Podcasts about north point ministries

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We're talking with Tensley Almand, President and CEO of Atlanta Mission, the largest and longest-running provider of services for people experiencing homelessness in the Atlanta metro area. Founded in 1938 as a soup kitchen during the Great Depression, Atlanta Mission now operates four campuses, serving over 800 men, women, and children nightly through programs that provide housing, recovery support, and Christ-centered transformation. How do you lead through complexity while staying true to your calling? Tensley shares leadership lessons from his transition from church ministry to leading a $20 million nonprofit—insights that apply to every pastor or church leader navigating growth, complexity, or change. Moving beyond shelter to transformation. // While many think of Atlanta Mission as only an emergency shelter, over 60% of its beds are dedicated to long-term transformational programs that address root causes of homelessness. The yearlong program includes counseling, trauma recovery, life skills, and vocational training. Clients complete a four-week “Next Steps” program focused on relational, emotional, and workplace health. The results are remarkable: 70% of graduates maintain stable housing and employment a year later. Learning to lead by listening. // When Tensley stepped into his CEO role, he faced the challenge of succeeding a leader who had guided the organization from crisis to stability. Rather than arriving as the expert, Tensley began as what he calls the “Chief Question Officer.” He met with every employee to ask four key questions: What's right? What's wrong? What's missing? What's confusing? The responses revealed a clear need for strategic focus. Building clarity and focus. // Using that input, Tensley led a yearlong process to create a strategic roadmap—a seven-year plan that defines the organization's mission, values, and measurable outcomes. When there's clarity in an organization, saying ‘no' becomes easy and saying ‘yes' becomes difficult. The new strategy gave Atlanta Mission a unified framework for decision-making, with every initiative measured against the same mission. Measuring what matters. // Data fuels care. In order to better track client progress, the team at Atlanta Mission built dashboards, measuring not only how many people they serve but how lives are changing. When graduation rates dipped from 70% to 45%, they discovered the cause wasn't program failure but economic change. That same approach can transform church leadership. Churches measure nickels and noses, but what if we measured progression—how many first-time guests become group members, or how many volunteers grow into leaders? Partnership through presence. // Atlanta Mission thrives through partnerships with churches across the city. Tensley explains that relational poverty—people lacking healthy connections—is as debilitating as material poverty. Rather than only focusing on “do for” service projects, he encourages churches to create “be with” opportunities: hosting birthday parties, sharing meals, or building relationships with families at Atlanta Mission. Encouragement for leaders. // Reflecting on his own journey, Tensley reminds church leaders who feel stretched or uncertain that often you’ll overestimate what you can accomplish in 90 days, but underestimate what you can do in a year or two. Take time to listen, build unity, and stay faithful in the process. Over time, that faithfulness becomes transformation—both in the people you lead and in yourself. To learn more about Atlanta Mission, visit atlantamission.org or email to connect or schedule a visit. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I'm grateful for that. If you enjoyed today's show, please share it by using the social media buttons you see at the left hand side of this page. Also, kindly consider taking the 60-seconds it takes to leave an honest review and rating for the podcast on iTunes, they're extremely helpful when it comes to the ranking of the show and you can bet that I read every single one of them personally! Episode Transcript Rich Birch — Hey friends, welcome to the unSeminary podcast. I am so glad that you have decided to tune in. We’ve got a real honored to have an incredible guest on today’s episode. We’ve got Tensley Almand with us. He is the president and CEO of Atlanta Mission. Rich Birch — Now, if you don’t know Atlanta Mission, I’m not sure where you’ve been. You really should know. This organization was founded in 1938 as a soup kitchen to feed men who were displaced by the Great Depression. And they just keep chugging along. They do incredible work. They now serve Metro Atlanta’s largest homeless population and bring hope in the face of homelessness, poverty, and addiction. Rich Birch — Prior to serving at Atlanta Mission, he was in vocational ministry for 20 plus years, the last 12 of those, as we were just saying in the pre-call. He said, felt like he had the the best job in the world, was a lead pastor at Decatur City Church, one of the eight Atlanta City, Atlanta area campuses of North Point Ministries. Tensley, welcome. So glad you’re here. Tensley Almand — Man, so good to be here. Thanks so much for having me. I’ve been looking forward to this conversation. Rich Birch — No, this is going to be good. I’m excited. Why don’t you kind of fill in the picture? Tell us a little bit more of your background and tell us a bit more about Atlanta Mission, that kind of thing. Just help set the table. Tensley Almand — Yeah, so I’m a native Atlantan. I grew up here, born and raised just north of the city. Yeah. Only child. Parents still live north of the city in the same town that I grew up in. Rich Birch — Nice. Tensley Almand — My wife and I, we have four kids. We have been married now, just celebrated our 25th wedding anniversary… Rich Birch — Congratulations. That’s great. Tensley Almand — …which makes me feel old, but it’s it’s it’s all good. So four kids, three boys, little girl, they’re all just amazing, doing great things and in their worlds. We live over in city of Decatur. So ah for those that don’t know, just kind of just right outside of downtown Atlanta. So we feel like we’re living in the heart of the city. Rich Birch — Cool. Tensley Almand — Like you said, I spent 20 plus years on the church side of ministry, which you had told younger me that that was going to be my future, I probably would have laughed at you. Grew up in a family that church just frankly, wasn’t that important to us. My mom gets mad if I say I didn’t grow up in a Christian home, um, which, you know, looking back, I think is really true. I just grew up in a home that we didn’t feel like the church was for us. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so, um, after, you know, meeting Jesus in college, giving my life to him, which is a whole nother really cool story, started down the path towards ministry. And eventually several years into that kind of looked up and thought, I don’t know what I’m doing. Like I’m working at these churches that I don’t even want to attend. Tensley Almand — Like remember this very pivotal meeting in my life where our pastor asked us, he’s like, if I didn’t pay you to go to church here, is this the church you would attend? Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — And every one of us said no. Rich Birch — Oh, gosh. Oh, my goodness. Tensley Almand — And they were all okay with it. Rich Birch — Oh, no. Tensley Almand — And I just like something broke in me. Rich Birch — Oh, no. Oh, no. Yeah. Tensley Almand — And I remember going home and I told my wife, I was like, I can’t do this anymore. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so I started the process of just trying to find a job. But the problem is I’ve genuinely felt called by God to ministry. And so God used that to, to lead us down the path of starting Decatur City Church. And, um, our whole dream was just to create a church that people who didn’t like church would love to attend. Tensley Almand — And so, which is really cool. Again, it’s probably a whole other episode, but really cool because we got to do that in one of the most unchurched cities in Atlanta. 70% of the people who live in Decatur ah don’t go to a church. And Decatur, for those who don’t know, small little town right outside of a big city. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — But literally, there’s over 600 churches in that town. So we used to say all the time, nobody wakes up on Sunday wondering where a church is. They just wake up wondering if church is for them. Rich Birch — Right, right. Tensley Almand — And so that’s, that’s the thing we tried to solve. Right. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so did that for 12 years, thought I would do that with my whole life. Just an amazing season. And then God called me out of there to Atlanta Mission. And so for those who don’t know, and we can get into that story here if you want to, but, for those who don’t know, Atlanta mission, like you said, it’s the largest and longest running provider of services… Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — …for men, women, and children experiencing homelessness in our city. So for perspective, what that means is on any given night, we’ll have about 800 men, women, or children who are staying with us. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. That’s a significant operation. That’s, that’s incredible. Tensley Almand — It’s a significant operation. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — It represents that in our city, that represents about 35 to 40% of all the shelter beds in Atlanta. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Tensley Almand — So that’s, it’s a, it’s pretty remarkable opportunity that we do that across three campuses in downtown Atlanta. Rich Birch — Okay. Tensley Almand — One for men, two for women and children. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — And then we have this really cool drug and alcohol addiction facility out near Athens, which is about an hour outside of town, on 550 acre farm that is just beautiful ah for men who are in recovery from addiction. Rich Birch — Wow. Oh my goodness. Huh. Tensley Almand — So yeah. Rich Birch — Yeah. That’s, that’s incredible. i’m I’m glad you started with the kind of community size that you’re you’re serving. That’s, that’s amazing. Give me a sense of the operation from like a, you know, total number of staff, other kinds of metrics. Like I’m just trying to, I know, you know, you’re not a kind of person that’s going to brag about that kind of stuff, but just trying to help people kind of place, because this is a significant operation, friends. Atlanta Mission is it’s a world-class organization doing great work and honored to have you on this the show. But people might not be ah kind of aware of the the scale of it. Give us a bit more sense of that. Tensley Almand — Yeah, no, it’s a, it’s a good question. I appreciate you asking. Cause yeah, I definitely don’t, I don’t want to, I don’t like going there, but… Rich Birch — Yes. And it’s even just, it’s a funny thing to, it’s a funny thing to even like, it’s like, well, we’re really good. It’s like, it’s like, well, yeah, it’s a tough thing you’re doing. So it’s like, man, it’s a weird thing to kind of try to but get ah your arms around. How, how do we talk about this? Yeah. Tensley Almand — Yeah. So let me kind of give you scope and then let me talk a little bit about what we’re doing. So scope is ah we’re we’re about a $20 million dollars a year organization. Rich Birch — Yep. Yep. Tensley Almand — And so just like every church out there, that means, you know, we start July as the start of our fiscal year and we start at zero… Rich Birch — Yep. Tensley Almand — …and then we go and raise $20 million dollars… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …to meet the need of our expenses. And we do that through mainly private and and corporate donations. And so… Rich Birch — Yep. Tensley Almand — …we’re almost a hundred percent privately funded this year. Rich Birch — Oh, wow. Tensley Almand — We, we, we took our very first government grant. Rich Birch — Huh. Tensley Almand — But I mean, it’s a $250,000 grant, which is not insignificant, but on the scope of 20 million. So that kind of gives everybody an idea. So you’re talking about, uh, you know, thousands of donors who come alongside of us to partner with us, which is just amazing. Rich Birch — Yeah. Amazing. Yeah. Tensley Almand — We serve about 800 men, women, and children, like I said, Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — And we have right at about 180 staff… Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — …who are who are either you know full-time equivalents basically here with us. And that’s across four different campuses. So we’re essentially like a multi-site operation. So I’m sitting here at my office today, which is basically our mission support center. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — So your accounting, HR, development team, all of your infrastructure, and we support the work that’s happening all over our city. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And then we also have three thrift stores across Northeast Georgia that’s included in that head count. Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — And so a little bit of that 20 million that I was telling you about that that revenue comes from sales as well. And so, so yeah, it’s pretty broad organization. And then what we do, a lot of people think about you know Atlanta Mission, especially here in our city, and they just think emergency shelter. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Certainly what we do. But of those 800 beds, roughly only 40% of those go towards emergency shelter. And so if you… Rich Birch — Oh, really? OK. Tensley Almand — Yeah. And so if you show up at our door and you just need safety, security, stability, um, you’re just trying to like get off the street… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …we have a program called Find Hope… Rich Birch — Yep. Tensley Almand — …and it’s a 30-day program. You can stay with us rent free 30 days. You know, bed meals, showers, really, really, really, really low expectation on those clients. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — It’s just like, hey, we’re here to meet your needs. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s cool. Tensley Almand — The other 60% of our beds go towards what we call our transformational model… Rich Birch — Okay. Tensley Almand — …where we provide complete wraparound services. It’s about a year long program. Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — You show up and we’re going to try to help you get healthy relationally, physically, emotionally, spiritually, vocationally. We’ve got counselors, we’ve got advocates, we’ve got social workers. You have a whole team… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …that works with you, walks with you for a year… Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — …depending on really your core traumas, what’s caused your homelessness. And our main goal, our mission is to transform through Christ the lives of those who are experiencing homelessness, poverty, and addiction. Tensley Almand — And so what we want to do, what that means to us is over the course of that year, Um, we want to give you the tools to identify your traumas, understand those traumas and ultimately break the cycles so that you don’t ever have to come back to our doors again. We we tell our clients, we love you, but we don’t ever want to see you again. Like this is just like, like, how do we… Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. This was a phase of your life, hopefully, right? Tensley Almand — Yeah. Rich Birch — That’s the goal. Tensley Almand — How do we end that for you? And so our program goes through all the counseling, all the services, and it wraps up in a vocational training program we call Next Steps that… Rich Birch — Wow. That’s amazing. Tensley Almand — …that gives our clients the soft skills they need to not just get a job. Because here’s here’s what’s really cool. You you would get this. Our clients are really good at getting jobs. But like so many people out there, we’re terrible at keeping a job. Rich Birch — Right. Right. Right. Yes. Tensley Almand — Like people don’t know the skills needed to like keep a job. Like how do you manage conflict? Rich Birch — Right, right. Tensley Almand — What do you do with that boss who’s just overbearing? How do you have normal workplace conversations? Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — And so we have a ah four week training program that gives our clients those skills. And what we’re finding is that for the clients who go all the way through our program, 70% of those who graduate our program, they still have a house or a living situation a year later. Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — And they are maintaining that job a year later. Rich Birch — Wow. That’s incredible. Tensley Almand — And so it’s just been a remarkable, remarkable journey. And so we’ve got some transitional housing in there… Rich Birch — Yep. Tensley Almand — …where you graduate our program, you stay with us, we help you save up and and we help you find an apartment. And then when you’re ready financially and you’re you’re stable, we help you move into that that apartment. Tensley Almand — And what’s really cool, probably one of my favorite things is for alumni is that year after you graduate, you get a retention coach with us and they walk with you. And they just help you navigate life because, man, when you’ve stayed somewhere for a year and then you kind of come back in and you’re like, oooh, the pressures of the world are on me. That first year is so tough. Rich Birch — So hard. Yeah. Tensley Almand — Yeah. Yeah. Rich Birch — Well, that’s cool. I appreciate you sharing that. and And yeah, even church leaders that are listening in, um man, ah there whether if you’re in the Atlanta area, you definitely should reach out to Atlanta Mission. Rich Birch — But even in your neighborhood, like there are, this is why you shouldn’t be trying to invent this yourself as a church. There are these are incredibly complex issues that you know when I heard all of the the different things you’re doing to surround people, try to help them, um that’s that’s inspiring. That’s amazing. Rich Birch — Well, I’d love to pivot and talk about kind of your experience as you’ve transitioned in, like some try to extract some leadership lessons. It’s been said that one of the first things that leaders do is define reality or gain clarity for their for their organization. Rich Birch — When you first started early on in your role, what were you listening for or look for that told you, maybe there’s some areas here that just aren’t very clear? What did you see as you were, you know, we got to bring some more clarity in the organization? Were there things you kind of saw that that made you think, oh, we maybe this is some areas we need to gain some better clarity as an organization? Tensley Almand — Yeah, no, absolutely. And I think, you know, every leadership transition is different. One of the advantages I had is that what my predecessor was leaving me was so much different than what he inherited. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And so he inherited an organization that was in crisis. He handed me an organization that was thriving. But, that organization really was, and he was, and it’s it’s all kind of wrapped up in our story, is that it was time for him to retire. It was time for him to move on. And so the whole organization was asking what’s next. And so that’s, that’s one advantage I had is that there was this collective, like, well, like what what is next for us? That was helpful. Tensley Almand — The other advantage I had, and I did not think this was an advantage. But, you know, I, I came out of church ministry. I didn’t know how to lead a nonprofit. I didn’t know anything about homelessness. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Tensley Almand — I didn’t know much about social services. And so, yeah I truly believe God called me into this, but I couldn’t come in like an expert. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so I literally was forced to, my I tell people my door said CEO, but I think I was really the chief question officer. I mean, my my first year… Rich Birch — Help me understand. Help me understand. Tensley Almand — …was, yeah, asking questions. I can I can vividly remember our clinical director coming into my office and saying, hey, we’ve got this massive clinical decision that we need to make and there’s this and this and this. And you know and then like trying to leave that way. What do you think we should do? And I’m like… you’re the clinical director. Like, what do what do you mean? Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — But that was again, and this is and he would say this if he was sitting here, my predecessor had an organization that was in crisis. And so every decision had to center on him. And I needed to come in and teach our team how to have a decentralized leadership. How like, hey, look you’re the clinical director I’m going to support you, I’m to remove obstacles for you. But if I have to make clinical decisions, we’re we’ve got a really big problem because I’m not qualified to make that decision. Tensley Almand — And so um really pushing leadership down… Rich Birch — yeah Tensley Almand — …asking a lot of questions, understanding what we do. And so that was that was a huge advantage that that i think a lot of people probably, they can like I did, they they think about the things that are stacked against them. To me, it’s like you don’t know anything about the space. That’s a big obstacle. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Well, maybe lean into those obstacles because it’s a really good way to to get underneath the hood. And so it forced me to ask questions, forced me to listen. And then what I did is I I truly went on a just a listening tour. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — I set up a meeting, I think, with every employee of our organization. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Tensley Almand — And I asked everybody what’s right, what’s wrong, what’s missing and what’s confusing. Rich Birch — Huh. Tensley Almand — And I still have that notebook. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — I mean, my assistant like cataloged answers for days. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And what was so cool to me was that without having the same language, almost everybody in the organization identified the same rights, wrongs, missings and confusions. And so I was able to then take that and really come back to our senior team and say, hey, what should we do about this? Like we all… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — We all agree this is a problem. like What should we do do? And I think a colleague of mine, I remember walking into his office and he had this drawing on his board. I’m like, what is what is that? He’s like, well, is how I feel about our organization. I remember it was ah it was a circle. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — And all the arrows were pointed in every direction around the circle. And he’s like, that’s us. Like, we’ve got the right idea… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …but everybody’s pulling in a hundred directions to try to figure out how to do that idea. Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — and I said, man, we need to take that circle and get all those arrows on one side. Cause if we can collectively pull… and that just kind of became our quest. And so we took all those answers and, you know, basically the the big thing was, um you know, and I don’t know where I learned this, but I feel like when there’s clarity in an organization, ‘no’ is really easy and ‘yes’ is is really difficult. It’s like really easy to say no. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And what I found at Atlanta Mission was we were just saying yes to everything. And the reason we were saying yes to everything is because there was no strategy, there was no clarity. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And so we took that first year and a half, wrote our strategic plan, identified who we want to be and why we want to be that. And then what would it look like to be that organization? And so we just kind of built it backwards. And that’s the journey we’ve been on now for the last four years since I’ve been here. Rich Birch — Wow. That’s, ah yeah, that’s incredible. I love that that feeling. In fact, i I took over a nonprofit ah kids camp and much smaller scale than what you’re running. But I remember those early days where there yeah people are looking at you and and and there is this sense of like, okay, so like you got to tell us where we’re going. What is the thing we’re doing next? Like and it’s easy to like… the easy thing is, let’s try this. Let’s try that. Let’s do a bunch of different things. And that can lead to that pulling, those hundred different, you know, it’s lots of activity, but it’s not focused. Tensley Almand — Yeah. Rich Birch — And trying to get everybody on a kind of a shared page of or shared picture of what the future looks like, man, that’s great through this, this process of kind of we’re going to do a strategic plan over a year. What, what would you, what would you say to a leader that is feeling the pressure of like, Hey, I want to define the future now, as opposed to that feels like a step back. We’re going to year and a half and define this stuff. What would you say to a leader? Why should we slow down? Talk us through why that, how that benefited now that you’re on the other side of all that. Tensley Almand — Yeah, I think the first thing I would say is it’s it’s totally worth it. I mean, it it was hard. It was challenging. It it does feel like a step back. But I don’t know how to step forward without without clarity, you know. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And that’s, you said at the beginning, I got to ah got to be one of the campus pastors at North Point Community Church for years. I can remember Andy always saying, The beauty of North Point wasn’t that we got to start with a blank page, just that we started on the same page. Rich Birch — That’s good Tensley Almand — And I just think that like that, that is always set with me. And so when I when I started here, I realized like, hey, I don’t I don’t get the luxury of a blank page. I mean, this organization has been around since 1938. You know, when I when I started Decatur City, it was so easy because I just told everybody what we were doing and why we were doing it and there was nothing else we were doing. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so it was just like… But here it’s like, OK, if I can’t get to a blank page, the best thing I can do is we’ve got to get on the same page… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …or else we’re just we’re going to spin our tires. And, and you know, I think I’ll I’ll this story probably sums it up and maybe somebody can relate to this. I have a monthly breakfast with our board chair and our vice chair. And the very first breakfast I went to in this role, it was my predecessor’s last breakfast and my first. And so we’re all so it’s him, it’s me and it’s a board chair a vice chair, all of which have been around this organization 3x the amount of time I had at that point, I had been there like three days. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Couple weeks. Tensley Almand — And and we got this email the night before the breakfast, and it was from a developer. And they were offering $14 million dollars for the piece of property that my office sits on, which is a widely underused piece of property… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …that we’ve always kind of wrestled with, like, what do we do with this thing? Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — $14 million dollars. Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — That’s almost our entire year’s budget. Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — And I remember showing up to this breakfast with this LOI and I asked the question, should we take it or should we not? Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And nobody could answer my question. Rich Birch — Wow. Wow. Tensley Almand — Nobody knew if it was a good idea to take $14 million dollars or to walk away from $14 million dollars Rich Birch — And if that group doesn’t know, nobody else in the organization is going to know, right? Tensley Almand — And that’s exactly what I said. I was like, if you don’t know, and I don’t know… Rich Birch — Yeah. Yes, exactly. Tensley Almand — …nobody knows. Rich Birch — Yes, yes, yes. Tensley Almand — And so I started with that small group and I said, hey, would you give me the freedom to to take however long it takes for us to make sure we can answer that question? Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Tensley Almand — And so in our first board meeting, I raised my hand and I just said, hey guys, I know I’m new, I know I just started. But I shared the story and I said, hey, we have to be able to answer questions like this. Or we’re never going to get anywhere. We may do a lot of good things, but we are going to have no idea if we did the best thing. Rich Birch — Right, right. That’s good. That’s good. So kind of double clicking on that, continuing to kind of focus in on this. You know, there are churches, organizations that will do the strat plan or roll. We go away for the big retreat. We come up with the new value statements. It’s got great strategy on paper. But it doesn’t end up translating into practice. What are you doing at the mission to try to make sure that we’re going from that wasn’t just a great document that’s like in a nice book somewhere, but it’s actually rolling out. Maybe give us some examples of that. And what are those kind of rhythms, cadences, all that? How how are you making that happen? Tensley Almand — Yeah, it’s wish I could really tell you we’re crushing it in this area. It’s this is a new habit for us. Rich Birch — Sure. Sure. Good. Tensley Almand — And so we’re I’m four years in. We just finished our first full fiscal year under our new strategy. And so I can tell you what we’ve learned. Rich Birch — Hey, that’s good. Yeah, good. Tensley Almand — One, once you get it built you have to start small. We, I wish I could remember the exact number, I think as a senior team we committed and told our board we were going to do 392 new initiatives or something in year one, you know. Rich Birch — Wow. Right. Tensley Almand — And this is a seven-year plan… Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — …we’re like we got almost for it and I think we got 100 through of the 392. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And we celebrated like crazy at the end of the year because it was like, that’s 100 things that were all in alignment that we’d never done before. We learned so much. So, start small. Tensley Almand — The other thing is we built our plan. And I was I was very intentional about this because of what you just said. I did not want another notebook that was going to sit on my shelf. And so our strategic plan is really a strategic roadmap. And what I have told our board, what I’ve told our staff is I want an organization that knows how to think. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And our our plan is really a roadmap for how we should think. It’s not overly prescriptive in necessarily what that means. Because it’s it’s designed to take us all the way through 2030. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Well, I have no idea what’s going to happen between now and 2030. Rich Birch — Right. Right. Tensley Almand — But I do know that if what we said we want to accomplish, we’re accomplishing, however that looks, by 2030, we’re on the right track. And so that would be the other thing is just like, I would build, I wouldn’t make it so prescriptive that it tells you like, Hey, next week you’re doing this. And the week after… It needs to teach the organization how to think, how to act so that the person who’s brand new on the front line, if I’m not in the room, they don’t need to spend any time going like what, what would Tensley want me to do? They just, this is who we are as an organization. It’s how we think. Tensley Almand — And then we at a senior level and then we pushed it all the way down to our organization. We built a meeting cadence around it. Rich Birch — Nice. Tensley Almand — And so we have our senior team meets once a week. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — That’s my six direct reports and plus my admin. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — And we, one, so we do that on Tuesday morning, one, the first Tuesday of the month is a strategy meeting. We talk all about the strategic plan. That’s like a, how how are you doing and your department doing towards what you said you were gonna do? Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And we have a dashboard to measure that against. And then the next Tuesday is an operations meeting. And it’s just like, hey, what are what are we working on? We can’t live at 50,000 feet all the time. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Let’s get down to 1,000 feet or whatever it is. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — And so we have that operations cadence. And then the third meeting is kind of like a catch-all, like, hey, what you know what needs to happen? And then our last meeting of the month is a monthly ministry review with the entire, not just my direct reports, but all the managers that sit under my direct reports. Rich Birch — Oh, that’s cool. Tensley Almand — And they lead that meeting. I listen in that meeting. And I get to hear what’s happening at every campus, what’s going on. And I get to hear how people are implementing or not implementing the strategy. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And then the very next meeting, if you’re keeping up, is then our strategy meeting. Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — So then I’m like, hey… Rich Birch — Here’s some stuff I heard. Tensley Almand — …tell me more about this. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah. Yes. Tensley Almand — Or I didn’t hear like, Hey, I thought we were working on this. Why is that not happening? And so we have dashboards. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. Tensley Almand — We’ve never had those before. We have data that we can follow. We have metrics we’ve identified as a, as a team, our wins. And so it’s like, Hey, how are we tracking towards those wins and just have created a layer of accountability that didn’t exist probably three years ago. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Let’s talk a little bit more about the data thing. I’ve, or data thing. We, I’ve, I’ve said with younger leaders, you know, spreadsheets are the language of leadership. Like you’re going to have to get used to this stuff. This is just… Tensley Almand — Yep. Rich Birch — …this is how we care for people at scale is, is that is what it looks like. So data can either inspire or intimidate. How do you track outcomes? How do you, how do you how have you seen, you know, data over this last year actually change behavior and move things, improve care, better outcomes, all that kind of stuff. Talk us through what, cause you know, what we measure can get, can, you know, steer us in the wrong direction or steer us in the right direction. Help, help us think through that. As we’re thinking about what numbers should we pay attention to? Tensley Almand — Yeah. So again, when I started, that was a big question I had. So if you were to look at our numbers, you would see that we serve, you know, let’s, these are rough, but right at about 3000 people a year come through our doors. Rich Birch — Okay. Tensley Almand — Right. Which is huge. Rich Birch — Yep. Tensley Almand — You’re like, man, that’s amazing. Well, then I, as I walk you through that, by the time you get to the end of our vocational training a year later, we may graduate like 400. And then 70% of those 400 are still doing well the the next year. And so, you know, on paper, you’re like, man, is that good? Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Tensley Almand — Like that, that there’s a lot of attrition there. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — Like should, is, is, are we fail… And that was, again, when I started, that was a question nobody could answer for me is, Hey, is that good? Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so even backing up before we built our strategy, our senior team spent so much time defining our outcomes. And we had all of these statements, you know, but it was like we want somebody to be healthy vocationally. Tensley Almand — It’s like, okay, what does that mean? Crickets in the room. Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — Wait, if you don’t know what it means and I don’t know what it means, does the person who’s leading that program know what it means? Better question: does the person who’s receiving our services know if they’ve actually achieved help in that area? Tensley Almand — And so we went through, defined all of those terms so that there was a clear outcome to it… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …so that we could then measure it. And then we built both a one-page dashboard that our senior team could look at at a high level. So I could I can open this dashboard on any Monday morning. It’s just in Tableau, so nothing super you know exciting. Rich Birch — Yep. Yep. Tensley Almand — And I can just see, i can see progression through our program. I can see healthy exits. We’ve defined what are healthy exits. I can see, ah you know, are people getting stuck? That was a big thing we were we were learning is like, people are just getting stuck in our program and we’re committing to somebody. You’re going to be at this phase of the program 30 days. Well, then they spend 60 days. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And what we were finding. We were, so this, this probably long winded way of saying this, but what we, we didn’t know what was happening or why it was happening and it felt good. But you know, you’re like, I don’t know. Tensley Almand — And so what we were finding is it’s like, Hey, so that’s an example. Like, somebody gets stuck in our program. We promised them 30. It takes 60. All of a sudden, we were able to track that, hey, there’s a certain amount of fallout rate at this stage of the program. Why is that happening? Oh, people are stuck. They’ve been here too long. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — We got to fix that. And so it it enabled us to know what needed to be fixed and and not fixed. Rich Birch — Yeah, that’s good. Tensley Almand — And probably the the best real-time example of that is just recently. So I keep telling you the 70% number of graduates are successful. That’s kind of our historical data. Rich Birch — Yep. Yep. Tensley Almand — Well, this year, that number fell for the first time ever. It’s gotten better every year. Rich Birch — Wow. Tensley Almand — This year it fell and it fell like dramatically. And this is one of those I don’t like to talk about it because it doesn’t look good. Rich Birch — Interesting. Yes. Tensley Almand — I mean, like it fell down to almost like 45, 50 percent. Rich Birch — Oh, wow. Tensley Almand — You’re like, what’s happening? Rich Birch — Almost inverse. Yeah, yeah. Wow. Tensley Almand — Exactly. And so at first, you’re like, our program is no good. We got rewrite our program. Well, thankfully, we had been tracking all of the kind of whys and we understood what was happening in people’s lives. And what we have found out is no, like the economy shifted. You can’t get a job in 30 to 60 days anymore. Rich Birch — Interesting. Tensley Almand — And so a gate in our program is when you graduate, you have 60 days to get a job. If you don’t get a job, you can’t move into our transitional housing because if we just allow you to stay, beds back up and then more people can’t get in. Tensley Almand — Well, our clients then would stop taking our advice and stop waiting for a good job. And at day like 50, they would just go get that job that doesn’t pay well. Rich Birch — Ohhh. Tensley Almand — And they knew it wasn’t going to be a career builder job. It was just going to keep them sheltered. Rich Birch — Right, right. Tensley Almand — And so it was our our like metrics were actually driving a behavior we didn’t like. Rich Birch — That’s interesting. Tensley Almand — And so we’re in the process now of like, hey, we’ve got to change this. The length of time it takes to get a job now takes longer. and Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — The job market’s more you know fierce right now. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so we don’t want nothing against these types of jobs. We don’t necessarily want our client leaving to go get a job at McDonald’s Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — But for them, leaving it to go get a job at McDonald’s versus not having a place to stay, I’ll take the McDonald’s job… Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Tensley Almand — …even though I know I’m only going to be there three months. Rich Birch — Right. Right. Tensley Almand — And so it was throwing off all of our numbers and it’s because we were incorrectly driving a behavior that we don’t want to drive. So. Rich Birch — Wow. That’s cool. That’s a great, very vivid example. And there’s lots of that in the church world. I know you I know you know that. There was a church I was doing some work with last year, large church, 10,000-person church. And they were we were talking one of the numbers I obsess with my clients over is documented first-time guests, the actual number of people that come every single weekend. And I was convinced that this church was just was missing a whole bunch of first time guests. And so they were telling me about how great their, their, their assimilation numbers were. They were like, Oh, this is so great. And I was like, I just don’t believe it. I’m like, because, because if you are not capturing the number of, of documented first time guests, then yeah and you’re comparing against half of what you probably actually have coming into your church, then then every number be below that, all your integration stuff looks twice as good as it actually is. Tensley Almand — Yeah. Rich Birch — And you know that that happens in lots of places across our numbers. We’ve got to get real clear and benchmark against other people. Tensley Almand — If I could go back and if I could go back, no, no, it’s just, like I’ve often thought like, what would I do different if I was a church leader now? Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah, yeah. That’s a good question. Tensley Almand — And I would I would measure so much differently. Rich Birch — Yeah, interesting. Tensley Almand — You know, historically we’ve measured nickels and noses, right? Like how much money’s coming in and how many people are sitting in the pews. But it’s like, those are important. Rich Birch — Yeah. Tensley Almand — I wouldn’t stop measuring them, but I would pay attention to like this. I would try to find a way to measure progression, you know. Rich Birch — Yes, 100%. Tensley Almand — It’s like to your point how many first-time guests are you having okay well then of those first-time guests how many of them are actually moving to your small groups. Rich Birch — Yeah, 100%. Tensley Almand — Of those who moved your small groups do any of them ever volunteer like and and really understand the behaviors you want. And then measure to those behaviors and i think especially in a world where just church attendance looks so much so much different, we could gauge health of our churches so much more effectively if we were Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so true. I’d love to I’d love to kind of pivot for a few minutes in a slightly different direction. Tensley Almand — Okay. Rich Birch — So we have a lot of church leaders that are listening in and I’d love to understand how Atlanta Mission partners with churches. What does that look like? How do you work together? So specifically at Atlanta misha, and then what would you, Mission, and then what would you say to churches in general? Hey, um what advice would you give now that you’re on this side of the equation of actually partnering with an organization like Atlanta Mission? How can you be kind of the best partner? How do we what are what are people on your side of the table actually looking for from a church like ours? Because I’m sure there’s all kinds of stories of like, yeah, that didn’t work well. Talk us through what that looks like, partnerships specifically, and then kind of in general, how can we be better at that? Tensley Almand — Yeah, and partnership is one of our pillars of our strategic plan. I think I think for nonprofits, especially when you’re large and you’re self-funded, you can it’s easy to get siloed. And we we fell into that category, not just with outside partners that wanted to come in and help us, but also with other service providers across the the, you know, continuum of care in our city. is It’s just it’s easy to kind of put your head down and do your own thing. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And so this is a huge emphasis for us, mainly because it’s really woven into the vision of our organization. Our organization is a community that’s united to end homelessness one person at a time. Well, I mean, it’s like partnership has to be built into that. Rich Birch — Right. Yes, baked into it. Yeah. Tensley Almand — So what who are we to then go get siloed? Like, that’s like, wow, you can’t even accomplish what you said you wanted to do. And so um we… I’ll back into this answer by telling you one of the things we’ve discovered at Atlanta Mission is that this isn’t this, you know, this isn’t novel, but, you know, material poverty, we all know is debilitating. Relational poverty is just as debilitating as material poverty. Rich Birch — That’s so true. Tensley Almand — And what we find with our clients is that almost 100 percent obviously are struggling with some version of material poverty, but they are just relationally broken and poor. They are void of healthy relationships. And so this is this is so much where partnership comes in, because we we literally have a metric that we track of how many healthy contacts does a client have in their phone before they graduate our program. And what we were finding is I mean we were their only healthy contact. Rich Birch — Oh, wow. Tensley Almand — And it’s wait this is this is not good. And this is such a great place for churches to partner with us because we have so many opportunities that we just call we call them “be with” opportunities there’s like there’s “do for” service projects but there’s also “be with” service projects. And they’re just designed for you to establish healthy community with our clients, build relationships, throw a birthday party for somebody… Rich Birch — That’s so good. Right. Tensley Almand — …have a Christmas party at one of our shelters. Come, you know, we’re moving into the holiday season, you know, come and build gingerbread houses together with our kids who are staying with us and just create an hour in somebody’s life that’s normal. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — And I feel like churches are better at this than anybody. Our corporate partners are fantastic at the “do for” projects. They can then come in and beautify our campuses in 30 minutes in a way that none of us can. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — You know, Home Depot comes in and it’s like, we’re going to transform your landscape. Great. This is awesome. Rich Birch — Yeah, yeah. Tensley Almand — I love it. But a church can come in and just be authentic and be real and be with our clients. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — And you would be amazed at how different somebody’s life looks after just that hour. And so, and I think that’s a huge thing. And then what I would tell churches, I think even as a church leader, I I probably overlooked how vital we were to nonprofits. You just you know, you think it’s an hour, but you know, even the day of, you know, you wake up that morning and you’re like, they don’t really need me. Like, I don’t know. Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — This is, am I not really going to make a difference? Yes, you are. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — You are going to make a huge difference. It is worth the hour. It is worth the drive. Tensley Almand — And we we tell people all the time, and I’ve seen this in my own life. The thing that happens at Atlanta Mission is there’s always two stories of transformation happening. There’s the story of transformation that’s happening in a client’s life. But God transforms my life every day. Rich Birch — That’s so true. Tensley Almand — And it’s that’s the part I didn’t expect, Rich, is that… Rich Birch — Right. Tensley Almand — …my life is being changed as much as anybody else’s. And so I would, I would tell a church, Hey, our clients need you. But you need this as well. Rich Birch — Yes. Yeah. Yeah. Tensley Almand — Like God’s going to do something in your life. Tensley Almand — And then the other is just, um I think, especially for really big churches, it’s easy to think like, I bet they need my expertise. It’s like, actually, that’s not like. We need your partnership. Rich Birch — Yes. Yes. Tensley Almand — You know, we, we know how to do this. Come put wind in our sails. Rich Birch — Yeah. Yeah, Tensley Almand — Come just serve, be a part of what we’re doing. Rich Birch — Yeah, it’s so good. That’s super helpful. Love love that. Well, just as we’re coming to land, any kind of final words or encouragement you’d you’d say to church leaders that are listening in today that are, you know, wrestling with maybe clarity or wrestling with some of the stuff we’ve talked about today? This has been a really fruitful conversation. Thank you for it. Tensley Almand — Yeah, I think the, you know, probably the biggest thing I would say, and I have to tell myself this all the time. I mean, I’m an entrepreneurial type A. I’m going to like, you know, go conquer the world in a day is that, you know, remind yourself, you know, more than likely what you can accomplish in 90 days is nowhere near what you think it is, you know. But what you can accomplish in a year or two years is probably way more than you ever imagined you could. Rich Birch — Right. So true Yeah, that’s good. Tensley Almand — And so just again, kind of back to the strategy thing, it takes time. It’s messy. You know, you’re going to feel like, is this worth it? It creates conflict on your team. It feels uncomfortable. We were, we were joking as a senior team the other day. There was, it was about a year where I just, every Tuesday morning, I thought I want to cancel this meeting because I just didn’t enjoy, like we were just, we were at conflict because we were… Rich Birch — Right. Yes. Tensley Almand — …hashing out who we are and why we exist and what are we going to do and why are we going to do it? Rich Birch — Yes. Tensley Almand — But now it’s my favorite hour of the week. Like, I just love it. And so, you know, I would say that… Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — …you know, and I think, yeah, I don’t know that I have anything, you know, much more. Rich Birch — That’s good. Tensley Almand — Yeah. Rich Birch — No, that’s good. Well, I really appreciate being on the show today. Where do we want to send people if they want to connect with you or with Atlanta Mission? Where are the best places for us to send people online? Tensley Almand — Probably the easiest place is just our website, atlantamission.org. You can find everything you want to about us. If you want to know more, you can email info@atlantamission.org. And that actually goes right to my assistant and we’ll get you connected to the right person. And you can, you know, next time you’re in town, you partner with us. You can help us. You can be happy to give you a tour, show you what we do. Rich Birch — That’s great. Thanks so much, Tensley. Appreciate you being here today. Tensley Almand — Thanks.

