What is Entrust, why this podcast and what would YOU like to hear on future episodes?
May 12, 2023
Guest Jason Pettys becomes the host, asking Laurie what Entrust is all about and what this podcast hopes to achieve. After listening to this short episode, we hope YOU will be inspired to send us ideas for future guests and topics. We want to serve you in equipping men and women to lead well in the local church.
Helpful links
Entrust https:www.entrust4.org
Laurie's email lauriel@entrust4.org
Transcript
Speaker Name | Start Time | Text
Todd (intro/outro) | 00;00;11;06 | Welcome to Entrust Equipping Leaders, the podcast for Christian leaders, people who equip Christian leaders and people who desire to grow in their Christian leadership skills. Last time you heard host Laurie Lind interviewing Jason Pettys about Facilitating Relational Learning. Today, Jason turns the microphone around and makes Laurie answer a few questions.
Jason Pettys | 00;00;38;03 | Hey, everybody, this is Jason Pettys, your guest host for the podcast Today. And Today, I'm going to interview your typical podcast host here. Laurie, you know that Laurie and I have been friends for a long time and going to the same church, I've been wondering about what she does and what interest is all about. I know a few things, but we've never really sat down and had a really good conversation about that.
Jason Pettys | 00;00;59;04 | And then I found out you kind of wanted to send this out on a podcast. So we thought, Hey, let me ask you the questions will have this conversation that I wanted to have anyway, but let's have it on the on the podcast and record it and see how it goes. So you ready for this, Laurie?
Laurie Lind | 00;01;13;13 | Well, I think so. Don't ask anything too tricky.
Jason Pettys | 00;01;16;28 | Okay. All right. So first of all, help me get a better picture of what's given us. Give us some insight into the core mission and purpose behind interest. What's interest all about?
Laurie Lind | 00;01;29;17 | That's a very good question. And it's it comes up a lot. That question, the tagline for the organization is Multiplying leaders for multiplying churches. So that gives you a cup of clue, something about leaders and something about churches. Our theme verses second Timothy two to or Paul's talking to Timothy and saying the things that you heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and trust to reliable people who will be able to teach others also.
Laurie Lind | 00;01;58;16 | And the concept there is just one generation of followers of Christ really investing in another generation of followers of Christ who are faithful and will in turn invest in additional generations of followers of Christ. And not just invest. I mean, invest. Yes, it's leadership training. We would call it pastoral leadership training, church training started sneak in behind the Iron Curtain back in the seventies is how we knew.
Jason Pettys | 00;02;28;05 | That's how I got started. All My goodness. That's that's got to have some crazy stories behind it.
Laurie Lind | 00;02;32;28 | It does, actually. Yep. And that was really taking training to men who were shepherding churches under communism under the thumb of the communist rule and had no access to resources.
Jason Pettys | 00;02;47;16 | You got to be dealing with people who, like, just came to know the Lord and there's getting to be a group of together. And now they're in charge. And they know I mean, they want to follow the Lord, but they know nothing. And boy, that's I can see how that would be a to try to equip. And in this case, what it sounds like we you're doing is their interest as interests mission is lasering in on the people who would be the leaders of those groups to equip them with, particularly what they need.
Laurie Lind | 00;03;15;28 | You're absolutely right, Jason. That's right. What they need and finding out what the needs were and then finding the best materials or developing the best materials. And in the early days, it was a lot of navigators, materials and other things from other seminaries that were initially almost as translated, but then more and more new training courses written and translated and literally smuggled books in, and then quietly meeting with these guys and holding seminars and helping them learn.
Laurie Lind | 00;03;50;19 | And then eventually expanded to where like the women were like, Well, we want to learn too. And so more and more offering for women and women actually discovering that they could have leadership roles in the church. I mean, they they didn't only have to play the piano, but they could perhaps help with with leading small groups or teaching in various capacities, whatever the various denominations had as a conviction about that, we don't want to violate as in trust the convictions of different denominations, but in general helping people learn what they might need to learn to lead in various capacities.
Laurie Lind | 00;04;31;28 | Well, in the context of the local church.
Jason Pettys | 00;04;35;23 | Absolutely. It’s interest mainly engaging with people who maybe are in countries where there's not a lot of resources for that kind of thing and not a lot of educations and trainings or whatever a thing like that? Or would somebody who's in the United States and say, I'm I'm just hanging on this church, but I'd sure like to learn how to, uh, disciple people better.
Jason Pettys | 00;04;56;26 | And, you know, the I want to do second Timothy two too as well. I want to be involved in that. How it might they engage with and trust?
Laurie Lind | 00;05;03;27 | Yeah, that's a good question too, Jason. And yes, we have the answer to all of that is yes, we do have things going on overseas. We have various types of things that look quite different from one another, kind of a secret Bible institute in the Middle East that is an actual on site facility where people are coming in, really being equipped to go back to the home country that they're from and lead house churches where the country they're in.
