Leading Second Podcast

We begin 2023 with the honor of hearing from three strong, wise, and insightful Second Chair Leaders. We're joined by Kyle Heinecke, Campus Pastor at Fresh Life Church, Kalispell, MT; Jennifer Martin, Executive Pastor of Ministries at NorthRock Church in San Antonio, TX; and Dillon Ritchie, Ministry Executive Director at CoastLife Church in Venice, FL. This is the Year of the Leader at Leading Second and today we are focusing on how to be strong leaders and how to develop strong leaders around us.

In what has become a bit of a tradition for the Leading Second Podcast, we are closing out our season with one last conversation at the end of the year in hopes of fueling the start of your next year! Few topics are more important to Lindsay and me than family and ministry. Getting this wrong is one of the quickest ways to be taken out, so we wanted to break down some of our top rhythms for this.

“Why we should have left, why we choose to stay.” That is in Natalie Runion's Instagram bio, and that is what her heart is for any time you hear her speak or, more likely, read the words she has written. You probably know her as “Raised to Stay,” but she started with a passion for seeing people go the distance in ministry. She joins me to have a conversation about church hurt.

For this conversation, I have the pleasure of talking with Jonathan Moore, Matt Martin, and Jennifer Martin from NorthRock Church in San Antonio, Texas. They've all been together for over ten years now, and longevity in ministry and leadership is one of the most impressive things to me. So the big idea of the conversation is simple. Why did you stay?

It's our final conversation in this series of things that will take you out of ministry, and we're back with the team from The Well in Salt Lake City. We are called to be good stewards of what we've been given. With the help of Jason Parrish, Seth Freeman, and Kaisa Freeman, we talk through how we can do that and unlock some things in our leadership and ministry with core competencies.

The longer you're in ministry, the higher the chance you'll face some things that could take you out. But knowing what they are can make all the difference in how you respond when they do come. This conversation is with Jason Parrish, Seth Freeman, and Kaisa Freeman from The Well in Salt Lake City, Utah. We're talking about doctrinal and theological congruence. Those are some big words with a big impact on the foundation of our lives and our alignment with our church.

Spend enough time in ministry, and you will face some things that have the potential to take you out of leadership and ministry altogether. Jason Warman and Trevor and Laydi Ritchie from CoastLife Church join us again. This time we shift our focus and have a needed conversation on character identity and formation.

The title of this conversation and series may sound strong, but it should. If you spend enough time in ministry, you will face things that have the potential to take you out of leadership and ministry altogether. Jason Warman, Trevor Ritchie, and Laydi Ritchie from CoastLife Church join us to focus on cultural alignment and congruence.

This conversation is a continuation of the conversation we had with our Lead Pastor panel last week, but this time is with second chair leaders from those same churches! Dave and Sarah Nelson from The Well, Girly Gordon from The Movement OC, and Jeff Hanson from One Place Church chase down the same big idea that their pastors did. "The better the relationship between the first and second chair, the more aligned our teams will be and the healthier our churches will be."

For this conversation, I am sitting down with a group of lead pastors as they give us a unique perspective into the head and heart of our own pastors. Jason Parrish from The Well, Carey & Meghan Robinson from The Movement OC, and Pace Hartfield from One Place Church, join me. We discuss the idea that the better the relationship between the first and second chair, the more aligned our teams will be and the healthier our churches will be.

In the spirit of opening registration for Camp, this conversation is with our great friend Larry Brey. He is the unofficial cohost for our event and his voice has been a pillar of this tribe. Today we are talking about developing a leadership culture. What is culture, where does it come from, and how do we multiply it? We're tackling all of that today.

We are joined by James Crocker and Michael Whittle, from C3 Los Angeles. The conversation gets a little spicy, talking about Godly authority, submission, and how to get it right. They share some great wisdom on the topic and give a beautiful picture of what biblical submission under authority looks like in our lives and talk about the benefits that come with it.

