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168- Dale Lewis: A Pastor You Need to Know

In the latest episode of our podcast, we had the privilege of speaking with Pastor Dale Lewis, a man whose life and ministry have been profoundly shaped by his unique journey of faith. Pastor Dale shares his story, one that begins with a challenging childhood and evolves into a life dedicated to spiritual mentorship and leadership.

Growing up without a father, Dale's early years were marked by a search for meaning and belonging. His journey took a transformative turn when he encountered the Gospel of John, a moment that ignited a lifelong hunger for the Word of God. This pivotal experience set the stage for his future ministry, where he would go on to pastor two Calvary Chapel churches and become a mentor to many.

Pastor Dale's approach to ministry is deeply relational, emphasizing the importance of discipleship and intentionality. He shares how his upbringing, though difficult, created a vacuum that was filled by a deep desire to connect with his Heavenly Father. This connection fueled his passion for the Scriptures and his commitment to sharing what he learned with others.

One of the most compelling aspects of Pastor Dale's story is his dedication to making Bible resources accessible to pastors and Christians worldwide. Through his project, Scripturesupply.com, he provides Bible study commentary in 103 languages, free of charge. This initiative reflects his heart for equipping others and ensuring that the Word of God is available to all, regardless of language or location.

In addition to his ministry work, Pastor Dale shares a personal story of love and obedience. After the passing of his first wife, Donna, he experienced a God-ordained journey to remarriage that defied conventional expectations. This story of faith and trust in God's plan is both heartwarming and inspiring.

Throughout the episode, Pastor Dale emphasizes the importance of being intentional in ministry, particularly in the area of succession planning and mentoring future leaders. His insights are invaluable for pastors and leaders seeking to make a lasting impact in their communities.

Tune in to this episode to hear Pastor Dale Lewis's full story and be inspired by his unwavering commitment to faith, mentorship, and the global spread of God's Word. Whether you're a pastor, a leader, or someone seeking encouragement in your spiritual journey, this conversation offers wisdom and hope. Don't miss it!

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

167- Testimony: Powerful Renewal in the Holy Spirit- with John Knapp

In the bustling community of Henderson, Nevada, a spiritual renewal is taking place at Calvary Chapel Green Valley under the leadership of Pastor John Knapp. For over 26 years, Pastor John has been a guiding light for his congregation, but recently, a new wave of the Holy Spirit has invigorated the church, bringing a fresh sense of purpose and community.

The story begins with a simple question: “Did you hear what’s going on in Asbury?” This question sparked a journey that would lead Pastor John to seek not just revival for his church but a deep, transformative experience with the Holy Spirit. Inspired by the revival at Asbury University, Pastor John felt a divine nudge to bring that same spirit of renewal to his congregation.

Pastor John’s approach is deeply rooted in the power of prayer and the community it fosters. He emphasizes the importance of becoming a praying pastor and leading a praying church. By transforming their weekly prayer meetings into full-fledged renewal services, complete with worship and an openness to the Holy Spirit, Calvary Chapel Green Valley has become a beacon of hope and transformation.

The key to this renewal is the focus on community. Las Vegas, often misunderstood as merely a city of sin, is home to many who are hungry for genuine connection and healing. Pastor John sees this as an opportunity to offer a community centered in Christ, where individuals can experience the love and truth of God’s word.

Pastor John’s journey is a testament to the power of faith and the willingness to be led by the Spirit. His story is not just about revival in a single church but a call to pastors and church leaders everywhere to seek transformation through prayer and community. As Pastor John puts it, “The power of God is made manifest when it’s changing hearts and lives.”

If you’re looking for inspiration and practical insights into leading a church community toward spiritual renewal, this episode is a must-listen. Join us as we explore the transformative journey of Calvary Chapel Green Valley and discover how you, too, can invite the Holy Spirit into your life and ministry.

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Pastor John Knapp of Calvary Chapel Green Valley in Henderson, Nevada is passionate about the Lord Jesus Christ and he and the fellowship he pastors are experiencing a wonderful time of renewal in the Holy Spirit. 

So, that's what we’re going to speaking with him about today … we'll hear their testimony and the wisdom the Spirit has given them.

John is the founding pastor of CC Green Valley and has pastored for years. I (Bill Holdridge) met John through being practically neighbors, and through the monthly senior pastor’s breakfast that happens in Las Vegas. 

It’s been said of some churches that if the Holy Spirit completely vacated the building and fellowship life, things wouldn’t miss a beat. Implying, of course, that all they had been doing was energized by human effort only, and not influenced by the very One Jesus prayed about to His Father, that He (the Holy Spirit) would be our parakletos.

How might a senior pastor move more into the realm and ministry of the Holy Spirit?

How does a pastor or congregation become open to the person of the Holy Spirit? 

What has Calvary Chapel Green Valley learned about how to seek God for and be open to the Holy Spirit's direction in the life of the pastor and the church?

