In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk explore the multiplication principle behind Dawson Trotman and the early Navigators: do not merely teach people — teach people who can teach others. Using 2 Timothy 2:2 as the foundation, they connect that vision to the life-on-life investment Josh received as a young Christian and the leaders he later developed.

If you want your ministry and faith to continue beyond your personal involvement, this episode will challenge you to invest deeply in a faithful few and teach every lesson with the next generation already in view.

KEY TOPICS COVERED

The Early Navigators – Dawson Trotman, Navy sailor Les Spencer, and the words “You teach him”

The 2 Timothy 2:2 Pattern – Teaching faithful people who can teach others

Learning With Someone Else in Mind – Receiving truth in a way that prepares you to pass it on

The Faithful Few – Choosing your 12, your 3, and your 1

A Legacy Beyond You – Measuring ministry by what continues after you are gone

KEY QUOTE

“Teach people who can teach people to teach people.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

2 Timothy 2:2 – Entrust what you have learned to faithful people who will teach others

Mark 3:14 – Jesus appoints the twelve to be with Him and to be sent out

Matthew 28:19-20 – Make disciples and teach them to obey everything Jesus commanded

TAKEAWAY

Do not listen, learn, or lead with only yourself in mind. Invest deeply in faithful people, tell them from the beginning that the message must keep moving, and teach them in a way that prepares them to teach someone else.

CALL TO ACTION

We hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.

STAY CONNECTED FOR MORE RESOURCES

Visit our website: http://leadministry.com

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteers

Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk explain how to turn key volunteers into ministry owners — people who function like volunteer staff because they understand the mission, take initiative, lead others, and reproduce what they have learned. They walk through the structural and relational work required to develop one or two deeply equipped leaders instead of chasing a larger roster of unprepared helpers.

If your ministry still rises and falls on your personal involvement, this episode will give you a practical path from doer to developer and from volunteer help to shared ownership.

KEY TOPICS COVERED

Doer vs. Developer – Why ministry leaders must develop people who can develop people

Structure That Supports Growth – Building an org chart around people, not only processes

Clarity and Accountability – Using job descriptions, shared language, and useful feedback

Think Small and Think Long – Developing one person in one area before expanding

Model, Mentor, Multiply – A three-phase pathway for reproducing leaders

KEY QUOTE

“You don't need more people. You need more equipped people.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Ephesians 4:11-12 – Pastors equip God's people for the work of ministry

2 Timothy 2:2 – Develop faithful people who will be able to teach others

Mark 3:13-15 – Jesus calls a smaller group to be with Him and then sends them out

TAKEAWAY

Choose one ministry area and one faithful person. Give them a clear role, model it with them, mentor them as they lead someone else, and establish from the beginning that multiplication is part of the assignment.

CALL TO ACTION

We hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.

STAY CONNECTED FOR MORE RESOURCES

Visit our website: http://leadministry.com

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteers

Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk challenge ministry leaders to stop carrying volunteer recruitment alone. They share seven practical ways to build an invitation culture where enthusiastic volunteers become credible recruiters, equipped with clear language, useful tools, meaningful ownership, compelling stories, and serving seasons that feel manageable.

If you are exhausted from filling the same roster by yourself, this episode will help you move from staff-led recruiting to a self-sustaining volunteer culture where everyone carries the joy of inviting.

KEY TOPICS COVERED

Invite Culture vs. Recruiting Culture – Helping people invite friends into something meaningful

Clear Asks and Practical Tools – Tours, connection events, trial experiences, cards, links, and simple language

Owners, Not Attenders – Giving key volunteers responsibility for growing their area

Vision and Storytelling – Moving from desperate needs to a purpose people want to join

Serving Seasons – Creating clear on-ramps, check-ins, and off-ramps

KEY QUOTE

“Stop recruiting. Start reproducing.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Ephesians 4:11-12 – Leaders equip God's people for the work of ministry

1 Peter 4:10 – Use whatever gift you have received to serve others

TAKEAWAY

Your volunteers can recruit with a level of trust staff cannot manufacture. Give them a clear invitation, something useful to share, a story worth telling, and permission to help build the team.

CALL TO ACTION

We hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.

STAY CONNECTED FOR MORE RESOURCES

Visit our website: http://leadministry.com

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteers

Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart sits down with Lauren Ralston to explore how ministry leaders can disciple volunteers the way Jesus discipled His followers. They discuss the difference between teaching information and giving people access to your life, how to identify a core leadership team, and why multiplication is not complete until the people you develop are developing others.

