Leaders in Living Rooms

“The church is God’s vehicle to get the answer to people’s longings in their heart to them, and if people have been without a church long enough, then I know their spirit is going to be hungry.” Meet Darren Youngstrom, Lead Pastor at New Vintage Church in Santa Rosa. Today’s conversation brings an authentic glimpse into the transition role of a lead pastor. Darren is honest and vulnerable about his trials and hardships. But he also sheds light on the many ways God is clearly on the move in the midst of it all.Welcome to Episode 079 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSNew Vintage ChurchIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition. Or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and checkout my brand new course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our 2023 cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS DARREN YOUNGSTROM?Darren is the lead pastor at New Vintage Church in Santa Rosa. He and his wife Mollie moved their family across the country from Atlanta, Ga, in August of 2020 to help rebuild a church in a highly unchurched city. Prior to his time in Santa Rosa, Darren was the Director of the high school ministry at North Point Community Church in Atlanta, Georgia. He got his start in ministry with Student Venture, the high school ministry of Cru. For nearly 20 years, Darren spent his time pushing Jesus to teenagers, primarily in public school settings. He credits his experiences with Cru and his training at North Point with his preparation to lead a church in an unchurched part of the country. His hobbies include coaching track at a local high school, coaching his girls in basketball, and building sick hotwheels tracks with his 4-year-old son.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry. Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  

Rich Birch, lead coach of the Church Growth Incubator, shares his extensive experience in church leadership. He emphasizes the power of asking questions over providing answers for effective leadership. The discussion dives into the relationship dynamics between lead and executive pastors, highlighting the importance of clarity and boundaries. Rich also explores the complexities of co-leadership, the need for appropriate pastoral compensation, and the role of vision and community engagement in nurturing effective leadership.

“God uses transition to connect us more deeply to the people around us.” Meet Clay Scroggins, author of the best-selling books How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge, How to Lead in a World of Distraction, and The Aspiring Leader’s Guide to the Future.  In today’s episode, Clay gives a deep, personal look at what transitioning from a lead pastor role to an entrepreneurial, self-employed role has looked like for him. He gives a ton of perspective and insight into what his journey has been, leaving us with thoughtful questions to ask and actionable items to tackle next when we face a season of transition.Welcome to Episode 077 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSClayscroggins.comclay.scroggins@gmail.comTwitter: @clayscrogginsInstagram: @clayscrogginsIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition. Or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and checkout my brand new course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our 2023 cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS CLAY SCROGGINS?Clay is the author of the best-selling books How to Lead When You’re Not in Charge, How to Lead in a World of Distraction, and The Aspiring Leader’s Guide to the Future. He holds a degree in Industrial Engineering from Georgia Tech as well as a Master’s degree and Doctorate with an emphasis in Online Church from Dallas Theological Seminary. For almost 20 years, Clay Scroggins served in many pastoral roles at North Point Ministries, a multisite church started in Alpharetta, Georgia led by Andy Stanley. Most recently, Clay served as the lead pastor of Buckhead Church, one of North Point’s largest campuses. Clay is a sought-after speaker (that’s what he tells his parents) having worked with organizations ranging from the Dallas Cowboys or the staff at the White House all the way to Taco Bell or the Alabama Association of Tax Assessors. Clay lives in Atlanta, Georgia, with his wife, Jenny, and their five children.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry. Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.

“Connection is what brings production.” Meet Kyle Idleman, Lead Pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky. Kyle sits down with Sean Morgan to talk through his pastoral journey from a lonely church planter to now leading one of the largest churches in America. Through key voices in his life, welcoming him in, speaking wisdom into his role, and placing helpful boundaries around pastoral input and output, Kyle has great wisdom to share with us in regard to church leadership. Join us for an episode full of vulnerability, real stories from his experiences, and even a sneak peek at Kyle’s latest book!Welcome to Episode 076 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.EPISODE LINKSKyle’s newest book, When Your Way Isn’t Working, releases this June!To learn more about the dynamic between an Integrator and a Visionary, read Rocket Fuel, by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters.If you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition. Or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my brand new course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our 2023 cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS KYLE IDLEMAN?Kyle Idleman is a bestselling author and the senior pastor at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, one of the largest churches in America. He’s most widely known for his award-winning book, not a fan., which has sold more than 1.3 million copies and has sparked a movement among believers.Kyle has authored several other books including: When Your Way Isn’t Working, One at a Time, gods at war, and End of Me, Kyle and his wife DesiRae have four children and live on a farm where he does no farming.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry. Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  

