Church Leadership Lab

In this episode, we sit down with Jeff Simmons, founding and lead pastor of Rolling Hills Community Church and president of Justice and Mercy International. 

Under Jeff's leadership, Rolling Hills has grown from 15 people in a bible study to several thousand across five campuses in the Nashville area.

In our conversation, we look at how church leaders can become effective and wise stewards of the money and resources entrusted to us by God.

We discuss things like:

• Creative ways to maximize resources and impact.
• Thinking outside the box when it comes to facilities.
• Embracing business tactics and strategies that align with biblical principles.
• Balancing big faith with wise stewardship.
• Technology's role in expanding outreach.

Join us as we hear from Jeff Simmons on understanding the business of ministry.

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In this episode, we sit down with Kris Crim, Director of Operations and former Director of Prevention for the Memphis Child Advocacy Center. Kris specializes in child sexual abuse prevention and response training.

We tackle the crucial topic of preventing child abuse within the church and learn from Kris's valuable insights and experiences.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Recognizing signs of child abuse.
• Creating church child protection policies.
• Education's role in abuse prevention.
• Legal obligations to report suspicions.
• Cultivating a church's culture of safety.

Join us as we dive into how churches can prevent child abuse and create a culture of safety with Kris Crim.

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In this episode, we sit down with Shaila Visser, the National Director of Alpha Canada and global Senior Vice-President for Alpha International.

We discuss the topic of evangelism, examine the recent shift in perspective on whether we should evangelize, and explore how church leaders can grow in awareness of the work God is already doing with people.

In this conversation, we cover:

• How to understand what evangelism IS and ISN'T.
• The role of awareness and availability in evangelism.
• Why views of evangelism are changing among church leaders.
• Ways to better understand the next generations and reach them.
• How signs and wonders play a role in evangelism.

Join us as we dive into what it looks like to change your perspective on evangelism with Shaila Visser.

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In this episode, we sit down with Blue Van Dyke, former Executive Pastor, International Marketplace Executive, Venture Capitalist, and the founder of The StudioC.

We explore the importance of alignment and engagement within the church, focusing on how to effectively communicate through member engagement and messaging strategies while leveraging technology and data to connect and better shepherd people.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• What actual member engagement looks like
• Using data for personalized church communication.
• How the church can learn from marketing best practices.
• Understanding the "science of messaging"
• Leveraging technology to help shepherd people.

Join us as we dive into why church communication often misses the mark and what church leaders can do about it with Blue Van Dyke.

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In this episode, we sit down with James Whitford, founder of Watered Gardens Ministries and the True Charity Initiative.

We explore how churches can transform their approach to serving the poor with dignity and sustainability.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Transitioning from relief to development.
• The harm of dependency in charity.
• Building long-term community relationships.
• Educating on effective charity.
• Socioeconomic diversity in churches.

Join us as we dive into how the church can effectively serve the poor with James Whitford.

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In this episode, we sit down with Ryan Brown, CEO of Open Doors USA, and an advocate for the persecuted church around the globe. With extensive experience in shepherding teams for Kingdom impact, he’s passionate about helping U.S. believers grow their faith as they connect with their persecuted family around the globe. 

In this conversation, we discuss:

• How the church in the US can gain awareness of global persecution.
• Why persecution is contributing to the growth of the global church.
• What church leaders can learn from those walking through persecution.
• How Open Doors USA helps to serve the church & church leaders.

Join us as we dive into a conversation on partnering with the persecuted church with Ryan Brown.

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In this episode, we sit down with Joanna la Fleur, speaker, podcaster, TV host, and communications consultant.

We look at the current digital landscape and how it's impacting ministry as well as the opportunities in front of us to reach more people.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Reaching people amid digital life.
• Strategic social media use for church growth.
• Embracing AI for church leadership efficiency.
• Live streaming services vs. genuine experiences.
• The role of criticism in growth and hospitality.

Join us as we dive into how churches can navigate the shifting digital landscape with Joanna la Fleur.

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In this episode, we hear teaching from the most recent Healthy Church Summit. Mark MacDonald teaches how you can find the common thread running through your ministry and then be known for it.

Hear from Jenni Catron as she helps us manage and steward our time well to accomplish what matters most.

Watch the Healthy Church Summit on demand: Watch Here

Download the “My Trust Building Checklist” from Jenni Catron the 4Sight Group team: Download Here

Get the “Be Known For Something Guide” from Mark MacDonald (Select “Healthy Church” for the recent conference): Access the Guide Here

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In this episode, we sit down with the co-founder of Missional Labs, Stephen Mulder. Stephen brings a passion for leadership development, the local church, and entrepreneurship together to support innovative, mission-minded leaders and startup organizations, working on the frontiers of evangelism, discipleship, and church planting

In this conversation, we discuss:

• Challenges of technology in discipleship.
• Cultivating innovation within the Church.
• Empowering ventures in global missions.
• Encouraging risk-taking and entrepreneurship.

Join us as we have a conversation with Stephen Mulder on fueling discipleship with innovation.

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In this episode, we sit down with Robert Blair, Executive Vice President of Payments here at Ministry Brands.

Robert brings decades of experience in financial services and tech to create the best digital tools that help churches grow in generosity.

In this conversation, we discuss:

• The state of church giving in 2024
• Strategies for increasing generosity in churches
• Overcoming barriers to digital giving
• Common traits among churches with growing generosity

Join us as we dive into the state of church giving in 2024 with Robert Blair.

Download the State of Church Giving 2024: Download Here

Register For the Healthy Church Summit here 👉 Register For The Healthy Church Summit

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