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Obviously, Poimen Ministries bel

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

In this heartfelt episode, Bill Holdridge shares a powerful message delivered at Regeneration Church in Scotts Valley, California. This episode is a departure from our usual format, as Bill recounts a personal journey of forgiveness and the transformative power it holds for pastors and believers alike. Drawing from his own experiences and the teachings of Bruce Hell, author of "Forgiving Forward," Bill explores the profound impact of forgiveness on our lives and ministries.

Discover the freedom that comes from applying the gospel's power of forgiveness, and learn how to forgive others from the heart. Bill shares practical insights, including the seven Protocols of Forgiveness, and emphasizes the importance of forgiving everyone of everything. Through personal stories and biblical truths, this episode offers a roadmap to release the burdens of unforgiveness and live in the joy and peace that God intends for us.

1. Introduction and Purpose of the Episode

2. The Gift of Forgiveness

3. Personal Story of Forgiveness

4. The Biblical Mandate to Forgive

5. Understanding Forgiveness and Reconciliation

6. The Protocols of Forgiveness

7. The Cost of Unforgiveness

8. The Parable of the Unforgiving Servant

9. The Consequences of Unforgiveness

10. The Father's Discipline and Love

11. Application and Encouragement

12. Closing Prayer and Resources

Join us as we delve into the heart of forgiveness and the freedom it brings. For more resources, reach out to Dr. Bruce Hebel and his wife Toni at forgivingforward.com. May this message inspire you to embrace the power of the gospel in forgiveness and lead your church into a healthier, stronger community filled with the joy of the Lord.

Strength for Today's Pastor is brought to you by Poment Ministries. Visit us at poimenministries.com. If you have questions or topic ideas, email us at strongerpastorsmail.com. May the Lord bless you as you serve Him, His pastors, and His church.

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Podcast 166 is one that I've wanted to do for some time, but needed to wait for the right time.

Now is the right time.

Pastor, do you want to experience the power of the gospel in forgiveness? Do you want this for your fellowship? I know you do.

In this episode of SFTP, discover: 

• The forgiveness mandate, directly from the Lord's Jesus.
• The blessing of knowing we're forgiven.
• The blessings that result from forgiving others.
• The surprising meaning of the parable of the unforgiving servant in Matthew 18:21-35.
• The torture that results from refusing to forgive others. 
• The protocols (how to do it) of forgiveness.
• Tried and tested resources to go to for help.

Listen in, and then share, share, share.

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

This is podcast 164 of Strength for Today’s Pastor. 

In this interview, I'm speaking with Pastor Dan Jacobsen, a lead/teaching pastor at Heartland Community Church in Olathe, Kansas.

In addition to his role as a pastor-teacher, Dan has the unique distinction of being a grandson of the now-in-heaven pastor and Bible teacher, the beloved Dr. Warren Wiersbe. 

This is going to be a fun conversation for that reason alone. But wait! There will be more! 

So, welcome to the program. 

Be sure to listen to the end, to discover how to win something special from Dr. Wiersbe's works.

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

Shaun and Sheila Sells have served faithfully as a senior/lead pastor and wife team with Calvary Chapel Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Then, after 20 years in that role, Shaun handed the church leadership reins over to his admin pastor, with a vision to move on to the next season of life and ministry for the both of them.

Both Shaun and Sheila are retired from the U.S. Air Force (Sheila ends her career in mid-November 2024). 

Listen to their story, and get inspired and instructed by this couple's kingdom mindset. 

Blessings as you do.

  

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

Dr. Richard Clinton is an expert on Christian leadership. He and his father Dr. J. Robert Clinton have spent more than 40 years researching, analyzing, and instructing on the subject. They've looked at Biblical leaders, at leaders in the history of the church. They've been thorough, to say the least.

What Richard has to say with regard to the life stages of the Christian leader is vital and helpful for Christian leaders fom a vision and preparation standpoint. And also helpful for the older leaders as they move into their sunset years, as well as for younger leaders, to understand where they are in the overall plan of God for them right now.

Listen in, make comments, ask questions. We'll do our best to help.

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

Richard Clinton is passionate with regard to helping Christian leaders—particularly pastors—finish well.

Richard pastored 5 churches during the course of his 40-year pastoral ministry, and also served with his father, Dr. J. Robert Clinton, in the field of Christian leadership studies and training. The book The Making of a Leader: Recognizing Lessons and Stages of Leadership Development is the foundational book resulting from their work.

49 Biblical leaders were evaluated carefully, using a consistent set of criteria. Had they finished well?

The conclusion: only 13 of these leaders did finish well. 

Join us in this episode, as Richard Clinton breaks down the patterns of those who did finish well, as well as the behaviors and areas of failure that led to finishing badly.

Obviously, this is very timely, given today's pastoral climate. And, there is help available!

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

Podcast Episode 161

Introduction

We love to hear pastors tell their own stories, and provide wisdom to others that they've gleaned and that has grown in them over their years of service. 

Today we have with us pastor Rich Lammay, who has been a senior/lead pastor for 32+ years in the relatively small town of Gardnerville, Nevada. 

