Talking about Ministry and Life with Taryn Beville and Kevin Whitford

In today's episode we are joined by the illustrious Taryn Beville and the incredible Kevin Whitford! We talk to them about their path to Broad Creek and ministry with us, as well as definitions for success and dreams we all have for the future of the chruch.

Join the conversation with us! If you have questions for any of us, please send them in through the Fan Mail button here on the podcast page or email us at scotta@bccchurch.com or dand@bccchurch.com.

Produced, edited and hosted by Scott Askew and Dan Daugherty

Transcript

SPEAKER_03 0:17

Hey everybody, it's the Creek Cast with Scott and Dan. And today we have a couple of visitors, guests. They're not really visitors and guests, they work with us, don't they?

SPEAKER_02 0:27

They're kind of staples in the place.

SPEAKER_03 0:29

And I really wish I'd been recording for the last 10 minutes because that would have been awesome outtakes that we could have taken. Both the illustrious Taryn Beville and the incredible Kevin Whitford are joining us today. Say hey guys. Hello. Hello. The illustrious. I was thinking of a word, illustrious and incredible. Illustrious. I don't know why I got stuck on eyes there for a bit. So uh they are we asked them to come and join us today so that we might be able to um talk to them and ask them questions about their ministry, also for you to get to know them a little bit because of Yeah, to put where they're gonna go. Yeah, yeah. Um well exactly.

SPEAKER_02 1:07

I mean, we we kind of talked about it because if they get up in the middle of the interview and leave, then Yeah, it shines bright back.

SPEAKER_03 1:13

That's right. That's right. Kevin keeps pointing at himself. I really wish this should have been a video. This should have been a video. I should have done that. Um so anyway, no, it is good to have all of you here today. Thanks for joining us. And um whenever you're listening to this, um I pray that you can listen to this 10 years from now. It's still valid that we're all still here together, yes, uh, working and and going and and longer than that, hopefully. Kevin will be really old though. Yeah, well, that's okay. Uh we need old, wise youth ministers.

SPEAKER_00 1:40

Um isn't that right, Kevin? That's the plan. The long-term plan. Kevin's like, what'd you change? No retirement plan in the Bible. That's right. There's no exactly right.

SPEAKER_03 1:54

That's right. Good exegesis of the scripture. Yeah, that works. Um so what we're gonna do is we're gonna just ask them a few questions and just um not like deeply theological questions like the definition of you know what I always like to say so.

SPEAKER_02 2:09

Explain to me transubstantiation. Oh my gosh.

SPEAKER_03 2:12

That's that's wrong. And they're not Catholic. That would be even worse. Um but no, uh, we're just gonna ask them um some questions about them. And because if you're maybe you're listening to this, and maybe you come to Broad Creek and and you're just kind of um wondering about our youth minister and kids' ministry. You hear us all the time, and Dan and I just get on here and we talk and talk and talk, and so you get to know us, but we wanted you to get to know them too, because they are uh valuable parts of our ministry here. We highly respect them and we trust them, and um they are um I don't know, man. They're they're they're amazing. I've I've worked with a lot of a lot of staff members and stuff, but this is the best staff I've ever been a part of. Yep, and I'm just really thankful for it. So um, so I think we'll begin uh just with a couple of intros, if they don't mind talking a little bit. And um, Kevin, do you want to start or you want Taryn to start?

SPEAKER_00 3:04

Uh ladies first. Ladies first. What a gentleman. Yeah, that's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 3:08

What a gentleman. You're so kind. Um, so Taryn, if you don't just go through some stuff, and if we have questions, we'll ask you. But um just tell us um, give us a little bit of background. Who are you? Why are you here? You know, where'd you come from? What you doing? And so uh you can talk about anything.

SPEAKER_02 3:23

Um but um like literally anything if you want to. Literally anything. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We trust you. She makes the best lasagna in the world, by the way.

SPEAKER_01 3:32

Thanks. I'll take compliments all day long. No. Um let's see. It could be as short or as long as you want. Um go ahead. Let's three three, four minutes. I mean, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 3:42

Well, typically our podcast is about an hour and ten minutes. Yeah, so it really can be much longer.

SPEAKER_01 3:46

For sure, no. Um well, I grew up in the church in Manhattan, Kansas. So that's my hometown. Um, and then I met my husband in high school. We were high school sweethearts, and um both then joined the military. And so that's taken us to different parts of the world. Um, we've had the blessing and benefit to be parts of great churches all around um and finding ministry in different places. And so um during that time, we've had three children. Um, my oldest is 26, and we're expecting our first grandbaby very soon.

SPEAKER_04 4:23

Congratulations.

SPEAKER_01 4:25

And then uh my second is 23. Um, and then Erilyn is our last one, and she's 11. So um for me, children's ministry has always been just in my heart. It's been I love kids working with kids since I was in the church growing up. I was always in the nursery or helping out. Um and then it just became something that the Lord called me to in every spot that we've been. So very yeah, a blessing to be in ministry. Yeah, that's awesome. That's awesome. Yeah, it was something that um even I could do alongside raising our kids. It was important for um both of us for me to stay home uh while the kids were growing up. And so children's ministry became it was a side and then it's now become all incorp incorporating into our life.

SPEAKER_02 5:12

So w when did you start here at Broad Creek?

SPEAKER_01 5:14

Um, well, that's an interesting question.

SPEAKER_03 5:17

She was trying to figure it out a while ago. But but listen to the Saints.

SPEAKER_01 5:21

We first came to Broad Creek, uh, it's been 25 years because Hunter was newly born. This is our first duty station with the military. And so we were here for eight years, um, just as part of the congregation, and of course in different roles, but not on staff. Um and then we came back and this became our last duty station. And we've been here, what do we say, almost five years on staff?

SPEAKER_02 5:46

Yep. So Taryn and I were actually uh my contract started January 1st, 22, and Taryn and I were announced to the congregation the same day.

SPEAKER_01 5:56

So and we never came back to the church expecting to be part of the staff. That was not the goal. Um we actually church shopped around and the Lord just drew us back here. And uh when I first started back, it was in a volunteer capacity, and then there was a need, and I had the experience, and God just presented the opportunity. And so that's awesome. It's been a good fit. I think that's a good thing.

SPEAKER_02 6:21

I'm glad I'm glad God brought you back. Yeah, it's certainly been a good fit. Yeah, for sure. Taryn is top notch when it comes to children's ministry, so and just being a person in general.

SPEAKER_04 6:30

So I appreciate that. Thank you.

SPEAKER_03 6:32

Well, she's integral to our growth and and everything, as is Kevin. Um, we um we're really experiencing a lot of growth lately. And um, we were talking about trying to figure out, you know, where we're you always try to project where you're gonna be in five years. And so um, if we take the last five years, especially after COVID, um, and project that out, then when we taught when we said that number earlier uh in our little meeting, Taryn put both hands on our head and said, Oh my gosh. And uh because it's a lot of yeah, it's a lot of kids, but um we know that they're out there, we know they're in our neighborhoods, and we know that Pamlico County and Craven County, um uh there's a lot of kids out there who don't go anywhere. And so um we're we're blessed to have such a good progress.

SPEAKER_01 7:19

Um opportunity of growth right now. Uh even five years ago, just reflecting on what the Lord's done, um, starting out with not many children in our children's ministry, and then it has just blossomed to um, I mean, just great numbers, great classes. We have very faithful volunteers, and we're in a good place for growth.

