The Christian Leader Podcast

Today we have the privilege of getting to know Bruce Enns, the recently appointed general director of Multiply. Bruce has years of local church leadership experience after his time as an MB pastor in Saskatchewan. There have been lots of changes within Multiply over the past few years, but on this episode we get a peek into Bruce's heart for ministry and his vision for this next chapter of Mu...

Evangelism is always most effective when you take time to study and immerse yourself in the culture and community where you are serving. We often think of that when discussing overseas ministry, but the same can be true in cultures that look a lot like yours on the surface. Even when you have similarities in skin color and language, ministering in a big city looks considerably different from a hea...

The issue of human trafficking has to be one of the darkest and most difficult issues in our world today. Since we believe all humans are made in the image of God, we know that each woman caught in trafficking is important and meaningful, and the heart of God is for all of us to experience freedom and love, not exploitation.  With big problems like this, it can be easy to feel hopeless in the mids...

Apologetics and evangelism--both big words and big concepts that can feel daunting to "normal," busy people. As we continue our series on the podcast about evangelism and getting to know this year's convention speakers, on this episode we chat with Hillary Morgan Ferrer. Hillary is the founder of Mama Bear Apologetics, a group designed to help moms (and everyone else) find answers t...

Most of us have a tendency to make evangelism more complicated and more intimidating than it was intended to be. There are several examples in the Bible where brand new believers instantly shared their faith, and all of us listening know more about Jesus than those people did. So why is it so scary, and how can we do it more effectively--both to our unchurched friends and neighbors, and to Muslims...

Most believers are familiar with the "Great Commission," but many of us also feel ill-equipped to successfully share our faith with unbelieving friends and neighbors. Today we speak with author (and MB convention speaker!) Gary Comer to hear his success stories of how he speaks with his atheist and Muslim friends, and practical tools we can use to become more effective "influencers&...

The world is a big--and small!--place, and we all have a lot to learn from each other. On today's show (episode 50!), we're talking with Bob Davis about his new role with ICOMB. We can experience the fullness of the kingdom of God best when we work and worship together, and there are lots of ways our local churches can more effectively engage with MB leaders around the world. Enjoy today...

This week we’re continuing our series as we get to know this year’s USMB convention speakers as we explore the topic of evangelism. Today we’re joined by Pastor Jeff Bell from Mosaic Church, and sharing the love of Jesus is in his DNA. There are a lot of important things for church leaders to think about in this episode: What kinds of events is your church hosting, and what is their purpose? Is ev...

"Soul care" and "spiritual direction" are good-sounding terms you would probably affirm, but what do they actually mean? And are you (as a pastor or church leader) actually taking care of your soul? What even IS your "soul"? Self-care and self-examination can be critical tools to ensure our own spiritual health, especially the longer we find ourselves in church work....

Jeff Hubrich has a pretty powerful testimony that you probably don't have. After leaving the LDS church, Jeff gradually learned about Jesus through a caring Christian friend who invested in his friendship for years. Jeff is now a pastor who strategically plans his church services specifically for the Mormons in his community--and it's working. Even if you have a completely different test...

You can't argue with the stats. Most U.S. pastors are getting older, young Christians aren't as active in local churches as they used to be, and--at least in this season--young people don't seem to be interested in vocational ministry. What is causing these issues, and how can we address them now as MB church leaders? These are big and complicated discussions, but a group of MB lead...

Like it or not, money is a part of our daily lives. Some people seem to naturally have a great handle on how to budget, save, and invest, while others struggle to make ends meet and come up with a long-term plan for healthy financial living. The Bible has a lot to say about money and how we use it, but it doesn't necessarily line out details about credit cards, ROTHs, or investment strategies...

COVID rocked the whole world and caused all of us to shift all kinds of things, including how we do church. Not only have the nuts and bolts details changed, but most pastors and church leaders also routinely find themselves in uncharted waters, exhausted from the barrage of challenges the last two years have brought us. Sound familiar? Pastor Josh Shaw from Lighthouse Church in Denver is hosting...

David Janzen took over as Tabor's new president this July. If you haven't had a chance to meet him yet, this episode gives you an introduction to his background in education, his time as a student at Tabor, and even his involvement with a popular mobile app. While being a college president wasn't necessarily on his radar, President Janzen shares how he sees God at work, weaving his...

When you spend all or most of your life in the same culture, it's easy to become blind to the day to day "norms" around us. We're all "blind to our own blindness" and we forget what the world looks like to those living in other parts of the world. Still, it's wise and helpful for us to have a larger perspective and remember that all people are created  in the ima...

None of us want to think about tragedies or disasters hitting our local churches, but wise leaders are always prepared. If your church encountered an active shooter, tornado, or sudden health emergency, does your team know what to do? How do you get started developing a security plan, and how much can you work in tandem with local law enforcement?  These are important questions we all need to cons...

Today's female leaders face several unique challenges--especially in the church. As more and more women are given leadership opportunities, they're often met with unexpected hurdles once they get there. How can female leaders (of all ages) develop an effective "leadership voice," and how can the men around them be supportive and helpful?  Author and speaker Kadi Cole returns to...

What is LEAD Coaching, and how could it help you? Ed Boschman and Chandelle Claassen have both been coached themselves, and now they help lead (no pun intended) the LEAD Coaching program with USMB. Coaching is an intentional one-on-one friendship where the coach helps you make progress on your goals and reach new levels of success and satisfaction--professionally and personally. Sounds nice, doesn...

Everyone (of all ages) should always feel safe at church, but we all know that unfortunately isn't always the case. We hope and pray our churches steer clear of abuse and scandal, but it's always best to be prepared and proactive to protect yourself and potential victims in your church family. These things can be hard to talk about, but it's a topic we can't avoid in today&apos...

Conflict is unavoidable--especially in today's heated culture. Jesus calls us to be peace-makers, and healthy relationships were at the core of His teaching. How can Christians manage conflict and heated discussions well, and what peaceful practices can we adopt to help us prepare? Jes Stoltzfus Buller is the Peace Education Coordinator at MCC, and she developed a free curriculum about these...

Modern research shows that stress, trauma, and anxiety can actually physically change our brains. Since we live in an era of chronic stress, that can have a significant impact on how we learn, how we grow, and how we interact with others. As important as these findings are, these things are rarely accounted for in our classrooms, leaving many students without crucial help they need to learn and de...

A healthy small group ministry is a crucial part of the American church today--especially for larger churches. As we grow in our faith, we all need a smaller group of friends where we can study Scripture and laugh, as well as be there for each other during hard seasons. Small groups can often provide that space, but building a healthy ministry takes a lot of work and intentionality. Today our gues...

Your church probably does a lot of things, and you probably have a lot of ministries. One of the hardest things to do as a church leader is to effectively communicate all of your church's messages in a way where every message is heard by your congregation, as well as those outside the church in your community.  Doing that well is  very  hard, especially if those various events and ministries...

Whatever position or title you have at your church, all church leaders (staff and volunteer) have a responsibility to lead teams well and create meaningful experiences where people can encounter Jesus. That's a big responsibility! Ready for a leadership "secret" you already know? It's all about relationships--including the relationships between you and your team members, and be...

Teenagers have been given a bad rap. Sure, parenting teens brings a unique set of challenges, but you can do it, and this season doesn't have to be the horror story our culture makes it out to be.  Today we're joined by counselor and therapist Matt Gallagher to get his insight on how to parent teens, how to prep for that season while they're young, what they need the most, and how t...