Laurie Lind | 00;05;33;08 | They have no solid biblical training whatsoever. And then we've got a school that we work with in South Africa called the International College of Bible and Missions and several of the the academic dean and the other faculty members are trust staff members, and they're literally teaching Bible college, seminary, seminary level courses for people who can't hardly afford to go to college.
Laurie Lind | 00;06;02;11 | And it's aimed at the the poorest of the poor, those who are pastoring churches in the townships of South Africa. And so that school really has its own niche. And so that's like a non that's a brick and mortar school. And we've got other things in different parts of the world to equip leaders in different ways. Then we get to the U.S., where we have no shortage of seminaries, Bible colleges, books, radio, TV.
Laurie Lind | 00;06;27;05 | I mean, we have resources galore in the West, but we do have things we offer even in the West, including like the course that you took with us. Jason Facilitating relational learning. We have a series of four modules of which that one is the beginning f RL And then that leads to developing a discerning heart and then Discovery Bible study, which is really about inductive Bible study.
Laurie Lind | 00;06;54;20 | And the fourth one in that series is specifically for women equipping women to serve. And that's a whole to go through all four of those over the course of like four years, you are gaining a lot of skills and a lot of input and a lot of practice on shepherding women in any capacity. Then we have other courses that are available for sale on our website that you can buy and walk through with a group, like about counseling or building a lasting marriage or raising children or growing a healthy church, various ones that are just a real in-depth seminary level course that if you feel you want to grow more, you could just use it
Laurie Lind | 00;07;38;26 | for yourself. Or you could go through it with a small group and maybe sharpen some skills or some understanding for use in the local church.
Jason Pettys | 00;07;47;13 | Nice that. So that the experience I had with Farrell was absolutely revolutionary in terms of helping me be feel a lot more effective in leading small groups. And so and I think about the content of that material and the grace and the truth behind that that was intertwined together in that and for interest to be bringing that to Third World countries, I think of these people who are small Jesus following communities who are really and there's so many little ways they can get off track and to give them that grace and truth together to lead those people.
Jason Pettys | 00;08;20;10 | But I think that it would be a ministry that would can prevent a lot of trouble for small, fledgling churches. So that's a great to hear. Now you've also got this podcast going on and I guess this has been going on for how long have you been doing this podcast now?
Laurie Lind | 00;08;37;27 | Well, I think we launched in July of last year, which was 2022. So yeah, just not even quite a year yet as we speak.
Jason Pettys | 00;08;49;16 | So when you launched it, what what did you why did you do that? What do you hope to accomplish? And has that evolved at all as you know, as time has gone on and you've done some more? Like what? What are your what's your goal? What do you what's your aim?
Laurie Lind | 00;09;03;10 | Yeah, thanks. That's a good question. And I must say, I think that aim is somewhat changing as we go. Initially, this podcast was tied to a newsletter that we had called Equipping Christian Leaders. And quarterly we published two articles, one by a professional like a Christian expert, so to speak, a pastor or a seminary professor, and then a companion article by someone on Entrust staff and both articles on the same topic showing how Entrust approaches that topic.
Laurie Lind | 00;09;38;28 | For example, contextualization or constructivism or why train women was one, or equipping people online and harnessing technology. So we'd have these two articles. And then I started to think, Well, let's take these articles out from just mailing them out to the people on the mailing list and we also have them on the website. Let's make it a verbal thing and maybe reach a few more people because it's really rich content.
Laurie Lind | 00;10;05;23 | So I just started going back in time and contacting all of our authors and.
Jason Pettys | 00;10;10;15 | Oh, nice.
Laurie Lind | 00;10;11;11 | Interviewing them one by one. And producing one or two or three episodes per author on that topic. And now, however, I have come to the end of those articles that we had. And so even as we speak, I'm thinking that this podcast is going to change direction just a little bit and become a little bit more storytelling, and yet continuing to be a resource about training and equipping leaders, sharpening leadership skills, honing what we do know or gaining what we don't even know that we don't know.
Laurie Lind | 00;10;50;15 | To use our spiritual gifts and lead well in various ways in the local church.
Jason Pettys | 00;10;57;06 | Who are the kinds of people who you think are going to be most interested in the podcast? But who should be listening? Or who do we recommend this to?
Laurie Lind | 00;11;07;27 | Well, that's right. I know who I would love to have listening. I'm not sure that we've gotten the attention of that entire target audience yet, but I would think it could be definitely for sure. Pastors or elders, deacons, people in leadership in churches, but really also anyone who's wanting to grow in their faith and become more mature in Christ and and continue to invest in next generations of followers of Christ.
Laurie Lind | 00;11;40;20 | Because I think all of us can be equipping next generations of Christian leaders, whether we're we have that hat on, so to speak. I'm a professor at such and such seminary, or I'm quote unquote, just Laurie who comes to church every Sunday at this church. But there's we I love the saying that we all should have a Paul and we all should have a timothy in our life, someone who's investing in us and someone in whom we are investing as a follower of Christ.
