Struggles often strip away the illusion of control. It's an unsettling process, but it can also be freeing. It reminds us to lean into trust rather than self-reliance.

Today, John and Jim welcome Jason Holdridge back to the mic for part two of their conversation on leadership and vulnerability. In this episode, Jason courageously shares his gripping journey with anxiety—and how he’s learned to navigate it while leading a vibrant and growing church. They close out the conversation with the powerful lessons anxiety has taught him, and how embracing those lessons has shaped him into a more effective, grounded, and authentic leader.

How open should a pastor be when it comes to sharing their personal struggles?

That is such a good question—and one a lot of pastors wrestle with. Today, John and Jim welcome Jason Holdridge to the mic. Jason is the lead pastor of Impact Church in Lowell, Michigan. They dive into Jason’s personal faith journey, his calling into vocational ministry, and the unexpected twists, surprises, and growth he has experienced over more than two decades of serving in ministry.

In Episode 284, John and Jim covered the first three of six inspirational thoughts from John's February vacation. Today in Episode 285, they present three more insights from his time soaking in God’s awe-inspiring and creative masterpieces.

It is amazing what God can reveal to us when we slow down and listen.

In today’s episode we unpack the first three of six inspirational moments from John’s vacation earlier this year. If you feel tired, or discouraged, or even a bit distant from God, this episode is the medicine you need.

In today’s episode John and Jim welcome Karl Vaters back to the mic to continue our conversation around his compelling book, De-Sizing the Church. Today Karl reveals what he is most optimistic about and most concerned about regarding pastors and the local churches they serve.

In today’s episode John and Jim welcome Karl Vaters to the mic to discuss his bestselling book, De-Sizing the Church. We dig into Karl’s research on the church growth movement and explore how discipleship and integrity are the answers to every problem a church encounters.

It’s not easy to finish. It’s even less easy to finish well. With the attrition of well-known ministry leaders over the past several years, you can begin to wonder, does anyone finish well?

The good news is that with intentionality, God’s help, and the help of our Christian community, we can finish with a flourish. In today’s podcast John & Jim consider three ideas that increase the chances of finishing our race in full stride.

The top contributor to pastoral burnout? The ongoing stress of the role. If you have answered the divine call to pastoral ministry, you have signed up for both a fulfilling and stressful journey. In today’s episode John and Jim work through five of the most stress-inducing realities of the pastoral role and then offer a practical tip to successfully navigate each of those five stressors.

Are you in pain today? Even while the organization you lead is growing? Growth, while often desirable, is usually accompanied by pruning, both in our personal and pastoral lives. And pruning often is joined by an unwelcome companion . . . pain. In today’s episode John and Jim outline four ways pruning brings more fruit into our life at home and at the church or ministry we lead.

You do not exist to cater to every whim of those you lead. It’s not good for them . . . or for you . . . nor the organization you lead. In today’s episode John and Jim explore three ideas that help leaders locate the middle ground between the extremes of people-pleasing yeses and people-dodging no’s.