The Lead Ministry Podcast

#188 –  Running an annual meeting can feel like a combination of herding cats, talking to a wall, and feeling as though it should have gone better. We’ve all been there. But what if there is a better way? In today’s episode of the podcast we talk through a practical system that can turn your annual training meetings into a fun time of growth and connection for your volunteers. We hope you enjoy ep...

#187 - If you’ve been a ministry leader for more than 15 minutes, you’ve likely experienced some form of crisis. The last few years have been filled with chaos, unexpected realities, and yes - crisis. Now, situations of crisis are usually out of our control, however on today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our friend Esther Moreno and discuss how some people can be more prone to crisis...

#186 - While many ministry leaders wish their ministries were bigger and reaching more people, many often overlook the added complexity that comes with growth. It’s one thing to lead a large ministry at a large church, it’s an entirely different thing leading a large ministry over multiple campuses. On today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our friend Delia Cornwell and talk about how sh...

#185 - If your church were to hire a consultant to observe your church and its ministries both in front of, and behind, the scenes; what do you think they would see? In today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with consultant, speaker, and author, Dr. Tom Clegg and talk about the ins and outs of healthy churches - and what makes them that way. Here at Lead Volunteers, we care about the health o...

#184 - The last few years have completely changed what international travel and missions look like. As international mission trips are becoming possible again, we’re excited to discuss the ways we can make the greatest impact. On this week’s episode of the podcast we sit down with our friend PJ Holmertz and talk through the importance of communicating to team members how their story and involvemen...

#183 - In today’s episode of the podcast we continue our conversation from episode 172 with Taylor Mugge and talk about the creative ways he has effectively recruited, trained, and retained volunteers within his ministry.  We hope you enjoy episode 183 of the Lead Volunteers Podcast and share it with a ministry leader you know who may find this beneficial for their ministry context! If you would l...

#182 - Building healthy teams is one of the most powerful, yet often overlooked, aspects of ministry leadership that can absolutely transform the trajectory of your ministry. Everyone wants a healthy team - and in today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our friend Jodi Quinn and talk about the process of building healthy teams that allow us to build layers, do more, and avoid loneliness i...

#181 - Is there ever an appropriate time to cut a ministry? We don’t want to deny the difficulty of cutting programs that have been around forever, but are no longer producing fruit - however, it is possible that there are ministries and programs within your church that are no longer worth justifying and cluttering up your church’s overall mission. In today’s episode of the podcast, we talk about...

#180 - Maybe you’ve heard it said “there is no one alive who is youer than you!” We were all made uniquely in the image of God with differing gifts, abilities, and talents. So, how do we fit into a ministry that comes with predetermined systems and expectations? On today’s episode of the podcast we sit down with our friend Melissa MacDonald and talk about how we can harness our uniqueness in order...

#179 - Are you experiencing a high turnover rate for one or more positions in your church or ministry? While, in some cases, it can be difficult to find the right people for the job, it could also be the position itself that is causing so many people to cycle through. In today’s episode of the podcast we talk about how investing in the product, process, and people of your ministry will create a fo...

#178 - What does it look like to leverage the gifts of the body to advance the mission of the ministry? Well, in today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our friend Jason Houser and discuss a variety of ways he invited people in to his ministry to develop and showcase their gifts. The good news? You can do it too! We hope you enjoy episode 178 of the Lead Volunteers Podcast and share it wi...

#177 - How are you pouring into your volunteers? It can be easy as ministry leaders to get stuck in program mode and forget to ask about the lives of our volunteers who are sacrificing time, energy, and resources for the ministry. If we want to see a high retention rate of our volunteers, we need to do life with them beyond the surface. In today’s episode we talk about practical ways to not only b...

#176 - Here’s the secret - the leader who makes success in ministry look effortless is putting in so much effort behind the scenes to make it that way. No matter your personality type, taking the time to plan, prep, and organize creates a culture of consistency, order, and organization that allows everyone to focus on the vision without excessive distractions.  We hope you enjoy episode 176 of the...

#175 - In today’s episode of the podcast, we continue our discussion about the 10 different ways you, as a ministry leader, could lose a volunteer. While we would never do anything to intentionally lose our volunteers, it’s possible we may have some unintentional bad habits built up that are doing more harm than good. Avoiding some of these simple things could help your volunteer culture thrive fo...

#174 - In today’s episode of the podcast, we kick off part one of two as we discuss 10 different ways you, as a ministry leader, could lose a volunteer. While we would never do anything to intentionally lose our volunteers, it’s possible we may have some unintentional bad habits built up that are doing more harm than good. Avoiding some of these simple things could help your volunteer culture thri...

#173 - As ministry leaders we all want to see the mission of our church or organization move forward, but there are times when our ideas for how to make that move get shut down. So what do we do? When we’re not the ones ultimately in charge of green-lighting ideas, budget, and resources, in can feel intimidating to communicate our ideas with senior staff out of fear of e rejection. Well, in todays...

#172 - On today’s episode of the podcast we flip the script and get the chance to hear a powerful piece of Josh’s testimony. Hidden Acres Camp has played such a powerful role in Josh’s story throughout the years - and now, years later, he is still seeing how camp is playing a similar role in the lives of so many kids, teens, and adults. Today, we sit down with our friend Taylor Mugge, assistant mi...

#171 - Sometimes as leaders we can feel pressure of needing to have it all together all of the time. While preaching messages or giving lessons on grace, rest, and vulnerability, we don’t recognize the gap between our internal and external self and continue externally running on autopilot, while internally burning ourselves out. In today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our friend Nicki...

#170 - We’ve heard it said “those who are faithful in little is also faithful in much.” We all have a bunch of “what if’s” and “if only” scenarios that would help advance our ministry forward, but what if instead of waiting on those, we continued to be faithful in what God has given us now? In today’s episode of the podcast we sit down with our friend, Catherine Huang, a Children’s Pastor at Marin...

#169 - Do you remember what it was like to first start out in your ministry role? Leading when you have no relational or experiential capital can be difficult, but in today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our friend, Joe Mally, and discuss how to transition in a way that honors the history of the ministry, while at the same time leading forward with humility and curiosity. We hope you e...

#168 - Lead Pastors and ministry staff have been butting heads for centuries. Instead of clocking out at 5 and leaving our problems at the office, ministry adds a layer of relational and spiritual depth to working relationships that is hard to manage without intentionality. On today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our friend Brian Dollar and talk about the importance of having a healthy...

#167 - Have you ever wished you had more time in the day? I’m sure we all have. There are certainly days, or seasons, where we feel busier than ever and like we’re having trouble managing our time well, and the only solution would simply be to have more of it. However, as we know, we’re all given the same amount of time each day. On today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our friend Brian...

#166 - Being a leader in today’s world is already hard enough, but throw being a young leader into the mix and it can feel like drinking from a firehouse. In today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our friend Lauren Jackson and speak to a few of the tendencies we see in young leaders and how to best point those gifts, abilities, and passion in a direction that helps push vision forward an...

#165 - Have you ever found yourself wondering how you can create momentum within your ministry that gets people excited to attend, participate, and serve? If you’ve been in ministry for longer than a day, we’re sure you have. In today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our friend Rachel Eugene and talk about practical ways to create a buzz in your ministry that helps build your ministry on...

#164 - Did you know that kids who serve with their families in ministry are far more likely to stay connected to Christ through and beyond High School? We hear so often that young people are leaving the church in droves - but rather than ask why they are leaving, let’s ask why they’re staying. On today’s episode of the podcast, we sit down with our good friend Kimberly Stuart to discuss “Love Corp...