Church Unfiltered with Dr. Anthony Cobbs

The relationship between Pastor and church staff is one that is rarely mentioned and often overlooked. As a result, many leaders are unaware of what their staff experiences in the work space. Dr. Cobbs and Breakthrough Ministry Consulting is conducting research on church staff members to identify areas of strength and areas of growth to ensure high morale. This episode is a glimpse into the initial findings.

Across the country church attendance has dwindled. There are practical reasons people have chosen to stay at home and worship. This episode revisits the projections made during the pandemic in episode 17 and updates the possible reasons people have still not returned to in-person worship. Previous episode referred to: https://www.buzzsprout.com/1116260/4617122-e17-what-if-they-don-t-come-back-valid-reasons-why-some-people-won-t-return-to-church.mp3?download=true

What makes the best leaders stand out? William Vanderbloemen, founder and CEO of staffing company Vanderbloemen Search Group, has conducted extensive research with the best of the best pastors, church leaders and the behaviors they exhibit. His new book, "Be the Unicorn: 12 Data-Driven Habits that Separate the Best Leaders From the Rest" offers insight on becoming a better leader. To purchase "Be the Unicorn" book: https://www.amazon.com/Be-Unicorn-Data-Driven-Separate-Leaders/dp/1400247101/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1699474344&sr=8-1 Past episode with William: Episode 32: Church Staffing and Pastoral Succession

What is all the hype about A.I. (artificial intelligence) and how should the church respond? I asked Nils Smith, Innovation Director for Dunham and Company to stop by and share the basics of AI and what pastors and church leaders should consider with this not so new technology. We discussed several things such as: • What is AI? • How can the church benefit from AI? • In what ways are we already using AI? Mentioned in this episode Connect with Nils Smith https://www.nilssmith.com IG: @nilssmith Book about New Innovations Seeing Around Corners by Rita McGrath Resources about AI Gloo What is ChaptGPT?

Graduation season inspires many to go back to school and earn a degree or add on another one. If you are ministry, or aspire to be, it is important to think about certain factors before spending time, money, and energy in school. But let's face it: all degrees are not worth the investment and frankly some are not even credible. This episode we discuss a few considerations: Why Are You Thinking About a Degree? What Type of Degree Should You Pursue? What are the credentials for the school you attend? Look up if your school is accredited by clicking this link: https://ope.ed.gov/dapip/#/home

What do you do when your heart is no longer in what you do? For too many leaders, even pastors and church leaders, this is a reality even while they continue to serve. Dr. Wanita Mercer is the CEO and founder of Lead My Heart consulting and coaching. She shares warning signs to look out for and encourages leaders to reclaim the passion they have for ministry and leadership. Dr. Mercer's Contact Information Social media @leadmyheart2022 Website: www.leadmyheart.com Email: contact@leadmyheart.com Book recommendations from Dr. Mercer: NIV: Leading By the Book (Zondervan Publishing) Becoming a Leader by Dr. Myles Munroe

Tragedy happens to us all. Ministers are usually the first people we call but who ministers to the minister when he or she is going through? Dr. Antoine works with pastors as the Director of Bi-Vocational Pastors at Baptist General Convention of Texas. He joined us on this episode to share his story and to offer tips on caring for the preacher during crisis.

Are you thinking about going on church staff? I surveyed church staff from across the country with the question, “If you could go back to your initial interview, what questions would you ask?” This episode shared ten of those questions such as: “What is the church vision and how is it implemented?” “Are there any past or potential scandals I need to know about?” “How does the church handle mental health issues among staff?” This is a must hear episode for leaders of staff and volunteers.

It has been said the pandemic changed church forever. Maybe that declaration is somewhat exaggerated but there are trends and adjustments that definitely resulted. This episode looks at five positive trends that emerged from the pandemic. To book a Wired Workshop with Dr. Anthony Cobbs email: info@breakthroughonline.com Previous episodes referenced in this episode: The Church, Facebook, and Digital Trends with Nona Jones Church Staffing and Pastoral Succession with William Vanderbloemen

As church leaders seek to gain a sense of stability and plan for the future it is important to plan based upon data. This episode is a must hear for pastors and leaders who are planning programming and a calendar for their church. Contact Dr. Cobbs for Consulting info@breakthroughonline.org

Dr. John Faison is the senior pastor of Watson Grove Baptist Church in Nashville. He is a scholar, social activist and one of the rising pastoral voices in the country today. In one of the most candid interviews in Church Unfiltered history, Dr. Faison describes how the enduring pandemic impacted him as a pastor and personally and steps he took to persevere. In this episode we discussed: For more information about Dr. Faison https://www.johnfaison.org Book referenced by Dr. Faison: Celebration of Discipline by Richard Foster

