Best Churchleadership Podcasts (2024)

1
Battling Biblical Illiteracy: 4 Game-Changing Techniques for Modern Churches 31:59

9h ago31:59

31:59

Read the full show notes at: https://malphursgroup.com/259 Register for the Healthy Churches Toolkit Live Launch: https://malphursgroup.com/launch In this episode of the Church Revitalization Podcast, hosts Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu discuss the alarming decline in biblical literacy and propose innovative strategies to combat this issue. They intr…

1
Tim Sledge Interviews Me About My New Book "Not So Shiny Not So Happy People!" 50:36

38m ago50:36

50:36

For the first time ever, my show has been hijacked! My very good friend Tim Sledge, who is the editor and publisher of my new book, Not So Shiny Not So Happy People: How Bill Gothard, Church, and Family Taught Me Christianity Doesn't Work interviewed me recently about my book. Aside from me, there is nobody else on Earth who knows more about my boo…

1
Relationships #ItsComplicated 30:20

2h ago30:20

30:20

This episode unpacks young adults’ work of balancing the complexities of trust, connection, and boundaries in their relationships. We’ll also explore how youth leaders and mentors can provide guidance during this transition, helping young adults build meaningful, healthy relationships. Sign up for our email list Related FYI resources: How to be hea…

1
Dismantling the Institutional Mindset, with Chad Booher | S05.E03 33:35

1h ago33:35

33:35

A church can be considered an “institution” but that doesn’t mean our churches should have institutional mindsets focused on programs over people. For today’s conversation on radical alignment with The Great Commission Erin and Doug sit down with Chad Booher, the community engagement minister at his local church and an individual passionate about i…

1
3 Overlooked Growth Strategies for Mid-Sized Churches 32:59

2d ago32:59

32:59

Unlock the potential of your mid-sized church with these 3 often-overlooked growth strategies! 🚀🙏 In this video, we dive deep into practical, innovative approaches that can transform your church of 100-200 members into a thriving community. You'll discover: 1️⃣ How to master your welcome strategy and turn first-time visitors into engaged members 2️…

1
Not So Shiny Not So Happy People: "The Terror of an Empty House" Chapter Reading 25:25

2d ago25:25

25:25

I'm excited to announce that my new book, Not So Shiny Not So Happy People: How Bill Gothard, Church, and Family Taught Me Christianity Doesn't Work is now available as of today!! The book is available as a paperback, Kindle EBook, and Audible Virtual Voice versions now. In this special episode, I'm reading the Preface chapter to the book, which is…

1
Celebrating Tony Morgan 5:30

2d ago5:30

5:30

Many of you have already heard of Tony Morgan's passing on the morning of Wednesday, September 4, 2024, after suffering a heart attack two days before and battling with all his strength. But we wanted you to hear it from our voices. This is a tribute to the best boss we ever had, the leader who practiced what he preached, and the man who loved Jesu…

1
Radical Alignment with The Great Commission w/ Rodney Elliot | S05.E02 32:39

3d ago32:39

32:39

Erin and Doug are back for this week’s episode of The Intentional Churches podcast, sitting down with executive pastor Rodney Elliot to talk radical alignment with The Great Commission. Rodney serves as the executive pastor of Pathway Church in Wichita, Kansas, and during his time in that role he’s worked to align the church’s elder board with the …

1
The Five Habits of a Healthy Church 37:55

9d ago37:55

37:55

Welcome to Episode 257 of The Church Revitalization Podcast! In this special anniversary episode, your hosts Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu reveal "The Five Habits of a Healthy Church." We’ll emphasize the power of storytelling to engage your congregation and drive your mission, as well as the importance of embedding core values into daily decisions. …

1
What It Really Takes To Reach Young Families (Part 1): The Foundation 16:57

9d ago16:57

16:57

If a church is engaging young families, it’s pretty easy to see. What’s less obvious to the outside observer is all the decisions they have made to become a church that parents and kids want to attend—what it really takes. There’s much more to it than curriculum, facilities or finding the right staff, and through this series, we are going to unpack…

1
Battling through Misalignment | S05.E01 29:47

10d ago29:47

29:47

Welcome to season 5 of The Intentional Churches podcast! This season we’re talking all about how to radically align our churches and leaders around the promises of Scripture and the truths of The Great Commission. Luke Lezon is our featured guest today—a young lead pastor who’s faced his fair share of misalignment challenges while stepping into a l…

1
Creating Peace: Enduring Suffering Without God (with Dean Krosecz) 41:28

16d ago41:28

41:28

For those of us who came out of fundamentalist Christianity, what happens when things go badly wrong in our lives? Do you have the temptation to pray, read the Bible, seek out a wise Christian counselor to discover answers for why this is happening to you? Within evangelicalism, the problem of suffering is a huge issue. There always has to be "an a…

