The Called to Flourish Podcast

Seven years ago, you probably wouldn't have wanted Tom Bennett 's job as Interim Director at Santa Fe Christian Schools in Solana Beach, California. Sizable debt and red ink had delayed accreditation. They had no leadership team in place, no effective organizational structure and virtually no reporting lines in effect. Plus, two weeks before the school year began, the previous Head of School resig...

I'm often asked two questions: What do we need to do to improve our culture? And how long should it take to improve our organization's culture? While there's no cut and dry answer for every organization, our guest today can attest that it takes two things: surveying your employees consistently over time, and then taking action on the results. Today we have the privilege of talking with David Picke...

Several studies indicate the use of 360-degree feedback helps improve performance because it provides not just one perspective of a supervisor, but rather multiple perspectives needed to identify a leader's strengths and areas to improve. No wonder there is universal agreement that 360-degree feedback is far more credible and valid than a single-rater system. At BCWI, we have developed a competenc...

Are you experiencing a siloed culture where fruitful communication between departments is minimal at best? In his 17 years as president of  Lancaster Bible College , Dr. Peter Teague has worked to overcome this very challenge. Today, their culture is marked by transparency, openness, honesty and collaboration. Join us as Peter shares the unique DNA at the heart of their flourishing culture. Lancas...

Leading a Christian university has got to be one of the most challenging jobs in our changing society. Innovative and inspirational leadership is certainly critical for these Christian higher education institutions to not only survive, but thrive and develop the next generation of Christian leaders. So what are some of the breakthrough strategies that are working? Today, we have the pleasure of ta...

Cross-cultural mission workers are some of the hardest-working people in the world, facing challenges such as living overseas in a very different culture, often with a family and responsible for raising their own support. And that's just the start. All of this raises the question, how can we provide the organizational support necessary to help these Kingdom workers and their ministries thrive? Now...

What is the role of the Board of Directors when it comes to stewarding the health of a Christian non-profit's employee culture? To help us with this question, our guest today is board governance expert Bob Andringa . A respected leader in Christian higher education, Bob was president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities for 12 years and had a significant impact on governance in C...

How do we develop the kind of Christian character that builds a healthy, even flourishing, organizational culture? This is the question we are often asked by executives in Christian organizations who want to build their ministry's inspirational leadership . Today, we're going to talk with a leader who looks to answer that question every day. Doug Nuenke is the U.S. President of The Navigators , a...

John Maxwell says the true measure of leadership is influence , nothing more, nothing less.  Have you ever wondered how leaders generate influence – the kind of influence that goes into a healthy, thriving culture and drives an organization to fulfill its mission? Today, we are not only going to talk with a leadership author, but an experienced and successful leadership practitioner with a Ph. D....

At more than 78 million strong, the Millennials – those born between 1980 and 2000 –  have surpassed the Boomers as the larger and more influential generation in America. Millennials are no longer the future of Christian ministries; they are actively engaged in leadership today. They have many wonderful characteristics that make them a great asset to the kingdom – and therefore to your Christian w...

We all know that a good workplace culture is defined by a set of guiding core values. But how do we take those values off the page and into the actions of every leader and employee? When an organization clearly defines its core values and then lives them out, it creates a ripple effect throughout all corners of the organization, and the results are revolutionary. Our guest today is Vince Burens , ...

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great." We couldn't agree more with this principle, and today's guest is a living example of it. Time and again, we've seen that building a culture of trust not only improves employees' daily workplace experience, but even leads to increased productivity and thus ministry impa...

When the staff of Gateway Church in Dallas grew 25% in one year, there was good reason for excitement—and well-founded concern. As its ministry grew, something changed. Gateway realized if they kept adding staff without protecting their DNA, the culture they loved would be diluted. Today we have the pleasure of talking with associate senior pastor  Allan Kelsey , who shares how Gateway put rubber...