This episode's guests are longtime friends of the Leading Second tribe, Earl and Oneka McClellan. They sat in the second chair for many years and now sit in the first chair as Senior Pastors at Shoreline City Church, just outside of Dallas, Texas. They talk about alignment, studying our pastors and learning their vocabulary, and having confidence in our identity.

We have the honor of hearing from Omar El-Takrori. Omar serves as the Community Pastor at City Light Church in Las Vegas, Nevada, and a content creator with Think Media. He shares his thoughts on serving, having confidence in your calling, and how to utilize social media to have an impact on your ministry.

I recently got the opportunity to sit down with Kogi Nareen and Shaun Lewarne from Rivers Church in South Africa. In this conversation, they bring insight into how their church has begun to shape their community's culture by adjusting the mindsets of those attending each weekend. They also give some great thoughts on how to lead well from the second chair.

It's the last episode of our Summer Camp series, and we've got a treat for you. Larry Brey from Elevation Church shares a lesson that will challenge what you might think needs changing in your church. Our panel this week does a great job expanding on his thoughts and helping us use this to align with the spirit of our own house.

This is the third episode of our Summer Camp series, and Brandon Stewart shares a message teaching us the difference between stewards and servants. And we have a fantastic panel that gives us some questions to ask ourselves that will connect us to what we are called to be stewards of.

We're back with the second episode of our Summer Camp series. This week we are joined by Joshua Bingle from Genesis Church in Spokane, WA. He challenges us about how we look at self-care and how we rest. With our new format for Summer Camp, our panel talks through this teaching, and what rest looks like in their lives.

This is the first episode of a 4 part series called Summer Camp. We have an incredible teaching by Nicole Moore from Champion's Centre in Tacoma, WA, about the discipline of remembrance and how that can unlock some things in our leadership. In a new format just for this series, we have a panel that discusses their thoughts on this teaching and how to apply it.

What could a reset look like in your life? It's easy to get into management mode where we are just surviving and no longer thriving in church leadership. Rest and rhythms of renewal are essential if you want to go the distance in ministry. This episode is your reminder to take a second and ask yourself a few questions. We also have a great second chair testimony from Chris Loukos who serves at Elevation Church.

Second chair leadership can look different in every season of life and ministry, so how do we lead second in every season? My conversation today is with Dave Simiele. Dave is on the Senior Management Team at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach, FL, where he also serves as a Campus Pastor. So listen in as he gives us a masterclass on Leading Second. And be sure not to skip past Joseph Kelley, giving us five keys to overcoming a critical spirit.

If you've been in ministry for some time, you've probably felt like quitting. Or at least have asked yourself what the heck you are doing. So, where do you go when moments get tough? Today, I'm excited to bring a new friend to the Leading Second tribe. Jim Wideman is currently the Executive Operations Pastor at The Belonging Co in Nashville, Tennessee. Incredible in its own right, but even more impressive, Jim has a lifetime thriving in the second chair. He's been in ministry for over 45 years, covering just about any role you can think of. You don't want to miss the wisdom shared in this episode.

What makes a great team? We all want our teams to be healthy and thriving, so I thought I'd sit down with a few leaders from 7 Hills Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Under the leadership of Marcus Mecum, this is an incredible team that I've grown to respect more and more. So let's explore the DNA that creates a great team.

Our pastors hold a weight we may never even see and won't ever know unless we sit in that chair. So, how can we help carry that? Here is a conversation with some practical insight and wisdom, regardless of your role or proximity to your pastors. Nick and Liz Dekold from Lakeshore Church in Rockwall, Texas, have been serving on their team for almost 20 years, so they have plenty of experience leading on behalf of their pastors.

Do you ever find yourself tying your identity to the affirmation of those around you? If we're honest, we all can from time to time. Joining us today is my friend Clayton Baird who is on staff at Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida. We talk about health in your church leadership and make sure that we find our identity in Jesus. We also have Jesse Rodriguez offer us five ways to give good feedback.

