What happens when commitment begins to slip within a ministry team?

In this episode of the When She Serves Podcast, Brenda Leavenworth is joined by Shirley Ruiz and Tami Peña for the third conversation in the series on dysfunction in ministry. This episode focuses on lack of commitment—one of the challenges that can quietly undermine the health, effectiveness, and unity of a ministry.

Commitment in ministry goes beyond simply showing up. It involves faithfully following through, taking responsibility, communicating well, and recognizing that the way we serve affects the people serving alongside us. When commitment is inconsistent, the burden can fall on others, expectations can become unclear, and frustration can grow within a team.

Brenda, Shirley, and Tami discuss the realities of commitment in ministry and offer practical encouragement for both ministry leaders and those who serve alongside them. Together, they explore how leaders can address a lack of commitment with wisdom and grace while cultivating a culture where people understand the importance of faithfully serving others.

• Why commitment matters to the health of a ministry

• How a lack of commitment can affect an entire ministry team

• The difference between being willing to serve and being committed to serving

• How inconsistency can create additional burdens for other team members

• The importance of clear expectations and communication

• How leaders can address commitment issues without creating unnecessary conflict

• The role of accountability in healthy ministry

• Extending grace while still maintaining appropriate standards

• How leaders can model faithfulness and commitment for those they serve

• Practical ways to build a culture of reliability and trust within a ministry team

✨ Commitment affects more than the individual. When one person repeatedly fails to follow through, others often have to compensate.

✨ Serving is a responsibility. Ministry is a privilege, but it also requires faithfulness, dependability, and a willingness to follow through.

✨ Clear expectations matter. Sometimes what appears to be a commitment problem is actually a communication problem. Healthy teams need clarity about roles, responsibilities, and expectations.

✨ Grace and accountability belong together. Leaders can extend grace while still addressing patterns that negatively affect the ministry.

✨ Faithfulness builds trust. Consistently doing what we say we will do creates a healthier environment where ministry teams can flourish.

✨ Leaders set the example. One of the best ways to cultivate commitment is to model it through our own service, communication, and follow-through.

A lack of commitment can be one of the more difficult issues for a ministry leader to address because people are involved, relationships matter, and the desire to extend grace is real.

But avoiding difficult conversations doesn't necessarily protect unity. In many cases, healthy communication, clear expectations, and loving accountability can protect the unity of a team.

Ministry leaders are called not simply to accomplish tasks, but to shepherd people. Addressing dysfunction well means seeking both truth and grace—caring about the person while also caring about the health of the ministry.

This episode's discussion connects naturally with several biblical principles concerning faithfulness, serving others, stewardship, and the life of the church:

• Colossians 3:23–24 — Serving wholeheartedly as unto the Lord

• 1 Corinthians 4:2 — The importance of being found faithful

• Galatians 6:9 — Not growing weary in doing good

• 1 Peter 4:10 — Using our gifts to serve one another

• Romans 12:10–11 — Serving with diligence and devotion

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Spiritual Gifts: Using Ministry Gifts

When She Serves Podcast
Host: Brenda Leavenworth
Guests: Kelly Bell & Christy Duff

Episode Summary

In this episode of the When She Serves Podcast, Brenda Leavenworth is joined by Kelly Bell and Christy Duff for a conversation about ministry gifts and how God equips His people to serve others and build up the Body of Christ.

Continuing the conversation about spiritual gifts, this episode looks at the practical ways ministry gifts are expressed and how understanding these gifts can help women recognize where they are called to serve. The discussion encourages listeners to think about how God has uniquely equipped them, how their gifts can be used in the local church, and how different gifts work together to accomplish God’s purposes.

Whether you’re already serving in ministry or you’re still trying to discover where you fit, this conversation offers encouragement and practical insight into using the gifts God has given you with humility, purpose, and faithfulness.

