The Shepherds Circle

This week in the circle, Stan and Victor sit down with 6:14 Communications Director Josh Givens to talk about a topic many pastors are beginning to wrestle with: the growing role of A.I., social media, and the church’s digital presence.

Josh shares why he believes every church—especially small churches—needs to think carefully about what he calls “the digital front door.” For many people today, a church’s social media or online pres...

Jesus gave clear instructions to His disciples regarding who would plant the churches that Jesus would "build." The process is one-to-one and works effectively if we do not get too distracted or create too many plans around the plan Jesus gave us. 

In today's episode, we want to remind our pastors and lay leaders that we are called to make disciples and help our disciples make disciples. We'll talk about trusting...

This week in the circle, Stan sits down with Hurley Baptist Church Lead Pastor Lance Sudduth to discuss training up the next generation of leaders from within the walls of the local church, particularly small churches. The guys will chat about Lance's vision that is already stretching across Mississippi with over 100 men learning practical ministry skills. 

Stay tuned to the end of the episode for announcements about our upcomi...

This week in the circle: Stan and the guys have some fun with a short discussion about the upcoming Shepherds Summit [March 26-28] and what topics you can expect to encounter there. 

Here's a little of what you have to look forward to in session topics: 

1) "A.I. and the Digital Front Door: How Pastors Can Use A.I. and Social Media Wisely [Without Selling Your Soul or Losing Your Sanity]" — Josh Givens 

2) "Longter...

This week in the circle: Stan and the guys discuss the need to keep church services active, aware, and alert in the current climate of our country — when potential protests can become seemingly large disruptions. Should you send your church members home in the midst of protests or should you tell protestors to leave your property? We'll tackle that and more in this very timely discussion.  

Articles mentioned in this episode: 

&...

This week in the circle: Stan & the guys discuss a recent article from BARNA research that highlights the friendship gap in pastoral life: 

Strong Marriages, Strained Friendships. Over 90 percent of pastors report strong marriages—but two in five feel lonely, and just one in three have a trusted confidant outside church. [BARNA] 

Relational Health Lags Behind Other Areas. Despite high scores in faith and vocation, pastors score l...

Season 2, Episode 15: Planning Your Year

After a brief December break, Stan and the guys are back around the table for a timely and practical conversation about planning the year ahead in ministry.

In this episode, they talk through how to thoughtfully plan Bible book studies and sermon series, shape meaningful ministry themes, and prepare well for key moments like Easter, Christmas, and outreach opportunities. The discussion also di...

This week in the circle, Stan is joined once again by Pastors Caleb Howell (Howell Baptist), Branden Rogers (Midway Baptist), Lance Sudduth (Hurley Baptist), Malcolm Thorpe (Moselle Methodist Church), and Dean Box (Tanners Chapel). Together with over 140 years of combined ministry experience, the guys cover: advice on finding rest, feeding sheep, handling spiritual paraplegics, and much more! 

Other fun topics include: hunting, fish...