unSeminary Podcast: “From Scarcity to Multiplication: Lessons from a Prevailing Church”

Host: Rich Birch
Guest: Jamie Barfield, Palmetto Point Church
Date: November 20, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into the journey of Palmetto Point Church from humble beginnings to a thriving multi-site church. Jamie Barfield, a key leader at Palmetto Point, shares his lessons learned through years of scarcity, resourcefulness, and innovation in both financial and leadership development. The discussion revolves around sustaining a healthy mindset during challenging seasons, intentional leadership pipeline development, and practical strategies for church growth and multiplication. Jamie’s perspective as a district overseer also brings encouraging insights for church leaders facing modern-day ministry challenges.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Palmetto Point Church: Origin Story & Growth

• Timeline of Humble Beginnings
  • Took three years to break 100 in attendance, five years before receiving a paycheck, six years without a facility, seven years before adding a second staff member.
  • “Last year, God’s favor has just been...upon this church...we grew about 31% last year.” (03:18-03:49)
• Current Scope
  • Four locations (three in Myrtle Beach, SC; one in Southern Illinois; also Spanish-language services).
  • Typical Sunday attendance: ~2,500, with 2,100 at the main location. (03:52)

2. Mindset in Lean Seasons

• Anchoring in Purpose

  • Jamie’s motivation has always been about reaching people, not pay or platform.
  • “You always had to be reminded of, ‘Okay God, why am I doing this?’…it was always about reaching people with the message of Jesus Christ.” (04:27-05:20)
  • Visualizes standing before God and hears, “well done, my good and faithful servant.” (05:31)

• Scarcity as a Catalyst

  • A scarcity mindset can “either crush you or cause you to innovate.” For Jamie, it birthed stewardship principles that still guide the church.
  • “We’re just going to be innovative…do it the best way we can without expecting that money's going to fix everything.” (06:29-07:45)

3. Faith, Expectation, and Innovation

• Balance between Faith and Reality
  • Jamie and Rich both admit they're not “name it and claim it” leaders, but point to the necessity of faith for growth and innovation.
  • “If I don’t have the faith for it…then it doesn’t happen.” (07:45)
• Multiplying What You Have
  • “He who is faithful with little…you’re going to reward us with much.” (08:30-09:31)
  • Jamie references growing talents, seeking to “turn two talents into four.”

4. Leadership Development Process

• Intentional, Relational Pipeline

  • Jamie’s childhood in a small church influenced his view—he saw untrained leaders burn out.
  • Palmetto Point runs a 12-week leadership process twice a year, focused on culture, expectations, mutual understanding, and service. (10:04-14:19)
  • “It’s not really leadership development…it’s more about, you have to learn this culture, you have to learn my heart and my expectations for you.” (10:04)
  • Only those recommended by current leaders are invited; multiple serving roles and tasks included.

• Direct Senior Leader Involvement

  • Jamie, despite the size of the church, still personally leads this process:
  • “Somewhere, somehow, you have to be touching your leaders in the church and they have to know your heart.” (14:46)
  • This direct investment builds unity, clarity, and healthier community from the start.

• Core Value: Servanthood

  • Servant leadership, modeled after Jesus, is non-negotiable for leaders at Palmetto Point.
  • “When you see some trash in the parking lot…you pick it up…my wife and I are the last ones to eat [at events].” (16:31-17:26)

5. Multiplication & Multi-Service Lessons

• Multiplication Requires Leadership Multiplication
  • “Good leaders multiply themselves, but so do bad leaders…and that’s dangerous as well.” (17:51-18:01)
• Service Transitioning Strategy
  • The healthiest launch was an 8am volunteer-only service prior to launching public two-service schedules, which trained staff/volunteers and facilitated smooth transition.
  • When shifting service times, forced everyone to choose: “a 45 to 65% split…so incredibly beautiful.” (19:20)
  • Suggests a core committed group for each new service, ideally for a 9-month stretch, and building new volunteer teams for key areas (kids, music, staff) to prevent burnout. (21:14-23:07)

6. Planning for Growth Proactively

• Avoid being reactive

  • “Reactive is terrible. I’ve done it twice…Reactive to, oh no, the parking lot’s full. Let’s plan a second service.” (21:14)
  • Emphasizes year-out planning—already working on Easter one year in advance.

