The Discerning Leader Podcast

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Cynthia Fantasia “Remember that the present loss doesn’t override the richness of the past. We had 45 years of amazing memories and 3 years of sickness and suffering.” – Cynthia Fantasia  In the Lingering Light, written by our guest Cynthia Fantasia, provides courage and hope for the Alzheimer caregiver. After a delightful 45 years of marriage and family life, everything changed with Bob Fantasia’s Alzheimer’s. Were it not for a community of friends and family members coming alongside Cynthia, life would have been dark and foreboding. Ambiguous grief – the loss of someone who is still alive but in a different state of mind – can be debilitating. But, a strong faith, deeply forged in community, unleashes the sustaining presence and power of God.   Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net. 

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Cynthia Fantasia “I determined to live on the other side of eternity as a caregiver for my beloved husband as he suffered through his terminal Alzheimer’s disease. My goal was to preserve his dignity and my sanity.” – Cynthia Fantasia  Discerning God’s presence and power during times of suffering and heartache can be challenging.  It’s nearly impossible without having others in your community to help direct you back to the truths that you know, but have gotten muddled in the midst of the suffering. Our guest, Cynthia Fantasia, tells her story of coming alongside her beloved husband as he suffered for 34 months with Alzheimer’s disease.  For both of them, this was the fulfillment of their “for worse and in sickness” side of their wedding vows, persevered through raw, faithful love.   Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Rick Anderson “An honest diagnosis and a hopeful prognosis is needed for local congregations today. The Church Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) will help you get there.” -Rick Anderson The Church is vitally important. Leadership Transformations supports the spiritual health of the body of Christ. The Church Health Assessment Tool (CHAT) is an online, holistic, user-friendly, biblically-centered, strengths-based listening tool that hundreds of congregations have used successfully. Like looking both ways before crossing the street, CHAT helps leadership teams remain attentive to their surroundings, especially their congregants. A deeper awareness of God and his beloved children leads to greater clarity and trust for discerning the way forward. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia “We as the people of God, his dearly loved ones, are to be like salt and light in the world we are called to love and serve in Jesus’ name.” - Steve Macchia  The mission of the Church is to be like salt and light in our needy world. The world is desperate for the seasoning of God and for a light to point them toward Jesus. A healthy church discerns together the unique ways they become outward in their focus via evangelism, social action, international missions, and caring for the poorest of the poor. In addition, a healthy church embraces the need for wise administration and accountability, finds joy amidst the diversity and unity of the body of Christ, and stewards with generosity all that’s entrusted to their care.   Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net 

Host: Steve Macchia “What does it mean to love one another, to be the body of Christ, the family of God, preferring one another in Christ?” - Steve Macchia Becoming a healthy church includes our compassion toward one another as members of the body of Christ. Ideally, by creating a culture of grace where love for God and each other reigns supreme. When we prioritize the betterment of others, we exhibit the "one another’s" of the Scriptures, loving, serving, forgiving, and praying for one another. Jesus models this in the washing of his disciples’ feet and invites us to do likewise: learning and growing in community, with loving and caring relationships, serving others in unity and devotion to the family of God. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia “How are you contributing to the health of the Church today? We are oaks of righteousness called of God to display his splendor!”  - Steve Macchia  We learn best how to practice a preference for God in the context of the local church.  And, when we are positive contributors to the vitality of the Church, we honor and please God. Unity in the body of Christ is God’s priority, as there’s great beauty in our diversity. Scripture and prayer are essential ingredients of church health, equipping us to trust God together. As we are empowered by the Spirit, exalting God in worship, and caring for our souls in our prayer closets, we deepen our affections for God and become oaks of righteousness, displaying his splendor.  Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia “I want to caution us against being so enveloped by the culture that we forget the real purpose of the Church. What does it mean to be a spiritually healthy family of God today?” - Steve Macchia It’s challenging to be the church today. There is so much antagonism against who we are and what we stand for. So many issues and isms that envelop our culture. But, we believe in the central role of the Church today. And, it’s Leadership Transformations’ desire to serve as seed bearers of hope for the hearts of God’s people. It’s too easy to sit back as a critic of the Church, with cynicism and skepticism on our lips. Instead, we invite you to reconsider the soul of the Church and do everything possible to invest in the health and vitality of the body of Christ. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Suz Skinner "We need to give ourselves permission to become childlike and enjoy the wonder, awe, and joy of playfulness." -Suz Skinner How easy it is to forget the invitation to become like a child if we are to truly experience the kingdom of God. We tend to be more like productivity machines, maximizing the use of each available hour, filling them with noise, activity, and effectiveness. Instead, what brings God delight is when we are childlike, focusing on who we are and who we are becoming in Christ. Playfulness is a fitting antidote to our culture and an invitation to an abundant life in Jesus. Giving ourselves permission to play will release our oft-hidden humility, contentment and joy. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Suz Skinner "How can we pay greater attention when God uses images, metaphors, parables, stories, songs, and poetry in his Word that invite us to pray and respond?"  - Suz Skinner The Scriptures are replete with examples of God’s creative work in our world and in our hearts. Taking time to notice the metaphorical ways God describes himself invites us into a posture of graced receptivity. We are in turn invited to be artists in our prayerful response.  There’s a whole world of prayer to explore as we feast our eyes on God’s abiding presence and direction, expressed in images, metaphors, parables, stories, poetry, and songs. As you behold God in his many creative expressions, perhaps there’s a picture to draw or a poem to write in response. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Suz Skinner "Seeing the sunrise and sunset never gets old. They are the fingerprints of God each and every day."  – Suz Skinner Creation and beauty speak directly of God, but without words. God is the author of both gifts and he delights for us to enjoy them. Who among us doesn’t love to lay on the ground and look up at the sky, noticing God’s handiwork in the clouds? In both unpredictable and predictable ways, God has blessed us with his creation and empowered us to create and enjoy beauty.  Because of our uniqueness, each person notices differently. When our senses are enlivened, we are quickened to respond. Embrace a renewed attentiveness and share the joy with others. Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net