Pastors Unfiltered

Pastors Unfiltered features Dr. Brandon Beals and Pastor Tony Mattar from Venture Church.

Pastors Unfiltered is a religion podcast hosted by Venture Church, with 172 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Venture Church hosts Pastors Unfiltered, a religion show with 172 episodes published.

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  Pastors Unfiltered

  #172: God Is Stirring… But Will You Move?

  Oct 2, 20261h 4m

  Tony is back from vacation, and this week Pastors Unfiltered dives deeper into Venture’s Ruins to Revival series and the story of King Cyrus. Brandon and Tony talk about what it means when God stirs someone’s heart — and the reality that being stirred doesn’t automatically mean we’ll respond. While Cyrus responded to what God was doing, only a fraction of the Israelites were willing to leave the lives they had built and take the risk of returning to the Promised Land. That leads into a bigger conversation about risk, comfort, settling, church planting, and the moments when following God requires stepping into something uncertain. They reflect on risks they’ve taken in ministry, opportunities they didn’t take, and the tension between being grateful for what God has already done while still staying open to what He might be stirring next. They also revisit one of the defining moments in Venture’s history, when the future of the church building looked uncertain and a small room of people responded with extraordinary generosity — raising roughly $2 million in about 30 minutes. Plus, Tony shares stories from vacation, Brandon breaks down some surprising Pastors Unfiltered stats, they talk about ministry in Seattle, and things eventually get very unfiltered toward the end. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome Back to Pastors Unfiltered 00:40 – Did Brandon Ever Go to the Doctor? 02:00 – Tony Is Back From Vacation 03:15 – Why Are 30th Birthdays Such a Big Deal? 07:39 – Tony’s Ray-Ban Meta Glasses 09:10 – The Disney Shirt That Broke Brandon 10:16 – Tony’s Sister Has All the Hair 12:54 – Pastors Unfiltered Podcast Stats 16:32 – What Are We Talking About Today? 16:53 – God Can Use Anyone 18:00 – Can God Change Someone’s Heart? 20:33 – God Stirred Cyrus’ Heart 21:53 – Only a Fraction of Israel Returned 23:13 – When There’s No Risk, There’s No Story 25:39 – Being Stirred Doesn’t Mean You’ll Respond 26:01 – Watching People Turn Down God’s Invitation 26:48 – The Risks We Take Following God 28:12 – The Danger of Settling 29:18 – The Good Can Become the Enemy of the Best 30:06 – Has the American Church Become Too Comfortable? 31:24 – What Happens When God Starts Stirring Again? 33:55 – The Church Plant That Never Happened 35:21 – Holy Discontentment 36:45 – Why People Resist Change 39:13 – “I Want Heaven Crowded” 39:30 – Is God Stirring Everyone’s Heart? 40:16 – One Day to Feed the World 41:47 – What Do You Do With the Naysayers? 43:01 – New Opportunities for Churches in Seattle 47:15 – When Venture Almost Didn’t Make It 48:26 – $2 Million in 30 Minutes 49:14 – Watching the Holy Spirit Move Through Generosity 50:18 – The People Who Stayed 51:28 – Ministry on the Front Lines 54:24 – Brandon’s Upcoming Europe Trip 56:03 – Culture, Politics & Current Events 1:01:08 – Cyrus and Modern Political Leaders 1:03:19 – How Politically Diverse Is Venture? 1:03:36 – Closing