If your ministry structure still depends on you personally reaching every volunteer, teacher, child, or family, this episode will help you build a healthier model that multiplies care without losing personal connection.

KEY TOPICS COVERED

What Makes a Disciple Maker – Moving beyond personal growth to helping others reproduce

Life-on-Life Discipleship – Why people need access to your real life, not only your lessons

The 12, the 3, and the 1 – Identifying the people who need your deepest investment

A Multiplying Structure – Training coordinators to disciple teachers who disciple families

KEY QUOTE

“You are not a disciple maker until the people you are discipling are making disciples.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

2 Timothy 2:2 – Entrust what you have learned to faithful people who will teach others

Exodus 18:17-23 – Jethro challenges Moses to develop leaders who can share the load

Matthew 4:19 and Matthew 10:1 – Jesus first models ministry and then sends His disciples to do it

TAKEAWAY

Do not wait for growth to force multiplication. Identify one faithful person, invite them closer, let them see how you live and lead, and begin preparing them to pass the same investment to someone else.

CALL TO ACTION

We hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.

STAY CONNECTED FOR MORE RESOURCES

Visit our website: http://leadministry.com

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteers

Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk unpack the difference between dumping, delegating, and discipling volunteers. They explore why rushed handoffs create confusion and turnover, how clear systems protect both quality and people, and why the highest form of ministry multiplication requires passing on more than a task — it requires passing on the heart behind the work.

If you've ever returned from vacation to discover that a volunteer misunderstood an assignment, or wondered why capable people keep burning out around you, this episode will help you build a better handoff and a healthier team.

KEY TOPICS COVERED

Dumping vs. Delegating vs. Discipling – Recognizing three very different kinds of ministry handoff

Clarity Before Handoff – Why details, examples, and a dry run prevent avoidable failure

Build Once, Reap Repeatedly – Creating systems that serve volunteers for years

The Be-With Factor – Passing on your heart through time, questions, and shared ministry

KEY QUOTE

“The cost that you pay to delegate properly and disciple thoroughly is worth it.”

SCRIPTURE REFERENCES

Mark 3:14 – Jesus appointed the twelve so they might be with Him and be sent out

Ephesians 4:11-12 – Ministry leaders equip God's people for the work of ministry

TAKEAWAY

Delegation may complete a task, but discipleship builds a person. Slow down before the handoff, provide the clarity a volunteer needs, and invest enough time for them to understand both what to do and why it matters.

CALL TO ACTION

We hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.

STAY CONNECTED FOR MORE RESOURCES

Visit our website: http://leadministry.com

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteers

Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk wrap the July Conflict series with ten practical rules every ministry leader needs when conflict shows up at the door. They explore the difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking, offering ministry leaders a working playbook for handling the hard conversations they'd rather avoid.

If you've ever felt unprepared for the relational fallout that comes with leadership, this episode will equip and inspire you with ten field-tested principles you can put into practice this week.

Key Topics Covered

• Act quickly and lead with the benefit of the doubt – the first two rules that change everything.
• Make it right, not being right – why winning the argument can cost you the relationship.
• Peacekeeper vs. peacemaker – the difference that defines the kind of leader you'll become.

Key Quote

"There's a difference between peacekeeping and peacemaking. Peacemakers take initiative, do the hard work, and choose humility."

Scripture References

• Matthew 5:9 – "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God."
• Proverbs 15:1 – "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Takeaway

Conflict is not the enemy — disunity is. Lead with humility, address tension early, talk to the person not about them, and trust that God is using every hard conversation to grow you into someone who looks more like Him.

Call to Action

We hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.

Stay Connected for More Resources

Visit our website: http://leadministry.com

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteers

Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Vance Martin of Slingshot Group introduce the Ability vs. Likability framework — a simple chart that places every leader in one of four quadrants. They explore why the most effective leaders are both highly capable AND highly likable, offering ministry leaders a practical self-assessment for becoming the kind of influencer their team actually wants to follow.

If you've ever wondered why your hard work isn't translating into team buy-in, this episode will equip and inspire you with the framework and the action steps to shift your leadership posture this week.

Key Topics Covered

• The four quadrants of leadership – Influencer, Intimidator, Incompetent, Infamous.
• Why likability is a leadership superpower – the "benefit of the doubt" advantage.
• Invitation and challenge – the horse-whisperer model for leading people well.

Key Quote

"People are not a means to an end. They are the end. Focus on the people and you'll get more done than you ever thought possible."

