ServingLeaders Podcast

In this episode, Dave and Laura sit down with Jimmy Dodd, founder of PastorServe, a ministry dedicated to helping pastors and leaders thrive. Jimmy unpacks the danger of isolation and the importance of living with integrity between “frontstage” and “backstage.” We explore the 6 key relationships every pastor needs to stay grounded, and how intentional openness and connection can strengthen healthy leadership. Jimmy also shares the story behind the founding of PastorServe and the ways it is supporting pastors across the country.

PastorServe.org

FrontStage BackStage Podcast

The Spiritually Healthy Leader

In this episode, we turn the conversation inward as we talk about disordered eating, body image, and the often-overlooked ways ministry leaders can neglect their own well-being while caring for others. Dave Wiedis sits down with co-host Laura Yoder—licensed professional counselor, registered dietitian, wellness coach, and spiritual director—to explore how unhealthy patterns with food and our bodies form, and what true healing can look like.

Through both personal story and professional insight, Laura unpacks the deeper emotional and spiritual roots of disordered eating, the unique pressures leaders face, and how self-rejection can quietly take hold. This conversation offers a hopeful vision of freedom—inviting leaders to rediscover their worth, care for their whole selves, and cultivate a healthier, more grace-filled relationship with food, their bodies, and God.

Resources:
When Food is Love by Geneen Roth

Feeding the Hungry Heart by Geneen Roth

You Are the Beloved by Henri Nouwen

Spiritually Healthy Leader: Finding Freedom from Self-Sabotage by Dave Wiedis 

"How to Process Your Emotions to Revitalize Intimacy with Jesus: An Interview with Dave Wiedis" ServingLeaders Podcast

In this episode, we’re joined by Robb Holman—a globally recognized leadership expert, executive coach, and CEO of a leadership consultancy who has been named one of the world’s top leadership speakers. Bestselling author of Lessons from Abdul and other leadership books, Robb is known for his “Inside Out Leadership” approach, helping leaders grow from within to lead with purpose and authenticity.
In our conversation, Robb challenges the assumption that great leaders are defined by how much they give, and instead invites us to discover the transformative power of receiving.

https://www.robbholman.com/

Robb's Book: Lessons from Abdul: The Hidden Power of Receiving from Anyone, Anytime

“Loneliness is God’s grace in your life to bring you to the end of yourself” - Shelby Abbott. 
In this compelling conversation, Shelby Abbott joins us to talk about his new book on loneliness — and why he believes loneliness can actually be a uniquely meaningful season in our walk with Jesus. 
Together we explore why loneliness is universal yet uniquely intensified in leadership and ministry, how our hyper-digital world has reshaped (and often weakened) real connection, and why quick fixes like sex, achievement, or distraction can’t satisfy the deeper ache of the human heart. Shelby reframes loneliness not as something to escape at all costs, but as an invitation — to deeper dependence on God and to courageous, embodied relationship with others.

Shelby's website: https://shelbyabbott.com/about/

Link to Shelby's favorite read right now: Deeper by Dane Ortlund

Link to Shelby's new book Why We're Feeling Lonely (and what we can do about it): Shelby Abbott's Book

What are the gifts — and sometimes costs — to be a woman connected to ministry? 

In this honest conversation, Sarah Gammage unpacks the hidden emotional load many pastors’ wives and ministry women carry. From the “one-legged stool” reality described in Resilient Ministry to navigating burnout, protecting marriage, raising kids in the spotlight, and walking through cancer in the spotlight of ministry, Sarah offers practical wisdom and hope through her own journey. 

Listeners will gain language for how to think about the uniquely complex role of ministry spouse, tools for building healthy boundaries, and encouragement to cultivate identity in Christ — not just in a role. Whether you’re a pastor’s wife, female ministry leader, or simply walking closely with someone in church leadership, this conversation will give you a unique vision of joys, challenges and gifts encountered while walking the ministry road. 

