The Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast

Having a team filled with outstanding talent is a game-changer for any organization. Today, we talk with a couple of culture leaders in a large church who have leveraged their culture to be relentlessly selective in creating a staff that is humble, hungry, and healthy. To learn how listen in! In 2016, Outreach Magazine named Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis, Indiana as one of the "100 Fastest-Growing?Churches?in America." Such growth alone is significant. Yet, there's another reason to celebrate. I call it the hidden story of another kind of growth that can inspire churches everywhere. It's a story you need to hear. With me right now are the two best people I know who are ready to reveal this hidden story. Kristen Miller is Culture & Development Director at Traders Point Christian Church. With Kristen is Emily Hoover, Talent Manager at Traders Point. Kristen and Emily, welcome to the Flourishing Culture Podcast. Find full show notes here: https://bit.ly/traderspointtalentepisode Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2 By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on Twitter https://twitter.com/allopus Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/Email our host at info@bcwinstitute.org

Would you like to be led more by Jesus, live and lead more like Jesus, and lead more to Jesus? Today's podcast is just for you. Sometimes in life, we can lose our wonder. It can happen gradually or overnight. In talking with many Christian leaders struggling through the past year, I hear about a lot of people being exhausted, tired, thinking about retiring early, even quitting. Some have described it as 'the dark night of the soul' where there has been an absence of the presence of God in our lives. In the next few minutes, I want to give you a new kind of pathway so you can live more like Jesus—and perhaps renew the sense of His presence, especially in your work. And I've just the person to take us on this adventure. Dr. Steve Brown, President of Arrow Leadership and author of a very timely, engaging book titled, Jesus Centered: Focusing on Jesus in a Distracted World. Steve, welcome to the Flourishing Culture Podcast. Find full show notes here: Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2 By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on Twitter https://twitter.com/allopus Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/Email our host at info@bcwinstitute.org

Have you ever wondered how important improving your workplace culture is? Well, today our guest says of all the changes that you can make in your organization there's one that matters more than all the others—the culture of your organization. Listen in as this pastor describes how working on cultural health is actually at the core of Christian discipleship for any leader. One of the things I enjoy most about my job is getting to know innovative leaders that are making a difference for the kingdom. One of those leaders is Jeff Lockyer, the Lead Pastor at Southridge Community Church in St. Catharines, Ontario in the Niagara Region. Jeff has just published a very thoughtful book called Finding Our Way: Reclaiming the First-Century Church in the Twenty-First Century. It's a fascinating story of how a church transformed for the next generation. I particularly like the way Jeff walks his readers through the underlying theology behind some of their decisions, including their focus on workplace culture. Whether you are a church leader, a leader of a Christian non-profit, or a Christian business leader, you'll find our discussion inspirational. Find full show notes here: https://bit.ly/s631jefflockyer Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2 By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on Twitter https://twitter.com/allopus Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/Email our host at info@bcwinstitute.org

For many organizations having a majority of your employees work from home is a new challenge. This new environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, has challenged leaders to learn new ways of leading their virtual workplaces. Today we learn from the CEO of a growing, Christian company with 70 percent of their employees who have been working from home remotely for years. I know that you'll benefit from this great advice. It's my pleasure to welcome back to the Flourishing Culture Podcast Robert Bortins, Jr., CEO of Classical Conversations, in Southern Pines, North Carolina. Robert, good to be with you again. Find full show notes here: https://bit.ly/robertbortinsremote Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2 By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on Twitter https://twitter.com/allopus Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/Email our host at info@bcwinstitute.org

Is there a biblical imperative to lead a workplace culture? Christian leaders, why would we want to invest time and treasure into creating a flourishing workplace? Today we hear directly from a leader who shares his heart including why a flourishing workplace matters and how it has come about. David Emmert is Lead Pastor at Celebration Baptist Church, in Tallahassee, Florida. Their workplace culture, for the most part is thriving and flourishing. And, under David's leadership, Celebration's staff of 33 employees has achieved something truly remarkable, and that's that 91 percent of their staff is engaged in their work. Find full show notes here: http://bit.ly/davidemmert Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2 By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on Twitter https://twitter.com/allopus Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/Email our host at info@bcwinstitute.org