When is the last time you asked your young adults (ages 18-35) what they are dealing with and what questions they might have? I took the time to ask about 40 young adults from 3 different churches what topics they would want to discuss with their church leaders. In this episode I list 10 of the most common themes that arose and how pastors and church leaders can use these topics to start Bible studies, sermon series or forums with these young students, professionals and families. A few topics on the list include: * Sex outside of marriage * Knowing your purpose * Forgiveness For more information on how to reach your young adults or for referrals on speakers and guests for your group email us at: info@breakthroughonline.org

Black history month allows us to commemorate the experience of the African-American. Returning guest, Dr. Carey Latimore, is a history professor and Christian preacher who understands the importance of highlighting the role faith in God had in the plight of the black American. In this episode, Dr. Cobbs and guest Dr. Latimore discuss several topics such as: * The importance of churches acknowledging black history * The premise of the new book, "Unshakable Faith" by Dr. Carey Latimore * How faith played a role in our history. To purchase "Unshakable Faith click this link: https://www.amazon.com/Unshakable-Faith-American-Redemption-Community-ebook/dp/B09RN6L6XN/ref=sr_1_3?crid=1U36CAUGTEFZ8&keywords=unshakable+faith&qid=1644025719&sprefix=unshakable+faith%2Caps%2C143&sr=8-3

Setting goals at the beginning of a new year is typical. But how do you set goals in a season of uncertainty? This episode looks at classic ways to set S.M.A.R.T. goals and also how to identify key factors that will help you establish purposeful direction. To contact or book Dr. Cobbs: info@breakthroughonline.org

The so-called great resignation is a phrase coined to describe the millions of American workers who are leaving their jobs and looking for new opportunities. Thus far more than 4.4 million people have resigned, retired, or flat out quit their jobs. How does this impact the church, church staff and pastors? HR Strategist and podcast host Krystal Speed joins us to dialogue about what this phenomena means to individuals and also how church leaders can respond appropriately to the changing times and ambitions of their staff and volunteers. Contact Krystal Speed for HR Consulting: IG: @yourhrstrategist LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/krystalspeed/ Unicorn Talent Hunter Podcast with host Krystal Speed Related episodes Episode 37: Hiring, Firing and Human Resources in the Church Episode 16: Leading High Capacity Leaders #thegreatresignation #pastors #churchstaffing

The career choice of church consulting and coaching has taken off in recent years. What does it take to become a consultant to churches and what are some of the pitfalls one might bump into? This episode looks at the good and bad of the industry. Consulting businesses mentioned in this episode: The Unstuck Group The Malphurs Group Church Consulting Certification mentioned in this episode: Church Answers (Thom Rainer) Related episodes E50: Trends in Church Consulting with J. Charity Ware E56: Leadership Challenges with Shawn Lovejoy For church consulting from Dr. Anthony Cobbs email: info@breakthroughonline.org

The church has often used the arts to minister to people. Music, dance, dramatic presentations are all tools at our fingertips. How does one do this effectively? Danielle Gulley is the owner of Perpetual Innovations Entertainment LLC Entertainment and produces plays, productions, even a children’s online show. All while serving as the worship leader at her church. She blessed us as a panelist way back in episode 23 but she’s back for episode 63 of Church Unfiltered Podcast as she discusses “Ministry Through Entertainment”. Related episodes E23: Worship Beyond a Pandemic with guests Danielle Gulley, Ananias Montague, and Jay Terell Link Referred to in the episode www.daniellegulley.com To purchase tickets to The King production https://www.daniellegulley.com/the-king

Friendship has been redefined through social media and other platforms. It has been minimized to those who follow us on social media. But true friendship is something to value and appreciate, especially when you are a pastor. Pastors, depending on how they respond to others, can be the best type of friend. But as with any of us, there are red flags that suggest that pastors also have the potential of being the worst friends we can have. This episode looks at several factors to consider both from the pastor's perspective and from those who befriend these men and women of God. Related episodes E45: Getting Unstuck Personally and Professionally with Dee Cee Marshall E43: Leadership and Loneliness with Bishop Joseph Walker Contact Dr. Anthony Cobbs info@breakthroughonline.org

Have you ever heard a great sermon ruined by a weak or random illustration? As a preacher, a writer for Our Daily Bread and having written for sermon helps companies, Dr. Cobbs has learned the importance of a great illustration. This episode looks at tips for creating effective sermon illustrations and how to make sure the word of God remains the focus.

Traditional, older churches often struggle to reach the next generation. Our services are typically not designed for them, and our leadership usually doesn't reflect them either. In this episode we discuss five ways to reach emerging generations such as: * Asking the tough questions * Establishing a cause to support * Raising up a pastor to plant elsewhere Supporting episodes: Episode 8 Do Churches Care About Millennials? Trends in Church Consulting Episode 50 with J. Charity Ware Church Planting in a Pandemic Episode 19 with Pastor Ontario Green