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Joel Thomas, Lead Pastor at Buckhead Church and senior leader at North Point Ministries. Joel shares his unique journey into ministry, lessons from his time at North Point and Mission Community Church, and the leadership insights he's gained along the way. From the power of investing in young leaders, to discerning between turnaround and realignment, to navigating succession in a large church context, Joel offers wisdom for leaders at every stage. Welcome to Episode 141 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.

We are bringing back one of my fav guests for a repeat convo :) Sandra Stanley is a wife, mother, author, and the co founder of Northpoint Ministries (where MY church Buckhead Church is based out of!).In this episode we talk all things:Raising kids to develop their own faithBeing a model of faith for your childrenMaintaining a personal relationship with God when ministry is your job I pray this blesses you friend!

Today, we are joined by Clay Scroggins.Clay is the author of the best-selling books How to Lead When You're Not in Charge, How to Lead in a World of Distraction, and The Aspiring Leader's Guide to the Future. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech as well as a Master's degree and Doctorate with an emphasis in Online Church from Dallas Theological Seminary. For almost 20 years, Clay Scroggins served in many pastoral roles at North Point Ministries, a multisite church started in Alpharetta, Georgia led by Andy Stanley. Most recently, Clay served as the lead pastor of Buckhead Church, one of North Point's largest campuses. Clay is a sought after speaker (that's what he tells his parents) having worked with organizations ranging from the Dallas Cowboys or the staff at the White House all the way to Taco Bell or the Alabama Association of Tax Assessors. Clay lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Jenny, and their five children.In this second part of our conversation, we dive deeper into how positivity becomes a leadership superpower in today's overwhelmed workplace, the crucial difference between thinking critically and being critical, and practical strategies for rejecting passivity.Key topics include:How to shift from negativity and cynicism to ownership and hope in the workplaceThe difference between thinking critically and being critical, and how to stay solution-orientedWhy scheduling time to think is essential for leadersThe CPR method for rejecting passivity and taking meaningful actionHow to challenge up effectively without threatening your leadership, illustrated through the Chick-fil-A innovation storyWhy developing influence before authority makes you a better leaderClay's practical insights will help you lead effectively from wherever you stand in the organization.Clay's E-mail: clay.scroggins@gmail.com Clay's Website: https://www.clayscroggins.com/Clay's Book: https://www.amazon.com/How-Lead-When-Youre-Charge/dp/0310536960/ -Website and live online programs: http://ims-online.com Blog: https://blog.ims-online.com/ Podcast: https://ims-online.com/podcasts/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesgood/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesgood99 Chapters:(00:00) Introduction(01:10) Tool: Developing Positivity as a Leadership Superpower(03:55) Technique: Understanding How Your Energy Affects Others(06:15) Tip: Choosing to Be a Voice for Good in Challenging Times(08:25) Tool: Thinking Critically Without Being Critical(10:50) Technique: Using the LB-NT Method for Constructive Feedback(11:35) Tip: Creating Space to Think in an Execute-Heavy Culture(14:00) Tool: Recognizing When Your Best Ideas Come and Why(16:15) Technique: The CPR Method for Rejecting Passivity(18:45) Tip: Using the Magic Wand Question to Combat Passivity(21:25) Tool: Challenging Up Through the Chick-fil-A Innovation Story(25:25) Technique: The "As Now, So Then" Mindset for Leadership Development(27:35) Tip: Cultivating Influence Before Authority for Better Leadership(28:40) Conclusion#CharlesGood #ClayScroggins #TheGoodLeadershipPodcast #LeadWithoutAuthority #InfluentialLeadership #PositiveLeadership #CriticalThinking #RejectingPassivity #ChallengingUp #LeadershipInfluence #WorkplacePositivity #LeadershipMindset #PersonalLeadership #AuthenticLeadership #LeadershipWithoutTitle #OrganizationalLeadership #LeadershipDevelopment #InfluenceOverAuthority #EmergingLeaders #LeadershipGrowth

Today, we are joined by Clay Scroggins.Clay is the author of the best-selling books How to Lead When You're Not in Charge, How to Lead in a World of Distraction, and The Aspiring Leader's Guide to the Future. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech as well as a Master's degree and Doctorate with an emphasis in Online Church from Dallas Theological Seminary. For almost 20 years, Clay Scroggins served in many pastoral roles at North Point Ministries, a multisite church started in Alpharetta, Georgia led by Andy Stanley. Most recently, Clay served as the lead pastor of Buckhead Church, one of North Point's largest campuses. Clay is a sought after speaker (that's what he tells his parents) having worked with organizations ranging from the Dallas Cowboys or the staff at the White House all the way to Taco Bell or the Alabama Association of Tax Assessors. Clay lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Jenny, and their five children.In this episode, we explore the revolutionary concept that leadership and authority aren't a package deal. Clay dismantles the myth that you must wait for a title or position to begin leading, instead revealing how waiting for empowerment actually trains passivity and undermines your potential. Key topics include:Why leadership and authority are not a package deal and how this myth limits potentialThe danger of waiting to be empowered and how it trains passivity in leadersWhy influence is more powerful than authority in the long run for effective leadershipThe importance of self-leadership as the foundation for influencing othersLearn from Clay Scroggins how to cultivate influence from wherever you sit in an organization. Clay Scroggins's website: https://www.clayscroggins.com/Clay Scroggins's Books: https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B01MXJ1O3Y -Website and live online programs: http://ims-online.comBlog: https://blog.ims-online.com/Podcast: https://ims-online.com/podcasts/LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlesgood/Twitter: https://twitter.com/charlesgood99Chapters:(00:00) Introduction(01:00) Tool: Understanding Why Leadership and Authority Aren't a Package Deal(03:30) Tip: The Danger of Waiting to Be Empowered(05:30) Technique: Cultivating Influence Over Authority for Long-Term Success(08:40) Tool: Building Stable Leadership Identity Through the Five P's(14:30) Tip: Understanding Purpose as the Foundation of Effective Leadership(15:00) Technique: Distinguishing Between Kibosh and Kavash Leadership Styles(18:00) Tool: The Importance of Self-Leadership Before Leading Others(20:05) Tip: Monitoring Your Heart and Behavior for Self-Awareness(23:00) Technique: Supporting Your Leader to Build Moral Authority(24:33) Conclusion #CharlesGood #ClayScroggins #TheGoodLeadershipPodcast #LeadWithoutAuthority #InfluentialLeadership #SelfLeadership #LeadershipIdentity #EmergingLeaders #LeadershipDevelopment #InfluenceOverAuthority #LeadershipMindset #PersonalLeadership #AuthenticLeadership #LeadershipWithoutTitle #OrganizationalLeadership #FollowershipSkills #LeadershipGrowth #PurposeDrivenLeadership #SelfAwareness #LeadershipInfluence

In this episode, Collette Taylor shares her journey in kids ministry, offering insights from her time at North Point Ministries and other organizations on creating engaging, intentional experiences for children. The conversation covers effective event production, volunteer management, and the creative processes behind delivering impactful messages in ministry contexts. Colette Taylor Connect with Colette via […]

