Next Step Leadership

In this episode, Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds welcome global leader and author Peter Greer for an honest discussion about leadership calling, drift, and integrity. Drawing from How Leaders Lose Their Way: And How to Make Sure It Doesn’t Happen to You , Peter shares insights from his leadership journey and research into the subtle patterns that often lead leaders off course. Leadership can be a...

We often forget that questions can shape culture, faith, and community. In this follow-up conversation, Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds continue their dialogue with J.R. Briggs, focusing on how better questions shape organizational culture, spiritual formation, and community life. J.R. reflects on how curiosity builds trust, prevents isolation, and creates environments where people feel heard and...

In this episode, Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds welcome pastor and author J.R. Briggs for a rich conversation about curiosity, calling, and the transformative role of questions in leadership and faith. Drawing from The Art of Asking Better Questions: Pursuing Stronger Relationships, Healthier Leadership, and Deeper Faith , J.R. shares his personal journey and the experiences that shaped his past...

The conversation with Eun Strawser continues with a practical and biblical exploration of shared leadership. Together, Chris, Tracy, and Eun discuss the dangers of leading alone, the temptation to control, and the misconception that leaders must be experts. Eun challenges listeners to ask whether they are willing to share power and truly lead with people rather than over them. Emphasizing that lea...

In this episode, Chris and Tracy welcome E. K. Strawser—pastor, physician, consultant, church planter, and author of You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone . Originally from South Korea, E. K. shares her journey through medical school, ministry, and church planting, reflecting on how her story and place have shaped her leadership. She challenges common assumptions about power, influence, and success,...

In this follow-up conversation, Timothy Jones explores the heart of Fully Beloved (pronounced bel-uh-vəd) and why understanding the Trinity as a community of love matters for everyday leadership. Chris and Tracy guide a discussion centered on relationships, rest, and freedom from striving. Timothy explains how knowing we are fully beloved changes the way we relate to God, ourselves, and others—mov...

Pastor and author Timothy Jones joins the podcast to discuss the deep question beneath our fractured culture: Am I loved? Drawing from his book Fully Beloved , Timothy reflects on his own story, pastoral ministry, and the widespread sense of drift many feel today. He speaks to the loneliness, division, and relational strain present across various Christian traditions and cultural contexts, pointin...

Continuing the conversation, Isaac Serrano dives deeper into his book When Life Feels Empty . This episode focuses on the difference between destructive emptiness and the kind of emptiness God uses to form us. Isaac speaks candidly to leaders who feel drained, alone, and running on empty, offering practical wisdom on staying present with God when answers feel distant. He emphasizes the importance...

In this opening conversation, Chris and Tracy sit down with pastor, theologian, and author Isaac Serrano to explore his personal story and calling. Isaac reflects on the early influence of a youth pastor who believed in him, entrusted him with responsibility, and helped him grow in faith even when he felt out of place within his surrounding culture. He shares how those formative experiences shaped...

In the final episode, Jon Oliver returns to talk candidly about the inner life of leaders. He joins Chris and Tracy to explore themes of soul care and self-care, especially for those navigating the demands of ministry and leadership. Jon shares wisdom on sustaining spiritual health, listening to God’s voice, and living with intention. He offers a hopeful vision of leadership as a sacred partnershi...

In this episode, Chris and Tracy sit down with Jon Oliver for a wide-ranging conversation about calling, leadership, and faithfulness in ministry. Jon shares his personal story and testimony, including the influence of growing up with a father who was a bi-vocational pastor. They explore the importance of mentors, spiritual guidance, and healthy models of leadership for those serving in ministry t...

In their second episode, Jackie and Cheryl Johns continue the conversation by exploring how Scripture shapes leaders from the inside out. They discuss how leaders can approach Scripture with humility, expectation, and openness to the Spirit’s work. With pastoral warmth and scholarly insight, Jackie and Cheryl remind listeners that the Bible is not only to be studied—but received, as the Holy Spiri...

In this rich and thoughtful episode, Chris and Tracy welcome Jackie David Johns and Cheryl Bridges Johns for a conversation shaped by years of ministry, scholarship, and spiritual formation. They share their story of serving in both church and academic settings, and why the church needs deeply formed Pentecostal scholars. The conversation centers on their book Encountering the Living Word , explor...

