Trench Talk

Practical Shepherding is a Gospel-driven resource center for pastors and church leaders to equip them in the practical matters of pastoral ministry. In this podcast, pastor Brian Croft sits down with other pastors to discuss the gritty details of pastoral ministry. Our goal is to examine the life and work of a pastor and give helpful guidance for our brothers laboring with us. This is a podcast by pastors for pastors. We are in the trenches of ministry with you, and we want to equip you to continue in this task.

Trench Talk is a religion podcast hosted by Practical Shepherding, with 300 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Practical Shepherding hosts Trench Talk, a religion show with 300 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Trench Talk

  Ep. 334: Discerning the care of Weaker Sheep

  Sep 1, 202634 min

  Join us September 10-11 for the Advancing the Church Equip Conference! Contact us. We’d love to serve you Give financially to support the work of helping pastors thrive Write a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify (02:09) Setting up the conversation—1 Thessalonians 5:14 and Categories in the Church (04:00) Metaphor: Buckets with Holes vs. Buckets with Solid Bottoms (07:19) Identifying the Weak, Faint‑Hearted, and Idle (09:01) Dangers of Ignoring or Being Consumed by Weak Sheep (11:16) When Investment Bears Fruit vs. Feels Wasted (14:21) Admonish, Encourage, Help – Three Pastoral Approaches (18:27) Setting Boundaries and Bringing Others into Care (21:50) Non‑Compliance, Coddling, and Loving Admonishment (25:08) Life‑Giving vs. Life‑Draining Meetings for Pastors (29:00) Distinguishing Truly Weak from Resistant and Bitter (31:24) Final Exhortations, Two Quotes from Mentors, and Closing Prayer

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Trench Talk

  Ep. 333: Advancing the Church Conference (Equip 2026)

  Aug 25, 202630 min

  Purchase tickets to Equip 2026 using discount code: MSD50 to get 50% off ! (01:45) Coalition Ministries Introduced (Mile One, 20 Schemes, Church in Hard Places, Practical Shepherding) (04:00) Mile One Mission & Newfoundland Context (06:30) 20 Schemes: Church Planting & Revitalization in Scotland’s Schemes (08:30) Church in Hard Places: Global Training for Indigenous Leaders (11:00) Why a Coalition? Shared Theology, Hard Places, and Cooperation (13:10) What Makes This Conference Different (Equipping Focus & Non‑Celebrity Speakers) (15:00) Main Sessions in Titus: Building Robust Leadership Pipelines (17:00) Working Together Across Contexts: “Landing the Plane in Different Airfields” (19:00) Exhibitors & Partners: Curated Ministries, Not Vendor Hall (21:30) Equipping Tracks Overview: Church Planting, Revitalization, Missions (24:00) Biblical Counseling Track: Addiction, Abuse, and Local Church Care (26:00) Additional Tracks: Women, Men, and Expository Preaching (28:00) Pricing, Group Rates, and Discount Code: MSD50 (30:00) Friendship, Cooperation, and the Need for Pastoral Companionship (32:00) Invitation to Attend & Closing Prayer for the Conference

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Trench Talk

  Ep. 332: Caring for pastors wives and pastors kids with Bethel Webb

  Aug 11, 202635 min

  Contact us. We’d love to serve you Request a stay at a Shepherd’s H ou se Location Give financially to s upport the wo rk of helping pastors thrive Writ e a revie w on Apple Podcasts o r Spotify Find out more about the Adva ncin g the Church Equip Conference taking place September 10-11, 2026 in New Albany, IN. (01:45) Introducing Bethel Webb & Practical Shepherding Women (03:15) Bethel’s Background in the Philippines & Ministry Family (06:15) Call to Counseling & Move to Southern Seminary (08:15) Connecting with Kara Croft & Joining Practical Shepherding (10:25) Two Types of Pastors’ Wives (11:50) The Deep Struggle of Isolation for Pastors’ Wives (15:00) Finding a Place in the Church & Expectations (17:30) Cultural Differences in Expectations of Pastors’ Wives (19:15) Global Patterns & Unique Church Contexts (20:55) Three Pillars of the Women’s Ministry: Care, Content, Cohorts (23:00) Counseling, Writing, and Upcoming Book Studies (24:45) Global Cohorts & Safe Spaces for Pastors’ Wives (26:45) Mentoring Pastors’ Wives & Need for Seasoned Leaders (29:00) Challenges Facing Pastors’ Kids & Deconstruction (31:15) Giving PKs Freedom, Voice, and Honest Conversation (32:43) Final word and Prayer

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Trench Talk

  Ep. 331: Is seminary necessary for pastors?

  Jul 21, 202639 min

  Contact us. We’d love to serve you Grow in your ministry preparation through the FREE Practically Trained Pastors Cohort. Give financially to support the work of helping pastors thrive Write a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Resources (03:20) Framing the Question: Do Pastors Need Seminary? (05:10) Biblical Foundations for Training (06:50) How Seminaries Assumed the Training Role (07:27) Jim’s Training Story: Church-Based “Seminary” (10:00) Brian’s Training Story: Mentors & “Informal M.Div.” (13:15) Serving at Southern Seminary Without a Seminary Degree (15:45) So, Is Seminary Required? Global & Historical Perspective (18:30) Who Really Needs Seminary? Denominations, Missions, Teaching (21:45) Credentials and Closed Doors (23:30) Seminary as Structure, Deadlines, and Motivation (26:05) The “Educational Bubble,” Enrollment Decline, & Competition (28:10) Tension: “You Need the Church” vs. “You Really Need Us” (29:40) Encouraging Smaller, Church-Connected Seminaries (31:15) Alternative Pathways & Practical Shepherding Cohorts (32:40) Encouragement to Non‑Seminary Pastors (34:45) Pastors, Don’t Outsource Training Your Men (37:10) Final Word & Prayer

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Trench Talk

  Ep. 330: When pastors should or should not defend themselves

  Jul 14, 202635 min

  Contact us. We’d love to serve you Request a stay at a Shepherd’s House Location Give financially to support the work of helping pastors thrive Write a review on Apple Podcasts or Spotify Find out more about the Advancing the Church Equip Conference taking place September 10-11, 2026 in New Albany, IN. (01:45) Biblical Framework: when should/shouldn’t pastors defend themselves? (03:40) Biblical tension: Jesus’ silence vs. Paul’s self-defense; key NT texts (06:55) Proposed “template”: personal slights vs. ministerial slander; online smear story (09:35) Important caveat: abuse, real guilt, and not helping guilty pastors “defend” themselves (10:28) Clear cases to defend: disqualifying accusations (false romantic relationship story) (13:09) Private vs. public accusations; defending against allegations of illegal activity (15:05) Accusations of heresy and doctrinal error; how and why to respond (19:18) How to defend without being defensive: tone, frequency, and using elders/outside counsel (23:26) When not to defend: social media critique (“cesspool of wokeness”) and letting it go (25:39) Critiques of preaching style/length and why not to publicly “answer from the pulpit” (28:23) Lifestyle criticisms: vacations, cars, “nice things,” and unnecessary self-justification (31:10) Vacation time example: fear of criticism and the paralysis of people-pleasing (33:21) Don’t chase gossip; when silence is wiser than trying to correct every rumor (34:12) Final counsel: humility, prayer, seeking counsel; closing prayer

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Trench Talk. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.