Bart Blair shares five essential books to help church leaders grow in their ministry and guide their churches toward greater health and vitality in 2026. Whether you're in revitalization, replanting, or simply seeking to lead more effectively, these books offer practical wisdom and biblical foundations for lasting change.

• Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and all major podcast platforms

• New episodes release on the 1st and 15th of each month

Lead Pastor at Beulah Baptist Church in Edmonton, Alberta

Subtitle: How Churches Can Equip the Saints to Do the Work of Ministry

Key Takeaway

Every church has discipleship-related systems (classes, programs, models), but not all have an integrated discipleship pathway where systems work together to move people toward spiritual maturity.

Featured Quote

"I have found that every church has discipleship-related systems, but not every church has a discipleship pathway. Essentially, any sort of class, model, or program can be seen as a discipleship-related system. However, it's only when all these systems are working together in an interconnected fashion (instead of working in isolation) that you get a discipleship pathway—a system of systems."

Why This Book Matters

• Moves beyond theory to practical systems

• Helps integrate disconnected programs into a cohesive pathway

• Based on real-world church implementation

Subtitle: Intimate, Nimble, Authentic, and Influential

Key Takeaway

Small churches have unique strengths—intimacy, agility, and authenticity—that should be leveraged as advantages rather than viewed as limitations to overcome.

Featured Quote

"A strategically small church is not a large church that hasn't grown yet. It's a church that has intentionally chosen its size because it believes that's the best way to accomplish its mission in its community."

Why This Book Matters

• Challenges the "bigger is better" mentality

• Gives permission to churches to define success on their own terms

• Helpful for replants and churches seeking to find their identity

Subtitle: The World Is Smaller Than You Think

Key Concept: The Oikos

The ancient Greek word "oikos" refers to your natural network of relationships—family, friends, neighbors, coworkers, and acquaintances. God has already placed 8-15 of these people in your everyday world as your primary mission field.

Key Takeaway

Most people come to faith through close relational influence, not programs or events. Share Christ naturally over time with the people God has already placed in your life.

Practical Steps

• Pray for these 8-15 people by name

• Build intentional relationships

• Share Christ naturally

Why This Book Matters

• Equips every believer (not just pastors) to be an evangelist

• Shifts focus from programs to personal relationships

• Multiplies evangelism and disciple-making through natural ne...

Creating Space for Every Child in Your Church. In this powerful episode, host Bart Blair, Director of Church Revitalization for Assist Church Expansion, sits down with seasoned occupational therapist Amanda Perches to unpack practical and affordable ways every church—no matter the size—can become a welcoming space for children with special needs and their families.

Are you a church leader, pastor, or ministry volunteer hoping your congregation can better serve families affected by autism, ADHD, sensory processing differences, or other neurodiversities? Are you searching for real, tried-and-true methods to establish special needs ministry, start a sensory room, and foster a culture of inclusion in your faith community? This is the episode for you!

Key Topics Covered:
- How Amanda’s 25+ years as an occupational therapist shaped her perspective on church ministry for families with special needs.
- Powerful statistics about the prevalence of special needs in communities—and the essential role churches can fill (did you know that as many as 1 in 5 families have a child with special needs?).
- Why small churches are naturally suited for effective special needs outreach—sometimes even better than large churches!
- Busting the myth that creating “special needs spaces” or “sensory rooms” is expensive, complicated, or requires huge renovations.
- Step-by-step guidance on **how to set up a special needs-friendly environment** for neurodiverse children, including practical lighting, seating, sound, and visual strategies.
- The most important “non-negotiables” for a basic sensory room every church can afford to implement.
- The critical importance of including parents, siblings, and teenage volunteers in church special needs ministry.
- Serving not just the child, but the whole family: why support and community for parents and siblings changes everything.
- How to communicate your new special needs ministry to the public with authenticity while avoiding common missteps.

Real-World Takeaways for Churches:
- Tips for assessing and repurposing the spaces you already have — no major construction required!
- Budget-friendly equipment and furnishings that support sensory needs, focus, and calm.
- Why listening first and collaborating with families is the foundational key to launching a meaningful ministry.
- How teens can transform their own lives and perspectives by volunteering with special needs children—even fulfilling their service hour requirements!