SPEAKER_02 7:38

Yeah. And there's there's a lot of stuff happening. I mean, here in a was it the 24th of April, uh, if you're listening to this, and if you haven't signed up for Parents' Night Out, get your kids signed up. But uh just things like that for me, like seeing that take place for families and in offering as a church to say, you know what, you you need you need a date time with your spouse, or you need to, you know, around Christmas time, go, you know, spend some time Christmas shopping without the kids, yes, uh that type of stuff that we that we can offer. And this this is all a brainchild of of Taryn. And uh and they we have a lot of fun. Uh a lot of fun. It's Nerf nerf and nachos uh is is next week's and uh wait a minute, is this for kids or it's called parents? Does that mean parents can put onto it? Or that you can leave your kids and and and we I can't come shoot nerf guns you can as a volunteer.

SPEAKER_03 8:29

And we need more volunteers, right?

SPEAKER_01 8:31

Absolutely, always yes.

SPEAKER_03 8:32

So if you're gonna volunteer and they're gonna give you a nerf gun and serve you some nachos, what better time to volunteer? Right, absolutely.

SPEAKER_01 8:40

That's one of our outreaches that we try to keep minimal cost, just so um parents do get that blessing of spending time together alone. Yeah, absolutely. Knowing their kids are talking about it. That's awesome.

SPEAKER_03 8:49

Shooting children with nerfs.

SPEAKER_02 8:51

What can be better? Well, I mean, going out to supper. What can be better? My bad, my bad. Parents, you go out on a date, we got your kids. It's fun.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

Fun night, fun night.

SPEAKER_03 9:01

That's awesome. Um, so yeah, uh, Taryn does an amazing job, and we are very thankful for her. And um, before we get into any other questions, I want to talk to Kevin a little bit and and get Kevin to tell us about his background here and how long he's been here. And Kevin, I some people know your story and how you got into youth ministry here, but I really would like for you to kind of share that if you would as well. So um, how long you been here?

SPEAKER_00 9:25

Okay, so we started coming here in 2008. Uh, me and my wife, Sherry, and we have two daughters. Morgan is 28 and Lacey is 23. Um, and I have two grandsons. Uh Bryson is will be three in a couple weeks, and Case will be one in a couple weeks. So um, family's growing, everything's good. Kind of an alter ego to Taryn there, who's seen the world and been all around. I'm pretty much in the same spot that I've been all my life.

SPEAKER_03 10:01

So But you did have a time where you traveled.

SPEAKER_00 10:04

Uh yeah, I did. Yeah, I did. I was in the military for a little while myself and I did a little traveling, but um once I got married, we have pretty much I've pretty much lived in the same little community in town all my life, and this is only my second church that I've ever been to. Um I grew up in uh a Free Will Baptist Church, uh Macedonia, great church, but um it just it's not growing. It's not a growing church like most of your smaller churches around the area and everything, and kids, they really didn't have a kids ministry and stuff like that. You know, my girls were about the only, you know, children there. So we were we went out and looked at another church and we kind of looked around a little bit and ended up here. And um, and this would have been back in 2008, like I said, and the ch the youth group or the kids' ministry was a lot like it is now, you know, way back then. It was it was it was big and we loved it. And um so with Morgan coming up, and she was almost in middle school. I think she was in fifth grade when we got here. So the very next year uh when she started middle school, I started volunteering with the teens. And um it was Matt Smith at the time who was the youth minister, and I started volunteering with him, and I've never looked back. I volunteered ever since um until 24 when I got hired on as the youth minister here. So I've pretty much um volunteered with the youth the whole time um that I've been here and also oversee the um outreach ministry that we have here at Broad Creek. So um that's sort of a passion of mine is outreach and along with the teens. So I've I've done that, um, probably been on the outreach team since 2010, maybe something like that. I think is when I joined it. And that's when we kind of started it here at Broad Creek. So that's kind of where I've been. Um, but like I said, me and my wife, we've been married 30. Put me on the spot here, my put my own self on the spot since 93. So what's that? 33 years, I believe. 33 years. Um so um and live right here in the same little area my whole life, and um everything's cool.

SPEAKER_03 12:27

When um when we were going through youth ministers, if you're outside of the church, you you may you probably don't know this. And even if you're in the church, you might not know it. Yeah. But we were going through youth ministers and we interviewed someone and it just didn't work out. It wasn't it it just wasn't a fit. And so we we told them so. And and um during that time, um, I believe the Lord was really moving Kevin. He was working in position at Duke Power and um had a really good job and and was doing well, but his heart was being um beat up by the Lord, which he will sometimes do, and he inquired, I think you asked Stephanie, didn't you? And you said maybe I missed my chance to be the youth minister. Is that how it went?

SPEAKER_00 13:11

Yeah, so we we went to hire one, which backstory with Brawl Creek, and it's it's not a a bad thing or anything, but I I know Lacey, my youngest, in six years of youth groups, I think she went through five youth ministers. So there was never a consistency, you know, when it comes to youth ministers. Not uh, you know, a lot of different problems, a lot of different issues, but not all. I mean, it's just people moved on, you know, so it's not always a negative, but from a teenage standpoint, it it it was a struggle, you know. So a lot of them teens at that age group, they went through a lot of them, and and we were at another crossroads where we were looking at another youth minister um uh when Dan moved over into the discipleship and worship. So I had been praying about it and praying about it, and I just felt like God was calling me to something else, and um we went to hire that guy, and he just you know, he just wasn't gonna be a good fit for Broad Creek, you know. And the parents were getting up with me, they were calling me, the teens were calling me, and they were like, why don't you do it, Mr. Kevin? Why don't you do it, Mr. Kevin? And I'm like, I got a job, you know, I got a job out, you know, but in the same time I'm telling them, Dad, I'm like, all right, God, what are you telling me? You know, what are you saying, you know? And um I I said something last night at our meeting with the men that yeah, God just started removing obstacles. He started moving stuff that really wasn't an obstacle to God, it was an obstacle to me. It was me being in my own head going, you know what, Kevin, you know, why are you making that something that's holding you back? You know, but it's so but instead of beating me on the head with it, he moved them eyed the way. He moved the obstacles eyed the way, you know. Lacey graduated college, you know, and so that that was a little burden off of me financially, and I hit 55, which was a a thing for Duke that I could retire and and you know, with no penalty and stuff like that. So just everything started moving into place. And um, so I did make mention, I think, to Stephanie after we were interviewed. I think we would I don't even know if we had interviewed him yet or anything, and I kind of made mention to her, I said, you know, I think I may have missed my chance. And she said, What chance? And and then she looked at me and I think she said, You wanted to be the youth master, didn't you? I said, I don't know, I just feel like maybe that's where God's calling me to be. I said, But I don't know that I'd move off. I don't know that I could move off and, you know, try to pursue it that way and everything. So And me and Scott had had some conversations down the road, you know, earlier, you know, a few years even back. And he's like, What's your plans? What are you looking like, you know, as our church grows and different things?

SPEAKER_03 16:07

And I always believed you could be the youth minister. Oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 16:11

And it was something you and I talked about that when I mean, cause if you don't know, I was hired as the youth pastor. Yep. And I hadn't been in youth ministry for 10 years. Yep. I'd been in senior ministry, and so uh I accepted because I I just really something about this church just I drew me here and uh quickly found out that you know, although I was I could do it, that's not my gift. My it wasn't where what the church needed at the time. So but you and I had that conversation about Kevin, like because when when when Kevin says he volunteered, like we're not talking about like he showed up. He's like putting in more hours than some paid staff. Yeah, I mean he was he was putting in more hours in the uh I mean like in a trip both and yeah, and trip to this day. Yeah, I mean th those those five or six youth pastors that that went through, I mean, um, Kevin was the constant. And so um, yeah, Scott and I had that conversation well before we decided to try to hire somebody because Scott had actually taken on the rule uh for a while. And um, but yeah, it it took it took it took a an interview that didn't go the way we thought it might go. Right. Um, it just wasn't a good fit. And uh it took that and then sitting at lunch that next day, and Scott and I looking at each other and saying, What are we doing?

