The Christian Leader Podcast

If you've considered taking a sabbatical before, maybe some of these thoughts have gone through your mind:

• People in secular jobs don't get this much time off. Why should I?
• I don't need time away. I'm doing fine and ministry is running well. 
• I don't have anyone around me to pick up the slack. 
• My team or leadership doesn't support the idea. 

Taking time away for rest, renewal, and retooling is so important for ministry leaders. Time away from the grind of ministry is not only good for your own health, but churches also benefit. Ministries can only be healthy if their leaders are healthy. 

USMB National Director Don Morris recently took a sabbatical, and on today's episode he addresses all of those concerns listed above and much more. Especially post-COVID, many ministry leaders are depleted, and that's not how Jesus intended for us to lead. 

Back to school season is in full swing, so now is a great time to introduce you to Dr. André Stephens, the new president of Fresno Pacific University. FPU is our Mennonite Brethren school in Fresno, California, and many great things are happening on campus. 

Dr. Stephens was selected as their new president this summer, and he brings with him a wealth of experience in higher ed and a very strong passion for the well-being of well-rounded students. On this episode, Dr. Stephens shares more about his background, what drew him to FPU, what he's learning about the MB family, and where he thinks higher ed is moving in the future. 

Good things are on the horizon for FPU, so enjoy getting to know Dr. Stephens!

Church planting has long been one of USMB's main goals as a denomination. We want to actively be involved in more MB churches being planted--so much so that USMB leaders created a new position to focus on just that. Brian Harris recently started as our new church planting mobilizer. Brian has a great story of how he came to faith, how he started evangelizing, and what he plans to do to assist MB churches ready to take the leap into multiplying disciples through church planting. 

Most of us have individuals with disabilities in our church family--or certainly in our communities. People with disabilities or differently-abled people are often overlooked in society, but that shouldn't be the case in our churches! Regardless of our church's size or resources, we should all be on the lookout to appropriately serve and reach out to those with disabilities, so how can we do that more effectively?

Dr. Quentin Kinnison is an associate professor at Fresno Pacific and has devoted significant time to the "theology of disability." In this episode Quentin shares many practical ideas and potential next steps for all of us to better serve this under-represented people group. 

You've heard the buzzwords and are likely noticing the nearly-ubiquitous "Now Hiring" signs. The "Great Resignation" is upon us, and the post-COVID workplace is beginning to look a lot different from the office watercolors pre-2020. A bunch of people are looking to change jobs and shift their careers, so how will that affect the Church--and your church?

You probably find yourself in one of two camps: Either your team is currently in the process of hiring/shifting staff positions, or maybe you have a great team that you don't want to leave. In this new workplace reality, how can we care for and honor our employees so they aren't tempted to leave? 

This episode we're joined by Michael Buckhingham from Vanderbloemen. He has great insight and tips to help us turn the Great Resignation into the Great Recognition. 

Now that (hopefully!) the worst of COVID is behind us, most of our churches are returning to in-person services. Where does that leave our online presence? Should we keep streaming, and how can we improve our online services to be a truly "hybrid" experience of what happens in the room? 

On this episode we talk with Jason Moore, the author of the best-seller Both/And. Jason has several examples and insights to share from churches he has worked with who are effectively ministering to people online AND in-person. 

More and more people are discovering churches online first. What does that mean for your church? If guests read through your website or follow you on social media, would they "swipe right" on your profile and consider a first "date" by attending a service? What are new people looking for, and how can you implement those things for your church online? 

Today we're joined by church communication expert Haley Veturis. Her personal experience with dating apps changed her thinking about churches' online profiles, and she has several thoughtful and practical steps we can all take to make sure a guest's first impression of your church leaves them wanting more.

Learn more about Haley and her company Digifora at http://digifora.com.

Today we have the privilege of getting to know Bruce Enns, the recently appointed general director of Multiply. Bruce has years of local church leadership experience after his time as an MB pastor in Saskatchewan. There have been lots of changes within Multiply over the past few years, but on this episode we get a peek into Bruce's heart for ministry and his vision for this next chapter of Multiply's work around the world. 

Evangelism is always most effective when you take time to study and immerse yourself in the culture and community where you are serving. We often think of that when discussing overseas ministry, but the same can be true in cultures that look a lot like yours on the surface. Even when you have similarities in skin color and language, ministering in a big city looks considerably different from a healthy church in small, rural communities. 

Today we talk with Ron Klassen, the executive director of Rural Home Missionary Association. Ron has decades of experience leading churches in small, rural communities, including an MB church in Oklahoma. We all fight the “grass is always greener” syndrome where we wish we had more money, better buildings, etc., but there are some unique and valuable opportunities that come with leading in small towns. Whatever the size of your church, Ron has valuable insight to share about finding unique strengths in your community that can lead to effective ministry. 

The issue of human trafficking has to be one of the darkest and most difficult issues in our world today. Since we believe all humans are made in the image of God, we know that each woman caught in trafficking is important and meaningful, and the heart of God is for all of us to experience freedom and love, not exploitation. 

With big problems like this, it can be easy to feel hopeless in the midst of all the darkness, but there is also hope and light. Today we talk with Cathy Turner and John Oelze from Hope Ranch, an organization near Wichita that serves women and gives them the tools they need to escape trafficking, discover God's love for them, and rebuild a meaningful life. We encourage you to check out hoperanchforwomen.com to learn more, give, or find ways to pray for these women who deserve our love and attention.