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

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Ben Mandrell are joined by Carey and Toni Nieuwhof, author of Before You Split. They discuss the following questions:

* An overview of your background* How did being in the pastorate affect your marriage and this book?* What was the transition like going from being lawyers to being in the ministry?* What was your viewpoint like as Carey's spouse?* What tips do you have on starting to attack this problem instead of watching it wither?

BEST QUOTES

"Leading up to my burnout there was a lot of strife in our marriage." - Carey Nieuwhof"There were times where our personal struggle was so intense that it was hard to be at church on Sundays - for both of us." - Toni Nieuwhof"At the end of the day, emotional maturity is spiritual maturity and emotional immaturity is spiritual immaturity." - Carey Nieuwhof"It was a real bone of contention between us that there was so much success outside of our home but so much tension between us." - Toni Nieuwhof"If you are winning at work, but you are losing at home, you are losing." - Carey Nieuwhof"I want the people closest to me to be the people most grateful for me." - Carey Nieuwhof"One of the problems that I've seen is the natural human tendency to be blinded by a victim narrative." - Toni Nieuwhof"The problem with the victim narrative is that it allows us to take ourselves off the hook." - Toni Nieuwhof"Leadership is so hard, our marriage was hard, and what I would do was look for the one thing I could control." - Carey Nieuwhof"Whatever you can do to bring down the conflict level and take some of the intensity out of what is going on between you relationally is a great first focus, but that's something you may need a counselor's help with." - Toni Nieuwhof"Your spouse cannot bear the weight of being your only friend." - Toni Nieuwhof

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

Lifeway.com/CoronaVirus

Before You Split by Toni Nieuwhof

Didn't See It Coming by Carey Nieuwhof

The Emotionally Healthy Church by Pete Scazzero

Smart Family Podcast

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Chandler Vannoy is joined by Matt Carter, lead pastor of Sagemont Church in Houston, Texas. They discuss changing culture in an established church and the power of encouragement.

BEST QUOTES

"One of the biggest things I am facing is how do you honor the legacies of the past but then transition this church that hired you because they want you to help them?""How do you keep the DNA of the organization that is good, and right, and healthy, but at the same time transition the culture in the areas that need to be transitioned without causing World War III?""Culture is something you can change.""I'm trying to instill a culture of excellence in the church.""The goal is to not just come to church and hear preaching but to live on mission wherever God has them.""There's no such thing as a non-missional Christian.""Raising the missional temperature in the church, I think, is done a lot through the pulpit.""I have realized the power of encouragement in my own life, so I am trying to walk around and make sure people know I appreciate them.""Place your wife first before your ministry.""Lead from gentleness and humility."

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

Lifeway.com/CoronaVirus

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Chandler Vannoy are joined by Dr. Henry Cloud, author of Boundaries and Necessary Endings. They discuss how trauma affects decision making and how pruning away healthy things is actually helpful in following intended vision.

BEST QUOTES

"A lot of times in high performers, their unprocessed hurt does their thinking for them.""If you are going to get from where you are today to wherever you've decided your vision is, it won't happen unless you let go of some things you are doing today.""Over time you have a different audience, a different demographic, a different emphasis in the mission, and it's very difficult for people to create a necessary ending.""That's leadership: to figure out what's got to end.""There's no such thing in the New Testament as people taking up resources and not being accountable for a return on that investment.""If you look at COVID, a lot of people are having to prune ways they used to do church and create stuff for the new season.""We have been trying to get more focused on equipping people on the crucial life skills.""The biggest challenge for any parent or spouse right now is focus."

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

Lifeway.com/CoronaVirus

5LQ Episode 404: Necessary Endings Book Breakdown

Boundaries by Dr. Henry Cloud & Dr. John Townsend

Necessary Endings by Dr. Henry Cloud

Changes That Heal by Dr. Henry Cloud

Churches That Heal

Nudge by Richard Thaler and Cass Sunstein

The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk

Boundaries.me

Leadership University

For instant access to 100 of Dr. Cloud's leadership videos for free text "CLOUD" to 33777

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Chandler Vannoy are joined by Andrew Peterson, musician and author. They discuss the following questions:

* What is a conflict or failure that has benefited you in your leadership?* Who or what has been the greatest leadership influence in your life?* What book would you gift yourself as a young leader?* If you could teach any course on any topic, what would it be?* When you look at from a Scriptural stand point and from who we are as being created in the image of God, what does that mean?

BEST QUOTES

"There is a tendency in our current climate to be really afraid of being wrong and it can make you second guess everything.""Being wrong is one of the best things you can be, and what I mean by that is that being wrong forces you to experience mercy and humility and teaches you how to ask for forgiveness.""The thing that is way better than getting it right every time is being humble enough to know that you can't get it right every time.""Tipping into my 40s wasn't the death of a person, it was like the death of some dreams. It felt like the were things in me dying to make room for other things God had for me.""There have been so many ups and downs over the years, by the time I hit 40 this massive tidal wave of grief slammed into me.""Helping people see that no matter what their gifting is, they are called to speak light into the world and bring order out of chaos and build the kingdom of God in a creative way.""I think people need to be given permission sometimes to think of themselves as creatives, they don't realize that they have this bright fire of the image of God burning in them and the world needs that light.""You are always building a kingdom. The question is, whose kingdom are you building?"

