Podfading…And Relaunching the More Than a Pastor Podcast

Have you ever made a commitment to do something new…like start going to the gym four days a week, walk 10,000 steps a day, or some other goal?

And you started out strong. But then…you let a little time creep in between doing the thing, maybe some circumstances got in the way? And before you know it, you’re totally out of the habit?

Then you beat yourself up, wishing you could get it going again, but something keeps holding you back.

Yeah, me too. 

I hate to admit it, but I started a podcast and was really committed to it for several months…

And then I podfaded.

What is Podfading?

If you’ve never heard of the word “podfade” or “podfading,” I’ve got a definition for you. Podfading is when a podcaster stops podcasting all of a sudden and without any notice.

To me, podfading is kinda like passing gas in church.

It definitely wasn’t intentional. Not really something you planned on.

It. Just. Happened.

And once it happened, there’s no hiding it, because everyone else around you knows it happened.

I’ve learned that podfading happens to most podcasters at some point in their journey.

But did you know that the majority of podcasters will quit creating their new podcast after only 7 episodes?

It’s sad, but true.

And hey, I podfaded after not 7…but 10 episodes…so I’ve definitely got that going for me!

What are the Causes of Podfade?

There are many reasons why podcasters end up podfading, including:

• Running out of energy. It takes a lot of effort and creativity to come up with new content on a regular basis.
• Running out of something new to say. This is especially true if it’s a solo show that doesn’t have guests.
• Questioning whether anyone cares about what you have to say, or if you’re really making a difference.
• Running out of courage to say what you want or need to say. To go public with your thoughts, feelings, insecurities, failures, etc.
• Running out of time to record, produce, and publish new episodes with regularity.
• Being afraid of success. Which leads to self-sabotage.

Each of these reasons seem understandable, right? Except maybe the last one – being afraid of success.

I mean, who can complain or fault you if you run out of time or energy to keep your podcast going? We totally get it.

But being afraid of your own success…Doing something that actually keeps you from enjoying the success that could be yours…That’s messed up.

And yet, it’s a real thing, and a real common thing called The Upper Limit Problem, as described in The Big Leap by author Gay Hendricks.

Hendricks explains that each of us has in our own minds an upper limit as to how much joy, success, happiness, love, and money we’re worthy of receiving or achieving in our lives.

So when we reach or even exceed that limit, we begin to self-sabotage in order to keep from going too far in achieving success we subconsciously believe we’re not worthy of achieving.

If you’d like to learn more about how the Upper Limit Problem holds us back…and how we can overcome it, check out episode 6 of the More Than a Pastor Show.

Why Did I Podfade?

So…Why did I podfade?

When I started my podcast, my intention was to release a new episode every week. Then…it stretched to every couple of weeks because I took on some additional responsibilities at church (became the interim children’s pastor), which left me with less energy and time.

But really, I guess I ran out of courage to share a message that I felt God gave me to share, but I didn’t really want to do it because it might be too controversial for some in the church to hear.

Because I don’t really want to get into political or theological debates here. And you and I both know that Christians are r-e-a-l-l-y good at getting into political and theological debates, aren’t we?

So I ended up taking a while to try to put into words what I felt God had wanted me to say…in a way that hopefully wouldn’t be too polarizing.

But I ended up getting stuck. For way too long.

And I just got out of the habit of creating and producing new blog posts and podcast episodes altogether.

Relaunching the More Than a Pastor Podcast

The good news is that my podfade gave me pause to “Go home and rethink my life,” to borrow a phrase from Star Wars. To do some self-reflection on my purpose in launching this podcast and blog, who I want to help, and why.

When I launched More Than a Pastor, I had a general idea that I wanted to help pastors who felt like they were at a crossroads. They had a vision for what their life and ministry would be like by now, but they haven’t gotten there yet…and they’re not sure if they ever will.

They feel that something’s missing…as great as their church ministry may be…they still feel called to something more…in their life, in the impact they can make, and in their income and how they can provide for their families.

But now I’m wondering if I might be more effective if I niche down a little more, and focus on serving pastors who want to create sustainable income for their family outside of the church.

And there are any number of ways that pastors can create extra money. But I’d like to focus that even more and help pastors leverage their ministry skills and know-how into a profitable platform.

So that has led me to refine my message for this show, my website, and the resources I’m producing.

And this is another reason why it has taken me so long to release new content.

What's Your Biggest Question or Challenge About Creating Income Outside of Your Church?

Now I’m really glad to be back, and to have more clarity on who and how I want to show up and serve others.

Thanks for taking the time to join me today – It really means a lot!

Hey, would you be willing to do me a quick favor?

Because I’d really love to know what’s your biggest question or challenge in creating income outside of your church?

Is it something you’re thinking about? Why or why not?

I’d be super-grateful for your feedback, which will help me be sure to create content that you care about. So please send me your feedback at [email protected]!

Next Time...

What would you do if your church suddenly wasn’t able to pay you? Or your salary needed to be drastically reduced?

I think many churches and pastors will soon face that financial reality.

And in the next episode we’ll kick off a new series on why I think co-vocational pastors are the future of the church in America.

And what you and i can do right now to get ready. So we can serve God and provide for our families, no matter what. Hope to see you then!