257. Mother Daughter Relationship During Teen Years and Beyond with Sandra Stanley and Allie Stanley Cooney   "Love never fails." 1 Corinthians 13:8a NIV   **Transcription Below**   Sandra Stanley received her Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Tech and Master of Arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sandra has a heart for foster kids and foster families, as she and Andy have been foster parents since 2010. Her ministry passion is promoting foster care in the local church. Much of her time these days is spent working on various writing projects and continuing her involvement with Fostering Together, the foster care initiative of North Point Ministries. Connect with her online:   Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrawstanley  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.w.stanley/   X: https://twitter.com/sandrawstanley   Website: https://www.sandrastanley.com/   Allie Stanley Cooney graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Communication. She completed the North Point Residency program and simultaneously earned a Masters of Christian Education degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. With a decade of experience guiding students along their spiritual journeys, Allie is passionate about empowering middle school, high school and college students to embrace a life devoted to following Jesus wholeheartedly. She has a heart for middle school and high school students and can often be spotted at any number of local coffee shops pouring into girls in those seasons of life.   Connect with her on socials: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliekaycooney   X: https://twitter.com/alliekaystanley    Questions and Topics We Cover: How can understanding the three potential relationship stages help these daughters navigate relationships with friends and with boys? When we coach our daughters through developing friendships, what questions do you suggest we ask for clarification and what Scripture do you share for understanding our responsibility within friendships? I love how you both emphasize alone time with Jesus. How can we learn and apply this?   Other Episodes Mentioned from The Savvy Sauce: 200 Planting Seeds of Faith in Our Children with Courtney DeFeo 196 Parenting for the Relationship with Sandra Stanley   Related Episodes on The Savvy Sauce: Parenting the Prodigal Child And God's Desire For Redemption With Mother-Daughter Duo, Claire Stanfill and Tindell Baldwin Effective Parenting for Toddlers Through College with Wife, Mother to 8, and The Exchange Founder, Elizabeth Pehrson Intentional Questions to Ask Our Kids with Susan Seay 207 Cultivating Character in Our Children with Cynthia Yanof 212 School Series: Benefits of Homeschooling with Jodi Mockabee 217 Tween/Teen Females: How to Navigate Changes during Puberty with Dr. Jennifer Degler 220 Cultivating Healthy Family Relationships with Dr. Gary Chapman   Thank You to Our Sponsor: Leman Property Management Company   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review on Apple Podcasts, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”   **Transcription**   Music: (0:00 – 0:08)   Laura Dugger: (0:09 - 1:46) Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, where we have practical chats for intentional living. I'm your host, Laura Duggar, and I'm so glad you're here.    Leman Property Management Co. has the apartment you will be able to call home, with over 1,700 apartment units available in Central Illinois. Visit them today at lemanproperties.com or connect with them on Facebook.    I am so excited to get to host these guests, Sandra Stanley and her daughter, Allie Stanley Cooney. They have co-authored this amazing book entitled, Meet Me in the Middle, and throughout it I just loved their sense of humor. I appreciated their witty comments that had me laughing in the middle of their stories, but I also appreciate the practicality this book has to offer.   If you think back, Courtney DeFeo was a previous guest and we discussed the treasured Bible study, which is a great thing for mothers to walk through with their tween daughters, maybe girls of approximately ages 10 to 12, so I'll make sure and link that episode in the show notes, but today's book that we're kind of emphasizing is really good as that next step to highlight perhaps with your junior high or high school daughter. It's a beautiful book because you get really both real perspectives of the mother and the daughter from two drastically different angles, and that's kind of what our conversation is gonna look like today as I get to interview mother-daughter duo, Sandra and Allie. Here's our chat.   Welcome to The Savvy Sauce, Sandra and Allie.   Sandra Stanley: (1:59 - 2:03) Thank you for having us.    Allie Stanley Cooney: Thank you for having us. We're excited to be here.   Sandra Stanley: We really are.   Laura Dugger: (2:04 - 2:13) Well, I would love for us to just begin with the two of you sharing some of the hardest and sweetest phases that you've walked through in your own mother-daughter relationship.   Sandra Stanley: (2:14 - 4:00) Okay, well, let's see. Allie, this is funny and this kind of weaves through probably every question, but we are wired very differently from each other, and I am more analytical, efficient, organized, you know, all that. Allie is so creative and just spontaneous, and she is the best content creator and all of that kind of stuff, and I obsess over the details of did I capitalize everything and spell everything, and so while that has been amazing in this project working together because we kind of, you know, can just sort of coach each other along in our strengths, there were some times along the way in when she was growing up that that would just naturally cause some clashes, and that is mostly on me because I have a hard time understanding why efficiency didn't make it to the fruits of the spirit list, and you know, in parenting, efficiency is not the goal. The relationship is the goal, and I would switch those sometimes and err on the side of trying to be efficient, so often when we had those difficult times, it was on me, not her, because of all that kind of stuff, so the sweetest part, though, is she has always inspired me.   Even when she was a kid, she just had a maturity and a desire to have an intimate relationship with the Lord from an early, early age, and I think she just challenged Andy and me both in our just our personal walks with the Lord and authenticity and a bunch of things like that, so it's been a sweet relationship, and we pretty much talk all day long.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (4:00 - 4:34) Yeah, I was gonna say the sweetest season, I think, is definitely this one because I had a baby girl about two years ago, and I remember holding my baby girl for the first, second, third time, whatever, and just like, I love her so much, I'm so overwhelmed, and then looking at my mom and being like, wait a minute, you've loved me this much this whole time? Like, that's crazy. So I think getting to be a mom and doing this project together and all the things, I think this season has been definitely one of the sweetest for sure.   Laura Dugger: (4:34 - 5:07) I think that's very encouraging to anybody raising children in their home, but with your book, there were so many topics for mothers and daughters, but I'd love to first focus on this one section that you title, Finding Your People, and it's where you're talking about relationships, especially with friends and with boys, and so Allie, how can understanding the three potential relationship stages help these daughters navigate relationships with friends and with boys?   Allie Stanley Cooney: (5:08 - 7:43) Yeah, definitely, so how our book is laid out, a little bit of context, my mom wrote the first eight chapters to the moms, and then I wrote the back eight chapters to the girls, and we go through these different topics, and one of the topics, like you said, is friends and boys, so when I was thinking about that chapter, there's some, I feel like when you're in middle school, when you're in high school, friends and boys, that's what you're thinking about, that's what you care about, that's what probably you want to read about if you're gonna have to read something, so I wanted to break this down in a way that it's not natural for, you know, middle schoolers and high schoolers to think about, so we break down the three, the three potential stages, stages, that's what I'm looking for, we break down the three stages and let them know that in each stage of a potential relationship, you're called to love, and so the first stage is just before you enter into this relationship, or before you become really close friends, when you're kind of thinking through, is this something I want, is this something that will be good for you, asking the questions like, does this person make me more like Jesus, is this person a good influence, will this person help my life be better, or will it ultimately make it worse, and what does it look like to navigate that season really well, and then the next season is when you're in the relationship, and how can you love that person well while also honoring yourself and honoring that person, and then the last one I think is my favorite, because I think we forget about it potentially, and obviously a lot of our relationships, my best friend that I met in middle school is still one of my very best friends, but a lot of relationships that you have in middle school and in high school, they tend to go away, so there is a stage that is after the relationship, whether that's a breakup, or you just kind of drift apart, whatever that looks like, and the reminder that we're still called to love, because I know culture especially is like, breakup, you should just say horrible things about them, and trash them, and if anybody's friends with them, then you can't be friends with them, and I think the reality is, no, even when the relationship is over, you're still called to love them, and that doesn't mean you need to be with them, or anything like that, but it does mean being kind about them, being thoughtful, being gentle, even when you're no longer in that relationship, so I think that's something that students don't really think about, once the relationship is over, it's like moving on, yeah, you're not called to anything anymore, so yeah.   Laura Dugger: (7:44 - 8:13) I love it, and you really highlight the scripture in 1 Corinthians 13, and so even though your lessons there were directed at daughters, there's something for each of us to learn for relationships, and Sandra, I'd love to hear from your side too, when we're coaching our daughters through developing friendships, what questions do you suggest we ask for clarification, and what scripture do you share for understanding our responsibility within friendships?   Sandra Stanley: (8:14 - 10:28) Yes, great question. Well, and Allie talked about the structure of the book a little bit, you know, that we have eight topics. I write eight to the mom's. She writes eight to the girls, in the middle is the meet me in the middle section, where they come together, and where they can have these conversations, so that's the time when maybe we are talking about, okay, what is a good friend, you know, what does a good friend look like, what are some characteristics of someone that you want to be friends with, and that you want to see every day, and do life together with, what are those characteristics, what makes a lifelong friend, you know, what's the difference between a short-term friend and a long-term friend, what causes friendships to be short-term, you know, what are the things that can cause one to end, and another big question that we talk about is, do you, and do I, and this all applies to us too, not just to the girls, so when we're doing this meet me in the middle section, and having these conversations, this is a two-way conversation, and I think as moms, it's so important for us to be, you know, authentic, and to dive in and say, yeah, I kind of still struggle with this too, but do I want to become more like this potential friend, that's a big question, is there, you know, is this a person that I want to be like, because scripture is clear in Ephesians 5, “He who walks with the wise becomes wise, and companion of fools suffers harm.” That's an important thing to talk about with our kids. You are going to become more like the people that you spend time with. Another question is: Is this somebody I want to introduce my mom and dad to? I remember there were talking with our middle son years, you know, after college, after he was already married. He said, you know, I always knew, this is not a person for me, if I knew it wasn't someone that I would want to bring home and introduce to you and dad, or to Allie. You know, is this somebody that I want Allie to be friends with for the next bunch of decades, so you know, is this somebody I want to introduce my family to, and so we do take a deep dive into 1 Corinthians 13, the love chapter, Allie asked the girls to circle the characteristics of love, I asked the moms, hey, play along, circle the characteristics of love, let's talk about what it really looks like to love, and let's talk about what it really looks like to have friends who are lovely, and who we want to spend more time with.   Laura Dugger: (10:29 - 10:58) There's so much wisdom in that, and then I think one of your secret sauces, just as a family in general, is your practical teaching, and so if we're taking this even further, let's dive in, it's between pages 64 and 65, but there are a few quotes that I'd love for you to unpack, and one of the first ones is, don't trade what you want most for what you want in the moment.   Sandra Stanley: (10:59 - 11:01) Right, right, do you want to talk about that?   Allie Stanley Cooney: (11:01 - 11:43) Yeah, so I think it's really easy, especially when you're in middle school and high school, and you want to be popular, and you don't want to be left out, and you might want to have a boyfriend, and the reality is, if you just zoom back a little bit, you know, it's like, okay, what do you ultimately want? You ultimately want a healthy family, you ultimately want things in the future, and unfortunately, in middle school and high school, there are certain decisions that you can make that can ultimately compromise what you ultimately want, and so I think having that wisdom and that forethought of, why don't you even think about what you want? Like, have you ever sat down and thought about what you want in your future?   Let's do that together, and then back it up from there, and then see if you're making decisions that will lead to that.   Sandra Stanley: (11:44 - 12:55) Yeah, I think so, and the good thing about the book is moms can contextualize some of this to the age of their daughters, so if it's an older daughter, and she's in a relationship where, you know, there's likely to be some struggle with, you know, how far do I go physically, you know, what are my standards going to be, is all that, to relate to all that, this particular quote is such an important thing to talk about.   Don't trade what you want most for what you might want in the moment, and that speaks, you know, really loudly to a physical relationship, and one of the good things about doing this meet-me-in-the-middle-with-a-daughter is you can have these conversations ahead of time, before there's a face, you know, that we're talking about, or a particular boyfriend or friendship. We can have these conversations early, and then when these things come, we can go back and go, hey, remember what we talked about, about don't trade what you want most for what you want in the moment? Let's just, I want you to go on this date, but I want you to remember that, you know, the decisions that you're gonna make now, they're gonna impact what your future is gonna be like, and the story that you're gonna tell, so that was, that was just kind of what we were, had in our minds as we talked about, don't trade what you want most for what you want in the moment.   Laura Dugger: (12:55 - 13:06) Well, then you follow it up with, don't let your future be negatively influenced by people who won't even be in your future, and I think that kind of...   Allie Stanley Cooney: (13:07 - 13:41) I remember that clicking when I was in high school. I remember, I was dating a guy, and I was like, no, I don't want to marry him, like, no, like, that'd be crazy. What?   And then I'm like, why am I dating him? Like, yeah, I don't want anything, I don't want my friendships impacted, like, I don't want to push my friendships away because I'm spending more time with him. Like there's so many things other than just physical boundaries, which obviously that's a huge one too.   But even aside from that, people who aren't going to be in your life long-term do have the potential to affect your future. So I think that's a really important one too.   Sandra Stanley: (13:41 - 14:28) And affect the relationships that you want to carry into your future. Your good friends, you know, the people that you want to spend time with. So that's a really important one, I think.   And these are great conversation topics. You know, even if you write it on a card and hand it to your daughter and say, hey, let's talk about what this looks like. Don't let your future be negatively influenced by people who won't even be in your future.   And this is where the mom in the conversation that they're having in the meet me in the middle section can talk about a relationship that she can remember having that she thought was going to be forever. And it was, you know, seven months of her life. And then it was over.   So having those opportunities to have these conversations with our girls is so important. And these two particular quotes are really important to talk about ahead of time.   Laura Dugger: (14:29 - 14:52) Certainly. And it just circles back to even Allie, those three things that you were talking about earlier, those three stages, your conclusion in that section is love never fails. And so if we actually are loving in the way the list of first Corinthians 13 love list, then that is hopefully going to set our daughters and us as mothers up for success.   Sandra Stanley: (14:52 - 14:53) Absolutely.   Laura Dugger: (14:54 - 16:57) Let's take a quick break to hear a message from our sponsor. With over 1,700 apartment units available throughout Pekin, Peoria, Peoria Heights, Morton, Washington, and Canton. And with every price range covered, you will have plenty of options when you rent through Leman Property Management Co.   They have townhomes, duplexes, studios, and garden style options located in many areas throughout Pekin. In Peoria, a historic downtown location and apartments adjacent to the OSF Medical Center provide excellent choices. 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Check them out on Facebook today or email their friendly staff at leasing@LemanProps.com. You can also stop by their website at lemanproperties.com.   That's L-E-M-A-N properties.com. Check them out and find your place to call home today.    And Sandra, would you mind just setting the scene, take us back to that day that you walked into your sweet daughter's messy room?   Sandra Stanley: (16:59 - 19:08) Which time? So, this is so funny, and it goes back to how we're wired so differently. I have a place for everything and everything has its place, and I clean up as I go, and all of that kind of stuff, and my sweet, creative daughter just operates differently.   But that manifests itself in a messy room, which really wasn't okay. And growing up, obviously, we want to teach our children just good habits and being tidy and all the things that are gonna serve them well later. So there was one particular day, she was at school, and I had been in her room doing something and realized, wow, this is kind of off the chart messy.   And so when she gets home, we're gonna have to have a conversation about this whole thing. So fast forward, we get to the afternoon, Allie's upstairs, and I know she's up there in her room, so this will be a good time. And I wasn't always the best at picking my approach or my timing, but I did work on it.   So by the time she was in high school, I think I was better maybe at that. She might not think so. But anyway, so anyway, so I walk in her room and I look, and she's sitting on the floor, just furiously typing.   And she goes, mom, before I can even say anything, mom, my girls are going into high school, I'm getting ready to leave to go to college, and there's just some things I need them to know. So I'm writing Allie's rules for high school. And she said, let me read them to you.   So she starts reading this list. And with every single one, my heart just started, I mean, I just started melting into the messy floor with her because I thought this is so much more important. If I were to describe the bullseye on the target in parenting, it would have nothing to do with the clean room.   It would have everything to do with the character of her heart. And as she was writing and reading me these rules, I thought this is Allie's heart on display. And it just kind of was a life changing moment for me.   And then I asked her if I could put it on my blog. I was actively blogging at the time. And she's like, sure, nobody will see it.   So you can put it on your blog.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (19:09 - 19:09) Cute little blog.   Sandra Stanley: (19:09 - 19:37) And as it turned out, it went viral and was all over the place and radio shows in the mornings and all that. On the first day of school, back to school in Fulton County in Atlanta, there was the Burt Show, I think it's still show, Burt Show, a radio show, drive time show. And he was reading them, reading them off.   And everybody in his studio was all commenting on each one of them. So as all of Fulton County is driving to school, Allie's rules for high school were being read to them.   Laura Dugger: (19:38 - 19:45) Wow. I mean, I guess knowing the list, it doesn't surprise me that it would go viral.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (19:46 - 19:48) And I- Surprised me, for sure, yeah.   Laura Dugger: (19:49 - 19:59) Well, I envision mothers and daughters even listening to this conversation together. I do wonder if my daughters would love to pause and go back and say, remember, mark of good parenting is not a clean room.   Sandra Stanley: (20:00 - 20:03) So- Right, they're gonna bookmark that statement, yeah.   Laura Dugger: (20:04 - 20:10) I was guilty of that too, growing up. But Allie, would you be willing to share some of those rules with us?   Allie Stanley Cooney: (20:10 - 21:44) Yeah, no, I'd love to. Well, I will say, so I was going into high school as the small group girls that I was leading. No, no, sorry, I was going into college while the small group girls I was leading were going into high school.   And there was just a lot of things I wanted them to know and to remember and things we had talked about and things that maybe I had learned the hard way or watched my friends learn the hard way. So I will say, hearing them go, like I didn't write them for everybody to hear them. You didn't write them for a universal audience.   No, I think I would have written them differently, but it's sweet now and I'm glad. So I'll just read a couple. I won't do all of them because there's 20 in the book.   But one, surround yourself with people who build you up, not with people who tear you down. Have an accountability partner and be willing to tell her everything. Emphasis on her.   Yep, be so, so, so, so, so, so careful about who you date. This one's my favorite. I don't know why, I just, I really, this one hits home.   If you're wondering if you should break up with him, break up with him. That's the one I learned the hard way. Yep.   Pray, pray, pray. Don't ever forget how much you need God. Have a quiet time.   It may seem like a hassle, but it will help you stay close to God. Be nice to your parents. They love you and want what's best for you.   So if you disagree with them, just remember that they're a lot smarter than you. Sorry about that. Never be afraid to say no.   When you fall on your face, get back up. There's a bunch more, but the last one is one of my favorites and it's selfies are for faces. That sounds like a good one.   Sandra Stanley: (21:44 - 21:49) That was such an insightful one just for girls to hear. Silly. You know, you do a face, a face.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (21:49 - 21:52) I mean, it was mostly like an inside joke.   Sandra Stanley: (21:52 - 22:03) So there were several that were inside jokes for them, which didn't make fun and didn't make a lot of sense on the radio to drive time in Fulton County, but they made it all funny and fun.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (22:03 - 22:05) So that's a couple of them.   Laura Dugger: (22:05 - 22:17) I actually thought that was one of my favorites as well. It was put in a succinct way. And at that time, you were just a few years ahead of them.   And so hearing that from you lands differently than hearing that from mom.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (22:18 - 22:18) Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (22:19 - 22:35) But Allie, you're kind of explaining, it was one of those decisions, if you reverse back a little bit, can you share, you write that it was one of the best decisions to grow your faith. And it's something pretty replicable that I'm hoping others will grasp onto as well.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (22:35 - 23:12) No, and that was, if I'm remembering correctly, what I wrote in there, there's a couple of things, but deciding to be a middle school small group leader when I was in high school was probably the best decision I made for my faith because it caused me to take it really seriously. It made me realize, oh, the decisions I make aren't just going to affect me, it's actually now gonna affect these girls. I remember having a moment where I realized, okay, I don't wanna make any decision where I'm gonna be tempted to lie to these girls about it.   Cause you know, middle school girls, they asked me everything.   Sandra Stanley: (23:13 - 23:13) No boundaries.