• Volunteer and Band Management

  • Prioritize sufficient, separate teams between services for children’s ministry and music, to avoid volunteer exhaustion.

7. District Overseer Perspective: Broader Church Trends

• Shifting Congregant Expectations

  • Pastors may expect regular attendance, serving, and giving, but congregants no longer share the same assumptions as 30-40 years ago.
  • “Unrealistic expectations…are creating frustrations from the pulpit to the pew.” (23:53)
  • Encourages pastors to adjust for modern life realities (travel sports, vacations) without lowering biblical standards.

• Encouragement for Discouraged Pastors

  • “Pastors, find another pastor and speak life into them. Pastors, encouraging pastors…that’s giving such life.” (26:17-27:07)
  • Also, don’t be afraid to “throw spaghetti at the wall and see what sticks.” (27:08)

8. Final Advice To Leaders Feeling Stuck

• Practical Action Steps
  • “Pick one day and throw all of your energy towards that one day…pick a person and start investing in a person…pick one event in the community and just show up…” (28:32-29:55)
  • Don’t try to fix everything—“make this one thing…better.”

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On Motivation & Perseverance

  • “You always have to be reminded of, 'Okay God, why am I doing this? What is it that you put inside of me that pushed me to want to do something great for your kingdom?...it was always about reaching people with the message of Jesus Christ.”
    —Jamie Barfield (04:27-05:20)

• On Scarcity & Stewardship

  • “The word attached to church planting so often is lack…I don’t have enough. And that mindset…is going to be the thing that either crushes them or…cause them to innovate.”
    —Jamie Barfield (06:29)

• On Leadership Multiplication

  • “Good leaders multiply themselves, but so do bad leaders. And so that’s dangerous as well.”
    —Jamie Barfield (17:51)

• On Servant Leadership

  • “I am a servant. I expect leaders here at this church to be servants…when we’re having church events here, my wife and I are the last ones to eat. We’re making sure everybody else is served.”
    —Jamie Barfield (16:31-17:26)

• On Pastor Connection

  • “Pastors, find another pastor and speak life into them…we’re on the same team.”
    —Jamie Barfield (26:17-27:07)

• On Getting Unstuck

  • “You don’t have to fix it all right now…find one thing and just start focusing on something…make this one thing…better.”
    —Jamie Barfield (28:32-29:55)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Palmetto Point’s Journey Overview: 03:18 – 04:03
• Mindset in Scarcity: 04:22 – 07:45
• Examples of Faith & Innovation: 08:30 – 09:31
• Leadership Development Pipeline: 10:04 – 14:19
• Importance of Senior Leader Involvement: 14:42 – 16:08
• Servant Leadership Expectation: 16:31 – 17:26
• Multiplication and Multi-service Lessons: 17:51 – 21:14
• Proactive Service Planning: 21:14 – 23:07
• District Overseer Insights on Church Trends: 23:53 – 25:47
• Pastoral Encouragement: 26:17 – 27:07
• Practical Steps for Stuck Leaders: 28:32 – 29:55

Recommended Actions for Listeners

• Keep purpose front and center: Regularly revisit your “why”.
• View scarcity as an opportunity for innovation—don’t let lack discourage you.
• Develop leaders intentionally and relationally, with clear cultural expectations.
• Invest directly in future leaders, regardless of your church's size.
• Build multiplication into both services and leadership pipelines.
• Regularly recalibrate expectations for congregants and yourself.
• If you’re feeling stuck, pick one thing, one relationship, or one event and pour energy into making a small, significant difference.

Connect with Jamie Barfield & Palmetto Point Church

• Website: palmettopointchurch.com
• Social Media: @pastorjamieb