The Small Church Ministry Podcast

Laurie Graham
  • 5.0 (99)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

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 J. Graham 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.

  1. 5D AGO

    220: Mistake #5: Planning First, Asking for Help Second | Church Volunteer Series

    This episode in Stop Doing This to Volunteers: Top Mistakes Our Churches Are Making looks at how we unintentionally sideline volunteers before they even begin.  We’ve been taught in leadership to make plans first and ask for help later. Turns out, that’s a great way to make people feel unnecessary, unimportant, and often unseen. In this episode, we cover: How early planning decisions limit participationWhy people disengage when they’re brought in too lateWhat shared ownership actually looks like in small churches RESOURCES MENTIONED Join our free Facebook Community 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

    22 min

  2. MAR 10

    219: Mistake #4: Requiring Them to Come to Meetings | Church Volunteer Series

    In Stop Doing This to Volunteers: Top Mistakes Our Churches Are Making, we’re talking about meetings - and how they often do more harm than good.  We say we value people’s time, but when we gather by default instead of by necessity, purpose, or engagement, we teach people that showing up doesn’t actually matter. In this episode, we cover: Why meetings are often more about leader comfort than team supportHow requiring presence can quietly drain goodwillEasy alternatives that respect people’s time and still develop volunteers like rockstars RESOURCES MENTIONED Join our free Facebook Community 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

    21 min

  3. MAR 3

    218: Mistake #3: Treating Volunteers Like They’re Volunteers | Church Volunteer Series

    In this episode of Stop Doing This to Volunteers: Top Mistakes Our Churches Are Making, we talk about something subtle but powerful: the way our language and posture shape culture.  When we treat people like “just volunteers,” we reinforce hierarchy instead of partnership, and “helping” instead of ownership. In this episode, we cover: How subtle language changes send powerful messagesHow hierarchy creeps in without us noticingSmall shifts that move us toward shared ownership RESOURCES MENTIONED Join our free Facebook Community 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

    22 min

  4. FEB 24

    217: Mistake #2: Making Their Jobs Easier For Them | Church Volunteer Series

    In Stop Doing This to Volunteers: Top Mistakes Our Churches Are Making, this episode looks at a mistake that feels kind - but ends up weakening people and teams over time.  When we over-simplify roles in the name of “helping,” we don’t just remove responsibility - we remove meaning. People don’t stay because a job is easy. They stay because it matters. In this episode, we cover: How doing too much for people isn't always helpfulWhy easier isn’t the same as healthierPeople who feel needed show up with different energy RESOURCES MENTIONED Join our free Facebook Community 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

    18 min

  5. FEB 17

    216: Mistake #1: Not Asking Them What They’d Rather Be Doing | Church Volunteer Series

    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: Why long-term service doesn’t always mean long-term fitThe fear that asking “what would you rather be doing?” will leave you short-handedWhy liking what we do - and wanting something different - doesn’t make us less holy RESOURCES MENTIONED Join our free Facebook Community 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

    26 min

  6. FEB 10

    215: The Digital Ministry Your Small Church Is Already Doing (And How to Do It Better) | with Leslie Kons

    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: How churches unintentionally communicate confusion, pressure, or disconnection onlineWhy your digital presence shapes trust long before someone ever visits in personWhat “digital ministry” actually means for small churches (without adding more work)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! 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

    35 min

  7. FEB 3

    214: Outside the Bubble: Why Our Outreach Isn’t Working & What We’ve Been Missing

    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: Why traditional outreach models often don’t work in small churchesHow Jesus-centered outreach starts with people, not programsWhat it looks like to live with our communities instead of trying to draw people inSimple, 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

    53 min

  8. JAN 27

    213: The Church Women Who Shape Our Faith (Without Ever Holding a Title) | with Traci Mason

    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: The women who shaped our faith through presence, consistency, and careWhy informal, relational influence often forms people more deeply than organized ministryHow small, faithful actions ripple through a church over timeWhat 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

    42 min
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5
out of 5
99 Ratings

About

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 J. Graham 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.

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