Laurie Lind | 00;12;12;25 | And then I think what Entrust has to offer more and more is not just workbooks and training courses, but just a lot of expertize from a lot of people on how to do that, how to walk alongside someone and help them, disciple them, mentor them, help them grow in their faith. And then how to really use your skill as well in shepherding a flock, be that a small group, a Bible study group or an established church or a new church.
Jason Pettys | 00;12;45;26 | It strikes me as you're saying, that, you know, when you think about the where interest kind of got its roots from, it's like, okay, you don't have the luxury of going away for a four year degree to get your thing. It's like these people are in leadership positions. Leadership positions right now. And how do we get them on the ground running to not mess this up?
Jason Pettys | 00;13;06;28 | So to to do what the Lord would have them to do as as shepherds and pastors and leaders. And and that's what I found with the VFR material. It was extremely practical, useful, easy to put it into practice. Right now, we're not we're not very theoretical. You know, the material wasn't theory or heady or difficult to assimilate. It was very easy to take in and apply and make an impact in the local church right now.
Jason Pettys | 00;13;38;26 | So I think that's that's it's a great thought. And so as you're thinking about the the episodes that you've done, what are some that stick out to you as that might be, people might want to go back and listen to them, need to get a a good flavor of kind of the best that we've that you've put out so far.
Jason Pettys | 00;13;58;28 | Would you say?
Laurie Lind | 00;14;00;24 | Well, I can definitely say that it's it's improved over time those first few or I can I myself I don't really listen to them a whole lot because I don't like to hear my own voice. But I know that it's they were a little bit less than professional and there's still a long way to go and production value, definitely.
Laurie Lind | 00;14;17;13 | But I would highly recommend the pair of articles about prayer and by God's Grace and Graham Lotz agreed to do an interview with us about prayer. She's passionate about prayer. And it's Billy Graham's daughter, by the way, and she had done some work with us back in the 1990s in Russia and Romania. So she kind of knew organization.
Laurie Lind | 00;14;42;19 | And I mean, that episode is just the prayer. She just sort of emphasizes. If you just have prayer on your to do, list your checklist as a leader, you're starting wrong already. Like prayer has to be everything you need to be everything needs to be suffused in your time in God's presence. And so, I mean, that was very uplifting to me and encouraging at the same time.
Laurie Lind | 00;15;09;00 | And then actually we had a pair of interviews that several people have told me, my goodness, I've gone back and listened several times, and they were about best practices for using the online technology. So if you are training people online and maybe they're halfway around the world or maybe you're doing a Zoom study, or maybe you're doing distance education.
Laurie Lind | 00;15;32;24 | We have a seminary professor from Harding University in Arkansas who talks who teaches that. And he just had so many thoughts about cultural sensitivity and just things to keep in mind. And then at the same time, we had one of our own staff who does a lot of online training, really giving just amazing tips, best practices. So I'd, I'd recommend those two to anybody who may or may ever take part in any online learning of any kind now.
Jason Pettys | 00;16;04;27 | So if some of us want to look those up or recommend to their friends, what platforms are you putting this podcast out on?
Laurie Lind | 00;16;12;11 | Well, as the saying goes, wherever you get your podcast should be able to find us. The name of this is And Trust Equipping Leaders, and we're out there on iTunes and Spotify and all the rest. You can also go to our Web site, which is simply and trust the number four dawg to and entrust entrust the number 4G and under resources just click podcast.
Laurie Lind | 00;16;39;10 | It's right there. So I think that's maybe two of the most simple ways or just search for and trust equipping leaders.
Jason Pettys | 00;16;47;28 | All right. Is there anything else about the podcast or interest that you wanted to make sure that that I knew or that the one else knew, too?
Laurie Lind | 00;16;56;10 | Now, I just love to have people subscribe if you find it. If you I mean, obviously you found it. You're listening right now. Thank you for listening. Give us a review. Subscribe, click the subscribe button. Tell someone else if you find it good and help us to spread the word about this. And Jason, now I'm going to flip the microphone around one more time.
Laurie Lind | 00;17;15;09 | I do want to ask you something. As you think about all that we've talked about, about what interest is about in this podcast, what topics or what guests come to mind that you would find interesting or helpful in upcoming episodes of interest equipping leaders?
Jason Pettys | 00;17;33;06 | You know, the I like small groups, and I'm also interested in this is going to get really this I don't know if you want to include this on the podcast, Laurie, but I'll throw it out there and you can do it. I was I'm interested in how American church culture has sort of in my feeling has gotten a little bit big and crusty and and like we've built in a lot of traditions that and they're not necessarily harmful in and of themselves but it may be time that to to to to relook at some of those things.
Jason Pettys | 00;18;16;08 | And and, you know, it was interesting. So there was a book, Francis Chan, his book Letters to the Church, which is very critical. And I it was okay. I only read like half of it because I agreed with almost everything he was saying, but he didn't have any solutions like, okay, well what are we going to do, you know, and oh, and so if someone can maybe leave a comment on the podcast or they said, you got to finish the book, or maybe they know what the answers are or whatever.