SPEAKER_03 17:24

It's I I was afraid I was I was afraid I was gonna for some reason I thought I was gonna have to talk Dan out of yeah out of liking that guy. I don't know why I thought that. But um, but I said, Dan, I don't know how to say this, and Dan was like, no, it's it's not him. And I was like, Oh thank God. I said, let's go get something to eat. I said that's that's awesome. So um I was glad we were on the same page, but but no, Kevin uh the and I I didn't mean to cut you off, but Stephanie came to me that night and said, Well, Kevin said he's afraid he lost his chance. And that I think I mentioned it to you at lunch that next day. And uh so we were hoping that that it would work out.

SPEAKER_02 17:59

And it probably took us a little longer than what uh to actually make it happen because you had to retire, you had to do all that stuff. Yeah, it was a few months, but it was I mean, I think that was January that uh we made that decision, and then would you start in June? Mm-hmm. Yeah. So but got God God knew what he was doing. I mean, he was directing all the leadership in that same direction.

SPEAKER_03 18:19

And so how hard was it to let go of the Duke position to come to ministry?

SPEAKER_00 18:26

I mean, I I don't think it was uh it wasn't as hard as you guys even probably know and think, because I think and I don't believe God put hardships on my other job to force me, but there was just some things happening there that I wasn't really happy about, just um culturally how Duke was and just kind of some of the ways they were doing in my heart wasn't where I wanted it to be. But when you've got a good job and you're tied to them financially, sometimes you can't leave even though your heart's going, you know what, are they really doing what you want to do and how you want to do it? So I think once once I got out of my own way and let God get back in control and and take it, and and I I pick with the teens or I I talk to the teens all the time about you know getting out of your comfort zone and and you know um I set God off to the side or set Jesus off to the side here and go, you you hang here, I'm in control. If I need you, I'll use you, you know, but I don't need you in front of me. You just sit up here and I need to know that you're there if I need you, but I'll run it.

SPEAKER_04 19:48

Right.

SPEAKER_00 19:48

And then when you start doing that, you figure out that that's that's not the plan. You know that you need him to run it, and you just you know, and that's kind of where I was at, is I was running it and I was making it happen, and but internally it, you know, I knew there was something else. That was something else that God was calling me to.

SPEAKER_02 20:09

So well, we're glad you listened. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:11

Yeah. It took it took a while, it took longer. I'm, you know, the gray-haired youth minister. I get that. You know, I'm okay with that.

SPEAKER_02 20:19

Well, what what do they call you? Papa Kev?

SPEAKER_00 20:21

Yeah, Papa Kev, yeah. Yeah, it's better than Rev Kev. Yeah, Rev Kev. Exactly.

SPEAKER_02 20:25

Yeah, yeah. Thanks, George. I have this this scene in the 90s, like, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 20:33

How what was Taryn's nickname be?

SPEAKER_01 20:36

No, it's okay. We can wait for another point.

SPEAKER_03 20:39

The illustrious Taryn is one of the really good. But it's kind of doesn't it have to rhyme? Swear in Terran. She doesn't cuss. I've never heard of cross.

SPEAKER_02 20:52

Uh all right, we'll think about that. I'm sure I'm sure we've probably brought her pretty close to that.

SPEAKER_03 20:59

I'm sure I have. I'm I'm pretty kind of is she shaking her head, nodding her head yet?

SPEAKER_01 21:04

Yes, you have. No. This has been one of the best.

SPEAKER_02 21:08

No, I I I uh you know my role here is the co-pastor, but Scott, you know, he's he's our he's our preaching minister, and so like he's kind of the heads of the staff. And but like I get a chance to work with Terran specifically, like I kind of oversee that, you know, that which I don't have to because she's amazing. So um, but like yeah, it's just it's just really cool that like the the cohesiveness that we have as a staff that I mean we laugh a lot. Yeah, we do hear a lot. And um it's it's a Kevin's talking like that. I wish I could he's uh I so wish I could alter his voice, but I don't know. But no, it it's uh it it's it's a it's a blessing. Um you know, you you work for, you know, I'll be 25 years in ministry in September. You work for so long in ministry and you want like you want that. And it never happens, and it never happens, and then God's like, here you go, take it. And so it's been amazing.

SPEAKER_03 22:04

So it's been a good, it's been a good staff. I um and I hope it continues for a long, long time. I and you said it, Kevin. The consistency before you wasn't there, and we needed because I remember I asked, I told Kevin, I said, I just need somebody who's gonna love the kids. The consistency is also something that comes with it because I figured you've been here all your life, you're not going anywhere. So um we, you know, you might as well get paid to do it. Right. Um, but it also highlights another thing that we believe very heavily here at Broad Creek, which is we can raise up our our we can raise up people and identify people in the church to do um to do staff positions and to to fill those positions that we don't necessarily always have to go outside the church to find those. So um which I really love. But you know, it's not I'm not against it.

SPEAKER_02 22:51

You know, no, but have habit, yeah, habit of of how how we've always done it. You know, every every youth minister I hired um was out from Bible college, and you know, which is great. I mean, if you've got a Bible college degree and you know, you've got that experience, but um, there's so much value in hiring from within a body that um, especially somebody who is very consistent, who is very well respected, um, who loves the kids genuinely, no matter how stupid they can be sometimes and decisions they're making, but it's just always a constant there. Um, or one who comes back from being here pri previously and finds their church home back where they where they started in their first, you know. And I just it's just there's something I I'm the only like since since you've been here, I yeah, I was an outside hire. Yeah, well, and I was too. Yeah, yeah. Yeah, I mean but but you you hired me with with we knew we knew we had the same philosophy. Yeah. So um, yeah, it's just it's worked out well, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 23:51

It's awesome. Um so what uh one of the things that I wanted to ask, and um, and we can have a little fun here in a little bit, uh, because I want to talk about like leadership superlatives or something stupid. Um, but um how does that sound like a blast.

SPEAKER_00 24:10

I need a dictionary. So uh throw up a couple of different words worth superlatively in the year button.

SPEAKER_03 24:21

Sounds like a great time scum's pocket. He grabbed Kevin literally grabbed his phone and saying, like, if you're Here, what's the perlative?

SPEAKER_02 24:33

Kevin's been out of high school a really long time.

SPEAKER_03 24:36

Yeah, that's I mean they mean it's changed since I was there. He was he was riding the pterodactyl to school chipping in the stone. Yeah. Oh bless your heart. Um, so when we uh write so it'd be like most popular or most athletic, those are superlatives. His his writing was hieroglyphics. Bless your sorry. Um what I do want to talk about first is how do how do we as a group measure victories? And I think we can go first and kind of give the because I didn't prep them with that question, so I'll let them think a little bit. But like how do how do we measure victories in our ministries? And I I think we should communicate that because I think it's important for the person who goes to Broad Creek to understand what we're aiming for and what we're looking for. Not so they can fake it, right, you know, to get to it, but for them to understand that these are goals of ours that we seek uh to find out on a regular basis.

SPEAKER_02 25:32

So um once are you ready to go first and then I'll I'll go to to me, and I think you'd agree with this too, that um success, uh first and foremost, I never put any case in or any stock in numbers. Right. Um it's not based off of how many people are sitting in your chairs. No. Um for me, when when I measure success, it's um seeing changed lives. Um it's seeing that dad, um, especially with what I do, it's seeing that dad and that husband uh take their role seriously.