“My life has been a story of transition… I’m used to having to rely on the Lord and ask for His wisdom, guidance, and understanding.” Meet Sam Acho, a nine year NFL Veteran, ESPN Football Analyst, Humanitarian, and Author. Sam sits down with Sean to talk through each of the transitions in his life and what changed along the way. Through all of them, what remained the same was his commitment to Christ. Listen in on this episode as Sam shares not only the details of these transitions, but the imperative methods he’s discovered to let God lead the way. Welcome to Episode 075 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSPreorder Change Starts with You by Sam AchoIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition. Or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and checkout my brand new course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our 2023 cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS SAM ACHO?ESPN Football Analyst & Nine-Year NFL Veteran Humanitarian & Author Ambassador, International Justice Mission Sam Acho is an author, a public speaker, a humanitarian, an in-studio analyst for ESPN, a nine-year NFL veteran, and a committed Christian. He’s also currently an ambassador for the International Justice Mission. Sam was recently inducted into the University of Texas Athletics Hall of Honor, having played college football at the University of Texas at Austin, where he received the William V. Campbell Trophy for being college football’s top scholar-athlete. He also won the NCAA Top VIII Award.Twitter: @TheSamAchoInstagram: @thesamachosamachobook.comSPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry. Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.

“Pastors moving into the Lead Pastor role need to ask, “What created this vacancy that God has called me to fill? People mistakenly assume that succession and retirement are synonyms. They’re not.”” Meet William Vanderbloemen,  CEO & Founder of Vanderbloemen, an executive search firm. In this episode, William and Sean really lean in to combine their pre and post-transition experience, unpacking the top lessons from coaching churches through pastoral transition. William shares invaluable insight from his work in over 3,000 church successions and key advice for both the outgoing and incoming leader. Welcome to Episode 074 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and checkout my brand new course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Next: Pastoral Succession That Works, Expanded and UpdatedBalance salary & stewardship: Vanderbloemen compensation reportsAre you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our 2023 cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS WILLIAM VANDERBLOEMEN?William Vanderbloemen was a pastor for 15 years and is now CEO & Founder of Vanderbloemen, an executive search firm. William started Vanderbloemen because he understands that when your team isn’t whole it disrupts your mission. He has combined his ministry experience as a Senior Pastor with the best practices of executive search to provide churches with a unique offering: a deep understanding of local church work with the very best knowledge and practices of professional executive search to complete your team. Vanderbloemen has staffed over 2,500 organizations. William is the author of Next: Pastoral Succession That Works, Search: The Pastoral Search Committee Handbook, and Culture Wins: The Roadmap to an Irresistible Workplace.https://www.vanderbloemen.com/Twitter: @VanderbloemenSGIG: @VanderbloemenSPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry. Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  

“It wasn’t until maybe four years into me leading the church that I really felt like, “Okay, now I have a good sense as to what it means to lead the congregation from here to there from a vision perspective.” Meet Rich Villodas, lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church in Elmhurst, Queens. In this episode, Rich shares his own leadership transition story, as he was called to lead New Life at 28 years old, succeeding the great Pete Scazzero. He gives listeners an inside look at the  intimate details of his transition—both the things that went well and the areas that were most challenging for him as a young leader. This is an episode packed with wisdom and honesty on the topic of pastoral succession, you won’t want to miss it. Welcome to Episode 073 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSGood and Beautiful and Kind: Becoming Whole in a Fractured World by Rich VillodasLeading Change by John Kotter Check out a brand new resource from Sean Morgan and Carey Nieuwhof, the Pastoral Succession Toolkit.  The Toolkit is available to pastors for free and includes access to a live workshop on Jan 23/24, a training video, and a few downloadable guides. Get yours today!Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our 2023 cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS RICH VILLODAS?Rich Villodas is the Brooklyn-born lead pastor of New Life Fellowship, a large multiracial church with more than seventy-five countries represented in Elmhurst, Queens. Rich holds a Master of Divinity from Alliance Theological Seminary. He enjoys reading widely, preaching and writing on contemplative spirituality, justice-related matters, and the art of preaching. He's been married to Rosie since 2006 and they have two beautiful children, Karis and Nathan. His first book, The Deeply Formed Life, is now available wherever books are sold.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry. Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  

Carey Nieuwhof, a best-selling leadership author and speaker, joins Brad Lomenick, a key voice in church strategies, in a candid discussion about the evolving vision in church leadership. They explore the emotional challenges leaders face amid declining attendance and stress the importance of clear vision and innovative approaches for revitalization. The duo also emphasizes the necessity of building meaningful relationships within the community and adapting leadership strategies to inspire growth and resilience in the church.