Jason Pettys | 00;18;45;04 | I don't know. So, so because I and I felt like so I'm intrigued with people who are able to create. I mean, when you read the New Testament letters like Paul writes, there is such an intimacy and a family oriented ness about what's going on there and to in an embracing of everyone together in a way that seems authentic and it's it's it's hard to keep that freshness going and the authenticity and things like that.
Jason Pettys | 00;19;15;13 | And so I am intrigued with authors or not. I mean, people who are thinking about that and thinking about how do we and the main goal there isn't to make me more comfortable. I think the main goal is like I'm just trying to what I'm going to say is kind of controversial, but it's like, how do we make the church culturally irrelevant?
Jason Pettys | 00;19;35;15 | Like the New Testament is very non prescriptive, especially compared to the Old Testament, right? The Old Testament was Here's your culture in a box. It's looks like the New Testament is we go out to all of the nations and in there where they are in their cultures, we make little churches among those people. And and I think the New Testament says what it says and doesn't say what it says because it needs to fit into the whole world.
Jason Pettys | 00;20;02;11 | And now the way that church today you know in America was made was based on, you know, in the early 1900s, that was what worked for everybody. And and we kind of stick to some of that stuff. Now, how do we make small communities of Jesus followers, i.e. churches? What would it look like if like this was no churches had never been to America before and missionaries showed up as sort of making churches, what would they look like?
Jason Pettys | 00;20;30;12 | I think it would be a little different than what we've got now. And I'm I'm intrigued by what that might be. Not that when I say cultural, relevant, we're sticking to the plain teachings of Scripture that what the Bible's simple is, particularly the New Testament simply says. But anyway, yes, that question you got more than you bargained for.
Jason Pettys | 00;20;47;16 | Probably.
Laurie Lind | 00;20;49;22 | Well, I think you might be saying something like, well, what is really a church? Or What does it mean to be a church or what? What does corporate gathering and worship need to? What should it be? What should it look like? What could it look like? What's really core and what's become all about culture? Something along those lines.
Jason Pettys | 00;21;12;16 | Yeah, sure.
Laurie Lind | 00;21;14;01 | Yeah. You know, that does make me think there's one more episode we had that I have heard many people say they liked a lot and I meant not any of them were bad. I mean, you can listen to all of them and there's something good there with amazing guests along the way. But there's one way back with Pastor Jeff Simpson from the Alliance Church in Lansdowne, Maryland.
Laurie Lind | 00;21;33;21 | And I asked him the whole thing was why even equip leaders? Why in the local church, especially in the US, focus on equipping leaders? And he really talked about how pastors just get busy and they just do what they do and it's easier to do everything themselves. And he liked so much the idea of just slowing down and investing in a few people and letting people lead different things in different ways and maybe even fail sometimes.
Laurie Lind | 00;22;00;24 | And that's okay. And I don't know his approach and the things he said were very fresh and almost making me think of what you're saying. Jason I'm like.
Jason Pettys | 00;22;09;26 | Yeah, no, you're talking my language with what? But just what you said about that makes you want to go back and and check that one out so that I think you're you're right on.
Laurie Lind | 00;22;18;02 | Yeah. Church can be it doesn't have to be what you think it has to be. Yes maybe is what he was almost saying so yeah. Check that one out. That was a real early one about why train leaders and Pastor Jeff Simpson was the guest that day. But yeah, I'm really interested to know what I like what you're saying.
Laurie Lind | 00;22;38;27 | Jason and I will explore that further and maybe revisit some conversations with you down the road.
Jason Pettys | 00;22;45;00 | And if you got if you're getting feedback or comments on the different podcasting platforms, I'm sure you're keeping an eye on those. So whether the listeners have ideas, I'm sure you're very open to those. So yes, and I'll invite on your behalf, invite your listeners to barrage you with ideas. So so Lori, thanks a lot for taking the time to explain to me what's going on.
Jason Pettys | 00;23;06;20 | And these are questions. I was funny. I was, you know, telling my wife, Allison is going to be visiting with you about some of this stuff. She goes, What does she do for interest? I was like, I'm going to find out. And now I know.
Laurie Lind | 00;23;16;17 | So.
Jason Pettys | 00;23;17;13 | So thanks a lot for the time, Laurie. Appreciate it.
Laurie Lind | 00;23;20;07 | Thank you. Jason.
Todd (intro/outro) | 00;23;22;06 | You've been listening to Entrust Equipping Leaders, the podcast for Christian leaders, people who equip Christian leaders and people who desire to grow in their Christian leadership skills. Today's guest, Jason Pettys, asked Laurie about this podcast, and she asked him for ideas for upcoming episodes. Now we'd like to ask you what topics would you find practical and helpful in relation to equipping men and women to lead well in the local church, both at home or overseas?
Todd (intro/outro) | 00;23;55;29 | What guests would you like to hear from? Write your ideas in the comments section? Or send an email to Laurie. Her address is lauriel@entrust4.org. That's l-a-u-r-i-e-l at entrust the number four dot org. You can find her email address in the show notes. Send your ideas and you may hear them addressed in future episodes of Entrust Equipping Leaders.