Welcome to  The Flourishing Culture Podcast ! Recently, we asked ministry CEOs and senior pastors what topics they would enjoy and value most on our podcast . You know what they told us? The top leaders in Christian organizations said they wanted to learn more about developing their own spiritual life and how it impacts their leadership. And that’s why we think you’re going to enjoy today’s guest....

When Dr. Jo Anne Lyon , General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church , was tasked with leading the charge on her denomination's restructuring, she knew she needed to start with listening to her staff at a grassroots level. She then used that feedback to reshape the culture and bring about unity during a time of extreme change. As we'll see in today's interview, that unity and clarity around visio...

How can learning to model Jesus' leadership serve to develop your own personal leadership? And can it help build an operating framework for your staff culture? Today we have the pleasure of talking with Phyllis Hendry , the President and CEO of Lead Like Jesus , who has helped hundreds of organizations and churches live out their ministry vision by re-sharpening their leadership focus. Find the fu...

How does a privately-owned architecture and construction firm, focused solely on serving churches, build a healthy employee culture? Brad Eisenmann , President of Aspen Group , can speak to this question as well as anyone. Aspen specializes in designing and building innovative church spaces, but it's more than just a business. With a mission to create space for ministry impact , it really is a min...

Welcome to  The Flourishing Culture Podcast ! Over the last 20 years, the publishing world has radically changed. Amazon, self-publishing, publishing software and other influences have dramatically impacted the Christian publishing world. In fact, the consolidation in the number of independent Christian publishers has been staggering.  These changes lead to the question, “How has InterVarsity Pres...

How does a rapidly growing church who says they are "all about people” focus on developing their own leadership? And how does staff development help them keep up with their growth while maintaining a flourishing culture? Today, Al is having an interesting conversation with Rick Mauderer , the Associate Pastor responsible for staff development at Gateway Church near Dallas, Texas—the nation’s fourt...

Today, we're exploring a foundational theme for building and maintaining a flourishing culture: TRUST. BCWI President Al Lopus is speaking with  Dan Busby , president of the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA) . In his new book,  Trust: The Firm Foundation of Kingdom Fruitfulness , Busby explores the role trust plays in Christian organizations. Find the full show notes at  http...

In today's episode, BCWI President Al Lopus is speaking with Brad Meuli , executive director of the Denver Rescue Mission , a non-profit organization dedicated to serving the needs of the homeless. Listen in to find out how the Mission is as much a ministry to its employees as it is to those they serve. By investing in their workplace culture, the Mission's people find truly inspiring, life-giving...

How does a ministry build a flourishing staff culture in the midst of rapid growth? In today's episode, BCWI President Al Lopus is speaking with Jesse Casler and David Wasik of HOPE International , a microfinance institution focused on serving the poorest areas in the world. In this episode, you'll learn about: How growth is an outcome of Christ-centeredness, excellence and quality Maintaining a s...

When a new leader comes into an organization and finds that the culture is not so healthy, what do they do? In today's episode, BCWI President Al Lopus is speaking with Dace Starkweather from  Glen Eyrie ,  a Tudor-style castle that houses a renowned retreat and conference center as part of The Navigators  in Colorado Springs. In this episode, you'll learn about: Restoring a sense of missional pur...

We are excited to announce the relaunch of  The Flourishing Culture Podcast ! In today's episode, BCWI President Al Lopus is speaking with Nathan Salsbery from CapinCrouse , a national full-service CPA and consulting firm devoted to serving mission-focused not-for-profit organizations, churches, and higher education institutions. F rom 2007 to 2015, CapinCrouse doubled its staff from 80 to 160 and...

Al Lopus interviews Dr. Bill Blocker, President of the College of Biblical Studies in Houston.  Challenge: When Bill Blocker became president of College of Biblical Studies in Houston, two goals rose to the top: Articulate the mission And get everyone’s buy in Blocker realized, however, that neither outcome would matter without achieving a third goal—seeing every staff and faculty engaged with pas...