Whether you’re looking to attract young families from your neighborhood or simply want to serve differently-abled members of your congregation, you’ll find practical advice, encouragement, and inspiration in this episode.

Listen in and learn:
- How to approach outreach to families with special needs
- What questions to ask when designing your church spaces
- Ideas for flexible seating, fidgets, weighted blankets, quiet spaces, and more
- Encouragement for small and mid-sized churches—you can make a huge difference!
- Where to get professional help (and why consulting with occupational therapists matters)

Don’t forget to subscribe for fresh episodes on the 1st and 15th of every month with new guests, actionable conversations, and practical church renewal strategies. If this episode helped you, please LIKE, SHARE, and COMMENT with your own experiences or questions about special needs ministry!

Resources & Links:
- Visit our website for articles, eBooks, and free assessment tools: https://www.revitalizemy.church/
- Listen to past episodes on church revitalization, hospitality, leadership, and more!

#SpecialNeedsMinistry #ChurchRevitalization #InclusiveChurch #ChildrenWithAutism #ADHD #SensoryRoom #FamilyMinistry #ChurchLeadership #BartBlair #AmandaPerches #ChurchPodcast #Neurodiversity #AssistChurchExpansion

Is ministry burnout and discouragement draining your passion for church revitalization? In this episode, Bart Blair and Nathan Bryant share five biblical and practical steps to help pastors overcome discouragement, regain momentum, and enter 2026 with renewed fire for ministry.

Episode 33 of the Revitalize My Church Podcast explores:

Step 1: Look to Jesus for Restoration — Understand that your identity as God's child matters more than your ministry performance. God loves you unconditionally, not because of what you accomplish. Learn how to lean into your calling with confidence in God's provision, not your own abilities.

Step 2: Look Back on What God Has Already Done — High-achieving pastors often skip celebration to move to the next goal. Discover why celebrating small wins—spiritual growth, restored marriages, baptisms, and the simple fact that your church is still alive—is critical for combating discouragement.

Step 3: Check the Eternal Scoreboard — Stop measuring ministry success only by numbers. Understand that one person coming to Christ has eternal consequences that far exceed any attendance metric. Fix your eyes on what is unseen, not on visible metrics.

Step 4: Share the Load Through Delegation — Most pastors are doing too much and carrying unsustainable responsibility. Create a practical inventory of your tasks, identify what only you can do, and delegate the rest. Discover how delegation connects others to their calling and prevents pastoral burnout.

Step 5: Rest and Care for Your Soul — Jesus modeled regular withdrawal for prayer and restoration. Learn how to implement a monthly (or weekly) personal retreat day. Nathan shares his powerful practice of using a notebook to brain-dump burdens, clearing mental space for genuine encounter with God.

Bonus: Build Peer Accountability — Every pastor needs another pastor who understands the weight of ministry. Learn how to find and nurture a peer mentor relationship that provides encouragement, prayer, and authentic community.

This episode includes real-world examples, like how pastor Jerry faced unexpected resistance to simply repainting his church sanctuary, and Bart's golden accountability relationship with pastor Bob Church in Alberta. Whether you're in a small church plant or established congregation, whether you're struggling with unmet goals, resistance to change, or pure exhaustion, this conversation offers hope and actionable steps to reclaim your joy in ministry.

If you're tired, discouraged, or questioning your calling as a pastor in church revitalization, this episode will remind you of your true identity in Christ and provide the practical tools to sustain healthy, joyful ministry.

For more resources on church revitalization, pastor burnout, and leadership development, visit RevitalizeMyChurch.com or connect with Assist Church Expansion.

Subscribe to the Revitalize My Church podcast for episodes on church growth strategies, overcoming resistance to change, community outreach, and pastoral health. New episodes release on the 1st and 15th of every month.

#ChurchRevitalization #PastorBurnout #MinistryDiscouragement #ChurchLeadership #PastoralCare #SmallChurchMinistry #ChurchGrowth #PastoralWellness #ChristianLeadership #LocalChurch