Entrust https:www.entrust4.org
Laurie's email lauriel@entrust4.org
Transcript
Speaker Name | Start Time | Text
Todd (intro/outro) | 00;00;11;06 | Welcome to Entrust Equipping Leaders, the podcast for Christian leaders, people who equip Christian leaders and people who desire to grow in their Christian leadership skills. Last time you heard host Laurie Lind interviewing Jason Pettys about Facilitating Relational Learning. Today, Jason turns the microphone around and makes Laurie answer a few questions.
Jason Pettys | 00;00;38;03 | Hey, everybody, this is Jason Pettys, your guest host for the podcast Today. And Today, I'm going to interview your typical podcast host here. Laurie, you know that Laurie and I have been friends for a long time and going to the same church, I've been wondering about what she does and what interest is all about. I know a few things, but we've never really sat down and had a really good conversation about that.
Jason Pettys | 00;00;59;04 | And then I found out you kind of wanted to send this out on a podcast. So we thought, Hey, let me ask you the questions will have this conversation that I wanted to have anyway, but let's have it on the on the podcast and record it and see how it goes. So you ready for this, Laurie?
Laurie Lind | 00;01;13;13 | Well, I think so. Don't ask anything too tricky.
Jason Pettys | 00;01;16;28 | Okay. All right. So first of all, help me get a better picture of what's given us. Give us some insight into the core mission and purpose behind interest. What's interest all about?
Laurie Lind | 00;01;29;17 | That's a very good question. And it's it comes up a lot. That question, the tagline for the organization is Multiplying leaders for multiplying churches. So that gives you a cup of clue, something about leaders and something about churches. Our theme verses second Timothy two to or Paul's talking to Timothy and saying the things that you heard from me in the presence of many witnesses and trust to reliable people who will be able to teach others also.
Laurie Lind | 00;01;58;16 | And the concept there is just one generation of followers of Christ really investing in another generation of followers of Christ who are faithful and will in turn invest in additional generations of followers of Christ. And not just invest. I mean, invest. Yes, it's leadership training. We would call it pastoral leadership training, church training started sneak in behind the Iron Curtain back in the seventies is how we knew.
Jason Pettys | 00;02;28;05 | That's how I got started. All My goodness. That's that's got to have some crazy stories behind it.
Laurie Lind | 00;02;32;28 | It does, actually. Yep. And that was really taking training to men who were shepherding churches under communism under the thumb of the communist rule and had no access to resources.
Jason Pettys | 00;02;47;16 | You got to be dealing with people who, like, just came to know the Lord and there's getting to be a group of together. And now they're in charge. And they know I mean, they want to follow the Lord, but they know nothing. And boy, that's I can see how that would be a to try to equip. And in this case, what it sounds like we you're doing is their interest as interests mission is lasering in on the people who would be the leaders of those groups to equip them with, particularly what they need.
Laurie Lind | 00;03;15;28 | You're absolutely right, Jason. That's right. What they need and finding out what the needs were and then finding the best materials or developing the best materials. And in the early days, it was a lot of navigators, materials and other things from other seminaries that were initially almost as translated, but then more and more new training courses written and translated and literally smuggled books in, and then quietly meeting with these guys and holding seminars and helping them learn.
Laurie Lind | 00;03;50;19 | And then eventually expanded to where like the women were like, Well, we want to learn too. And so more and more offering for women and women actually discovering that they could have leadership roles in the church. I mean, they they didn't only have to play the piano, but they could perhaps help with with leading small groups or teaching in various capacities, whatever the various denominations had as a conviction about that, we don't want to violate as in trust the convictions of different denominations, but in general helping people learn what they might need to learn to lead in various capacities.
Laurie Lind | 00;04;31;28 | Well, in the context of the local church.
Jason Pettys | 00;04;35;23 | Absolutely. It’s interest mainly engaging with people who maybe are in countries where there's not a lot of resources for that kind of thing and not a lot of educations and trainings or whatever a thing like that? Or would somebody who's in the United States and say, I'm I'm just hanging on this church, but I'd sure like to learn how to, uh, disciple people better.
Jason Pettys | 00;04;56;26 | And, you know, the I want to do second Timothy two too as well. I want to be involved in that. How it might they engage with and trust?
Laurie Lind | 00;05;03;27 | Yeah, that's a good question too, Jason. And yes, we have the answer to all of that is yes, we do have things going on overseas. We have various types of things that look quite different from one another, kind of a secret Bible institute in the Middle East that is an actual on site facility where people are coming in, really being equipped to go back to the home country that they're from and lead house churches where the country they're in.
Laurie Lind | 00;05;33;08 | They have no solid biblical training whatsoever. And then we've got a school that we work with in South Africa called the International College of Bible and Missions and several of the the academic dean and the other faculty members are trust staff members, and they're literally teaching Bible college, seminary, seminary level courses for people who can't hardly afford to go to college.
