The Christian Leader Podcast

So many people in our culture today struggle with anxiety and depression. Addictions and temptations related to pornography are also incredibly common. Since Christians are humans too, these struggles and addictions are often found within the walls of the church, and even some of the best Christian leaders in the world wrestle with these issues. We want to make one thing really clear in this episo...

The war in Ukraine has been continuing for over a year now, and there continues to be a lot of darkness in the midst of so much destruction. It's also true that our friends in MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) have been directly involved with providing aid and resources to help those affected with material, emotional and spiritual support. On this week's episode, we're joined by thr...

MB Foundation has been an important and influential ministry of USMB for more than 30 years now, and many good things are happening there! On this week's episode, President & CEO Jon Wiebe shares insightful history of the Foundation, as well as some exciting stories of how their growth has led to increased generosity to churches in our denomination as well as to individuals in need around...

Many of us try to avoid talking about it, but EVERYONE benefits from a thorough plan for the end of life. Robert Carlton (active member at Hesston MB) spent his career helping individuals and families navigate through the world of Hospice, senior resources, wills, and end-of-life planning, and he shares important things we should all think through on this week's episode. Some of these convers...

In recent years we've shared several stories of how immigrant pastors from around the world are getting established in the U.S. and joining our USMB church family. In today's episode, we hear the encouraging story of how Pastor Alex Mutabazi left a difficult life in the Congo to become an MB pastor in Nashville. In his words, the "hand of God" has been upon him and his church w...

This is a pretty historic episode of LEAD Pods for several reasons! First, we talk to bestselling author and pastor Paul David Tripp, author of more than 30 books ranging all kinds of topics related to faith and church leadership. Second, we recorded this conversation LIVE as part of a recent MB Foundation webinar that was co-hosted by our friends Rick Eshbaugh and Bruce Jost. We've talked ab...

Vanlalhmachhuani Gelatt, who you may know as Amy, has an incredible story of God's faithfulness. Born in India with a very interesting family history, Amy has experienced miracle after miracle in her life that led to her coming to study in the U.S. Now she and her husband Josh lead North Oak Community Church in Hays, Kansas where she is active in ministry and evangelism.  Throughout her story...

Being a pastor--at any level--is hard work. Especially over the past few years, church leaders have had to deal with stresses and challenges that can be uniquely difficult. We all want to lead flourishing ministries while also maintaining healthy families and stable mental health. That may seem increasingly difficult, but it is possible with the right boundaries and right guardrails in place. On t...

Many of us feel guilty when we're honest about our personal prayer lives. Maybe you feel like you don't pray often enough, or you're intimidated when asked to pray out loud, or--if you're honest--the idea of leading or attending prayer meetings feels boring and irrelevant.  Of course that's not how God wants you to feel, and there is a lot of freedom to pray in ways that f...

Planting new churches continues to be a high priority for USMB leadership, which notably led to hiring Brian Harris as our church planting mobilizer last summer. Brian has been on the job for several months now, and on this week's episode, Brian shares the latest news after his travels around the country and what he's learned so far as he speaks to leaders and develops his longer-term st...

"In our latest podcast episode, we dive into the exciting world of Chat GPT and its potential uses for local churches. Our guest discusses how this innovative technology can revolutionize worship services by assisting with song lyrics, prayers, and even sermons. Additionally, we explore the many ways Chat GPT can streamline day-to-day operations, making church staff more effective and efficie...

America is often referred to as a "melting pot" with a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities represented. Clearly we believe the Gospel is good news for everyone, and it's wise for us to be on the lookout for ways we can more effectively serve and minister to under-represented and under-served groups in our American culture. With more immigrants and refugees coming to our shores...

When you spend time reading the Bible, what kinds of things are you looking for? Does your understanding of the New Testament affect your view of the Old Testament, and vice versa? As you read, are you thinking mostly of yourself, or about God?  We all slip into ruts with our personal devotions, and sometimes a fresh perspective or reminder of biblical truths can bring life and deeper understandin...

In this final episode of 2022, we introduce you to Daniel Rodriguez, the new district minister for the Central District. Daniel has a unique story of how he was called into ministry, and he has a genuine desire to reach all the new people groups coming to the U.S. The Central District covers several states, and Daniel's experience working in bilingual churches is proving to be helpful as he l...

For most couples, your spouse's career probably doesn't affect your day-to-day life  THAT  much, but that's not always true when you're married to a pastor! There are some unique challenges--and unique joys--that come with being a pastor's wife, and today we hear about those from Melissa Wiebe and Heather Hubrich. Both of their husbands are pastors and church planters at L...

Humans are messy, and (sadly) part of being human is dealing with conflict. Especially this time of year with elections and lots of time with family around the holidays, you're likely to find yourself in a difficult conversation at some point. How can we be peace-makers in a divided and difficult culture, and how we can we love those around us who believe and behave so differently than we do?...

Changes in senior leadership can make or break any church or organization, especially when a senior, founding pastor retires. Succession is a crucial leadership discussion that often gets forgotten or delayed, but it's a topic we would all be wise to get a head start on. Today we talk with Eric Nelson, the new lead pastor of South Mountain Community Church in Utah. Eric recently took over aft...

"Let me tell you a story..." Did we capture your attention? There's something about a compelling story that draws our hearts and minds more than just about anything else. Effective storytelling can be a leadership superpower, so how can our churches tell better stories? What's the process we should use to listen, capture, and share good stories, and how can that cycle help grow...

If you've considered taking a sabbatical before, maybe some of these thoughts have gone through your mind: People in secular jobs don't get this much time off. Why should I? I don't need time away. I'm doing fine and ministry is running well.  I don't have anyone around me to pick up the slack.  My team or leadership doesn't support the idea.  Taking time away for res...

Back to school season is in full swing, so now is a great time to introduce you to Dr. André Stephens, the new president of Fresno Pacific University. FPU is our Mennonite Brethren school in Fresno, California, and many great things are happening on campus.  Dr. Stephens was selected as their new president this summer, and he brings with him a wealth of experience in higher ed and a very strong pa...

Church planting has long been one of USMB's main goals as a denomination. We want to actively be involved in more MB churches being planted--so much so that USMB leaders created a new position to focus on just that. Brian Harris recently started as our new church planting mobilizer. Brian has a great story of how he came to faith, how he started evangelizing, and what he plans to do to assist...

Most of us have individuals with disabilities in our church family--or certainly in our communities. People with disabilities or differently-abled people are often overlooked in society, but that shouldn't be the case in our churches! Regardless of our church's size or resources, we should all be on the lookout to appropriately serve and reach out to those with disabilities, so how can w...

You've heard the buzzwords and are likely noticing the nearly-ubiquitous "Now Hiring" signs. The "Great Resignation" is upon us, and the post-COVID workplace is beginning to look a lot different from the office watercolors pre-2020. A bunch of people are looking to change jobs and shift their careers, so how will that affect the Church--and  your  church? You probably find...

Now that (hopefully!) the worst of COVID is behind us, most of our churches are returning to in-person services. Where does that leave our online presence? Should we keep streaming, and how can we improve our online services to be a truly "hybrid" experience of what happens in the room?  On this episode we talk with Jason Moore, the author of the best-seller  Both/And . Jason has several...

More and more people are discovering churches online first. What does that mean for  your  church? If guests read through your website or follow you on social media, would they "swipe right" on your profile and consider a first "date" by attending a service? What are new people looking for, and how can you implement those things for your church online?  Today we're joined...