Leading Ideas Talks

Podcast Episode 187 What does sustainable leadership look like when ministry leaders are navigating constant demands, anxiety, and competing expectations? In this episode, Jonathan Page is joined by Margaret Marcuson, the author of Sustainable Ministry: How to Lead (and When to Nap). Together, they explore how clergy can lead with greater clarity, manage relationships and [...]

Podcast Episode 186 Collaboration is essential for the future of the church. In this episode Beth Ludlum, the Co-Director of The Hub for (Re)imagining Ministry and Vice President of Strategic Initiatives at Wesley Theological Seminary, shares how moving beyond ministry silos can create deeper relationships, greater creativity, and new possibilities for the church. She also [...]

Podcast Episode 184 What if the strongest leaders are not the loudest voices in the room? In this episode, Louis Kim, David McAllister-Wilson, and Jonathan Page explore how leadership rooted in humility, discernment, and relational wisdom can be more transformative than authority driven by control. Drawing from his experience in corporate leadership, theology, and artificial [...]

Podcast Episode 183 How can churches move from charity toward advocacy? In this episode, Angelique Walker-Smith draws from her work with Bread for the World to discuss the church’s responsibility to address hunger and poverty through both direct service and systemic change. She notes that moving beyond charity models and embracing advocacy is a core [...]

Podcast Episode 182 What makes people feel like they truly matter in your church? In a season where many are disengaging from church life, how can leaders help people feel truly seen and valued? In this episode, Jonathan Page talks with Zach Mercurio about his book The Power of Mattering, and how simple, everyday interactions [...]

Podcast Episode 181 This is part two of Loving Across the Divide: Conversations on Christian Nationalism. Part one is available here. In part two of the conversation on Christian Nationalism, Karen Stewart speaks with Caleb Campbell and Rachel Williams about the challenges of political and cultural division, exploring how Christians can navigate fractured communities with [...]

Podcast Episode 180 In a cultural moment marked by deep division and difficult conversations, this episode steps into one of the most complex and emotionally charged topics shaping faith communities across the United States: Christian nationalism. Host Karen Stewart invites listeners not to turn away from the discomfort, but to lean in—with curiosity, compassion, and [...]

Podcast Episode 179 How do we lead faithfully in a world that’s changing faster than the church ever expected? In this episode, Lewis Center Director Jonathan Page speaks with Karen Stewart, a seasoned ministry leader and Project Director at the HUB for Re-imagining Ministry at Wesley Theological Seminary. Together, they reflect on Karen’s 30-plus years [...]

Podcast Episode 178 What happens when you look at the American church from the outside? In this episode we sit down with missiologist Taylor Walters Denyer to explore what the U.S. church can learn from its global siblings. From community-based discipleship practices in the Democratic Republic of the Congo to re-centering mission as the foundation [...]

Podcast Episode 177 What becomes possible when churches learn to see relationships—not programs—as their greatest resource? In this podcast episode, Lewis Center Director Jonathan Page speaks with Angie Williams from the non-profit training organization Open Table and Audrey Smith about community convening, social capital, and re-embedding the church in the life of its community. Listen on Apple [...]