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

Lifeway.com/CoronaVirus

Adorning the Dark by Andrew Peterson

On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness by Andrew Peterson (Wingfeather Saga Book #1)

North! Or Be Eaten by Andrew Peterson (Wingfeather Saga Book #2)

The Monster in the Hollows by Andrew Peterson (Wingfeather Saga Book #3)

The Warden and the Wolf King by Andrew Peterson (Wingfeather Saga Book #4)

5LQ Episode 387: Andrew Peterson

Walking On Water by Madeleine L'Engle

A Grief Observed by C.S. Lewis

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Chandler Vannoy are joined by Tony Evans, founding president of The Urban Alternative and senior pastor of Oak Cliff Bible Fellowship. They discuss how God can use the church to fix society issues and what he has learned about preaching virtually throughout this year.

BEST QUOTES

"Whenever God does a divine disruption, it's because He is after a divine reset.""God doesn't skip the church house to fix the White House.""When you understand the biblical theology which leads you to the systematic theology, it will affect your interpretation.""We are focusing on two things: kingdom discipleship and kingdom impact.""We want to have a kingdom, not a cultural, impact.""We call every member once a month to check on them.""I try to study to grow, not just study to teach, but I will teach what is helping me to grow.""You have to know your flock, you have to know yourself, and you have to merge the two by the Holy Spirit.""The table is the single best way to lead, guide, govern, encourage, and bless a family.""Leading a family and leading in the ministry is a big deal, but so many small things get in the way and hinder that."

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

Lifeway.com/CoronaVirus

The Urban Alternative

The Tony Evans Study Bible

The Tony Evans Bible Commentary

Final Destiny by Joseph Dillow

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Chandler Vannoy are joined by Louie Giglio, pastor at Passion City Church and original visionary of the Passion movement. They discuss the following questions:

* What is the plot shift in this book?* What issues are young people 8 to 12 facing today that you are most hopeful that they will be encouraged by through what you wrote in this book?* What advice would you share for preaching or discipling parents to wrestle with their own giants?* How can the giant of addiction manifest itself in kids 8 to 12 today?* How can this book impact the spiritual and emotional health of the entire family?

BEST QUOTES

"When you are talking about the greatness of God and creation, your best audience for that is kids.""If you can start talking about anger when you are 11 and not when you are 41, why wouldn't you want to start doing that?""The big twist is understanding that we are not David in the story of David and Goliath, and if there is anytime to make that shift it is when you are talking to a 9 to 12 year old.""Jesus is David in the story of David and Goliath, and Jesus through His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to the right hand of God has already taken down every single giant.""Most 9 and 10 year olds are already struggling with anxiety on some level.""The very best thing a parent can do for their kids is to get help.""How will our kids see Jesus glorified? By letting Him bring forth victory in our life.""If we preach the Word week by week by week, we will be calling people up to who they are and calling people up to the giants that are standing right in front of them.""If Mom and Dad fall in love with Jesus and have a revival, then the kids are going to get to watch revival.""If you look at a household of young teens, you will see a lot of habits that are simply coping mechanisms and that is addiction.""Addiction is saying I don't think Jesus can help me with this so I want to find another lane to get in to help me cope, and those seeds are sown at ages 9 to 11."

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

Lifeway.com/CoronaVirus

5LQ Episode 54: Louie Giglio

5LQ Episode 261: Louie Giglio

5LQ Episode 361: Louie Giglio

Goliath Must Fall by Louie Giglio

Goliath Must Fall for Young Readers by Louie Giglio

Goliath Must Fall Bible Study by Louie Giglio

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Chandler Vannoy are joined by Doug Paul, author of Ready or Not. They discuss how what is happening today helps churches innovate and how it is a myth that we must be successful by the age of 30.

BEST QUOTES

"The big idea around the book is that innovation is a skill set you can learn.""On a spiritual level, pastors were seeing that there is a big difference between church being programs that we run versus church being a group of people that God has trusted us to lead.""I wanted to dig into the history and the stories of the people of God to write something that would be able to change both people's minds and hearts at the same time.""There is gold that COVID is giving us right now if we will do a little bit of extra work each week to think through, what have I learned this week from where we are that we can multiply into the future?""From 6:00-8:00 everyday is just with our family. There are no screens, we are just being together.""One of the common myths in our culture is that you need to have made your mark by the time you are 30.""What if the best ministry of your life happens when you are between the ages of 55 and 75 and everything that happens before 55 is just training?"