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  Pastors Unfiltered

  #171: Brandon Survived the Grand Canyon… Barely

  Sep 25, 20261 hour

  Tony is still on vacation, so Morgan Butcher joins Brandon for a very unfiltered episode! Brandon shares stories from spending four days completely off the grid while rafting through the Grand Canyon, including sleeping under the stars, traveling by helicopter, horseback and raft, and potentially getting bitten or stung by something in the middle of the night. That experience sparks a bigger conversation about why men need opportunities to disconnect, get outside, build real friendships and experience God through adventure. Brandon and Morgan also talk about Venture’s upcoming Men’s Retreat and the importance of shared experiences in creating meaningful community. Plus, Morgan shares about his new Seattle sports podcast, they debate the Mariners, Seahawks and Raiders, celebrate Venture Softball finally making the playoffs, and finish with what Morgan is reading, watching and listening to. Thanks for watching Pastors Unfiltered! Like, subscribe and share the episode. TIMESTAMPS 00:00 – Welcome to Pastors Unfiltered 01:07 – Brandon’s Grand Canyon rafting trip 03:07 – Morgan’s new Seattle Sports Dad Cast 06:07 – Finding someone to join the father-son trip 08:28 – Getting men outside so God can change the inside 09:29 – Brandon’s journey into the Grand Canyon 12:33 – Four days completely disconnected 15:05 – Should Venture do a Grand Canyon trip? 16:12 – Dallas becomes Morgan’s spiritual son 17:33 – The power of fathers speaking life over their sons 20:45 – Why men need to get outside 21:04 – Venture Men’s Retreat 22:27 – How shared experiences create real friendships 25:12 – Sleeping under the stars in the Grand Canyon 26:35 – Did Brandon get stung by a scorpion? 28:00 – ChatGPT tells Brandon to go to the ER 30:22 – Bat, snake or scorpion? 34:23 – Everyone secretly wanted a tent 34:59 – Venture needs an “Adventure Pastor” 35:26 – Venture Family Camp announcement 36:10 – Choir, Dallas and wedding talk 39:33 – What is wrong with the Mariners? 44:09 – Seahawks and Raiders talk 46:32 – The legendary Mariners game at Men’s Retreat 48:19 – Morgan’s family update 50:41 – Venture Softball finally makes the playoffs 53:51 – What are you reading? 56:00 – What are you watching? 57:01 – What are you listening to? 58:36 – Closing thoughts

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  Pastors Unfiltered

  #170: When Ministry Breaks You | with Dave Nelson

  Sep 18, 20261h 2m

  This week on Pastors Unfiltered, Tony and Pastor Brandon sit down with Dave Nelson, Lead Pastor of Timberlake Church, for an incredibly honest conversation about ministry, leadership, anxiety, burnout, marriage, and what happens when everything you’ve built suddenly feels like it’s falling apart. Dave shares how he sensed a call to ministry as a teenager, traveled with a speaker at just 15 years old, eventually planted a church in Wisconsin, and watched that church grow rapidly. After 15 years of pastoring, however, a season of instability hit. The church lost its meeting location, attendance and giving dropped, his family was going through major challenges, and the pressure began affecting every area of his life. Dave opens up about reaching a point of complete burnout, losing confidence in himself as a leader, struggling with anxiety, and watching that stress spill over into his marriage. He shares the moment his wife left the house during an argument, the church leaders who confronted him with love, and the counseling experience that became a turning point for both his marriage and his health. Brandon also shares his own experience with anxiety and burnout, and the conversation turns toward why pastors often feel pressure to appear strong, why leaders need people who will tell them the truth, and what healthy rhythms can look like after walking through burnout. Dave shares how hiking, friendships, counseling, and reducing his preaching schedule have helped him recognize warning signs before they become another crisis. They also wrestle with vulnerability in leadership. How honest should a pastor be with their church? Can people follow a leader who admits they’re struggling? And what does it look like to lead authentically without pretending everything is okay? And before all of that, Tony and Brandon somehow find time to talk about church buildings becoming coffee shops, AI taking over the world, Harvard classes, Seattle politics, a potential trip to the White House, Raiders football, and why the Pastors Unfiltered puppet may already be retired. Timestamps 0:00 Welcome to Pastors Unfiltered 0:32 Raiders, Seahawks & Brandon’s New Church Admin 1:43 Revival Weekend in Seattle 2:23 Pastor Di Talks Herself Out of a Speaking Gig 3:30 Leaving Church Refreshed 4:07 The Seattle Church Building Drama 5:19 Losing Church Buildings in Western Washington 6:03 Doom Scrolling & Churches Becoming Coffee Shops 7:09 Why Churches Won’t Sell Buildings to Other Churches 8:10 AI, Technology & the Church 9:17 Brandon’s Upcoming Prayer Trip 10:05 Brandon Goes to Harvard… Kind Of 11:03 AI Pastors & the Future of Ministry 12:19 Terminator, Skynet & Seattle Politics 14:14 Tony’s Potential White House Opportunity 15:49 Becoming Known for One Issue 17:02 Introducing Dave Nelson 18:39 What Does Timberlake Mean? 19:15 Timberlake’s Three Campuses 19:34 Dave’s Family 20:38 Feeling Called to Ministry at 15 21:08 Traveling With a Pastor as a Teenager 21:45 Preaching at 17 Years Old 22:56 From Wisconsin to Ministry School 23:45 Early Ministry Salaries 24:38 Planting a Church in Wisconsin 25:08 Dave’s Connection to Timberlake 27:02 Launching With 623 People 27:27 Reaching 1,000 in the First Year 28:09 Growing a Church to 1,500 28:31 When Everything Started Falling Apart 29:17 Attendance & Giving Collapse 29:41 “I Felt Like a Loser” 30:02 Burnout Starts Affecting Everything 30:25 When You Can’t Even Preach 31:03 “It’s a Fire Shut Up in My Bones” 31:21 The Importance of Momentum in Church Planting 32:10 Family Crisis on Top of Ministry Crisis 32:53 Dave & Brandon Discover Their Shared Anxiety Stories 33:14 Pastors Struggle Too 34:12 When Preaching Triggers Anxiety 35:37 Walking Back Into the Hardest Season 36:26 Losing Confidence as a Leader 37:03 Stress Begins Affecting Dave’s Marriage 37:41 Dave Opens Up About His Behavior at Home 38:24 The Night His Wife Said “I’m Done” 38:58 Showing Up to Church the Next Morning 39:17 “We Don’t Judge You” 39:38 “You Need Help” 40:15 The Counseling Trip That Changed Everything 41:08 Facing the Things He Had Said 41:54 Learning Better Habits 42:21 Finding Jesus in the Darkest Moment 43:22 Healing Wasn’t Instant 43:39 “Our Marriage Is the Best It’s Ever Been” 44:06 How Long Did It Take to Feel Normal Again? 44:30 “We Want a Healthy Pastor” 44:47 The Phone Call That Changed Dave’s Perspective 45:46 “Your Marriage Would Be a Disaster Too” 46:17 Support Without Excusing the Behavior 47:00 Why Don’t Pastors Talk About Anxiety? 47:41 Thinking You’ll Never Lead the Same Again 48:25 Brandon Finds His Confidence Again During COVID 49:02 Recognizing Anxiety Triggers 49:48 Brandon’s Mandatory Month Off 50:58 Dave’s Healthy Rhythms 51:18 Preaching Only 60% of the Year 52:13 Telling the Church You’re Burned Out 52:49 How Vulnerable Should a Pastor Be? 53:07 Brandon’s Experience Sharing His Anxiety Story 53:32 Refusing to Fake Leadership 54:31 Vulnerability vs. Perceived Strength 55:16 The Pastor as the Hero 55:44 Being Completely Yourself 56:20 “How Do You Know God Is Speaking?” 56:54 Ministry in the Seattle Area 57:43 The Three Questions 58:04 What Dave Is Listening To 58:46 What Dave Is Watching 59:26 What Dave Is Reading 1:00:05 Finding Fresh Vision 1:00:26 Tony’s Book on Prayer 1:01:02 The Puppet Almost Returns 1:01:30 Closing Thoughts 1:01:52 Jesus Is the Hope of the World