What can you learn about ministry and leadership from NASCAR? Our guest today is Dillon Ritchie. An executive pastor at CoastLife Church in Venice, Florida, he gives us a great lesson about racing and talks about being faithful in serving. We also have Jason and Liz Klammor, who share their story about leading in the middle.

As church leaders in the second chair of your ministry, can you handle a no from your pastor? There is tension at times between ambition and submission, and in this episode, I have a conversation with Temi Pope from Union Church where we talk about being faithful in the second chair. We also had a great listener question come in from Mary Jones, asking how to lead individuals who have higher skills than your own.

The big idea in our conversation today is remaining faithful under pressure. When it seems that there's pressure coming at us from all sides, I wanted to have a conversation about how we remain faithful through it. But first, Jesse Rodriguez joins us with another Top 5 that you do not want to miss. He gives us 5 Ways to Increase Your Capacity as a Leader (1:27). Then I sit down with Tanisha Stromberg, Jen Tribble, and Tim Tribble, all campus pastors from Parallel Church in Alberta, Canada (6:33). As a church in Canada, they face unique circumstances and challenges on top of the changes in their own church. They've had a wild ride these past couple of years, and I'm so encouraged by how strong their church has come out of it.

We're in a moment where I believe that leaders could use some wisdom on how to walk through something. It seems that there's a new report or event surrounding a leader falling or making a mistake at a pretty consistent rate now. So I wanted to turn to the person who has helped me walk through so many challenging moments and tough conversations in my life. I asked my pastor, Kevin Gerald, to talk about how we are to respond when leaders fall, what our mentality should be, and what we can anchor to in these times.

Our conversation today is with Greg Basch. He is the Campus Leadership Pastor at Elevation Church, so he coaches and leads leaders and really just has a brilliant leadership mind and voice (seriously, follow him on IG asap). But before we get into the conversation with Greg, we have our first “Top 5” this season. Joseph Kelly is the Associate Pastor at Discovery Church in Oklahoma City, OK, and he gives us his top 5 prayers every leader should pray (1:16). Since our theme this season is “from the second chair, for the second chair,” we're doing a little "get to know you" time with our guests since so many will be brand new to the podcast (9:31). Then, on some of our episodes this season, we will give our guests 10 minutes to give us their favorite leadership lesson or message. So I'm setting Greg loose for an incredible lesson on promoting and producing (17:20). Finally, for our conversation, we're talking about being faithful in your calling (32:06).

Welcome to Season 5 of the Leading Second Podcast! With so many incredible testimonies coming in already from Leading Second Camp, we thought it'd be fun to give a little window into the day we had. In this table talk discussion session, Brandon and Lindsay Stewart, John Morgan, Kaisa Freeman, and Larry Brey talk about the lost art of honor. They talk through honor apathy, being an architect of honor, slowing down, and what a lifestyle of honor looks like. If you don't want to miss out on Leading Second Camp next year in Salt Lake City, you can go ahead and register now at leadingsecondcamp.com using the access code “PODCAST-INSIDER.”

We are back! It is officially Season 5 of The Leading Second Podcast, and I couldn't be happier to be back in this space. I am so excited about our lineup this season and our topics on deck to cover! Our theme for Season 5 is “from the second chair, for the second chair.” We usually have quite a few lead pastors on the podcast, but I know there's so much gold inside people in the second chair that we can all learn from. So this season, I want to highlight that and bring some dignity back to the second chair. To kick the season off, we are hitting the current climate of church and ministry head-on with an episode on faithfulness and how to lead in a season of deconstruction. Josh Bingle is one of the most intelligent people I know, and he can speak simply to some of the most complex and confusing topics. He is the pastor of Genesis Church in Spokane, WA, he is a close friend to myself and Leading Second, and I couldn't think of somebody better to talk through this with than him. Deconstruction is showing up in varying degrees, and in many different ways all over the place, so we cover a broad range of questions like: What is deconstruction? What do we do when drift becomes deconstruction? Is there a difference between deconstructing and just asking hard questions? Are there different kinds of deconstructors? How do we lead in a culture of deconstruction? In this tricky season, people have more and more big questions. So not only do we need to know how to answer those questions, we must be able to lead others through it graciously. That is my prayer this week for you. Run strong and lead well, Brandon

The end of the year always brings some time of reflection but also planning and dreaming for what is to come ahead. I want to start 2022 with some intention. Most people likely want to be a better leader at the end of the year than we were at the start, but what are we going to do about it?