Continuing their conversation on the new book Contentment: What You’re Searching for Is Already Yours , Tracy Reynolds and Chris Maxwell focus on the daily practice of contentment and its role in leadership, relationships, and spiritual growth. Chris offers practical insight into how individuals and groups can cultivate contentment through intentional rhythms, reflection, and community engagement....

In this episode of Next Step Leadership podcast, Tracy Reynolds guides a thoughtful conversation with Chris Maxwell as Chris steps into the guest seat to discuss his newest book, Contentment: What You’re Searching for Is Already Yours . Chris shares personal reflections on calling, restlessness, and the quiet search many leaders carry beneath their responsibilities. Together, they explore what con...

In her second conversation, Trudy Simmons continues to speak with wisdom and compassion about the deep hurts she sees in today’s leaders and ministries. Chris and Tracy explore the pressures leaders face, the emotional weight many carry in silence, and the spiritual cost of ignoring pain. Trudy offers thoughtful insights from her work in counseling and coaching, pointing listeners toward true hope...

In this episode of the Next Step Leadership Podcast , Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds welcome Trudy Simmons for an honest and hope-filled conversation about leadership, healing, and faith. Trudy shares her powerful personal story—working through past speech challenges and learning disabilities to become a counselor, coach, and communicator serving leaders and ministries around the world. Together...

Continuing the conversation, Jon and Erica Campbell return to share what life and ministry look like now in Los Angeles. Chris and Tracy ask about the realities of serving in a complex city, sustaining hope when progress feels slow, and caring for the soul while meeting constant needs. Jon and Erica speak honestly about lessons learned, spiritual rhythms that sustain them, and their hopes for the...

What happens when God calls you to leave what’s familiar and step into the unknown? In this inspiring episode, Chris and Tracy talk with Jon and Erica Campbell about their journey of faith, obedience, and courage that led them to Los Angeles. Jon and Erica share their story—the call, the cost, the transition, and the surprises along the way. Together, they reflect on what it means to say “yes” to...

Grief, loss, and change touch every life—and leaders are no exception. In this moving episode, April Yamasaki returns to discuss her book Hope Beyond Our Sorrows and what it means to live with sorrow while holding on to hope. Chris and Tracy explore April’s reflections on loss, her pastoral experience walking with those who grieve, and the kind of hope that grows slowly and honestly in the midst o...

In a world that rarely slows down, this episode invites leaders to rediscover the spiritual power of pause . Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds welcome pastor and author April Yamasaki for a reflective conversation about writing, stillness, and spiritual formation. April shares her journey as a writer, how the practice of pausing has shaped her life and ministry, and why intentional stillness is ess...

Money can be one of the most difficult topics for leaders to talk about—yet it’s deeply connected to faith and discipleship. In this episode, Travis Lowe returns to explore stewardship, finances, and meaning in ministry. Chris and Tracy talk with Travis about his new role in denominational financial leadership, the common struggles pastors face with money, and how stewardship can be practiced with...

What does faithful pastoring look like in a changing world? In this episode of the Next Step Leadership Podcast, Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds sit down with pastor and writer Travis Lowe for a thoughtful conversation about ministry, leadership, and hope. Travis shares his personal journey into pastoral life, the lessons he’s learned through years of serving people, and how the landscape of mini...

In this deeply moving follow-up episode, Kathleen Norris guides Tracy and Chris into the heart of her newest book, Rebecca Sue: A Sister’s Reflection on Disability, Faith, and Love . Hear the reflections from Kathleen’s latest work, which will be a great story for today’s pastors and leaders to learn from. Kathleen shares stories of her sister—her personality, her struggles, her joy—and the ways h...

In this opening conversation with acclaimed writer Kathleen Norris, Chris and Tracy welcome one of Chris Maxwell’s all-time favorite authors into the Next Step Leadership studio. Kathleen shares the story behind her vocation—her upbringing, her journey of faith, and the experiences that shaped her distinctive voice as a poet, memoirist, and spiritual writer. The conversation explores the contempla...