Iowa Church Leaders Podcast

Clayton Hentzel is the Lead Pastor at The Crossing. The Crossing is an independent, non-denominational church headquartered in Quincy, Illinois, associated with the Christian Churches in the Restoration Movement.[1] The church oversees locations in Hannibal, Missouri, Jacksonville, Illinois, Keokuk, Iowa, Kirksville, Missouri, Lima, Illinois, Macomb, Illinois, Monmouth, Illinois, Mount Sterling, Illinois, Pike County, Illinois, and two locations in Quincy, Illinois and maintains an online presence. 

Greg Baker is the Executive Vice President of the Church Ambassador Network. In this discussion we talk about variety of topics covering the role church leaders can play in representing the Kingdom of God in government. Greg provides a better way of viewing the impact we can have as church leaders where it's less about politics and more about building bridges with our state leaders and representatives. If you are looking for a fresh way of approaching how Chrisitians can influnece government, give a listen to this very insightful conversation. 

In high school, Matt was a National Merit finalist who enrolled at the University of Iowa as a journalism major. But after hearing God's call, he transferred to Ozark Christian College in Joplin, Missouri. Now instead of broadcasting the bad news, he's proclaiming the good news of Jesus Christ. Matt has served as a youth minister, preaching minister, Bible college professor and is now president of Ozark Christian College. He was the president of the 2013 North American Christian Convention and he serves as a contributing editor for Christian Standard magazine. His writing includes two books, Finish-Line Faith and Victorious.  He enjoys reading, cheering for the St. Louis Cardinals, and traveling widely to preach about Jesus. Matt is especially grateful to God for his wife Katie and their six children—Luke, Lydia, Clara, Carl, Conrad and Caroline.

In this episode we have an in depth conversation with David Fincher about Central Christian College of the Bible. We talk about how CCCB is serving the needs of churches in training men and women for ministry. We cover the changes taking place in ministry as well as the growing demand to fill the ministry needs of churchs, as well as some very practical solutions. We hope you find the converstaion to be helpful!

Travis Roehm is one of the pastors at Adventure Christian Community in Davenport. I got him to hangout and talk about ministry. We are really not experts in anything, just two guys serving Jesus in the local church. We took some time to review what we learned from ministry this last year as well as project where things are headed for leading churches in 2024. We hope you find it helpful!

Dan is the Lead Pastor at Pathway Church in Johnston, Iowa. In this episode we talk about his connection with Hippo Valley Christian Mission in Zimbabwe, Africa. We cover the Kingdom work that is taking place in this spiriually hungry country and how the mission there has impacted Dan and the church. If you are interested in learning more about the work taking place in Zimbabwe feel free to contact Dan (dhudson@thepathonline.org) We also talk about the upcoming, Real Men Iowa event coming up:  January 19-20, 2024 at  Pathway Church 6523 Merle Hay Road Johnston, IA Info@thepathonline.org

Josh has been living in India since 2008 and has a passion to see the Kingdom of God spread throughout the world. He is overseeing the church planting school at Central India Christian Mission (CICM), which prepares church planters to go to unreached areas in India and the surrounding countries. In 2015, he launched a branch of the ministry called Ignite, which has seen over 10,000 churches started in eight years! Josh also serves as the regional director of Central Asia for the NewThing Network. He has a Master of Arts in Missional Church Movements from Wheaton College and is the co-author of the books Christian Extremism: A Life Worth Dying For and Igniting Movements: Multiplying Churches in Dark Places. He is most thankful for his wife Lashi, his two sons Josiah and Jeremiah, and his daughter Zara. Spent Matches - Roy Moran The Spirit & The Star Fish - Rob Wegner From Mega Church to Multipication - Chris Galanos In The Way: Church As We Know It Can Be A Discipleship Movement (Again) - Damian Gerke T4T: D Discipleship Re-revolution - Kai Ying Contagious Disciple Making - David & Paul Watson e3partners.org indiamission.org  

Guy Hammond is the director of Strength in Weakness. This Christian organization helps bridge the gap between the Christian community and the LGBTQ community through awareness, education and support.  Guy, a minister for more than 25 years, has taught over 100,000 people in churches, universities, and faith-based groups around the world. He has authored six books, including Gay & Christian? his most recent.  Click here to register for Catalyst 2023 Check out Strength in Weakness ministry.