Today I am so excited to welcome a new friend to the podcast! Clayton Baird joins me as we talk through “How to Lead in A Culture of Offense.” Clayton and his wife Bethany have served on staff at Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida, for ten years. He fits right in with the Leading Second family as he has done just about everything in his ministry journey, including worship pastor, youth & young adult pastor, and campus pastor. He is currently serving as a teaching pastor at Celebration while also overseeing Celebration Everywhere - the global online church community. Clayton is somebody who really just embodies the Leading Second spirit, and I'm so glad that he agreed to sit down with me for a little while. You also don't want to miss another Top 5 this week! Dillion Ritchie gives us his top 5 ways to prepare for a hard conversation.

We start this episode with another incredible Top Five from Taylor Persello, and you're not going to want to miss it. Then our conversation today is with our great friend Dan Lord. Dan is the pastor of Victory Church in St. Louis, MO. I'm also joined by BJ Cooper, who is on the team at Victory Church and has a bit of gold in him as well. The three of us talk about development, alignment, and transition.

Every once in a while, I have something that I want to take an episode and talk about myself. Well, this is one of those weeks. I've had something weighing on me for a while, and I finally feel like it's something I need to take an episode and talk about. So if you're a part of this tribe, if Leading Second has meant anything to you, or if you view me as any type of guide or pastor in your life, I want to take today's conversation and have a pastoral call or pastoral talk with you today. I want to open up a discussion about influence vs. authority.

Here we are at our 100th episode!! I can't believe we made it this far and if you've been with us for any amount of time, thank you so much for your support and for being a part of this tribe. We start this episode with a HUGE announcement that I am so excited about, so don't miss that. Then I am joined with some friends, Dillon Ritchie, Kelly Goff, Tracy Keene, and Josiah Beougher, as we sit down with Larry Brey to talk about cultivating your calling.

We kick things off today with a special segment for Pastor Appreciation month where some of our Leading Second tribe answered a few questions about their own pastors! Then we dive into a rich conversation with a first-time guest to our podcast, Collin Henderson. Collin is from my hometown, Puyallup, WA! He's a mental performance coach, speaker, and author who just released a new book called ‘Quiet Mind' (and ‘Quiet Mind for Kids'). During this conversation, we talk about the impact of a leader's mindset and its effect on their ministry.

It's the final episode of our “Healthy Hustle” series, and our conversation for this one is with Noah Herrin! Noah has been on before, but this is the first time we've let him loose for an entire episode. If you aren't familiar with him, he is a Gen Z leader whose voice I have grown to love more and more. He is a young leader who has an incredible anointing on his life and is hungry to grow continually. He has a young adults ministry and is a part of Neighborhood Church in Buford, GA. Join us as we talk about church hurt, coaching, and keeping joy in ministry.

In this episode of our series on “Healthy Hustle,” our goal is to break down the dichotomy between hard work and rest, equipping you to run at a sustainable pace in this season. But before we even get to that conversation, Taylor Persello hops on and lists 5 gifts that we can give our Pastors. They're simple, they're actionable, and they will propel you forward in your leadership if you apply them today. Following that, my friend Jonathan O'Reilly, an executive pastor at The Rock in Kansas City, MO, joins me in a conversation with Pace Hartfield! Pace was an incredible second chair leader for years, and he now pastors One Place Church in Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. The three of us chase down the question of “how can I avoid burnout?”