“God uses so many types of leaders that are way different from each other. So, it makes sense that there’s going to be all kinds of succession stories that God can bless equally.” Today, we’re joined by Dustin Aagaard and John Hampton, both pastors in the midst of a Lead Pastor transition at Journey Christian Church in Orlando. With specific insight into their current transition season, we’re hearing firsthand, from both sides, the nuances and wisdom that play into healthy leadership succession within a church.Welcome to Episode 071 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSAre you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our 2023 cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ The Hero’s Farewell by Jeffrey SonnenfeldSuccession Resource from Journey Christian ChurchWHO ARE DUSTIN AAGAARD AND JOHN HAMPTON?Pastor Dustin is the Associate Lead Pastor at Journey Christian Church in Apopka, Florida. Originally from Orlando, Florida, he started at Journey in December 2017 as the Family Pastor. He became the Associate Lead Pastor in 2020 and will be Journey's Lead Pastor starting in January 2023. Pastor Dustin’s heart and calling is to pray and prepare for revival. Pastor Dustin is married to his wife, TJ, who he met at church in middle school. They are blessed with three kids: Riley, Callie Joy, and Darby. Pastor Dustin loves hanging out with his family, as well as going to the beach, playing golf, and watching anything that’s on ESPN. He loves cheering on the Orlando Magic, the Miami Dolphins, and the Florida Gators.Twitter: @dustinaagaardInstagram: @danish_pastorJohn Hampton is a native of a small town (Germantown) in Northern Kentucky. He is a 1984 graduate of Cincinnati Christian University (CCU) and a 1987 recipient of Kentucky Christian University’s Master of Ministry. He has also completed studies in Asbury Seminary’s Beeson Institute of Advanced Church Leadership in 2002. In March of 2010, John accepted a call to be Lead Pastor at Journey Christian Church in Apopka, FL, located just outside Orlando. He previously served as the Senior Pastor at First Christian Church, Canton, OH from August of 1997 until March of 2010. John has also served as the Senior Minister of Northern Heights Christian Church (now NorthEast Christian) in Lexington, KY (1988-1997); the Preaching Minister of Southwest Christian Church in Jackson, Mississippi (1984-1988); and began his preaching ministry at Claysville Christian Church in Cynthiana, KY while studying at CCU. John is the husband of Melinda to whom he has been married since June 4, 1983. He is the proud father of two daughters, Anna Ashie and Rachel Donaldson and has two sons-in-law, Nii (Anna’s husband) and Caleb (Rachel’s husband) and is “Pappy” to Hampton, Davies and Bryant Ashie.The Giving Journey by John HamptonTwitter: @JohnAlanHamptonSPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry.Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  The Art of Leadership Academy - https://careynieuwhof.com/the-art-of-leadership-academy/

“We haven’t just had a change in culture in the last couple of years, we’ve had a cultural shift. We’re in a different playing field.” Many of you know Chris Brown, Senior Pastor and Teaching Pastor at North Coast Church in San Diego, CA. In today’s episode, Sean Morgan leans in with Chris on exactly how North Coast is innovating around online church and why it’s so important. Together, they unpack common misconceptions of online church and encourage leaders that for 2,000 years the Gospel has always found a way to maintain relevancy in a changing culture. Why should now be any different?Welcome to Episode 070 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSHow to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale CarnegieAre you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our 2023 cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS CHRIS BROWN?Chris Brown has served as a Senior Pastor and Teaching Pastor at North Coast Church since 2004. Prior to that, he was the Campus Pastor at Azusa Pacific University, and then a Youth Pastor in the LA area. As a gifted storyteller and Bible teacher he loves to use his sense of humor and motivational style to help people truly experience all of the grace and mercy that they have been given in order to fall more in love with Jesus. His life work and ambition is to use his unique gifts and personality to equip people to follow Jesus while building healthy and highly productive teams that serve the local church. Chris lives in Oceanside with his wife Amy and their three children, and tries to fish as much as his schedule will allow.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: Food For The Hungry.Combine your church's heart for the poor and Food for the Hungry’s global experience at fh.org/churches.  The Art of Leadership Academy - https://careynieuwhof.com/the-art-of-leadership-academy/