Laurie Lind | 00;06;02;11 | And it's aimed at the the poorest of the poor, those who are pastoring churches in the townships of South Africa. And so that school really has its own niche. And so that's like a non that's a brick and mortar school. And we've got other things in different parts of the world to equip leaders in different ways. Then we get to the U.S., where we have no shortage of seminaries, Bible colleges, books, radio, TV.
Laurie Lind | 00;06;27;05 | I mean, we have resources galore in the West, but we do have things we offer even in the West, including like the course that you took with us. Jason Facilitating relational learning. We have a series of four modules of which that one is the beginning f RL And then that leads to developing a discerning heart and then Discovery Bible study, which is really about inductive Bible study.
Laurie Lind | 00;06;54;20 | And the fourth one in that series is specifically for women equipping women to serve. And that's a whole to go through all four of those over the course of like four years, you are gaining a lot of skills and a lot of input and a lot of practice on shepherding women in any capacity. Then we have other courses that are available for sale on our website that you can buy and walk through with a group, like about counseling or building a lasting marriage or raising children or growing a healthy church, various ones that are just a real in-depth seminary level course that if you feel you want to grow more, you could just use it
Laurie Lind | 00;07;38;26 | for yourself. Or you could go through it with a small group and maybe sharpen some skills or some understanding for use in the local church.
Jason Pettys | 00;07;47;13 | Nice that. So that the experience I had with Farrell was absolutely revolutionary in terms of helping me be feel a lot more effective in leading small groups. And so and I think about the content of that material and the grace and the truth behind that that was intertwined together in that and for interest to be bringing that to Third World countries, I think of these people who are small Jesus following communities who are really and there's so many little ways they can get off track and to give them that grace and truth together to lead those people.
Jason Pettys | 00;08;20;10 | But I think that it would be a ministry that would can prevent a lot of trouble for small, fledgling churches. So that's a great to hear. Now you've also got this podcast going on and I guess this has been going on for how long have you been doing this podcast now?
Laurie Lind | 00;08;37;27 | Well, I think we launched in July of last year, which was 2022. So yeah, just not even quite a year yet as we speak.
Jason Pettys | 00;08;49;16 | So when you launched it, what what did you why did you do that? What do you hope to accomplish? And has that evolved at all as you know, as time has gone on and you've done some more? Like what? What are your what's your goal? What do you what's your aim?
Laurie Lind | 00;09;03;10 | Yeah, thanks. That's a good question. And I must say, I think that aim is somewhat changing as we go. Initially, this podcast was tied to a newsletter that we had called Equipping Christian Leaders. And quarterly we published two articles, one by a professional like a Christian expert, so to speak, a pastor or a seminary professor, and then a companion article by someone on Entrust staff and both articles on the same topic showing how Entrust approaches that topic.
Laurie Lind | 00;09;38;28 | For example, contextualization or constructivism or why train women was one, or equipping people online and harnessing technology. So we'd have these two articles. And then I started to think, Well, let's take these articles out from just mailing them out to the people on the mailing list and we also have them on the website. Let's make it a verbal thing and maybe reach a few more people because it's really rich content.
Laurie Lind | 00;10;05;23 | So I just started going back in time and contacting all of our authors and.
Jason Pettys | 00;10;10;15 | Oh, nice.
Laurie Lind | 00;10;11;11 | Interviewing them one by one. And producing one or two or three episodes per author on that topic. And now, however, I have come to the end of those articles that we had. And so even as we speak, I'm thinking that this podcast is going to change direction just a little bit and become a little bit more storytelling, and yet continuing to be a resource about training and equipping leaders, sharpening leadership skills, honing what we do know or gaining what we don't even know that we don't know.
Laurie Lind | 00;10;50;15 | To use our spiritual gifts and lead well in various ways in the local church.
Jason Pettys | 00;10;57;06 | Who are the kinds of people who you think are going to be most interested in the podcast? But who should be listening? Or who do we recommend this to?
Laurie Lind | 00;11;07;27 | Well, that's right. I know who I would love to have listening. I'm not sure that we've gotten the attention of that entire target audience yet, but I would think it could be definitely for sure. Pastors or elders, deacons, people in leadership in churches, but really also anyone who's wanting to grow in their faith and become more mature in Christ and and continue to invest in next generations of followers of Christ.
Laurie Lind | 00;11;40;20 | Because I think all of us can be equipping next generations of Christian leaders, whether we're we have that hat on, so to speak. I'm a professor at such and such seminary, or I'm quote unquote, just Laurie who comes to church every Sunday at this church. But there's we I love the saying that we all should have a Paul and we all should have a timothy in our life, someone who's investing in us and someone in whom we are investing as a follower of Christ.
Laurie Lind | 00;12;12;25 | And then I think what Entrust has to offer more and more is not just workbooks and training courses, but just a lot of expertize from a lot of people on how to do that, how to walk alongside someone and help them, disciple them, mentor them, help them grow in their faith. And then how to really use your skill as well in shepherding a flock, be that a small group, a Bible study group or an established church or a new church.
