The Church Lobby

Karl Vaters
  • 4.8 (35)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Karl Vaters interviews church leaders about the important issues of faith and ministry. It's called The Church Lobby because: The church lobby is where the church meets and does ministry. The church lobby moves conversations from the stage to the floor. The church lobby is a good place to take the temperature of a church’s health. Karl Vaters is the author of several books, including Small Church Essentials and The Grasshopper Myth. Formerly known as Can This Work In a Small Church?, this podcast primarily looks at church leadership from a small church perspective.

  1. 3D AGO

    Ep 122: Philip Yancey, Shattered Trust, and Rebuilding Your Integrity, with Kurt Bubna

    Karl Vaters talks with Kurt W. Bubna about what to do if you’re a Christian leader who has betrayed people and broken trust. This conversation was sparked by the Facebook post, An Open Letter to Philip Yancey Regarding His Extramarital Affair, that Bubna wrote in early January. So many have opined about Yancey, and understandably so, but most of them know little if anything about his situation, including Karl and Kurt. So, while this conversation was triggered by that news, it’s an attempt at a measured approach from a perspective that we need to hear—a pastor who broke trust and is rebuilding it again. This conversation focuses on practical help for anyone who is walking through a similar time of sinful behavior, by talking through Kurt’s helpful article, How to Rebuild Trust After You’ve Broken It. Links: An Open Letter to Philip Yancey Regarding His Extramarital AffairHow to Rebuild Trust After You’ve Broken ItKurt Bubna’s Amazon author pageKurtBubna.com To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

    38 min

  2. FEB 5

    Ep 121: Six Big Shifts In How People Volunteer—And How To Respond, with Laurie Graham

    Karl Vaters talks to Laurie Graham about some of the big ways volunteerism has changed, and how we, as church leaders, can respond to these trends. Laurie runs smallchurchministry.com, an online ministry that provides resources and support for volunteers and ministry leaders in smaller churches. This is Laurie’s second time on the podcast (the last time she was known as Laurie Acker), and in this conversation she and Karl talk about how church volunteerism has been affected by people’s changing schedules, their desire for deeper meaning, the need to restore their trust, and more. Links: Website: https://smallchurchministry.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallchurchministry/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallchurchministryCreative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministrySmall Church Network & Academy: https://smallchurchministry.com/membership/ Bonus Content SummaryRethinking Church Programs for Volunteer Flexibility, with Laurie Graham Karl Vaters talks with Laurie Graham of SmallChurchMinistry.com about different ways we, as church leaders, can start to change church programs that were originally designed for the way people used to volunteer, into ministry that works for the more personal, seasonal way people live and commit today. Website: https://smallchurchministry.com/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/smallchurchministry/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/smallchurchministryCreative Solutions for Small Churches Facebook Community: https://www.facebook.com/groups/smallchurchministrySmall Church Network & Academy: https://smallchurchministry.com/membership/ To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

    51 min

  3. JAN 22

    Ep 120: Experiencing Scripture Like Dallas Willard, with Dave Ripper

    Karl Vaters talks through some helpful guidelines with Dave Ripper about how to read, meditate, and teach from the Bible in a richer, deeper way. Dave is the lead pastor of Crossway Christian Church, a multicongregational church in southern New Hampshire, focused on spiritual formation, and is the author of Experiencing Scripture as a Disciple of Jesus: Reading the Bible like Dallas Willard. Karl and Dave explore who Dallas Willard was, and what his way of reading the Bible can do for us, including: Willard’s four steps on how to read the BibleA five-step outline for meditating on a textThe IMMERSE methodPreaching out of the overflowHow to let God speak to the church instead imposing your ideas into the text or onto the congregation Links: Experiencing Scripture as a Disciple of Jesus: Reading the Bible like Dallas Willard, by Dave RipperThe Dallas Willard podcastDaveRipper.comDeeper Experiences with God Podcast, with Dave RipperDave Ripper on InstagramDave Ripper on FacebookContact Dave Ripper Bonus video summary Three Warnings from Dallas Willard about How Not to Read the Bible, with Dave Ripper In this subscriber-only bonus material, Karl Vaters talks with pastor Dave Ripper, the author of Experiencing Scripture as a Disciple of Jesus: Reading the Bible like Dallas Willard, about why Bible readers should stay away from: Bible rouletteThe “It’s all in the Bible” ViewBible deism To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