SPEAKER_03 26:06

Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 26:07

And um begin to disciple their children and their wife and lead them well. Um it's that it's that marriage um that that overcomes the the major hurdle. Um it's it's the it's it's seeing uh young men growing into leaders in the church. Um it's uh it's it's seeing guys step up to to teach that never had done that before. Um to even get up on stage and do a communion meditation uh when you know before they were you you mentioned it to them and they're like, nope. Yeah, I thought Bo did a great job. Yeah, oh Bo Bo does an awesome. I mean, Kevin's. I always I always ask Kevin. Kevin's like, the the last time I asked him, he goes, hmm. He actually thought about it. And I'm like, Yeah, well, that's that's a small victory. That is a small victory. So we're moving. Yeah, yeah. There are there are some setbacks. But you know, uh success suc if we're if we're so worried about numbers, um uh it's what Bill Hybels admitted to. Um if you don't know who Bill Hybels is, he he took on a church that was really small at one time called Willow Creek Community Church and grew it to 30,000 people. Yeah. Um, but he admitted at at a conference I was at, uh, as he's standing on stage, he says, We are a mile wide but an inch deep. Oh, were you there at that conference? I was there.

SPEAKER_03 27:26

Oh my gosh, that was so famous for him saying that. Yes, because they taught about church growth constantly.

SPEAKER_02 27:31

That'd have been my third Willow Creek conference in a row that I went to. And when he when he'd said that, I was like, wait a minute. Here's the I mean, this church looked like a small airport, had a it had a waterfall in in the in the church and a couple cafes and a bookstore. Um, and I'm like, all pointing towards success. Uh, but then I realized that he's right. I mean, yeah, you've got 30,000 people coming to your church, but you have the the the depth of spirituality that is that's almost non-existent.

SPEAKER_03 28:02

Yeah, just to fill in that context, they did a church-wide survey over a long time, and they found that Christians who had been a part of that church for 20 years were not growing spiritually at any point in time.

SPEAKER_02 28:14

They still had a a Bible knowledge of uh of someone who had just accepted Christ.

SPEAKER_03 28:19

Yep. It was devastating.

SPEAKER_02 28:20

Yeah, because there were people following the Willow Creek Method who literally had to abandon it because it was proven to that's why I was there at the conferences because I'm like, what are they doing that I can implement and do? Um, and so if if we're caught in numbers, we're gonna we're gonna be greatly deceived. Yeah. Um, so uh, you know, the amount of people we have come forward um at our church to accept Christ and to enter into baptism, um, who just want prayer, who I mean, people that you would uh, you know, we've had a couple in the in the last uh six months that have come forward and we're and like you see people's jaws drop because these are like people that you think are together and have it together and and and they're admitting, you know, that to me that's success. When when the Holy Spirit takes over and and and convicts somebody's life to finally confront sin or to admit they don't have things together, uh to bring them to repentance, um, to give in um to baptism because they've fought it for so many years, or you know, it's just those things to me are successful. Um whether they're they're coming to our church as somebody who doesn't have a church family or or who are completely unchurched or whatever, um, that that's success. You know, having people in the community, um, when we out when we're out in the community doing things, um, you know, seeing in their eyes the the gratefulness of school supplies or you know, that type of stuff, or a soccer program, or you know, that's success.

SPEAKER_03 29:50

Yeah, that's good. I was reading Mark Moore's uh commentary on the passage I'm preaching this week from Luke 5. And um he said uh Jesus called the disciples not to come and um uh learn. He he asked them to come and do or come to be and come and be. And I think that we I think that's part of the success of our church is that we we we talk about faith, Christ, you know, Christ's salvation only. I mean, we we're very clear about that, but there's more to this life than just accepting Christ and then just moving on your way. And and that's something that I think you know, we're successful um to do on our end. And of course, God is always successful on his end. So uh I could echo most of the things that you said um uh for the same thing. For preaching, for me, one of the successes that I get from preaching is kind of twofold. The first one is when someone comes up and says, Wow, I never I never saw it that way before. And as long as I'm accurate, I take that as one of the best compliments that God allowed me to say the same thing. They've heard it a million times. Right. I mean, you know how it is. We preach the same thing. I mean, if somebody asked me to define my job very simply, I'd tell the same story every week in different ways and they pay me to show up. So it's and and that's really the truth. I mean, you know, if uh and so it's um it really comes back to them saying, you know, I never thought of it that way before. And I'm that's real, and that one's a good one for me. But the the one the biggest victory uh is when someone comes to me and says, Thank you so much for preaching on X or blank or whatever topic it is, and I came nowhere near that topic in my sermon. And that's when I know the Holy Spirit has been super active and I have placed myself in a position not to be seen, not to be given any credit, not to have any glory, but God has done something incredible in a moment that none of us could see necessarily, but in that life, it might, you know, and I love seeing things like that, but I echo what you said as well. I mean, all the the success is never in numbers. It can never I don't even know how many people we've baptized this year. I think it's it's a lot. I think if you asked some preachers, they would know the number. And I guess I used to, but I I don't now.

SPEAKER_02 32:03

Yeah, I don't hear and and it isn't I don't know if you ever feel that like maybe we should, but then but then on the flip side, I'm like, what's the point?

SPEAKER_03 32:11

But if we're if we're moving them through a process where they're attending and they're going to or they're going to a excuse me, a small group or they're you know being a part of the church and stuff, I think it's less of of a concern for me. I don't I don't like it. I'm with you.

SPEAKER_02 32:27

I mean, it was like when I was early on in youth ministry uh in my earlier career, you know, you'd go to a CIY and all all you had was youth leaders asking, Well, how many kids did you bring? Yeah, how many kids did you bring? You know, and it's like you know, you get caught in that number game and uh it's just not healthy.

SPEAKER_03 32:44

Well, it's like any man, you know, we meet another man. Hey, what's your name? Oh, my name's John. Oh, John, what do you do for a living? You know, we want to know if our job is better than their job, right? And where we rank in the hierarchy, you know, the little ladder thing. And uh for preachers, it's hey, my name's Scott. Oh, what's the size of your church? Oh well, you know, and that's the that's the ranking. And so, and if their church is 60, we just dismiss them, unfortunately, wrongly. Right. Um, because I think some small town preachers have probably been the best preacher I ever heard in my life. Absolutely. And um, but um, but and if they have a church of a thousand or fifteen hundred, they're just better. Yeah, and that's definitely not the case. So um anyway, yeah. Um, you good? Yeah, I'm just my daughter was trying to call, so I'm just texting her. That's her heart. She can be on. I can we can connect your phone by Bluetooth. We can add her. She's going into ministry, so we can uh we'll interview her at some point. Um and bring her on. So uh which one do you guys want to go and talk about like a victory? How do you measure victories um in your ministry? Small, large, domain.

SPEAKER_01 33:46

Yeah, ladies first. Oh, thank you so much. Uh in children's ministry, I think um along the same lines as we do for the whole church, just building biblical foundation, um, scriptural, just so the kids are understanding the Bible and what the word says, and then also through relationship. So um we just want to always create a space that has space for them to grow and relate to each other. Um, building the church, I mean, that's what it is. It's fellowship with one another in Christ. And so that's important. I love when the kids are asking questions because they've actually they've been listening and they've been taking it in and um and they have questions, or their parents come up to me and say, you know, they they told us all about the lesson today, and those are major victories that um they're taking it in and just processing it.

SPEAKER_04 34:38

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 34:38

But uh yeah, and then creating atmosphere too for others to be involved and join us in this ministry and this vision. So volunteers that want to be want to be there and investing in the next generation.