1
Preaching with Purpose: Crafting Sermons that Resonate in a Distracted Age 34:01

17d ago34:01

34:01

In Episode 256 of The Church Revitalization Podcast, we tackle the challenge of preaching in a world where attention spans are rapidly shrinking and distractions are everywhere. We explore how to craft sermons that resonate deeply while addressing the realities of modern life. We discuss the importance of capturing attention quickly, the power of s…

1
Identity: #WhoAmI 22:33

16d ago22:33

22:33

In this episode, you’ll hear about how young adults balance different parts of who they are, from internal identities like their faith, personal passions, and values to external identities like culture, socio-economic status, and even parenting. We’ll also discuss how youth leaders, mentors, and faith communities can support young adults during thi…

51
Brand New Data on Church Health and Trends: Q3 2024 Unstuck Church Report - Episode 363 28:30

20d ago28:30

28:30

Every quarter, The Unstuck Group compiles all the data we’ve collected to monitor trends in churches in the United States. In this episode, Amy and I discuss findings from the Q3 2024 Unstuck Church Report and take a targeted look at key differences between growing churches and churches that are plateauing or declining. You can subscribe to receive…

1
God’s Faithfulness in the Midst of Battles, featuring Pastor Clint Nolder | IC Conference Bonus Episode 32:55

17d ago32:55

32:55

To close up season 4 of The Intentional Churches podcast, we’re releasing another bonus episode from our Intentional Churches Conference 2024, this time featuring our opening session with lead pastor Clint Nolder. Clint leads Foundation Church in Newnan, GA, and during his time with our conference attendees Clint shared on the faithfulness of God i…

1
BONUS Episode - Organizational Health in Churches: An Interview with Beau Johnson from The Table Group 23:46

26d ago23:46

23:46

Organizational health impacts the overall health of churches. When there are gaps in strengths, trust and accountability in staff teams, stuckness soon follows. Here at The Unstuck Group, we've found an effective way for our team to identify their strengths and close gaps in their leadership through Working Genius by The Table Group. In this BONUS …

1
The Silent Exodus: Understanding Why Men Are Leaving the Church 46:08

23d ago46:08

46:08

In Episode 255 of The Church Revitalization Podcast, we explore the reasons behind the declining male presence in churches. Titled “The Silent Exodus: Understanding Why Men Are Leaving the Church,” this episode examines cultural shifts, the disconnect between church activities and male interests, and the perceived irrelevance of church in addressin…

51
More Things Unstuck Churches Have In Common - Episode 362 27:27

27d ago27:27

27:27

Our data consistently contradicts the broader trends of declining religious affiliation and church engagement in our country. In fact, we personally know many churches that are experiencing major momentum right now—in terms of attendance, engagement, professions of faith, giving and all kinds of metrics of church health. Clearly, there’s something …

1
What do Non-Christians Think about Jesus? | IC Conference Bonus Episode 1:05:08

24d ago1:05:08

1:05:08

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…

1
A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy (with Tia Levings) 48:56

1M ago48:56

48:56

A few months ago I caught up with author Tia Levings to discuss her new book, A Well-Trained Wife: My Escape from Christian Patriarchy. Tia is perhaps best known for her viral TikTok video, "Fundy Baby Voice"--and she knows what she's talking about. A product of the Bill Gothard "cult without walls," Tia was raised in the "modesty culture" and taug…

1
Maintaining Excellence: 3 Key Questions to Improve Your Sunday Worship Services 24:44

1M ago24:44

24:44

In this episode, hosts Scott Ball and A.J. Mathieu dive into three essential questions to evaluate your Sunday worship services. They discuss the importance of consistency, continuous improvement, and the contagious excitement that can make a difference in a church's atmosphere. From pinpointing problems to fostering a genuine love for the ministry…

1
Young Adulthood Transitions: #Adulting 30:13

1M ago30:13

30:13

The tenth season of The FYI on Youth Ministry is all about young adults! In this episode, we introduce you to the 7 transitions young adults experience in their twenties. Whether you’re a youth leader in your twenties, or you have students about to become young adults, this season is for you! Sign up for our email list Free Resource: 7 things you n…

1
Why Some Churches Are NOT In Decline - Episode 361 29:50

1M ago29:50

29:50

People are often surprised when they read our reports for the first time. Our data shows contradictory trends to much of what we read in general research. For example, in our most recent edition of The Unstuck Church Report, the average year-over-year attendance increase was 17%. There’s clearly something different about the churches engaging with …

1
Recruiting and Caring for the Next Volunteers | S04.E08 31:43

1M ago31:43

31:43

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…

1
Why Strategies Fail: Overcoming Three Key Mistakes 20:03

1M ago20:03

20:03

In this episode of The Church Revitalization Podcast, hosts Scott Ball and AJ Mathieu explore the reasons why church strategies fail. They identify three key points: the impact of a lack of planning, the crucial role of leadership, and the significance of adequate resources. Tune in to gain valuable insights into developing successful church strate…

