Grace for the Grind

Luke and Ryan talk with Jonathan McKee about how to build a strong team of volunteers and how you can have a positive impact leading and blessing the volunteers in your ministry.   You can find Jonathan at BecomingScreenWise.com

Mike and Ryan launch the latest series on the show—all about teamwork. Pick up skills and knowledge that will help you as a team leader or team member. In this episode Mike and Ryan talk about the different types of teams, boards, and different types of authority and how to use them effectively. Hosts: Mike Natale Editing: Ryan Nilsen Producers: Mike Natale and Ryan Nilsen

For life-planning episode Life Domains Assessment   https://a80787fe-c8a0-4eee-b729-4ed222cafcf1.usrfiles.com/ugd/a80787_253452de430c46e09b889771ed092c42.pdf

Luke and Ryan talk with therapist Michael Titterness about how COVID has impacted people around the country. Learn about some of the mental health and relational challenges created by the pandemic and how you and your church can help others in your community.   Find Michael at https://www.michaeltitternesscounseling.com  

Lindsay and Ryan talk with leadership expert and author Hans Finzel about the importance of leading change in the church, some of the reasons why it is so challenging, and ways you can help lead change in your church.     Find out more about Hans at https://hansfinzel.com and on his YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/user/HansFinzel  

Sara and Lindsay talk to Brad Hoganson, President of Hillcrest Lutheran Academy, about the history of Hillcrest, his own Hillcrest story, and the mission of   equipping Christian students to make a significant impact on a changing world.     Find out more about Hillcrest at ffhillcrest.org  

Sara and Mike sit down with two current Lutheran Brethren Seminary students, pastor Dave Martin and Sergeant Isaac Petric, from Pilgrim LBC in Mentor, OH to talk about their experience with distance learning.   Hosts: Sara Pensyl and Mike Natale Editing: Ryan Nilsen Producers: Mike Natale and Ryan Nilsen

Mike, Ryan, and Mark Johannesen talk with author Jonathan McKee about the impact of technology and social media on families and students, and how we develop healthy habits and good conversations about social media. Jonathan McKee is the keynote speaker at the 2021 CLBA Youth Worker Continuing Education. The first 40 youth workers to register will receive a FREE copy of Jonathan’s book, Parenting G...

Dan and Mike talk with Ryan about how to make shifts in your ministry to move from too much internal focus on those already a part of the church to develop an appropriate amount of external focus on those who are not yet part of the church.

Mike and Daniel sit down with Pastor Mike Hussey from Sidney Lutheran Brethren Church to discuss the internship the church is offering there. This opportunity is allowing the next generation of pastors to receive further practical education while working on their seminary education.

The full podcast team hosts the show together for the first time! The team celebrates their 75th episode with a fun series of on-the-spot questions that will help you get to know them.

Ryan Nilsen and Mike Natale are joined by Dr. Eugene Boe, Research Professor of Systematic and Historical Theology at Lutheran Brethren Seminary, to talk about what we celebrate on Reformation Day and how it has impacted the church and the way we understand the gospel to this very day. You can find   out more information about the Lutheran Brethren Seminary at https://www.lbs.edu

Dan and Ryan talk with church planter Jason Rogness, whose church is focused around disciple-making in a unique way. Hear how his ministry and how you can take some next steps in your discipleship journey.

Lindsay and Mike talk with Ryan about how to make shifts in your ministry to reduce the amount of unspoken expectations that circulate in your church leadership. They talk about ways that your church can shift towards capturing how you work together in writing.

Mike and Ryan visit with Nathaniel and Carrie Szobody as they share about their call to missionary work in Chad, their day-to-day work in this ministry, and how their missionary practices in Africa relate to the missionary work in North America.

Mike and Ryan talk with John and Christy Olson about their ten-year ministry serving an English-speaking congregation in Taiwan. Listen as they share about the unique challenges of this ministry as well as what they’ve learned that can benefit everyone engaged in ministry in North America. Hosts: Mike Natale and Ryan Nilsen Editing: Ryan Nilsen Producers: Mike Natale and Ryan Nilsen

Mike and Sara talk with Ryan about how to make shifts in your ministry teams so that they can avoid some common challenges and work together in a healthier way.   5 Ways You Can Help Shift Your Committees into Teams: 1-Keep responsibility, and delegate authority 2-Build ministry leadership teams with people who will be carrying out the ministry.   3-Beware of making your church organization too co...

Mike & Ryan talk with CLB President Paul Larson about his discipleship experiences, what has shaped his leadership, and his vision for the future of the CLB.     You can find out more about the CLB by visiting clba.org  

Mike & Ryan talk with Christa Jahr and Nick Mundis about the new CLB Forge website. The Forge is the home of the CLB Forge Podcast. It is also the new Communication and Vitality Resource Distribution Hub for the North American Mission department of the Church of the Lutheran Brethren. It includes all kinds of resources to connect, equip, and encourage our North American mission field into a networ...

Dan and Mike talk with Matt and Christina Smith, missionaries preparing to serve in Chad. Hear about their call to ministry and how they’ve handled major challenges that changed their plans.

Dan and Ryan talk with vision-casting and planning consultant Andrew Estes about what is vision is for church, how to create vision for your church’s future, how to collaborate with other leaders in your church to do this, and some of the benefits of vision for your church.   Find out more about Andrew and his ministry at visionclarity.org     Hosts: Dan Stenberg and Ryan Nilsen Editing: Ryan Nils...

Sara and Ryan talk with Jon Wright from Generis about how to create a healthy team culture in your church.     Find out more about Generis at www.generis.com     Resources mentioned: High Impact Teams by Lance Witt   Hosts: Sara Pensyl and Ryan Nilsen Editing: Ryan Nilsen Producers: Mike Natale and Ryan Nilsen

Mike and Dan talk with Ryan about how ministry leaders can make the shift from simply doing ministry to equipping and empowering others in the church to do ministry together.   Scriptures referenced:   Exodus 18:13-27 Acts 6:1-7   5 Ways to Make the Shift from Doing to Equipping: 1-Delegate ministry 2-Delegate leadership decisions 3-Disciple others 4-Hire staff to lead teams, not to execute 5-Prep...

Mike and Ryan share a webinar hosted by North American Mission featuring CLB children’s ministry leaders Sabrina Rodriguez, Mandi Iverson, and Jenilee Bigaouette. Check out the insights that include preparing for the unique challenges of the coming fall as well as great children’s ministry leaders principles that you can apply anytime.

Mike and Dan interview church planter Kristian Anderson. Kristian is in a pre-launch residency preparing for planting a church in the Boston area in partnership with Cultivate New England and CLB North American Mission. Hear about his call to church planting, why he sees it as critical to our mission in North America, and the excitement and challenges for what lies ahead.   Find out more about Kri...