Join Pastor Jared Townley and Principal Derek Blessing from Lamb of God Lutheran Church and School, Las Vegas. Delve into discussions on faith, scripture, and the unique challenges of ministry in a desert city, all while connecting with a community centered on the love of Jesus.
066: Strategic Planning : From Vision Frame to Long-Range Goals and One-Year Focus
In this episode, we continue a “part two” conversation on strategic planning at Lamb of God after completing the first phase of building a vision frame (mission, values, strategies, and outcomes). Special guest Leah Abel reflects on enjoying the church’s people, openness, and collaborative culture, noting the church is in a season of change with a younger pastor and a strong leadership partnership. We discuss how our strategic planning group wrestled most with revising a long-used, spoken-together mission statement and clarifying strategies, while valuing open disagreement and an “80/100” consensus rule. Our conversation then outlines the next planning phase: setting a 5–10 year long-range vision, identifying 18–36 month priorities, choosing a one-year “all-play” focus for the whole congregation, assigning champions, and establishing rhythms to prevent the plan from becoming a binder on a shelf, while remembering plans may change when crises arise.
00:00 Welcome Back in Vegas
00:08 Metallica Travel Chat
00:44 Part Two Setup
01:39 Scheduling Follow Ups
03:01 Reflections
06:07 Blank Canvas Next Steps
08:29 Past Planning Attempts
11:39 Why This Process Works
18:34 Hardest Part Mission Shift
27:14 Next Phase Long Range Vision
28:37 Dream Bigger Horizons
29:29 Layered Vision Framework
30:31 One Year All Play
31:11 Home Church Example
34:26 Goals Like Mountains
42:57 Consensus And 80/100
45:21 After Planning Execution
46:40 Champions And Rhythms
50:48 Post Plan Pitfalls
52:51 Language Sparks Stories
56:03 Dreaming With God
59:32 Not By Might & Wrap Up
Thank you for joining us around the well that is Jesus! Be sure to tune in every Friday to catch the latest from us here at 'Desert Well'! You can also find this episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/hizbPmwlFCQ and Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/desert-well/id1823028492 (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/desert-well/id1823028492). We will see you next week!
25 Sept 2026
064:Pastor Scott Snow on Retirement, Grandparenting, and Passing On the Faith
In an in-person conversation recorded around Grandparents’ Day, Pastor Scott Snow returns to reflect on the transition into retirement after decades of ministry, noting it still feels like vacation because he continues to preach, officiate weddings, and assist with funerals, while also enjoying new freedom to travel, visit family, and camp in his travel trailer. The discussion turns to “passing on the faith,” emphasizing prayer before and after children are born, praying with them, and creating an everyday atmosphere where the Holy Spirit works through lived example—consistent worship, family devotions, and faith-shaped routines. We address discouragement when children drift from faith, encouraging continued prayer and hope in God’s promises and baptism. Pastor Snow shares practical ways churches can equip parents, including adult-involved confirmation, modeling prayer, and providing devotional resources, while stressing intentional priorities amid competing activities.
00:00 Welcome Back
00:50 Retirement Transition
02:33 Travel And Camper Life
05:58 Helping In Ministry
08:05 Mentoring New Pastors
11:17 Learning On The Job
14:25 Passing On Faith
15:55 Prayer And Example
18:57 Worship And Devotions
25:17 Faith Is Caught
27:10 Faith Is Caught
27:38 Kids Copy Worship
29:13 When Kids Walk Away
32:23 Grandparents Matter
34:21 Season Conversations
36:24 Prepare The Field
38:16 Church And School Role
41:57 Equipping Parents Practically
46:32 Modeling Messy Devotions
48:26 Making Faith Priority
53:05 Balancing Sports And Church
56:50 Mentors And Lifelong Learning
01:00:32 Final Prayer And Wrap
Thank you for joining us around the well that is Jesus! Be sure to check back every Friday to hear the latest from us here at 'Desert Well'! You can also find this week's episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/7tyRO4c5jJU and Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/desert-well/id1823028492. We will see you next week!
11 Sept 2026
062: Faith, Works, and Assurance: Lutheran Clarity on James, Justification, and Sanctification
This week we discuss the role of good works in the Christian life, especially for Lutherans who often emphasize salvation by grace through faith. We explore common misunderstandings—trusting personal effort or moral history for assurance—and wrestle with James’ teaching that “faith without works is dead,” using excerpts from the Lutheran Study Bible and the Apology to the Augsburg Confession to argue that works do not merit forgiveness but necessarily flow from living faith. We distinguish justification (God’s once-for- all declaration of forgiveness through Christ) from sanctification (a lifelong process in which good works emerge), and read the Formula of Concord on good works, addressing tensions around necessity, freedom, motivation, intentional sin, and the guiding “third use” of the law for Christian living.
00:26 Will My Faith Endure
02:01 God Cries Not Angry
04:31 Works And Assurance Tension
06:03 FCA Heaven Question
07:47 Why Talk Works Today
10:43 James And Hard Passages
11:10 Study Bible And Concord Quote
16:57 Living Faith Produces Works
18:26 Two Slippery Extremes
22:26 Justification Versus Sanctification
27:34 Husband Forgiveness Analogy
28:40 Growth Means More Dependence
30:25 Opening The Next Section
30:41 Formula of Concord Tour
32:32 Good Works Controversy
35:52 Affirmative Thesis Reading
40:08 Obligated Yet Free
46:09 Negative Thesis Rejections
49:49 Third Use of Law
53:05 Boundaries and Discipline
57:49 Wrap Up and Reflections
Thank you for joining us around the well that is Jesus! Be sure to tune in every Friday to catch the latest from us here at 'Desert Well'! You can also find this week's episode on YouTube https://youtu.be/N7KuBU-fuss and Apple Podcasts https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/desert-well/id1823028492. We will see you next week!
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