Next Step Leadership

Tracy and Chris interview Trés Ward in this week’s episode of Next Step Leadership. Trés is a wonderful singer, musician, and teacher who has a heart for guiding the younger generation through these uncertain times. He presently serves as Assistant to the President and Director of Ministry Teams at Emmanuel College in Franklin Springs, Georgia. His story is a reminder that what we learn helps prep...

Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds usually interview guests. In this episode, they engage in a conversation with each other. They review recent podcasts and invite people to pursue help when situations aren’t easy. How can leaders become better at dealing with sadness, hurt, anger, grief, and uncertainty? How can leaders pause and seek support? What is stopping us from aggressively and appropriately...

In their second interview with Pastor Kevin Bordeaux, Chris and Tracy appreciate the honesty as he tells his story. Many people in leadership are facing difficulties. Life is not always simple. Too many leaders lead in isolation. Kevin offers healthy insight through his experience and his wisdom. Stress, depression, burnout, anger, anxiety, and conflict are portions of today’s stories. How are you...

Pastor Kevin Bordeaux talks with Tracy and Chris about pastoral work, family, and leadership. Kevin tells about his life and ministry. His major spiritual transformation reveals a journey of growth and development, and his story reminds leaders how life includes wonderful experiences and also seasons of change. Through his heart and vision for church planting, Kevin planted a church with only a fe...

Chris and Tracy invite you to continue listening to Jacob TEN20 Thompson. Jacob is an author, poet, pastor, speaker, husband, and dad who lives with Friedreich’s Ataxia. He also lives with the love of Jesus giving him a hopeful destiny amid his physical struggles. Wise leaders recognize their weaknesses. Rather than denying their battles, they choose to respond like Jacob—choosing to believe God’s...

Life does not always go the way we prefer. Disappointments appear. Disturbances occur. How do we respond? How should we? Jacob Thompson tells his story about God meeting us in times of weaknesses and questions. Jacob is the author of From Diagnosis to Destiny: Your Trials Aren’t Meant to Break You; They’re Meant to Make You—a book offering authentic faith during a major life struggle. He is also t...

In the second conversation with author and leader Tim Elmore, Tracy Reynolds and Chris Maxwell ask a few questions and listen again in amazement to Tim’s inspiring wisdom. Tim goes into more details of his book The Eight Paradoxes of Great Leadership: Embracing the Conflicting Demands of Today’s Workplace. Each chapter from the book includes a case study. Readers and listeners can obtain valuable...

Tim Elmore Is a well known leader, speaker, and author. His wisdom is an ideal fit for the Next Step Leadership podcast. Tracy and Chris ask Tim a few questions and his compassion comes with his responses. Churches, schools, and businesses need to hear Tim’s practical principles during today’s difficult seasons of life. Tim’s ministry, Growing Leaders, trains future leaders for these times. In thi...

Chris and Tracy continue their conversation with international professor Eric Foster-Whiddon. With Eric’s learning and ministry experience, he has a compassion to serve deeply and train ministers to serve well. Today’s culture is desperate for artistic and intellectual leaders. Eric thinks biblically, academically, creatively, and as community. Tracy, Chris, and Eric invite leaders to make friends...

Tracy and Chris are excited to talk with Eric Foster-Whiddon. Next Step Leadership continues inviting present and future leaders and learners who listen to others in their life journeys. Eric is today’s guest and brings ministry, music, and academic experience in the conversation. He’s a writer, thinker, and minister who hopes to see positive transformation in people of all ages and backgrounds. E...

Tracy and Chris listen again to the insight of author and thinker Dr. Leonard Sweet. Through Dr. Sweet’s creative, wise, challenging perspective, he continues daring and luring leaders toward what really matters. What does that mean? He points leaders to the cross. He reminds listeners to stay in love with Jesus. Len hopes each student he teaches falls more deeply in love with Jesus as he educates...

Professor and author Leonard Sweet is the guest in this episode of Next Step Leadership. Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds are honored with this opportunity to learn from Dr. Sweet. His books, sermons, teaching, and social media comments have motivated today’s leaders to think creatively and wisely. During these seasons of change, Len offers insight about modern trends, ancient values, and the righ...

