The Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast

At more than 78 million strong, the Millennials – those born between 1980 and 2000 – have surpassed the Boomers as the larger and more influential generation in America. Millennials are no longer the future of Christian ministries; they are actively engaged in leadership today. They have many wonderful characteristics that make them a great asset to the kingdom – and therefore to your Christian workplace. Today, we're diving into this topic with Thom Rainer, President and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources. Thom and his son Jess (a Millennial born in 1985) present the first major investigative work on Millennials from a Christian worldview perspective in their book The Millennials: Connecting to America's Largest Generation. Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/44-thom-rainer-lifeway-christian-resources.

We all know that a good workplace culture is defined by a set of guiding core values. But how do we take those values off the page and into the actions of every leader and employee? When an organization clearly defines its core values and then lives them out, it creates a ripple effect throughout all corners of the organization, and the results are revolutionary. Our guest today is Vince Burens, President and CEO of Coalition for Christian Outreach. From its inception in 1971, CCO has been transforming college students to transform the world. Today, CCO is serving on 115 college campuses in 12 eastern states and the District of Columbia. When this interview was recorded, Vince served as vice president of staff services. Listen as Vince walks us through CCO's intensive process of creating core values, successful strategies for helping these values come alive in the organization, and the positive effects they have seen as a result. Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/43-vince-burens-coalition-for-christian-outreach.

Ralph Waldo Emerson once wrote, "Trust men and they will be true to you; treat them greatly, and they will show themselves great." We couldn't agree more with this principle, and today's guest is a living example of it. Time and again, we've seen that building a culture of trust not only improves employees' daily workplace experience, but even leads to increased productivity and thus ministry impact. Today, we're talking with Barry Slauenwhite, president of Compassion Canada, who has served there since 1983. Over the past several years, Compassion Canada has experienced 20% annual growth, while giving new promise and purpose to 1.4 million children around the world. Barry has very intentionally created a culture of trust and integrity by casting a vision for the company's culture and then enforcing it relentlessly. He demonstrates trustworthiness and demands it in his employees, and today's discussion is jam-packed with wisdom from a humble leader. Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/42-barry-slauenwhite-compassion-canada.

When the staff of Gateway Church in Dallas grew 25% in one year, there was good reason for excitement—and well-founded concern. As its ministry grew, something changed. Gateway realized if they kept adding staff without protecting their DNA, the culture they loved would be diluted. Today we have the pleasure of talking with associate senior pastor Allan Kelsey, who shares how Gateway put rubber to the road to maintain their cultural DNA in the face of tremendous growth. Tune in to our talk today to learn a couple of the key practices that have helped Gateway create a healthy culture and become a Certified Best Christian Workplace: Making a commitment to continuing education Intentionally investing in and empowering staff relationships Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/41-allan-kelsey-gateway-church.

Welcome to The Flourishing Culture Podcast! Recently, we asked ministry CEOs and senior pastors what topics they would enjoy and value most on our podcast. You know what they told us? The top leaders in Christian organizations said they wanted to learn more about developing their own spiritual life and how it impacts their leadership. And that’s why we think you’re going to enjoy today’s guest. Today, it’s our pleasure to talk with Elisa Morgan. We first met Elisa when she was the president of MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International, a role she served in for 20 years. MOPS was certified as a Best Christian Workplace, and Elisa was one of our “Outstanding Leaders” as she led MOPS in its growth from 350 to more than 4,000 groups around the world. After ‘retiring’ from MOPS, Elisa has continued to influence and mentor leaders in ministry. She has served on the Boards of ECFA and Denver Seminary. She’s a sought-after speaker, radio show co-host, on-line magazine publisher, and author of over twenty-five books on spiritual formation, evangelism and mothering. Listen in as Elisa shares about her own personal journey of spiritual growth, and how she learned to lead authentically – deficit-to-deficit – allowing God to use her brokenness. Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/40-elisa-morgan-mops-international.

When Dr. Jo Anne Lyon, General Superintendent of The Wesleyan Church, was tasked with leading the charge on her denomination's restructuring, she knew she needed to start with listening to her staff at a grassroots level. She then used that feedback to reshape the culture and bring about unity during a time of extreme change. As we'll see in today's interview, that unity and clarity around vision, mission and goals can lead to some truly divine outcomes. In the 8 years since The Wesleyan Church distilled their efforts into three clear goals (to increase attendance, conversions and baptisms), the number of worship attendees, new followers of Christ and baptisms has increased 30 percent in North America. Prior to being elected as the General Superintendent in 2008, Jo Anne founded World Hope International, an organization to alleviate suffering and injustice through education, enterprise and community health. As she travels the world, Jo Anne serves her denomination and several boards. Plus, she is sought-after as an advisor to world leaders including visits to the White House. Tune into today's episode to hear Jo Anne's strategy for successfully navigating a restructuring. Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/38-dr-jo-anne-lyon-wesleyan-church/.

How can learning to model Jesus' leadership serve to develop your own personal leadership? And can it help build an operating framework for your staff culture? Today we have the pleasure of talking with Phyllis Hendry, the President and CEO of Lead Like Jesus, who has helped hundreds of organizations and churches live out their ministry vision by re-sharpening their leadership focus. Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/36-phyllis-hendry-lead-like-jesus.

How does a privately-owned architecture and construction firm, focused solely on serving churches, build a healthy employee culture? Brad Eisenmann, President of Aspen Group, can speak to this question as well as anyone. Aspen specializes in designing and building innovative church spaces, but it's more than just a business. With a mission to create space for ministry impact, it really is a ministry to churches and the people they serve. Their team rallies around this laser-sharp mission statement, which has become the basis for both their flourishing culture and thriving business. The lessons Brad has learned about building a healthy culture can benefit your organization today and for years to come. Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/episode-34-brad-eisenmann-aspen-group.

Welcome to The Flourishing Culture Podcast! Over the last 20 years, the publishing world has radically changed. Amazon, self-publishing, publishing software and other influences have dramatically impacted the Christian publishing world. In fact, the consolidation in the number of independent Christian publishers has been staggering. These changes lead to the question, “How has InterVarsity Press not only survived, but thrived in the face of tremendous innovation and change?" One person knows the answer better than anyone: Bob Fryling, the publisher of InterVarsity Press, and the author of several books, including The Leadership Ellipse: Shaping How We Lead by Who We Are. The insights he has to share about creating a healthy, flourishing workplace culture can speak to you and your organization in any industry. Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/episode-33-bob-fryling-intervarsity-press.

How does a rapidly growing church who says they are "all about people” focus on developing their own leadership? And how does staff development help them keep up with their growth while maintaining a flourishing culture? Today, Al is having an interesting conversation with Rick Mauderer, the Associate Pastor responsible for staff development at Gateway Church near Dallas, Texas—the nation’s fourth-largest church. Find the full show notes at http://blog.bcwinstitute.org/episode-29-rick-mauderer-gateway-church.