Jason Pettys | 00;12;45;26 | It strikes me as you're saying, that, you know, when you think about the where interest kind of got its roots from, it's like, okay, you don't have the luxury of going away for a four year degree to get your thing. It's like these people are in leadership positions. Leadership positions right now. And how do we get them on the ground running to not mess this up?
Jason Pettys | 00;13;06;28 | So to to do what the Lord would have them to do as as shepherds and pastors and leaders. And and that's what I found with the VFR material. It was extremely practical, useful, easy to put it into practice. Right now, we're not we're not very theoretical. You know, the material wasn't theory or heady or difficult to assimilate. It was very easy to take in and apply and make an impact in the local church right now.
Jason Pettys | 00;13;38;26 | So I think that's that's it's a great thought. And so as you're thinking about the the episodes that you've done, what are some that stick out to you as that might be, people might want to go back and listen to them, need to get a a good flavor of kind of the best that we've that you've put out so far.
Jason Pettys | 00;13;58;28 | Would you say?
Laurie Lind | 00;14;00;24 | Well, I can definitely say that it's it's improved over time those first few or I can I myself I don't really listen to them a whole lot because I don't like to hear my own voice. But I know that it's they were a little bit less than professional and there's still a long way to go and production value, definitely.
Laurie Lind | 00;14;17;13 | But I would highly recommend the pair of articles about prayer and by God's Grace and Graham Lotz agreed to do an interview with us about prayer. She's passionate about prayer. And it's Billy Graham's daughter, by the way, and she had done some work with us back in the 1990s in Russia and Romania. So she kind of knew organization.
Laurie Lind | 00;14;42;19 | And I mean, that episode is just the prayer. She just sort of emphasizes. If you just have prayer on your to do, list your checklist as a leader, you're starting wrong already. Like prayer has to be everything you need to be everything needs to be suffused in your time in God's presence. And so, I mean, that was very uplifting to me and encouraging at the same time.
Laurie Lind | 00;15;09;00 | And then actually we had a pair of interviews that several people have told me, my goodness, I've gone back and listened several times, and they were about best practices for using the online technology. So if you are training people online and maybe they're halfway around the world or maybe you're doing a Zoom study, or maybe you're doing distance education.
Laurie Lind | 00;15;32;24 | We have a seminary professor from Harding University in Arkansas who talks who teaches that. And he just had so many thoughts about cultural sensitivity and just things to keep in mind. And then at the same time, we had one of our own staff who does a lot of online training, really giving just amazing tips, best practices. So I'd, I'd recommend those two to anybody who may or may ever take part in any online learning of any kind now.
Jason Pettys | 00;16;04;27 | So if some of us want to look those up or recommend to their friends, what platforms are you putting this podcast out on?
Laurie Lind | 00;16;12;11 | Well, as the saying goes, wherever you get your podcast should be able to find us. The name of this is And Trust Equipping Leaders, and we're out there on iTunes and Spotify and all the rest. You can also go to our Web site, which is simply and trust the number four dawg to and entrust entrust the number 4G and under resources just click podcast.
Laurie Lind | 00;16;39;10 | It's right there. So I think that's maybe two of the most simple ways or just search for and trust equipping leaders.
Jason Pettys | 00;16;47;28 | All right. Is there anything else about the podcast or interest that you wanted to make sure that that I knew or that the one else knew, too?
Laurie Lind | 00;16;56;10 | Now, I just love to have people subscribe if you find it. If you I mean, obviously you found it. You're listening right now. Thank you for listening. Give us a review. Subscribe, click the subscribe button. Tell someone else if you find it good and help us to spread the word about this. And Jason, now I'm going to flip the microphone around one more time.
Laurie Lind | 00;17;15;09 | I do want to ask you something. As you think about all that we've talked about, about what interest is about in this podcast, what topics or what guests come to mind that you would find interesting or helpful in upcoming episodes of interest equipping leaders?
Jason Pettys | 00;17;33;06 | You know, the I like small groups, and I'm also interested in this is going to get really this I don't know if you want to include this on the podcast, Laurie, but I'll throw it out there and you can do it. I was I'm interested in how American church culture has sort of in my feeling has gotten a little bit big and crusty and and like we've built in a lot of traditions that and they're not necessarily harmful in and of themselves but it may be time that to to to to relook at some of those things.
Jason Pettys | 00;18;16;08 | And and, you know, it was interesting. So there was a book, Francis Chan, his book Letters to the Church, which is very critical. And I it was okay. I only read like half of it because I agreed with almost everything he was saying, but he didn't have any solutions like, okay, well what are we going to do, you know, and oh, and so if someone can maybe leave a comment on the podcast or they said, you got to finish the book, or maybe they know what the answers are or whatever.