SPEAKER_02 34:50

So that's awesome. It's like when a when a parent comes up to you and says, you know, I asked my kid what they learned today and they actually told me they learned, you know, instead of I don't know, you know, it's yeah, that's that's really cool.

SPEAKER_01 35:02

And they're excited to be there. Yeah. That's such an encouragement.

SPEAKER_02 35:05

So and the curriculum that we've used in the last several years has been so like so good. Yeah. Um that is another thought provoking and and you know, I I just yeah, it's been awesome.

SPEAKER_01 35:15

Yeah, we've been working through answers in Genesis. Um, and that's a curriculum that I have started at different churches, but I never got to see it all the way through because we ended up moving or just changing location. So um we're about to conclude on our fourth year and finish the whole the whole bike. That's cool. We've gone through it all. So it's a that's a big victory.

SPEAKER_03 35:35

That's uh Ken Ham's curriculum and his group and the like the ARC and all that. And uh that's it's really good stuff. It really is high quality and very biblically sound. Yep, good stuff. Kevin, how about you? Victories, small, large?

SPEAKER_00 35:49

Um, I think victories from a teen uh ministry, uh, from what I see is um just building the relationships with the teens and getting them to know me, me getting to know them, um kind of getting in their life, you know, outside of the church. Um we're very fortunate, you know, in our youth ministry that we got a lot of teens that don't attend here. I mean, they're just from the community. And they come, you know, because they they find value in it. And that to me is a victory, you know. Um when it comes to that. Um outreach. I was one of the probably worst with numbers. I gauged every event off of numbers. You know, how do we do, you know? And I and I justified it in my mind by I'm using volunteers' time to be here. Is it worth their time? Right. You know, so that was how I justified it. I was like, you know, we only had 200 people come to this thing, but I had 50 volunteers. Is it really worth their time to come out here? But I had to change that that mindset to to get out of that. But I was really numbers driven for a while um leading the outreach team there because you know, we would um do away with uh something just based off of the numbers that would show up. As we've got into these sports events and different sports that we're doing here, upward sports, when you start seeing the same families come and play soccer, then they come and play flag football, and we see them at back to school bashed, and we see the same family at these parents' night out, you're starting to plant seeds, and that's a victory, you know. You're starting to just be able to plant these little seeds, and we've seen families start coming to church because of an event or you know, something like that. So it's changed my whole perceptive or perception on on it. Um so that's kind of where I gauge it now.

SPEAKER_03 37:54

Yeah, yeah. No, that's great. I um and that's something else I was also gonna ask you guys because we started the athletic program a couple years ago, and over the re over the last year, Taryn and uh Kevin have kind of taken that over um from me, and I'm very thankful for that. But they haven't just taken it and maintained it, they took it and blew it up. They added uh flag football, which um I had never been associated with, but blew it out of the water. I mean, God bless that in so many ways. And um, so next on our docket is soccer uh coming up in the fall, and so we'll we'll we'll get that information out there sometime in summer. And and um, but yeah, I mean, those are our two seasons right now that we're running right here at the church building, and it's awesome. It really is good. And so I'm really thankful for you guys doing that.

SPEAKER_02 38:43

Well, and I think I think it's cool too, because as a as a collective, all of our ministries, we we have created um opportunity for volunteers. Um and I think that's you know, a lot of people get into a church and they don't know what to do. Yeah. Um, you know, at Broad Creek, if you come to our church and say, I man, I just don't know what to do, there's nothing really going on, you you don't, you don't, you don't you don't understand because there's something happening all the time. There's always a need. Um and so I think that's just one of the ways that I I think is success is that you know we are are allowing um well got I mean God's doing it all, but it's it's opening up ways that people can use the gift teams that God has given them. And so it's just really neat too. It's good stuff. Yeah.

SPEAKER_03 39:30

It is. Um if you had a wish for, and this can be to all of us, and we just have a discussion, if we could have well now let's not call it a wish. Yeah. I wish. I wish, I wish. Um let's if God were to come down and say, I would answer, I would say yes to any prayer for your for ministry, um, what would the you know, in psychology we call it the miracle switch? You know, what what switch can we switch to make things? I wish I could switch. And if I could switch that, if you could switch that switch, go to bed tonight, and wake up tomorrow and everything be good, what would that look like? And um what what kind of miracle switch would there be for for ministry here at Broad Creek? Like what would we like? And I'm this is a dream question. Um, so what are we what are we dreaming about?

SPEAKER_01 40:17

That's a big question.

SPEAKER_03 40:18

It is, it's a big question.

SPEAKER_01 40:20

And it's okay to talk about it first on this one.

SPEAKER_03 40:23

And I don't think we have to give anything away that we're planning or doing. We we just talked a lot about it. We don't have to share all of it, but um what would what would you hope the Lord would do over the next five to ten years to really um to be something that we look back and say, well, clearly God was in that because we could not have done that to ourselves. What what would that look like? And I know we've talked about goals, we've talked about different things, but what would that look like to you guys? What do you think?

SPEAKER_01 40:51

I think ultimately you have to look at what is what is the purpose of the church? Like what is the reason that we do anything that we do so to see people brought to Christ. And so what what would be something that could be granted that would make that happen? Um and we could list a lot of things from facilities to um space to volunteer capacity.

SPEAKER_00 41:20

There's a lot of things there is I think one of the things that I'd like to see um we do a I'll be honest, we do a decent job with small groups uh at Broad Creek. I think there's a lot of room for us to improve.

SPEAKER_02 41:39

I'm organic heavy small groups.

SPEAKER_00 41:42

It's not Dan's fault. No, no, no, no, it's it's not Dan's fault, trust me. Um what I'd but what I'd love to see is small groups growing at at Broad Creek and then getting into all of our ministries that we have at Broad Creek. Yeah. Just really just I'd love to see our small groups in the outreach program, outreach stuff that we're doing, taking it on as a family, as a small group family, and going and doing this, whether it's e-groups or whether, you know, whatever it looks like to just blend them two things that we got going on at Broad Creek outreach, like we do, women's ministry, men's ministry, and just get the small groups to pour into all that. And I think it would really strengthen our church.

SPEAKER_02 42:29

I a hundred percent agree. Yeah, because I I think God's been speaking to both of us because if I could ask God to grant one thing, is that there'd be a hundred percent involvement from our congregation in a small group, and those small groups would serve the community.

SPEAKER_01 42:42

And we don't just talk about small groups, we're all part of the group. All four of us.

SPEAKER_03 42:46

All four and Dan and Taryn are in a small group together with a whole bunch of other people. Kevin is in um Kevin and I are in a small group together with a bunch of other people, and uh, we believe in small groups, we preach small groups. I mean, we believe that life happens in small groups, and the way that you continue to grow as a church is by becoming smaller in small groups, and that's not a growth strategy as much as it is if we're it's a connecting quality. If we want to require that's right. If we want to impact people, we have to have a method to do it better.

SPEAKER_02 43:16

Because all all of us can attest to um how much our small groups mean to us, yeah. Um, which is why it's hard to when you got to split a small group. Um but uh you know it doesn't mean you still can't be friends. No, that and that's right.

SPEAKER_03 43:30

And I think that's what we get in our heads. Right. Oh, we're splitting up small groups. I'll never see my friends again. No, you you live to near each other. You can't do go do something.

SPEAKER_02 43:39

You you have you have created a bond that's forever. I mean, and that and that's the thing is that that we have to um, you know, we've like I at least with within our small group, uh Taryn actually uh her and Bo host it and I lead it. Um within our small group, I mean that that is a family. I mean it is a family. It it's it's um we we've we Cry together, we pray over each other, um, you know, we take each other meals when when needed. Um, you know, we take care of each other, we watch each other's kids. Um, you know, it's just uh that that is what it's supposed to be. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 44:13

And then take it to the next step and get out in the community.

