AVAIL Podcast

What ministry and organizational teams need is cohesion and forward momentum—the sweet spot for team coach Michele A. Aikens. On this episode of the AVAIL podcast, Michele highlights the value of coaching teams to bring a perspective free of internal biases so that team members can find their untapped potential, adapt to each other’s leadership styles, and build stronger dynamics for greater impac...

Leadership isn’t formulaic—the greatest leaders in the Bible were more than a little “different”. . . . they were wildly unorthodox, answering God’s wildly unorthodox calls. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, author of Unorthodox Martijn van Tilborgh explains why coloring outside the lines of traditional thinking and outdated business paradigms is the engine for good Kingdom stewardship beca...

Greatness is not something you strive for, earn, or hold within you—greatness is at the very core of who you are. Lean in, leaders, because on today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, we sit down with “The Workplace Fixer” and author of At The Pinnacle of Greatness, LaShawn Davis. Today, LaShawn addresses how leaders are called to lead from a place of confidence in their irrevocable God-given design...

Ministry is an ever-evolving calling, but perhaps the greatest adjustment the Church needs is in her leadership paradigm. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, seasoned ministry leader Shaun Smit discusses a key observation he has made throughout his journey as a ministry leader—too many leaders are drawing the bride to themselves instead of to Jesus. Today, Shaun calls for a kingdom-centered l...

The Creator of the universe made us to be like Him—His very own creators. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, professional photographer Andrew van Tilborgh discusses his lifelong journey as a photographer, the heart of photography as a creative expression, and the intimacy built between a photographer and his subjects as the Father knits their hearts together!

Church planting is quite an undertaking, but on today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, founding pastor of Coastal Community Church TJ McCormick shares the lessons he has learned along the way as a church planter, including sticking to models that work, training others to be leaders, fostering good culture and community inside and outside the church, and stepping out boldly in faith!

The way we conduct business should model Jesus’s charge in Matthew 16:33—to seek the Kingdom of God first and everything else will be added. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, Troy Korsgaden unpacks this principle in the context of business. He advises all industry leaders to make service the primary goal of business and watch the money follow, and he urges us to always welcome failure!

In this episode of the AVAIL podcast, Paul Godin, author of Uncut Gems, discusses what many leaders in the marketplace have been missing: they are looking outside of their organization for their diamonds when their diamonds may be right under their noses. Paul describes the process of surveying, excavating, shaping, setting, and reproducing your human capital to build a people-centered organizatio...

Churches are wildly unprepared for one of the most common and unfortunate events that erupt in every church—scandal. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, we sit down with church crisis prevention and management expert Phil Cooke. Phil discusses the prevalence of scandal within the church, the devastation left in its wake, and then equips ministry leaders and pastors with the knowledge to do so...

The calling of a pastor is weighty but remarkably fulfilling when Jesus takes the reins! On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, Pastors TJ and Shayla McCormick join us to discuss their journey as lead pastors and church planters. They impart wisdom on how to successfully co-lead a church, capitalize on differences and strengths, and aim to please Jesus above all in the process.

If God is so loving, then why do we see a version of Him that seems to suggest otherwise? Today’s guest on the AVAIL podcast, Dr. Hester, provides the answer to this question—when we interpret God through the lens of our experiences, we worship a God who looks more like us and less like Jesus. Dr. Hester gives us a glimpse into his new book The Rorschach God as a call to ministry leaders to presen...

Reading new content can change the way you do something, but heartful content can change who you are. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, we interview Four Rivers Media author coach Megan Adelson. Megan shares the secret sauce to freeing readers from their deepest fears—raw, unadulterated vulnerability—and her approach in coaching authors through the process.

God designed us to flourish, but are we? On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, Dr. Wayne Hammond answers this question, citing ineffective clinical approaches, baked-in mindsets that diminish personal value, and disproportionate attention placed on our weaknesses over our God-given strengths. Dr. Hammond shares his own observations of why so many are falling rather than flourishing, and how we...

