Podcasts

Demographics expert, church consultant and author Tom Bandy gives us the latest scoop on Mission Impact v3.0. He also talks about the difference between strategic planning and strategic thinking. (And why strategic thinking moves us forward.)

Ministering to thousands of people each weekend at the four Grace Church campuses near Cape Coral, Fla., takes leadership, trust and “appropriate vulnerability.” Listen in as Pastor Jorge Acevedo explains how it’s built over time.

Creating a new dinner church may be easier than you think. Sit down with Matt Kreh, pastor of Gunnisonville and Bath UMC just outside of Lansing. Hear about how God is working to change culture and open minds, one pizza slice at a time.

Dinner church is anything but your mother’s (or grandmother’s) church potluck. Hear from Kendall Vanderslice, writer, baker and dinner-church researcher. She is author of We Will Feast: Rethinking Dinner, Worship, and the Community of God. 

Hang out with the team from Cornerstone UMC and learn the top two questions visitors ask themselves (and what you can do to get them to return). Plus, see how they grow their small groups in a surprisingly short time.

Jon Ferguson is co-founding pastor of Community Christian Church, which has reached thousands of new people in Chicagoland. When it comes to multiplying God’s kingdom, Jon says you don’t need a megachurch. One extra leader will do. 

Lia McIntosh serves as the Associate Director of Congregational Excellence for the Missouri Annual Conference. In this role, McIntosh collaborates with and coaches pastors and laity to launch new  congregations and revitalize existing ones. 

Rev. Paul Nixon, a New Church strategist, author, and church coach, talks about niche ministries, Readiness 360, and even alligator church (hey, that could be a thing). 

Rev. Dr. Audrey B. Warren wrote the book on Fresh Expressions (literally). Our interview with the senior pastor of First United Methodist Church of Miami covers a lot about Fresh Expressions, particularly in her native Florida. Basically, if you can dream up a place where two or three can gather and have a meal, a drink, […]

How might congregations look for the world through their local churches? The Rev. Kennetha Bigham-Tsai, chief connectional ministries officer for the Connectional Table of the United Methodist Church, talks adaptive leadership and the global church on our podcast this month with Reach’s Tom Arthur.  Listen to the interview with Dr. Bigham-Tsai to hear more about the […]

This month’s podcast is a conversation I had with Noel Jesse Heikkinen, pastor of Riverview Church, a large multi-site church in the Lansing region. Noel and I happened to be on sabbatical during the same summer. When I had my first District Superintendent introductory meeting with the leadership of Sycamore Creek nine years ago, I negotiated […]

Dr. Elaine Heath’s not nervous about the changing landscape of American churches. In fact, this time of evolution might open  new doors for the Holy Spirit to move in missional ways. 

Pastor Tim Otto’s church doesn’t look like many others. At the Church of the Sojourners in San Francisco, everyone recreates on Sunday mornings. Worship happens most Sunday nights. No one works more than 32 hours a week; everyone shares money. The most important meeting? Dinner. What could traditional churches learn from this more intimate setting?

New Life Church is a multisite church based in Chicago — and if you’re familiar with the concept, chances are you’ve heard about its successes. Twenty-some locations; forty-some worship services. How does the team make that work?  New Life Lead Pastor Mark Jobe talks with Reach Resources about the church’s reach and vision.

Church on the Run, Church in a Fishing Boat, Church at the Burrito Joint … the list goes on. Pastor Kris Beckert, trainer and missions strategist with Fresh Expressions, is convinced church can happen wherever the people are.  Beckert shares practical suggestions and ideas about forming the relationships that help us spread the good news. 

Fundraising flop? Service slump? Vocational vacillation? Christian Coon knows how you feel. We talked with him about getting beyond the pit of despair that comes after a fail. Coon is the co-founder and lead pastor at Urban Village Church in Chicago and author of Failing Boldly: How Falling Down in Ministry Can Be the Start of […]

Is your congregation known as “the church that …”  How could vital mergers position your church to better reach out to your community? Podcast guests Margie Bryce and Scott Walsh address the mission, the positive signs, and “givin’ them heaven.”

Podcast guest multi-site church consultant Wade Burnett talks about who launches multi-site venues and how you can begin to envision that model for your church.

Podcast guest Bishop William H. Willimon talks about theology and why it matters on the ground in our churches.

Beth Estock, one of the “foremost futurists” in the church and a consultant with the Epicenter Group, talks candidly about leading and living into our callings in this post-Christendom society. 

Jim Griffith, of Griffith Coaching, talks about what established churches can learn from new churches.

Olu Brown of Impact Church (one of the fastest growing churches in America) talks about leadership lessons through the eyes of Moses.