For the second episode in our series on Healthy Hustle, I sit down with Colleen Tunis. My friend Rachel Buckner joins us as well, as we talk about staying healthy while leading in a fast-paced environment and the tension between health and hustle. Colleen leads as the programming director at Elevation Church in Charlotte, NC. She is just a wealth of knowledge and perspective, and she carries the weight of ministry so generously.

Depression, anxiety, panic, suicidal thoughts… mental health is a bit of a buzzword right now, but what happens when you experience any of these first hand? We try to tackle so much on our own, but we do get confronted with these genuine issues. When that happens, do you have the courage to raise your hand and say, “I'm dealing with _____ right now.”? Is that even the right thing to do? And if it is, who do you say it to? This week we are kicking off a series called Healthy Hustle. How do we maintain health in all areas of life when we are constantly trying to hustle? I couldn't think of a better person to start this conversation with than Troy Maxwell. Troy has been on the podcast once before, but if you aren't very familiar with him, he launched Freedom House Church in Charlotte, NC, where he and his wife Penny have been serving for 19 years. We wanted to explore the question, “What if my emotional health has me leading on empty?” Troy has a conversation with me today where he opens up about his own personal experiences with panic attacks. He shares how they affected his life, and he talks through how to overcome these seasons or struggles in your own life. He wrote a book called Panic Room, which he talks a little about but if you'd like to hear even more from him on this subject, I highly recommend picking it up. Anybody leading on empty right now because of emotional health, this doesn't have to be your story anymore. I pray that this episode shows people that they aren't alone in what they are walking through. I pray that it gives people strength. And I pray that it provides some leaders courage to raise their hand if they need to and talk to their pastor about what they are going through. Run strong this week, but run healthy Brandon Resources: Panic Room by Troy Maxwell After the episode: What do you do to ensure that your mental and emotional health stays strong?

If we've ever had an episode that's worth coming back to multiple times, this is it. I had a conversation with a man who has had a profound impact on my life, impacted many churches around the world, and does the best Brian Houston impersonation that I've ever heard. Pastor John Morgan joins us for a potentially life-changing episode about transition and how to transition well. My friend Kelly Goff and I got a chance to sit down with John while he was actually walking through a potential transition in his life, going from a volunteer staff role (while his wife Anna is on the executive team) to picking up his family and moving near Washington DC to pastor Word of Life International in Springfield, VA. John has been in ministry for over 35 years and has managed to transition so well multiple times, so it seemed fitting and natural for our conversation to just go there and speak some wisdom into moments or seasons of transition. Here are the things that we cover in today's episode: John takes us through an overview of transitions that he has been through The importance of transitions and doing them well Planning for transition before it comes time to actually transition How do you help people process a “God told me.” Transitions in, are just as important as the transition out What does a healthy transition look like? It is always such an incredible opportunity to sit down with John. He is just a wealth of knowledge and wisdom in ministry. Even if you're not currently going through a transition, you will eventually, and it is so important that we know how to do it well. Run strong this week, Brandon Editor's note: John has, in fact, gone to the darkside and is no longer a number 2. He is officially the lead pastor of Word of Life Church, so go on his Instagram and tell him congrats!

We are back with our second episode of this fall season, and it has felt great to get back in the groove of things. Before we dive into this week's conversation, we had a great listener question come in this week from Matt Bowden at Zeal Church in Nashville, Tennessee. It sheds some light on church hurt. If that is something you've experienced or are currently experiencing, I want to encourage you to know the difference between playing hurt and playing injured. You don't want to skip this question and answer. Well, our guest this week is no stranger at all in this space. He has been such a strong voice in this season, and honestly, I just never get tired of talking to him. My good friend Joshua Bingle, Pastor of Genesis Church in Spokane, WA, is back with us! The big question that we try to tackle today is how to disagree well. It isn't a sexy topic, but this is such a needed conversation today. We've forgotten how to argue, and we have developed an inability to confront because ideas and people have become woven together. So we are going to talk about: How to separate ideas from people The difference between arguing and quarreling Talking to non-believers vs. believers Moralizing and demonizing Josh is brilliant in this conversation, and I know you will walk away with a perspective shift after this episode. Run strong this week, Brandon After the episode: What area of how you disagree with others hit home for you? How do you separate people from the ideas that they may hold?