Recently, we’ve seen a rising number of Christian leaders taking the entertainment industry by storm. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, we sit down with Todd Hoffman to discuss two of his television shows, Gold Rush and Hoffman Family Gold. Hoffman shares the heart behind his shows as a tool for building the Kingdom of God through raw authenticity.

Our search to be and become “enough” is a tireless chase, one that we will never find and that Jesus died on the cross to fulfill. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, Pastor Ben Daily discusses the heart of the gospel in his new book Enough. He discredits our cultural obsession with “do more to get more; get more to be happy” and reminds us that “enough” will never be found in a lifestyle; it...

Leader-led decisions get us into trouble, but Holy Spirit-led decisions—or Deisensus-led leadership—always make us to prosper. We are joined by Dr. Ron Crum on today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, a long-time pastor and ministry leader who has learned the consequences of man-led decision-making and the life-changing shift of allowing the Holy Spirit to go ahead of you. Inspired from Acts 15:28, “...

Effective discipleship methods within the church have rapidly declined and the consequences are far-reaching. We learn more about this culture crisis in today’s Church and how Catalyst Bible College aims to pick up the slack from Dr. Mark Merrill on today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast. Dr. Merrill discusses the leadership deficit prevalent in the Church today, how inadequate discipleship has disc...

Pastors around the world are on fire for the mission of Christ at the expense of sound theological foundations. Today, we sit down with Dr. Jason Kennedy on the AVAIL podcast to discuss the implications of drifting from good theology and biblical literacy, and how Catalyst Bible College was birthed out of this passion. Dr. Kennedy warns pastors of the dire consequences of neglecting theological tr...

Success allows business leaders to fund an important cause or passion, but many business leaders stop there. Today’s AVAIL podcast guest Jeff Williams has devoted his life to bringing the Kingdom into the marketplace through a lifestyle of giving—not getting—of his time, talent, and treasure. Jeff encourages leaders to change the thing that can’t be changed but would change the game if it could be...

God will not give you work to do that He won’t fund. Tony and Dianna Rivera and Keisha Pearson know this first-hand. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, Tony, Dianna, and Keisha share the twists and turns of their experience with all things ministry funding—needing it, finding it, and securing it. Detailed in their book Provision for the Vision, they refute the commonly held beliefs about the...

You’ll find peace in your comfort zone, but you won’t find miracles! Based on David Smallbone’s life, the new movie Unsung Hero is a testament to how miracles take place outside of the boundaries of human experience and understanding. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, David discusses the heart behind the film, its message of family and the miraculous, and how to give the world a little less...

For your church to grow, your leaders have to grow first. Today’s AVAIL podcast guest, Chris Sonksen, is a leading expert and consultant for helping pastors get unstuck and grow past their limitations. Chris likens the healthy growth of a church to a train that relies on each of it parts in order to operate, walks us through the five parts, and instructs us on how to keep our trains from derailing...

We often associate the God of justice with payback, but we often forget that justice is not complete with restoration. On this episode of the AVAIL podcast, Steve Chalke discusses what fueled his desire to reach out and go to war for the vulnerable in a nation of government red tape, points us to the Word of God for inspiration on healing the wounded, and attests how is takes a village of leaders...

You can’t live a life fulfilled if you don’t take the steps to fulfill it. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, we dive in with Chris Pace to discuss the re-emerging biblical theme of fighting for your future. Chris unpacks our role as co-laborers with God—to open the doors with the keys He gives us—and the fallacy of waiting for God to fulfill His purpose for your life apart from your partici...

Church leaders are daily faced with a conundrum—numbers matter, but performance fixation is a recipe for burnout. On today’s episode of the AVAIL podcast, Pastors Shane and Sue Schlesman offer some wisdom from their new book, Death by Pastoring. Drawing from their own journey, Shane and Sue encourage all ministry leaders that Jesus never intended us to carry the weight of the church, but instead i...