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (23:13 - 23:46) And they were all in my business. And so realizing like, okay, I don't wanna make a decision where if they ask me, which they will, I don't want to be tempted to lie to them. So what did those decisions look like?   What would I be proud to tell them? And ultimately what decisions do I want them to make when they're in high school? So it not only drew me a lot closer to Jesus, cause they also would ask me theological questions and like faith questions.   And I was like, I don't know, let me dive in. But also it was a really cool accountability that I really loved having in high school.   Sandra Stanley: (23:47 - 24:21) This is really one of the things that we've done for a long time in our church. And that is allow our high school students to partner with an adult to lead these small groups. And it just has, it has impacted all three of our kids in their faith journey.   And again, to Allie's point, a big part of it is accountability. Like, oh my goodness, I don't want my girls or my guys to, I don't wanna do something that's gonna cause me to either have to lie or that would be disappointing to them. And so I think it was a, I think it's a great part of the program, yeah.   But so volunteering, always huge.   Laura Dugger: (24:22 - 24:32) Agreed. And to get our students into ministry where they get to experience leadership early on, I think that's so profoundly impactful for faith.   Sandra Stanley: (24:32 - 24:33) That's exactly right, yes.   Laura Dugger: (24:34 - 24:59) Well, and something else that both of you emphasize, which I especially appreciated, was spending alone time with Jesus. And Allie, you were saying that we have to incorporate foundational beliefs and practices into our lives, specifically through two steps, learning and applying. So, will you elaborate on both of those parts?   Allie Stanley Cooney: (25:00 - 26:11) Yeah, so I, yeah, I mean, that's how we grow our faith. We can't have a faith if we don't know anything, and then we can't really have a faith if we're not putting what we know into practice. So, the learning really just looks like reading your Bible.   You know, it looks like it's those really obvious, quote unquote, steps. If you go to church, you've listened to the message and you take in the information about Jesus and about scripture and about God and about who you are and about who people are, and that's you're learning. You have to learn, you have to take in the information.   And then the second one is when you put it into practice, you know, you actually live out what scripture says, you live out what you're learning in church, you love the people around you well, you root yourself and establish yourself in the love of Jesus and who he says you are, and you walk in your identity. So, it's so multifaceted and there's a lot to it, but ultimately, if you can break it down and tell the girls, hey, we learn, and then we take what we learn and we do it, and that's how you grow your faith. And even when it gets hard, you keep going.   And even when people push back, you keep doing it, you keep learning, and you keep applying. And ultimately, that's how your faith grows.   Sandra Stanley: (26:12 - 26:20) And that is how a Jesus follower consistently follows Jesus. So, it's such an important thing. Yeah, absolutely.   Laura Dugger: (26:21 - 26:52) Well, and even one example of that, you first of all say, keep continually putting truth in front of you, but then you go a step further and you say, well, even before that, spend a little bit of time thinking about the best way to keep truth in front of you. And you challenge readers to consider the routines and rhythms of their normal day and see where they can put important truths in. So, do either of you have an example of how you do that in your own life?   Allie Stanley Cooney: (26:53 - 27:54) Yeah, and it's looked really different throughout my life. And I think I wanna give permission to these girls that it's okay if it looks different than somebody else, because we learn and we feel close to our heavenly father in different ways than everybody else and in different seasons of life. So, I remember when I was in middle school, I had a devotional, and it was very story-based.   It was like made up stories, but it had something to learn at the end of it. It had a moral and it was always Jesus-centered, and it was always about simple things like generosity and gratitude. And reading stories for me was how I connected with God.   And then as I got older, I started reading scripture for myself and I'm a huge journaler. So now my time looks a lot like reading scripture and journaling and then journaling some more and then reading scripture. And that's kind of where I find my time with the Lord.   Yeah, but it's definitely changed over time.   Sandra Stanley: (27:54 - 31:31) I would say that mine has changed in different seasons of life too. When you're single and you've got lots of flexibility and time, it really looked one way for me. It was morning and it was longer and all of that.   In the parenting seasons, it looked different throughout that journey when the little ones, I would try to get up before them and try to get my quiet time in, but it really did. It ebbed and flowed in the amount of time I was able to spend and all of that. In this season, I have more time.   And for me, it's always been better in the morning. I know some people are better at night and that's fine. For me, it's been morning, and I just have to have my space, my particular place that I go with all my quiet time materials there.   And when I'm there, it just, the distractions are minimal. And that's because that's just my place to be alone with my heavenly father. I've got a little spot to pray and a spot to sit and read and study.   And so that's what it looks like for me. I am so often asked by moms; do we make our kids have a quiet time? Do I make my middle school son or my middle school daughter or high school daughter have a quiet time?   And I always say, no, you don't need to make them do it. But I suggest three things. You model it, you encourage it, and you make it easy.   You model it, you encourage it and make it easy. So, I, my kids saw me and Andy having quiet times their whole childhood. And again, it looked different, different seasons, but they knew that we both spent time in the word and in prayer.   And that just modeled it for them. So, it was something that they just grew up kind of assuming is a given, which is a good thing, but you can also encourage it. And that's one of the things that we did was we just helped them as they got older, figure out what does this look like for you?   You know, what kind of, are you a morning person? Are you an evening person? Is this gonna be, you know, just helping them figure out best times and best practices and all that for their personality and temperaments.   And then making it easy. We always made sure our kids had age-appropriate Bibles in every season, starting when they couldn't even read little picture Bibles that were their own. We wanted them to have their own Bible and never remember a time that they didn't have their own.   And so we just made sure that, you know, different seasons of their lives, they had age appropriate Bibles. And one of the things that I did, and this is just a kind of a, maybe a little fun thing, their Easter baskets every year, while, you know, it always had some chocolate bunnies, you know, and all the normal Easter basket things, I always made sure that there were quiet time tools in their Easter basket that were age appropriate and, you know, proclivity appropriate based on what they liked. And, you know, one of our sons was a reader, one wasn't so much a reader, but if it was about an athlete and the athlete's testimony, they would both read that.   So, I would put all kinds of different things for Allie, journaling stuff, pens, colored pencils, just anything that I thought would encourage their journey in a quiet time. That was my big time to do that. And then of course, other times of the year, we would add some things, but model it, encourage it, make it easy.   And that's the best way to set your kids up to maybe make this as a habit. And even when they don't, nagging isn't gonna help, so don't nag, you know, don't nag under the guise of I'm just reminding them, but model it, encourage it in the appropriate ways and then make it easy.   Laura Dugger: (31:31 - 31:48) And I even thought there was additional practical wisdom that you shared within that section, just encouraging the mamas, guard your time. And how do you see that intentionality tying over into our time with the Lord?   Sandra Stanley: (31:48 - 34:00) Definitely it ties over. I think, you know, as we think about motherhood and Allie is experiencing this now, there's a whole other layer of busyness that gets added to your life. It's almost like the things on your calendar double.   And then as they get older, it's even more and more intense as they get older, because everybody, you know, has jobs. So, in this season with these moms of middle school and high school girls, they might be having their first little jobs or and your other kids also. So anyway, it's just a busy season and our time is limited.   So, we always say, Andy and I say this all the time to parents, your time is limited. So, you've got to limit what you do with your time. And when you make it a priority to have that time alone with your heavenly father, that's one of your biggest yeses.   And then they're just going to be some no's in different seasons. I call them categorical no's in different seasons of parenting. When the kids were little, I had all these categories of things that are just a no for now.   This might be a yes for later. It's a no for now. So, things like I'm doing now, like writing projects or speaking, or, you know, just stuff like that were no's when my kids were young, because those are so time consuming.   And so those were no for now, but not forever categories of things. So, I would say to moms and to daughters, you know, your time is limited. So, you've got to limit it.   And so, you know, pay attention to what the most important things are. And I would say, go so far as to say calendar those things, put those things on your calendar and treat them like appointments. Because typically the mom is the calendar keeper for the whole family.   And what we put on our calendars, what we actually do. And so I've always used my calendar that way to make sure that the most important things are on the calendar, even little things like call my grandmother, you know, back during those seasons, because I would get busy and, you know, two weeks would go by and, you know, I knew my time with her was limited. So just even little things like that I've always calendared.   And I think our quiet time may be something we need to calendar and give it a time slot. And, you know, for me, again, I'm the efficiency person. So that just works for me.   That doesn't necessarily mean that's for everybody, but it works for me.   Laura Dugger: (34:00 - 34:23) I think that's so good, Sandra. Thank you for sharing. And the two of you wrote about a couple really helpful words in a different section that was titled Family is Forever.   So, can you speak to the roles that gentleness and gratitude play in creating an enjoyable family culture? Yes.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (34:23 - 34:31) Yeah, well, I feel like a lot of girls feel like they don't have a lot of control within their family dynamics.   Sandra Stanley: (34:31 - 34:34) So, this was the topic on family in the book.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (34:34 - 36:07) So, you don't choose your family. You're not choosing what you're having for dinner. You're not choosing your curfew or your classes.   A lot of times in that season, it can feel like there's no control. And so, I wanted to give the girls a couple things that, hey, you do have a choice in these and you do control these as far as it depends on you. And so those things were appreciation, forgiveness, and gentleness.   So, appreciation, you can choose to appreciate your family. You can choose to appreciate your mom. You can choose to say thank you to the people around you for what they do.   Forgiveness, you choose to forgive. And then gentleness. This came a lot from my relationship with my brothers specifically.   How is the youngest of three? Of the youngest, I have two older brothers, and they were mean. Not gentle.   They were mean. And so, learning like, hey, they want you to respond in aggression. They want you to get angry.   That's kind of- They want a reaction. They want a reaction from you. And so responding in gentleness is actually how you deescalate the situation.   And I think that those things, it kind of gives girls like, oh, I'm not totally helpless. I'm not totally out of control. I can actually choose these things and I can choose to do them or not.   And I can see how it positively affects the family or if I choose not to do them, how it negatively affects the family. And we all have ownership in the family culture and vibes and feelings. And so, I think that helps the girls kind of have a grasp on something in their family.   Laura Dugger: (36:08 - 38:01) That's so good. And even, not that either one is more important for the other, but I really was thinking that sets children apart if they are grateful. And that sets parents apart if they are gentle and both are obviously encouraged in the Bible.   So I just thought that was incredible how you drew that out.    Do you love The Savvy Sauce? Do you gain anything when you listen?   Did you know that the two ways we earn money to keep this podcast live is through generous contributions from listeners and from our paying sponsors? That means we can promote your business and you're still supporting The Savvy Sauce. It's a win-win.   Please email us today at info@thesavvysauce.com to inquire about pricing for sponsoring each episode. Thank you for your consideration. And Sandra, you've been a previous guest.   I'll make sure and link to that episode in the show notes. That was about parenting, even starting with younger age children, which was wonderful. But Allie, this is my first time getting to meet you.   So, I'll share with you too. Your dad was actually my first pastor after I became a believer. So, I remember him preaching a series on better decisions, fewer regrets.   And he would challenge us to ask ourselves a question. I think I'm getting this right. In light of my past experiences, my current circumstances and my future hopes and dreams, what's the wise thing to do?   And so, as we're nearing the close of our conversation, would you like to share, after absorbing all this information from the conversation and from your book, now what? What is the wise thing to do?   Allie Stanley Cooney: (38:01 - 39:57) Yeah, so our last chapter is on decision-making because I do think all of it kind of points to the decisions and we point back to Philippians 4, where Paul is saying, now put it into practice. Everything you've learned, everything you've seen, all of these things, it's time to put it into practice. And so, pointing these girls and pointing these moms to stop in a moment and ask themselves exactly what you just said.   Okay, in spite of my past and my present and my future, what is the wise thing to do? What is the thing that will lead to healthier relationships? What is the thing that will lead to less regret in the future?   And I think it's even just a choice to stop and just ask that, because a lot of times we just go, go, go. We don't have time to stop to really think through anything, but the idea of, okay, before we make a decision, let's actually stop and ask ourselves, what is the wise thing to do? And it's not always gonna be popular.   It's not always gonna be easy. And sometimes you might be the only one doing it, but I know in my experience, and even when I was in high school, I went to public school, so I was surrounded by a lot of people who weren't making the wisest decisions and they were my friends and realizing, okay, I'm gonna, even though it's not popular, even though they might laugh at me, even though this might not go well for me, I know what I want my future to look like and therefore I'm gonna do the right thing. I'm gonna say no, or I'm gonna say yes, or I'm gonna do whatever I know the right thing to do is and just trust that it's gonna be okay and trust that my close friends will stick by me and my family will stick by me and they'll be proud of me. And so I think it's hard to do in the moment, but if you have that filter and if you stop and ask, then I think it's really, really great for you and your future.   Sandra Stanley: (39:58 - 41:46) And for moms and daughters to have this question in their back pocket as these things roll out, as hard decisions come along, it's just really important to ask what is the wise thing to do? And I think an approach for parenting in general, but especially for these moms of middle and high school girls, an approach and part of a conversation is, hey, Allie, I love you so much. And my goal is for you to get to the end of these middle school years or the end of these high school years with as few regrets as possible.   So, we're gonna get in the habit of asking this question, what is the wise thing for me to do? What is the wise thing for me to do in this situation? And the second question we talk about in that decision-making chapter is what story do I wanna tell?   When all of this is said and done, when this decision, even this one decision, when this is over and I'm on the other side of it, what is the story that I will want to tell? I think I'm gonna make that decision based on that. So those two questions, what is the wise thing to do and what story am I gonna wanna tell?   Those are big, big conversation pieces for moms and daughters to have and for moms and kids in general and dads and families to have, what's the wise thing to do and what story do you wanna tell? Because we wanna get them to a place where they have as few regrets as possible and God can certainly use our regrets, He can use our stuff. We're not gonna be perfect.   We are not gonna always get it right and we're not always gonna make the wise decision. And I think us being honest and chatting with our kids about decisions we didn't make that were the right ones that we might carry a little bit of baggage around on at the appropriate time and in the appropriate way, we can have those conversations with our kids and let them know, hey, I'm not perfect and I'm not expecting you to be perfect but let's get in the habit of asking these questions because they will cause us to have fewer regrets on the other side.   Laura Dugger: (41:47 - 41:53) So, good and it really puts you on the same team which you are when you're having these conversations.   Sandra Stanley: (41:53 - 42:18) And sometimes your kids don't feel that. They don't feel like we're on their team. They feel like we aren't because we don't want them to have fun or we don't want them to have freedom or whatever.   And it really does. These conversations do emphasize, hey, I am on your team and I am only saying no to this because I am so for you. And I think these conversations set us up for that.   Laura Dugger: (42:19 - 42:27) Well, you've shared some wise questions. Would you also be willing to share the prayer that Allie, I believe you prayed through high school?   Allie Stanley Cooney: (42:28 - 42:36) Yes, the prayer is give me the wisdom to know what's right and the courage to do what's right, even when it's hard and even when I have to do it by myself.   Sandra Stanley: (42:36 - 43:23) We started praying that for our kids before they even knew what we were saying. When they were toddlers, we were praying this prayer with them. And as they got older, that's when we tacked on the end, even if I'm the only one, even if I'm doing it by myself.   Because as you get older and you get into middle school and high school, sometimes you feel like you're the only one. And we celebrated like crazy when we caught our kids making a hard decision and especially if they were the only one. So, when we saw them making wise decisions, we didn't always catch it, but if we did, we wanted them to know this is to be celebrated because what's rewarded is repeated.   And we wanted to reward our kids for making those tough decisions. And I think Allie carried that on with her all the way through, so.   Laura Dugger: (43:24 - 43:36) Love that so much. And really, it's such a joy to learn from both of you. Can you tell us where to go after this conversation where we can continue learning from the wisdom of each of you?   Sandra Stanley: (43:36 - 43:56) Thank you. Yeah, the book is anywhere that you buy books, you know, on Amazon, all of the different places where you buy books. My website, sandrastanley.com has lots of links. Instagram, Allie Kay Cooney, yeah. So we're talking about it a lot these days, just in the season of talking about maybe in the middle.   Laura Dugger: (43:57 - 44:13) Love it. Well, you may know that I have one final question for you because we are called The Savvy Sauce because savvy is synonymous with practical knowledge. And so as my final question for each one of you today, what is your savvy sauce?   Sandra Stanley: (44:14 - 45:04) You go. Okay, I'll start first. I think, Laura, it really is my calendar dictates my life.   But again, that's kind of a personality thing. But for me, if I don't get it on my calendar, it may or may not get done. So for me to put the biggest, most important things on my calendar, it just makes life more smooth for me.   So, I use my calendar for everything. There was a season where I even calendared exercise because it was a crazy season. I thought if I don't put it on here, I'm not gonna do it.   I have a rhythm with that now, so it's a little bit easier. But even things like making sure I'm checking in with my mom and dad, because they are in there getting to their late eighties and, you know, just little reminders of things that are most important that I don't wanna miss, that are easy to miss when I get busy, I just use my calendar for everything.   Allie Stanley Cooney: (45:05 - 45:51) Yeah, I think, I don't know if this is exactly what you mean, but recently, I wanna be off my phone more because it's just everyone's addicted to their phone. So, I got this thing called a brick, and I saw it on Instagram, ironically. But you can tap your phone onto it, and it basically shuts down any app other than whatever apps you want.   And the whole thing is you're turning your phone back into a tool and not a distraction. And it's pretty much changed my life. Because I'll sleep with it on brick, and then so I can't wake up and just like be on my phone.   So, then I have to like intentionally undo it to go on Instagram or do whatever. And then I just keep it bricked. And so, I'm not just scrolling, and it's been really, really helpful.   Laura Dugger: (45:52 - 46:21) I love it, those are so wonderful. And God has just blessed both of you with so many gifts, but I'm seeing so much wisdom, so much beauty in both of you, but your generosity to share because you have a unique family situation and are very well known. And yet you just are giving of yourselves through the time here, through the knowledge and wisdom that you shared in your book.   So, I want to say thank you for a thousand things, but thank you for being my guest today.   Sandra Stanley: (46:21 - 46:26) Thank you for having us. We really appreciate it. This was very fun.   Yeah.   Laura Dugger: (46:27 - 49:41) One more thing before you go. Have you heard the term gospel before?   It simply means good news. And I want to share the best news with you. But it starts with the bad news.   Every single one of us were born sinners, but Christ desires to rescue us from our sin, which is something we cannot do for ourselves. This means there is absolutely no chance we can make it to heaven on our own. So for you and for me, it means we deserve death and we can never pay back the sacrifice we owe to be saved.   We need a savior. But God loved us so much, he made a way for his only son to willingly die in our place as the perfect substitute. This gives us hope of life forever in right relationship with him.   That is good news. Jesus lived the perfect life we could never live and died in our place for our sin. This was God's plan to make a way to reconcile with us so that God can look at us and see Jesus.   We can be covered and justified through the work Jesus finished if we choose to receive what He has done for us. Romans 10:9 says, “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” So would you pray with me now?   Heavenly Father, thank you for sending Jesus to take our place. I pray someone today right now is touched and chooses to turn their life over to you. Will you clearly guide them and help them take their next step in faith to declare you as Lord of their life?   We trust you to work and change lives now for eternity. In Jesus' name we pray. Amen.   If you prayed that prayer, you are declaring him for me, so me for him. You get the opportunity to live your life for him. And at this podcast, we're called The Savvy Sauce for a reason.   We want to give you practical tools to implement the knowledge you have learned. So you ready to get started? First, tell someone.   Say it out loud. Get a Bible. The first day I made this decision, my parents took me to Barnes & Noble and let me choose my own Bible.   I selected the Quest NIV Bible and I love it. You can start by reading the book of John. Also, get connected locally, which just means tell someone who's a part of a church in your community that you made a decision to follow Christ.   I'm assuming they will be thrilled to talk with you about further steps, such as going to church and getting connected to other believers to encourage you. We want to celebrate with you too, so feel free to leave a comment for us here if you did make a decision to follow Christ. We also have show notes included where you can read Scripture that describes this process.   And finally, be encouraged. Luke 15:10 says, “In the same way I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” The heavens are praising with you for your decision today.   And if you've already received this good news, I pray you have someone to share it with. You are loved and I look forward to meeting you here next time.