SPEAKER_02 44:17

Get out in the community and serve together, yes. And so that's that you know, if I if God would say, Hey Dan, I'll I'll grant you one thing for your ministry, it would be a hundred percent involvement in in small groups, and then those small groups are serving the community at large.

SPEAKER_03 44:31

So that's good. Which we can get there, church. Get in a small group.

SPEAKER_02 44:35

I'm looking for people to lead, I'm looking for people to host. Um, and I'm not gonna let you do that without any kind of training or you know, uh, we'll make sure you're success you're set up for success. Yeah. Um, and you know, it's there's no secret sauce to it.

SPEAKER_03 44:53

No, it's and it's really not that hard.

SPEAKER_02 44:55

Our curriculum is all the same. Yeah, because we use the we use the sermons from Sunday. Um Scott and I when I preach and when Scott preaches, we we get the questions to you. Um and that's all you gotta do is facilitate those questions. You there's really, I mean, if you don't feel comfortable teaching, quote unquote teaching, um you don't you just facilitate. It's just asking questions. It's just asking questions.

SPEAKER_03 45:15

And other people answer. Yeah. And if you sit there long enough, somebody will answer. That's true. That's the beautiful thing about it. That's true. So that's my method. Um, so that's why I preach. You're not based. Yeah. So um no, that's good. That's really good. All right. What would be yours? You're not getting off. I think if I think if and just solely thinking about preaching ministry just to make sure that I was uh a little bit different, I would I would make sure that I mine is time and and I would ask for because like giving away the uh the sports ministry, I had to do that. I I I just didn't have time. The more time I put into the sermon, infinitely better the sermon becomes. Because not only am I refining it, I'm giving the Lord time to work on me so that I'm changed through the sermon.

SPEAKER_02 46:12

You mean you don't you don't just wake up Sunday morning and decide what you're gonna preach? I I I literally read something on Facebook, like I follow a page on Facebook that uh asked every Saturday, or every yeah, every Saturday, what you know, what are you preaching on this week? And one guy answered, he goes, Um, I don't know yet. And this is Saturday. Yes, yes. He said, I read my Bible during the week, and whatever the Holy Spirit lays on my heart Sunday morning, that's what comes out.

SPEAKER_03 46:38

I had a guy in school when I was in preaching class, and I'll never forget um my professor um Gene Andrews, and they the guy said, I get up in the pulpit and I open my Bible, and wherever I'm at, I read it, and that's what I preach on. Wow. And uh because I know the Lord can give me that sermon in that moment, and Gene, without missing a beat, Gene said, Yeah, he can also give it to you on Monday morning, right? You know, the Monday before you preach too, and all week. Right. Um I'm read I read every day um this the passage that I'm doing, and I uh the first two days of the week I generally pray over it and ponder it. Like, what is there? What am I not seeing? Right. And um, and most of the time, like doing Luke, and just to give you some insight, I could do a narrative sermon on this passage. I can do a narrative sermon almost any passage out of Luke because all you do is you learn it to such a degree where you can tell it as if you're a character. But until I know it that well, especially with Luke and the Gospels and things like that, you can't do it with Romans or you know, stuff like that. But if I know it well enough to do a narrative, I feel like I'm at the place then where I can pray for the Lord to say, go to the Lord and say, Okay, Father, what what do you want me to say with this exactly? Like, get please get and he he I never hear a voice, but by a couple hours, I usually have the opening, the intro, and the big idea. And once I get that, it's more just letting it kind of spill out at that point rather than having to craft something. And I know that's not the way it is for every preacher ever, but if I if time, if I if I could, if I could feel more effective in my ministry, because everything you guys said is all what I want to see too. So just to be different, I would, I would want there to be not just time, but better usage of time on my part, quality time. Because I when I'm writing and stuff, if I'm not talking to somebody, I'm thinking about it. I mean, it just I can't get it out of my head. I mean, it's Luke 5, 1 through 11 this week, and I can't get it out of my head. And that's the way it should be. It should be for a preacher because that's not only that's that's my career, that's what I do, but to be responsible enough to stand on stage and to present the word of the Lord in such a way that's worthy of it being presented. Right, right. Um, it's a much higher thing than I think some some guys take. I'm glad we take it so seriously.

SPEAKER_02 48:53

Um but um I think Yeah, I I can never I I I've read I I took a challenge from uh Dr. Ray Vanderlyn back in the day. He said he challenged us at this conference at Willow Creek Conference uh to read uh uh Gospel a month and you just start over and then you you keep going. I I've done that off and on for about 20 years. Yeah. I still would not ever get up on stage unprepared. No to preach in a through the gospel, like like I preached last this last week. Um, did I know the passage well? Absolutely. Yeah, but I would have never got on stage unprepared. No, because there's so no matter how bad, how good I think I know it.

SPEAKER_03 49:32

Right. Because you we generally any and I mean, and I know I'm getting a little off topic. We know we know the gospels. Right. We can go, if you tell me, hey, Scott, what is the parable of the you know, the Good Samaritan? I I can give you every detail of the good. We've studied it to the nth degree. I have books on my shelves that I've read about we know it. But in that context, we can interpret that accurately. But part of sermon writing is also homily and understanding how do I tell the story in such a way that I'm not gonna get in the way. I don't think we have to make it relevant. The Bible is relevant, I just have to make sure I'm not in the way of the telling. And I think some guys want to get in the way, and I'm that's not me. I want to get out of the way of it so that people can have access to it and understand it. Um, so that they but I I I take such a high view of it in preaching that when I get up there, I know people think he's a buffoon, you know, or he's telling this story. I am so pointed in everything that I do and say in the first service. Second service and doesn't story. The second service, I man, I don't know what happens sometimes.

SPEAKER_02 50:41

But it's it's the it's the same with with me too. I mean, and we've we've both heard the con fact I heard that on uh Sunday. Like uh somebody came up and they were helping in the sound booth, and they said, Man, I really enjoyed your sermon both times, and because it was so different. And I'm like, I bet it Karen Holton. No, no, no, she tells me quite often. It was a man. Oh man, it was just so different. And I'm like, well, hopefully it wasn't too different, but Yeah, that's when you go, I know, right? Yeah. Like from the way it's like that, it's like that uh uh meme of that old guy he's standing at his computer and he's like, I thought I preached the greatest sermon of my life, and nobody responded. And then I preached a terrible sermon and everybody responded, and he's holding up his coffee cup and smiling, he goes, I have no idea what I'm doing. That's right. His eyes are dead.

SPEAKER_03 51:29

That's exactly right. I mean, half the time. But I think you guys will ex- I think you guys have probably experienced it the same way. I mean, we do we do talks to teens or talks to kids, and we think they're not listening. They don't have, oh my gosh. And then they come up afterwards, they're like, Well, I never knew that you know God would do that. And so, and same thing with men. I think men, once men are at the place where they realize, wait a minute, I am called to be the head, the head of the household. I am called to be the protector, I am called to be the provider. No matter what your wife does, your wife can have a job. I'm not absolutely she can do, she can carry a weapon, I don't whatever, I don't care. But the man is called to a certain role, and when he embraces that role, his life becomes infinitely better.

SPEAKER_02 52:09

And to see him come alive in that, it's just it's it's amazing. It's life's life spilling out. Yes, it's amazing. It's beautiful. And I don't know about like if you've ever had a kid like come up to you and like weeks later, oh yeah, and and they say something and you're like, Yeah, wow, that was like a month ago.