Leading Second tribe!! Summer break is over, and we are back for the second half of season four, releasing new episodes every Thursday this fall. Well, if you haven't gotten enough of Team Church Conference over the past 24 hours, we are kicking things off in a big way! We are joined by a panel of Executive Pastors and Campus Pastors that all came out to Team Church conference this August, and I had the pleasure of sitting down with them in the lobby for a conversation. We want to switch some episodes up this fall, and this is one of them, where the panel is actually going to ask me some questions that they have about leading in this season. My guests today are from some great churches all over the country. I'm joined today by Matt Kysor from Centerpoint Church in Chillicothe, OH, Kaisa Freeman from The Well Church in Salt Lake City, UT, Andrew Shaw from Velocity Church in Lawrence, KS, Emily Hanks from Christian Life Church in Murfreesboro, TN, and Josiah Beougher from Storyside Church in Belleville, OH. We kick things off just by going around the table and talking takeaways from Team Church Conference. Then we get into some questions: As second chair leaders, what do we need to instill in the next generation in order to pass the baton well? How do we preserve unity and stay in alignment with our lead pastors? We starts with me, so what are some of the characteristics or habits that a second chair leader needs for this next season? In supporting our lead pastors, how do we honor where we've been and support them best in where we're going? How do we create a sense of urgency in our church and for our teams to run fast, and at the same time, ensure that our lead pastors are healthy and can run the race for a long time? This was such a fun episode to kick things back off with, and I hope you enjoyed it and had some things you took away from this conversation. I pray that it helps you run strong, Brandon Resources Mentioned: Team Church Conference - www.teamchurchconference.com Rocket Fuel by Gino Wickman

I'm joined for this conversation by Pastor Jabin Chavez. If you've been in the church world for very long, I'm sure you're familiar with him, but for years Jabin has been serving churches all over the country. He is probably best known as a worship pastor and gifted communicator. Still, my favorite thing about Jabin, as I've gotten to know him over the years, is his heart for the local church. He's also served as a youth and young adult pastor, an intern director, creative director, and even as a janitor! Anything he can do to serve, he's all in. In 2018, he and his wife Shanen took on a new challenge… they launched City Light Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. It has been a thriving young church, but they haven't been immune to the challenges that 2020 brought all of us. I loved getting to talk through some of those with him, but there are specific values that we shouldn't let slip away and things that we need to fight for. In saying that, our big question this week is, “In our desire to move church forward, what are the things that we need to get back to?” Some of the other questions that we cover in our conversation are: What are your thoughts on people leaving? What can people do that would be meaningful and valuable in holding their pastor's arms up? What are some values that are important for our churches today? What is your biggest prayer for the local church today? I love any opportunity that I get to sit down with a lead pastor and hear things from their perspective, so I pray that this gives you some insight into a pastor's mind in this season and helps remind you of some of the foundational pieces we need as leaders. Run strong for the Kingdom, Brandon After the episode: Are there areas in your life that you've maybe let slip a little and you need to get back to? How is your prayer life right now? Are you praying for your teams? Your pastors? Your church? SUBSCRIBE COMMENT LIKE & SHARE We want you in our tribe! Stay connected to all Leading Second has to offer: Website: leadingsecond.com Instagram: instagram.com/leadingsecond Connect with Brandon Stewart Facebook: facebook.com/brandonmstewart Instagram: instagram.com/brandonmstewart Leading Second is an extension of the Team Church tribe. For more information on Team Church Conference and One Day events, check out teamchurchconference.com or search Team Church on Facebook.

