The Lead Ministry Podcast

#088 – How would you react if 77 of your volunteers didn’t return because of Covid? Well, our friend and guest for today, Ryan Bensen, has had to navigate this loss throughout the last 18 months - and in today’s episode, he discusses the impact of that loss. However, his reaction to that loss may not only surprise you, but hopefully motivate and inspire you, and your approach, to volunteer care. W...

#087 – We’ve all experienced the recruiting nightmare, right? There just aren’t quite enough people willing to volunteer in the places we need them most. So, what do we do? How can we overcome this yearly (and sometimes more) nightmare? In today’s episode of the lead volunteers podcast, Josh, and our friend Amy Bates, discuss a proven, and repeatable, recruitment strategy that can turn your nightm...

#086 – The best curriculum and plan in the world can leave your ministry dry, empty, and unfruitful. How can our volunteers make the lifelong kingdom impact we desire for and from them? In today’s episode of the podcast, Josh, and our friend Matt Markins, discuss the importance and steps we can take to help disciple the people in our ministries to become the leaders and difference-makers they were...

#085 – We all know teenagers as hormonal, moody, and a little selfish - which begs the question, should they be allowed to volunteer in your ministry? Will they be more of a help, or a liability? Well, in today’s episode of the podcast, Josh talks with our good friend, Catherine Hwang, about how volunteering as a teenager changed her life, and has led her to change the lives of other teens as well...

#084 – When leading a ministry, some of the hardest things for you to see are right in front of your face. You’ve probably even been in a scenario where an outside observer brought something to your attention that seems so obvious, and yet, because of your familiarity with your ministry, you didn’t see it. How can we, as ministry leaders, avoid dropping the ball and missing those gaps? On today’s...

#083 – Everybody seems to have their own tips and tricks for team leadership, but in today’s episode of the podcast, Josh and our friend Rich Griffith, Kids Pastor at Victory Church in Tipp City, Ohio, discuss 5 biblical keys for team leadership that have not only worked for their own ministries, but for the ministries of hundreds, if not thousands, of leaders across the world. We hope you enjoy e...

#082 – Have you ever tried to help someone out by sharing your systems and ideas with them, only to be shut out and shut down? You’re handing them the solution they need on a silver platter and they turn you down. I mean, you were only trying to help, right? Well, what if - from their perspective - all they saw was a person who approached them and told them about all of the ways they stink at thei...

#081 – In today’s episode of the Lead Volunteers Podcast, Josh and Jeff talk about he importance of relational leading. We’ve all heard of or experienced stories where volunteers have quit or slowly burned out because they weren’t receiving the amount of intentionality and focus they required volunteers. Well today, we want to help you take a step out of the “slot filling” mentality, and step into...

#080 – What would you do if a stranger asked for the keys to your car? You probably wouldn’t just hand them over, right? In the same sense, what would you do if a first time guest to your church approached you with a grand new vision for your ministry. Would you hand over the keys - bending over backwards and rerouting the course of your ministry and team for this person? In today’s episode of the...

#079 – Do you have a firm grasp of the needs within your ministry? On today’s episode of the podcast we discuss the importance of understanding the needs of your ministry PRIOR to making a dramatic plea to the senior staff, and how that can save you from a great deal of misunderstanding and hurt. We hope you enjoy episode 79 of the Lead Volunteers Podcast and share it with a ministry leader you kn...

#078 – How much change is too much change? As ministry leaders, we always want what’s best for our ministry, but how often are we making changes at the expense of our leaders? On today’s episode of the podcast, we discuss the unintended consequences of making too much change too fast, and ways that we can intentionally and effectively make change that benefits both our ministry, and our volunteers...

#077 – Where would you like you and your ministry to be in 5 years time? What dreams do you have in store for what is to come? In ministry, it’s important to be looking ahead at where we’re going, but how often do we look back and celebrate where we’ve been and how far we’ve come? We understand that ministry is not always easy, but in those moments of frustration, one of the most important things...

#076 – There’s no denying that we live in a culture plagued by busyness - But, is overbooking our daily lives really the best way to work - or even live? Bronnie Ware, a hospice nurse, and author of the book, “Regrets Of The Dying,” states that as she sat with people throughout her career during the last moments of their lives, the second biggest regret people had was, “I wish I didn’t work so har...

#075 – The concept we’re taking about in today’s episode is the idea of “creating safety for some = growth for all.” It’s easy when we’re scheduling or recruiting volunteers to fall back on our faithful few who show up week in and week out - but what if instead of placing the weight of the ministry on their shoulders, we created a zone of safety around them that not only made them better volunteer...

#074 – In our go, go, go culture, it can be difficult for us to press pause. The Navy Seals have a saying that “slow is smooth, and smooth is fast,” and when it comes to the ministry you lead, taking a second to slow down, press pause, and be present IN your ministry rather than constantly working ON your ministry can help give you the fresh eyes you need to see where you’re at, where your volunte...

#073 – What is your job as a ministry leader? Well, if you’re the kids pastor, it’s ministering to kids, right? If you’re the youth pastor, it’s youth. Small groups, small groups - you get the idea. But what if we told you that your job as a ministry leader was not as directly correlated as you think? On today’s episode of the podcast, Josh and Vance discuss how time invested in volunteers can mak...

#072 – We’ve all heard it said before that “vision leaks,” right? At Lead Volunteers, we believe that short little phrase is not only true, but should motivate us as leaders to put extra time and attention into casting vision and leading our volunteers as we push the mission forward. Amen? Well, on today’s episode of the podcast, Josh is sitting down virtually with our friend, Vance Martin, and th...

#071 – Ministry leaders are burning out and quitting at a higher rate than ever before. This heartbreaking statistic is due to many reasons, including stress, anxiety, uncertainty, and a feeling of chaos within their ministry. But what if some of those feelings early on in ministry are a normal part of the transition? Well, at Lead Volunteers, we like to call this progression “storming, norming, a...

#070 – We all want our volunteers to have ownership in their role, right? But is there such thing as too much ownership? When does ownership become over-stepping? Well, in today's episode of the podcast we talk about the difference between "little-o" and "big-O" ownership, and how many of our volunteers (and even ourselves if we're not careful) can develop big-O ownership, and thus create an unhea...

#069 – It’s happened to all of us - an event, meeting, or message has arrived and we have not put nearly as much time or energy into preparing as we would have liked, so we end up having to wing it. It happens. But what happens next? We, at Lead Volunteers, think a big danger in ministry can happen when we experience success through a “wing it” situation. Now, we certainly don’t wish failure upon...

#068 – It’s hard enough to find volunteers for regular weekly programming, but there are certain Sundays throughout the year that seem to make filling those spots even more difficult. Whether it’s Labor Day, Memorial Day, or even a month with 5 Sundays, there are times throughout the year where you can anticipate the difficulty of finding enough volunteers - so what do you do? In today’s episode o...

#067 – What does it mean to "practice sabbath?" We could probably all agree that it is more than simply a box to check for our weekly routine, but when it comes to the intricacies and activity of resting and recharging, what does it look like? Well, today we have the absolute pleasure to talk with Michayla White, the Executive Director of the International Network of Children's Ministry, to discus...

#066 – We've all had the thought before... "If only I had more resources," "if only there were more people," "if only I worked at a bigger church." If only, if only, if only. What's funny is it doesn't matter how large, or resourced, a church is, those thoughts are inevitable. So what's the solution? Well, on today's episode of the podcast we walk through a lesson from King David and his "mighty m...

#065 – Who are the people in your life that you can process the intricacies of your ministry job with? No, we don’t mean that Facebook group or status - No, we don’t mean your coworkers - and No, we don’t even mean your spouse. On today’s episode of the podcast we discuss the importance of having a community of close friends BEYOND your ministry circle with whom you can process with. Does this mea...

#064 – Oftentimes we express care and concern for pastors, but what about their spouses? It can be easy to place assumptions and expectations on a pastor's spouse, but in today's episode of the podcast, we discuss how to support ministry spouses and make sure we are serving and supporting them well too.  We hope you enjoy episode 64 of the Lead Volunteers Podcast and share it with a ministry...