Ministry Leaders Podcast

Have you ever gotten frustrated as a leader that people aren’t following very well? Moses did. But when the people he was leading rebelled, Moses did something amazingly humble and Christ-like. In this episode, we explore our temptations to give up on people in frustration, and God’s challenge to us through Moses to pray that God will give them better than they deserve.

“My job would be great if weren’t for the people,” we’ve heard people jokingly say. Ideas, things, systems—they cooperate better than people. Have you ever fallen into the trap in ministry of prioritizing other things over people when people are annoying, disappointing, or in the way? In this episode, we seek to get our focus clear on the importance of people in God’s mission.

While the care we are called to provide as Christian leaders is much more than emotional support, that doesn't mean it should be cold or heartless. Rather we are called to lead gently. This episode explores the challenges and importance of gentle leadership.

Providing emotional support and care for people is part of what we do as Christian leaders. But when is the care we offer not really caring? In this episode, we explore a couple pitfalls to avoid in caring and refocus ourselves on the goal and purpose of "pastoral care."

When it comes to leadership, how do we define success? In today's episode, we look beyond ourselves to see what success might look like in terms of those we lead.

Jesus told us to prioritize making disciples, but how do we do that today? Do we have to quit our jobs and walk around from town to town in groups of 12s? Is a well-planned worship service enough? In today's episode we look at three key ingredients for any effort to make disciples.

The Great Commission tells us to go and make disciples, but do we know what a disciple is? In this episode, we try to get clear on what a disciple is and is not, so we can better assess how we're doing in our churches and ministries at making disciples.

If you want to minister in others in a way which results in their life-changing growth, what key ingredients do you need to include your approach to ministry? In this episode, we look at the vital importance of invitation into relationship and challenging others to grow.

Many churches like to think of themselves as families. Healthy families need good parents. In this episode we look at the biggest barriers that keep us as leaders from being spiritual parents to others and a simple way to overcome them.

This episode is part two of our conversation on the unique and subtle temptations Christian leaders face. In this episode we look at the danger of growing overly familiar with the things of God, and then we explore several warning signs that our motivations may be out of line as well as what we can do about it.

The temptations we face in Christian leadership are subtle and unique because it's so easy to put a spiritual face on what is really the result of darker motivations. In this episode we begin probing the temptations of ambition and approval and the way they show up in ministry and church situations.

Grocery delivery has been around for a long time, but the current pandemic has prompted many to put their local grocery store on speed-dial. In this episode, we ask the question of how this mentality is reflected in churches and ministries when it comes to getting new leaders and members-- do we grow them ourselves or order them grocery-delivery style?

Have you ever lacked the authority to carry out your responsibilities? Or been in a situation where those in authority weren't taking responsibility? In this episode, we explore the importance of lining up levels of authority and responsibility and the various ways we can run into trouble when the two are not balanced.

We tend to admire and praise busy leaders, but what if it's who you are more than what you do that has the bigger impact for God's kingdom? In this episode we talk about 'being' and 'doing' and explore which should be our focus as leaders.

'Before you can be a good leader you’ve got to first learn to be a good follower,' the proverb goes. In this episode we explore why this is true and what it takes to be the kind of leader who helps others grow and thrive and fulfill God’s best for them.

Proverbs 17:18 says "The one who states their case first seems right, until the other comes and cross-examines them." This wisdom is badly needed among leaders today, whether in dealing with a church conflict or leading in these divisive political times. In today's episode, we explore the importance of this wisdom for leading today.

How healthy are the relationship patterns in your church or ministry? Relationships are hard but emotional and relational health is absolutely essential for spiritual growth/discipleship/transformation. In this episode, we explore this reality and review some key marks of emotional-relational health for churches and ministries.

Our busy, disconnected culture today is losing some of the skills and wisdom people used to possess about how to make and grow relationships. If church leaders are going to lead by example in prioritizing relationships, we need to relearn the art of friendship. This episode offers some practical ways to begin.

