What do you do when the difficult person is sitting three chairs down at Bible study... or leading it? Church relationships can get especially confusing when you add in grace, forgiveness, patience, keeping the peace, and that little voice that says, Good Christian women don’t make trouble. In this conversation with Jennifer Y. Afriyie, we’re talking about what happens when women hurt women in church, why we sometimes put up with more than we should, and how we can have compassion without giv...
What if there’s more going on beneath the surface than we realize? In this conversation with Dr. Amy Oberg, we’re talking mental health, hormones, rest, relationships, and why understanding our brains and bodies actually belongs in conversations about faith. And yes, we’re going there with some of the things the church has gotten wrong along the way. Listen in for: Why mental health belongs in the conversation for ALL of usBrain, body and spirit, and what happens when we separate pieces that ...
loading
Comments