The Small Church Ministry Podcast

Laurie Graham Ertl
  • 5.0 (106)
  • 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 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.

  1. 2d ago

    246: Strong Personalities, Bullies & Bad Behavior: When Women Hurt Women in Church

    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 giving away our agency. Listen in for: Strong personality, difficult behavior, or bullying? They’re not all the same.When difficult or disappointing crosses the line into destructiveWhy church can make bad behavior weirdly hard to deal withWhy strong, giving, forgiving women sometimes stay in unhealthy situationsHow we can be kind, compassionate AND still say, “That’s not okay.” Connect with Jennifer Y. Afriyie + The Rest Framework: https://jyaspeaks.com/ Get your FREE ticket to the Women Reaching Women Conference! smallchurchsummits.com 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

  2. Sep 8

    245: Mental Health, Hormones, Rest & Relationships: Understanding Women in the Church | with Dr. Amy Oberg

    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 were meant to work togetherThe wild reality of women’s hormones, emotions, bodies, and seasonsWhy Amy says churches need mental health literacy, not mental health clinicsWhat can change when we get curious, slow down, and actually listen to people CONNECT WITH DR. AMY OBERG https://www.amyoberg.com/drao RESOURCES MENTIONED Join the Everyday Influence Join our free Facebook Community Get your FREE ticket to the Women Reaching Women Conference! smallchurchsummits.com 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

  3. Sep 1

    244: The Women Who Make Small Churches Work

    Women are woven through almost every part of small-church ministry, and some of their biggest influence happens in relationships, not official roles.  But while churches invest in ministry ideas and practical skills, we often assume the human side of ministry will just come naturally. What if that's something we can get better at too? Listen in for: ➡️ Why the ministry of women is much bigger than Women's Ministry ➡️ The relational influence that never shows up on a ministry list ➡️ Why good intentions don't automatically create healthy influence ➡️ What CONTEXT, SELF, and PEOPLE have to do with developing women, not just ministry skills ➡️ Why developing women should matter to the whole church RESOURCES MENTIONED Join the Everyday Influence Join our free Facebook Community Get your FREE ticket to the Women Reaching Women Conference! smallchurchsummits.com 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

  4. Aug 25

    243: I’m Resigning as the Idea Girl for Small Churches

    After years of equipping small churches with practical ideas, my thinking has shifted.  Great ministry ideas matter, but they’re only one part of equipping small-church leaders and volunteers with what they need to lead well, develop people, and build healthier churches. Listen in for:  ➡️ Why I’m officially resigning as the “Idea Girl” for small churches ➡️ What’s changed in how I think about equipping small-church leaders and volunteers ➡️ The four areas I believe we need to get better at ➡️ Why understanding ourselves and other people belongs in ministry training ➡️ What this shift means for Small Church Ministry going forward RESOURCES MENTIONED Join the Everyday Influence Join our free Facebook Community Get your FREE ticket to the Women Reaching Women Conference! smallchurchsummits.com 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

  5. Aug 18

    242: Your Church Wants to Reach New Families. So Why Aren't They Coming?

    Your small church wants to reach new families. You’re planning events, finding volunteers, inviting people, and trying hard, but sometimes the families you’re hoping to reach still aren’t coming.  In this episode, we’re looking underneath the outreach ideas to question some of our assumptions about today’s families, what “successful” outreach actually means, and whether trying harder is really the answer. In this episode: ➡️ Why it matters that we want to reach new families ➡️ The assumptions we may be making about what today’s families actually want and need ➡️ Why a successful event doesn’t necessarily lead to connection with your church ➡️ The difference between creating a transaction and building a relationship ➡️ Why your small church probably doesn’t need to try harder, but may need to start somewhere different RESOURCES MENTIONED Join the Everyday Influence Join our free Facebook Community Get your FREE ticket to the Women Reaching Women Conference! smallchurchsummits.com 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

  6. Aug 11

    241: Healthy Responses to Unhealthy Church Leadership

    Churches are made up of people, and people aren't healthy all the time. So what do we do when church leadership isn't at its best?  In this episode, we're talking about how to recognize unhealthy patterns, respond wisely, and become healthier ourselves along the way. Inside this episode: ➡️ Why not every difficulty equals an unhealthy church ➡️ Common unhealthy patterns that often get normalized ➡️ Questions to ask before speaking up, staying, or stepping away ➡️ How to support your church without carrying what isn't yours RESOURCES MENTIONED Join the Everyday Influence Check out our upcoming events Join our free Facebook Community Get your FREE ticket to the Women Reaching Women Conference! smallchurchsummits.com 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

  7. Aug 4

    240: Is "We've Always Done It This Way" Keeping Your Small Church Stuck?

    Most churches don't struggle because people don't care. They struggle because they're trying to solve today's challenges with yesterday's ideas. In this episode, we share one of our favorite strategies for creating a culture of learning that helps overcome resistance to change, develop volunteers, and move our churches forward.  We'll also pull back the curtain on why Small Church Ministry has invested so heavily in online events over the last six years, and why we hope they become more than just another event on the calendar. In this episode: Why fresh perspectives help churches move forwardHow outside voices create new conversationsWhy hope is one of the most practical things you can buildHow online events can become part of your church's culture, not just your calendar RESOURCES MENTIONED Join the Everyday Influence Check out our upcoming events Join our free Facebook Community Get your FREE ticket to the Women Reaching Women Conference! smallchurchsummits.com 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

  8. Jul 28

    239: Healthy Churches Grow by Developing Everyday People | Leading Well Conference

    What if one of the most important things your church could do isn't add another program, but intentionally develop the people you already have?  Recorded live at our Leading Well in a Small Church Conference, Laurie Graham Ertl shares why healthy churches don't depend on one pastor working harder.  They grow as everyday people learn to build trust, take ownership, solve problems wisely, and become the kind of people healthy churches are built on. RESOURCES MENTIONED Join the Everyday Influence Join our free Facebook Community Get your FREE ticket to the Women Reaching Women Conference! smallchurchsummits.com 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

See All (246)

5
out of 5
106 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 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.

Information

You Might Also Like