Leaders in Living Rooms

“If you do nothing, the devil braids the church’s success and the health of your soul together, and he makes you think it’s the same thing.” Meet Julian Lowe, Lead Pastor at Oasis LA. In today’s episode, we hear a vulnerable and insightful look at what succession in leadership looked like for Julian. With honesty and transparency, we hear about challenges of humility, how gratitude can accompany o...

“If I have power, especially in ministry, it’s because it is a gift. And I’m accountable not in my audience, I’m accountable to the God of the universe who has laid down His life for the sake of the world.” Meet Mark Labberton, former Fuller Seminary President, author, and host of Fuller Studio’s Conversing podcast. Join us for an engaging conversation on what it means to lay down power. Mark give...

“There is a sacrifice to ministry that scars you…that is part of the job.” Meet Mark Clark, one of the Senior Pastors at Bayside Church in Sacramento, California. In today’s episode, Mark shares his personal experience of entering a role as Senior Pastor after founding Village Church, a multi-site church with locations in multiple cities across Canada. You’ll get a glimpse into his perspective on...

“Get clear on your calling.” Meet Ben Snyder, Lead Pastor at Cedar Creek Church in Ohio. Ben talks with us about his personal experience in a quick transition season. He gives helpful advice, now in hindsight, glimpses into the challenges he faced, and key reminders for leaders entering a season of new leadership styles. Welcome to Episode 084 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morga...

“God loves your church more than you do…Invite Him into the discussion.” Meet Steve and Dana Clifford, former pastors at Westgate Church in San Jose, California. Without underestimating the hard work and the time it takes to healthily transition from one pastor to another, Steve and Dana give insight into how their successful transition has contributed to healthy new seasons in their lives and the...

“Pastors tend to overestimate the value of vision and underestimate the value of strategy.” Meet Thom S. Rainer, and his son, Sam Rainer. With much experience in church consulting and transition, Thom and Sam are CEO and President (respectively) of Church Answers, an organization providing resources for pastors experiencing the ups and downs of ministry. Today’s podcast gives us a glimpse into pra...

“Do what is required to finish well.” Sean Morgan is sharing with us today the keys to a successful transition in ministry leadership. If we’re being honest, transition in ministry is not often the beautiful baton hand-off we desire it to be. There are challenges and intricacies that can prevent churches from experiencing the ideal "smooth transition." Today’s episode offers insight behind the “wh...

“One of the best gifts we can give our churches is a healthy relationship with God and a healthy marriage.” Meet Jud and Lori Wilhite. As leaders in ministry, this couple gives us a healthy look at what pursuing God looks like in the context of church ministry and marriage. In the midst of negativity, our own idols of effectiveness, and the dangers of comparison, Jud and Lori bring us back to the...

“The church is God’s vehicle to get the answer to people’s longings in their heart to them, and if people have been without a church long enough, then I know their spirit is going to be hungry.” Meet Darren Youngstrom, Lead Pastor at New Vintage Church in Santa Rosa. Today’s conversation brings an authentic glimpse into the transition role of a lead pastor. Darren is honest and vulnerable about hi...

“My advice to an executive pastor is: The output from your voice needs to be more questions than answers.” Meet Rich Birch, lead coach of the Church Growth Incubator, a community of churches actively working to grow through closely learning from the fastest-growing churches and applying those lessons to their churches. Today, we get to benefit from Rich’s stories, experience, and advice to Executi...

“God uses transition to connect us more deeply to the people around us.” Meet Clay Scroggins, author of the best-selling books How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge, How to Lead in a World of Distraction, and The Aspiring Leader’s Guide to the Future. In today’s episode, Clay gives a deep, personal look at what transitioning from a lead pastor role to an entrepreneurial, self-employed role has loo...

“Connection is what brings production.” Meet Kyle Idleman, Lead Pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Kyle sits down with Sean Morgan to talk through his pastoral journey from a lonely church planter to now leading one of the largest churches in America. Through key voices in his life, welcoming him in, speaking wisdom into his role, and placing helpful boundaries around pa...

