5 Leadership Questions Podcast on Church Leadership with Todd Adkins and Dan Iten

Jeff Vanderstelt is the visionary leader for the Soma Family of Churches and the lead teaching pastor at Doxa Church in Bellevue, Washington. When he isn’t preaching or mentoring church planters, he and his family share life with their missional community. Following Mark Driscoll’s resignation in 2014, Jeff has headed the care and leadership of Doxa Church, a new church plant born out of what was Mars Hill Bellevue. He is the author of Saturate: Being Disciples of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life.

We had a wonderful conversation with Jeff about his current role, the mission of Soma, the challenges of transition, and leading a new congregation.

Best Quotes

“You never really get to start anything new because you’re always dealing with people with a past.”

“I’m learning most from the people I’m trying to lead so I can care for them well and understand their situation.”

“How is the leadership health of our people?”

“Does this feel like a safe, grace-filled culture to share our struggles?”

“There’s a difference in having an organization commitment to disciple making and in training up your people to be disciples who make disciples.”

“We mourn our brokenness and rejoice in the grace of the gospel in the midst of it.”

“Forget the biblical requirements for elders, what is this person known for?”

“If you say you’re on mission but you don’t mention Jesus you’re on someone else’s mission.”

“I think it should be a goal that we talk about Jesus on a daily basis; that should be one of the metrics we’re aiming for in our own personal development.”

“When you walk into a church they already have a language. They’re the same words but they have their own meaning.”

“We’re measuring failure as a success because it means you tried.”

“My wife is the best person to give me feedback because she is the most affected by my poor or strong leadership.”

“The most important thing is character development and the only way to get character development is to have people you let speak into your life who get to tell you the truth about what they see.”

“Competencies will come, but if your character doesn’t get developed that will be the one thing that takes you out any way.”

Recommended Resources

Saturate by Jeff Vanderstelt

Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller

Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller

 

Jeff Vanderstelt is the visionary leader for the Soma Family of Churches and the lead teaching pastor at Doxa Church in Bellevue, Washington. When he isn’t preaching or mentoring church planters, he and his family share life with their missional community. Following Mark Driscoll’s resignation in 2014, Jeff has headed the care and leadership of Doxa Church, a new church plant born out of what was Mars Hill Bellevue. He is the author of Saturate: Being Disciples of Jesus in the Everyday Stuff of Life.

We had a wonderful conversation with Jeff about his current role, the mission of Soma, the challenges of transition, and leading a new congregation.

Best Quotes

“You never really get to start anything new because you’re always dealing with people with a past.”

“I’m learning most from the people I’m trying to lead so I can care for them well and understand their situation.”

“How is the leadership health of our people?”

“Does this feel like a safe, grace-filled culture to share our struggles?”

“There’s a difference in having an organization commitment to disciple making and in training up your people to be disciples who make disciples.”

“We mourn our brokenness and rejoice in the grace of the gospel in the midst of it.”

“Forget the biblical requirements for elders, what is this person known for?”

“If you say you’re on mission but you don’t mention Jesus you’re on someone else’s mission.”

“I think it should be a goal that we talk about Jesus on a daily basis; that should be one of the metrics we’re aiming for in our own personal development.”

“When you walk into a church they already have a language. They’re the same words but they have their own meaning.”

“We’re measuring failure as a success because it means you tried.”

“My wife is the best person to give me feedback because she is the most affected by my poor or strong leadership.”

“The most important thing is character development and the only way to get character development is to have people you let speak into your life who get to tell you the truth about what they see.”

“Competencies will come, but if your character doesn’t get developed that will be the one thing that takes you out any way.”

Recommended Resources

Saturate by Jeff Vanderstelt

Counterfeit Gods by Tim Keller

Every Good Endeavor by Tim Keller

 

“Organizational Culture” sounds like a buzzword of sorts and kind of a nebulous, indefinable one at that. What exactly is it? Is it important? In the latest episode of the 5 leadership Questions podcast Eric Geiger, the Vice President of the Resources Division at LifeWay, joins us to explore the following questions and help leaders figure out how to built a healthy culture in their organizations.

* What is organizational culture? Does every organization have one?

* What are the consequences for not actively building one?

* What is the starting point for a leader to create culture and how long should he or she expect it to take?

* What are culture killers that need to be eliminated and signs of a healthy culture that ought to be celebrated?

* How can a leader hire and fire in order to build the right kind of culture?

Listen or subscribe below.

