Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | RSS
Show Notes: Seven Questions With Pastor Anthony Svajda (Part 1)
Summary: In this episode, I interview Pastor Anthony Svajda. Anthony is the Lead Pastor of Harvey Baptist Church in Stephenville, Texas, and he and his wife, Kristen, are originally from the North Fort Worth area. Anthony has a Bachelor degree from Dallas Baptist University in Business Systems, a Master of Divinity degree in Evangelism and a Ph.D. in Evangelism and Church Revitalization from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, TX.
Anthony’s desire in ministry is to provide Biblical leadership, which encourages others towards a deeper and more meaningful relationship with Jesus Christ as both Savior and Lord.
Anthony loves coffee, watching movies, spending time with family and friends, and is an avid cyclist!
Anthony Svajda
http://anthonysvajda.com/
Harvey Baptist Church
https://www.harveybaptist.org
TODAY’S SHOW IS BROUGHT TO YOU BY:
I receive a small commission when you click and order through the image affiliate link above. Thank you for helping make the Ministry Backpack Podcast happen!
Some Highlights and Links From Today’s Show:
Early on, Anthony was disappointed to discover that not everyone in the churches he served in was as excited and motivated about the mission of Jesus as he was.
“The Lord showed me something very valuable that I’ve carried with me in ministry, since then. And that is, that you’re not doing it for people, you’re doing it for God’s glory.”
“My biggest letdown was putting my faith in people instead of the Lord.”
Many times churches are like, “We are totally ok with change as long as you don’t change anything.”
“Don’t let people’s opinions or their involvement get you down. Do what the Lord’s called you to. Stay faithful to Him, trust in Him, and know that He’s put that passion and that fire within you to inspire your people and so that you keep on with the mission. So stay faithful to that and keep running to the Lord.”
What Anthony would do differently:
- He would lead people through change rather than leading them to change.
- It’s not really taking those changes slower, it’s just communicating better.
- When change needs to happen, change needs to happen. Just because you’re afraid of addressing an issue, doesn’t mean that change doesn’t need to happen.
- Before, he would just make the change. Now, he goes to his people and says, “This needs to change. How do you think we ought to approach it? He lets them know the need and asks for buy in, and allowing them to make solutions for the change.
- Although his preaching is “Text Driven,” in the early days he would explain that Text as a “prophet” (This is the way it is – Deal with it). And today in his preaching, he explains the Text more as a “Pastor” (This what it says – Then walks through the text to help people apply it as a process, applying it to their context).
Resources Anthony Is Currently Using:
Equipment: Anthony always has his iPad and Laptop with him.
App: GroupMe
https://groupme.com/en-US/
App: LOGOS
https://www.logos.com/
App: Apple Notes
https://support.apple.com/guide/notes/welcome/mac
App: Drop Box
https://www.dropbox.com
App: Google Drive
https://www.google.com/drive/
Graphics: Canva
https://www.canva.com/
On Keeping His Family Relationships Strong:
- Anthony strongly guards “Family Time.”
- He takes his kids to school every morning, stopping for snacks and having devotional talks on the drive.
- He takes a day off each week for spending time with his family.
- He tries not to be on his phone or be distracted during those times, so that his family has his full attention.
- He strives to guard his family from the “burdens” of ministry. During stressful seasons of ministry, he tries not to bring the hurts and frustrations of ministry home to his family.
- He “works” to make family time fun. “We work to live, we don’t live to work!”
- “If you don’t like playing with your kids when they’re young, they’re not going to like playing with you when they’re older.”
- “Make sure that your kids see the joy of the Lord in you.”
Join the conversation on this topic by commenting or leaving questions below. If you have a question that you’d like to have heard on the podcast, record your question, and upload it to Google Drive, Dropbox, Box or some other cloud based site and send the link to Hello@MinistryBackpack.com
Music Provided by “Artist Unknown” – https://artistunknown.bandcamp.com/
& “Rasputin1963”
Johnny Leckie is a Christ Follower, Husband to Leona, and Father to Matthew, Melissa & Michael. He is also a Church Planting Pastor, Musician, Artist, & Blogger. He’s a big fan of Coffee & Bacon and is currently planting a Church in Aurora, Colorado called Compass Church. He is the founder of MinistryBackpack.com.