    48 min

  4. JAN 8

    Ep 119: Pushing Back Against The Lie Of Fast Church Growth, with Jeff Hoglen

    Have you ever gone to a church growth conference and been told “all healthy things grow?” Karl Vaters talks with Jeff Hoglen about what’s happening behind that idea, and why it can be a problem for a lot of pastors and churches. The conversation is based on an article Jeff wrote, called “The Church Growth Lie No One Talks About.” Karl and Jeff talk about what that lie is, why we keep believing it, and what to do, instead. They also discuss alternative ways to look at church health and growth, including: How growth feels more like farming than fireworksHow most real growth is slow, often invisible, and always hardHow the slow seasons don’t have to discourage youHow to deepen before you broadenHow to pursue health over hypeThe importance of celebrating the small stuff And more. Links: The Church Growth Lie No One Talks AboutChurchPlanting.comCanvaChatGPT To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

    35 min

  5. 12/18/2025

    Ep 118: Why the Body of Christ Still Matters, with Brad Edwards

    Karl Vaters talks with Brad Edwards about the shift that’s happened over the last decade or so in how people perceive institutions, especially the institutional church. In this conversation they talk about how the rise of radical individualism has replaced once-trusted institutions, why a distrust in institutions is problematic, and why institutions—especially the church—still matter. Brad is a church planter and pastor of The Table Church in Lafayette, CO. He’s also the author of, The Reason for Church: Why the Body of Christ Still Matters in an Age of Anxiety, Division, and Radical Individualism. This conversation also includes an overview of the reasons behind the loss of institutionalism, and especially five Church Defeaters: Church Defeater 1: Spiritual PragmatismChurch Defeater 2: The Sacred SelfChurch Defeater 3: Counterfeit InstitutionsChurch Defeater 4: (Un)Civil religionsChurch Defeater 5: Virtuous Victimhood (CONGRATULATIONS to Brad on his book being named Book of the Year by Christianity Today magazine!) Links: The Reason for Church: Why the Body of Christ Still Matters in an Age of Anxiety, Division, and Radical IndividualismMere Orthodoxy   BONUS TALK Our Role in the Grand Narrative of Scripture, with Brad Edwards Karl Vaters talks with Brad Edwards about the importance of understanding the metanarrative of scripture as a foundational teaching for life and faith. In particular, their conversation addresses two storytelling terms. First, Main Character Syndrome, which helps us understand and clarify the dangers of the  hyper-individualism of our current age. Second, the MacGuffin, a term coined by movie director Alfred Hitchcock that helps us see what our role in God’s story really is.   Links: The Reason for Church: Why the Body of Christ Still Matters in an Age of Anxiety, Division, and Radical Individualism To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

    1h 8m

  6. 12/04/2025

    Ep 117: The Growing Problem of Gambling Addiction in the Church, with Dr. Donald Lichi

    Do you know how to spot if someone in your congregation has a gambling problem? Once it’s been spotted or confessed, do you know what to do? Karl Vaters talks with Dr. Don Lichi about one of the fastest-growing addictions in the world, including: How is gambling defined?Why does it have such a strong grip on some people?Who is most likely to be addicted?How to get help And more Donald Lichi is vice president emeritus of Emerge Counseling Ministries, and author of the article, Is Gambling a Problem in the Church? You Bet! in Influence magazine.   Links: Is Gambling a Problem in the Church? You Bet! (article)Emerge Counseling MinistriesBroken Windows of the Soul: A Pastor and Christian Psychologist Discuss Sexual Sins and the Prescription to Heal ThemYouVersion Bible App   Bonus Chat What to Do if You’re a Pastor with a Gambling Problem, with Donald Lichi Pastors are not immune to the temptations of gambling and other addictions. In this short conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Dr. Don Lichi about how to recognize those tendencies in yourself, and what to do if you’re trapped in it. They also talk about who you should/should not share these problems with, and how to engage in preventative measures.   Links: Is Gambling a Problem in the Church? You Bet! (article)Emerge Counseling MinistriesBroken Windows of the Soul: A Pastor and Christian Psychologist Discuss Sexual Sins and the Prescription to Heal Them To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

