Episodes
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We're back! Bill and I share updates on our lives (new baby! co-first-grade-teacher!) and then drive into what we're all experiencing these days: Covid fatigue.
Our Reads of the Week
Your ‘Surge Capacity’ Is Depleted — It’s Why You Feel Awful - Tara Haelle
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
Missing episodes?
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We don't know what the future is bringing, but we can be active right now to imagine the New that we're heading toward.
A note for listeners: this is our last episode for a few months while Sarah is on maternity leave. Stay nimble!
Resources We Mentioned
Salisbury Cathedral - "Our Purpose and Values"The Great Emergence: How Christianity Is Changing and Why - Phyllis Tickle
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
Here's how we're planning for the fall - with curiosity and a focus on the big "whys" of the ministries we lead. Joining us is Christine V. Hides, Director of Christian Education at Kenilworth Union Church.
Resources We Mentioned
Must- Have Online Ministry ToolsFaith Formation PlaylistsIt's Flowchart Time
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
Freedom to move, to eat, to coffee. This and other ways we see in-person worship changing because of our extended time at home. (Spoiler alert: Sarah's keeping the comfy pants.)
Our Reads of the Week
Flow: The Ancient Way to Do Contemporary Worship - Lester Ruth
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
It's often easier to change while we're already in the midst of change because our old habits and systems are in flux. Bill and Sarah talk about using this changing season to think through our systems at church.
Resources We Mentioned on This Episode
Change Your Life When You're Changing Your Life - Happier with Gretchen Rubin
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
A snapshot of where we are in terms of emotions and how we're planning/not-planning, then a longer conversation about starting (or hopefully, continuing) anti-racist work in our churches starting with one-on-one relationships.
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
Online worship, nimbly opening (while expecting future closures), and planning in a season of flux.
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
Last summer, my colleagues and I at First Congregational of St. Louis developed a creative, intergenerational worship series. Then, the four of us - Hannah Rice and Emily Stokes, plus Bill and I - turned the series into a 14-week curriculum for other congregations to use.
In this episode, the four of us talk about our collaborative process, surprises along the way, and the opportunities for healthy vulnerability that our summer worship gave us.
On This Episode We Mentioned:
A Neighborhood Summer: A 14-Week Intergenerational Worship PlanPotBangerz
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
Changing our musical habits is hard (and oddly enough right now, maybe both easier and harder than ever). In this episode, we talk with Paul Vasile about being open to musical change and helping others embrace the new, even when they're sure they only want what they already know.
Find Paul Vasile online here.
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
Climbing up a learning curve. Running down a sand dune, trying not to face plant. Throwing everything at the wall to see what sticks. Just a few metaphors for the work we're doing lately! Emily Stokes, a minister for children and families, joins us to talk about our approaches to ministry right now.
Our Reads of the Week
A Great Reckoning by Louise Penny. Bill says, "It was one of those books I finished and said a little silent thank you to the author."
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
What a strange time we are in, especially as church leaders. Bill and Sarah share what they are currently doing to respond to COVID19, especially in terms of pastoral care and spiritual connection in a time of physical distance. We can still "worship in spirit and in truth" whether or not we are in-person.
Resources We Mentioned in the Episode
We Are the Church
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
What are the advantages (and disadvantages) to getting an advanced degree when you're in church ministry? Bill and Sarah talk master's degrees, doctorates, certificates.
Our Reads of the Week
If you purchase through some of the following links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting the work we do!
How Not to Diet: The Groundbreaking Science of Healthy, Permanent Weight Loss - Michael Greger
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
Why do we worship corporately on Sunday mornings? When would we worship if we removed the "but we've always..." from our thinking?
Our Reads of the Week
If you purchase through some of the following links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting the work we do!
Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life - Nir Eyal
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
We church leaders have a lot to learn from game theory - and especially, how we should think of churches as part of an "infinite game" rather than a "finite game." Drawing on Simon Sinek's new book The Infinite Game, Bill and Sarah share how infinite games provide a conceptual grounding for leading churches in the 21st century.