In This Episode

• What ministry gifts are and how they differ from other types of spiritual gifts
• How God equips people for different roles and areas of ministry
• Recognizing the ways God may be calling you to serve
• The importance of using spiritual gifts to build up the Body of Christ
• How different gifts complement one another within the church
• The relationship between spiritual gifting, calling, and ministry
• Common challenges and misconceptions surrounding ministry gifts
• Practical encouragement for women who want to serve faithfully
• How understanding your gifts can help you find greater purpose and effectiveness in ministry

Key Takeaways

✨ God equips His people to serve. Every believer has a role to play in the life and ministry of the church.

✨ Our gifts are meant for others. Spiritual gifts are not simply about discovering what we’re good at; they are tools God uses to bless others and strengthen His Body.

✨ Different gifts serve different purposes. We don’t all have the same calling or function, and that’s part of God’s design for the church.

✨ Serving requires humility. Ministry is ultimately about pointing people toward Christ rather than seeking recognition for ourselves.

✨ You can grow as you serve. Discovering and developing your gifts often happens as you step out in faith and serve the people God has placed around you.

Scripture References

• Romans 12:3–8
• 1 Corinthians 12
• Ephesians 4:11–16
• 1 Peter 4:10–11

Resources & Links

• When She Serves Podcast
• When She Serves

About the Guests

Kelly Bell

Kelly Bell joins Brenda Leavenworth for this conversation about spiritual and ministry gifts, bringing insight and encouragement to women seeking to understand how God has equipped them to serve.

Christy Duff

Christy Duff joins the conversation to explore how women can recognize and faithfully use their God-given gifts in ministry and in service to others.

Connect with When She Serves

For additional podcast episodes, ministry resources, and encouragement for women serving Christ, visit the When She Serves website:

When She Serves

You can also explore the podcast and find additional episodes here:

When She Serves Podcast

If this episode encouraged you, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who is seeking to better understand her spiritual gifts and how God is calling her to serve.

In this episode of When She Serves, Krista Fox sits down with veteran missionary Leona Karni, whose more than four decades on the mission field have taken her from Israel to Thailand to Liberia and beyond. Leona shares her testimony from the beginning — a childhood altar call at age nine, a season of rebellion and drug use as a hitchhiking Buddhist in 1970s California, and the moment God spoke audibly into her apartment and set her on a path back to Him.

Leona also opens up about the year she spent studying Hebrew Scripture with her Israeli husband to determine for herself whether Jesus was the Messiah, and the surprising verse in Exodus that God used to settle the question for good. From there, the conversation follows her calling into full-time missions: a prophetic word spoken over her at a roadside rest stop in Louisiana, a jaw-dropping story of buying a house with a single dollar and no income, and eleven and a half years serving trafficked and at-risk children in Thailand.

Now in her 80s and living in Bradenton, Florida, Leona is still stepping out in faith — currently working to launch a Bible school in the Peruvian jungle and to build a network of women across South America who intercede for pastors and churches. She and Krista talk candidly about discerning God's voice, pushing through seasons of doubt, and why being "used of the Lord" is still, after all these years, the greatest joy of her life.

• Leona's childhood introduction to the gospel and her years walking away from faith
• Coming to Christ after studying Hebrew Scripture to test whether Jesus was the Messiah
• A prophetic word delivered by a stranger at a roadside rest stop
• The remarkable story of buying a house in Chestertown, Maryland with a one-dollar down payment
• Eleven and a half years on the mission field in Thailand working with children vulnerable to trafficking
• Current work in Bradenton, Florida, including plans for a Bible school in the Peruvian jungle
• Advice for discerning God's call and pressing on through seasons of doubt

Leona is the author of several books available on Amazon, including Chosen in Love, which tells the story of her inward journey from anger to the freedom of God's love as she ministered around the world. 👉 Find it on Amazon

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When She Serves is created for women who serve in ministry, offering global voices, biblical wisdom, and encouragement for women in ministry leadership.

In This EpisodeGuest BookConnect

Brenda Leavenworth, Kelly Bell, and Becky Dente continue their five-part discussion of Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by focusing on dysfunction #2, the fear of conflict.

