Church Leader, shift your focus from mere institutional insights to individual transformation. Be intentional. Join hosts Doug Parks (CEO and Co-Founder of Intentional Churches) and Erin Johnston (Co-Executive Pastor of Canyon Ridge Christian Church) as they share weekly thought-provoking discussions and actionable takeaways that will resource you to help your people encounter Jesus. Take the step toward authentic discipleship of your congregation so you can mobilize the ninety-nine to reach ...
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What do Non-Christians Think about Jesus? | IC Conference Bonus Episode
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We’re wrapping up season 4 of the Intentional Churches podcast with a few bonus episodes from the 2024 Intentional Churches Conference! This first bonus episode comes from the One Aware panel we did interviewing non-Christians on their thoughts on Jesus, the church, and how they’d ideally want to be approached by Christians. It’s an eye-opening, an…
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Recruiting and Caring for the Next Volunteers | S04.E08
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On this week’s episode of Intentional Churches Doug and Erin are joined by Jill Gillie, executive director of campus ops and projects at Eastside Christian Church in Orange County, California. Jill is an expert when it comes to recruiting, sustaining, and building a volunteer culture, and that’s exactly the expertise she shares during today’s conve…
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Navigating Politics in our Neighborhoods | S04.E07
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Welcome back to this week’s episode of The Intentional Churches podcast! We’re continuing our discussion on preparing for the push come November that is the 2024 election season. Today Erin and Doug welcome Archbishop Alan Wiggins to the show to talk about navigating politics in our own neighborhoods, which translates into how we lead people well i…
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Navigating Politics from the Pulpit | S04.E06
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With election season ramping up and all the political turmoil we’ve experienced as a country in the last few weeks, it’s no wonder church leaders are talking about how to navigate politics from the pulpit. First Orlando’s senior associate pastor, Danny de Armas, joins Erin and Doug for this week’s timely conversation on all things politics and how …
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Planning for Physical Expansion without Sacrificing the Vision | S04.E05
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What do we as ministry leaders do when our facilities begin to run out of space? Should we immediately begin a building campaign, or are there other creative ways to still serve our people in our current spaces? Too many people in too small a space is a good problem to have, but it can be a hard one to solve. Executive pastor Jeremy Thiessen joins …
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Practicing What You Preach: Prioritizing Mental Health | S04.E04
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On this week’s episode of The Intentional Churches podcast, we’re continuing to talk about how we prepare well for that next big “push” in ministry—specifically how to prioritize our own mental, spiritual, and emotional health as leaders. Licensed professional counselor and Gallup Strengths Coach, Stefanie Rowe, joins Erin and Doug, outlining the c…
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Overcoming the Fear of Neglecting the 99 To Reach The One | S04.E03
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In this episode, Erin and Doug welcome Holly Gillespie to discuss the importance of designing church systems and processes with the one in mind. They spotlight the need to shift from a buffet-style approach to a more intentional and targeted strategy that focuses on those who are far from God. They talk through the importance of mindset shifts, suc…
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Just a quick break for July 4th. We hope you have a wonderful week and we can't wait to jump back into Season 4 with you next Tuesday. See you soon!By Doug Parks & Erin Johnston
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Generational Differences And The Evolution Of Church Leadership | S04.E02
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In this episode, Erin and Doug discuss the evolution of church leadership and the shift in mindset between different generations. They specifically focus on the pros and cons of small group models and the need for integration between church life and everyday life. They talk through the importance of disappointing people at a rate they can tolerate …
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Understanding Your Church's Relational Reach Zone | S04.E01
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Welcome to season 4! This season is all about helping you prepare for your church's next big push! In this fist episode Erin & Doug talk with Bart Rendel on the concept of the relational reach zone of churches and how it impacts strategic planning for the next season. Bart stresses the importance of knowing who the church is trying to reach and bei…
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How Do I Manage Stress And Avoid Burnout? | S03.E10
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In this last episode of Season 3 Erin and Doug are joined by Mitch Harrison to discuss church leadership challenges, focusing on the critical issue of burnout. Mitch shares his personal journey of experiencing and overcoming burnout, and the need for intentional replenishment. The conversation highlights the importance of balancing stress with rest…
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How Can We Achieve Strategic Alignment? | S03.E09
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In this episode Erin and Doug discuss strategic alignment in church leadership with guest Allie Bryant. Allie, a Strategic Alignment Executive at Trader's Point Christian Church, explains her role in bridging the gap between strategy and execution. The conversation focuses on common challenges church leaders face, such as project prioritization, re…
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How Can Our Church Integrate With Our Community? | S03.E08
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Bishop Derrick McRae, Senior Pastor at The Experience Christian Center in Orlando, Florida sits down with Erin and Doug to share insights on how churches can better integrate with their communities and meet their needs. He touches on the importance of approaching community integration with a humble posture. Bishop McCrae also highlights the need fo…
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How Can The Church Grow And Not Lose It's Vision? | S03.E07
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Erin and Doug talk through the topic of church growth and how to navigate it without losing sight of the church's vision and mission. They discuss the importance of not being afraid of growth and the need to innovate and focus on relational ministry. They caution against reverting to old strategies and highlight the need for personal mission statem…
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How Do We Get Our Teams To Collaborate? | S03.E06
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This week Erin & Doug are joined by their good friend Dano and they talk about the importance of collaboration and working well together across teams in church leadership. They discuss the challenges of silos within teams and the need to eliminate them for effective decision-making and creating breakthroughs. They also introduce the concept of co-c…