Host: Kenny Jahng, Editor-in-Chief of Church Tech Today Guest: Clay Scroggins, Author and Leadership Coach This episode features a compelling conversation between Kenny Jahng and Clay Scroggins, leadership expert, author, and former lead pastor at Buckhead Church under North Point Ministries. They explore the intersection of leadership, technology, and ministry, discussing practical ways pastors can embrace technology, tackle burnout, and leverage AI to enhance their effectiveness. Key Takeaways Modern Challenges in Pastoral Leadership Expanded Role Expectations: Pastors are expected to fulfill roles as theologians, communicators, organizational leaders, cultural commentators, and technology experts. Tech Complexity: The growing reliance on technology adds pressure to pastoral responsibilities. Insights from Pushpay's 2024 Report: 45% of pastors feel unconfident about adopting tech solutions. 55% of churches allocate less than 10% of their budget to tech. Budget constraints and confidence gaps are major barriers to tech adoption. Technology as a Ministry Tool Technology enables churches to extend engagement beyond the Sunday service. Practical Uses: Mobile apps for prayer requests and volunteer scheduling. Bible software like Logos for more efficient sermon preparation. Key Perspective: Technology is a neutral tool—its impact depends on how churches use it. Approaching AI in Ministry Adoption Trends: AI adoption is growing, with 87% of church leaders in favor of its use in ministry. Common Objections: Misconceptions that AI in sermon prep is "cheating." Kenny's Philosophy: AI should be seen as an intern—a tool to save time and enhance focus on pastoral care. Actionable Steps for Pastors Experiment with AI: Use tools like ChatGPT to assist with non-sermon tasks, such as planning difficult conversations or creating group materials. Leverage Congregational Talent: Seek advice from tech-savvy members of your church. Build Influence: Advocate for a tech-forward culture by presenting clear, actionable plans to leadership. Memorable Quotes from Clay "We're not competing against technology; we're using it to raise the sail and catch the wind." "Prepare more efficiently so you can pastor more effectively." "The answers to your problems aren't always in the boardroom; they're out in your congregation." Related Links ClayScroggins.com How to Lead When You're Not In Charge by Clay Scroggins 2024 State of Church Technology Report 2024 Church Tech Today/Exponential AI NEXT State of AI in the Church Survey SermonPrep.ai Connect With Us What stood out to you most during this conversation? Share your thoughts and follow-up questions for future episodes. Email us at kenny@churchtechtoday.com or connect with Kenny Jahng on Instagram or  LinkedIn. Thanks for tuning in to the Church Tech Today Podcast!

CTL Script/ Top Stories of December 7th  Publish Date: December 7th     From the Ingles Studio Welcome to the Award-Winning Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast     Today is Saturday, December 7th and Happy Birthday to Johnny Bench.  ***12.07.24 - BIRTHDAY – JOHNNY BENCH***  I'm Keith Ippolito and here are the stories Cherokee is talking about, presented by Credit Union of Georgia.    New Bakery Brings 'Mountain Biscuit' And More To Holly Springs  North Point Ministries' Be Rich Campaign Surpasses $100M Milestone  Woman Sentenced for Cherokee County Stabbing    We'll have all this and more coming up on the Cherokee Tribune-Ledger Podcast, and if you're looking for Community news, we encourage you to listen and subscribe!     Commercial: 06.26.24 CU OF GA FREE CHECKING_REV_FINAL  STORY 1:  New Bakery Brings 'Mountain Biscuit' And More To Holly Springs  Honeysuckle Biscuits and Bakery, opened by Lori and Mitch Phillips in Holly Springs, offers fresh doughnuts, pastries, cakes, and specialty biscuits like the “mountain biscuit.” This fast casual spot, combining a bakery, coffee shop, and hot food menu, also serves lunch items like chicken salad croissants and BLT sandwiches. The Phillips, former CPAs who started their first bakery in Kennesaw in 2018, aim to create a welcoming, community-focused space. Inspired by family recipes and named after Lori's childhood street, their mission is to share kindness through great food and hospitality.  STORY 2: North Point Ministries' Be Rich Campaign Surpasses $100M Milestone  North Point Ministries' Be Rich campaign has raised over $100 million since its start in 2007, including $9.7 million in donations this year alone. Partnering with both local and global nonprofits, the campaign focuses on issues like homelessness, job training, food insecurity, and foster care. Directed by Senior Pastor Andy Stanley, Be Rich ensures 100% of donations go to carefully vetted organizations, with 80% staying in local communities. With over 234,000 participants serving since its launch, the initiative continues to inspire generosity and create lasting change worldwide.  STORY 3:  Woman Sentenced for Cherokee County Stabbing  Antawana Nitara Brantley, 48, was sentenced to 20 years, with 10 years to serve without parole, for stabbing a female relative during an argument at a Cherokee County apartment complex on Nov. 20, 2023. Convicted of family violence aggravated assault, Brantley is a repeat offender with a history of violent crimes, including a prior stabbing in Michigan. Superior Court Judge Jennifer Davis deemed her a danger to society, mandating the prison time without parole and forbidding contact with the victims. The District Attorney's Office emphasized the severity of her actions and the need for public safety.    We have opportunities for sponsors to get great engagement on these shows. Call 770.874.3200 for more info.      Back in a moment   Break: Drake Realty (Cherokee County)  STORY 4:  Lane Closures Coming to I-575 in Cherokee This Weekend. What We Know  Drivers on Interstate 575 should prepare for delays this weekend due to lane closures for road striping. Georgia DOT crews will work during daylight hours on Dec. 7 and 8, weather permitting, as striping requires specific temperatures. Various locations along I-575 will experience periodic closures between 10 a.m. and evening. Motorists are urged to reduce speed, stay cautious in work zones, and check traffic updates via 511 or the Georgia 511 app.  STORY 5: Cherokee EMA Director Appointed EMAG 1st VP  Two members of the Cherokee County Emergency Management Agency recently achieved notable milestones. Director Daniel Westbrook was elected as first vice president of the Emergency Management of Georgia Board of Directors, a role he will begin in 2025, while Deputy Director Rebecah Logan earned her Advanced Certified Emergency Manager certification. These advancements highlight the agency's commitment to training and preparedness, enabling them to better serve the community and lead during emergencies, such as Logan's deployment to assist hurricane recovery efforts in South Georgia.    Commercial: 11.14.24 FALANY DEC REV_FINAL    STORY 6: Trump Chooses Loeffler to Head Small Business Administration  President-elect Donald Trump has nominated former U.S. Sen. Kelly Loeffler to lead the Small Business Administration. A wealthy Atlanta businesswoman, Loeffler previously served in the Senate after being appointed by Gov. Brian Kemp in 2020 to fill a vacancy. She lost her re-election bid in 2021 to Sen. Raphael Warnock. Known for her loyalty to Trump, Loeffler backed his election fraud claims and later founded Greater Georgia to bolster GOP voter efforts. Her business background includes roles as CEO of Bakkt, a cryptocurrency subsidiary, and co-ownership of the WNBA's Atlanta Dream. Her nomination now awaits Senate confirmation.    STORY 7: One Year After Teen's Death, Traffic Plan set for Light Show  New traffic safety measures have been implemented in Kennesaw following the tragic death of 17-year-old Olivia Pugh, who was struck by a vehicle near the Lights of Joy display in 2023. To improve pedestrian safety, visitors to the display are now directed to park at Futures Church, where 120 spots are available, and use a marked, illuminated pedestrian path to cross Ben King Road. Cones, white lines, and illuminated signs warn drivers to slow down, and off-duty police officers are stationed to manage traffic. The show organizers, Sherrie and Richard Taylor, enhanced safety with a $50,000 budget increase and the introduction of mandatory entry donations to offset rising security costs. The Lights of Joy display will run nightly through Dec. 29 at 1510 Ben King Road, continuing its mission to bring joy while prioritizing visitor safety.     We'll have closing comments after this.      COMMERCIAL: INGLES 1     SIGN OFF –    Thanks again for hanging out with us on today's Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast. If you enjoy these shows, we encourage you to check out our other offerings, like the Cherokee Tribune Ledger Podcast, the Marietta Daily Journal, or the Community Podcast for Rockdale Newton and Morgan Counties. Read more about all our stories and get other great content at www.tribuneledgernews.com  Did you know over 50% of Americans listen to podcasts weekly? Giving you important news about our community and telling great stories are what we do. Make sure you join us for our next episode and be sure to share this podcast on social media with your friends and family. 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Weekend quality is about more than creative excellence. It's about how well you leverage that time to engage both insiders and outsiders—for people who know Jesus and people who don't. The sermon is a core component of any weekend experience. In this episode, Sean and Amy break down strategies for planning a sermon series that really connects with both church-goers and newcomers. Joel Thomas from North Point Ministries also joins us to share some insights and tips to help make your sermons even more impactful. For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode369. This Episode is Sponsored by Horizons Stewardship Did you know many capable households contribute more to their favorite charity than their local church? This trend is putting a significant financial strain on churches everywhere. That's why Horizons and The Unstuck Group have joined forces to create “The Financial Sustainability Crisis,” a guide designed to help you tackle these ongoing financial challenges. In this invaluable resource, you'll discover practical strategies to: Effectively budget and manage your financial resources Connect your giving to your discipleship journey Identify ways to ensure your ministry plan is fully funded Don't let financial challenges hold you back from realizing your God-inspired vision. Download "The Financial Sustainability Crisis" today at horizons.net/fundministry.   Join the Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.

Send us a textMeet Katherine Hall of North Point Ministries, as we discuss her ministry and her new project, EverydayScripture.org. It's a fabulous resource to help make the Bible understandable and practical in our everyday lives. She is a graduate of Dallas Theological Seminary and her insights into scripture are not just academic; she is truly passionate about making the Bible accessible and engaging for all.As Young Adults Director at Buckhead Church, Katherine equips young minds to navigate life's challenges with a strong biblical foundation. Her initiative, Everyday Scripture, offers tools like chapter summaries and study questions, making the Bible relatable to both new readers and seasoned leaders. EverydayScripture.org is free to users, and can be used for personal Bible Study or as a resource for Bible Study leaders. Learn more and connect with Katherine at EverydayScripture.org Order Stephanie's new book Imagine More: Do What You Love, Discover Your Potential Learn more at StephanieNelson.comFollow us on Instagram @stephanie_nelson_cmFollow us on Facebook at CouponMom

In this episode of Purpose & Profit Podcast, Carly Berna and Dave Raley are joined by business and nonprofit leader, Jeff Henderson, for an inside look at how to grow your vision and to be ready for whatever comes next on your organizations path to success. Jeff shares his experiences working with well-known organizations such as the Atlanta Braves, Callaway Gardens, Chick-fil-A and North Point Ministries – one of the largest churches in America – and highlights some of the challenges and successes he faced, revealing some insightful tips and strategies on how nonprofits can achieve their ultimate vision. More Topics Include: – What are vision carriers and vision castors – What to do when uncertainty shows up – How you can learn through bad experiences  – How culture can trump strategy – The relationship between your vision and your current resources Named by Forbes Magazine as one of 20 speakers you shouldn't miss, Jeff has become a trusted voice for businesses and non-profit organizations. His career experience not only inspires groups and individuals but also provides tangible strategies to help them grow.  Jeff is also the author of the best-selling book, Know What You're FOR, which launched a movement in non-profits around the world and has become a focal point for many businesses. Season Five of the Purpose & Profit Podcast is brought to you by: VIRTUOUS Virtuous is a software company committed to helping nonprofits grow generosity. Virtuous believes that generosity has the power to create profound change in the world and in the heart of the giver. With that in mind, it's their mission to move the needle on global generosity by helping nonprofits better connect with and inspire their givers. Learn more about Virtuous at www.virtuous.org and download your free Nonprofit CRM Checklist at virtuous.org/crmchecklist. FAITHSEARCH PARTNERS FaithSearch Partners is an executive search firm for faith-based organizations, dedicated to providing lasting solutions and championing faith-driven leaders. Their mission is to serve their clients and empower them with the right people at the right time to help drive their unique mission of ministry forward. Learn more about FaithSearch Partners at https://faithsearchpartners.com/. IMAGO CONSULTING Imago Consulting is an advisory firm that helps nonprofits and businesses grow through innovation. Innovation is the lifeblood of any growing organization. Imago publishes a weekly trends report called The Wave Report – learn more at www.imago.consulting and subscribe at www.imago.consulting/wavereport. Special thanks to editor and sound engineer Barry R. Hill and producer Abigail Morse.

rWotD Episode 2693: The Waiting (band) Welcome to Random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia’s vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Tuesday, 17 September 2024 is The Waiting (band).The Waiting is a Christian alternative pop rock band, consisting of Brad Olsen (vocals), Todd Olsen (guitar), Clark Leake (bass), and Brandon Thompson (drums, percussion, loops). Early albums by "The Waiting" were guitar driven alternative rock that drew fans with clever songwriting and introspective lyrics that stood out from most Christian rock of the day. The band's later albums moved towards a more polished pop sound.In August 2003, The Waiting played a sold out show Georgia after which they quit touring full-time. The Waiting still plays occasional spot dates.In May 2009 Brad Olsen released his solo album titled The More I Think I Understand The Less I Can Explain, It was produced by "Oats", aka Todd Olsen. Brad Olsen continues to write and record music. He resides in Atlanta, GA.Todd Olsen also resides in Atlanta where he works as a music producer. In November 2011, he released a solo album under his nickname "Oats" entitled A Tear and a Sneer.Clark Leake received a Masters in Theology from St. Vladimir Orthodox Seminary in May 2007. He lives in Louisville, KY with his wife.Brandon Thompson resides in the Atlanta Georgia area with his wife and two sons and has produced a couple of bands in his home studio as well as taking a job at Mount Paran North Church of God in Marietta, GA, at which he remained until mid-2006. In 2006, Brandon moved to another local church, His Hands Church where he was the Technical Director. In 2011 Brandon became the main auditorium Production Director for Woodstock City Church, (formerly Watermarke Church), a campus of North Point Ministries in Woodstock, GA. Brandon maintains and occasionally updates his personal website at BranThomps.com, btec.cc, wazzit.com and his wife's personal page TeaTimeWithTiffany.com and TeaOfLifePodcast.com. He can be found on Twitter at @BranThomps.Latest Release: In 2010, The Waiting announced that they had been working on a new album and released a new single, "Name" and were playing limited spot dates. In 2011, the band released three more singles. In June 2012, the new album Mysteriet became fully funded by 119 backers on Kickstarter, when it was estimated to release in September 2012. The band's last Facebook entry (as of April 2016), written by Todd Olson on March 23, 2016 stated that Brad Olson is doing vocals for the album (Todd mailed him a mic). In 2013, Todd said, "our new album Mysteriet is written but we are still working on getting the music right- no surprise bc how does one make music that evokes the mystery and majesty of the Trinity? I can best describe what we are doing by saying what we are not doing. We are NOT making a follow up to wonderfully made or unfazed- tho unfazed was very successful. what we are attempting to do is make a follow up to the song Hands In The Air musically and spiritually. if we are making a follow up at all."This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:05 UTC on Tuesday, 17 September 2024.For the full current version of the article, see The Waiting (band) on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Matthew.

