The Lead Ministry Podcast

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk unpack the honey-versus-vinegar principle and how ministry leaders can win people over with kindness instead of force. They explore why a winsome approach builds deeper trust, longer-lasting influence, and a healthier team culture for ministry leaders. If you've ever felt the pull to "go nuclear" on a frustrating staff me...

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk wrap up the June Lead Up series with a critical conversation: what to do when your senior leader hands you a last-minute request that might break your team. They share a brilliant third-option response from Lead Ministry coach Jody Quinn, unpack the difference between “doable hard” and “destructive hard,” and offer a fram...

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk close out the June Lead Up series with the strategy that wins more yeses than any other: practicing your pitch. They walk through a four-step rehearsal method built on what Josh calls your “12, your 3, and your 1” — an insider team that lets you pressure-test, refine, and sharpen your proposal before it ever reaches your...

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Vance Martin from Slingshot Group introduce a powerful framework for leading up: the Four P’s. Every senior leader filters decisions through a primary lens — People, Progress, Pennies, or Process — and learning to speak that language is the difference between getting a yes and getting shut down. If you’ve ever made a great pitch and wa...

Episode Description   In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart sits down with Vance Martin from Slingshot Group to unpack nine principles for leading up to your senior leader. They walk through the often-invisible work of building trust, bringing solutions, anticipating needs, and avoiding the trap of forming alliances against the very person God has placed above you.   If you’ve...

Episode Description   In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk explore the power of the second chair and what it means to lead when you’re not the boss. They walk through seven Bible characters who held significant influence without ever holding the top position, offering a roadmap for ministry leaders who want to move the kingdom forward from wherever they sit...

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart sits down with Nick Blevins — author of The Volunteer Playbook and co-founder of Ministry Boost — to tackle the volunteer problem head-on. They explore why most church leaders have never been taught how to recruit, offering a five-step framework and the surprising 10X volunteer conversion rate that reframes how ministry leaders should thin...

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk break down the specific recruiting resources every ministry leader should have built before they ever pick up the phone. They explore how pre-prepared tools — from slot sheets to pushback scripts to draft follow-up emails — transform recruiting from a dreaded chore into a confident, efficient system. If you've ever sa...

Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Vance tackle the five core reasons volunteers say no — and what it takes to make recruiting an easy yes. They explore why guilt-based recruiting never works long-term, offering a practical framework for building the kind of ministry environment people actually want to join. If you've ever felt like pulling teeth...

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk unpack the Puffer Fish Principle — a nature-inspired framework for attracting the right volunteers to your ministry. They explore how the environments we create communicate volumes before we ever say a word, offering practical insights for ministry leaders who want to stop repelling potential team members and start drawin...

EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk unpack the concept of a ministry virtual tour — a practical, evergreen video tool that allows prospective families to experience your church before they ever set foot inside. Key Topics Covered • What Is a Ministry Virtual Tour – Giving people a real, digital experience of your physical ministry space...

EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk walk through five digital tools that are actively transforming how ministry leaders work. Bill brings a practitioner's perspective — not theory, but tools he uses every single week. Key Topics Covered • SermonDrip – Extend your sermon into a full week of discipleship content • NotebookLM – A free G...

EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk dig into one of the most overlooked but consequential tools in modern ministry: your church's website. They unpack what it truly means to make a strong digital first impression, offering a practical five-point framework called FIRST — Fast, Interactive, Responsive, Secure, and Turnkey Automated. Ke...

EPISODE DESCRIPTION In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk open a brand-new month of content on digital ministry with a foundational challenge every church leader needs to hear. They examine why so many churches are invisible to the very people they're trying to reach, offering a compelling framework for understanding why methods must change even as the messag...

Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk close out the Lead Events month by tackling the most overlooked phase of any event: recovery. They introduce a three-part framework — reserves, boundaries, and recovery — to help ministry leaders survive the full event cycle without burning out. From doubling up on Sunday prep weeks in advance to neutr...

Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk lay out the essential do's and don'ts of ministry events. They cover the three resource budgets every church must manage (financial, human, and facilities), then dive into practical rules for promotion, delegation, planning, and follow-up. From leveraging free local promotion through mom groups...

Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Vance Martin from Slingshot Group tackle a critical issue for ministry leaders: how to plan events without burning out. Building on last week's 3x3 Framework, they introduce five planning principles designed to protect your team and your energy. From breaking tasks into smaller pieces to documenting as you go, t...

Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart welcomes back Vance Martin from Slingshot Group to introduce the 3x3 Framework for Strategic Events. They explore why events miss the mark — through misalignment, mismanagement, and mistiming — and offer a powerful new lens for event planning. The framework identifies three cultures to target (kids, parents, volunteers)...

EPISODE DESCRIPTION Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk explore why every ministry event should lead somewhere — not end at a dead end. They unpack the concept of events as stepping stones across a river, moving people from first-time guests to committed members. They also introduce a breadcrumb analogy, showing how a thoughtful sequence...

Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart tells the story behind a simple but powerful outreach tool: a mobile block party trailer. He explains how one shared resource empowered everyday church members to love their neighbors, host gatherings, and start meaningful conversations without burning out leaders or volunteers. If your church wants outreach that is rel...

Episode Description In this bonus episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart shares how churches are gaining unprecedented access to public schools by serving real community needs. Drawing from his background as a science educator, Josh explains a practical outreach approach that builds trust, creates goodwill, and opens doors for the gospel. If your church has felt shut out of public scho...

Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart explores how churches can host high impact outreach events without exhausting their leaders or volunteers. He introduces a practical outreach model built around clarity, simplicity, and gospel faithfulness. If you have ever wondered whether live outreach events are worth the cost, effort, or risk, this episode will equi...

Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart challenges the idea that VBS is outdated or ineffective. He explains why VBS still works as outreach when it is designed around clarity, sustainability, and gospel depth rather than exhaustion and overprogramming. If you have ever wondered whether VBS is worth the time, energy, or budget, this episode will give you a fr...

Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk challenge a common mistake churches make with outreach. They explore why most churches get outreach backwards and outline a biblical, relational order that actually works in today’s culture. If you have ever felt like your outreach efforts were ignored, resisted, or ineffective, this episode will equip...

Episode Description In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Vance Martin close out their three-part series on the Progress Spiral. They explore the final step — Complete — offering practical wisdom on collaboration, communication, and course correction for ministry leaders. If you've ever felt the tension between good intentions and real follow-through, this episode will...