One of the shifts we are making with the ministry of CEM is to help equip church leaders to be disciple makers. The Bonhoeffer Project offers the perfect platform to help accomplish that goal. In this podcast you will listen to Dan Leitz, President & CEO of The Bonhoeffer Project talk about how Bonhoeffer turns leaders into disciple makers.  Dan Leitz: Dan is the lead pastor at Calvary Chapel Oceanside, in Oceanside California where he has been serving for over 13 years. He has been married to his wife Nicole for 17 years and they have 4 amazing children together - Qorban, Bryden, Elias, and Savanna. Aside from his role as lead pastor and teacher, Dan has a passion to see people trained up to be disciple-making leaders. Dan found his passion for making disciple-makers through his discovery of The Bonhoeffer Project in 2019 when a friend asked him to attend the National Disciple Making Forum. Since this discovery, Dan has dedicated his life to the pursuit of seeing the Great Commission come to fruition in every aspect of his life and ministry. Email: dan@thebonhoefferproject.com thebonhoefferproject.com

In this episode of the Iowa Church Leaders Podcast we talk with Renée Sproles about gender and the roles of men and women in the church. Here's the bio from Renew.org about Renée: Renée Webb Sproles is from Murfreesboro, TN, where she directed The School of Christian Thought for five years at North Boulevard Church. She is a 15-year homeschool veteran. She is also a founder and co-director of the Discipleship Tutorial in Murfreesboro, where she has taught government, economics, personal finance, health, study skills, English grammar, and writing. She is the mother of two grown children, Houston and Emma, who is married to Thomas Goodwyn. With her husband, David, Renée has co-taught parenting classes for 20 years and currently teaches a marriage and family class of 100 students each week. Renée is the author of On Gender: What the Bible Says about Men and Women (Renew, 2019). Make sure and check out Renew.org to purchase any of these resources.  Just Ask Your Mom Podcast

In this episode we talk about Mike's (mike@renew.org) story, especially his time ministering in China. We also focus on what the ministery of Renew.org is all about and how you can utilize their wide array of rescources. To learn more check out Renew.org 

In this episode of the podcast we feature former CEM Director Rod Roberts. You will catch up with what Rod has been doing since leaving CEM up until his recent retirement. There is also a look back into the history of not only CEM but the Restoration Movement in the state of Iowa. 

Chad Halbach gives an update on what is happening with CEM from the last year. He also talks about the strategy CEM is working on to develop a church planting, disciplemaking culture in the state of Iowa. Lastly he addresses his 40-20-10 vision for Iowa and what he is working to accompish in the next decade. Make sure and take a few minutes and check out CEMchurchplanting.org. 

In this episode of the Iowa Church Leaders Podcast we listen to five preachers explain what it was like to collaborate on a sermon series together. The preachers include, Derek Olsen (New Testament Christian Church in Keokuk, Iowa), Kirk Evans (Indianola Church of Christ), Paul Steele (Bethlehem Church, Austin, Minnesota), Tony Brand (Central Church of Christ, Griswold, Iowa), and Tom Steele (Iowa City Church). If you would like more information about the Iowa Church Leaders Preaching Cohort send an email to tomsteele@iowacitychurch.org.

Jason is currently the associate teaching pastor at Antioch Christian Church in Marion, Iowa. He is transitioning into the postion of Lead Pastor.  Jason was called to ministry at 12 and is doing exactly what he loves to do the most. He and his wife Brittney were married in 2006 and have 4 children. He graduated from St. Louis Christian College with a B.A. in Preaching and later from Lincoln Christian University with an M.A. in Church History/Historical Theology. If there's anything you should know about him, it's that he doesn't do anything halfway. From ministry to a handful of ridiculous hobbies, he's all in. Just ask him what he did to his kid's power wheels toy.

