Leaders in Living Rooms

About the Episode Nate and George Ross, pastors of Northside Christian Church in New Albany, Indiana, open up about the father-son dynamics in leadership transitions. There are both pros and cons and no matter what it takes resolve and grace. Who are Nate and George Ross? Nate Ross was a nomad from day one. Living in Scottsburg, Indiana, but being born in Louisville, Kentucky was the beginning of the travels on which God would take him. Being raised in a ministry home meant being obedient to God's calling more than comfort, which led to his family doing ministry in four different states during his childhood. For this reason, he couldn't be more grateful to his parents for being such Godly servants and parents. The Lord led Nate and his wife, Ruthie, to Northside in March of 2008 to be a part of the Church staff as the Associate Minister of Involvement. Connecting people to Christ, community, and God's calling has always been Nate's heartbeat, and he couldn't be more thrilled to serve now as the Lead Pastor of such an amazing staff and dynamic Church. George Ross is the Teaching Pastor at Northside Church. George and his family moved from Las Vegas, Nevada in March of 1999 to begin serving at Northside and he considers this the ride of his life. His time spent in the desert opened his eyes fully to the incredible amount of Grace that Jesus has made available to all of us. After serving 32 years in ministry, George’s heart still beats emphatically to see people fully embrace Jesus as Savior and the Leader of their life. He feels honored and humbled to serve alongside an incredible group of elders, and he can’t wait to see what God does next in Southern Indiana and the world.

Joel Thomas was Northpoint Community Church’s first intern back before they were even running 1000 in attendance. He went on to become their Alpharetta Campus Pastor, and while he wasn't looking for a lead pastor gig anywhere, God called him into that role at Mission Community Church in Phoenix, AZ.Mission had just been through a year without a pastor after a devastating moral failure of the prior lead pastor left them hurting and confused. Joel will talk about how pervasive culture was, how he began to diagnose unhealthy parts of their culture and lead them toward maturity while pastoring them through the hurt and pain they were feeling. Joel Thomas is the Lead Pastor at Mission Community Church in Gilbert, AZ.  Joel has over 25 years experience in engaging and inspiring ministry leadership roles. His key strengths include, vision, communication, strategic planning and relational ministry. Joel is passionate about leading people to find a thriving life in a relationship with Jesus.  “Jesus is for everyone and that is why we are a church that is for everyone.”

Joel Thomas was Northpoint Community Church’s first intern back before they were even running 1000 in attendance. He went on to become their Alpharetta Campus Pastor, and while he wasn't looking for a lead pastor gig anywhere, God called him into that role at Mission Community Church in Phoenix, AZ.Mission had just been through a year without a pastor after a devastating moral failure of the prior lead pastor left them hurting and confused. Joel will talk about how pervasive culture was, how he began to diagnose unhealthy parts of their culture and lead them toward maturity while pastoring them through the hurt and pain they were feeling. Joel Thomas is the Lead Pastor at Mission Community Church in Gilbert, AZ.  Joel has over 25 years experience in engaging and inspiring ministry leadership roles. His key strengths include, vision, communication, strategic planning and relational ministry. Joel is passionate about leading people to find a thriving life in a relationship with Jesus.  “Jesus is for everyone and that is why we are a church that is for everyone.”

Sean Morgan continues his discussion with Pastor Danny Anderson of Emmanuel Church in Indiana talks about taking the lead role at a mega church at age 28, a crazy season of leadership, and how he worked to reshape the church toward reaching the unchurched. After over 60% of the church left (yup, you read that right) God began to free the church up to gain momentum in reaching the lost in Indianapolis. Danny has served as Lead Pastor of Emmanuel Church since 2006, having previously served as Emmanuel’s High School Pastor for six years. As Lead Pastor, Danny is the primary communicator for Emmanuel’s weekend messages, and serves as leader of the Staff Leadership Team. An avid reader, Danny also enjoys shooting hoops in his limited free time, as well as spending time with his wife Jackie, their three children (Andrew, Beau, & Ruby), and dog Buddy. He is a dedicated fan of Michael Jordan and has quoted the movie, Braveheart, from the platform on more than one occasion. His podcast, The Breakthrough Podcast, discusses how to reach our full potential and become the people God made us to be.

Pastor Danny Anderson of Emmanuel Church in Indiana talks about taking the lead role at a mega church at age 28, a crazy season of leadership, and how he worked to reshape the church toward reaching the unchurched.  After over 60% of the church left (yup, you read that right) God began to free the church up to gain momentum in reaching the lost in Indianapolis. Danny has served as Lead Pastor of Emmanuel Church since 2006, having previously served as Emmanuel’s High School Pastor for six years. As Lead Pastor, Danny is the primary communicator for Emmanuel’s weekend messages, and serves as leader of the Staff Leadership Team. An avid reader, Danny also enjoys shooting hoops in his limited free time, as well as spending time with his wife Jackie, their three children (Andrew, Beau, & Ruby), and dog Buddy. He is a dedicated fan of Michael Jordan and has quoted the movie, Braveheart, from the platform on more than one occasion. His podcast, The Breakthrough Podcast, discusses how to reach our full potential and become the people God made us to be.