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How Do I Address Staffing Shortages? | S03.E05
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In this episode, Erin and Doug talk through the challenges of being short-staffed in churches and how to navigate this issue. They discuss the importance of having a developmental mindset and raising up leaders from within the church. They also highlight the concept of agency, where individuals have the freedom and permission to act and contribute.…
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This week we were live at the Intentional Churches Conference in Orlando! Erin and Doug gathered with Allie Bryant, Bishop McCrae, and Mike Hickerson at the Intentional Churches Conference. They discuss critical topics for church leaders, focusing on aligning team members with church culture, addressing misalignment, and effectively handling team m…
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How Do We Keep People Moving and Engaged After Easter | S03.E03
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Chris VandeLinde, pastor of Cornerstone Christian Church, shares his church's journey leading up to Easter and the strategies they implemented to engage and activate new attendees. They focused on personal relational evangelism, providing tools and resources for their members to reach out to their 'ones' (people they are praying for). They also emp…
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Finding Future Church Leaders Within Your Church | S03.E02
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Erin & Doug talk with Jeff Bennett from Stadia about developing future church leaders. They emphasize the importance of looking within the church for potential leaders and investing in their development. They discuss the need for a shift in mindset from hiring specialists to becoming people developers. Their conversation also touches on the current…
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How Can We Develop the Next Generation of Church Leaders? | S03.E01
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Welcome to Season 3! Kristin Miller joins Erin and Doug to discuss the importance of developing the next generation of church leaders. Kristin is the Director of Resident Development at Leadership Pathway. She shares insights on what the next generation is looking for in ministry and how churches can become places of development for young leaders. …
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Personal Alignment To The Great Commission | S02.E09
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Matthew Robinson, Executive Pastor at First Orlando, joins Erin and Doug to explore the importance of personal alignment to the Great Commission and how it impacts church leadership teams, staff, and volunteers. The guests share their personal journeys and realizations about the need for personal commitment to the Great Commission. They discuss pra…
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Breaking Silos: Aligning Church Leaders, Staff & Boards | S02.E08
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This episode focuses on the topic of alignment in church staff and governance boards. Erin and Doug discuss signs of misalignment, practical steps for achieving alignment, and the benefits that come from being aligned. They also share stories of both epic fails and success stories related to alignment. The episode concludes with a discussion on the…
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Aligning Visions: Overcoming Misalignment in Modern Churches | S02.E07
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Doug & Erin welcome Bart Rendel on this episode. Bart is the co-founder of Intentional Churches and a seasoned church leader. He shares his invaluable insights and experiences, drawing from his rich background in church planting and leadership. The conversation explores the challenges of alignment and misalignment in church leadership. The Acts 1-8…
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From Programs to People: The Power of a Disciple Making Church | S02.E06
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Drew Moore, lead pastor at Canyon Ridge Christian Church, discusses the transition to a disciple-making church and the challenges and successes they have experienced. They define disciple-making movements and emphasize the importance of empowering individuals to make disciples. The conversation explores the shift from an institutionally focused app…
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Breaking the Loneliness Epidemic: Building Authentic Connections in a Digital Age | S02.E05
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This conversation explores the lost art of developing authentic friendships, particularly among the younger generation. The discussion highlights the impact of social media and technology on social connection and the rise of the loneliness epidemic. The importance of deep listening and powerful questions is emphasized as a means to address loneline…
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Generational Differences and the Great Commission: How Do We Engage New People? | S02.E04
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In this conversation, Erin Johnston and Doug Parks discuss the influx of new people in churches and the need for intentional engagement. They explore the spiritual awakening happening in America and the importance of repentance and charting a new course for church leadership. They emphasize the need to start with the end in mind, focusing on the Gr…
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The Road to Church Growth: Personal Relationships | S02.E03
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Doug Parks and Erin Johnston explore how churches can foster relationships in the modern era on this episode of Intentional Churches. They reference Truett Cathy and suggest creating space for people to engage with each other. They also discuss the example of Adamsville Road Church of God, which has seen an increase in attendance and baptisms due t…
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How do I Build a Multiplication Mindset in my Church? | S02.E02
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This episode of the Intentional Churches Podcast explores the concept of building a multiplication mindset in church leaders. The conversation highlights the difference between institutional multiplication and personal multiplication, emphasizing the importance of individual disciple-making. The hosts share their experiences at Canyon Ridge Christi…
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What Does Mobilizing Church People Mean? | S02.E01
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On this first episode of the Intentional Churches podcast, Erin and Doug discuss what it actually means to mobilize our church people. Erin draws from her on-the-ground experience at Canyon Ridge to talk about how that church has pivoted from an inward-facing model to an outward one, all in the hopes of making disciples that make more disciples. To…
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I'm a church leader just like you, and are you wanting to see more people in your community come to know Jesus? Are you wanting to fight the Christian consumerism that's emerged in all of our congregations? Are you tired of the same old books, conferences, and podcasts claiming to help with these very real ministry leadership challenges? Hey there,…
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E10: How Can Intentional Churches Help My Church?