Jim will be our main presenter at the upcoming Catalyst Iowa Conference on October 15. In this episode we talk about the changes taking place with Lincoln Christian University & Seminary and the roll the Institue will play going forward.  We focus most of the time on the role of elders and elder development, as well as highlighting some of the topics Jim will be addressing at Catalyst. James Riley Estep, Jr., Ph.D. Dean, Lincoln Christian Institute  Lincoln Christian University (Illinois) Professor of Christian Education, Lincoln Christian Seminary Resources Director  e2: Effective Elders Ministries Affiliate Professor of Qualitative Research  Johnson University Adjunct Professor of Ed. Ministries & Leadership Dallas Theological Seminary

Check out this conversation with Mike Murphy, the Camp Director for Central Iowa Bible Camp.  We cover a wide variety of topics about ministry, the importance of church camp, and the impact camp can have on this generation.  Take a few minutes and check it out! https://www.centraliowabiblecamp.org/

In this episode we talk with Jesse Barnett and learn about his coaching platform, Digital Disciplehsip.  Jesse helps teach pastors and church leaders on how the can maximize the content they prepare for Sunday, and utilize it on social media all week.  Take a few minutes and check out what he has to say, it's very helpful!  To learn more, check out https://digitaldiscipleshipcoaching.com/ or send him an email: jesse@95network.com

In this podcast you get a chance to meet Chad Halbach, the new director for CEM.  You will hear about Chad's story, why Iowa is special to him, and the vision he has for CEM going forward.  Take a few minutes and check it out, we know that you  will find it helpful!

Guy Hammond is the Executive Director of Strength In Weakness Ministry.  Guy started this ministry in '06 my goal of helping 30 Christians who, like him, were same-sex attracted. Since those humble beginnings SIW has helped thousands in 58 countries. Guy has taught over 100,000 people in churches, universities, and faith-based groups globally, have written six books and have had a documentary movie made about his life and ministry called FINDING GUY. https://www.strengthinweakness.org/ Guy's book: Gay and Christian?

Chad Ragsdale joined the faculty at Ozark Christian College in 2005. He teaches primarily in the areas of Christian apologetics, philosophy, and biblical interpretation. In 2020, Chad was named the new Academic Dean of the institution. Chad has been married to his wife Tara since 2001 and has three kids, Logan, Adeline, and Ryane. He has a BA in preaching and an M.Div in contemporary theology both from Lincoln Christian University. He has a D.Min in engaging mind and culture from Talbot School of Theology. Book Recommendations from the podcast: Christian Convictions ~ Chad Ragsdale https://www.amazon.com/Christian-Convictions-Discerning-Essential-Important/dp/1949921514/ref=sr_1_2?crid=UA0NTBJRWIUR&keywords=christian+convictions+chad+ragsdale&qid=1639610514&sprefix=Christian+Convictions%2Caps%2C193&sr=8-2 The Coddling of the American Mind ~ Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt https://www.thecoddling.com/  

Bobby is the point-leader of Renew.org and Discipleship.org, both collaborative, disciple-making organizations. He is the founding and lead pastor of Harpeth Christian Church (by the Harpeth River, just outside of Nashville, TN). He has an M.A.R. and an M.Div. from Harding School of Theology and a Doctor of Ministry degree from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is the author of more than 10 books on discipleship, including Discipleshift (with Jim Putman and Robert Coleman), The Disciple Maker's Handbook (with Josh Patrick) and Becoming a Disciple Maker: The Pursuit of Level 5 Disciple Making (with Greg Weins). He lives in the greater Nashville area with his wife and near his children and grandchildren. Go to Renew.org to register for the upcoming Renew Gathering in Nashville on November 3rd 2021.

Dale Sellers will be leading our 2021 Catalyst Conference this year, on October 16th.  Here is your opportunity to get to know him and the passion and expertise he has for the local church.  In this podcast Dale shares what he is hearing from pastors in this new post pandemic season, as well as what churches need to be focused on moving forward. Dale's Bio: Dale Sellers has been in ministry for almost 40 years. He launched Dale Sellers Leadership, Inc. in March 2014 to assist organizations in the areas of leadership, inspiration, and evangelism. Dale became a ministry consultant for The Unstuck Group in April 2017 with a focus on helping the small church. In July 2018, he accepted the position as the Executive Director of the 95Network, and in September of 2020, he published his first book Stalled: Hope and Help for Pastor's Who Thought They'd Be There by Now. His years of ministry have grown a deep love for small and medium-sized congregations — the backbone of the American church. He believes in the mission of 95Network, not only because it equips small churches to thrive, but also because it connects weary church leaders with friends and partners who care.