Are you looking for ways to improve your leadership effectiveness? Today, our special guest, with 35 years of CEO experience, outlines four ways to improve the softer side of your leadership. Dr. Gene Habecker is Senior Fellow with the Sagamore Institute (Leadership Development and Capacity Building) and President Emeritus of Taylor University. He's also an Adjunct Professor in the PhD in Leadership program at Capital Seminary and Graduate School as well as the former President and CEO of American Bible Society. He's the author of The Softer Side of Leadership: Essential Soft Skills That Transform Leaders and the People They Lead. Find full show notes here: https://bit.ly/genehabeckerepisode Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2 By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on Twitter https://twitter.com/allopus Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/Email our host at info@bcwinstitute.org

What's one thing that can inflict so much emotional pain that it can significantly hinder your leadership effectiveness? Today, listen to one of the world's leading experts on having a healthy marriage and better relationships overall. If you happen to be married, I have a personal question for you. Have you ever noticed how a lingering frustration or a serious unresolved issue in your marriage can eat at you at work and even impact your leadership? Well, believe me, I've experienced this, and I know I'm not alone. How to build a healthy marriage is what my guest is all about today. Les Parrott and his wife Leslie have spent the past 30 years same helping others build healthy relationships. Les is a professor of psychology at Northwest University, in Kirkland, Washington, and they are founders of the Center for Healthy Relationships on the campus of Olivet University in Anza, California Find full show notes here: http://bit.ly/lesparrott Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2 By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on Twitter https://twitter.com/allopus Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/Email our host at info@bcwinstitute.org

Do you feel discouraged because the realities of life have caused you to be disillusioned? Well, maybe you feel cynical. We've seen visionaries succumb to cynicism in these times, or at least cause them to coast. Today, our guests provide hope for us by calling this disillusionment a gift. Listen in as they talk about moving past the false hope of idealism to discover true Christian hope. Those of us in leadership at Christian organizations feel a call from God to serve, and also a vision for how our organization can make a difference in the world. That sense of vision and passion motivates our work. But what do you do when idealism hits unmet expectations and painful experiences? How do you lead forward through difficulties? Our guests today will give us insight into this important issue as we look for hope that will endure. I'm delighted to welcome Chris Horst, chief advancement officer, and Peter Greer, CEO of HOPE International. In their leadership, they have been committed to working with BCWI for a flourishing workplace at HOPE International. Peter and Chris have recently co-authored a book – The Gift of Disillusionment: Enduring Hope for Leaders After Idealism Fades. Find full show notes here: https://bit.ly/s7e26petergreerchrishorst Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2 By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on Twitter https://twitter.com/allopus Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/Email our host at info@bcwinstitute.org

Do you feel your organization's approach to strategic planning is inflexible and ineffective? Do you feel like you're missing untapped opportunities? Well, listen in as today's guest suggests a new counterintuitive approach to traditional planning, an approach that shows you how unexpected opportunities may be the key to your future success. There is a leadership adage that says, "If you fail to plan, you plan to fail." But what if there's a different paradigm of leadership that embraces the need to be flexible rather than strictly adhering to a plan? Certainly, the future we lead into will not look like the past, which impacts our ability to plan. Today's podcast might challenge our thinking and practices, but it will also give us insight into opportunities and possibilities that God brings our way. I'm delighted to welcome Roger Parrott, who is the President of Belhaven University in Jackson, Mississippi. Roger has deep experience in leadership in college settings. He also is the author of several leadership books. Today we'll focus on what he calls Opportunity Leadership, based on his recent book by that title. Find full show notes here: https://bit.ly/S7E25rogerparrott Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2 By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on Twitter https://twitter.com/allopus Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/Email our host at info@bcwinstitute.org

As leaders, we can learn from our peers in other churches and Christian organizations, to understand how they are growing and developing. Also, research into trends and best practices helps all of us on our road to flourishing. Our guest today will help us understand the landscape of this moment in the church and how we can move forward as we follow Jesus and lead with integrity. I'm delighted to welcome Warren Bird, who is Vice President of Research and Equipping at the Evangelical Council for Financial Accountability (ECFA). Warren has a rich understanding of church movements and organizations, including megachurches. He has authored and co-authored numerous books and has a heart for equipping church leaders. Find full show notes here: https://bit.ly/s7e24warrenbird Share the love. If you enjoyed this episode, please rate it on Apple Podcasts and write a brief review. https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-flourishing-culture-podcast/id1060724960?mt=2 By doing so, you will help spread our podcast to more listeners, and thereby help more Christian workplaces learn to build flourishing cultures. Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on Twitter https://twitter.com/allopus Follow our Host, Al Lopus, on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/allopus/Email our host at info@bcwinstitute.org