Tracy and Chris think and talk and dream together again with JJ Getz. In this second conversation, JJ offers insight from the younger generation. She tells stories about growing up as a pastor’s child. Her experience has given a great understanding of what it is like in small churches with very little help. As she talks about her father, her memories, her ideas, and her hopes, JJ believes leaders...

In this week’s Next Step Leadership podcast, Chris Maxwell and Tracy Reynolds interview JJ Getz—a young leader they have watched begin her journey of leadership. JJ is a voice today’s leaders need to hear. Her wise, creative mind, and her fresh ideas offer glimpses into what is needed in today’s culture. As time is traveling so rapidly, JJ believes humility helps us ask the right questions, partne...

In this episode of Next Step Leadership, Chris and Tracy continue their conversation about ministry with Doug Bursch. Doug is an author and pastor, and he again offers deep care for today’s leaders. Social media has helped create divisive, devouring conversations. Doug seeks to guide Christian leaders toward reconciliation. Is our only concern about being right? Or do we carry deep concern for sho...

Tracy Reynolds and Chris Maxwell welcome pastor, author, and speaker Doug Bursch to this podcast. Glancing into the future through the lens of the present, Doug talks about authentic pastoral ministry. There are more expectations than ever before of what a pastor should be and do. Those large and diverse expectations create a difficult climate for true ministry. Clergy and their families are suffe...

Chris and Tracy continue listening to singer and author Michele Pillar tell her story about when her life was tangled and how she finally became untangled. These days it is vital we learn from servant leaders like Michele. Healing comes through vulnerability, seeking help, receiving healing, and becoming untangled. She felt God had picked the wrong person. She never believed God could work through...

In this fascinating episode of Next Step Leadership, Tracy and Chris interview award winning singer Michele Pillar. Michele’s story is important for leaders to hear during these days when headlines, churches, friendships, and families are impacted by choices. Though popular through her amazing voice, Michele held deep hurts. Those pains influenced her decisions. As she wrote about in her book Unta...

Author and Executive Pastor Dan Reiland continues his guidance for today’s leaders. Chris and Tracy enjoy the insight Dan provides, especially during the complicated seasons for today’s churches, businesses, and relationships. Dan talks about key points from his book, Confident Leader: Become One, Stay One. What are legitimate or illegitimate sources of confidence? How is our definition of success...

In this episode of Next Step Leadership, Tracy and Chris talk with author and leader Dan Reiland. Dan offers deep insight from his role as an Executive Pastor of 12Stone Church, and his many years in various leadership positions. He tells his story and talks about how we can become leaders and continue serving as leaders. The confidence that is needed too often becomes a roller coaster. Rather tha...

As their conversation with Jamie Cain continues, Tracy Reynolds and Chris Maxwell think with Jamie about rejoicing well and grieving well. Many of life’s seasons are painful. Many are just what leaders are experiencing and enduring now. What can leaders learn? How can leaders respond? Leaders need honest, transparent, authentic friends. Leaders must not lead alone. Withdrawal is not the solution....

Chris and Tracy interview Jamie Cain in this episode of Next Step Leadership. Jamie talks about his vocational journey. Like many leaders, his story didn't go the way he expected. But his adventure has allowed Jamie to continue influencing the lives of others. His education and experience provide wisdom during these seasons of change. Many people are facing new seasons and new challenges. Lea...

Tracy continues talking to Chris about his new book, Equilibrium: 31 Ways to Stay Balanced on Life’s Uneven Surfaces . Chris and Tracy focus on the meaning of the chapters, and offer thoughts on how these guidelines are vital for living and leading. How does your life need symmetry? What causes your own uneven surfaces? How can you better apply these “31 Ways to stay Balanced?” Think about the sto...

Tracy Reynolds turns this episode around and interviews Chris Maxwell, his co-host. Tracy asks Chris about his new book, Equilibrium: 31 Ways to Stay Balanced on Life’s Uneven Surfaces . This is Maxwell’s eleventh book and it offers honest stories, reflections, and steps for obtaining a better life amid all the chaos surrounding us. If leaders expect to lead well, they should first commit to livin...

Tracy Reynolds and Chris Maxwell continue their interesting discussion with author and pastor Tod Bolsinger. Tod serves as the Executive Director of Church Leadership Institute at Fuller Seminary, CEO of A. E. Sloan Leadership Company, and worked in pastoral ministry for many years. His heart beats for leadership development. In this conversation, Tod provides parts of his story about how leaders...