In this episode we talk with Daniel McCoy about 10 lessons he learned while writing and editing the book, The Popular Handbook of World Religions.  It's a fascinating and insightful conversation that you will want to check out.  Currently, Daniel lives in Marion, Iowa with his family and is the editorial director for Renew.org. Here are links to books and websites mentioned in the podcast: Renew.org The Popular Handbook of World Religions The Atheist's Fatal Flaw Mirage A Grand Illusion

Christ's Church of the Valley Teaching Pastor & Author of Core 52, Mark Moore joins us for this episode of the podcast.  He talks about how he came up with Core 52, how it is so helpful for reaching men...and some exciting future books set to release.  He also shares some encouraging words for pastors trying to lead in a divisive culture.  It's really good...so check it out! https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0076O2VMI/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 https://www.ted.com/talks/jonathan_haidt_the_moral_roots_of_liberals_and_conservatives?language=en  

Church planter Jared Nassiff talks about the upcoming launch of Direction Church in Des Moines.  Check them out at DirectionChurch.com or send an email to Jared@directionchurch.com

It's been one year since the Covid-19 pandemic hit.  In that year, many church leaders have had to deal with how to handle meeting, learning to stream online services, to dealing with a tumultuous political season...not to mention the emotions of the people within the church.  So, how are you doing?  In this episode we talk with counselor Matt Johnson and unpack some things church leaders should be considering about their own mental and emotional health as well as the people they pastor.  Take a few minutes and give it a listen, we hope you find it helpful!

The reality is, most of church leaders are leading a small church...and that's alright!  What matters is not the size of your church, but the healthy of your church.  Do you want to learn more?  Give a listen to this podcast as Karl Vaters (small church pastor and author of books like, Small Church Essentials) talks about the crucial role of the small church.  For more information make sure and check out KarlVaters.com.

Drew Hanson, Lead Pastor at Rally Point Church in Sioux City talks about leading a church plant in the middle of a pandemic.  He also has some very interesting lessons he's learned about reaching unchurched people.  Take a few minutes and give a listen, we hope you find it helpful! Here’s a short list of resources for Digital media   - Visualmediachurch.com - sundaysocial.tv - creativemarket.com - youworkforthem.com - ezracohen.tv - churchmotiongraphics.com - Ministrypass.com - https://drewamberhanson.wixsite.com/mysite-1

CEM Executive Director, Dave Fremstad, talks about what he is seeing with the churches in Iowa during the COVID-19 pandemic.  He also gives an update as to some of the events, CEM has planned for this fall...including news about the newest church plant launching in West Des Moines.  Check it out!

