This week on Summer Shorts we’re very grateful to look back on our conversation with author Steve Foran. His book, “Surviving to Thriving: The Ten Laws of Grateful Leadership” help shine a light on some of the characteristics of great leaders that we may not have previously considered. We talk with Steve about his own story of becoming a grateful leader and why at every level of great leadership gratitude is a shared principle. This conversation helps reframe what a leader is and who the leaders are within our communities. This is such a unique viewpoint of leadership that we don’t consider nearly enough. If you want to learn more about Steve’s work and about his book, check out www.gratitudeatwork.ca.

Hospitality is something we take very seriously at Divine Renovation. It’s a ministry that we always recommend investing heavily in but sometimes the view from the inside is different than the view from the outside. Melanie Smollen of Faith Perceptions joins us on this episode of Summer Shorts to discuss “mystery shopping” at churches. What Melanie and her group have seen at churches across the continent should make us take a serious look at hospitality, especially as it relates to those who do not share our understanding of or history in the church. If you want to know what people think about your parish, have a seat and a listen.

This week on our Summer Shorts series we speak with someone who has had an enormous impact on our work at Divine Renovation. Brent Dolfo is a world-renowned leader in the field of pastoral leadership. This discussion with him about the early days of Divine Renovation, what he sees working and not working for pastors worldwide is wonderful. Brent offers a unique glimpse into the future of leadership and is a great place for pastors and lay people seek guidance and wisdom on missional leadership. There’s a lot packed into this 10 minute episode and we know you’ll enjoy it.

Most people know that we have invested heavily in Alpha at Divine Renovation. We do so because we have found it to be the most effective tool for evangelization. This week we call on our conversation with the National Director for Catholic Context at Alpha USA, Josh Danis. Josh shares his insights on the state of the church in the United States. We ask some very tough questions about the challenges that the Church is facing, in the US and beyond, and Josh does an incredible job of inspiring hope in us for our future. This is a powerful and poignant conversation. 

We get to talk to a large number of pastors on the podcast but it’s always interesting to hear the perspective of a few bishops. This week on Summer Shorts we talk with Bishop Thomas Dowd about some topics that most wouldn’t expect a Bishop to be talking about. Bishop Dowd speaks about social media, how he came to discern his calling, and what life is like for Bishops in Canada. This is a rare insight into church leadership that we think you’ll really enjoy. 

We’re never going to move forward unless we start moving forward and this week on the podcast we talk with an organization helping churches make that happen. Tithe.ly builds custom applications for parishes that help them connect with their parishioners, support prayer life, and increase giving. In this Summer Short we learn more about how Tithe.ly uses technology as an evangelization tool and how that’s impacting churches worldwide. For those looking for a great way to connect with the people in the pews, especially outside of mass, this is a must listen. 

We often say at the ministry that if we’re not changing lives, it doesn’t matter. Roxana Kreklo, National Director of Alpha for Prisons, is helping change lives. This week on Summer Shorts we dive into our conversation with Roxana and there was hardly a dry eye in the house. The impact that this program has on those that we have universally dismissed is incredible. The personal stories that she shares, and the impact of the work of Alpha for Prisons is saving lives, literally. 

Truly great leaders don’t create great followers, they raise up great, new leaders. This week on Summer Shorts we talk to Catholic Christian Outreach President Jeff Lockert about why lifting up leaders on campuses is so important and what it means for the future of the Catholic Church. Jeff’s working knowledge of mission and leadership, especially through Scripture, is unparalleled. This is a great conversation if you’re sending a child off to college anytime in the near of distant future. You won’t regret tuning into this episode focused on Christian leadership.

This week on Summer Shorts, we’re heading across the Atlantic. 2019 saw incredible growth and development in our UK parishes and an incredible experience of community at DR19UK. Leading up to the event, we were joined by Hannah Vaughan-Spruce to discuss the state of the Catholic Church in the UK. Through her work at Divine Renovation, she has seen lives changed and parishes renewed. We also talk about what she sees for the exciting future of Divine Renovation in the region. This is an incredibly personal conversation and if you want to know what mission looks like for parishes and pastors, the insights in this episode should not be missed.

This week on our Summer Shorts series we had our work cut out for us. How do you trim down so many incredible insights on leadership and relationships? Our team has taken the very best from our conversation with Brett Powell and created 10 minutes of thought-provoking, actionable conversation on Jesus and how we can balance ferocity and tenderness all while building into leadership. This is a can’t miss episode and if you want to know more about Brett and his work, check out www.brettpowell.org and www.wayoftheheartpodcast.