Leading Your Church

January often brings both hope and pressure for pastors and church leaders. The start of a new year can feel like an unspoken performance review, filled with expectations around growth, attendance, giving, and vision. But pressure is not the same thing as purpose — and it’s a terrible substitute for clarity. In this episode of Leading Your Church , Rich Cochran invites pastors to enter the new yea...

Title: How to Hear God’s Voice as You Lead Host: Rich Cochran Duration: ~20 Minutes In this episode of Leading Your Church , Rich Cochran explores one of the most essential practices of leadership—hearing God’s voice. Ministry leaders often feel overwhelmed by noise, pressure, and competing demands. The result? We stop listening for God’s direction and start leading reactively instead of responsiv...

Are you tired of starting the year with endless goals only to feel overwhelmed by the end of January? As ministry leaders, juggling preaching, pastoral care, team building, and more can feel like too much. In this episode, we explore a game-changing approach: choosing One Word to guide your year. The idea taken from Jon Gordon’s book One Word , we discuss how selecting a single word or phrase can...

Description: The holiday season is one of the busiest times for ministry leaders, filled with church services, outreach events, and personal family commitments. In this episode of Leading Your Church , Rich shares practical strategies for staying spiritually healthy while managing ministry responsibilities. Here’s what we cover: Segment 1: Guarding Your Spiritual Health The holidays are a season o...

In this episode, Rich explores three key steps to finish the year strong: reflecting on God’s work, evaluating ministry systems, and preparing for a purposeful year ahead. Segment 1: Reflection and Celebration Discover actionable ways to celebrate ministry wins, express gratitude through personal thank-you notes, and create a powerful year-end recap to inspire your church family. Segment 2: Evalua...

In this episode Rich continues the teaching series on Breaking Up with Insanity. Part 2 leads us to explore that changes we need to consider to become the leader we want to be, the leader we are called to be, and the leader your church needs you to be. Rich talks about the need to explore changes spiritually, emotionally, physically, and in leadership capacity.

Welcome to Episode 018 of "Leading Your Church with Rich Cochran." In this episode, Rich kicks off a miniseries titled "Breaking Up with Insanity: Start Strong in 2024." We've all heard the saying, "The definition of insanity is doing the same things the same way over and over and over expecting different results." And guess what? It's time to break that cyc...

Leading Your Church Podcast Episode 017: Defining Reality Introduction: Welcome to Leading Your Church ! In this episode, Rich Cochran joins us to explore the critical aspects of "Defining Reality" within your church. Get ready to delve into historical stats, community demographics, SWOT Analysis, the art of asking impactful questions, and the challenges of neglecting to define reality i...

In this episode of the Leading Your Church Podcast with Rich Cochran, titled "Gain Momentum by Launching the Fall Season of Ministry," Rich shares practical steps for church leaders to kickstart their fall ministry season.  Rich emphasizes the importance of clear planning, setting goals, and efficient resource allocation. Effective communication within the church community is key, and Ri...

In this episode we look at 4 things to help you invest your time each week. This is a very practical episode to help you think through your priorities, rhythms, how many hours you spend each week, and two tools to help you make better decisions. Rich is a recovering workaholic and has been on the edge of burnout. He learned some things to help create a better work week. Listen in and learn from hi...

In this episode we continue to review John Maxwell's book, The Leader's Greatest Return. In chapter 2 we look at Attracting Leaders. John talks about creating a Leadership Table. This is a small group environment where leadership of the organization or significant project takes place. It is here that you invite new people to take on new or greater levels of leadership.  Unfortunately, in...

In this episode we review chapter one of The Leader's Greatest Return. We explore six questions related to identifying leaders. Take a few minutes and allow your mind to  think about how you can identify leaders for your church, ministry, or non-profit.

In episode 012 of the Leading Your Church Podcast, Rich Cochran emphasizes the importance of prioritizing personal and pastoral prayer as a church leader. Pastors and church leaders should set aside time to pray for the people in their congregation on a weekly basis. Rich highlights the significance of pastoral prayer, which involves interceding for the people in the church and seeking God's...

Mondays with Maxwell, Introduction The Leader’s Greatest Return: Attracting, Developing, and Multiplying Leaders In the first episode we review the introduction and explore the value of developing the leaders around you.   Join me every Monday as we explore a chapter from one of John Maxwell’s books. Let’s get a little better each week!

In episode 10 of the Leading Your Church podcast with Rich Cochran, titled "Pressing On When Words Sting," Rich encourages pastors and church leaders to persevere in ministry despite hurtful comments or criticisms they may receive. He reminds listeners that words can have a profound effect on the heart and can discourage even the most dedicated leaders. Rich knows personally the effect h...

Leading change in our churches is hard. It is incredibly tempting to keep adding and adding ideas in hopes that you will see a glimpse of change. What we need is not more programming, but focus. These seven ministry essentials can guide you to lead your church to address strategic areas and focus your ministries toward growth and health. 1. Pastors and ministry leaders consistently develop leaders...

The Leading Your Church Podcast with Rich Cochran offers a refreshing perspective on how to lead a church in a world that is constantly changing. In this episode, Rich emphasizes the importance of reimagining our communities and realigning our church to meet the social and physical needs of the people we serve. Rich emphasizes that the Gospel is not just a message of salvation but also a call to s...

In this episode of the Leading Your Church podcast, host Rich Cochran addresses the topic of pastors overcoming hurtful words. He acknowledges that words can hit close to home, especially for pastors who are constantly subject to criticism and scrutiny. Rich understands how you can be affected by hurtful words and how to navigate through the pain. He emphasizes the importance of taking time to pro...

In the "Leading Your Church" podcast episode titled "Renewing Your Leadership for Revitalization," host Rich Cochran emphasizes the importance of renewing one's own leadership in order to revitalize a church. He highlights that leaders often forget that they are the hardest person to lead, and that in order to lead others effectively, they must first lead themselves well....

In episode 005 of Leading Your Church Podcast with Rich Cochran, titled "Hope for Medium Size Churches," we discuss the idea that church size does not make one church better than another. Instead, they believe that every neighborhood is filled with churches that have the potential to thrive and become healthy, regardless of their size. Rich points out that medium-size churches often face...

In episode 004 of the Leading Your Church Podcast, host Rich Cochran emphasizes the importance of personal growth and spiritual development in leadership. He argues that what God does in us is more important than what He does through us, and encourages listeners to renew their hearts daily before God. Rich reminds leaders to trust God with the details of their lives and ministries, and to value th...

Revitalization means CHANGE . In the "Leading Your Church" podcast with Rich Cochran, the topic of discussion is leading to revitalize churches that have plateaued or are in decline. The podcast acknowledges that many churches face this issue, but encourages listeners that there is hope for revitalization. One of the key points made in the podcast is the need for leaders to recognize tha...

In this episode of the Leading Your Church Podcast, host Rich Cochran discusses the importance of keeping a soft heart for your calling in ministry. Drawing on the wisdom of Psalm 39:4-7, he shares his own experiences and insights into how leaders can maintain their passion and purpose despite the challenges and obstacles they may face. Ministry is hard work, and it can be easy to become discourag...

Welcome to the Leading Your Church podcast with Rich Cochran, where we explore the intersection of faith and leadership. In this first episode, we're discussing the topic of church health and growth, and how it requires both a spiritual and systematic approach. First and foremost, it's important to recognize that God builds the church. As leaders, we are simply vessels used by Him to car...