1
The State of Religious Participation in American Life with Alan Cooperman of Pew Research Center - Episode 360 43:24

1M ago43:24

43:24

New data, same headlines. The surveys and studies always seem to repeat the same refrain: Church attendance is in decline. Religious participation is phasing out of American life. Except…our data shows the opposite. In our most recent edition of The Unstuck Church Report, the average year-over-year attendance increase was 17% across churches of all…

1
Navigating Politics in our Neighborhoods | S04.E07 31:48

1M ago31:48

31:48

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…

1
Hurt and Healed by the Church: Redemption and Reconstruction After Spiritual Abuse (with Ryan George) 50:31

2M ago50:31

50:31

Months ago I had a great conversation with author and adrenaline junkie, Ryan George. Following on in the trend of interviewing more progressive Christians--after chatting with Keith Giles recently--this seemed like a great time to drop this episode. Although he's been able to reclaim a version of Christianity for himself, Ryan and I found that we …

1
Nostalgia vs. Vision: Which direction is your church looking? 45:09

2M ago45:09

45:09

Read the full show notes at: https://malphursgroup.com/252 In this episode, our hosts A.J. Mathieu and Scott Ball explore the crucial shift from rearview mirror thinking to windshield thinking, emphasizing the need for honesty, humility, and collaboration to cultivate enthusiasm for the future. They discuss practical strategies for moving from nost…

1
Spiritual Gifts, Serving and Growth Track with Chris Hodges - Episode 359 35:58

2M ago35:58

35:58

When people discover their gifts, they begin to feel more connected and fulfilled. But few churches know how to help people discover the unique wiring God has given them—and fewer still have a plan to help people leverage those gifts once discovered. We wrap up this series on "Serving as Spiritual Formation" with an interview with Pastor Chris Hodg…

1
Navigating Politics from the Pulpit | S04.E06 33:58

2M ago33:58

33:58

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 …

1
Church Consultant Pop Quiz: Real-World Solutions for Made-Up Churches 49:06

2M ago49:06

49:06

In today's episode, Scott Ball & A.J. Mathieu use the Strategic Envisioning framework to assess scenarios using ChatGPT, offering insightful solutions tailored to each unique challenge. From navigating financial crises to addressing community shifts, our hosts provide practical advice grounded in the foundational principles of church health. Test y…

1
The Rooted Experience with John Thomas from Mariners Church - Episode 358 26:31

2M ago26:31

26:31

It is possible to integrate serving into your spiritual formation strategy in a practical and effective way. We’re seeing churches all across the country do it. In recent years, churches we serve have been telling us they love The Rooted Experience. So, in part four of this series on Serving as Spiritual Formation, Tony interviews Pastor John Thoma…

1
Planning for Physical Expansion without Sacrificing the Vision | S04.E05 33:23

2M ago33:23

33:23

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 …

1
Love Thy Political Neighbor: A Faith-Based Approach to Healthy Discourse 52:15

2M ago52:15

52:15

Read the full show notes at: https://malphursgroup.com/250 In today's episode, we dive into the crucial topic of healthy political discourse as believers. A.J. Mathieu and Scott Ball emphasize the need for truth, integrity, respect, and civility in political discussion, challenging the trend of attacking individuals instead of debating ideas. Drawi…

1
The Discipleship Opportunity with Daniel Im - Episode 357 39:04

2M ago39:04

39:04

Spiritual formation is less about what we ask people to do and more about who we’re equipping people to become. In this episode, Tony interviews Pastor Daniel Im, author of The Discipleship Opportunity: Leading a Great-Commission Church in a Post-Everything World, about the role serving has in helping people grow closer to Jesus. This episode is br…

1
Practicing What You Preach: Prioritizing Mental Health | S04.E04 34:12

2M ago34:12

34:12

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…

1
Big Hospitality in Small Spaces: How to Have a Great Guest Experience with a Small Lobby 32:34

2M ago32:34

32:34

Read the full show notes at: https://malphursgroup.com/249 In this episode, hosts A.J. Mathieu and Scott Ball dive into the topic of "Big Hospitality in Small Spaces." They share personal experiences and discuss the importance of creating welcoming and interactive spaces within church facilities, despite potential limitations. From utilizing underu…

1
Structure for Volunteer Engagement - Episode 356 22:12

2M ago22:12

22:12

Before the pandemic, we typically saw 45% to 50% of all adults and students serving on a volunteer team at least monthly. Our most recent data shows churches reporting only 35% are serving today. In the first episode of this series on "Serving as Spiritual Formation," we talked about some of the most common mistakes churches make with their volunte…

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