SPEAKER_01 52:28

Uh-huh.

SPEAKER_02 52:28

And but they're still hanging on to that.

SPEAKER_03 52:30

That's so cool. Camp. You probably I don't know if you're when I used to do camp a lot, I would see kids in Walmart. They run up to me and hug me, and I'm like, Who is this joke? Why isn't your parent controlling you better? And the parents ran down the aisle, and they're like, I'm uh I'm Mr. Scott, I recover from camp. And I was like, Oh yeah, but you connect things. I and I know this is gonna be a bad analogy up front. I have a dog now. I never had a dog. All of us have dogs, so we all have pets. So I never had a dog and understood the saying that the dog is only gonna be a part of my life for a little while, but I'm gonna be a part of that dog's life for life. Yes, and we don't realize that sometimes people are like that and they they it's not that they have to put us up on a pedestal, but they know that we care about them and they know that we're gonna roll through heaven and hell and earth and whatever we have to do to help them sometimes if they need it. And I'm not saying we're always perfect for that. I'm just saying that that to a lot of people, God has placed us in a position to matter. And if we ever let that become an arrogant thing, or we ever let it become full in our head, or we think that we're the reason, right, then we're foolish and and we deserve to fail. Well, and think about it.

SPEAKER_02 53:45

You've none of you have ever forgot somebody who's impacted your life. Absolutely. Whether it's good or bad impact, yeah. You remember that person. That's right. Chances are they may not remember you, but you remember how they impacted you. And so um And they may have no idea. Yeah, yeah. I mean, there's there's guys that we we use the for lessons and stuff, you know, that I've met that have had an impact on me, but I guarantee you they wouldn't they wouldn't know who I am. Yeah. Well, Bob Russell, I spent a week with Bob Russell.

SPEAKER_03 54:13

Yeah. And the way I introduced myself. I ate Applebee's with Bob Russell. And I don't think he'd remember me. Yeah. And well, the way I always talk whenever I see Bob anywhere, and I'll go up to him and I'll say, Hey Bob, I'm Scott, March um 2006. And he'll go, uh oh, March 2009. He'll go, Oh, you're one of my guys. Oh yeah, yeah. And so he and he'll remember the face, but he cannot never remember. Bob's Applebee's remember? Oh, yeah, you farted. So anyway, probably truth. But no. It's a little bit of gay ass. Just gay ass. Um, we're at 55. So um I think one of the things um um one of the last do you have any questions that you wanted to ask? Or I do. Oh, go ahead. Go ahead. Deep theological questions. Oh Lord have mercy. I'm sorry, guys. John 135. No, it's 1135. See, you don't even remember your memory verse. I'm finding it. What's your favorite? What's your favorite passage, Kevin?

SPEAKER_00 55:09

Uh, it would be John 1135.

SPEAKER_01 55:13

Sounds a little rehearsed. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_00 55:14

Yeah, it is Jesus Whip. I thought we were going to recite it. So I picked that one because that's the easy one for me to recite.

SPEAKER_02 55:23

So there's a joke that goes along with that one.

SPEAKER_00 55:25

And you know, if if if it's good enough for the big man to cry, then it should be okay when I'm watching my Hallmark movies and I tear up a little bit. You know, I feel like if it's good enough for Jesus, I had an older guy for me.

SPEAKER_02 55:38

I had an older guy in my in my home church. I had an older guy in my home church named Grover G who came up to me one day and he's like, Did you know Jesus was a janitor? And I was looking at him like, what are you talking about? And he's like, Jesus wept. And I just stood there. And I was like, that's pretty amazing. That's that's almost dad joke worthy. That is. I might have to have Kevin go grab my dad joke 3,000 off the street. Oh, Kevin will gladly go and get away from this, I'm pretty sure. So my my my question to you is um if if you could if you could change one thing about um um the ministry that you you do um for the better. Like obviously you'd always want to change for the better. But if you could change one thing about your ministry, what would it be? Knowing that maybe you have you have all the resources available to make it happen. Um but one thing you would change I would be able to read music.

SPEAKER_03 56:53

Your worship pastor does not know how to read music. I guess I would uh well in that vein, I guess I would like to be able to read Greek coin a you know, uh coherently. It's handy. It is handy. I mean, I'm trying to think.

SPEAKER_02 57:06

I don't read it fluently, but I read it well enough.

SPEAKER_03 57:09

But oh, I know a better one. I would rather I would like to be able to remember all the stories that happened in my life without them being cliche to be able to tell them in sermons because there's some ministers who are really good. Jay John is really good at that. There's some ministers I would like to be able to have a better memory, and I think I can work on that, but um yeah, I I I'd I'd like to be able to do that a little bit better.

SPEAKER_02 57:30

Remember those stories that would matter. Yeah, yeah. I have a hard that's the hardest thing about preaching for me is coming up with illustrations. Yeah. So what do you guys think?

SPEAKER_00 57:40

Mine would be to have the comfort level to be out and talk in front of people, talk more in front of people and stuff out. Very nervous. Even talking to you guys here.

SPEAKER_03 57:51

He's looking at it. Kevin had the mics and pointing at the mic.

SPEAKER_00 57:55

I was like, oh, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 57:59

Kevin has actually made very, very little uh eye contact with us. He's just looking at his mic the whole time. So it's like the mic's gonna jump up in my eyes.

SPEAKER_00 58:07

Yeah, it's it's a comfort zone thing and me getting up in front of people talking. So I wish I had more of that, especially when it comes to outreach and teens to be able to which I think for the teens I'm okay talking in front of. Um, but to go out like we're required to do, you know, go out and make disciples just to have that comfort level to be able to talk to people, especially people you don't know, right, and be able to share the gospel like that. I wish I was a little bit stronger in that.

SPEAKER_03 58:38

I think you're getting better. Yeah. You were up there on stage with um the upward stuff and did great. Yeah. And uh honestly, I looked up and you were talking, and I was uh not surprised, but I was it made me really happy to see you up there. Well, no, I it wasn't so much surprise, but it was it was it was joy. It really was. I'm like, he's doing it. I was really happy that to see you up there.

SPEAKER_02 58:57

Kevin wouldn't have done this a year ago, type thing. So good job, man. You're doing what about you, Taryn? Um swearing, Taryn.

SPEAKER_01 59:06

I wasn't gonna bring it back up.

SPEAKER_02 59:09

It's not gonna she really doesn't. Now Scott, on the other hand, no, I'm joking. Swearing Taryn only at Dan. Swearing at Dan, Taryn.

SPEAKER_01 59:18

Makes sense. We're doing some like self-reflection. Um I think it can be anything.

SPEAKER_02 59:22

It didn't have to be self-budding.

SPEAKER_01 59:23

But I think that um, I mean, being transparent, casting vision and getting people on board with the vision is one of my my weaknesses. Um just being able to invite people into the ministry.

SPEAKER_02 59:36

Right. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 59:36

Because I know how much I know how much fun it is, and I know um and you want people to experience it. Yes, and I know what it feels like to use your gifts for the Lord. So yeah.

SPEAKER_03 59:46

And again, I have to say, I think you're better at that than you think you are. It's just things I I I always say slow growth is is good growth because when you grow really fast, it gets it you it's kind of like a rickety wagon, it gets out of control. And so, um, but I think that I think that you you do a good job of of that i in person. I think you do a really good job of that in person, but we don't advertise things from the front, and casting vision from the front is not something that we as a church try to do a whole lot because we want people to be involved and we want to be more one-on-one. But I think you're better at that than you think you are.

SPEAKER_01 1:00:22

But but yeah, and I'm constantly reminded just of scripture that you know we're just our weaknesses are where Christ's strengths are.

