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Meet Tom Hahn, the "everything pastor" at Restoration Christian Church, who shares his journey of dedication and community engagement. Tom's story is one of faith and resilience, detailing how he transformed a modest church gathering into a thriving community with limited resources.

Finding quiet amidst the chaos of bustling church events can be a challenge. We discuss the different ways individuals seek spiritual nourishment during such times, with Brad sharing how he finds solace in the company of other believers, rather than in solitude. This conversation explores the concept of events as "thin spaces," moments where we feel closer to God, and acknowledges the diverse ways people experience their faith. Whether through solitary moments or communal experiences, we embrace the unique nature of everyone's relationship with God and the idea that spiritual practice isn't one-size-fits-all.

Our lively discussion also takes us on a ride from Muncie to French Lick, Indiana, chronicling Tom's adventurous journey of faith during the COVID-19 pandemic. He recounts moving and building a church community from the ground up, highlighting the importance of embracing change and trusting in God's plan, even when it's uncertain. We dive into the innovative, low-control, high-support model that empowers youth ministry in French Lick, fostering student ownership and community engagement. From the logistics of budgeting in ministry to the excitement of youth camps, this episode underscores the transformative power of aligning the church's vision with God's vision, inspiring growth and development within the community.

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BTE4.04: Scaling for Growth: Budget with Tom Hahn and Korey Klein

So get this Michael Yep. Tom works at a church, yep, where he is the only staff member. Yes, no part-time staff, no full-time staff. What size group would you guess that he is bringing to move? Oh, gosh. See, I bet the answer is going to shock me like a but like just pretend that I'm not being clickbaity, just like. How many people would you?

if I think my assumption would be 1,200 people.

They are currently registered to bring 60 students to move.

Hi, I'm Brad Warren, and this is Beyond the Event, a youth ministry podcast presented by Christ in Youth, where we help you maintain momentum between the mountaintops. Today is a continuation of a conversation that we started a couple weeks ago about how to scale for growth. A lot of churches out there are growing, and that's really exciting and very encouraging to me and to all my brothers and sisters here at Christ in Youth, and so we just wanted to have a few conversations about how to grow not like how to grow, but the infrastructure that you have to put in place around that growth in order to make sure that you're able to take care of all of the people that God has entrusted to your care. Joining me today my co-host, the beautiful Corey Klein. Thank you, Brad Corey. Ask me about my coffee mug, yeah.

Hey, Brad, I noticed you have a really cool coffee mug. I can't say words. What am I looking at? What is this so?

this is a beautiful coffee mug. Those who are watching on YouTube they see it. They can see it. Michael got me this. Isn't that nice? Michael and I are both from the great Commonwealth of Kentucky. Where's that? And it's in the United States of America. It borders Virginia, north Carolina, tennessee, missouri, illinois.

Okay, and West Virginia Cool, of course. Hatfields and McCoys. How could I forget? Um, so, anyway, we're both from Kentucky. Michael went and hiked at red river gorge, which is the most beautiful state park in the country.

I haven't been to all the state parks, okay, so great answer.

Kentucky is celebrating 100 years of their state parks.

So Michael got me this great mug, which was a very thoughtful and sweet gift.

I really did. My sister can vouch, not that we're going to take the time to ask.

I saw that mug and I said, oh, Brad would like that. You were right.

I love it. Anyway, this episode is releasing the day before election day. Who you voting for? Well?

Elections are wild man. They're so crazy, we're gonna talk.

You know, jesus is on the throne. Jesus is on the throne.

We got better stuff to talk about come on now better stuff to talk about, like, uh like, super start, yes, you're the director of super start?

I am, yes and um. I love super start you're very good at your your job when you come to super starts, by the way, really, yeah, am I? So brad gets to direct a few super starts every year, and it used to be a few. This coming year it's a couple, it's two.

You're telling me that I do a good job, but what I'm picking up, what I'm receiving from you is last year you got to do three.

This year you get to do two. Yeah, I want to make sure that those two are really really good and you will bring that to the two. It's a capacity thing. It's that's all. I couldn't do. Three really well, yeah, yeah. So I know you got this podcast too. Yeah, you got the podcast, so I didn't want to interfere with that I get it.

um, it is one of the the pleasures of my life to direct Super Start. I always get to go back to the Commonwealth of Kentucky, to my home state, and actually the guy that we're talking to today always comes to that event Super Start in. Kentucky.

Hahn. He is the everything pastor at Restoration Christian Church in french lake, indiana, and uh, so be sure to hang around because we're going to talk to tom and tom is really a truly wonderful guy and, uh, I I really cherish every opportunity that I get to talk with him. Every year at super start. There's always like one session that he skips like 30 minutes of so that he can stand in the lobby and talk to me, gotcha, and it's one of my favorite times of every year he skips session, just like 30 minutes.

It's not that he like intentionally skips it's that he is a super personable guy For sure. And so we just get to talking and it's like you know that train is moving, it ain't stopping I love it. I love it so yeah, this could be a three-hour podcast, I don't know we'll see what happens. We'll see what happens anyway. Uh, cory, what are you excited about for superstar in 2025?

five. First off, that's crazy that that's a year 2025. A few things, but the number one thing I'm excited about for those who don't know this will be 20 years of SuperCert, when we hit tour in 2025. 20 years of God using this preteen ministry, this conference, to further the kingdom of God. So 20 years, 2005 to 2025. So we're just going to get to celebrate in different ways throughout next year, which I'm excited about.

I'm also really excited about our theme, which it's out there. You could check it out on CIOI website if you have not seen it yet. But we're looking at Proverbs 4.23, about guarding your heart above all else, for it determines your path, and basically, what we're going to be talking about is this word of influence and the things in your life. They shape you, whether you know it or not. So we get to talk with 10, 11, 12 year olds about, hey, the things that you take in in your life, good and bad, they shape you, but also, on the other side, you're shaping others. So what our team from Rob to others on content is creating and writing right now for your students to just fully know who Jesus is and how he is shaping their hearts. It's just, I believe, going to be one of the most powerful years of superstar, and so I'm looking forward to that too. Yeah, I'm.

Actually, uh, today is our uh staff cleaning day which is fun. I smell terrible, right now I smell like Clorox wipes. Um but we clean everything head to toe, little little, uh little dusting of the whole property and everything that we own. Yeah, and I was in a Sprinter, I was on van duty, I was cleaning out all the vans.

And I was in one of the not Sprinters, the people movers, yeah, and the only time I'm ever in those things is when I go to Superstar, superstar, and I was in one cleaning it out and I was like man, I cannot wait to load this thing up and drive it all the way to Louisville, kentucky, and and have superstars.

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