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  Pastors Unfiltered

  #169:Should Tony be on vacation?

  Sep 11, 202655 min

  Tony, PB, and Brandon are keeping it casual and talking about life in ministry, relationships, vacations, weddings, social media, and what it actually looks like to be a healthy pastor and church. Topics discussed - Social media & the pastor’s inner circle Taking a break from Instagram and only watching instead of posting How social media can shape our idea of friendship and community The difference between ministry friends and genuine friendships Asking: “Who am I inviting to Revival Night?” - Wedding season stories Tony reflecting on wedding season coming to an end Falling asleep during a wedding toast PB’s Russian wedding story Rachel & Claire’s wedding Stories and memories from past weddings Pastors, therapy & vacation Tony’s famous “I don’t go on vacay” mentality Why pastors can struggle with guilt when taking time off The pressure to always be available The importance of pastors actually resting and taking vacations How a pastor’s constant presence can actually point to an unhealthy church culture How available should pastors be? How available should a lead pastor realistically be to their church? Being relational without being constantly accessible Knowing when something is mission-critical Leading through vision and mission, rather than trying to personally handle everything You don’t have to be the hero “Not everyone needs to love you.” Why pastors need to release the need to receive all the credit Empowering others instead of doing everything yourself Raising up leaders and sending them out Healthy church leadership Giving staff opportunities to lead Developing leaders instead of creating dependence Building a church where ministry doesn’t revolve around one person Learning to be yourself as a leader Not allowing every outside voice to determine who you are or what you do