    51 min

  7. 11/20/2025

    Ep 116: How Your Church Can Help People Recover from Grief, with Jeff Forrey

    Karl Vaters talks with Dr. Jeff Forrey about grief, recovery, and how your church can help people, both inside and outside the congregation, deal with grief in healthy ways. Grief has no rules, but there are healthy ways through it. And churches—small churches especially—are uniquely suited to provide real comfort for people in these difficult seasons of loss. Karl and Jeff talk about some important principles, including: Why do we need help with grief?What kind of damage can we experience if we don’t deal with grief properly?What's a typical time frame for experiencing grief?What common mistakes are made in responding to grievers? And more Jeff Forrey oversees GriefShare, which can come alongside your church to equip you to be a resource for people in need. Links: GriefShareChurch InitiativeDivorceCare Session 1 PreviewGriefShare on FacebookGriefShare on InstagramGriefShare on YouTube CCEF.orgGrieving Room, by Leanne Friesen There is no bonus material for this episode.

    46 min

  8. 11/06/2025

    Ep 115: Church, Parachurch, and Missio Dei, with Dr. Angie Ward

    In recent decades, parachurch organizations have carved out an important space in church life and ministry. Karl Vaters talks with Dr. Angie Ward about why it’s important for ministers to take a closer look at what the church is, what parachurch organizations bring to the mix, and how we can move forward more missionally, even as the emphasis on institutions diminishes. Dr. Ward is director of the Doctor of Ministry program and associate professor of leadership and ministry at Denver Seminary. She’s also the author of Beyond Church and Parachurch: From Competition to Missional Extension, which is the basis for this conversation.   Links: Beyond Church and Parachurch: From Competition to Missional ExtensionBeyond the Local Church: How Apostolic Movements Can Change the World, by Sam MetcalfThe Church and the Parachurch: An Uneasy Marriage (A Critical Concern Book), by Jerry E. WhitePolycentric Leadership: Church as a Discipleship Movement, with Dan White Jr. (The Church Lobby, Ep 039)Uncharted Leadership: 20 Case Studies to Help Ministry Leaders Adapt to Uncertainty, by Angie Ward BONUS TALK The Five Advantages Of Parachurch Organizations, with Dr. Angie Ward Every parachurch ministry needs to flow from and/or point to the local church. So why do we need parachurch ministries, at all? In this bonus conversation, Karl Vaters talks with Dr. Angie Ward about the five benefits that churches can gain from partnering with parachurch ministries in productive ways: ReachSpecializationLay involvementPromoting unityTo call the local church to mission   Links: Beyond Church and Parachurch: From Competition to Missional Extension To get Bonus Content every week, click here to become a Financial Partner, or here to subscribe to the Free Weekly Newsletter.

    47 min
See All (126)

4.8
out of 5
35 Ratings

About

Karl Vaters interviews church leaders about the important issues of faith and ministry. It's called The Church Lobby because: The church lobby is where the church meets and does ministry. The church lobby moves conversations from the stage to the floor. The church lobby is a good place to take the temperature of a church’s health. Karl Vaters is the author of several books, including Small Church Essentials and The Grasshopper Myth. Formerly known as Can This Work In a Small Church?, this podcast primarily looks at church leadership from a small church perspective.

Information

  • Creator
    Karl Vaters
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    126
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © All rights reserved
  • Show Website
    The Church Lobby

You Might Also Like