For those that are new around here, I release bonus episodes that serve a niche part of my audience, I have listeners of all faith backgrounds that listen to the podcast. This episode is coming from a christian perspective so if that's something that doesn't fit what you're looking for, check out the other episode that dropped this week or join me back here next Tuesday for a conversation that you don't want to miss!Have you ever wondered how to bridge the gap between moms and daughters during those challenging teenage years? In today's episode, we're diving deep into that very question with mother-daughter duo, Sandra and Allie Stanley. They've just released their new book, Meet Me in the Middle, which tackles the tough yet vital conversations about life, faith, and the rollercoaster of teenage emotions. Together, they explore how to navigate topics like comparison, relationships, fears, and identity formation, all while emphasizing the importance of a strong family foundation. We'll also touch on the impact of social media, the power of journaling, and practical tips for fostering meaningful connections. Whether you're a mom, a daughter, or someone invested in nurturing these relationships, this conversation is packed with insights and advice you won't want to miss.About Sandra & Allie |Sandra Stanley received her Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Tech and Master of Arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sandra has a heart for foster kids and foster families, as she and Andy have been foster parents since 2010. Her ministry passion is promoting foster care in the local church. Much of her time these days is spent working on various writing projects and continuing her involvement with Fostering Together, the foster care initiative of North Point Ministries.Allie Cooney graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Communication. She completed the North Point Residency program and simultaneously earned a Masters of Christian Education degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. With a decade worth of experience in guiding students along their spiritual journeys, Allie is passionate about empowering middle, high school, and college students to embrace a life devoted to following Jesus wholeheartedly. Allie has a heart for middle school and high school students and can often be spotted at any number of local coffee shops pouring into girls in those seasons of life.Links Discussed in This Episode |Order a Copy of Minimalist Moms: Living and Parenting with SimplicityPrevious Episode: Bonus Episode: Finding "It" (An Intentional Parenting Strategy) with Sandra StanleyBook: The Gift of Fear by Gavin De BeckerAllie's Resource: Book: Treasures in the Dark by Katherine WolfeSandra's Resource: Logos Bible StudyMend Coffee ShopBook: Outlive by Peter AttiaConnect with AllieInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliekaycooney Connect with Sandra:Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrawstanley Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.w.stanley/ Website: https://www.sandrastanley.com/Episode Sponsors |The Minimalist Moms Podcast would not be possible without the support of weekly sponsors. Choosing brands that I believe in is important to me. I only want to recommend brands that I believe may help you in your daily life. As always, never feel pressured into buying anything. Remember: if you don't need it, it's not a good deal!Enjoy the Podcast? Post a review and share it! If you enjoyed tuning into this podcast, then do not hesitate to write a review. You can also share this with your fellow mothers so that they can be inspired to think more and do with less. Order (or review) my book, Minimalist Moms: Living & Parenting With Simplicity.Questions |You can contact me through my website, find me on Instagram, Pinterest or like The Minimalist Moms Page on Facebook.Checkout the Minimalist Moms Podcast storefront for recommendations from Diane.Need help decluttering? I'm here to help! If you've been struggling with motivation to declutter, I'd love to help you achieve your goals in your home. We'll work together (locally or virtually) to discover what areas in your home are high priority to get you feeling less overwhelmed right away. For more info on my processes, fees, and availability please contact!Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/minimalist-moms-podcast2093/exclusive-contentAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brands

Today's episode is with my first mother-daughter duo, Sandra Stanley and Allie Stanley Cooney. They co-wrote the book, Meet Me in the Middle, which release today! The share their experiences of growing up in the church and how they both discovered their callings in college and developed a relationship with God that was their own. They talk about how they walked through Allie's battle with anxiety and panic attacks and how they learned more about each other and themselves. They talk about their reasons behind writing this book and how they want to encourage any type of relationship, whether it is mother-daughter, aunt-niece, mento-mentee, etc to grow closer to each other, but most importantly, grow closer to God and move towards what He wants for each of us to be. I pray this episode blesses you and that you will share it with the women, and men in your lives because I believe everyone can benefit from something we said. Bios: Sandra Stanley received her Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Tech and Master of Arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sandra has a heart for foster kids and foster families, as she and Andy have been foster parents since 2010. Her ministry passion is promoting foster care in the local church. Much of her time these days is spent working on various writing projects and continuing her involvement with Fostering Together, the foster care initiative of North Point Ministries. Allie Stanley Cooney graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Communication. She completed the North Point Residency program and simultaneously earned a Masters of Christian Education degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. With a decade of experience guiding students along their spiritual journeys, Allie is passionate about empowering middle school, high school and college students to embrace a life devoted to following Jesus wholeheartedly. She has a heart for middle school and high school students and can often be spotted at any number of local coffee shops pouring into girls in those seasons of life. Anchor Verses: Sandra- Philippians 4:6-7 Allie- 1 John 1:3 Connect with Sandra and Allie:     Sandra Stanley Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrawstanley  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sandra.w.stanley/  X: https://twitter.com/sandrawstanley   Website: https://www.sandrastanley.com/               Allie Stanley Cooney Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alliekaycooney   X: https://twitter.com/alliekaystanley  ***We love hearing from our listeners! Sharing your thoughts through reviews is a fantastic way to be a part of our podcast family and contribute to the conversation. If you've enjoyed our podcast, leaving a review is quick and easy! Just head to Apple podcasts or wherever you are tuning in and share your thoughts. Your feedback makes a big difference!***

Are you struggling to connect with your teenage daughter? Do you find yourself wishing for more meaningful conversations that strengthen your bond? In this episode of the "Power Your Parenting: Moms with Teens" podcast, Sandra Stanley and her daughter, Allie Stanley Cooney, join us to discuss their new book, Meet Me in the Middle: Eight Mother-Daughter Conversations About Life and Faith. They share their journey of co-authoring the book, where each wrote separate sections for mothers and daughters, and how they created a "meet me in the middle" section to foster open dialogue and deeper understanding. Sandra Stanley received her Bachelor of Science degree from Georgia Tech and Master of Arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sandra has a heart for foster kids and foster families, as she and Andy have been foster parents since 2010. Her ministry passion is promoting foster care in the local church. Much of her time these days is spent working on various writing projects and continuing her involvement with Fostering Together, the foster care initiative of North Point Ministries. Allie Stanley Cooney graduated from Auburn University with a degree in Communication. She completed the North Point Residency program and simultaneously earned a Masters of Christian Education degree from Dallas Theological Seminary. She has a heart for middle school and high school students and can often be spotted at any number of local coffee shops pouring into girls in those seasons of life. The episode is packed with practical advice on navigating the tricky waters of the mother-daughter relationship during the teen years, focusing on the importance of communication, understanding each other's fears, and managing stress together. Key takeaways include the importance of being a student of your daughter—understanding her unique personality, fears, and stressors—and how this awareness can transform your relationship. Sandra and Allie emphasize the power of preemptive conversations, discussing tough topics before they become conflicts, and how these dialogues can lay a foundation of trust and mutual respect. They also highlight that even when challenges arise, maintaining the relationship should always be the priority, helping moms and daughters grow closer through the ups and downs of adolescence. Website: https://www.sandrastanley.com/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sandrawstanley https://www.instagram.com/alliekaycooney Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Top Ten from 2023 #4 Parenting for the Relationship with Sandra Stanley   Proverbs 27:18 a “He who tends the fig tree will eat its fruit,“   Questions and Topics We Discuss: Will you share the story of how you and Andy arrived at your overall vision and goal for parenting? How does the “law of the harvest” apply to parenting? Will you share your family's personal "keystone habits" you chose to set in place, rather than creating a long list of rules?   Sandra Stanley received her bachelor of science degree from Georgia Tech and master of arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sandra has a heart for foster kids and foster families, as she and Andy have been foster parents since 2010. Her ministry passion is promoting foster care in the local church. Much of her time these days is spent working on various writing projects and continuing her involvement with Fostering Together, the foster care initiative of North Point Ministries.   North Point Community Church Resources   Thank You to Our Sponsors: For Girls Like You   Connect with The Savvy Sauce through Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”  

Welcome back to the kitchen table. Bethany sits down with her good friend and mentor, Sandra Stanley, to begin a heartfelt conversation about understanding the myth of balance and accepting that, as mothers, we don't have to do it all. Sandra shares her journey of living with purposeful presence during her seasons with her children and how she has learned to say no confidently. She emphasizes the importance of understanding the boundaries of your current season of life and offers wisdom, encouragement, and the assurance that God has a perfect plan for each one of us. Sandra's insights provide a refreshing perspective on motherhood, encouraging women to redefine success not by how much they can do, but by how present and intentional they are in their everyday lives. Through their heartfelt discussion, Bethany and Sandra offer listeners a blend of practical advice and spiritual wisdom, reminding them that God has a perfect plan for each one of us, and it's okay to trust in that plan rather than trying to control every aspect of life.   Learn about Sandra: Sandra and Andy Stanley founded North Point Ministries in 1995. Married for 33 years, they have three children, ages 28, 27, and 25. Sandra is the author of two women's devotional books with companion videos—Comparison Trap and Breathing Room. Her ministry passion is promoting foster care in the local church. She received her undergraduate degree from Georgia Tech and a Masters of Biblical Studies from Dallas Theological Seminary. Much of her time these days is spent working on various writing projects and continuing her involvement with Fostering Together—the foster care initiative at North Point Ministries. For more about Sandra, visit sandrastanley.com. Comparison Trap App Breathing Room App   As featured in today's episode, here are the journal pages to help you identify the lies you're hearing and change your thinking: Journal Pages.

If you consider yourself a regular listener of this podcast, this is an episode that you can't afford to miss. Learn about Clay Scroggins Below: Clay is the author of the best-selling books How to Lead When You're Not in Charge, How to Lead in a World of Distraction, and The Aspiring Leader's Guide to the Future. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech as well as a Master's degree and Doctorate with an emphasis in Online Church from Dallas Theological Seminary. For almost 20 years, Clay Scroggins served in many pastoral roles at North Point Ministries, a multisite church started in Alpharetta, Georgia led by Andy Stanley. Most recently, Clay served as the lead pastor of Buckhead Church, one of North Point's largest campuses. Clay is a sought after speaker (that's what he tells his parents) having worked with organizations ranging from the Dallas Cowboys or the staff at the White House all the way to Taco Bell or the Alabama Association of Tax Assessors. Clay lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Jenny, and their five children. --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/hampton-dortch/message

Welcome to the Simple Faith Podcast with Rusty George! In this episode, Rusty is joined by special guest Clay Scroggins, author of "How to Lead When You're Not in Charge." Clay and Rusty dive into a lively conversation about sports, the unique challenges of young pastors working alongside popular lead pastors, and their shared connection to Crossroads Christian Church. Get ready for some laughs and insightful discussion as Clay and Rusty explore the dynamics of leadership and influence.In "How to Lead When You're Not in Charge," Clay Scroggins challenges the traditional notion of leadership as solely tied to title or position. Instead, he highlights the power of influence and how individuals can effectively lead, even without formal authority. Through actionable insights and personal anecdotes, Clay offers strategies for navigating organizational challenges and driving positive change from any role. Tune in to discover practical tips for becoming a more impactful leader in your own sphere of influence.About Clay, a distinguished author and thought leader, has penned best-selling titles including "How to Lead When You're Not in Charge," "How to Lead in a World of Distraction," and "The Aspiring Leader's Guide to the Future." A proud alumnus of Georgia Tech, he holds a degree in Industrial Engineering and furthered his academic pursuits with a Master's and Doctorate emphasizing Online Church fromDallas Theological Seminary.With a rich legacy spanning nearly two decades, Clay has been an integral part of North Point Ministries, founded by Andy Stanley in Alpharetta, Georgia. His most notable role was as the lead pastor of Buckhead Church, one of North Point's flagship campuses. Beyond the pulpit, Clay's dynamic speaking engagements have seen him collaborate with a diverse range of organizations, from the Dallas Cowboys and the White House staff to corporate giants like Taco Bell and Audi. Clay, along with his wife Jenny, lives in Atlanta, Georgia, and they are proud parents to five children and a spunky dog named Hank.Website: https://www.clayscroggins.com/Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/clay-scroggins-5106a16/Twitter: https://twitter.com/clayscrogginsInstagram: @Clayscroggins

Hello and thanks for listening to our online church podcast for Sunday, 24 March.  It is our great joy to welcome a special guest speaker, Dave Adamson. Better known as  @AussieDave  on socials he is the author of multiple books including "MetaChurch: How To Use Digital Ministry To Reach People And Make Disciples" , and the best-selling "52 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know". He's a former online and social media pastor at North Point Ministries and currently serves as the Australian and New Zealand director of Orange a non-profit supporting families and ministry leaders with training, resources, and ideas. In his spare time Dave leads physical and virtual tours of the Holy land and researches the 1st-century cultural context of Jesus and Hebrew words for his popular daily Instagram devotions check him out via the link below: https://www.instagram.com/aussiedave/ Today he's set himself the challenge of showing us that there is more to the Easter story than we probably realise and it's the hidden details of the Palm Sunday story that make it unbelievably believable. If you prefer you can watch this service on YouTube by following the link below. Head to our playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist Download our Goodlife Church App now via the link for easy access to sermon notes, events and information and prayer updates.   https://www.goodlife.org.au/goodlife-app For more information and to keep up with all that's happening at Goodlife visit our website! https://www.goodlife.org.au/church-notices If you would like prayer or need care, we want to help! Visit https://www.goodlife.org.au/care or email prayer@goodlife.org.au to reach out.

This week hosts Mike Nawrocki and Sarah Humphrey interview author Sandra Stanley about her new book, written with husband Andy, Parenting: Getting it Right. Am I getting parenting right? Most parents at all stages find themselves asking this question. Whether you're sleep-deprived with a colicky newborn or navigating the emotional roller coaster of a teenager, parenting has its lows and highs, its confusion and clarity, its big blowups and small victories. And no matter our family's makeup or our children's personalities, many of us experience anxiety over our children's futures and often fear making a mistake. Andy and Sandra Stanley are no strangers to this feeling. As parents of three grown children and cofounders of North Point Ministries, the Stanleys have spent decades teaching and learning. They've counseled families, mentored others, and learned from mentors of their own, all while leading one of the largest churches in the country. In Parenting: Getting It Right (Zondervan Books; January 17, 2023), Andy and Sandra combine their experience and wisdom into a guide that helps readers understand and live by essential parenting principles. --------------------------------------------------------------------------- The BIble for Kids is now a 501c3 non-profit and we'd love to have you join us in our mission of reaching kids with the message of the Bible. Our NEW store now features "Pay What You Can" pricing on many items with more coming soon. Visit TheBibleforKids.com to donate or learn more today! The Bible for Kids Podcast is a part of the Christian Parenting Podcast Network. To find practical and spiritual advice to help you grow into the parent you want to be visit www.ChristianParenting.org  

Kathleen Edelman joins Sanger and Shawn to discuss the four temperament styles, so you can gain understanding, avoid miscommunications, and truly hear people.WANT THE FULL EPISODE? Check out yesterday's episode, Ep.117 I Kathleen Edelman I Deciding for Effective Communication: The Root-Cause Approach of Temperament Styles, or download it directly using this link. KEY TOPICS A root-cause approach to eliminating conflict. Taking responsibility for your own communication. Understanding the temperaments to better understand your team. Using the temperaments to inform your hiring decisions. WHAT'S MY TEMPERAMENT? Sanguine (yellow): Speaks the language of people and fun. Choleric (red): Speaks the language of power and control. Melancholic (blue): Speaks the language of order and perfection. Phlegmatic (green): Speaks the language of calm and harmony. CONNECT WITH USwww.decidedlypodcast.com Join us on Instagram: @decidedlypodcast Join us on FacebookShawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmith GRAB YOUR COPY OF SANGER'S BOOK A Life Rich with Significance: Transforming Your Wealth to Meaningful Impact MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy. LEARN MOREwww.decidedlywealth.comSUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY DECISION-MAKING TIP EMAILCONNECT WITH KATHLEEN EDELMAN The ColorWorks Group website Book a Training with Kathleen's Team I Said This, You Heard That website Kind Words Are Cool website I Said This, You Heard That YouTube Channel Kathleen's Amazon Author Page Kathleen's LinkedIn Instagram: @Isaidyouheard Kathleen's Facebook I Said This, You Heard That Facebook Kathleen Edelman is a leading author, speaker, and communications specialist whose journey began with her graduation from Powers High School in 1979. Armed with her Powers education, she went on to study at Western Michigan University and the University of Michigan – Flint before moving to California. She married her husband Brad and lived out west for seven years, taking on work as a real estate appraiser and salesperson as they started their lives together. Throughout her career journey, Kathleen always had a guiding passion. From the time she was a child, she had been troubled by miscommunication. Why do so many people seem to talk past each other when they have discussions or arguments? Why do people say things they don't mean? Above all, she wondered why people would say unkind things to each other when it wasn't necessary – especially because, in her view, it was never necessary. She always wanted to help people become better communicators, but it wasn't until she and Brad, her husband, moved to Maryland in 1991 that her passion found direction. During the long car ride from coast to coast, she listened to the work of Florence Littauer, an author of temperament-based books. Littauer's theories sparked an odyssey for Kathleen that, in some ways, is still ongoing today. Kathleen realized that the keys to kind and productive communication are empathy and mutual understanding. Everyone naturally speaks and hears all language from their own individual innate wirings. This means that something said by one person can be interpreted in a completely unique way by another. This gap – the space between what is said and what is heard – is often the root of conflict in marriages, business relationships, and friendships. She found the solution to this miscommunication in her study of the four temperaments – melancholy, phlegmatic, choleric, and sanguine. The temperaments are a method for classifying individuals based on their natural tendencies, needs, strengths, weaknesses, and innate needs. Each temperament has a different set of these – for example, melancholy individuals thrive on space and silence, whereas sanguines need acceptance and approval to feel fulfilled. Kathleen discovered that understanding the temperaments is vital to healthy communication. First, when someone understands their own temperament, they are better equipped to understand their emotional, spiritual, and social needs. Filling these needs and effectively communicating them to others can help a person operate in their strengths rather than in their weaknesses. Furthermore, understanding the innate wiring of another person allows one to “speak their language.” For example, even if you say the exact same words to a choleric and a phlegmatic,they'll each probably hear something completely different. Kathleen found that teaching people to communicate intentionally in this way is often the key to saving relationships. Knowing the innate needs of others allows us to love them better. Her study was always motivated by her strong faith – specifically, all of her work on communication centers upon the directive passed down by Christ through Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome words come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, so that it may benefit those who listen.” Because of her spiritual focus, she partnered with North Point Ministries to spread the message of healthy, temperament-based communication as widely as possible. She has written a workbook, recorded several free videos, and released a six-week bible study called “I Said This, You Heard That” aimed at developing communication skills by educating people about the four temperaments through the framework of Ephesians 4:29 (if you are curious, you can check out her work on her website at isaidyouheard.study). Kathleen regularly travels around the country speaking about and providing training on temperaments and empathetic communication – in total, her work has already impacted millions of relationships worldwide. Currently, Kathleen lives in Georgia with her husband Brad. The two live about an hour north of Atlanta, and enjoy spending time with friends and family, enjoying the lake or working on projects around the house. She has two children, Avery and Brice, who also live in Georgia. Avery, her daughter, graduated from the University of Georgia in 2019 and works as a graphic designer. Brice, her son, started a coding education company after receiving his degree from Georgia Tech in 2020. Kathleen published her second book in 2021 called “A Grown-Up's Guide To Kids' Wiring,” which teaches better communication skills to anyone in the life of a child or teenager: parents, grandparents, coaches, counselors, aunt, uncles, neighbors, etc! Kathleen continues to speak and teach across the country, as well as meet oe-on-one with people for personal coaching. The demand for Kathleen and her content has been so high that she has expanded her team to include a small group of women who speak and teach on her behalf, when needed. She has one thing that she'd like to say to every single person reading this: “The words you use are the words you choose; remember, kind words are cool!”