Scripture References

• Proverbs 27:17 – "As iron sharpens iron, so one person sharpens another."
• Philippians 2:3-4 – "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit. Rather, in humility value others above yourselves."

Takeaway

Likability gets you loved. Ability gets you respected. You need both. Run the honest self-assessment, pick one axis to grow on this quarter, and watch your influence multiply.

Call to Action

We hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.

Stay Connected for More Resources

Visit our website: http://leadministry.com

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteers

Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart sits down with Vance Martin of Slingshot Group to unpack the five ways leaders respond to conflict — and why only one of them actually produces healthy outcomes. They explore why conflict isn't a problem to solve but a tension to manage, offering a practical framework for ministry leaders to lean into hard conversations instead of dodging them.

If you've ever avoided a conflict and watched it grow worse, this episode will equip and inspire you with the tools to address tension head-on without losing your soul or the relationship.

Key Topics Covered

• Conflict is normal, natural, and neutral – why the discomfort isn't the enemy.
• The five responses to conflict – retaliate, escape, surrender, compromise, address.
• Build a fence, not a hospital – the proactive case for early intervention.

Key Quote

"Sometimes when you win, you lose. You were right. But man, you lost big time. It cost you a lot and you don't even know it."

Scripture References

• Proverbs 27:6 – "Faithful are the wounds of a friend, but deceitful are the kisses of an enemy."
• Romans 12:18 – "If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone."

Takeaway

Conflict will find you in ministry. The leaders who flourish aren't the ones who avoid it — they're the ones who address it. Get to the root, stay in the room, and remember that the goal isn't winning. The goal is the kingdom.

Call to Action

We hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.

Stay Connected for More Resources

Visit our website: http://leadministry.com

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteers

Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk unpack the honey-versus-vinegar principle and how ministry leaders can win people over with kindness instead of force. They explore why a winsome approach builds deeper trust, longer-lasting influence, and a healthier team culture for ministry leaders.

If you've ever felt the pull to "go nuclear" on a frustrating staff member, volunteer, or vendor, this episode will equip and inspire you with a kingdom-shaped alternative that actually works.

Key Topics Covered

• Defining conflict and why it's normal in ministry – the "good case of the normals."
• The honey vs. vinegar principle – kindness wins influence; harshness burns bridges.
• Honoring the unseen members of the body – why elevating "less honorable" roles matters.

Key Quote

"You can avoid a ton of conflict if you're just not a jerk."

Scripture References

• 1 Peter 2:23 – "When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly."
• 1 Corinthians 12:22-23 – "On the contrary, those parts of the body that seem to be weaker are indispensable, and the parts that we think are less honorable we treat with special honor."

Takeaway

Vinegar may get results, but it leaves wreckage. Honey builds influence that lasts. Lead with kindness consistently and you'll find the hard conversations get easier — and people will go further with you than you ever thought possible.

Call to Action

We hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.

Stay Connected for More Resources

Visit our website: http://leadministry.com

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteers

Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers

In this episode of the Lead Ministry Podcast, Josh Denhart and Bill Van Kirk wrap up the June Lead Up series with a critical conversation: what to do when your senior leader hands you a last-minute request that might break your team. They share a brilliant third-option response from Lead Ministry coach Jody Quinn, unpack the difference between “doable hard” and “destructive hard,” and offer a framework for protecting your team while still honoring the leadership above you.

If you’ve ever felt cornered between saying yes to your boss and protecting your team, this episode hands you the language to do both.

Key Topics Covered

The Tightrope – Balancing your supervisor’s voice and your team’s needs

Jody Quinn’s Third Option – The script that buys you time and earns trust

Doable Hard vs. Destructive Hard – Knowing the difference matters

Horse Trading – Making your leader pay the cost of priority shifts

Honoring Authority Without Worship – Leaders aren’t divine

Key Quote

“If you need an answer right now, the answer is no. However, if you give me time to talk to the team, we might be able to pull this off.”

Scripture References

Proverbs 15:22 – With many advisers, plans succeed

Proverbs 11:14 – Where there is no guidance, a people falls

Romans 13:1 – Submission to authority

Ephesians 6:5-9 – Serving with sincere hearts

Takeaway

You’re a middle manager threading the needle between your supervisor’s voice and your team’s needs. Pause is power. Time creates clarity. And sometimes the most pastoral thing you can do is push back — not on the mission, but on the timeline.

Call to Action

We hope this episode encourages and equips you. Share it with a friend and stay tuned for more resources each week.

Stay Connected for More Resources

Visit our website: http://leadministry.com

Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LeadVolunteers

Find us on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/leadvolunteers