The Christian Leader Podcast

David Janzen took over as Tabor's new president this July. If you haven't had a chance to meet him yet, this episode gives you an introduction to his background in education, his time as a student at Tabor, and even his involvement with a popular mobile app. While being a college president wasn't necessarily on his radar, President Janzen shares how he sees God at work, weaving his story together in a way that positions him well for leading Tabor into the future.

With enrollment up and new programs in the works, it seems good things are already in motion under President Janzen's leadership. Enjoy this episode, and welcome to the USMB family, President Janzen!

When you spend all or most of your life in the same culture, it's easy to become blind to the day to day "norms" around us. We're all "blind to our own blindness" and we forget what the world looks like to those living in other parts of the world. Still, it's wise and helpful for us to have a larger perspective and remember that all people are created  in the image of God, and the world is much larger than North America.

On today's episode we're joined my Multiply missionaries Andy Owen (Thailand) and Travis Jost (Burundi). Both of them are currently back in the U.S. after extended times of service overseas, and they have fascinating insights to share both about their new countries as well as reflections on how America has changed since they left. They have very helpful things to share about racism, politics, COVID, and how our various cultures can work together to grow the church and further God's Kingdom. 

None of us want to think about tragedies or disasters hitting our local churches, but wise leaders are always prepared. If your church encountered an active shooter, tornado, or sudden health emergency, does your team know what to do? How do you get started developing a security plan, and how much can you work in tandem with local law enforcement? 

These are important questions we all need to consider. We hope and pray you never need a plan like this, but just in case you do, this episode will help you get ready. Greg Snider uses his years of experience in both law enforcement and the military to help churches protect themselves so we can focus on sharing the love of Jesus in a secure and safe environment. 

Today's female leaders face several unique challenges--especially in the church. As more and more women are given leadership opportunities, they're often met with unexpected hurdles once they get there. How can female leaders (of all ages) develop an effective "leadership voice," and how can the men around them be supportive and helpful? 

Author and speaker Kadi Cole returns to the show to provide helpful tools for all leaders to know how to pass the baton to future female leaders. How should you offer feedback and praise to female leaders? What analogies do we use that aren't actually helpful? How can the church model biblical leadership, and where do we still have room for improvement in this area? Kadi eloquently shares thoughts on all this and more in a relatable conversation from a biblical worldview. 

What is LEAD Coaching, and how could it help you? Ed Boschman and Chandelle Claassen have both been coached themselves, and now they help lead (no pun intended) the LEAD Coaching program with USMB.

Coaching is an intentional one-on-one friendship where the coach helps you make progress on your goals and reach new levels of success and satisfaction--professionally and personally. Sounds nice, doesn't it? Learn more about this program on today's podcast episode and visit usmb.org/lead-coaching if you're interested in signing up. 

Everyone (of all ages) should always feel safe at church, but we all know that unfortunately isn't always the case. We hope and pray our churches steer clear of abuse and scandal, but it's always best to be prepared and proactive to protect yourself and potential victims in your church family.

These things can be hard to talk about, but it's a topic we can't avoid in today's culture. On this episode we're joined by Nancy Kauffmann from Dove's Nest to provide some insight and advice for how churches can create and follow policies to keep kids and adults as safe as possible from potentially dangerous situations. 

If you don't already have a safety policy at your church, get started by visiting dovesnest.net. Jesus made it clear that He loves children and other vulnerable members of society, so we should follow His lead and be prepared! 

Conflict is unavoidable--especially in today's heated culture. Jesus calls us to be peace-makers, and healthy relationships were at the core of His teaching. How can Christians manage conflict and heated discussions well, and what peaceful practices can we adopt to help us prepare?

Jes Stoltzfus Buller is the Peace Education Coordinator at MCC, and she developed a free curriculum about these topics that your church may benefit from. Today we hear about Jes's interesting history of seeing conflict firsthand in Columbia and how she used those experiences to manage (and even thrive!) in a divided American culture. 

Next time you find yourself in a conflict, remember these helpful tools and tips from Jes! 

Modern research shows that stress, trauma, and anxiety can actually physically change our brains. Since we live in an era of chronic stress, that can have a significant impact on how we learn, how we grow, and how we interact with others. As important as these findings are, these things are rarely accounted for in our classrooms, leaving many students without crucial help they need to learn and develop effectively.

On this week's episode, we dip our toes in the deep waters of neurology and trauma research with Dr. David Stevens, a professor at Tabor College who is leading a new master's program training educators how to better care for and nurture today's students. 

Even for those of us outside of education, these principles and this research can be very helpful in our leadership. Enjoy this slightly nerdy but super interesting conversation! 

A healthy small group ministry is a crucial part of the American church today--especially for larger churches. As we grow in our faith, we all need a smaller group of friends where we can study Scripture and laugh, as well as be there for each other during hard seasons. Small groups can often provide that space, but building a healthy ministry takes a lot of work and intentionality.

Today our guest Joe Skillen shares some big picture ideas of how to lead small groups, but we also get into the details about how to choose a study, how often you should meet, pros and cons of open/closed groups, and much more. Whether your church already has a groups ministry or you're looking to start one soon, take advantage of this helpful insight from Joe! 

(And stick around to the end to get his hot takes on the NBA free agent season.)

Your church probably does a lot of things, and you probably have a lot of ministries. One of the hardest things to do as a church leader is to effectively communicate all of your church's messages in a way where every message is heard by your congregation, as well as those outside the church in your community. 

Doing that well is very hard, especially if those various events and ministries don't share common goals and themes. Today's guest encourages us to find a single "thread" that connects everything we do. When you do that well, your church can be known for something positive in your community. 

What is your church known for? Do you have a "thread" that ties everything together? How are you cutting down on the noise and clutter of church announcements to make sure the most important things stick out?

Mark MacDonald is an experienced church communicator, author, pastor, branding expert, and--yes--model. He takes churches through branding exercises to help them discover this thread that can set them apart and make them more effective in their communities. When you do this well, it's much easier to help others discover Jesus and grow in their faith.