Leaders in Living Rooms

About the EpisodeSeacoast has been a pioneering church for decades and now continues a legacy of fruitful ministry through a senior leadership transition from father to son. Greg and Josh talk about the highs and lows of that transition, and offer sage advice to anyone in a leadership transition.Who is Greg Surratt?Greg Surratt is the founding pastor of Seacoast Church, which was planted with the goal of reaching unchurched people in the Charleston area. Greg led Seacoast as it grew from one campus to many, and as Seacoast became one of the first churches to pioneer the multi-site approach to the weekend experience. Greg is the president and co-founder of the Association of Related Churches (ARC), which is a global church-planting initiative that has established over 900 churches worldwide since its founding in 2000.He is the author of the book IR-REV-REND, as well as a contributor for Outreach Magazine, Ministry Today Magazine, and Charisma Magazine.Who is Josh Surratt?As Lead Pastor, Josh Surratt is helping Seacoast Church realize God’s vision for what comes next. He is passionate about helping people find God, grow their faith, discover their purpose, and make a difference. Josh was raised in Charleston, South Carolina and attended the College of Charleston.He joined the Seacoast staff in 2001 and has served in several roles, including four years as the Mount Pleasant Campus Pastor. Josh is one of Seacoast’s Teaching Pastors and currently serves on the Executive Team as the Seacoast Lead Pastor.

About the EpisodePart 2 of Sean Morgan's discussion with Kevin Queen.After a devastating transition of their lead pastor, Crosspoint church in Nashville was without a lead pastor and 3/4 of their executive team moved on. This is the story of Kevin's call to leadership at Crosspoint. Kevin has now led Crosspoint through a leadership transition, a direct hit by a tornado, and now a global pandemic. In part one of this two-part series, Kevin gets real about the most important things that keep him grounded, give him perspective, and encourage him.Who is Kevin Queen?Kevin Queen is a husband, father, pastor, and communicator. Born and raised in the Atlanta area, he’s a graduate of the University of Georgia, New Orleans Seminary, and Bethel Seminary.Before joining Cross Point’s staff in August 2017, Kevin served for 14 years on staff at 12Stone Church, a large multi-site church with 8 campuses in Metro Atlanta. During his last 10 years at 12Stone, he served as both a campus pastor and teaching pastor.

About the EpisodeAfter a devastating transition of their lead pastor, Crosspoint church in Nashville was without a lead pastor and 3/4 of their executive team moved on. This is the story of Kevin's call to leadership at Crosspoint. Kevin has now led Crosspoint through a leadership transition, a direct hit by a tornado, and now a global pandemic. In part one of this two-part series, Kevin gets real about the most important things that keep him grounded, give him perspective, and encourage him.Who is Kevin Queen?Kevin Queen is a husband, father, pastor, and communicator. Born and raised in the Atlanta area, he’s a graduate of the University of Georgia, New Orleans Seminary, and Bethel Seminary.Before joining Cross Point’s staff in August 2017, Kevin served for 14 years on staff at 12Stone Church, a large multi-site church with 8 campuses in Metro Atlanta. During his last 10 years at 12Stone, he served as both a campus pastor and teaching pastor.

About the EpisodeChapelstreet church recently transitioned senior leadership from Brian Coffey to Jeff Frazier. Their story sets the bar for making room for younger leaders to rise up and then partnering with influence when the outgoing leader not only stays in the church but stays on staff. The story at Chapelstreet will open up your mind to the possibilities of leading well in transition seasons. Who is Jeff Frazier?Jeff Frazier is the Lead Pastor at Chapelstreet Church in Geneva, IL. Before transitioning into this role, Jeff was the Teaching Pastor at Chapelstreet Church, and prior to that, he spent the previous 15 years in youth ministry: 9 years at Chapelstreet Church and 6 years on staff at Willow Creek Community Church. Jeff’s primary passion in life is to see the gospel of Jesus Christ transforming human hearts. Jeff loves the process of studying, discovering, and communicating God’s Word and desires to encourage others to share this passion. Jeff is also passionate about his wife and kids, the writing of C.S. Lewis, the sport of football, strong coffee, and old books. