Ministry Mix
Real conversations for the strategies and souls of ministry leaders.
Our goal is to bring you a mix of conversations on topics you are thinking about to help you lead more strategically and care for your soul more intentionally.
Phil is the pastor of Connecting Church in Abingdon, MD. He also trains church planters with the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and serves as an adjunct instructor at Liberty University. Phil is married to Pam and has three children.
Richard is the pastor of Canvas Church in Salisbury, MD. He also serves as the Church Planting Leader for the Baptist Convention of Maryland/Delaware and as a Multiplying Pastor with Send Network. Richard is married to Payton and has a dog.
Ministry Mix
Lessons from Failing to Plant a Church (with Jim Collins)
In this raw and encouraging conversation, Phil sits down with Jim Collins to talk about something we don't hear enough in ministry circles: failure. Jim shares his personal story of planting a church in Tennessee that didn’t go as planned—from launch dreams to a painful unraveling. But more than that, Jim reflects on the deeper lessons God taught him about leadership, calling, submission, and identity through that hard season.
Whether you’re a young leader eager to launch or a seasoned pastor navigating burnout or regret, this episode is a grace-filled reminder that failure isn’t fatal—and God is never done shaping us.
Key Topics Covered:
- The danger of launching without spiritual counsel
- How pride and ambition can masquerade as calling
- The difference between modeling and copying a ministry
- Why slowing down is not the same as disobedience
- What it looks like to find your identity after ministry “failure”
- Leadership lessons from real-world pain
- The importance of submitting to authority before leading others
Key Quotes:
“If you can’t submit, you can’t lead.”
“I was self-called. God allowed it, but I don't think He authored it.”
“Failure doesn’t mean you’re finished. It might mean God’s preparing you.”