Referenced in the episode:

Resilient Ministry on Amazon

Dale Ralph Davis' books on the Psalms: 

Psalms 1-12

Psalms 13-24

Psalms 25-37

Psalms 38-51

Sarah's blog: hopeinthehard.net 

Instagram: @free2sing2him

Ministry leaders are often exhausted — but most don’t know what to do with their fatigue beyond pushing through it. In this conversation, Brett Payne, founder of Rhythms for Life Ministry, unpacks the four types of fatigue, why most leaders rarely pause to know the difference, and the untapped freedom that comes from actually processing our weariness instead of ignoring it. Packed with practical wisdom from decades of working with ministry leaders, Brett brings us new ways of thinking about “tiredness” and strategies to help leaders recover joy, clarity, and sustainable health in ministry.
Followed by a personal conversation with ServingLeaders Chief Operating Officer, Joe Bruni. Joe gives us a taste of what a sabbatical is really like and provides an inside look at his own journey of sabbatical in 2025 with practical wisdom for leaders around how to prepare for and fully engage in this key ingredient to healthy leadership in their own lives.

Rhythms for Life Ministry

What if faithful leadership is less about having the right answers and more about asking the right questions? In this episode, J.R. Briggs joins us to explore how curiosity shapes spiritual formation, deepens relationships, and transforms the way leaders lead. Drawing from his newest work on asking better questions—and his honest reflections on failure, disillusionment, and resilience—J.R. invites leaders to move from control to presence, from performance to humility. This conversation offers practical wisdom and hope for leaders longing to lead in the way of Jesus: building trust, bearing pain, and bringing hope.

• Ecclesia Network
• Podcasts: Resilient Leaders Podcast
• Kairos Partnerships: https://www.kairospartnerships.org/
• The Art of Asking Better Questions

In this episode, we sit down with Pastor Raphael Mnkandhla, Lead Pastor of City Church in Williamsport, PA, to hear the remarkable story of how God met him in profound loss and shaped him into a resilient shepherd. From growing up in Zimbabwe and working in AIDS-awareness ministry to navigating trauma, grief, and pastoral leadership, Raphael shares how suffering has deepened his compassion, clarified his calling, and refined his inner life. Together, we explore the paradox of grief and joy in ministry, the subtle idols and ruling passions pastors must confront, and the practices that sustain hope over the long haul. This conversation offers honest encouragement for pastors and leaders who long to lead from a healed and wholehearted place.

• Pastor Raphael's Bio
• Listen to Raphael's Podcast: Fueled Pastoral Resilience
• To contact: [email protected]
• On Social Media: https://twitter.com/rafmnk
  https://www.facebook.com/mkristu
  https://instagram.com/rafmnk/
• Dave's book: The Spiritually Healthy Leader
• Precious Remedies Against Satan's Devices

What does it look like to be fully present with people while juggling an energetic, growing ministry, family needs, and the endless demands of leadership? In this episode, Dave and Laura sit down with Pastor Phil Carnuccio, lead pastor of Providence Church in West Chester, PA, to explore what it means to be spiritually formed as a leader in ways that lead to healthy, fulfilling ministry without draining the life out of the leader. We discuss the tension between performing and being present, the pressure leaders carry to stay productive, the power of marriage as a channel of true leadership, and life-giving shifts that cultivate a more vibrant, sustainable, and joy-filled ministry and personal life. Drawing on three decades of ministry experience, Phil offers honest, passionate, and practical insight into what it looks like to minister as Jesus did.

ServingLeaders Ministries

Providence Church West Chester

Christmas is the most wonderful time of the year…sometimes. The holiday season can bring with it beautiful and sweet moments of joy and meaning. Yet it also opens the door to many other emotions, highlighting our grief, landing us in disappointment, increasing pressure, and exposing us to challenging relationships. In this special episode with Dave Wiedis, Penny Freeman, Jon Sovocool, and Laura Yoder, we explore some of the complexities of the holiday season, and practical ways to navigate those challenges, leaning on the presence of Jesus with us.

This is our last podcast of 2025, but stay connected with us at servingleaders.org, subscribe to our newsletter, and mark your calendars for our upcoming events! We'll be back with great new content in the new year!