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  Pastors Unfiltered

  #168: Jenni Waldron You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone

  Sep 4, 202648 min

  This week on Pastors Unfiltered, Tony and Pastor Brandon sit down with Jenny Waldron from New Life Kitsap, where she serves as the church’s Multiplication Lead and Teaching Lead and is helping prepare the church to launch new campuses. Jenny shares her journey from graphic design and creative ministry into pastoral leadership, how she wrestled with feeling disqualified, and what it looked like to eventually say yes to the calling God had placed on her life. She also opens up about growing up as a pastor’s kid, becoming a female pastor, and the support her husband has given her throughout that journey. The conversation goes deep into healthy leadership, burnout, developing teams, vulnerability, weakness, and resilience. Jenny shares how watching her dad burn out in ministry shaped her conviction that ministry was never meant to be done alone, and why great leaders have to learn how to give things away and raise up other people. They also talk about the pressure pastors feel to prove themselves, the temptation to build influence, and why intimacy with Jesus and who we are becoming matters more than public success. And of course, it wouldn’t be Pastors Unfiltered without Mariners frustration, generational stereotypes, questionable childhood stories, fantasy books, ADHD, and plenty of chaos along the way. Timestamps 0:00 Welcome to Pastors Unfiltered 0:31 Recording On Location 0:59 Venture Staff Retreat Chaos 1:41 Brandon and David’s Disagreement 2:00 Working Through Conflict 2:48 Seahawks Hard Knocks 4:00 Brandon’s Failed Predictions 5:31 The Mariners Need a Miracle 6:35 Tony’s Seabrook Vacation 7:16 Brandon’s Staff Retreat Moped Story 8:33 Introducing Jenny Waldron 9:12 Jenny’s Journey to New Life 9:59 Dating as an Evangelism Strategy 11:28 Jenny’s Role at New Life Kitsap 12:02 A Vision to Launch Five New Campuses 12:29 Church Job Titles Are Weird 13:02 Jenny Has Done Almost Every Church Job 14:10 From Graphic Designer to Leader 15:06 When Someone Else Is Better Than You 15:19 Jenny’s Call Into Pastoral Ministry 16:00 “I’ve Called You to Bring Fresh Water With Your Words” 16:37 Leadership Was Always in Her 17:20 Feeling Disqualified 18:02 Growing Up as a Baptist Pastor’s Kid 18:29 Wrestling With Women in Ministry 19:07 Saying Yes to the Call 19:46 Her Husband’s Support 20:21 Watching Her Dad Burn Out in Ministry 21:07 “We Were Not Made to Do It by Ourselves” 21:22 Why Jenny Develops Leaders 22:21 The Old Model of Doing Everything Yourself 23:09 Why So Many Pastors Burn Out 23:30 Knowing What You’re Actually Good At 24:11 Brandon’s Early Ministry Learning Curve 25:03 Brandon Tries to Become a Worship Leader 25:33 “Lay Down the Guitar” 26:12 What’s the Guitar in Your Leadership? 26:34 Giving Things Away to Better Leaders 27:04 Vulnerability and Weakness in Ministry 27:29 Jenny’s Shame, Grace & Resilience Class 28:06 Facing Weakness to Become a Better Leader 28:35 The Pressure to Be Everything 29:09 Why Resilience Matters in Ministry 29:51 Trying to Prove Yourself 30:10 Learning to Lead a Quiet Life 30:55 Jesus Cares About Who We Are in Him 31:24 Calling vs. Intimacy With Jesus 31:40 Staying Connected to People Outside the Church 32:37 The Doors God Opens When You Slow Down 33:00 Ministry, Marriage & Raising Kids 34:04 What Jenny Would Change About Her Early Leadership 34:42 Pastor Culture and “Show Off Time” 36:02 Gen Z Pastors and Vulnerability 37:17 The Millennial Debate 37:49 Jenny’s Montana Story 38:25 Cow Tipping and Questionable Childhood Decisions 39:17 The Three Questions 39:39 What Jenny Is Reading 40:31 ADHD and “Now It All Makes Sense” 41:14 Body Doubling 41:53 The ADHD Tax 42:24 What Jenny Is Watching 42:42 More Mariners Frustration 43:29 Ted Lasso 44:05 What Jenny Does for Fun 44:24 15 Years of Mariners Season Tickets 44:59 The Dream MLB Stadium Road Trip 46:06 Baseball, Books & the Good Life 46:23 Closing Thoughts 46:36 Wrap Up 46:59 Jesus Is the Hope of the World 47:30 Raiders Roll

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