20 years. June 3rd marks 20 years since my first Sunday as a youth pastor in Minnesota, and that came just days after graduating from ministry school. 3 1/2 years there, 10 years on staff at my home church, and then launching Leading Second while serving both my home church and the “big C” church. In all this time, I’ve picked up a couple lessons along the way that I think can impact your life and your ministry, so I wanted to take the time to share some of those. If you and I sat down for a coffee to talk about what I’ve learned in 20 years, these are many of the thoughts I would share. I believe there is something in here for everybody. I talk about individual growth, teams, and family. So I hope you enjoy this and find something in this episode that you can apply to your own life. Thank you to everybody that has given me wisdom, encouraged me, and walked with me through any, or all, of these 20 years. Brandon SUBSCRIBE COMMENT LIKE & SHARE We want you in our tribe! Stay connected to all Leading Second has to offer: Website: leadingsecond.com Instagram: instagram.com/leadingsecond Connect with Brandon Stewart Facebook: facebook.com/brandonmstewart Instagram: instagram.com/brandonmstewart Leading Second is an extension of the Team Church tribe. For more information on Team Church Conference and One Day events, check out teamchurchconference.com or search Team Church on Facebook.

Anna Morgan is always such a treat to have any time she comes on the podcast! She is a constant and continual learner, she has such a great heart for the church and leaders, and I just count it as such a privilege to have her and her husband in our world. If you’re not familiar, Anna is on the executive team at City Church Chicago, is married to our friend John Morgan (if you haven’t listened to his most recent episode with us this past fall, it is worth your time to go back and listen to), and she champions women in ministry so well in many different ways. The one big question that we will try to answer in this conversation is, “How should I carry myself as a leader?” In Ephesians 4, the Apostle Paul tells us to “live a life worthy of the calling we have received.” If we are to lead others toward maturity, shouldn’t we be setting the example for that? And if we are, what does that even look like? At a time where it is more and more popular to view self as authority, it’s getting easier to forget that we are to submit ourselves to Christ in everything we do? We tackle these topics of authority, being authentic, and submission, but also get into some of these questions: Are you concerned with some of the conduct that you are currently seeing? What are you seeing from church leaders currently on social media that is concerning you? How important are seasons of prep? What have you observed from people (leaders especially) who create posts and online content that ends up showing a gap between themselves and their pastor? I hope and pray that this episode leaves an impact on you and leaves you wanting to put some extra thought into how you conduct yourself as a leader. Run strong this week, Brandon Resources: https://firmisrael.org https://israelu.org Ruth Haley Barton Pete Scazzero Leading From The Second Chair by Mike Bonem and Roger Patterson After the episode: How can you carry yourself differently this week as a leader? How can you live a life worthy of the calling you have received? How clean is your car? “Should my church have a say about what I post online?” SUBSCRIBE COMMENT LIKE & SHARE We want you in our tribe! Stay connected to all Leading Second has to offer: Website: leadingsecond.com Instagram: instagram.com/leadingsecond Connect with Brandon Stewart Facebook: facebook.com/brandonmstewart Instagram: instagram.com/brandonmstewart Leading Second is an extension of the Team Church tribe. For more information on Team Church Conference and One Day events, check-out teamchurchconference.com or search Team Church on Facebook.