Jason Pettys | 00;18;45;04 | I don't know. So, so because I and I felt like so I'm intrigued with people who are able to create. I mean, when you read the New Testament letters like Paul writes, there is such an intimacy and a family oriented ness about what's going on there and to in an embracing of everyone together in a way that seems authentic and it's it's it's hard to keep that freshness going and the authenticity and things like that.
Jason Pettys | 00;19;15;13 | And so I am intrigued with authors or not. I mean, people who are thinking about that and thinking about how do we and the main goal there isn't to make me more comfortable. I think the main goal is like I'm just trying to what I'm going to say is kind of controversial, but it's like, how do we make the church culturally irrelevant?
Jason Pettys | 00;19;35;15 | Like the New Testament is very non prescriptive, especially compared to the Old Testament, right? The Old Testament was Here's your culture in a box. It's looks like the New Testament is we go out to all of the nations and in there where they are in their cultures, we make little churches among those people. And and I think the New Testament says what it says and doesn't say what it says because it needs to fit into the whole world.
Jason Pettys | 00;20;02;11 | And now the way that church today you know in America was made was based on, you know, in the early 1900s, that was what worked for everybody. And and we kind of stick to some of that stuff. Now, how do we make small communities of Jesus followers, i.e. churches? What would it look like if like this was no churches had never been to America before and missionaries showed up as sort of making churches, what would they look like?
Jason Pettys | 00;20;30;12 | I think it would be a little different than what we've got now. And I'm I'm intrigued by what that might be. Not that when I say cultural, relevant, we're sticking to the plain teachings of Scripture that what the Bible's simple is, particularly the New Testament simply says. But anyway, yes, that question you got more than you bargained for.
Jason Pettys | 00;20;47;16 | Probably.
Laurie Lind | 00;20;49;22 | Well, I think you might be saying something like, well, what is really a church? Or What does it mean to be a church or what? What does corporate gathering and worship need to? What should it be? What should it look like? What could it look like? What's really core and what's become all about culture? Something along those lines.
Jason Pettys | 00;21;12;16 | Yeah, sure.
Laurie Lind | 00;21;14;01 | Yeah. You know, that does make me think there's one more episode we had that I have heard many people say they liked a lot and I meant not any of them were bad. I mean, you can listen to all of them and there's something good there with amazing guests along the way. But there's one way back with Pastor Jeff Simpson from the Alliance Church in Lansdowne, Maryland.
Laurie Lind | 00;21;33;21 | And I asked him the whole thing was why even equip leaders? Why in the local church, especially in the US, focus on equipping leaders? And he really talked about how pastors just get busy and they just do what they do and it's easier to do everything themselves. And he liked so much the idea of just slowing down and investing in a few people and letting people lead different things in different ways and maybe even fail sometimes.
Laurie Lind | 00;22;00;24 | And that's okay. And I don't know his approach and the things he said were very fresh and almost making me think of what you're saying. Jason I'm like.
Jason Pettys | 00;22;09;26 | Yeah, no, you're talking my language with what? But just what you said about that makes you want to go back and and check that one out so that I think you're you're right on.
Laurie Lind | 00;22;18;02 | Yeah. Church can be it doesn't have to be what you think it has to be. Yes maybe is what he was almost saying so yeah. Check that one out. That was a real early one about why train leaders and Pastor Jeff Simpson was the guest that day. But yeah, I'm really interested to know what I like what you're saying.
Laurie Lind | 00;22;38;27 | Jason and I will explore that further and maybe revisit some conversations with you down the road.
Jason Pettys | 00;22;45;00 | And if you got if you're getting feedback or comments on the different podcasting platforms, I'm sure you're keeping an eye on those. So whether the listeners have ideas, I'm sure you're very open to those. So yes, and I'll invite on your behalf, invite your listeners to barrage you with ideas. So so Lori, thanks a lot for taking the time to explain to me what's going on.
Jason Pettys | 00;23;06;20 | And these are questions. I was funny. I was, you know, telling my wife, Allison is going to be visiting with you about some of this stuff. She goes, What does she do for interest? I was like, I'm going to find out. And now I know.
Laurie Lind | 00;23;16;17 | So.
Jason Pettys | 00;23;17;13 | So thanks a lot for the time, Laurie. Appreciate it.
Laurie Lind | 00;23;20;07 | Thank you. Jason.
Todd (intro/outro) | 00;23;22;06 | You've been listening to Entrust Equipping Leaders, the podcast for Christian leaders, people who equip Christian leaders and people who desire to grow in their Christian leadership skills. Today's guest, Jason Pettys, asked Laurie about this podcast, and she asked him for ideas for upcoming episodes. Now we'd like to ask you what topics would you find practical and helpful in relation to equipping men and women to lead well in the local church, both at home or overseas?
Todd (intro/outro) | 00;23;55;29 | What guests would you like to hear from? Write your ideas in the comments section? Or send an email to Laurie. Her address is lauriel@entrust4.org. That's l-a-u-r-i-e-l at entrust the number four dot org. You can find her email address in the show notes. Send your ideas and you may hear them addressed in future episodes of Entrust Equipping Leaders.