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In the American West in the late-1800s, the search for dinosaur bones created the Bone Wars in which two paleontologists battled one another in their pursuit of making the most historic find. One writer noted how the two “used underhanded methods to try to outdo the other in the field, resorting to bribery, theft, and the destruction of bones.” He noted how, in trying to ruin each other’s work, both destroyed their own reputations as well.

Conflict and competition are inevitable in our broken world. How we choose to engage those conflicts reveals what’s in our hearts. Paul learned of conflict between two women in the church at Philippi and wrote, “I plead with Euodia and I plead with Syntyche to be of the same mind in the Lord.” He asked a fellow believer to “help these women since they have contended at my side in the cause of the gospel” (Philippians 4:2–3).

When we find ourselves at odds with fellow believers in Jesus, we need the Spirit’s help. As we submit to His work in our hearts, He’ll help us demonstrate the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22). We’ll experience healing and peace—if not for our own reputations, for the reputation of Christ and the gospel.

What’s actually happening to the church in America and why does it matter beyond Sunday morning? In this episode I’m joined by Ryan Burge, a social scientist who studies religion in the U.S. and brings long-term data, charts, and lived pastoral experience into a conversation often driven by fear or nostalgia. We discuss his book The Vanishing Church, the quiet decline of the moderate church, the rise of polarization inside Christianity, and how broader cultural tribalism has reshaped faith communities. We also explore the growth of the religious “nones,” why church closures are happening steadily but largely unnoticed, and what’s lost when the church can no longer function as a space where people learn how to live together across difference.

Ryan Burge is professor of practice at the John C. Danforth Center on Religion and Politics at Washington University in St. Louis. Before that he was an associate professor of political science at Eastern Illinois University, and was also the graduate coordinator. He has authored over thirty peer-reviewed articles and book chapters alongside four books about religion and politics in the United States. He has written for the New York Times, POLITICO, and the Wall Street Journal. He has also appeared in an NBC Documentary, on Full Frontal with Samantha Bee, as well as 60 Minutes which called him, “one of the country’s leading data analysts on religion and politics.” He served as a pastor in the American Baptist Church for over twenty years, leading First Baptist Church of Mount Vernon, IL for 17.5 years until its closure in July 2024. He has been married to his wife Jacqueline for over seventeen years. They have two boys.

Ryan's Book:

The Vanishing Church

Ryan's Recommendation:

Dominion

Connect with Joshua: [email protected]

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Carey Nieuwhof unveils 7 disruptive church trends to track in 2026. The trends include Gen Z leading a surge in young church attendance and a rise in women exiting the Christian faith.

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How bold are your prayers? As John Wesley crossed the Atlantic, he was reading in his cabin and became aware of heavy winds knocking the ship off course. He responded in prayer. A colleague wrote it down:

Almighty and everlasting God…Thou holdest the winds in thy fists and sittest upon the water floods…command those winds and these waves that they obey Thee. Take us speedily and safely to the haven whither we would go.

Having offered the prayer, Wesley took up his book and continued reading. On deck his colleague found calm winds and the ship on course. Wesley made no mention of the answered prayer. His friend wrote, So fully did he expect to be heard that he took it for granted he was heard.

How bold are your prayers?

Read more Glory Days: Living Your Promised Land Life Now

For more inspirational messages please visit Max Lucado.

In this Leader to Leader episode of The Multiplication Factor, Scott Brown sits down with Albert Reyes, President & CEO of Buckner International, a 146-year-old global ministry serving vulnerable children, families, and seniors.

Reyes shares how spiritual formation at home, a life of service, and intentional investment in people have shaped his leadership—and how culture, not strategy alone, fuels lasting multiplication.

1. A Legacy Rooted in Scripture (01:03–02:18)

• Buckner International was founded after the Civil War to serve orphans and widows

• Anchored in James 1:27 as a guiding vision for compassionate service

• Reyes serves as the sixth president in nearly a century and a half of ministry

2. Spiritual Formation Begins at Home (02:18–03:31)

• Faith was modeled daily by his parents—not outsourced to the church

• Scripture reading, discipleship, and service were woven into family life

• Leadership fruit flows from early, faithful investment

3. Serving Others as a Way of Life (03:31–04:34)

• Lessons from poverty shaped a lifelong commitment to humility and service

• Education and opportunity are meant to be stewarded for others

• Jesus’ model of servant leadership becomes the pattern

4. Feeding on Scripture Daily (04:34–06:14)

• A slower, more reflective approach to Bible reading and journaling

• Scripture as daily nourishment—“never miss a meal”

• Ongoing learning through sermons, podcasts, and trusted teachers

5. Multiplication Through Modeling (06:14–07:33)

• Values are more “caught than taught”

• Incarnational leadership—letting others observe faith in action

• Investment happens through proximity and example

6. People Before Programs (07:33–08:52)

• Staff treated as the organization’s “number one customer”

• Leading with care, prayer, and personal connection

• Healthy internal culture multiplies external impact

7. Culture Is the CEO’s Calling (08:52–09:19)

• The CEO as chief cultural architect

• Culture sustains vision when strategy alone cannot

• Christlike character fuels long-term growth

8. Honoring Past Leaders & Embracing the Future (09:19–10:45)

• Grace for previous leaders and their contexts

• Leadership transitions require patience and perspective

• Eighteen years of steady groundwork now bearing fruit

9. A Bold Vision for Growth (10:45–12:14)

• Board-approved expansion plans for retirement communities and family services

• Disruptive questions opened doors to national growth beyond Texas

• A season of execution, expansion, and renewed mission impact

Albert Reyes is President & CEO of Buckner International, leading one of the oldest and most respected faith-based human service organizations in the U.S. and abroad. His leadership is shaped by Scripture, service, and a deep commitment to multiplying leaders and mission impact.