This podcast is a follow up to a previous podcast we recorded called Current Trends Churches in Iowa Need to pay attention to.  This episode will zero in specifically on how cultural shifts are pushing the church to re-examine how it is structured and managed.  It's a fascinating discussion and one worth wrestling with...take a few minutes and check it out! Bibliography-   Daft, R. L. (2016). Organization Theory and Design (12th ed.). Florence: Cengage Learning.    Foster, P. A. (2016). Open Organization: A new era of leadership and organizational development. Liberty Township, OH: Maximum Change Press.    Greenleaf, R. K. (2002). Servant leadership: A journey into the nature of legitimate power and greatness. New York: Paulist Press.    Hackman, M. Z., & Johnson, C. E. (2013). Leadership: A Communication Perspective (6th ed.). Long Grove, IL: Waveland Press Inc.    Hamel, G. (2009, August 21). Organized Religion’s ‘Management Problem.’ Retrieved April 17, 2018, from https://blogs.wsj.com/management/2009/08/21/organized-religions- management-problem/    Khatri, N., Baveja, A., Boren, S. A., & Mammo, A. (2006). Medical Errors and Quality of Care: From Control to Commitment. California Management Review, 48(3), 115–141.  https://doi.org/10.2307/41166353   Li, C. (2010). Open Leadership: How Social Technology Can Transform the Way You Lead. Hoboken, UNITED STATES: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated. Retrieved from  http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/regent-ebooks/detail.action?docID=530005    Maier, T., Tavanti, M., Bombard, P., Gentile, M., & Bradford, B. (2015). Millennial Generation Perceptions of Value-Centered Leadership Principles. Journal of Human Resources in Hospitality & Tourism, 14(4), 382–397. https://doi.org/10.1080/15332845.2015.1008386    Mink, O. G., Mink, B. P., Downes, E. A., & Owen, K. Q. (1994). Open organizations: A model for effectiveness, renewal, and intelligent change. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.    Peterlin, J., Pearse, N. J., & Dimovski, V. (2015). Strategic Decision Making for Organizational Sustainability: The Implications of Servant Leadership and Sustainable Leadership Approaches. Economic and Business Review for Central and South - Eastern Europe; Ljubljana, 17(3), 273–290. http://0-dx.doi.org.library.regent.edu/10.15458/85451.4    Stone, A. G., Russell, R. F., & Patterson, K. (2004). Transformational versus servant leadership: a difference in leader focus. Leadership & Organization Development Journal, 25(4), 349–361. https://doi.org/10.1108/01437730410538671    Walton, R. E. (1985, March 1). From Control to Commitment in the Workplace. Retrieved July 11, 2018, from https://hbr.org/1985/03/from-control-to-commitment-in-the-workplace    Whitehurst, J. (2015). The open organization: Igniting passion and performance. Boston, MA: Harvard Business Review.

In session one of Catalyst, presenter Jim Powell talks about two keys to changing church culture.  1) Understanding What Church Culture Is.  2) Identifying which of the 5 Church Cultures, your church is.    

Dan Hudson, Lead Pastor at Pathway Church in Johnston, is our guest on ICLP.  We talk about Dan's ministry experience in Iowa, including starting Pathway and how his ministry is doing.  The focus then shifts to an exciting upcoming event, Real Men Iowa.  Registration is underway for this February 21st 2020 event designed for the men in your church.  Check out realmeniowa.org for all the details and to register.  

2019 Catalyst Iowa speaker, Jim Powell shares three keys to changing church culture.  To learn more, make plans to attend Catalyst on October 19 in Ankeny and grab a copy of Jim's book Dirt Matters.  Jim recently left a 24 year ministry at Richwoods Christian Church in Peroria, Illinois to become the Senior Pastor at Palm West Community Church in Sun City West, Arizona.

In this episode we will talk with Tony Liston about the 8 trends that he is beginning to see in funerals and how that can impact your ministry.  Tony has a lot of experience working with funeral home directors and families, sometimes doing multiple funerals a week on a regular basis.  You will find his insights helpful, interesting, and timely in helping you prepare for your next funeral.  

There are a lot of cultural trends taking place in Iowa.  This podcast begins a running conversation about what some of those trends are and how church leaders in the state of Iowa can begin to address them.

Discipleship.  Jesus instructed us to do it.  Yet often times we don't know exactly what discipleship is, let alone how it should function in the local church.  In this episode, Rich Milliken (Pastor of Discipleship at First Christian Church in Council Bluffs) talks about what discipleship looks like as well as some steps church leaders can begin to take to change the discipleship culture in their church.  Enjoy!

In this podcast, we interview John Erickson, the minister of the Sutherland Church of Christ, a successful church in small town Iowa.  Learn about their strategy for reaching the unchurched in northwest Iowa and discover some resources you can utilize in your church as well.    

Episode 3 is an interview with Tony Liston, the Lead Pastor at Adventure Christian Community in Davenport, Iowa.  Learn about Tony's plan for starting Adventure 20 years ago, and some of their successful strategies at reaching and involving people in the Davenport area.  If you are in need of coaching or consulting, Tony provides resources to help lead your church.

In this episode, we will meet CEM executive director Dave Fremstad and learn more about the mission, strategy, and resources of CEM.

The introductory episode of the Iowa Church Leaders Podcast.  Get to know the host and purpose of the podcast and what to expect in future episodes.