The Christian Leader Podcast

Debt. College. Mortgages. Tithing. Roths. Wills. 

Like it or not, money is a big part of our lives. A lot of us didn't get great training for the nuts and bolts of a healthy financial life, and it can be challenging to know where to begin--especially if you find yourself in a tough financial situation. 

Today we talk with Nate Yoder from MB Foundation about all of this and more. How can and should we use our money to have a healthy financial outlook ourselves, and what does God have to say about our money? This is a practical and helpful episode where we think you'll learn a lot, so enjoy and get in touch with MB Foundation if you could use additional help!

After a few weeks off, we're BACK with a special two-part episode! Several big cultural events took place while we were away, and we wanted to spend some time as a family talking about the violence at the capitol and the current political landscape. Don Morris and Tim Sullivan guide us through what the MB statement of faith has to say about events like these and provide some comfort and encouragement for these times we're in.

We also talk with lawyer Lyndon Vix about free speech and the first amendment. These days there's lot of talk about "big tech" shutting down sites like Parler and taking certain leaders off platforms like Twitter. These are big and complicated issues, but as leaders, it's important for us to be educated and informed about cultural discussions like these.

Buckle up--we cover a lot of ground today. But we hope you leave encouraged and confident in your faith of who is really in charge in these troubling days we face. 

Singles often get overlooked in today's churches. Sometimes churches inadvertently do or say hurtful things to single (no pun intended) them out, and we would all be wise to do a little check-up to ensure we're ministering to and meeting the needs of this important demographic in our churches.

Main takeaway: Singles aren't weird or broken or misfits, and they need to be included and welcomed in our churches.

Lisa Anderson is the Director of Young Adults at Focus on the Family, and she's also the host of the Boundless Show, their prolific podcast with nearly 700 (!) episodes. Lisa is a ton of fun and a wealth of knowledge on this important topic. 

Enjoy this final episode of 2020 and we'll see you next year! 

Gavin and Micah are leaders on staff at Axiom Church in Peoria, Arizona. Their church plant has seen a lot of success in recent years because of their desire to remain authentic and reach out to people who may otherwise feel left out of the traditional church. 

Gavin and Micah are artists, and that artistic soul reveals itself in the culture at Axiom. Your church may not look or sound like theirs, but we can all learn from their desire to lead from their true selves. Our communities sense that authenticity, and leading from that space will be an appealing way to display the love of Jesus.

Be encouraged and inspired!

Church plants often lead to powerful spiritual growth and revival. Plus, Jesus called us to go out into the world and make more and more disciples. As successful and rewarding as church planting can be, actually starting a new church in the real world comes with a unique set of challenges. 

In today's episode we talk with two young MB pastors who have completed the church plant process and are now working on launching second campuses. Join us as we hear from Christian Kohs in Minnesota and Phil Wiebe in Utah to hear more about their church planting journeys, their vision for their new campuses, and how we can all work together to most effectively share the good news of Jesus. 

2020 has been quite the year. The combination of COVID and politics and race issues and natural disasters has been hard on all of us, and most of us could probably do a better job of taking care of ourselves. Today we're joined by two MB therapists with tips on how to manage our mental health, care for each other, and even find ways to thrive--and not just survive--the messy world we find ourselves in. 

Thanks to Cheryl Dueck Smith and Carlin Buhrman for sharing their insight and advice with us!

The world of politics seems to just get messier and messier. This is a big week in America as we prepare for the upcoming election. The issues represented by our votes are big and important, and most of us feel compelled to share our thoughts and our convictions in various forms online. While there's nothing inherently wrong with that, you've probably seen Christian friends post things that maybe they shouldn't have, or maybe you've found YOURSELF in a heated Facebook debate you didn't intend to be in.

It's messy, and it's hard to know how Jesus would want us to act online--especially in divisive seasons like this one. Luckily, we chat with an expert today, and Sam Hoover has some excellent tips and advice we would all be wise to follow as we aim to be "good Christians" online--especially this week! 

The Mennonite Brethren family is much larger than just those of us living in the U.S. We have thousands of MB brothers and sisters around the world, and we all need each other to be most effective.

In this episode, Rudi Plett (the director of ICOMB) and Ed Boschman (USMB representative) share how God has been at work in these world conferences and how we can best work together to help spread the good news of Jesus and develop our church leaders around the world. 

The story of Jesus and the woman at the well is a well-known and favorite story from the Gospels, but how should that interaction affect our lives and our ministries today? Copper Hills Church in Peoria, Arizona used that story as a model of how they wanted to serve their community. After years of dreaming and hard work, they now oversee the Copper Hills Center for the Arts, which is an awesome and powerful outreach to their community.

Today we talk with Cathy Beachy, the director of the Center for the Arts. She shares not only details of how this works in their community, but she also shares ideas of how all of us in all of our churches can shift our mindset on "outreach" and how we can benefit our community, meeting common needs just like Jesus did for the woman at the well. 

This is a fun and inspiring episode. Thanks for joining us!

Your age and the culture you were raised in play a huge role in how you see God and how you view the church. On this week's episode we dive into a study on all current generations, with a special highlight on the emerging generations of Millennials and Gen Z. What characteristics define them, how are they different from those who came before them, and what should the church be doing to reach them more effectively?

Kyle Goings is an experienced youth pastor who has studied this topic more than just about anyone. And (shhh!) don't tell anyone: He actually is a millennial. This is a fast-paced episode that will greatly benefit your ministry, especially if you find yourself lacking in representation from these emerging young adults.