They explain that conflict is inevitable in life and ministry and that avoiding it often pursues “artificial peace,” producing passive-aggressive meetings, parking-lot conversations, and unproductive decisions. They discuss common fears behind conflict avoidance, including isolation, misunderstanding, loss of control, and difficult emotions, and emphasize creating safe spaces for respectful truth-telling, listening well, keeping conflict about ideas not people, and refocusing on mission rather than ego.

Using biblical examples and passages, they stress handling truth with humility, sometimes knowing when to step back, and addressing issues early. They recommend Lencioni’s book, Conflict Management for Faith Leaders by Dr. Houston Thompson, and studying Proverbs.

Spiritual Gifts: Using Motivational Gifts

When She Serves Podcast
Host: Brenda Leavenworth
Guests: Krista Fox & Christy Duff

In this episode of the When She Serves Podcast, Brenda Leavenworth is joined by Krista Fox and Christy Duff for a practical and biblical conversation about motivational gifts and how God uniquely equips His people to serve the Body of Christ.

Drawing from Romans 12 and the broader biblical teaching on spiritual gifts, the discussion explores how understanding our God-given motivations can help us serve more effectively, build healthier ministry teams, and grow in our calling. The conversation encourages listeners to identify their spiritual gifts, embrace the unique ways God has wired them, and use those gifts faithfully in ministry and everyday life.

Whether you're serving in church leadership, volunteering behind the scenes, or simply seeking greater clarity about your purpose, this episode offers encouragement and practical insight for discovering and using your spiritual gifts.

• What motivational gifts are and why they matter
• The difference between gifting, personality, and calling
• How spiritual gifts strengthen the Body of Christ
• Recognizing the ways God has uniquely wired you
• Common challenges that arise when we misunderstand our gifts
• Learning to appreciate and collaborate with people who are gifted differently
• Practical ways to begin serving within your areas of gifting
• Encouragement for women serving in ministry and leadership

✨ God has uniquely gifted every believer for service.

✨ Understanding your motivational gifts can bring clarity to your calling and ministry role.

✨ Healthy ministry teams thrive when diverse gifts work together rather than compete.

✨ Spiritual gifts are intended to build up others and glorify God.

✨ Discovering your gifts often happens through serving, community, and spiritual growth.

• Romans 12:3–8
• 1 Corinthians 12
• Ephesians 4:11–16
• 1 Peter 4:10–11

• When She Serves Podcast
• When She Serves Conference & Ministry Resources

Krista Fox serves alongside the When She Serves ministry team and is passionate about equipping women for effective ministry leadership through biblical teaching, discipleship, and practical ministry training.

Christy Duff brings years of ministry experience and a heart for encouraging women to discover their God-given purpose, gifts, and calling within the local church and beyond.

For additional podcast episodes, conference information, resources, and encouragement for women in ministry, visit:

When She Serves

If this episode encouraged you, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a friend who is seeking to better understand and use her spiritual gifts in service to Christ.

Episode SummaryIn This EpisodeKey TakeawaysScripture ReferencesResources & LinksAbout the GuestsKrista FoxChristy DuffConnect with When She Serves

00:00 Stop Striving Solo

00:35 Show Intro And Series Setup

01:52 Why Motivational Gifts Matter

04:06 Romans 12 Gifts Overview

06:10 Gift Of Prophecy Explained

08:35 Where Prophecy Shows Up

11:24 Gift Of Serving And Martha

14:25 Gift Of Teaching And Training

18:22 Gift Of Exhortation In Love

22:29 Truth in Love

23:46 Gift of Giving

24:58 Spirit Led Generosity

28:59 Leadership and Administration

31:08 Compassion and Mercy

35:06 Every Role Matters

38:45 Helps and Closing Charge

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In this episode of When She Serves, Brenda and guest Janie Alford begin a three-part series on spiritual gifts by focusing on the manifestation gifts in 1 Corinthians 12:1–11, emphasizing that these are visible works of the Holy Spirit given “for the profit of all,” not badges of spirituality or tools for entertainment or profit.

They discuss how the Spirit distributes gifts as He wills and why they must operate under Scripture, with discernment to guard against misuse, false prophecy, celebrity culture, and manipulative or fraudulent practices.