Kathleen Edelman joins Sanger and Shawn to discuss the four temperament styles, so you can gain understanding, avoid miscommunications, and truly hear people. KEY TOPICS A root-cause approach to eliminating conflict. Taking responsibility for your own communication. Understanding the temperaments to better understand your team. Using the temperaments to inform your hiring decisions. WHAT'S MY TEMPERAMENT? Sanguine (yellow): Speaks the language of people and fun. Choleric (red): Speaks the language of power and control. Melancholic (blue): Speaks the language of order and perfection. Phlegmatic (green): Speaks the language of calm and harmony. CONNECT WITH USwww.decidedlypodcast.com Join us on Instagram: @decidedlypodcast Join us on FacebookShawn's Instagram: @shawn_d_smith Sanger's Instagram: @sangersmith GRAB YOUR COPY OF SANGER'S BOOK A Life Rich with Significance: Transforming Your Wealth to Meaningful Impact MAKING A FINANCIAL DECISION?At Decidedly Wealth Management, we focus on decision-making as the foundational element of success, in our effort to empower families to purposefully apply their wealth to fulfill their values and build a thriving legacy. LEARN MOREwww.decidedlywealth.comSUBSCRIBE TO OUR WEEKLY DECISION-MAKING TIP EMAILCONNECT WITH KATHLEEN EDELMAN The ColorWorks Group website Book a Training with Kathleen's Team I Said This, You Heard That website Kind Words Are Cool website I Said This, You Heard That YouTube Channel Kathleen's Amazon Author Page Kathleen's LinkedIn Instagram: @Isaidyouheard Kathleen's Facebook I Said This, You Heard That Facebook Kathleen Edelman is a leading author, speaker, and communications specialist whose journey began with her graduation from Powers High School in 1979. Armed with her Powers education, she went on to study at Western Michigan University and the University of Michigan – Flint before moving to California. She married her husband Brad and lived out west for seven years, taking on work as a real estate appraiser and salesperson as they started their lives together. Throughout her career journey, Kathleen always had a guiding passion. From the time she was a child, she had been troubled by miscommunication. Why do so many people seem to talk past each other when they have discussions or arguments? Why do people say things they don't mean? Above all, she wondered why people would say unkind things to each other when it wasn't necessary – especially because, in her view, it was never necessary. She always wanted to help people become better communicators, but it wasn't until she and Brad, her husband, moved to Maryland in 1991 that her passion found direction. During the long car ride from coast to coast, she listened to the work of Florence Littauer, an author of temperament-based books. Littauer's theories sparked an odyssey for Kathleen that, in some ways, is still ongoing today. Kathleen realized that the keys to kind and productive communication are empathy and mutual understanding. Everyone naturally speaks and hears all language from their own individual innate wirings. This means that something said by one person can be interpreted in a completely unique way by another. This gap – the space between what is said and what is heard – is often the root of conflict in marriages, business relationships, and friendships. She found the solution to this miscommunication in her study of the four temperaments – melancholy, phlegmatic, choleric, and sanguine. The temperaments are a method for classifying individuals based on their natural tendencies, needs, strengths, weaknesses, and innate needs. Each temperament has a different set of these – for example, melancholy individuals thrive on space and silence, whereas sanguines need acceptance and approval to feel fulfilled. Kathleen discovered that understanding the temperaments is vital to healthy communication. First, when someone understands their own temperament, they are better equipped to understand their emotional, spiritual, and social needs. Filling these needs and effectively communicating them to others can help a person operate in their strengths rather than in their weaknesses. Furthermore, understanding the innate wiring of another person allows one to “speak their language.” For example, even if you say the exact same words to a choleric and a phlegmatic,they'll each probably hear something completely different. Kathleen found that teaching people to communicate intentionally in this way is often the key to saving relationships. Knowing the innate needs of others allows us to love them better. Her study was always motivated by her strong faith – specifically, all of her work on communication centers upon the directive passed down by Christ through Apostle Paul in Ephesians 4:29: “Do not let any unwholesome words come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up, according to their needs, so that it may benefit those who listen.” Because of her spiritual focus, she partnered with North Point Ministries to spread the message of healthy, temperament-based communication as widely as possible. She has written a workbook, recorded several free videos, and released a six-week bible study called “I Said This, You Heard That” aimed at developing communication skills by educating people about the four temperaments through the framework of Ephesians 4:29 (if you are curious, you can check out her work on her website at isaidyouheard.study). Kathleen regularly travels around the country speaking about and providing training on temperaments and empathetic communication – in total, her work has already impacted millions of relationships worldwide. Currently, Kathleen lives in Georgia with her husband Brad. The two live about an hour north of Atlanta, and enjoy spending time with friends and family, enjoying the lake or working on projects around the house. She has two children, Avery and Brice, who also live in Georgia. Avery, her daughter, graduated from the University of Georgia in 2019 and works as a graphic designer. Brice, her son, started a coding education company after receiving his degree from Georgia Tech in 2020. Kathleen published her second book in 2021 called “A Grown-Up's Guide To Kids' Wiring,” which teaches better communication skills to anyone in the life of a child or teenager: parents, grandparents, coaches, counselors, aunt, uncles, neighbors, etc! Kathleen continues to speak and teach across the country, as well as meet oe-on-one with people for personal coaching. The demand for Kathleen and her content has been so high that she has expanded her team to include a small group of women who speak and teach on her behalf, when needed. She has one thing that she'd like to say to every single person reading this: “The words you use are the words you choose; remember, kind words are cool!”

In this episode we discuss engaging culture and holding tightly to the truth of Scripture. Recently, some controversial statements made by Andy Stanley, pastor of North Point Ministries, about the church, Scripture and sexuality caused quite a stir amongst Christian leaders online. In light of these engagements, we discuss being faithful to Scripture and engaging culture. We also answer questions about the Trinity and can Christians gamble. We end it with a battle royale of arbitrary contests of mega-church pastors.

Andy Stanley is a pastor, speaker, author, and founder of North Point Ministries. He recently preached a sermon on how he and his church approaches the LGBTQ conversation, and specifically how they have walked with Christian parents with LGBTQ kids. North Point also hosted a conference called "Unconditional" for Christian parents with LGBTQ kids. A lot of controversy has surrounding both Andy's sermon and the conference. This podcast is my response to both. 

In this episode Richard speaks with author, coach, speaker and consultant Dr. Jason Young. For over 20 years, he has been on staff with several churches, including Life. Church and North Point Ministries. He currently guides leaders and organizations to thrive by becoming the healthiest version of themselves, building engaged teams, and crafting a meaningful guest experience. His clients include Chick-fil-A, Bayside Church, FedEx Ground, Gorilla Glue, Delta Airlines, Abundant Church, Rooms To Go, Christ Fellowship, and other respected churches and companies. Jason is a best-selling author with six books for the modern leader. His newest book, Don't Burn Out, Burn Bright, guides leaders to prevent exhaustion and burnout to ensure greater joy in work and life. Personal website: https://drjasonyoung.com/ Book website with free leadership health assessment: https://dontburnoutburnbright.com/assessment/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/drjasonyoung/ DONATE: If you have enjoyed this podcast and want to support what we do, click here. RESOURCES: Find out more about our upcoming Spiritual Leadership Coaching Workshops here. CONNECT: Follow Richard on Twitter. Follow Richard on Facebook. Read Richard's latest blog posts at www.richardblackaby.com.

Hey friends! Today I had the honor of speaking with a woman I've admired for so long over my years of attending Buckhead Church. She's a mom of three beautiful children, Co-Founder of NorthPoint Ministries, and leader of Fostering Together- NPM's fostering care initiative. In this episode you'll learn - how the principles in Sandra and Andy's book “Parenting: Getting It Right” apply to people of all ages - practically resist the current of culture - strengthen and develop your self control muscle - understand WHY it's important to cast a vision for your relationships (self, others, Creator) - practical conversation tactics to help forgive in hard conversations

You don't have to constantly doubt if you're getting it right as a parent. Start here and feel confident about raising a healthy and happy family. Please welcome Sandra Stanley to Mountaintop! Whether you're sleep deprived with a colicky newborn or navigating the emotional roller coaster of a teenager, parenting has its ups and downs, its confusion and clarity, its big blowups and small victories. And no matter our family makeup or our children's personalities, many of us experience anxiety over our children's futures and often fear making a mistake. Andy and Sandra Stanley are no strangers to this feeling. As parents of three grown children and cofounders of North Point Ministries, they are seasoned experts on faith and parenting. Together they have spent decades counseling countless families, mentoring others, and learning from mentors of their own, all while leading one of the largest churches in the country. In Parenting: Getting It Right, Andy and Sandra combine their experience and wisdom into a guide that helps readers understand and live by essential parenting principles. Learn more about Mountaintop at https://mountaintopchurch.com

Lane Jones is one of the co-founders of North Point Ministries, an incredible church with multiple campuses across the Atlanta area. I've gotten to know and learn from him over the past five years and it's great to have him on the podcast to share his insights with you. He led along Andy Stanley as they started and grew North Point to what it is today. Lane shares his experiences from the early days, the lessons he learned about leadership over three decades, and what's next for him in the coming years.HighlightsLane's Story - 02:36 About Lane Jones Ministry beginnings in Atlanta Three Decades of North Point  - 12:47 What the early days at North Point were like. Gaining notoriety as a ministry Navigating exponential growth North Point today What's Next? - 43:11 What does the next decade look like for Lane? How to support leaders from the second seat

Join ALL ACCESS! Are you ready to unlock your ministry's potential? Our ALL ACCESS plan includes  courses from Steve Gladen and leading small group pastors from across the country. workshops quarterly coaching premium articles live digital events.  All for the price of $49 a month or $490 annually.You even get half off in person events like the LOBBY and ACCELERATEAnd to make it an even better deal, that one low price is a churchwide license. Everyone at your church is included. PLUS your WHOLE team gets half off the events. Meaning with this plan, your church can SAVE money and get your whole team trained and equipped.Check it out today at https://smallgroupnetwork.com/allaccess ... your community, unlocked!How do you measure the fruitfullnes of small group ministry? How do you decide what metrics to you use? If you or anyone on your team are asking these questions, then you've come to the right place!Bill Willits is the Executive Director of Ministry Environments for North Point Ministries. NPM is the parent organization of six Atlanta churches (Including North Point Community Church) as well as twenty-three strategic partner churches around the world. Bill is one of the founding staff members of North Point and the architect of its influential small groups ministry model. He is also the co-author of the book, "Creating Community" with Andy Stanley. His passion for community along with his amazing team has helped them connect just over 80,000 children, students and adults into the benefits of group life.In this month's “Group Talk” podcast, host Carolyn Taketa interviews Bill and asks him the following questions and more in this exciting interview… How do we know if someone is actually growing in their relationship with Jesus? What are the measurable wins that help us understand if we are really making progress? How do we get people from the rows into circles? What is the typical retention rate for small group leaders? ALIGN + ACCELERATE July 11-13, 2023ALIGN is the small groups ministry essentials workshop. Perfect for people new to groups or who are considering launching groups at their church.ACCELERATE is a 2 day intensive workshop for a small group point person who wants to develop an 18 month strategic plan for growth or revitalization.Your team can attend ALIGN or ACCELERATE or get a discounted rate for attending both. For those attending all 3, lodging and lunches are included in the price! And don't forget, ALL ACCESS members always get 50% off all events.We'll see you there! https://smallgroupnetwork.com/conferences/

One person was killed in an early morning fire at a homeless camp in the Town Center area, according to Cobb police. Firefighters responded to the fire around 1:15 a.m. Monday, near Interstate 75 at Barrett Parkway. Per police, the fire was burning in a homeless encampment in the woods near the I-75 north off-ramp. Firefighters extinguished a burning tent and discovered a body, police said. The Cobb police Major Crimes Unit and the Cobb Fire Arson Unit are investigating the incident. North Point Ministries has finally begun construction on its new church and housing development in east Cobb after nearly a year of compromise and negotiation with the county. The plan, which will see the construction of a 125,000-square-foot church and up to 95 single-family homes and townhouses, was met with opposition from residents concerned about stormwater impacts and housing density. The church's lead pastor, Jamey Dickens, said he was thankful for the residents who were engaged in the process, believing it made the final plan better. The church is hoping to complete construction within two years, depending on factors such as the supply chain and weather. The Georgia Food + Wine Festival was held at Jim R. Miller Park, with thousands of people attending to sample some of Georgia's best food, beer, wine, and spirits. Vendors interacted with customers as they mixed drinks, poured samples, and served food. The festival-goers enjoyed the sounds of live music and the aroma of smoked meat. Tequila, vodka, jalapeño margaritas, and other cold beverages helped keep the revelers cool. Chef, author and farmer Mathew Raiford cooked beef tacos, speaking to the crowd and sharing his family's history. Various booths sold art and miscellaneous products. Overall, it was a great day for people to spend time outdoors eating, drinking, and enjoying the festivities. Janice Overbeck and former NFL player Terance Mathis recently hosted a Celebrity Poker Night Fundraiser for Emory ALS, where attendees tried their luck in the tournament while raising funds through a silent auction and Big Green Egg raffle. The event was attended by local celebrities such as Jerome "The Bus" Bettis and Jessie Tuggle of the NFL, and Corey Patterson of the MLB. Through donations and ticket sales, the event raised $30,116.30, which was presented to Dr. Jonathan Glass of the Emory ALS Reach Center. Since 2016, the Janice Overbeck Real Estate Team's non-profit, JO Gives Inc., has hosted fundraising events and made donations to the Emory University ALS Research Center annually. Over 60 students from South Cobb High School's Academy of Research & Medical Sciences program received their white coats and stethoscopes in a recent ceremony. The white coat is a symbol of trust, integrity and authority in the medical field. The ceremony celebrated the students' dedication and hard work, with keynote speakers emphasizing the importance of researchers and technicians in modern medicine. Entrepreneur George Amos Jr. gave advice to the soon-to-be medical professionals, encouraging them to invest in themselves and get comfortable with being uncomfortable. The event was a time of pride, excitement, and joy for all attendees. The Marietta City Schools Board of Education has approved the appointment of two new principals for Marietta High School and Lockheed Elementary School. Marvin J. Crumbs will take over as principal of Marietta High School after serving as principal of Columbus High School for 11 years, replacing interim principal Marco Holland. Tricia Patterson, the current principal of the Marietta Center for Advanced Academics, will assume the position of principal of Lockheed Elementary School. Both principals will begin their new roles in June. Always Cake Bakery, owned by chef Nicole Green, had their grand opening last Saturday at their new store in Marietta. The bakery, which started in Green's home in 2018, offers custom-made cakes and a wide variety of other baked goods such as cupcakes, biscuits, pies, muffins, and toffee. Green, a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, has spent 20 years in the restaurant business, and moved to Powder Springs with her husband seven years ago. Always Cake Bakery is located at 1812 Powder Springs Road and is open Tuesday through Sunday. Plus, we sit down with MDJ Sports editor John Bednaroski as he continues to take us on a tour around Augusta National presented by Ingles. #CobbCounty #Georgia #LocalNews      -            -            -            -            -            The Marietta Daily Journal Podcast is local news for Marietta, Kennesaw, Smyrna, and all of Cobb County.             Subscribe today, so you don't miss an episode! MDJOnline            Register Here for your essential digital news.            https://www.chattahoocheetech.edu/  https://cuofga.org/ https://www.esogrepair.com/ https://www.drakerealty.com/           Find additional episodes of the MDJ Podcast here.             This Podcast was produced and published for the Marietta Daily Journal and MDJ Online by BG Ad Group   For more information be sure to visit https://www.bgpodcastnetwork.com          See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

What are your parenting goals?  What does a “win” look like for you?  Andy and Sandra Stanley determined years ago that their primary goal as parents was to build strong, healthy relationships with their children that continue into their adulthood. “Our legacy is the relationships, the health of the relationships, and the healthy people in the relationships we leave behind,” says Sandra. “We wanted to lay a foundation for our kids early of understanding that life is relationships. And, we wanted them to understand how to restore a broken relationship.” This week, Andy and Sandra join me to discuss their latest book, Parenting: Getting It Right, and we share an honest conversation about the importance of intentional parenting, equipping our kids for relational success, and the art of restoring a broken relationship.  ---- Communicator, author, and pastor Andy Stanley founded Atlanta-based North Point Ministries (NPM) in 1995. As host of Your Move with Andy Stanley, which delivers over 10.5 million messages each month through television, digital platforms, and podcasts, and author of more than 20 books, Andy is considered one of the most influential pastors in America. Sandra Stanley received her bachelor of science degree from Georgia Tech and master of arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sandra has a heart for foster kids and foster families, as she and Andy have been foster parents since 2010. Her ministry passion is promoting foster care in the local church. Much of her time these days is spent working on various writing projects and continuing her involvement with Fostering Together, the foster care initiative at North Point Ministries. In their new book, Parenting: Getting It Right, Andy and Sandra combine their experience and wisdom into a guide that helps readers understand and live by essential parenting principles. Visit Andy's website and Sandra's website to learn more about both of them and their new book. 

