Rev. Randy Jackson, Part 3: Pastors United in Prayer

12/06/19 • 27 min

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.
There are many reasons why pastors don’t hang out together: busyness, theological differences, fatigue, and even ego. But, as Randy and Adam discuss in this episode, praying with others in ministry doesn’t just help unify the church – it helps safeguard pastors against the Enemy’s lies.
Although Randy only (typically) attends his prayer group twice a month, it makes enough of a tangible change in his life that his wife encourages his participation. One of the main benefits of this time is being able to share the struggles, responsibilities, and experiences that only other pastors can empathize with. This is the key to dealing with what Randy calls the “satanic” tactic of isolation, making pastors believe they’re alone or that they can or should be self-sufficient in ministry.
Listen in to this episode to hear more about Randy’s fellowship with other pastors as well as an illustration from Adam on how prayer groups can be effective for all believers.

About Adam Whitescarver

Adam is passionate about seeing God’s people possess vibrant prayer lives to help them make a difference in the sphere of influence God has given them. In ministry since 2001, Adam enjoys his family, teaching, singing, and reading a myriad of subjects. He and his wife, Stephanie, live in North GA with their four children.

Jump Through the Conversation:

[1:18] More on prison ministry
- The call and obligation to prison ministry
- Church planting as prevention
[5:55] Why Randy makes time for prayer with other pastors
- Encouraged by wife
- Shared struggles and experiences
[10:17] Why it’s important to Randy’s wife
[10:44] Getting to know other pastors
[12:19] Why it’s important for pastors to pray together
- Some experiences are unique to pastors
- Refreshed perspective towards ministry
- Helps with burnout and depression
[15:26] How this small time investment impacts Randy’s life
[17:29] Randy’s advice to other pastors
- Importance of community
- “Lifeguard fellowship”
[20:06] Differences in denominations don’t matter
[22:20] Dealing with issues on a spiritual level
[24:27] Adam’s closing thoughts about the importance of praying together

Links and Resources:

A Beautiful Church website
Chattanooga House of Prayer website
Give today
Grace PCA website

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

About Adam Whitescarver

Jump Through the Conversation:

[1:18] More on prison ministry
- The call and obligation to prison ministry
- Church planting as prevention
[5:55] Why Randy makes time for prayer with other pastors
- Encouraged by wife
- Shared struggles and experiences
[10:17] Why it’s important to Randy’s wife
[10:44] Getting to know other pastors
[12:19] Why it’s important for pastors to pray together
- Some experiences are unique to pastors
- Refreshed perspective towards ministry
- Helps with burnout and depression
[15:26] How this small time investment impacts Randy’s life
[17:29] Randy’s advice to other pastors
- Importance of community
- “Lifeguard fellowship”
[20:06] Differences in denominations don’t matter
[22:20] Dealing with issues on a spiritual level
[24:27] Adam’s closing thoughts about the importance of praying together

Links and Resources:

A Beautiful Church website
Chattanooga House of Prayer website
Give today
Grace PCA website

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Previous Episode

Rev. Randy Jackson, Part 2: Prison Ministry

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.
You’re probably familiar with churches that offer several worship times or have multiple campuses, but what about a church that holds services in a prison? In this episode, Randy and Adam wrap up their discussion about diversity, and Randy talks about Grace PCA’s prison ministry.
As explained in the last episode, Grace’s congregants come from different backgrounds, and that includes incarcerated persons. Randy oversees a weekly church service at Walker State Prison and has helped several prisoners become members of Grace. Although prison ministry isn’t easy, Randy stresses its importance in light of Jesus’ admonishments to care for those who are incarcerated.
Listen in to this episode to find out the differences between jails and prisons and to hear more about PCA’s prison ministry.
About Adam Whitescarver

Jump Through the Conversation:

[0:50] Why understanding other cultures is emotionally and spiritually demanding
[3:48] How the diversity at Grace affects opinions on immigration
[6:55] Incarcerated members of Grace
[7:35] The challenge of ministering to incarcerated persons
- Cultural pervasiveness of Christianity has changed
- PCA’s Metanoia Prison Ministry
[9:49] The important differences between jails and prisons
[13:17] Advice to a church wanting to minister in a county jail
[13:57] Church services at Walker State Prison
[14:58] Membership and prison ministry
- Denominational issues
- How prisoners play an active role in ministry
[19:34] Awareness about prisoners in the church body

Links and Resources:

A Beautiful Church website
Chattanooga House of Prayer website
Give today
Grace PCA website

Thanks for listening! Don’t forget to subscribe! If you like what you heard, please leave a review on iTunes and share what you liked about the show.

Next Episode

Rev. Randy Jackson, Part 4: Racial Reconciliation

The mission of this podcast is to highlight the beauty and diversity of God’s Church – both in Chattanooga and the Church at large.
Intentionally – that’s the word Randy uses to describe how racial reconciliation should be handled in churches. In this episode, Randy shares a gracious and constructive perspective on how racial and cultural biases manifest in churches and how to address with them.
Although it may seem obvious that racial reconciliation deserves attention, as Randy points out, humans are more inclined to stick with what’s familiar to them – people who are similar, ideas and opinions that have been handed down – than to address problems or include someone who’s different. That’s why churches, business, and individuals have to be intentional in order to deal with racial and cultural issues. This involves confronting prejudices and consulting or hiring people outside of the dominant culture.
Listen in to this episode to learn about areas where churches can confuse white culture and Christian culture and to hear Randy talk about the responsibility of churches to reflect their surrounding communities.

About Adam Whitescarver

Jump Through the Conversation:

[1:05] People have to intentionally focus on racial reconciliation
- Question about pastoral titles
- People tend to group together
[5:22] Importance of a church reflecting the demographic of its community, congregationally and pastorally
[9:41] The PCA’s Reconciliation Justice standing committee
[11:26] Dealing with (white) cultural standards in churches
[13:16] What to do if your church is lacking in representation
[15:01] Inherited/subconscious views of people in authority
[17:32] The celebratory feature of African American church culture

Links and Resources: