The Lead Ministry Podcast

#063 – In this week's episode of the Lead Volunteers Podcast, Josh and Sarah talk about their experience doing ministry together for the past 25 years. The calling of ministry is a full-time+ job that not only affects the 9-5, but home life as well. So, how can we navigate these waters well? We hope you enjoy episode 63 of the Lead Volunteers Podcast and share it with a ministry leader you know wh...

#062 – Being vulnerable and honest is an important part of being human. We need people around us that we can be open and honest with. However, that doesn’t mean we should express our deepest thoughts and insecurities to the mailman as he walks by, does it? So, what boundaries and practices should we have in place to help us appropriately express our honest thoughts and feelings? In today’s episode...

#061 – You can tell a lot by someone's body language, so what is yours communicating to your volunteers? Wearing a "stress face" to your ministry events can cause your volunteers to sense a danger that isn't even there. The good new is that with a little bit of intentionality, we can learn to wear a "yes face" that breathes life, energy, and encouragement to the people we encounter in ministry.&nb...

#060 – If I were to ask you to think of a “needy” volunteer in your ministry, it probably wouldn’t take you very long to think of a name or two - but let me ask you this question - which of your volunteers are you investing the most of your time in? On today’s episode of the podcast, Josh and Jeff discuss how if we’re not careful, we can end up investing too much of our time with our “needy” volun...

#059 – Have you ever noticed that the people who seem to hurt others the most are the ones who are actually hurting the most? On today’s episode of the podcast, we’re discussing the idea that “hurt people hurt people” and how we can better respond when we are the recipients of a hurting person’s hurt. Spoiler Alert: You will be challenged by the spiritual wisdom of a 1st grader. We hope you enjoy...

#058 – On what is sure to be our most encouraging podcast to date, we’ll be discussing the inevitability of long suffering in ministry. There is no doubt that suffering is one of the most common unlisted roles in a pastor’s job description, but the question is – how do we suffer well? Is that even possible? Well, in today’s episode, we talk about what it means to suffer well and how we can all end...

#057 - We all understand it, but we don't always apply it. That's right, on this week's episode of the podcast we're talking about Sabbath and giving you, what is hopefully, a new and refreshing outlook on a piece of our created identity - given to us and applied by our creator himself. If you've been struggling to get into a rhythm of rest during this difficult and complicated season, this is the...

#056 - Have you ever received that last minute phone call or text from a volunteer letting you know they won't be able to serve? I think we've all been there. On today's episode of the podcast we talk about a system that can help you avoid the stress and pressure of these last minute cancellations - it's called "switching not ditching" and it's a proven system that helps build ownership and relati...

#055 - Today we continue our two part episode on the importance of knowing yourself as a leader, however, this week we continue by talking about the importance of knowing your team and how that can help you ask a leader build a team that loves what they do, loves who they're with, and a team that lasts.  We hope you enjoy episode 55 of the Lead Volunteers Podcast and share it with a ministry...

#054 - In order to lead others well you must first know how to lead yourself well. This idea is one of the basic rules of leadership, but not all of us do this well. So, the question is, how do we begin to "Know Thyself" and, in turn, begin to lead others better? Well, in today's episode we kick off a two part series about the importance of personal growth and understanding by discussing the SHAPE...

#053 - Have you ever thought about what the ministry you're leading will look like after you're gone? I'm not sure a lot of leaders have. I mean, you have plenty to worry about right now, let alone the future, right? But what if we told you that one of the best things you can be doing for your ministry is set it up for success in the future? You see, ministry is a long-game, and eternity is on the...

#052 – We're kicking off the new year with a good one! When we feel like we have too much on our plate it's easy to dump off some of our tasks on other members of our team. However, on today's episode of the podcast we talk about the dangers of task dumping, and talk about ways that we can go beyond delegating, and turn task management into discipleship that sets up your ministry for success...

Merry Christmas from the Lead Volunteers Podcast! We are so thankful for all of you and for 1 year of doing this podcast. We are excited for all that is to come next year! We hope you have a Merry Christmas - a Happy New Year - and we'll see you in 2 weeks for the next episode of the Lead Volunteers Podcast!

#050 – Crazy. Chaotic. Stressful. There are plenty of words we could use to describe this season of ministry – but what do we do when we feel the weight of the world on our shoulders? How do we react when we face uncertain times? To put it simply – chill out :) In today’s episode of the podcast we talk about the goodness and power of God and how we as leaders can cling to that when our progra...

#049 – We love getting the chance to sit down with ministry leaders from all over the country – and when you get the chance to sit down with someone like Hampton Simms, an incredible leader with 24 years of ministry experience, you don’t pass that up. In today’s episode of the podcast we learn some of Hampton’s keys to leading well in ministry and how surrounding himself, and applying, wisdom...

#048 – At Lead Volunteers we believe the job of a leader is to build up the body to do the work of the ministry. However, there are some leaders who believe all of that work should fall on the shoulders of the hired ministry leader. In today's episode of the podcast, we sit down with Pastor Hampton Simms and talk not only about these differing philosophies of ministry, but how to react if the...

#047 – Has it felt at all like you just cannot win during this season of ministry due to all of the external circumstances surrounding you? You’re not alone. This has been an incredibly discouraging and stressful season of ministry for so many. However, on today’s episode of the podcast, we would like to offer you some encouragement to not grow weary. Instead, lets begin planting seeds within...

#046 – The brain is an incredible thing - but have you ever thought of your brain as a tool? In today's episode of the Lead Volunteers Podcast we talk about how, in just 10 minutes, you can engage our subconscious to do work for you that will save you hours in the long run. We've all struggled with organizing our thoughts at one point or another - and we want to help you stay organized throug...

#045 – Have you found yourself a little overwhelmed in the past 9 months? I think there are thousands and thousands of pastors and ministry leaders raising their hands with you right now. From the election, to racial injustice, to coronavirus, to the new and daunting ministry tasks we have on our plate - this has been an overwhelming season - to say the least. On this episode of the lead volunteer...

#044 – Have you ever forgotten someone’s name immediately after meeting them, but then felt too bad to ask them again? We’ve all been there, but when it comes to ministry and our volunteers, we hope to never stay there. Doing ministry with people we like is fun, but doing ministry with people we KNOW is life-changing. In today’s episode of the podcast we talk about an uncomfortable conversation th...

#043 – Have you ever found yourself relying mostly on your own intuition and ability instead of relying on the leading and guidance of the spirit? Unfortunately, in our modern western culture, it's easy for us to default to our own ability to make things happen rather than tap into the relationship we have with the God of the universe. God is not a genie in a bottle waiting to grant your every wis...

#042 – “Those who are faithful in little, will also be faithful in much.” – It’s easy in ministry to covet the “numbers” and “success” of larger ministries, but what does that say to the majority of faithful servants whose name may never be known to the masses? The beauty of ministry is not found in self-glorification, but in the glorification of the God who created you and every single person in...

#041 – Recruiting volunteers in ministry is one of the biggest headaches for many ministry leaders – no matter your church size. Is there a way to make it easier? While there may not be an “easy button” for volunteer recruitment, there are some practical steps you can take to up your game as a volunteer recruiter. Today we were able to sit down with Pastor Tim Gerber and pick his brain about the t...

#040 – They say “messiness begets messiness – cleanliness begets cleanliness.” So the question is, how would you define your ministry? Often times it’s easy to let things slide for a short while, but those few days can turn into weeks, which turn into months, which can turn into years - and before you know it, you are in middle of a messy, or chaotic, ministry culture. Well, the good news is that...

#039 – Mark Twain was credited with saying, “if the first thing you do in the morning is eat a live frog, you can go through the rest of the day knowing the worst is behind you.” When it comes to ministry, we often find ourselves doing the easy – low effort tasks at the beginning of our days to “ease ourself into the day.” While this “ease-in” method may seem nice, it is actually an...