Both Scripture and neuro-psychology now agree that relationships are absolutely vital for personal transformation and spiritual growth. This has serious implications for the way we lead, disciple people, and "do church." Today's episode explores the implications.

When we're in a conflict, it's so easy to discount what the other person is trying to say rather than listening deeply, especially if we take exception to something the other person says (or the way they say it). As leaders we have to learn to listen well, especially in these challenging days facing our nation.

Jesus did only what he saw and heard from his Father. How about us? As leaders are we busy with our own words and ideas or do we focused on what God wants? Do we take time to notice and discern what God is doing among and around us? Doing so will keep us from wasting time and energy and align us with what God is already doing.

This past weekend there has been a lot of talk and debate in the US about reopening churches. Should churches reopen, and what does it mean to reopen? Let's take a quick dive into what the early church looked like to get fresh perspective on how to think about these questions today.

If we want our ministries to thrive and grow, we as leaders have to learn to empower others. This episode explores what empowerment looks like and reminds us of why it is so important.

Jesus demonstrates that good Christian leadership involves delegating. When we don't, we rob God's people of the satisfaction and responsibility God offers of serving in his kingdom. Learn how to delegate and why it's so important.

Our mission as churches is to make disciples, yet many churches spend much of our energy delivering information. To truly fulfill our purpose we must prioritize life-on-life relationships and example and we must empower people to innovate.

When social distancing began, churches rushed to move their services online. But church isn't just about delivering content, it's also about connection and commission. Let's make sure we're putting appropriate energy and focus into all three...

It's easy to spend all our time maintaining the programming and organization of the church. But what are we doing all that for? The task Jesus gave us was to make disciples. Are do fulfilling that mandate, or have we lost sight of the church's purpose?

Are the challenges of keeping your church/ministry organization running (and adapting it for this pandemic?) keeping you so busy, that you have no time and energy left to nurture the spiritual organism (people, relationships)? This episode, we tackle this danger, and suggest some ways to avoid it.

Growing as a leader takes effort and investment, but that can be overwhelming. It's amazing how far one little step each day or week will bring you over time.

Right now, the world desperately needs leaders. Before we can lead others, though, we have to lead ourselves. This requires learning to be more self-aware, to manage our inner resources and emotions, and to grow, learn, and develop as a leader.

This episode, we look how to talk to and comfort those who are hurting or afraid.

How do we lead in times of change and turmoil, and how do we respond to those who are angry, afraid, and maybe critical of us? Maintaining a non-anxious presence is key. In this podcast we describe what it is and how to develop it.

Leaders are responsible for shaping culture. If churches are going to be rich spiritual environments where people engage in "God talk" (they talk about their faith with one another), leaders will need to initiate such conversations. In today's episode we look at a couple simple ways to grow in your own ability to talk about God with others.

Is shepherding only for pastors, and what does it mean anyway? This episode looks to the Bible for answers, corrects some misconceptions, and explains how all church leaders have a role in protecting, guiding, seeking, and feeding God’s flock.

In a time when evangelicals are known for seeking after power, embracing Jesus’ way of the cross is more important than ever. For leaders this means being servants. This episode encourages leaders to serve their people when it comes to tasks, preferences, and decisions.

Effective leadership requires sharing our lives with people, but our lives don’t have time and space for everyone. This episode gives leaders practical guidance in how to invite people closer in a manageable, sustainable way.

The best leaders lead by example. In this episode we look at two leadership dangers. One is talking a good talk but not actually living that way. The other is setting a “fake” example in public which isn’t who we really are.

When we pray for the people in our church it’s tempting to ask that they would enjoy lives free of trouble. But is that how God wants us to pray for them? See how several of Paul’s prayer teach us what to pray for.

Good leadership begins with listening. On this podcast we point out three common blockages to listen well and then suggest three easy strategies to listen to others better.

Praying, learning, and listening are great places to start when it comes to ministry leadership. Listen in as our pastor Dick Wiedenheft welcomes three new elders onto our leadership team and challenges leaders to step up to this important responsibility.