unSeminary Podcast

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Mary DeMuth today, an international speaker, podcaster, and author of nearly fifty books. You may have read through the Bible in a year, but have you considered reading the entirety of scripture in just 90 days? In today’s conversation, Mary shares how this 90-day challenge started as a personal practice for her and has since revolut...

A New Metric for Success: The January Bump Traditionally, we judge the success of our Christmas services by the number of attendees. But what if we shifted our focus to what I like to call the ‘January bump’? Imagine measuring success not just by the numbers during Christmas but by the increase in attendance we see in January. This approach pushes us to think strategically about how we...

Thanks for tuning in to the unSeminary podcast. We’re happy to be talking with Stan Jantz today, the Chief Executive Officer of The Come and See Foundation . In partnership with ministries around the world, Come and See is on a mission to share the authentic Jesus with 1 billion people worldwide. Throughout history, followers of Christ have used any means possible to take the good news out i...

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re talking with Brittany Crimmel , a Production Director at Saddleback Church in California. There is a leadership crisis in the local church with so many churches struggling to know how to find and develop people. However, by participating in internships and residencies, churches can contribute to developing the next generation of leaders. Listen a...

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. We’re chatting with Ian Borkent from C3 Rivers Church in the Netherlands. Ian also started the ministry Grow a Healthy Soul to help church leaders take care of their souls. Church leaders often focus on metrics such as attendance, salvations and finances to gauge the health of their church, but there are other health metrics to look at as well. The health of...

Thanks for joining us on the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking again with William Vanderbloemen, the founder and CEO of Vanderbloemen Search Group, an organization that helps identify executive talent and matches value-based organizations with like-minded people. When it comes to hiring the best people, what factors cause them to shine? How can you learn to identify these qualities in a potential...

Welcome to the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re talking with Mark Briggs , the Executive Vice President of Ministry Lending at CDF Capital . CDF Capital is dedicated to helping churches solve problems and bridge the financial gap often faced when trying to expand and reach more people. Mark has been with CDF for over 20 years, helping churches finance their dreams and overcome financial barriers. ...

Welcome to the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re talking with Aaron Stanski , the founder and CEO of Risepointe , with fifteen years of church design and ministry leadership experience. Do you feel frustrated with your church building, or like it’s holding you back from fulfilling your mission? Aaron’s experience has given him unique insights into the common challenges churches face with...

Thanks for joining us for this episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re talking with Phil Ling , a renowned expert on generosity in the church and founder of The Giving Church . Did you know that in the average church in North America, 45% of the people that give a church money give less than $200 in a year? Listen in as Phil offers help on how to do an analysis of your giving, and coa...

Thanks for joining us for the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re talking with Ronee de Leon , the Director of Executive Project Management from Grace Fellowship , a multisite church in Ohio. Many churches have some sort of church management software and mountains of data. But figuring out how to make it actionable so you’re connecting with your congregation is a different story. Listen as Ronee...

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Nathan Nelson , Pastor of Mission and Outreach at Bethany Community Church in the Seattle, Washington region. Do you ever feel like short-term missions trips actually push against creating deep, lasting change in the communities you serve? Tune in as Nathan shares how to move beyond the trip itself to building lasting relationships w...

Thanks for joining the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re talking with Greg Curtis and Tommy Carreras . Greg is the Pastor of Guest Engagement at Eastside Christian Church , a multisite church in California, Nevada, and Minnesota. He’s also founder of Climbing the Assimalayas , a website focused on helping churches design an engagement pathway that fosters connection, enables discipleship and a...

Thanks for joining us on the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Karen Berge , the Executive Pastor of Ministry at Flatirons Community Church . They are one of the fastest growing churches in the country with five physical campuses in Colorado as well as church online. Many churches are able to say there are good things happening there. God is moving, people are coming to the Lord, a...

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today’s podcast is the second of a two-part series ( you can listen to part one of the podcast here ) with Kenny Jahng , an expert when it comes to using AI in the church, and the founder of Big Click Syndicate . In today’s episode we’re delving into the implications of AI, the fears surrounding it, and how it can be harnessed to help you i...

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today’s podcast is the first of a two-part series with my friend, Kenny Jahng , the founder of Big Click Syndicate which helps cause-driven organizations get their messages in front of the right audiences. Did you know the last 45 days of the year are crucial for charitable giving? Because people are thinking about being generous during this time, it&#...

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. This week we’re talking with Scott Freeman , the Pastor of Community at Grace Church in South Carolina. As a church expands, there is a constant tension to manage between growth and deep community. Grace Church has experienced significant growth over the years with ten campuses and over 250 community groups. Today Scott shares about their discipleship-driven...

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. This week I’m excited to be talking with Stephen Moore , the Director of WinShape Camps for Communities . WinShape, an organization started in 1985 by Truett Cathy, the founder of Chick-fil-A, started as a college program and has since grown into five different ministries, with focuses on professional development, marriages, foster care, college discip...

Thanks for tuning in for this week’s unSeminary podcast. We’re chatting with Kyle Isabelli , the lead pastor of Avenue Christian Church in the western suburbs of Chicago. Wondering how to connect with hurting people in your community who might not venture through your church’s doors? In today’s episode Kyle and I have a fantastic conversation about the church’s community ou...

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today we are joined by Father Peter Wojcik , pastor at Saint Clement Parish in Chicago. Do you struggle to engage Gen Z in your church? Do you want to invite younger generations into ministry, but aren’t sure where to start? Saint Clement is a dynamic Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Chicago which is having an amazing impact on its community. L...

Thanks for joining us for the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Evan Courtney , the Executive Pastor at The Fields Church in central Illinois. Have you ever experienced decline in your church or felt like everything was going wrong? Don’t miss this encouraging conversation as Evan testifies to the power of perseverance, overcoming obstacles that lead to new opportunities, and remaining...

Thanks for tuning into today’s unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Mike Mantel , the CEO of Living Water International . They are a faith-based global humanitarian organization that links arms with churches around the world to serve thirsty communities through access to safe drinking water, sanitation, and hygiene. What if the church of Jesus Christ could end the water crisis as it...

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. I’m talking with Chris Pappalardo and Clayton Greene from The Summit Church in Durham, North Carolina. Chris is Editor on the Creative Arts team and Clayton is the Summit Collaborative Director. Have you started planning for Christmas yet at your church? Are you looking for a way to help your congregation embrace the true meaning of the holiday amidst the hu...

Thanks for joining the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with coach and writer Michael Bungay Stanier , who is best known for his book, The Coaching Habit , which is the bestselling coaching book of the century. We all know that not all work relationships can be perfect, but how can we improve them? In today’s episode, Michael talks about his latest book How to Work with (Almost) Anyone: Fiv...

Thanks for tuning in to the unSeminary podcast. Today I’m talking with Léonce B. Crump Jr. and Warren Bird . Léonce is an author plus the co-founder and senior pastor of Renovation Church in Atlanta. Warren is a repeat guest on unSeminary. He works for the Evangelical Council for Financial Ability (ECFA) and is also the author of several books. Together, Léonce and Warren have coauthored a b...

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today I’m talking with Becca Pountney , the UK’s number one wedding business marketing expert and host of the podcast Wedding Pros Who Are Ready to Grow. Did you know that many wedding professionals have a negative perception of church weddings? From difficulty accessing church buildings and strict rules, to grumpy ministry staff and poor communi...