About the Episode Pastor Dave Ferguson is the author of Hero maker: Five Essential Practices for Leaders to Multiply Leaders. Among Dave's many talents are his natural optimism and his innovation in church planting and the multisite model. In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms we learn how he maximizes his strengths while ensuring the leaders around him still have room to thrive as they operationalize and execute ministry. Who is Dave Ferguson? Dave Ferguson is an award-winning author, founding and lead pastor of Chicago’s Community Christian Church, a missional multi-site community considered one of the most influential churches in America. Dave is also the visionary for the international church-planting movement NewThing and president of the Exponential Conference. daveferguson.coInstagram: @fergusondaveTwitter: @davefergusonHero Maker Thanks to our sponsors: CDF Capital and Food For The Hungry. https://theascentleader.org/dave-ferguson

About the Episode Almost all of us lead things that were started before us. It can be challenging in ways we don’t anticipate. Leaders In Living Rooms remains focused on helping transition leaders lead forward toward health and growth...even if someone else started what they are now leading. In this episode, we discuss these challenges with Tyler Reagin, author of, Leading Things You Didn't Start: Winning Big When You Inherit People, Places, and Possibilities. Who is Tyler Reagin? Tyler Reagin is the founder and CEO of The Life Giving Company (lifegiving.co). He is the author of The Life-Giving Leader (Oct 2018) and Leading Things You Didn’t Start (March, 2021). Tyler was the President of Catalyst, a leadership development organization that exists to unify and equip leaders who love the Church through resources and experiential events. Prior to leading the charge at Catalyst, Tyler served for seven years under the leadership of Andy Stanley as the Service Programming Director of Browns Bridge Community Church (a campus of North Point Ministries). Tyler Reagin received his Masters of Divinity from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and serves as a leadership coach for teams and organizations. www.TylerReagin.comInstagram: @tylerreaginTwitter: @tylerreagin Leading Things You Didn’t Start Thanks to our sponsors: CDF Capital and Food For The Hungry.  

Andy Wood is our guest this week on Leaders in Living Rooms, where he and Sean Morgan talk about the dangers of limiting ourselves with self-doubt. In his roles of church planter, pastor, and podcaster, Andy has experienced the mind-games that can reduce our capacity for what God has called us to do, and he has suggestions for overcoming them. He and Sean also discuss building better teams and empowering them to perform at their best—which often requires us to grow first. Andy Wood is the Lead Pastor of Echo.Church, one of the fastest-growing churches in the San Francisco Bay area. Echo’s vision is to make a positive difference through serving and loving the community around each of its 4 campuses. Andy is an entrepreneur at heart, a husband, and a father to 3 children.

General Boyd Parker is a decorated Air Force officer at the Pentagon, an accomplished combat pilot, and a key leader who has influenced Sean Morgan in his career and ministry. In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean and General Parker dive into the heart behind good leadership—serving others to make things better. They talk about methods that sometimes engulf intent and the significance of personal discipline for leaders. Stationed at the Pentagon, Major General Boyd Parker is the Mobilization Assistant to the Deputy Chief of Staff for Strategy, Integration, and Requirements. He develops Air Force strategy and operational concepts to achieve national defense objectives. General Parker received his commission in 1990 from the USAF Academy, earning a Bachelor of Science degree in Mathematical Science. He earned his pilot wings at Williams Air Force Base in 1991 and was assigned to fly the KC-10 Extender. During his 30-year Air Force career, General Parker has held command positions at the squadron and group levels. General Parker is a command pilot with more than 5,000 military flying hours in the T-38, C-12, and KC-10. He is married to Colonel (retired) Marlena Parker and has 2 daughters, Isabel and Olivia. Thanks to our Sponsors: CDF Capital and Food for the Hungry.

Long-time minister at New Hope Church, Wayne Cordeiro has led through incredible circumstances over the years. Sharing wisdom from the heart, he recounts a long and inspiring trajectory of growth and multiplication. He also recalls a challenging time In his 50s when his multi-faceted ministry was interrupted by a heart attack that forced him to make significant changes to his health as a leader. Dr. Wayne Cordeiro is the founding minister of New Hope Church in Oahu, Hawaii. One of the fastest-growing churches in the nation, New Hope oversees 4 Bible colleges and has planted over 150 churches across the Pacific Rim and throughout the western United States. Wayne believes in investing in future leaders and releasing the God-given potential of the new generation. To this end, he serves as president of New Hope Christian College in Eugene, Oregon, which recently planted a lab church, New Hope West, to provide a venue for hands-on practicum for his ministerial students during the Covid pandemic. Wayne has authored 12 books including Leading on Empty, Doing Church as a Team, The Divine Mentor, and The Irresistible Church, and he is the general editor of the Life Connect Study Bible. Wayne and his wife Anna have 3 children and 9 grandchildren and split their time between Hawaii and Oregon, where they have a family ranch. Wayne’s hobbies include teaching the Word of God and discipling leaders for the Kingdom, and he enjoys music, reading, and horses. You can learn more at https://www3.enewhope.org.