Poimen Ministries recently served the church Rich serves, High Sierra Fellowship, as Rich and his wife Suzanne took three months to enjoyed a well-deserved and needed time away, to regroup and refresh. I was part of the serving team, and it was a wonderful experience for both me and pastor Phil Evans of Poimen Ministries.

So now that Rich is back in the saddle, so to speak, I wanted to have him share some of what he has learned, and some of what the Lord has done. 

I think you'll be encouraged.
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§  Welcome to Strength for Today’s Pastor, episode 161.

Poimen Ministries’ focus is for the strengthening and revitalization of the church. Therefore, the goal of this podcast is to provide interview episodes that will be encouraging to pastors and leaders anywhere.

§  So, today we have with us Pastor Rich Lammay, senior/lead pastor of High Sierra Fellowship, located in Gardnerville, Nevada.

High Sierra Fellowship is a wonderful church, a church I’ve personally gotten to know. It is an impressive work of God!

Rich has recently gotten back in the saddle after being given a three-month sabbatical after many years of ministry. So, we’re going to hear about that.

§  Rich, welcome to the program.

Interview

Bio Stuff

So Rich, let’s get to know you a bit here… you are married to Suzanne, and have been for over 50 years. Congrats on that…

Give us a 35,000’ view of your conversion, calling, and ministry life, if you would. (As an example, the church website does a great job telling the story concisely: https://hsfellowship.org/index.php/about-us/staff.)

Lessons of a Pioneer

So, you’ve been the lead pastor of HSF since 1992. You did that for a couple of years, and then by faith, left your corporate job to serve as a pastor-teacher full time. That was a pioneering step of faith! What did you learn, and how did that grow you?

Over the years, HSF has moved its primary meeting place a number of times. How many times has the church moved in the last 34 years? 

Now, the church meets in its beautiful facilities right in the heart of Gardnerville. And after a relatively short time, you’re already running out of room.

Lessons Learned Over the Years

What are the top five lessons/concepts you’ve learned in your years of pastoral ministry?

Sabbatical Experience (And the Return)

A three-month sabbatical: what preparation was required to pull it off?

People have no idea the pressures upon a senior/lead pastor, but there are many. Decompression is needed, and sabbath is needed. How long did it take you to decompress?

What did the Lord do in you and Suzanne during your time away?

What did He show you?

G. Campbell Morgan made this statement: “The value of distance is perspective.” With the perspective of being away for three months, what has changed, might change, will change moving forward?

Two Minute Drill

Rich, I’d like you to take two minutes or less to speak directly to your fellow pastors and

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

Welcome to Strength for Today’s Pastor, episode 160.

Our hope and goal is to provide encouragement, sometimes instruction, and sometimes ministry tools to current pastors and leaders, that the churches they serve might also be encouraged, strengthened, and equipped. 

To that end, today we have with us Pastor Joey Crandall, senior/lead pastor of Calvary Chapel Carson Valley, located in Gardnerville, NV. We’re actually recording here in the church facility.

So Joey, thanks for traveling all this way to join us today.

Pastor Joey has an interesting story about how he ended up in the senior pastor position. 

His vocational background was as a reporter—for 17 years. The Lord used his training as a journalist and reporter to help develop critical thinking and an ability to objectively observe and interpret details.

Joey ended up pastoring the very church he’d been part of since he was a young boy, succeeding a longtime, fruitful pastor in the Carson Valley and beyond.

Listen in as Joey tells his story, and hear as he explains some of the powerful lessons he learned in his formative years in pastoral ministry.

Joey’s story and lessons learned will be an encouragement to every Christian leader.

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

If we pastors don't know what we're aiming at, we'll never hit the target.

It's essential to have the right target, and there's no question that the Biblical target is to equip saints unto spiritual maturity and spiritual fruitfulness.

Join Bill Holdridge and Pastor Matt Valencia as they put skin on this topic, helpful for any pastor anywhere.

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!

Comments? Questions? Send us a message!

Matt Valencia pastors The Regeneration Church in Scotts Valley, CA. He's a father of five, a church planter, a former school teacher, a former assisting pastor, and the current pastor of ReGen Church. He also heads up a team of leaders across Northern California and Northern Nevada. These leaders serve the senior pastors and churches affiliated with the Calvary Chapel Association.

In addition to all of these things, and working together with all of it, Matt is a leader. He leads quietly, he leads patiently, he leads with openness.

So, I thought he'd be a good person to talk about the spiritual health of the church, the spiritual health of any church.

There needs to be a clear set of metrics ... biblical metrics ... by which we can measure our own personal spiritual health, as well as that of the churches we pastor.

If we don't know what we're aiming at, how will we ever hit the target?

In this episode, show host Bill Holdridge and Pastor Matt talk together, touching these points from a number of interesting angles.

Lots to glean from in #159.

For Poimen Ministries, its staff, ministries, and focus, go to poimenministries.com. To contact Poimen Ministries, email us at [email protected]. May the Lord revive His work in the midst of these years!