“Organizational Culture” sounds like a buzzword of sorts and kind of a nebulous, indefinable one at that. What exactly is it? Is it important? In the latest episode of the 5 leadership Questions podcast Eric Geiger, the Vice President of the Resources Division at LifeWay, joins us to explore the following questions and help leaders figure out how to built a healthy culture in their organizations.

* What is organizational culture? Does every organization have one?

* What are the consequences for not actively building one?

* What is the starting point for a leader to create culture and how long should he or she expect it to take?

* What are culture killers that need to be eliminated and signs of a healthy culture that ought to be celebrated?

* How can a leader hire and fire in order to build the right kind of culture?

Listen or subscribe below.

Dave Ramsey is one of the best-known voices on personal finance in the world. His company, Ramsey Solutions, has helped millions of people get out of debt and learn budgeting and stewardship. He has written several New York Times best-sellers including More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. Churches across the United States use his Financial Peace University curriculum to help people grow in fiscal responsibility, savings, giving, and debt-relief. He hosts The Dave Ramsey Show which can be heard on 550 radio stations around the country.

We are thrilled to have Dave on the podcast this week for a lively conversation about leadership. His insights about leadership transitions, running a family business, and organizational culture are practical and helpful.

Best Quotes

“Success is standing on your pile of mistakes rather than lying under them.”

“We outwork most people. We’re not necessarily smarter than they are.”

“We don’t watch much TV; we read.”

“Fiction makes airplanes fly faster.”

“The average millionaire can’t tell you who got thrown off the island, who can’t dance, and who can’t get a date.”

“If you’re not a learner you’ve got a short shelf life.”

“It’s not hard to delegate if you trust someone’s competency and their integrity.”

“Transformation occurs when you have the overlap of knowledge, experience, and coaching.”

“People are your greatest blessing and your greatest curse.”

“In business and in leadership you have to believe way down deep in your soul that people matter. If you don’t believe that you become transactional rather than relational.”

“Transactional is selfish. Relational is selfless.”

Recommended Resources

DaveRamsey.com

Financial Peace University

Good to Great – Jim Collins

21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuck

Dave Ramsey is one of the best-known voices on personal finance in the world. His company, Ramsey Solutions, has helped millions of people get out of debt and learn budgeting and stewardship. He has written several New York Times best-sellers including More Than Enough, The Total Money Makeover, EntreLeadership and Smart Money Smart Kids. Churches across the United States use his Financial Peace University curriculum to help people grow in fiscal responsibility, savings, giving, and debt-relief. He hosts The Dave Ramsey Show which can be heard on 550 radio stations around the country.

We are thrilled to have Dave on the podcast this week for a lively conversation about leadership. His insights about leadership transitions, running a family business, and organizational culture are practical and helpful.

Best Quotes

“Success is standing on your pile of mistakes rather than lying under them.”

“We outwork most people. We’re not necessarily smarter than they are.”

“We don’t watch much TV; we read.”

“Fiction makes airplanes fly faster.”

“The average millionaire can’t tell you who got thrown off the island, who can’t dance, and who can’t get a date.”

“If you’re not a learner you’ve got a short shelf life.”

“It’s not hard to delegate if you trust someone’s competency and their integrity.”

“Transformation occurs when you have the overlap of knowledge, experience, and coaching.”

“People are your greatest blessing and your greatest curse.”

“In business and in leadership you have to believe way down deep in your soul that people matter. If you don’t believe that you become transactional rather than relational.”

“Transactional is selfish. Relational is selfless.”

Recommended Resources

DaveRamsey.com

Financial Peace University

Good to Great – Jim Collins

21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership by John Maxwell

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuck

Nobody likes meetings. That’s because most meetings set out to accomplish nothing and succeed wonderfully. In this episode of the podcast hosts Todd Adkins and Barnabas Piper and guest, Brad Lomenick, discuss 5 questions about how to make meetings less painful. As the former president and lead visionary of Catalyst Brad knows a thing or two about meetings and has some keen ideas about improving them. Todd is no slouch either as a former executive pastor at a large church and current director at one of the largest Christian resource companies in the world. If you want to help your organization or ministry sharpen up its meetings this podcast should be both useful and enjoyable.

Nobody likes meetings. That’s because most meetings set out to accomplish nothing and succeed wonderfully. In this episode of the podcast hosts Todd Adkins and Barnabas Piper and guest, Brad Lomenick, discuss 5 questions about how to make meetings less painful. As the former president and lead visionary of Catalyst Brad knows a thing or two about meetings and has some keen ideas about improving them. Todd is no slouch either as a former executive pastor at a large church and current director at one of the largest Christian resource companies in the world. If you want to help your organization or ministry sharpen up its meetings this podcast should be both useful and enjoyable.