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Doug and Bart conclude the book series by sharing the various ways that Intentional Churches can partner with your church to help you activate the Great Commission and develop rhythms, habits, and routines for greater Kingdom impact. We’re passionate about seeing churches be more effective and are honored and humbled to serve you and your church! N…
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E09: Vision Activation: Managing Today With Tomorrow in Mind
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It’s not enough to just clarify vision for your church – the way to lasting impact and effectiveness is by intentionally activating and measuring your vision rhythmically. Doug and Bart share some of the ways that ChurchOS helps you and your team to develop new habits to help you move steadily towards your vision. NEXT STEPS Check out our book, Int…
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E08: Driving Alignment Towards Your “True North” Vision
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Intentional Churches use a clear vision of double kingdom impact to inspire and inform their decisions. They refresh and communicate it often to create ownership, healthy tension, and alignment. But how is “vision” defined in ChurchOS and how is it used as a tensioning tool? Listen in as Doug and Bart share our approach to clarifying vision for gre…
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E07: How to Increase Engagement for Your “ONE”
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Every healthy, growing church needs a set of simple steps to help people move closer to Jesus, others, and your church. Doug and Bart talk about the Engagement Pathway, a crucial companion to the Great Commission Engine for connecting your “ONE” more effectively. No matter how clear or strong your existing pathway might be, this episode will challe…
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Everything in ChurchOS revolves around reaching “the ONE”, as Jesus described in the 3 parables in Luke chapter 15. Every church is called to reach the lost and we are deeply passionate about seeing churches get laser-focused on finding the lost and bringing them into the Kingdom! Doug and Bart share how ChurchOS helps churches to not just have a p…
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E05: Are You Allocating Your Resources Appropriately?
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Every pastor and church leader loves seeing fruitful ministry happen, but there is no innocent yes – saying “Yes” to one ministry means saying “No” to something else. As ministry leaders, we have to be wise with how we invest our resources in order to see the greatest Kingdom impact. Bart and Doug talk about how ministry is a zero-sum proposition a…
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E04: The Danger of Poor Evaluation (5 Ways NOT to Evaluate)
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Evaluation is crucial if we’re going to improve and have success in our ministry. But all too often, our evaluation flows from subjectivity and personal experience, not an objective standard that is rooted in “true North” to help us accomplish the vision that God has put in our hearts. Doug and Bart share the 5 ways NOT to evaluate as well as why o…
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The core piece of ChurchOS is called The Great Commission Engine, derived from 3 key Scriptures from the New Testament. Doug and Bart unpack the GCE and share how it all centers around a passion for reaching “the ONE”, as Jesus talked about in the parables found in Luke 15. The GCE is truly about “getting back to the basics” and is relevant and app…
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Every pastor wants to see fruit being produced in their church, but oftentimes we implement strategies without connecting them to a deeper system and it produces inconsistent or unsuccessful results. In many cases, it’s not that the ideas or strategies are off, but that our thinking and how we implement these strategies needs an adjustment. Doug an…
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2020 was a disruptive year, and it is not easy to pastor and lead in a post-COVID reality. But there is hope, and it’s not found in the next “silver bullet” strategy – it’s found in going back to the fundamentals that we find in Scripture. In this episode, you’ll get to know Intentional Churches co-founders, Doug Parks and Bart Rendel, hear their h…
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