Leader to Leader is a Christian Leadership Alliance podcast series highlighting transformational leaders and the ways God multiplies fruit through faithful leadership.

Follow and subscribe to the Leader to Leader Podcast on CLATV in the Godcaster.fm app or wherever you listen.

Learn more about the sponsor: faithsearchpartners.com

In this Leader to Leader episode of The Multiplication Factor, Scott Brown sits down with Albert Reyes, President & CEO of Buckner International, a 146-year-old global ministry serving vulnerable children, families, and seniors.

1. A Legacy Rooted in Scripture (01:03–02:18)

Buckner International was founded after the Civil War to serve orphans and widows

Anchored in James 1:27 as a guiding vision for compassionate service

Reyes serves as the sixth president in nearly a century and a half of ministry

2. Spiritual Formation Begins at Home (02:18–03:31)

Faith was modeled daily by his parents—not outsourced to the church

Scripture reading, discipleship, and service were woven into family life

Leadership fruit flows from early, faithful investment

3. Serving Others as a Way of Life (03:31–04:34)

Lessons from poverty shaped a lifelong commitment to humility and service

Education and opportunity are meant to be stewarded for others

Jesus’ model of servant leadership becomes the pattern

4. Feeding on Scripture Daily (04:34–06:14)

A slower, more reflective approach to Bible reading and journaling

Scripture as daily nourishment—“never miss a meal”

Ongoing learning through sermons, podcasts, and trusted teachers

5. Multiplication Through Modeling (06:14–07:33)

Values are more “caught than taught”

Incarnational leadership—letting others observe faith in action

Investment happens through proximity and example

6. People Before Programs (07:33–08:52)

Staff treated as the organization’s “number one customer”

Leading with care, prayer, and personal connection

Healthy internal culture multiplies external impact

7. Culture Is the CEO’s Calling (08:52–09:19)

The CEO as chief cultural architect

Culture sustains vision when strategy alone cannot

Christlike character fuels long-term growth

8. Honoring Past Leaders & Embracing the Future (09:19–10:45)

Grace for previous leaders and their contexts

Leadership transitions require patience and perspective

Eighteen years of steady groundwork now bearing fruit

9. A Bold Vision for Growth (10:45–12:14)

Board-approved expansion plans for retirement communities and family services

Disruptive questions opened doors to national growth beyond Texas

A season of execution, expansion, and renewed mission impact

Albert Reyes is President & CEO of Buckner International, leading one of the oldest and most respected faith-based human service organizations in the U.S. and abroad. His leadership is shaped by Scripture, service, and a deep commitment to multiplying leaders and mission impact.

Leader to Leader is a Christian Leadership Alliance podcast series highlighting transformational leaders and the ways God multiplies fruit through faithful leadership.

Follow and subscribe to the Leader to Leader Podcast on CLATV in the Godcaster.fm app or wherever you listen.

Learn more about the sponsor: faithsearchpartners.com

“Culture eats strategy for lunch—but Christlike character multiplies fruit for a lifetime.”

When writing teacher Peter Turchi sees a map, he looks for the adventure it holds. “To ask for a map,” he says, “is to say, ‘Tell me a story.’ ” I seized on that idea when preparing to teach a Sunday school class during Christmas on the “Faith of the Wise Men.” As I studied maps, I learned the Magi traveled some nine hundred miles—perhaps over several months—to find the Christ child, finally finding not a babe in a manger but a toddler living with His parents in a house. Their reaction after such a long trip? “They bowed down and worshiped him” (Matthew 2:11).

Their journey invited my students and me to plan with intention to seek Christ more fully. As Scripture tells us, when the Magi finally arrived in Jerusalem, their urgent question was: “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him” (v. 2).

Distance didn’t deter their worship. Nor did danger or delays. Herod’s deadly demand was ironic: “Go and search carefully for the child” (v. 8). Nobody had searched more carefully for Jesus than the Magi.

We can heed the example of the wise men by seeking Christ carefully, too. Then, as we worship Him, we can expect our heavenly Father to speak to our hearts, leading us from old ways to new paths to journey with Him.

Today, we’ll hear about:

• A son who’s concerned his father’s retirement demands are unreasonable

• A businessman wrestling with his decision to fire an employee

• An athletic director considering a move that could cost him his staff

• A business owner resistant to the growth of his company

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Nonprofit leaders often feel stuck between wanting to make a real impact and struggling to get people to care. With attention spans shrinking and skepticism about charitable giving growing, how do you break through the noise and actually inspire action? You're constantly trying to build trust with donors and rally support, but even when the mission is noble, the response can feel underwhelming. What if your biggest hurdle isn't the cause itself, but the way you're communicating it?

In this episode, host Kyle Reed sits down with Scott Harrison, founder of Charity: Water, to uncover how a simple, clear message has raised over $1 billion and served more than 20 million people. Scott shares how he turned birthdays into global fundraisers, built trust with a 100% donation model, and why nonprofits must innovate their messaging like any modern brand. Tune in for practical messaging insights that apply to every mission-driven leader.

Help Scott continue giving people access to clean water at: https://www.charitywater.org/

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