The big question we’re going to wrestle through on this episode is this: What could healthy team culture look like moving forward? In a season where it seems like everything has changed, some things remain constant - and the need for healthy team culture is undoubtedly at the top of that list. Today we’re going to talk to a team I highly respect in so many ways — the Life.Church team, under the leadership of Craig Groeschel has grown to be one of the most influential churches in the world. But what I appreciate so much is WHY they have gained influence. Their approach to ministry, commitment to health, and generous heart have won them my respect. We have two segments for you today with this team, and I’m so excited for you to hear from them… Part 1 is with Kyle Kutter. Kyle is the Central Group Leader of Digital Technology. If you are familiar with Open Network, Church Online Platform, Church Metrics, or Develop.me, Kyle has had his hands on them all (also, if you’re not familiar with them, I cannot recommend all of these enough). Here is some of what we talk about: Talk to us a bit about Open Network and your church’s heart to resource the “big C” church. What do you see about the church that is recalibrating right now? From a church that has pioneered digital gatherings for churches, is there still a place for physical gatherings? What lessons should we take with us coming out of this season? What about the local church has given you hope? For the second part of our episode today, we focus on their team culture and what makes their team so special. Both members of part two have been at Life.Church for over 10 years and that kind of longevity cannot be bought or shortcut to. Rachel Ricker is the Central Group Ministry Leader for Host Team. Sam Marin is the campus pastor for Edmond, OK, which is the broadcast location. Here’s where our conversation leads us: What do you feel is most special about your house and the culture of it? And what do you hope people remember about your church? What is so special about the culture of your team? What is the difference in carrying culture at a broadcast location vs. a remote location? What do you tell yourself when feedback is coming your way? What does being a culture carrier mean to you? Is there a time where you got it wrong with being a culture carrier? I was so excited to get a chance to sit down with this group of leaders from one of the most influential churches globally and have also had such a profound impact on my own life. Run Strong this week, Brandon After the episode: Evaluate how you carry the culture of your own church. How can you better carry it to your teams? SUBSCRIBE COMMENT LIKE & SHARE We want you in our tribe! Stay connected to all Leading Second has to offer: Website: leadingsecond.com Instagram: instagram.com/leadingsecond Connect with Brandon Stewart Facebook: facebook.com/brandonmstewart Instagram: instagram.com/brandonmstewart Leading Second is an extension of the Team Church tribe. For more information on Team Church Conference and One Day events, check-out teamchurchconference.com or search Team Church on Facebook.

This episode has literally been years in the making. I am so excited to have Pastor Lee Wilson finally join us on the podcast! I can honestly say that Lee has been one of the most significant ministry influences in my life. He came and consulted at the very first youth ministry that I had the opportunity to lead in Minnesota and preached at a winter camp with us (fun story in the episode about that). His fingerprints are all over Leading Second. I have always loved his voice on the platform, wisdom off the platform, and intentionality with which he lives his life. Lee has served in plenty of roles in his years in ministry, including as a lead pastor, but is currently serving as Youth and Executive Pastor at Abundant Life in Syracuse, NY. We kick off this conversation with Lee by chatting about a book he has coming out very soon called “Map Your Life.” It’s a joy to hear his heart behind this upcoming book, which is for this generation to define their God-given purpose. If we are going to run this race and run it to win, we need to have discipline and intentionality be a big part of who we are. Lee says that if you become a better person, you become a better leader. So our big question this episode with Lee is, “What can an intentional, disciplined life as a leader look like?” Some of the questions that we cover in this conversation are: Do you struggle with discipline? If so, how do you regain it when you lose it? What role has a discipline played in leading you into a life of true contentment and peace? What is the greatest habit or discipline you currently have working in your life? Where do you start in mapping out your life? What is the greatest lesson you have learned in leading second? Please do not miss the last 7 or 8 mins of this conversation. Lee speaks to the heart of Leading Second and talks about accepting that as a calling on people’s lives. It was such a joy to have Lee Wilson on this episode with me! I hope this helps you get some structure to the disciplines of your life and lead with more intentionality. Run strong this week, Brandon Resources From The Episode: https://leewilson.life @leewisonlife on IG After The Episode: What discipline can you incorporate into your life and ministry this year? SUBSCRIBE COMMENT LIKE & SHARE We want you in our tribe! Stay connected to all Leading Second has to offer: Website: leadingsecond.com Instagram: instagram.com/leadingsecond Connect with Brandon Stewart Facebook: facebook.com/brandonmstewart Instagram: instagram.com/brandonmstewart Leading Second is an extension of the Team Church tribe. For more information on Team Church Conference and One Day events, check-out teamchurchconference.com or search Team Church on Facebook.

S4 Ep. 86 // Joshua Bingle & Taylor Persello on Personal Health & Your Relationship With Your Pastor by Brandon Stewart