The Christian Leader Podcast

Many of us feel guilty when we're honest about our personal prayer lives. Maybe you feel like you don't pray often enough, or you're intimidated when asked to pray out loud, or--if you're honest--the idea of leading or attending prayer meetings feels boring and irrelevant. 

Of course that's not how God wants you to feel, and there is a lot of freedom to pray in ways that feel natural to you and fit your personality. On today's episode, Jana Hildebrandt has some helpful tools for us and also shares her personal journey through prayer. What used to feel like a guilt-ridden necessity has really come to life for her, and her story and perspective will hopefully encourage and inspire you as well. 

Planting new churches continues to be a high priority for USMB leadership, which notably led to hiring Brian Harris as our church planting mobilizer last summer. Brian has been on the job for several months now, and on this week's episode, Brian shares the latest news after his travels around the country and what he's learned so far as he speaks to leaders and develops his longer-term strategy. 

As the familiar verse from Matthew says, the harvest is indeed plentiful. Brian reminds us there is definitely still a need for more churches in our communities, and there are unique ways established churches can work together to plant new churches or help resource other teams who are looking to plant. Regardless of the size of your church or your position in leadership, there are ways all of us can work together to help bring the gospel to those near and far ready to hear the good news.

"In our latest podcast episode, we dive into the exciting world of Chat GPT and its potential uses for local churches. Our guest discusses how this innovative technology can revolutionize worship services by assisting with song lyrics, prayers, and even sermons. Additionally, we explore the many ways Chat GPT can streamline day-to-day operations, making church staff more effective and efficient. Whether you're a pastor, church administrator, or just someone interested in technology, this episode is a must-listen. We explain what Chat GPT is and give a comprehensive overview of its future uses in the church, so don't miss out!"

... Ok, if you know about Chat GPT, you know the drill here. That paragraph above was written by an intelligent, new AI system called Chat GPT. This incredibly smart computer is quickly taking the world by storm, and most of its users are blown away by the many ways it could affect our lives moving forward. Among the implications and questions to wrestle with is how (and if) we should use this technology in the church. 

In this episode, we asked Chat GPT to generate interview questions on this topic, and then we asked those questions to Chat GPT. It's basically interviewing itself, with a little help from our host, Matt. 

Whether you're excited or a little creeped out by this tech, these are questions that leaders need to wrestle with, so we hope this conversation is helpful as we begin to wrap our minds around how AI might be used to better serve the church. 

America is often referred to as a "melting pot" with a wide variety of cultures and ethnicities represented. Clearly we believe the Gospel is good news for everyone, and it's wise for us to be on the lookout for ways we can more effectively serve and minister to under-represented and under-served groups in our American culture. With more immigrants and refugees coming to our shores every day, how can the Church minister to these communities, and how can the USMB family work with them to prepare for the church of tomorrow? 

Henri Ngolo is a minister and church leader from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who recently came on staff with the USMB team as our new integrated immigrant coordinator. Henri is working with many immigrant leaders who are forming new MB churches around the States, and many exciting opportunities are in the early stages through initiatives like the CORD program. Henri shares parts of his story on this episode and ways we can work together to better serve and minister to these immigrant families. 

When you spend time reading the Bible, what kinds of things are you looking for? Does your understanding of the New Testament affect your view of the Old Testament, and vice versa? As you read, are you thinking mostly of yourself, or about God? 

We all slip into ruts with our personal devotions, and sometimes a fresh perspective or reminder of biblical truths can bring life and deeper understanding of the stories and teachings found in the Bible. Today we're talking with author and pastor Ben Connelly about his new book, Reading the Bible, Missing the Gospel, and he has some compelling and thought-providing ideas that may change how you read the Bible this year.  

In this final episode of 2022, we introduce you to Daniel Rodriguez, the new district minister for the Central District. Daniel has a unique story of how he was called into ministry, and he has a genuine desire to reach all the new people groups coming to the U.S.

The Central District covers several states, and Daniel's experience working in bilingual churches is proving to be helpful as he leads several different cultures represented in this district. Daniel shares details of what exactly district ministers do, what excites him about his new role, and what we can all do to be missionaries in our own communities. 

For most couples, your spouse's career probably doesn't affect your day-to-day life THAT much, but that's not always true when you're married to a pastor! There are some unique challenges--and unique joys--that come with being a pastor's wife, and today we hear about those from Melissa Wiebe and Heather Hubrich. Both of their husbands are pastors and church planters at Lakeview Church in Utah. While the pastor's spouse may typically fly a little under the radar, both Melissa and Heather have settled into their niche where they can give and serve the community while also caring for their families--and setting healthy boundaries for themselves. 

Humans are messy, and (sadly) part of being human is dealing with conflict. Especially this time of year with elections and lots of time with family around the holidays, you're likely to find yourself in a difficult conversation at some point. How can we be peace-makers in a divided and difficult culture, and how we can we love those around us who believe and behave so differently than we do? 

Remember: Conflict in itself is not sin. We have a choice in how we handle these things, and on this episode we have some practical takeaways you can work on. Wendell Loewen and Erica Haude both wrote articles about this in the most recent issue of Christian Leader, and today they share examples from Scripture and tips you can keep in mind for next time you're facing conflict with loved ones. 

Changes in senior leadership can make or break any church or organization, especially when a senior, founding pastor retires. Succession is a crucial leadership discussion that often gets forgotten or delayed, but it's a topic we would all be wise to get a head start on.

Today we talk with Eric Nelson, the new lead pastor of South Mountain Community Church in Utah. Eric recently took over after their former leader, Paul Robie, retired at the end of last year. South Mountain took their time and the succession process worked really smoothly, so what outline did they follow, and what can we learn from their story? Eric walks us through each step, shares lessons he learned along the way, and provides some helpful things for us to think about as more and more churches are passing the reins on to the next generation of leaders. 

"Let me tell you a story..."

Did we capture your attention? There's something about a compelling story that draws our hearts and minds more than just about anything else. Effective storytelling can be a leadership superpower, so how can our churches tell better stories? What's the process we should use to listen, capture, and share good stories, and how can that cycle help grow our churches and share the gospel? 

On this episode we talk through this and much more with author Robert Carnes. Robert has written two books, including "The Story Cycle," which we talk about this week.