The Christian Leader Podcast

Most U.S. churches were forced to develop at least some type of online ministry during the COVID shutdown. Now that we're past that stage, how should we think about our online presence? Does online church "count," or are we just giving our congregations excuses to be lazy? Are there times when online church might be more beneficial than in-person worship? What new tools do we need to keep an eye on, and how can we develop those strategies? 

Today we're talking with Alan George, a pioneer in the online church space. Alan was the online pastor for Life.Church for more than a decade, and he has really helpful insight for how we should view online ministry, regardless of the size of your church staff or budget. 

After decades of planning and a few failed attempts, Ridgepoint Church recently launched their first church plant--with a path and strategy that no one expected. On today's episode, we hear SouthLife pastor Kevin Friedberg and Andy Owen from Ridgepoint share the story of how this new church came to be, with pieces fitting together from literally around the world to benefit an underserved community in Wichita. 

So many people in our culture today struggle with anxiety and depression. Addictions and temptations related to pornography are also incredibly common. Since Christians are humans too, these struggles and addictions are often found within the walls of the church, and even some of the best Christian leaders in the world wrestle with these issues.

We want to make one thing really clear in this episode: Whatever your role or title is, there is hope, encouragement, and light within reach for you if you're facing any of these struggles. Hiding and ignoring these issues often make them worse, and you were never meant to face this alone. 

On this episode, Pastor Brad Burkholder openly shares his story of overcoming depression and pornography and re-discovering a personal relationship with the Holy Spirit. After years of struggle, Brad has a pretty incredible testimony of discovering a newfound desire for Jesus and freedom from the bondage of depression and anxiety. 

You're not alone, and we hope Brad's hope-filled transparency encourages and inspires you.  

The war in Ukraine has been continuing for over a year now, and there continues to be a lot of darkness in the midst of so much destruction. It's also true that our friends in MCC (Mennonite Central Committee) have been directly involved with providing aid and resources to help those affected with material, emotional and spiritual support.

On this week's episode, we're joined by three ladies directly involved with MCC's relief and peacemaking efforts. Ann Graber Hershberger (MCC's executive director), Pastor Yvette Ngale (MCC U.S. board member) and Anna Rubel (MCC staff member from Ukraine) have firsthand insight and stories to share about what's happening on the ground in Ukraine, how MCC is helping, and what we can do to help provide for and support those affected the most from the ongoing war. 

Learn more about MCC's efforts in Ukraine here: https://mcc.org/stories/crisis-ukraine

MB Foundation has been an important and influential ministry of USMB for more than 30 years now, and many good things are happening there! On this week's episode, President & CEO Jon Wiebe shares insightful history of the Foundation, as well as some exciting stories of how their growth has led to increased generosity to churches in our denomination as well as to individuals in need around the world. 

We should all strive to honor God with our finances and practice biblical stewardship, and MB Foundation offers several tools to individuals, local churches, and other ministries to help us do that. Along with the stories and tools outlined in this episode, you can also learn more at mbfoundation.com. 

Many of us try to avoid talking about it, but EVERYONE benefits from a thorough plan for the end of life. Robert Carlton (active member at Hesston MB) spent his career helping individuals and families navigate through the world of Hospice, senior resources, wills, and end-of-life planning, and he shares important things we should all think through on this week's episode. Some of these conversations can be hard and awkward, but a well thought-out plan now can bring peace and even joy when your family faces the loss of a loved one. 

In recent years we've shared several stories of how immigrant pastors from around the world are getting established in the U.S. and joining our USMB church family. In today's episode, we hear the encouraging story of how Pastor Alex Mutabazi left a difficult life in the Congo to become an MB pastor in Nashville. In his words, the "hand of God" has been upon him and his church with miracle after miracle leading to where he is today. 

Pastor Terry Hunt has been an influential leader in Alex's life, as well as several other immigrant pastors who are doing amazing and important work of helping immigrants get established with new lives in the U.S. There is so much hope and potential for these new MB church plants, so be encouraged and inspired as you hear from Pastors Terry & Alex!

This is a pretty historic episode of LEAD Pods for several reasons! First, we talk to bestselling author and pastor Paul David Tripp, author of more than 30 books ranging all kinds of topics related to faith and church leadership. Second, we recorded this conversation LIVE as part of a recent MB Foundation webinar that was co-hosted by our friends Rick Eshbaugh and Bruce Jost.

We've talked about finances a few times before, but instead of getting into the weeds with spreadsheets, budgets, and debt-reduction strategies, today Dr. Tripp shares about the heart  behind our finances. Everyone is worshiping something, and our money typically goes to what our heart is most drawn to. So what about you? Are you honoring God with your finances, and how can you train and encourage your church family to "redeem" money?   

Check out https://mbfoundation.com/redeemingmoney for more resources on this topic for your church, including free copies of Dr. Tripp's book. 

Vanlalhmachhuani Gelatt, who you may know as Amy, has an incredible story of God's faithfulness. Born in India with a very interesting family history, Amy has experienced miracle after miracle in her life that led to her coming to study in the U.S. Now she and her husband Josh lead North Oak Community Church in Hays, Kansas where she is active in ministry and evangelism. 

Throughout her story, Amy learned to trust and lean on God's plan when things didn't always work out as she had hoped, but she also experienced amazing amounts of God's favor and blessing that led to where she is today. Her story will encourage and inspire you, and remind you of God's relentless faithfulness!  

Being a pastor--at any level--is hard work. Especially over the past few years, church leaders have had to deal with stresses and challenges that can be uniquely difficult. We all want to lead flourishing ministries while also maintaining healthy families and stable mental health. That may seem increasingly difficult, but it is possible with the right boundaries and right guardrails in place.

On this episode, we talk with Bill Clem. Bill is the director of the Center for Pastoral Flourishing at Western Seminary, and he has a big heart for helping pastors avoid burnout in ministry. He has decades of church leadership experience in a variety of roles, including several years at Mars Hill Church in Seattle. He has first-hand experience and tons of research/resources to help lead your ministry and keep your sanity in modern church leadership.