Church Staff Book Club

In this episode, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young unpack Chapter 6 of How to Get a Return on Failure by John Maxwell, walking through Maxwell's practical "cycle of improvement" and making the case that it's not failure itself that makes you better, it's what you do with it. Jonathan opens up about his current season of experimenting with AI coding (including building a video game with Claude Code and...

In this episode, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young dig into Chapter 5 of How to Get a Return on Failure by John Maxwell and get surprisingly personal doing it. Jason opens up about navigating a genuinely heavy season in real time. Jonathan reflects on what getting fired, building a business, and supporting his wife through her darkest season all happening simultaneously actually produced in him. And b...

Every leader fails. The question isn't whether it'll happen. It's what you do in the moments after. Do you get bitter, or do you get better? In this episode, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young dig into Chapter 4 of How to Get a Return on Failure by John Maxwell, unpacking how failure can become one of the most powerful tools in your leadership development... if you know how to use it. Jason gets refres...

Failure is hard enough on its own. But when ego gets involved, it can take a setback and turn it into a full identity crisis. This chapter is about getting out of your own way. In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young dig into Chapter 3 of How to Get a Return on Failure by John Maxwell: "Get Over Failure by Getting Over Yourself." Because sometimes the hardest t...

We talk a lot about learning from failure. But what about success? It might be quietly doing more damage than you think. In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young dig into Chapter 2 of How to Get a Return on Failure by John Maxwell. The big idea: success and failure don't belong in isolation, and when we treat them that way, both become dangerous. 🎧 What We Cove...

Every leader fails. The question isn't whether it'll happen... it's what you do with it when it does. In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young kick off their third book: How to Get a Return on Failure by John Maxwell. Chapter 1 reframes the way leaders think about failure. From something to avoid at all costs to something that, when handled well, actually pays y...

Most ministry leaders are great at launching new things. But what about ending them? That's where things get messy — and where so much unnecessary pain in churches actually comes from. In this season finale of the Church Staff Book Club, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young wrap up The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero with Chapter 9: "Endings and Beginnings." If you're holding onto something...

Nobody in ministry wants to talk about power. We talk about humility instead. But ignoring your power doesn't make it go away. It just makes it dangerous. In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young dig into Chapter 8 of The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero: "Acknowledging Power and Boundaries." Jonathan calls it his favorite chapter in the book and pos...

The culture your team lives in isn't something that just happens... It's something you create. And if it's unhealthy, the first place to look is in the mirror. In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young dig into Chapter 7 of The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero: "How to Build an Emotionally Healthy Team." This is the chapter where everything gets pract...

Most ministry leaders make decisions the same way they do everything else: fast. But speed might be costing you more than you think. In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young dig into Chapter 6 of The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero: "Planning and Decision Making." This is where all that inner work finally meets real life... how you actually lead, pl...

There's a big difference between a day off and a Sabbath, and most church leaders are only getting one of them. In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young dig into Chapter 5 of The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero: "Practice Sabbath Delight." If you've ever felt guilty for resting, struggled to stop working, or wondered why rest never actually restores...

Most church leaders are quick to focus on growth metrics but neglect the vital, secret ingredient: cultivating loving union with God. What if the key to sustained, healthy leadership isn’t just doing more for God but actually being with Him in deeper intimacy? Jason Young and Jonathan Malm unravel the vital mistakes pastors often make—speed, busyness, and a focus on performance—that drown out the...

Explore the intersection of leadership, singleness, and marriage in this insightful episode of our podcast, as we dive into chapter three of The Emotionally Healthy Leader by Peter Scazzero. Discover how personal relationships can enhance ministry impact and why integrating them is crucial for authentic leadership. Key Topics: Leadership formation through marriage and singleness Integrating person...

Every leader has a shadow — the hidden wounds, unconscious patterns, and untamed emotions formed long before you ever stepped into a leadership role. The question isn't whether your shadow exists. It's whether you'll face it before it starts leading for you. In this episode, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young dig into Chapter 2 of The Emotionally Healthy Leader , unpacking one of the most uncomfortable...

Season 2 is here — and we're diving into one of the most important (and most overlooked) conversations in church ministry: your emotional health as a leader. Jonathan Malm and Jason Young kick off their discussion of Peter Scazzero's The Emotionally Healthy Leader by unpacking the four telltale signs that a church leader is running on empty — and why most of us don't even realize it's happening. I...

What if the secret to an unforgettable guest experience started before anyone walks through the door and had everything to do with how your volunteers feel about themselves? In this final episode of Season 1, Jonathan Malm and Jason Young wrap up The Come Back Effect by diving into one of the most overlooked principles in church hospitality: volunteer significance . It's not enough to build smooth...

What matters more in your church: policies or values? In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club Podcast , Jonathan Malm and Jason Young unpack Chapter 9 of The Come Back Effect and explore a crucial leadership question: 👉 Are you leading your church with policies that control… or values that create trust? While policies protect systems, values protect people . And when it comes to church hosp...

Welcome back to Church Staff Book Club with Jonathan Malm and Jason Young ! In Episode 8 , we’re walking through Chapter 8 of The Come Back Effect – our book on church hospitality and guest experience – where we challenge a mindset that quietly keeps people from returning: “Just okay” hospitality. Most churches don’t have bad hospitality… they have forgettable hospitality. And “good enough” doesn’...

👉 What do your church’s small details communicate to first-time guests? In this episode of Church Staff Book Club , we unpack Chapter 7 of The Come Back Effect and explore why everything communicates , from signage and cleanliness to sound levels, scent, and even the paper towels in the bathroom. Guests notice details that insiders overlook, and those details shape whether people feel welcome, sa...

🎯 Mistakes will happen. What matters is how your church recovers. In this episode of Church Staff Book Club , we explore Chapter 6 of The Come Back Effect and talk about one of the most overlooked aspects of hospitality: how you respond when something goes wrong. From check-in meltdowns to crying babies in service, coffee spills, seating issues, and missed expectations, the question isn’t if mist...

In this episode of Church Staff Book Club , Jonathan Malm and Jason Young dive into Chapter 5 of The Come Back Effect : “Think Scene by Scene.” You’ll learn why it’s not just about the stage or sermon, but every transition point guests experience at your church: parking, check-in, kids drop-off, seating, and even how they exit. These in-between moments are often where people feel the most confusio...

The guest doesn’t need you to be perfect. They need you to be present. In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club , we break down Chapter 4 of The Come Back Effect and explore why presence beats performance in church hospitality. From the parking lot to the pulpit, your guests can tell when you’re distracted, rushed, or multitasking... and it matters. Whether you’re a pastor, volunteer leader,...

How well do you really know the people showing up at your church? In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club , we unpack Chapter 3 of The Come Back Effect and dive into the challenge of creating welcoming church experiences. Not just for the crowd you already have, but for the guests God is sending your way . 🎯 Whether you’re a guest services leader, pastor, or volunteer, this episode will cha...

What makes a guest feel welcome at church? Is hospitality a job description or a culture everyone shares ? In this episode of the Church Staff Book Club , we dive into Chapter 2 of The Come Back Effect to unpack why church culture isn’t built by greeters... it’s built by everyone . From volunteers and tech teams to senior pastors and worship leaders, your guest experience reflects what people feel...

In this first episode, we dive into our own book The Come Back Effect and explore why how people feel at church is just as important as what gets done. From parking lots to greeters to follow-up teams, we discuss how emotional intelligence, hospitality, and intentional leadership create environments where guests feel seen, valued, and want to return. You’ll hear: Why great systems alone don’t crea...