When I posted to social what topics you want covered more here on the Truth for your Twenties podcast. Several of you mentioned a relationship with your parents as you become an adult. And I can think of no one to unpack this subject better than my personal hero, Sandra Stanley Sandra and her husband Andy co-wrote a new book on parenting and if you have been around here for more than a minute you have probably heard me quote Andy at least a time or two. He is what I believe one of the best communicators of our day founder of Atlanta-based North Point Ministries consisting of a network of 180 churches around the globe that collectively serve over 200,000 people weekly.  And the author of the book I recommend almost every day the new rules for love sex and dating.  His beautiful wife Sandra went to Georgia Tech and then went on to get her master of arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sandra has a heart for foster kids and foster families, as she and Andy have been foster parents since 2010.  Together they have raised 3 of their own biological children and just wrote a book called parenting, getting it right.  We are chatting about how to parent FOR THE RELATIONSHIP and how to repair it even if you are the child.  Sandra Stanley on Instagram Follow Katie on Instagram and TikTok Truth for your Twenties Swag Join the Truth for your Twenties Facebook group  

Am I getting parenting right? Most parents at any and every stage find themselves asking this question.  To explore this question, I invited Sandra Stanley to be my guest. Moms you are going to love this episode. Sandra Stanley received her bachelor of science degree from Georgia Tech and master of arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sandra has a heart for foster kids and foster families, as she and Andy have been foster parents since 2010. Her ministry passion is promoting foster care in the local church. Much of her time these days is spent working on various writing projects and continuing her involvement with Fostering Together, the foster care initiative at North Point Ministries. Sandra and her husband Andy Stanley just published their new book Parenting Getting It Right which we dive into today. Their it, their north star which we talk a lot about in this show is parenting with the relationship in mind. I couldn't agree more. To connect with Sandra and learn more about her book Parenting: Getting It Right go to https://www.sandrastanley.com/ Connect with Sandra on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/sandrawstanley/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Am I getting parenting right? That's a question that crosses our mind quite often. Which makes anyone who decides to write a book with so bold a title as Parenting: Getting it Right, either have a lot of courage or be out of their mind. Fortunately, Pastor Andy Stanley and his wife Sandra (authors and founders of North Point Ministries), who bravely wrote such a title, have parented successfully! Sandra joins us this week to talk to Josh about their experience as parents of now three grown children.Sandra and Josh talk about:What "it" actually meansThe four seasons of parentingWhy behavior modification is not the goal, but relationship isWays to adapt your words and approach with your kids specific to their personalityHow to reflect Jesus as your kids mirror your behaviorShow Notes:Order a copy of Parenting: Getting It Right:https://andystanley.com/parenting/Watch this epiosde on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/@FamousatHomepodcastLearn more about Andy and Sandra Stanley:https://andystanley.com/parenting/REGISTER FOR MYKIDSEQ COACHING WORKSHOP: https://www.famousathome.com/kids

Hey friend! When it comes to parenting, have you ever wondered if you're getting it right? What does success look like as a parent anyway? If you're a parent, have a parent, or want to be a parent, don't wait to listen to this episode! I had a fantastic conversation with Andy and Sandra Stanley about their new book, Parenting: Getting It Right.  With three grown children who love each other and love being together, even now that they no longer have to and can make those decisions for themselves, Andy and Sandra don't hold back on sharing what they've learned in raising their family.  Listen in as Andy, Sandra, and I discuss all things parenting, like: How establishing their end goal for raising their children shaped their parenting decisions Why the law of the harvest applies to parenting (and why you can't ignore it!) One of the most important things we can help our kids understand about their behavior Why teaching kids how to repair and restore relationships so is important Andy Stanley is the founder of North Point Ministries, with eight Atlanta-area churches and a network of 180 churches around the world, a gifted communicator, and the author of over 20 books. Sandra Stanley is the author of two devotionals, and she loves speaking and writing about faith, family, and fostering.   They have three grown children, whom Sandra homeschooled, and Parenting: Getting It Right is their first book.   Favorite quotes: “Your potential relationship with your adult children is much longer than the years or seasons you are in right now. Later is longer and you are sowing now you repent a healthy adult relationship with your kids.”  - Andy Stanley “Parenting with that relationship in mind gets us to the finish line.”  -Sandra Stanley “We don't have rules just because we want to have rules. We have rules for reasons and to protect relationships. Our consequences for breaking the rules in our home were all tied to restoring the relationship.” -Andy & Sandra Stanley “One of the greatest gifts we can give our children is a healthy marriage.” -Andy Stanley “A great marriage sets our kids up for success in a lot of ways.”  -Sandra Stanley Coaching this week: Habits for Moms: all about the power of 1% better and our trajectories. (30:17) Links to great things we discussed:  Andy's Website Andy & Sandra's Book - Parenting: Getting It Right The Last Kingdom 1923 Heaven - Bryan Adams This is My Song - North Point Worship Worthy of My Song - Phil Wickham The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - John Mark Comer When Crickets Cry - Charles Martin How We Got to Now- Steven Johnson From Strength to Strength - Arthur Brook TheraGun Mini Worship for Fierce Faith Join the Confident Motherhood Community here. Hope you loved this episode! Be sure to subscribe in iTunes and slap some stars on a review! :) xo, Alli

Am I getting parenting right? Most parents, at any and every stage, find themselves asking this question. Mike Linch sits down with Andy and Sandra Stanley, co-authors of Parenting: Getting it Right, to dive into a subject all moms and dads encounter challenges in.No matter our family makeup or our children's personalities, many of us experience anxiety over our children's futures and often fear making a mistake. Andy and Sandra Stanley are no strangers to this feeling. As parents of three grown children and cofounders of North Point Ministries, they are seasoned experts on faith and parenting. Together they have spent decades counseling countless families, mentoring others, and learning from mentors of their own, all while leading one of the largest churches in the country.In Parenting: Getting It Right, Andy and Sandra combine their experience and wisdom into a guide that helps readers understand and live by essential parenting principles. In an inviting, conversational approach that is both informative and accessible, the Stanleys help readers understand the most important goal in parenting and learn the steps to pursue it by:- Learning the four distinct stages of parenting- Clarifying the primary goal of parenting and developing a parenting orientation around that goal- Identifying and adapting their approach--not their rules--to their children's distinct personalities- Deciding on their shortlist of non-negotiables and learning to stick to it

Am I getting parenting right? Most parents, at any and every stage, find themselves asking this question. Mike Linch sits down with Andy and Sandra Stanley, co-authors of Parenting: Getting it Right, to dive into a subject all moms and dads encounter challenges in.No matter our family makeup or our children's personalities, many of us experience anxiety over our children's futures and often fear making a mistake. Andy and Sandra Stanley are no strangers to this feeling. As parents of three grown children and cofounders of North Point Ministries, they are seasoned experts on faith and parenting. Together they have spent decades counseling countless families, mentoring others, and learning from mentors of their own, all while leading one of the largest churches in the country.In Parenting: Getting It Right, Andy and Sandra combine their experience and wisdom into a guide that helps readers understand and live by essential parenting principles. In an inviting, conversational approach that is both informative and accessible, the Stanleys help readers understand the most important goal in parenting and learn the steps to pursue it by:- Learning the four distinct stages of parenting- Clarifying the primary goal of parenting and developing a parenting orientation around that goal- Identifying and adapting their approach--not their rules--to their children's distinct personalities- Deciding on their shortlist of non-negotiables and learning to stick to it

Andy Stanley, founder of North Point Ministries in Atlanta, and his wife, Sandra, talk about their new book, Parenting: Getting It Right. They share vision in parenting, the "north star" of parenting, the two rules they focused on while bringing up their children, and why sometimes, it's okay to put some distance between the misbehavior and the actual punishment.

Hey! Welcome to my podcast, Can I Laugh on Your Shoulder? (formerly known as Business with Purpose!) I'll be talking with guests each week and having raw, funny, and often brutally honest conversations about the things that matter most in life. My first guest is Sandra Stanley, and we are talking all about parenting. But wait! If you don't have kids, that's OK. We're also talking about conflict resolution, and this is the kind of conversation that I guarantee everybody can get something out of. Sandra is married to Pastor Andy Stanley, and they have three grown children. Sandra is known for her devotional books: "Breathing Room" and "Comparison Trap.” She is also the cofounder of North Point Ministries in Atlanta. She and her husband are releasing a new book, “Parenting: Getting It Right.” 3:22 – Sandra 101 Sandra and Andy have been married 34 years, and all three of their kids are married. Her daughter just had a baby girl, and Sandra is enjoying all the newborn snuggles. Sandra and her husband have been foster parents since 2010. 8:34 – Getting it right Sandra's book doesn't have all the answers for every parenting dilemma. There are no perfect parents. There are no perfect kids. Her “it” was having such a good relationship with her kids that they still wanted to be together when they were adults. 14:36 – Mindset shifts Sandra and her husband made “honor” an important part of their children's relationship. They had to apologize sincerely. “Honor mom” and “Don't tell a lie” were the two big rules in their house. 28:56 – Stages of parenting There are different stages of parenting. From 0 to 5 years old, it's focused on discipline. Five to 10 are training years. From 11 to 18 are the coaching years. 42:51 – Takeaways from the book Sandra wanted to raise kids who were accountable to God and who sought God's will for their lives. Don't make your kids have quiet time with the Lord each morning. But model it, encourage it and make it easy. 50:02 – Good things and hard things Last thing that made her laugh? Hearing her kids laugh with their cousins Last thing that made her cry? Seeing the first picture of her grandchild FEATURED QUOTES What other endorsement do you need if your kids endorse your parenting book? – Sandra We don't have all the answers for all of your parenting dilemmas. There are no perfect parents. There are no perfect kids. – Sandra One of the greatest rewards in this season of life is watching our kids choose each other, like each other and want to be friends. – Sandra We wanted to raise kids who were accountable to God and who sought God's will for their lives. – Sandra CONNECT: https://www.sandrastanley.com/ https://andystanley.com/parenting/

196 Parenting for the Relationship with Sandra Stanley   Questions and Topics We Discuss: Will you share the story of how you and Andy arrived at your overall vision and goal for parenting? How does the “law of the harvest” apply to parenting? Will you share your family's personal "keystone habits" you chose to set in place, rather than creating a long list of rules?   Sandra Stanley received her bachelor of science degree from Georgia Tech and master of arts from Dallas Theological Seminary. Sandra has a heart for foster kids and foster families, as she and Andy have been foster parents since 2010. Her ministry passion is promoting foster care in the local church. Much of her time these days is spent working on various writing projects and continuing her involvement with Fostering Together, the foster care initiative of North Point Ministries.   North Point Community Church Resources   Thank You to Our Sponsors: Solid Rock Christian Academy and Chick-fil-A East Peoria   Connect with The Savvy Sauce on Facebook or Instagram or Our Website   Please help us out by sharing this episode with a friend, leaving a 5-star rating and review, and subscribing to this podcast!   Also, check out our Patreon Page to find out how to gain access to additional podcasts and goodies!   Gospel Scripture: (all NIV)   Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,”   Romans 3:24 “and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”   Romans 3:25 (a) “God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood.”    Hebrews 9:22 (b) “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.”    Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”    Romans 5:11 “Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.”    John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”   Romans 10:9 “That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”    Luke 15:10 says “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”   Romans 8:1 “Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”   Ephesians 1:13–14 “And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession- to the praise of his glory.”   Ephesians 1:15–23 “For this reason, ever since I heard about your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for all the saints, I have not stopped giving thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers. I keep asking that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the glorious Father, may give you the spirit of wisdom and revelation, so that you may know him better. I pray also that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened in order that you may know the hope to which he has called you, the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and his incomparably great power for us who believe. That power is like the working of his mighty strength, which he exerted in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly realms, far above all rule and authority, power and dominion, and every title that can be given, not only in the present age but also in the one to come. And God placed all things under his feet and appointed him to be head over everything for the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills everything in every way.”   Ephesians 2:8–10 “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith – and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God‘s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.“   Ephesians 2:13 “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.“   Philippians 1:6 “being confident of this, that he who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.”

Jeff Henderson shares powerful principles for shrinking the risk of your next career move. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) The most important networking question you can ask 2) How to turn every “no” into powerful motivational fuel 3) The three things that shrink risk Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep822 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT JEFF — Jeff Henderson is an entrepreneur, speaker, pastor, and business leader. For seventeen years, he has led three of North Point Ministries' multisite locations in Atlanta, Georgia—Buckhead Church and two Gwinnett Church locations. He has also helped launch North Point Online, which now reaches over 200,000 people. His bestselling book, Know What You're FOR, launched a movement in nonprofits around the world and has become a focal point for many businesses. As the founder of the FOR Company, Jeff's aim is to help organizations build a good name where purpose and profit grow together. Jeff was recently named by Forbes Magazine as one of twenty speakers you shouldn't miss. Prior to working as a pastor, Jeff started his career in marketing with the Atlanta Braves, Callaway Gardens, Lake Lanier Islands, and Chick-fil-A, Inc., where he led the company's regional and beverage marketing strategies. • Book: What to Do Next: Taking Your Best Step When Life Is Uncertain • Tool: Career Risk Assessment • Tool: The Four Presenter Voices • Website: JeffHenderson.com — RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin • Book: The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: Follow Them and People Will Follow You by John Maxwell and Steven Covey See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Podcast listeners: sign up for the Typology Institute today to get access to all 3 courses and other monthly perks. Go to typologyinstitute.com/workplace and use the code TYPOLOGYPODCAST for 30% savings through the end of 2022 only. Hey folks! Last week, I shared one of my favorite episodes in which the host of The Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast, founder of North Point Ministries, and author of Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets, Andy Stanley and I talked about how your type makes decisions.  This week we continue our conversation and cover how each Enneagram type responds when decisions are made for them that impact their life circumstances. 

We're off for Thanksgiving, but while we're gone, I wanted to share one of my favorite conversations I've been a part of about the Enneagram. Make sure to check us out next week for part two!  In this episode, The host of The Andy Stanley Leadership Podcast, founder of North Point Ministries, and author of Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets, Andy Stanley takes over as host and interviews me on how each type makes decisions.  To learn more about the Enneagram and how to use it in the business world, visit typologyinstitute.com/work/

EP.110 - Jeff Henderson is an entrepreneur, speaker, pastor, and business leader. For 17 years, he has led three of North Point Ministries' multisite locations in Atlanta and also helped launch North Point Online, which now reaches over 200,000 people. His bestselling book, Know What You're FOR, launched a movement in nonprofits around the world and has become a focal point for many businesses. Jeff was recently named by Forbes Magazine as one of twenty speakers you shouldn't miss. Prior to working as a pastor, Jeff started his career in marketing with the Atlanta Braves and Chick-fil-A, Inc., where he led the company's regional and beverage marketing strategies. You're going to love our conversation with Jeff as he shares his story and unpacks his brand new book, a timely and helpful gem called What To Do Next.

On this episode of the Trueface podcast, Robby is with John Burrough. After playing college football at Wyoming, John was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in the 7th round of the 1995 NFL Draft. He is also the Former CEO of HOI. Before joining HOI, John served as the director of Global(x) trips – the foreign mission arm of North Point Ministries since 2014. He has Been involved with international humanitarian missions since 2007. Divided We Stand is OUT NOW! Buy a copy today at www.trueface.org/dwsWant to know when we release episodes? Sign up here: https://www.trueface.org/podcast-subscribe.Thanks for joining the podcast. Our goal is to help you experience and apply grace to your everyday life through sharing stories and processing these principles as we all learn to live beyond the mask. If you enjoyed this episode of the Trueface Podcast, it would help us if you would share this podcast with your friends and give us a 5-star review wherever you listen to this podcast.Support the show

Episode Summary: In this episode of the L3 Leadership Podcast, Doug and Jeff discuss Jeff's new book, “Know What You're FOR: A Growth Strategy for Work, An Even Better Strategy for Life”.About Jeff: Jeff Henderson believes in the power of words. As an entrepreneur, speaker, pastor and business leader, Jeff is a master communicator at his core. He has witnessed firsthand the capacity for language to dictate vision and for vision to transform the cultures of companies and organizations worldwide. Recently named by Forbes Magazine as one of twenty speakers you shouldn't miss, Jeff has helped lead three of North Point Ministries' churches in the Atlanta, GA area since 2003. As a much sought after thought-leader, Jeff knows the value of effective communication to spur growth and believes it is the key to impact change in one's life ultimately.Jeff has seen this outlook pays dividends in both the nonprofit and for-profit worlds. Prior to serving as a pastor, Jeff worked in marketing with the Atlanta Braves, Callaway Gardens, Lake Lanier Islands and Chick-fil-A, Inc., where he led the company's sports marketing and regional marketing efforts. Jeff understands what it takes to build something from the ground up having founded several organizations including Champion Tribes, Preaching Rocket, MNTR (fka Launch Youniversity) and The For Company which helps churches and businesses grow by using the FOR strategy. Whether established or emerging, Jeff has a heart for developing leadership.Fueled by the passion to see individuals and businesses thrive, Jeff has become a trusted voice for those who want to see true success in themselves and their sphere of influence. Jeff has a way of inspiring people to reach their maximum potential while understanding that it will not only positively impact one's company and organization but also establish a legacy of healthy growth.6 Key Takeaways:1. Jeff discusses his book, Know What You're FOR.2. He gives advice to leaders on how to get clear on what they are known for.3. He discusses the importance of customer engagement on social media.4. Jeff talks about gratitude systems and how they add value to organizations.5. He shares how individuals can be for their cities.6. Jeff talks about what he is currently learning and working on.Quotes From the Episode:“You need to bake purpose into purchase.”“Never assume.”“Vision rarely repeated is quickly forgotten.”“My life moves to a better place when I move at a sustainable pace.”Resources Mentioned:Know What You're FOR  by Jeff Henderson and John C. MaxwellNorthpoint MinistriesConnect with Jeff:Website | Facebook | Instagram | Twitter

On this episode, Shannon sits down with Pastor Andy Stanley, the founder of the Atlanta-based North Point Ministries. Pastor Andy is also the author of the new book, Not In It To Win It. Shannon and Pastor Andy discuss how they deal with the intersection of faith and politics, as well as why having compassion for those with different worldviews is one of the most important Christian values. Follow Shannon on Twitter: @ShannonBream Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clay Scroggins lays out how leadership is rapidly changing and what aspiring leaders can do to adapt and succeed. — YOU'LL LEARN — 1) The 4As for mastering tricky conversations 2) Why the “right” people aren't necessarily the right people 3) One question to surface your superpower Subscribe or visit AwesomeAtYourJob.com/ep732 for clickable versions of the links below. — ABOUT CLAY — Clay is the author of the best-selling books How to Lead When You're Not in Charge and How to Lead in a World of Distraction. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech as well as a Master's degree and Doctorate with an emphasis in Online Church from Dallas Theological Seminary. In January of 2022, Clay is releasing his 3rd book titled The Aspiring Leader's Guide to the Future: 9 Surprising Ways Leadership is Changing. No one denies the changing landscape of leadership, but Clay explains how to become the kind of leader the future is demanding. For the past 20 years, Clay Scroggins has served in many pastoral roles at North Point Ministries, a multisite church started in Alpharetta, Georgia led by Andy Stanley. Most recently, Clay served as the lead pastor of Buckhead Church, one of North Point's largest campuses. He lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Jenny, and their five children. • Book: The Aspiring Leader's Guide to the Future: 9 Surprising Ways Leadership is Changing • Website: ClayScroggins.com — RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THE SHOW — • Book: Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap and Others Don't by Jim Collins • Book: Jack: Straight from the Gut by Jack Welch • Book: Leadership and Self-Deception: Getting Out of the Box by The Arbinger Institute • Book: Team of Rivals: The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.