The conversation defines and distinguishes word of wisdom, word of knowledge, faith, healings, miracles, prophecy, discerning of spirits, tongues, and interpretation of tongues, including biblical guidelines for order in corporate worship (especially 1 Corinthians 14) and encouragement to desire and practice these gifts in the church and everyday ministry.

00:00 Fake Prophets Warning

00:52 Series Overview

01:40 Purpose of Gifts

04:04 Misuse and Discernment

05:37 Reading 1 Corinthians 12

07:30 Gifts as He Wills

08:55 Word of Wisdom

12:21 Word of Knowledge

15:48 Gift of Faith

19:53 Healing Gift Abuses

24:31 Miracles Defined

25:06 What Counts as Miracles

26:34 Salvation as Miracle

27:33 Gift of Prophecy

29:24 Discerning of Spirits

31:56 Tongues Explained

34:16 Order in Worship

36:05 Prayer Language Benefits

39:30 Singing in Tongues

39:54 Interpretation and Testing

42:47 Gifts for Today

44:59 Scripture Wrap Up

45:39 Final Encouragement

The Foundational Dysfunction: Overcoming the Absence of Trust on Ministry Teams

In this episode, the hosts begin a five-part series on Patrick Lencioni’s The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by focusing on the foundational issue: the absence of trust. They discuss how unmet expectations can breed suspicion, and define trust as believing the best about others, especially when mistakes, lateness, or failures occur. The conversation emphasizes that trust grows through leader-initiated vulnerability, honest communication, and creating a culture of grace rather than performance, where people feel safe admitting weakness, asking for help, receiving correction, and taking risks. They outline consequences of low trust—self-protection, filtered conversations, dangerous feedback, performative meetings, buried conflict, and breakdown of collaboration—and suggest practices like direct conversations, defending teammates, clear expectations, valuing discipleship, using strengths and personality tools, investing personal time, and apologizing quickly.

Today, Krista sits down with Sheila Sells of Poimen Ministries for a rich conversation about her life and calling to minister across remarkably diverse settings. Sheila has served as an assistant chaplain during her tenure as an officer in the Wyoming Air National Guard, and has walked faithfully alongside her husband as he stepped into the role of lead pastor at Calvary Chapel Cheyenne. Whether you're in ministry, exploring your own calling, or simply in need of encouragement, Sheila's hard-won wisdom and gracious spirit are sure to leave you uplifted.

We pray that this conversation encourages you to continue to lead with humility and transparency by the filling and empowerment of the Spirit.

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When She Leads is a podcast for women in ministry hosted by Brenda Leavenworth, Krista Fox, Rosemary Cady, and Kelly Bell.Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

In this episode, Rosemary chats with Amy Nunnally to talk about her experience as a pastor's wife as they stepped into the new role of leading Legacy Christian Fellowship. She opens up about the faith it takes to leave the familiar, find your footing in a new congregation, and discover how God is uniquely calls people to lead and serve in seasons of unknown. Whether you're in a season of transition yourself or simply need encouragement to trust God's placement in your life, this conversation is filled with wisdom, vulnerability, and hope for every woman walking a path of purpose.

We pray that this conversation encourages you to continue to lead with humility and transparency by the filling and empowerment of the Spirit.

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When She Leads is a podcast for women in ministry hosted by Brenda Leavenworth, Krista Fox, Rosemary Cady, and Kelly Bell.Email us at ⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠

In this episode, Brenda and Krista sit down to discuss the real, and often painful experience of entering the empty-nester phase of life after your children move out. They reflect on how your identity, purpose, and calling shift when daily motherhood changes, and how God often uses this season to deepen calling rather than diminish it. Listeners will be encouraged to embrace the season with trust, seeing it as a time for renewal, deeper dependence on God, and fresh opportunities to serve.

We pray that this conversation encourages you to continue to lead with humility and transparency by the filling and empowerment of the Spirit.

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When She Leads is a podcast for women in ministry hosted by Brenda Leavenworth, Krista Fox, Rosemary Cady, and Kelly Bell.Email us at ⁠⁠⁠⁠[email protected]⁠⁠