Welcome to Church Chat, the show where we have the conversations about ministry you wish we were having. Today we're talking to Matt Saxinger about working under toxic leadership (yes, it happens in the church...), when you know it's time to leave, how to heal from those experiences, how to build healthy teams, and more (like the merits of Chacos vs Tevas).
Matt Saxinger has served in the EFCA for 14 years. He is currently the Lead Pastor at Susquehanna Valley Church in Harrisburg, PA. He has a heart for the gospel and seeing the next generation rise up in leadership.
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Beauty Among the Flies: Finding God Amid Distractions
On the way to our cabin is a peacefully flowing mountain stream that tumbles between boulders. It sits in the middle of a forest with pine trees towering above it. As I drove past it during my sabbatical I felt very clearly that God was encouraging me to take the time to walk out into…
3 Critical Components Of A Healthy Church Culture
The statements below are just a few of the many statements we have heard over the past five years. They are statements that are being made as people finally feel like they can open up about their previous church hurt. “I just have been burned so bad that I’m afraid to trust anyone in a…
5 Ways To Give Our Families The Best of Us
Our family was walking through the airport, doing our best to make it to our gate on time. Unfortunately, my two children weren’t moving at my preferred pace. Like most 9 and 12-year-olds, they were easily distracted and slowing us down. There was a back and forth of me trying to lead the way…
They’re Just Not That Into You: 5 Ways To Avoid The Pitfalls of Celebrity Status in Ministry
We don’t need to drop any big names, but we can all think of someone in ministry who rose to celebrity status only to cave under pressure or temptation. They were doing great work for the Kingdom of God and then they weren’t. Sure, for argument’s sake, it may not be that every “celebrity pastor”…
70 Per Week
“…the pace of child-abuse allegations against American churches has averaged 70 a week (Christian Ministry Resources).” That was the shocking statistic that our Kids Ministry Director shared with me as we reviewed our Children’s Safety Policy. It was disheartening and sobering, pointing to the responsibility that each of us bear as church leaders. That statistic…
2 Inroads To The Community and The Principles That Made Them Successful
Earlier this year I stopped at the entrance to the church driveway only to be greeted by one of the neighbors. It had been four years since I first met her and the relationship had grown significantly over that time. She reminded me that she had no desire to attend our church, but that she…
Underappreciated Hope
The Underappreciated Effect of Hope Our family was recently spending time with some good friends at their farm. The farmer was almost done milking cows and needed help distracting his kids. He suggested I take all of the kids (7 boys including mine) and drive them out to the tree house on the golf cart.…
3 Causes of Depletion in Pastoral Ministry
I was in my stride, doing as much as I possibly could as efficiently as it could be done. There was nothing remaining on my to-do list and my inbox was empty. Sermons were prepped in advance and all was going smoothly. Then one night, when I was visiting a member in the hospital, one…
Shred It
Has anyone else spent time this past year thinking about what other career they could be doing besides ministry? The thought entered my mind a few times, and I am certain I am not alone. Many of us have experienced an exodus of people, hurtful comments, betrayal, depression, abandonment…you name it and EFCA East Pastors…
Friendly Fire: 3 Ways To Avoid The Casualties
I have a problem. I am good at seeing the flaws in other’s ministries. Not so much in the beneficial “let me help you out” way, but in a prideful way that looks down on others from above. I can see why things won’t work, why others are wrong, and why they shouldn’t do it…