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

Lifeway.com/CoronaVirus

Ready or Not by Doug Paul

Outliers by Malcolm Gladwell

The Innovator's Dilemma by Clayton Christensen

Range by David Epstein

The First 20 Hours by Josh Kaufman

"The First 20 Hours - How to Learn Anything" Ted Talk by Josh Kaufman

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Chandler Vannoy are joined by Ron Edmondson, Intentional Interim Pastor at First Baptist Clarksville, former president of Leadership Network, and host of the Ron Edmondson Leadership Podcast. They discuss the following questions:

* What is an intentional interim? * How have you navigated making changes during this season?* How do you help a church get a healthy church culture through the pastoral search process?* Steps for starting a search committee and picking the members?* Once a committee is formed, how do you lead a search committee?* How much should the previous pastor or an interim pastor help in the search process?* What are some practical steps to take once that potential candidate has been chosen?* For a pastor who is the potential candidate, what advice would you share?* What have been some challenges that you have had to navigate during this pastoral search process?

BEST QUOTES

"I'm here with an intentionality to help the church be ready for its next pastor.""I spent the first month or so creating my big bucket list. I am looking for the big items that need to be changed so the church can move forward in a healthy way in the years to come.""The church wants a pastor, especially a church that has been without a pastor for a couple of years, and they are often willing to change a little bit, more than they normally would, because of that.""Look for godly people who can remain unified throughout the process.""The previous pastor probably needs to be involved less, because churches typically go a different direction when they pick the next pastor.""Think on behalf of the potential candidate and their family. Treat them well.""Life's too short and the kingdom is too important to not vet it and make sure this is the right place for you.""Include the spouse and give them the freedom to ask their own questions.""It's kind of like speed dating because you go through all the motions and emotions with these candidates and then they decide not to come or you decide they aren't quite the right fit."

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

Lifeway.com/CoronaVirus

Ron Edmondson Leadership Podcast

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Chandler Vannoy are joined by Ben Trueblood, Director of Student Ministry at Lifeway, and Zac Workun, Student Ministry Specialist for Lifeway and cofounder of Youth Ministry Booster. They discuss the following questions:

* What stories are you hearing about how student pastors are responding to this COVID situation and disruption?* What are the creative ways you are hearing for student ministries innovating around not being able to go to camp?* What are some things that student pastors with senior pastors knew, in general? What do they wish they knew in light of COVID?* How does a student pastor lead up effectively to a senior pastor?* What should the mentoring relationship look like between the senior pastor and the student pastor?

BEST QUOTES

"This is a really fascinating season to see student ministers in a season of forced innovation.""The barrier of trying to get Wednesday night ready kept them from being deeply relational as they hoped to be with parents, with students, with leaders.""It's provided an environment for leaders to be with a smaller group of students in order to get to know them more.""I wish my senior pastor knew how much I wanted him to be invested in my life personally.""Part of what I wish more senior pastors knew about their student pastor were more clearly defined expectations for success." "Are we having honest enough conversations about what we fear and what we are frustrated by or also what we are trying to work toward?""With grace, and it depends on the relationship, but to be able to help your pastor connect in a virtual environment is a way student pastors can lead up.""Student pastors are engaged with the most digital people on the planet.""In a season of unknown, the really courageous leadership posture is to say, 'I don't know.'""There's a lot of things that we can do as the missionary preparers for these young people to help them understand the ways in which they can impact culture and not just try to appropriate church into whatever platform they are on.""There is a lot that cannot happen inside of a staff meeting. There is a lot that can happen in the honest conversations between a pastor who has been in it for 30 years and a pastor who has been in it for 3 years or less."

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

Ministry Grid

Lifeway.com/CoronaVirus

Youth Ministry Booster

Within Reach: The Power of Small Changes in Keeping Students Connected by Ben Trueblood

Student Ministry That Matters: 3 Elements of a Healthy Student Ministry by Ben Trueblood

A Different College Experience: Following Christ in College by Ben Trueblood & Brian Mills

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Chandler Vannoy are joined by Adam Weber, founder and lead pastor of Embrace Church. They discuss the following questions:

* What do your Sunday services look like in the midst of COVID?* What were ways you were reviewing what success was during an ambiguous time?* What are you doing in specific ministry areas?* What's the tension of deciding when to continue something and when to cut it?* What is an obstacle that turned out to be a blessing throughout this process?* How have you adapted existing staff and volunteer responsibilites to meet your current needs?

BEST QUOTES

"It's easy to forget about online services when you have a full room.""It's very different to review what is happening in the room than what is happening online.""One of the things I loved about COVID, we found things in our staff we never knew they had as far as giftings.""We pride ourselves on being a really simple church and it has gotten more complex because of this.""Online is critical, whether you like it or not.""We are trying to figure out what we are going to do really, really well.""If there is anything you have wanted to trim, COVID is a perfect opportunity to do just that.""Staff discouragement has been the biggest obstacle.""It has been powerful to share stories more than ever. We are really trying to put stories into video and share them as much as possible.""We've challenged people to go outside the church walls and be the hands and feet of Jesus and we will put $2,000 behind you.""It's amazing how good will opens up the doors to share about Jesus."

RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network

Lifeway.com/CoronaVirus

The Conversation with Adam Weber Podcast

Talking With God by Adam Weber

Love Has a Name by Adam Weber

5LQ Episode 176: Adam Weber