This fall, join Scott Newton Smith and Pastor Joel Southerland, lead pastor of Peavine Church, for a Bible study cruise designed to refresh your soul, strengthen your faith, and give you space to think deeply about your next season of life and ministry.
And if you are part of the Optimized Pastor audience, there is something special built into this cruise just for you.
The Optimized Pastor Reset
A private 3-hour cruise intensive to help pastors and ministry leaders build a practical 90-day plan for more energy, margin, focus, and ministry effectiveness.
This is the added opportunity.
The cruise itself is for a larger audience of believers who want rich Bible teaching, meaningful fellowship, and time away in a beautiful setting.
But the Optimized Pastor Reset is specifically for pastors, ministry leaders, and Optimized Pastor readers who want to use this trip as more than a getaway.
You can come home spiritually refreshed.
And you can also come home with a practical plan for improving your health, schedule, sermon prep, AI use, and weekly ministry rhythm.
Come Away. Open the Word. Reset Your Ministry Rhythm.
Every believer needs seasons of renewal.
Pastors and ministry leaders especially know what it feels like to constantly pour out. Sermons. Meetings. Counseling. Leadership decisions. Family responsibilities. Administrative demands. The work is meaningful, but it is also heavy.
This Bible study cruise gives you a rare opportunity to step away from the noise, sit under the Word of God, enjoy meaningful fellowship, and give your mind and heart space to breathe again.
During the cruise, Scott and Joel will lead Bible study sessions focused on the truth of Scripture, the life of faith, and the spiritual strength every believer needs in a demanding world.
You will enjoy the beauty and rest of the cruise experience.
(New England in the fall... you can't beat that!)
But more importantly, you will be invited to slow down, think deeply, worship freely, and be encouraged from the Word.
The Special Bonus for Optimized Pastor Readers
The Optimized Pastor Reset
For pastors, ministry leaders, and Optimized Pastor readers, Scott is adding a private 3-hour intensive during the cruise.
This is designed for those who want to return home with more than memories.
You will return with a plan.
Not a complicated binder you never open again.
Not another inspirational notebook full of good intentions.
A simple, practical, personalized reset for your next season of life and ministry.
What We Will Cover in the Intensive
1. The Pastor Performance Audit
We will help you take an honest look at the hidden leaks in your life and ministry.
You will evaluate key areas like:
- energy
- sleep
- health habits
- weekly schedule
- sermon preparation
- digital overload
- task management
- family margin
- ministry pressure
- use of AI and productivity tools
Most pastors do not need more guilt.
They need clarity.
This session will help you identify what is draining your energy, stealing your focus, and making ministry feel heavier than it has to be.
2. The AI-Powered Ministry Workflow
AI should never replace prayer, study, spiritual wisdom, or dependence on the Holy Spirit.
But used wisely, it can help pastors eliminate hours of administrative drag, blank-page friction, content repurposing, and repetitive communication tasks.
In this section, we will show you practical ways to use AI for:
- sermon research support
- outlining and organization
- illustration brainstorming
- study note summaries
- email drafting
- social media content
- ministry planning
- meeting follow-up
- church communication
- turning one sermon into multiple useful resources
The goal is not to make ministry less spiritual.
The goal is to remove unnecessary friction so you can give more focused attention to the work that matters most.
3. Your 90-Day Optimized Pastor Plan
Before you leave the cruise, you will build a simple 90-day plan you can actually use.
Your plan will include:
- one health upgrade
- one energy upgrade
- one schedule upgrade
- one sermon prep upgrade
- one AI workflow
- one margin-protecting boundary
- one weekly rhythm to help you stay consistent
Actually... at least one. Likely more.
This is where the workshop becomes practical.
You will not just hear ideas.
You will leave with next steps.
What You Will Receive
As part of the Optimized Pastor Reset, you will receive:
- The Pastor Performance Audit
- The AI Sermon Prep & Ministry Productivity Prompt Pack
- The 90-Day Optimized Pastor Action Plan Template
- Live Q&A with Scott and Joel
- Practical coaching and discussion in a relaxed cruise setting
The goal is simple:
Come home refreshed spiritually and equipped practically.
Reserve your spot now.
Who This Is For
The full Bible study cruise is for believers who want Scripture, fellowship, rest, and spiritual encouragement.
The Optimized Pastor Reset is especially for:
- ministry leaders who feel the need for more margin, focus, and energy
You do not have to be burned out to benefit.
In fact, the best time to reset is before you crash.
That is also much cheaper than rebuilding the engine after smoke starts coming out of the hood.
Why This Matters
Many pastors are not struggling because they lack love for God, love for people, or commitment to the ministry.
They are exhausted because their rhythms are broken.
They are carrying too many open loops.
They are trying to lead spiritually while running physically, mentally, and emotionally under-resourced.
This cruise gives you space to step out of the weekly grind, hear the Word, enjoy Christian fellowship, and think clearly about your next season.
The Optimized Pastor Reset adds one more layer:
It helps you turn that clarity into a plan.
Come Home With More Than Souvenirs
You can take a cruise and come home with pictures.
You can take a Bible study cruise and come home spiritually encouraged.
But with this special Optimized Pastor bonus, you can come home with something even more practical:
- a clearer mind
- a stronger plan
- a better rhythm
- a smarter workflow
- a renewed sense of direction
And maybe even a little less chaos waiting for you when you return.
We cannot promise your inbox will repent while you are gone.
But we can help you come home better prepared to deal with it.
Join Us This Fall in New England
Come enjoy a Bible study cruise with Scott Newton Smith and Pastor Joel Southerland.
Hear strong Bible teaching.
Enjoy meaningful fellowship.
Rest in a beautiful setting.
And if you are part of the Optimized Pastor audience, take advantage of this special bonus intensive designed to help you return home with a practical 90-day plan for your life and ministry.