Our Reads of the Week
If you purchase through some of the following links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting the work we do!
The Infinite Game - Simon Sinek
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
What is "nimbleness" and why should we value it as church leaders?
Our Reads of the Week
If you purchase through some of the following links, we may earn an affiliate commission. Thank you for supporting the work we do!
The Lord of the Rings - J. R. R. TolkeinVarieties of Gifts: Multiplicity and the Well-Lived Pastoral Life - Cynthia G. Lindner
About Getting to Nimble
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Getting to Nimble podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
'Tis the season for hospitality! Bill and Sarah talk about open houses, small groups, alcohol, and what it means to focus on the church's social cohesion (not on our personal friendships).
Plus an announcement! We are changing our podcast's name from "Called" to "Getting to Nimble." This change should show up in your podcast feed in December.
This is our last episode of 2019 - looking forward to a new year of "getting to nimble"!
Our Reads of the Week
She Said - Jodi Kantor and Megan Twohey
Note: If you buy something through this link, I may earn an affiliate commission, at no cost to you.
About Called - At the Intersection of Life and Ministry
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Called podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
Social media can be tricky for those of us who minister in churches. Bill and I share four perspectives to help us make wise use of this tool:
Ask yourself, "Who is my neighbor?" given the endless, often anonymous nature of social mediaUse social media as a pastoral tool, a way to minister to your congregation outside of church servicesConsider how (and if) you want to share about yourself and your family on social media - there are no one-size-fits-all strategies here!Remember how powerful loose connections can be (see our reads below!)
Our Reads of the Week
"Why You Need a Network of Low-Stakes, Casual Friendships" by Allie VolpeComedy Sex God by Pete Holmes
About Called - At the Intersection of Life and Ministry
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Called podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
Here's how to lead a productive, generous annual review process - and why you should.
Annual Review Discussion Questions
The following questions can be adapted to suit your church's needs.
What has been your greatest contribution to the mission of [Church Name] in the past year? At what moment in the past year did you feel most engaged in service to God and the mission of the church?Describe a problem you encountered in the past year dealing with a member of the congregation or a coworker and how you resolved it. Did you feel supported by your supervisor and/or the personnel representative?Describe an example of communication with a fellow staff member or member of the congregation you feel was particularly effective. Also describe an example of communication with a staff/church member you believe not to be effective or helpful. How might you communicate differently in the future?Describe areas in which you would like to improve in your current position. Rate the effectiveness of the church in providing you with the tools and resources necessary to perform your duties. 1 is not very effective, 5 is extremely effective. Provide examples to explain your answer.Do you feel that your work is respected and valued by coworkers, your supervisor, [Council, Session etc.], and the members of the congregation?If you could change anything about your position, what would it be?Do you feel that the expectations for your role at the church are reasonable and well-defined?In reference to both [Church Name]’s [Mission, Vision etc.] statement, and your specific position description, please list 3-5 goals for the coming year to improve job performance and/or job satisfaction.
Our Reads of the Week
"No More 'Interim Pastors'" - Jan Edmiston"'Ok Boomer' Marks the End of Friendly Generational Relations" - Taylor Lorenz
About Called - At the Intersection of Life and Ministry
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Called podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. -
How do our families connect with our church ministries? And how can we alleviate some of the pressure on our "preacher's kid" families? As a pastor and a musician, Bill and I have encountered very different expectations and experiences.
Our Read of the Week
"It Was a Tough Week" - Lydia Sohn
About Called - At the Intersection of Life and Ministry
For 50 years between them, Pastor Bill Smutz and musician Sarah Bereza have survived and thrived in churches big and small, urban and rural, good and not so good. With generous hearts and healthy boundaries, they share practical advice for church staff about working smart, cutting out the bs, and embracing the good in ministry. New episodes on 1st and 3rd Tuesdays.
Check out all the Called podcast episodes here, or wherever you listen to podcasts. - Show more
