Change is the only constant thing in the world. The golden standard a decade ago might be nothing more than another option today. And among other things, this also applies to church and worship. Today, nurturing our spiritual journey isn't just limited to the walls of a traditional church. More than anything, having the independence to serve and shepherd is vital to reaching spiritual maturity. That's the only way we can truly grow in Christ and be who He wants us to be.
In this episode, Eric Nevins shares the spiritual journey that led him towards the path of unconventional ministry. He imparts the driving question that pushed him to follow his spiritual calling as a Christian. Eric then talks about what urged him to start a Christian podcast and how it has changed him for the better. He shares the lessons he learned from his podcasting journey, along with some actionable tips and strategies.
If you want to follow your spiritual calling and start sharing your message through podcasting, then this episode is for you!
3 Reasons to Listen:
- Discover what you should do when you’re mad at God.
- Find out the key differences between conventional and unconventional ministry.
- Learn the ins and outs of starting and running a Christian podcast.
Resources
About Eric
Eric Nevins is the founder and leader of the Christian Podcasters Association, with over 2400 Facebook group members. It is a space for Christian podcasters with the calling of using their gifts and expertise to get a message out. He is also the host of the Halfway There Podcast. The show is devoted to creating honest conversations with ordinary Christians about the modern Christian experience.
Eric is also the Category Director for Religion & Spirituality in Podcast Magazine.
To know more about Eric and his work, you can connect with him through his website, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter.
Episode Highlights
[03:21] What Eric Does
- Eric is an online entrepreneur. He manages the Christian Podcasters Association (CPA).
- He sees himself as a pastor who shepherds people using podcasting.
- Eric spent a long time trying to be a traditional church pastor, but it never worked out.
- Most church pastors don’t have the time or ability to help people break through self-doubt. It’s what Eric uniquely does in the online space.
[06:58] What to Do When You’re Mad at God
- You have to have a conversation with God when you’re mad at him.
- He started his Christian podcast to help people who are going through a spiritual desert.
- Eric realized that there's more to the story in the Scripture than he had been told. Tune in to the full episode to learn the real lesson from the Book of Habakkuk!
- The spiritual journey is much more than meeting Jesus; it's about taking your worries to him and letting him address them.
[10:31] Experiences That Shaped Eric’s Youth
- Eric’s faith experience as a kid was different from his home experience. Trying to make sense of his home life was huge for him.
- He wanted to break through some of the Midwest cultures.
- He got a healthy dose of the purity culture growing up. It's a challenging process to keep your faith in the Lord and lose some things that are not biblical.
- Eric loved being creative as a kid. Today, he gets to be a creator full-time.
- The driving question for Eric is, "How do we grow in Christ?" It pushed him to get a degree in Biblical Studies, enter the seminary, and learn from the spiritual journey.
[15:45] Experiencing the Driest Spiritual Time in Seminary
- Eric was full of anxiety in seminary. The traditional model didn’t resonate with his heart.
- He found an entry in his old journal about him thinking that God’s path for him is unconventional ministry.
- Eric didn’t have a good perspective on what serving people in other ways could look like outside of the local church.
[18:43] Different Phases of the Spiritual Journey
- The phase of learning the way of Jesus typically happens in church, worship, preaching, or Bible study.
- Bible school or seminary is the pinnacle of that season in the journey. However, it's not the end.
- During the critical journey, you bump into the wall. Tune in to the full episode to learn the two possible paths to this!
[20:19] Being a Spiritual Director
- According to Eugene H. Peterson, the role of the pastor is prayer, Scripture reading, and spiritual direction.
- Most local pastors don’t do spiritual direction as a large part of their ministry. But being a pastor has to be much more personal.
- Tune in to the full episode to learn how Suzanne Stabile became one of the top enneagram teachers in the world!
[23:34] The Pros and Cons of Conventional vs. Unconventional Ministry
- It always comes down to whether we are leading people to maturity.
- Unconventional churches have the perfect system because they lead people to maturity.
- Podcasting allows people to get inspiration. It also lets them create connections to talk about an idea and how to apply it.
- Spiritual maturity requires a certain amount of independence. The conventional church system has a design that keeps people dependent.
- People aren't paying for knowledge but for experiences.
[27:08] Starting the Halfway There Podcast
- Eric never got into ministry after graduating from seminary. He ended up working in the financial world for 13 years, which was a dark time for him.
- Listen to the full episode to hear how Eric discovered and started listening to podcasts!
- Getting inspiration from Christian podcasts, Eric started his show hoping to contribute to the spiritual formation conversation.
- It took him two years, doing 13 interviews and hiring a coach to help him break through.
[30:38] How Podcasting Changed Eric and How He Switched Things Up in the Show
- He started believing in God’s involvement in the world in a way he didn’t before.
- Working with podcasters creates a ripple effect in terms of reach and influence.
- Early on, he used to do an extra recorded introduction for each episode. After some time, he switched to doing live introductions.
- Eric wants to get to the content as quickly as possible. It only takes him around 90 seconds to introduce his guests.
- If the guest has a book, he tries to mention it at the beginning of the episode.
[36:19] Evolution of the Christian Podcasters Association (CPA)
- There was no group for Christian podcasters before the Christian Podcasters Association. Listen to the full episode to discover how Eric founded the CPA!
- CPA’s goal is to bring Christian podcasters together to connect and help each other.
- The focus on podcasting and not theology in CPA is intentional.
- CPA was free for a long time. But last year, they launched a membership that allows members to access group meetings and courses.
- Eric's vision for the CPA is to be a place where aspiring podcasters can start learning and eventually become pro-podcasters.
[45:14] The Biggest Hindrances to Someone Starting a Podcast
- The biggest thing is always fear, which shows up as perfectionism.
- Another hindrance is when people don't know where to start with the technology required.
- Figuring out how to host can be pretty intimidating to people.
- Three common questions: What would I talk about? What’s the technology? How do I grow my show?
- Podcasting is easy as there are no gatekeepers and rules in the new media.
[48:11] The Next Big Challenge after Launching a Podcast
- Podcasting is a long game. It takes time to build relationships and get feedback.
- It can be a little discouraging, but you need to be clear about why you’re doing it.
- Once you commit to it, you must continually produce content.
- The five Ms in podcasting are mindset, message, mechanics, marketing, and monetization.
[51:49] Christian Podcast Summit
- The speakers at the summit will talk about different ways of monetization.
- There will also be breakout sessions.
[55:14] How Much Does It Cost to Run a Podcast?
- Podcasters need to invest in three things: decent microphone, website, and podcast hosting.
- Then, you need to learn additional skills to run the show.
[56:56] Sharing Your Message
- Podcasting gives Christians the opportunity to share in a way that helps their discipleship and encourages other people.
- Listen to the full episode for Eric’s uplifting message about starting a podcast!
- Podcasting is about becoming the person God wants you to be and finding yourself in Christ.
[01:05:41] Seek, Go, or Create?
- For Eric, it's always "create."
- The act of creation impacts and changes the world.
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To growing and becoming all we are created to be,
Tim