“My life has been a story of transition… I’m used to having to rely on the Lord and ask for His wisdom, guidance, and understanding.” Meet Sam Acho, a nine year NFL Veteran, ESPN Football Analyst, Humanitarian, and Author. Sam sits down with Sean to talk through each of the transitions in his life and what changed along the way. Through all of them, what remained the same was his commitment to Chr...

“Pastors moving into the Lead Pastor role need to ask, “What created this vacancy that God has called me to fill? People mistakenly assume that succession and retirement are synonyms. They’re not.”” Meet William Vanderbloemen, CEO & Founder of Vanderbloemen, an executive search firm. In this episode, William and Sean really lean in to combine their pre and post-transition experience, unpacking the...

“It wasn’t until maybe four years into me leading the church that I really felt like, “Okay, now I have a good sense as to what it means to lead the congregation from here to there from a vision perspective.” Meet Rich Villodas, lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church in Elmhurst, Queens. In this episode, Rich shares his own leadership transition story, as he was called to l...

“Every leader has to rethink vision for every new season. Mission is the north star, but vision can and should be something that changes over the course of your career.” In today’s episode, we bring in two of the great leadership voices in ministry to unpack the recent Carey Nieuwhof vision winnowing and inspire leaders on forging ahead in the New Year. Carey Nieuwhof and Brad Lomenick join Sean M...

“God uses so many types of leaders that are way different from each other. So, it makes sense that there’s going to be all kinds of succession stories that God can bless equally.” Today, we’re joined by Dustin Aagaard and John Hampton, both pastors in the midst of a Lead Pastor transition at Journey Christian Church in Orlando. With specific insight into their current transition season, we’re hear...

“We haven’t just had a change in culture in the last couple of years, we’ve had a cultural shift. We’re in a different playing field.” Many of you know Chris Brown, Senior Pastor and Teaching Pastor at North Coast Church in San Diego, CA. In today’s episode, Sean Morgan leans in with Chris on exactly how North Coast is innovating around online church and why it’s so important. Together, they unpac...

“Don’t be so busy trying to turn things around that you neglect the people you’re working with. Start tackling the small stuff to build up a resume and track record of success, then you can gradually start tackling bigger and bigger things that ultimately need to get changed as well.” We’re joined in this episode by Dr. Richard Blackaby, President of Blackaby Ministries, co-author of Experiencing...

“Love the church you have. Not the church you wish you had.” Meet James Forsyth, Senior Pastor of Cedar Springs Presbyterian Church in Knoxville, TN. James grew up in Edinburgh, Scotland where he met his bride and started his family. He came to the US to go to seminary and stayed stateside as God called him and his family through two leadership transitions. James is an expert on the topic of trans...

“Humility must be the chief characteristic of the outgoing pastor. Their transition feels like death by a thousand cuts. This is what they’ve dedicated their ministry to, their lives to, and they are having to slowly let it go…” Meet Daniel Im, Lead Pastor of Beulah Alliance Church, a multi-generational, multi-ethnic, and multi-campus church in Greater Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. Daniel made his tr...

“The fear factor of a transition is real. And it will hit you. But you have to remind yourself that that is literally what the devils plan is to do to you. Is to paralyze you. He wants nothing more than to get you on your heels and start to revert back. But the Gospel is going no no, if God is for you who can be against you? I got you. You need to walk forward in faith and be strong and courageous...

“We tell our staff… if you are happy or aligned with 70% of what we’re doing as a church, then lay down the other 30% and embrace what God is doing.” On this episode we welcome Mike Bodine from Central Church in Las Vegas, Nevada. Mike is gracious enough to invite us into his living room to discuss the health of Central’s staff, the health of their church, and the health of the relationship betwee...

“Leaders are waiting around for their rooms to fill up, but newcomers to your church are waiting for you to make room for them.” In this episode, Sean leans into a question that so many church leaders and staff are wrestling with on this side of the pandemic… “when is our room full?” If you’ve thought maybe the rules have changed since the pandemic, you’d be right. But actually, maybe the rules we...

“For most churches, if you take 50% of your givers off the list, you’re only losing 2% of the gifts… Rather than talking about fear and anxiety of the coming recession, what if we talk about the real issue? Being broken-hearted about the spiritual condition of our people when it comes to money and possessions.” Meet Jim Sheppard, CEO & Principal of Generis, a firm passionate about coaching churche...