SPEAKER_04 1:00:29

Okay, yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:31

Yeah, I mean, because honestly, I think with a lot of us, I think all of us would probably agree with this being able to let go of things and allow other people to take it. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_03 1:00:41

That's really, really hard to do. It is really hard to do. When Kevin took over the youth ministry, I walked away from it cold turkey. And and I think that I know for some that I'm close to, they didn't understand that, but I had to because Kevin had to have that ministry as his own and he couldn't uh because Kevin and I are get good friends, and I would help Kevin in every way, but I also knew that if I was there, they would never make that transition. And now they have. And I don't think many of the middle school kids would be there that are there if I was 100%. I think I think they've come because they have freedom to come with Kevin there. And so um there's a lot of beauty and things like that when you let things go and God does what he's supposed to do with others.

SPEAKER_02 1:01:25

It's I mean, even in the worship the worship ministry, I've you know, I to be able to trust uh people to to do what they do. Yeah. Um, you know, to so if you come up to me and say, Hey, I want to be on the worship team, I'll, you know, ask you about instruments, you play instruments, you sing. Um I'm gonna have you come, you're gonna sing with us, you know, on a Wednesday night. And and I'm just I'm a a very honest person anyway, and I'll tell you whether or not like it's gonna be a fit or not. But um, but beyond that, like when you're on the team, I I have to trust you. Yeah. And so um, and that because that's part of that joy, yeah, that you you're using the gift that God has given you. So I need to trust that you're going to uh to honor God with that. Right. Um, and so uh it but you know, letting go with uh letting people uh do things that that you know you can probably do quicker or you know you have in your mind the way you want it done. And so, but everybody's not gonna do it that way, and so you just gotta be okay with that and just let them serve, let them do do what they do. And it's it's a hard thing to do, but so rewarding when you see it happening.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:29

Yeah. So uh and and it takes and sometimes it takes time. You just gotta give people chances and and um and pray and and if their heart's right and they're they're trying hard. I mean, honestly, God blesses those things.

SPEAKER_02 1:02:41

I I had to turn down a leading leading another Bible study. Yeah. Like I just don't, I I just can't right now. Like I in where I am right now with things, I I can't take on that. And so that's hard for me to know that, like, yeah, I could jump in, I could do that, I can, you know, but I'm just I I have to say.

SPEAKER_03 1:02:59

We want to do great things for God, and the opposite of great is good. That's right. And so we we often do good things, knowing that if we let go of those good things, we could do some great things and allow other people to do great things. So um it's hard, but um, it's necessary.

SPEAKER_02 1:03:14

So favorite Bible verse? Really? You were serious.

SPEAKER_03 1:03:25

You know, Scott Scott, what's your favorite Bible verse? James 112. Um, Blessed is the man who perseveres for when he has stood the test to receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who live in. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 1:03:42

Mine is Psalm 139, pretty much the whole chapter. Um, it's kind of known as the pro-life chapter because it talks about um just how we were formed, how God formed us in our mother's wombs. Yeah. But even from the very beginning, the whole thing is about how intimate God wants to know us relationally. How he knows just everything about us when we get up, when we lay down.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:04

Is that the one that has the hairs on your head thing?

SPEAKER_01 1:04:06

No, that's not the exact thing.

SPEAKER_02 1:04:08

Let's get it a little easier for God for me.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:10

So yeah. Um, when I sit, when I rise, perceiving our thoughts from afar, discerning or going out and are lying down, even before a word is on our tongue, you know it, Lord, completely. And so just how He is so much higher and so much bigger, but He still just wants to know each of us so intimately.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:27

That's beautiful. I love it. I love them all. They're so good I can't even choose.

SPEAKER_01 1:04:35

I love you since we'll answer. I love it. Jesus got church Bible pray.

SPEAKER_00 1:04:41

Jesus is the right answer.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:43

Jesus.

SPEAKER_04 1:04:45

Jesus.

SPEAKER_03 1:04:46

Good job, Kevin. You know, if I was a normal minister and Kevin was a normal youth minister, I'd worry about that answer. But um I've not really normal worried about either one. Uh no idea. Kevin, you want to go grab my I was gonna say I can I can come up with dad jokes, but we have to have the dad joke 3,000.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:04

I mean, until it starts repeating itself.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:06

If April showers bring Mayflow bring if April showers bring Mayflowers, what do Mayflowers bring? Bees. Oh, pilgrims. Pilgrims.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:18

That's pretty good. I like it. I like it. No, we still need the dad jokes. That's a good one. I like that one. One of my kids told me one uh a couple weeks ago before spring break, but I cannot, I told myself, don't forget that one because it was really good. But what about it? You should always forget the ones you say that. Why did the god of thunder need to stretch his legs? It's got a red button that says dad joke 3,000. It might be under something.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:38

Why did the god of thunder need to stretch his legs? Because he was a little four.

SPEAKER_01 1:05:46

It's okay. They've made up for it.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:49

Darren's like, we gotta end this before oh no, people are hanging on. They hang on to the bitter.

SPEAKER_02 1:05:54

They do, they they look forward to this. So let's see. I gotta find one real quick.

SPEAKER_03 1:05:58

Let's just bring Kevin in Limb. Do a robot voice and he can tell one, and it sounds like the dead joke.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:02

It's okay, Kevin. We can. Alright, let's see.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:06

Kevin ain't coming back. I can tell you right now.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:09

He's like, I can't find it. I can't even I can't even.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:13

Oh, yeah, okay. There he is.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:15

I don't know where it is. Hey, what color is it? It's got a red button, man. It says dad joke 3000 right on it.

SPEAKER_03 1:06:25

I think you should just give us one. Alright, so. Kevin's wandering out in the back now.

SPEAKER_02 1:06:34

This one's great. I don't know if it's appropriate, but it's great. Here we go. Appropriate? Well, no, it's appropriate. Oh, okay. All right.

SPEAKER_00 1:06:41

Send me on a wild fish chase, wasn't it?

SPEAKER_02 1:06:43

It's okay. It's okay. What's the difference between a golf ball and a Land Rover? I don't know what. Tiger Woods can drive a golf ball over 300 yards.

unknown 1:06:57

Oof.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:00

Oh my gosh. I can't believe we did that one. Did you hear about Oh wait? It was only supposed to be one. I know, but this one's great.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:07

Oh, you go ahead. Did you hear about the restaurant in Artemis 2?

SPEAKER_03 1:07:12

No.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:13

Good food. No atmosphere. Okay, that was appropriate.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:18

Um, all right.

SPEAKER_02 1:07:19

You can edit out the other one if you need to. No, I'm not gonna edit that. I thought it was good. Tiger Woods. It's culturally relevant. I'm not gonna tiger if Tiger Woods listens to this, if that if that'd be amazing. If he calls me and says I'm suing you because I heard your podcast, that'd be amazing. I'd like sue away. You're not gonna get much. Yeah, you want my two dollars? I'm a pastor. You want to see my account? He's in rehab right now, so he ain't doing nothing. That's true.

SPEAKER_03 1:07:44

Bless his heart. All right, we'll pray for him. Yeah, we can. Uh, Kevin. Thanks. Yeah, thanks for coming on. He's nodding his head. Uh, Taryn, thank you. Appreciate you. You guys are truly awesome. Yeah, we love you guys. Uh, Dan, thanks, as always. Yeah. See you all later. Yeah, guys, thanks so much for joining us, and we will see you next time.

SPEAKER_02 1:08:03

Love y'all.

SPEAKER_03 1:08:03

Love you.

unknown 1:08:04

Love you.