Uncategorized Archives - Helping Churches Thrive

What In The World Did We Expect?

March 3, 2021 By Brian Thorstad

Having the right expectations really matters. Just think about the expectations with which you entered into: High School College Marriage Your spouse’s extended family Your first full-time job Many American Christians are reeling right now because of their expectations. They thought that the unusual (from a historical perspective) conditions which we had in America for […]

A Christmas Story

December 26, 2023 By Brian Thorstad

Christmas of 1978 was turning out to be a tough one. My dad had died suddenly in April. My wife Donna had been “found to be with child” in September; bad news at first, but we got over it quickly, suspecting, in fact, that Donna was “with” 2 children, not just one. As fall fell, […]

Welcome Home! Meeting The Assimilation Challenges of 2024, Part Two

January 10, 2024 By Brian Thorstad

I hope you like the “horror” genre, because I have an assimilation horror story for you: A pastor friend of mine was visiting a congregation which was joyfully celebrating the ordination of the young man who was about to become his associate pastor. During the service, the pastor announced that there would be a potluck […]

Pastoral Succession: “Nailing” The Handoff

December 17, 2025 By Brian Thorstad

Good handoffs can be hugely important. Witness the muffed handoffs that happen on the football field every week. Then there’s the infamous story of the 4X100 meter men’s relay at the 2008 Olympic games, when the American team – expected to win the event handily – literally dropped the baton on a handoff. In the […]

I wanted to send you an update. We are two years removed from your [comprehensive assessment] visit to us. Half the church is 18-30 years old. We are reaching a wide array of hurting people. The Lord has been kind to us! We have more ministry than we know what to do with. Thanks again for all you did for us! We have a really great church!
Pastor Josh Brown

I am so grateful to God for Brian, his ministry, and his friendship. As a result of his assessment and coaching, my church has experienced unmistakable, God-given renewal. We are increasingly living out our church's mission which is to love and glorify God by making disciples of Jesus Christ. This is clearly showing in terms of spiritual depth (i.e. more people are maturing as Christian disciples) and spiritual width (i.e. more people are becoming Christian disciples). Our communication is clearer, our structure is stronger, our leadership development process is better, our facility stewardship is more proactive, and our cultural mindset is now set on eagerly advancing the kingdom of God. I strongly recommend the Church Whisperer to you.

Pastor Darin Kirkman

I wanted to let you know that we have really made some huge changes in the last few months. We are seeing new people every week and we had a leadership meeting with 23 in attendance. Pastor ______ is doing well and God is doing amazing things. Thanks for your support, prayers and love for the church!
Elder Jim

...thank you for your messages at [our church] over the past weeks. I just started going to _____________ while you were there and hadn't been to church in decades. Your messages kept me coming back... Thank you for helping me find my way back to God.
A New Church-Goer

"Brian is an experienced and insightful investigator of church systems. He has real skill in looking at and diagnosing some areas needing attention. I benefited greatly from his insight. As a result, our church is benefiting greatly. The process Brian took us through gave it the encouragement it needed to begin coming out of the 2020 difficulties. We will work on the insights Brian provided as a roadmap back to better health."
Pastor Trey Turner

I've appreciated so much Brian's very practical coaching as he's guided me and the leadership of our church as we've sought to become more effective for God's kingdom. His extensive experience in assisting churches navigate a variety of issues makes him highly qualified to help lead churches through congregational change.
Pastor Greg Lund

"Our church is extremely grateful for the insight, adaptability and wisdom Brian so graciously contributed to our needs as we transitioned. Our pastor transition was from Father to Son, which is by definition, difficult. Yet Brian was able to foresee issues, feelings and responses with high accuracy. Brian is personable, yet can direct when he needs to help us be reasonable and vision-oriented."

Pastor Bruce Jahnke

I had the privilege of co leading a pastor’s training group with Brian. Brian’s wealth of knowledge and practical experience was an asset to all of us. The interaction with the group and the relationships built was a great value. I highly recommend having Brian facilitate a group to provide invaluable resources and practical knowledge.
Andy Shanholtz

Leadership development within cohorts and peer groups has become increasingly popular, and rightfully so. Being involved in Brian’s leadership training group allowed me the opportunity to work through challenges, develop strengths and learn from both reading and peer development.

Pastor Jed Manders

"I have been so privileged and encouraged to be ministered to by Brian Thorstad as I have served as an Interim Pastor here in central Wisconsin.  He has been such a help and encouragement to me and especially, to this church I have served - Faith Community Church of Waupaca.  His leadership in helping us develop the “Journey Wall” enabled us to look back on the church’s history, the high points as well as the difficulties faced, especially in recent years.   Brian has helped FCC recover from a very difficult time…  Brian was such an encouragement to us, especially in the early months of recovery and preparation."
Pastor Mark Pitroff

“I enjoyed getting to know the guys in the group [and] I appreciated the thought, mind and spiritual challenges presented… I found many things that I was able to immediately apply, and I am still developing next steps that much of the discussion and training of this class helped to build a foundation for. [The handouts on strategic planning] will continue to be helpful in trying to guide our church to being more intentional. This [was] exactly what I was looking for at exactly the time I needed it.”
Pastor Dan Norman

"This course showed me that I, as a solo pastor, have to do things that don’t come naturally to me and has given me some tools to do the hard things.”
Pastor Steven Boyd

“I found value in our meetings and am grateful you invited me to be part of it as a ‘future senior pastor.’ I enjoyed being able to be part of the conversations and glean from those beyond me. Thanks for your leadership with the group and your heart for pastors!”
Pastor Brian Schley

"It was a privilege to have been a part of a pastors group led by Brian Thorstad. It's always great to learn from other pastors, and someone needs to provide leadership to make that happen. I'm thankful that Brian was willing to do that, and to share from both his successes and failures in ministry. He's honest, humble, and cares about people."
Pastor Todd Sauve

"*" indicates required fields

What In The World Did We Expect?

A Christmas Story

Welcome Home! Meeting The Assimilation Challenges of 2024, Part Two

Pastoral Succession: “Nailing” The Handoff

Testimonials

Brian A. Thorstad

Testimonials

<img class="size-medium wp-image-573 aligncenter" src="https://helpingchurchesthrive.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/home-300x300.jpg" alt="" width="300" height="300" />

Brian A. Thorstad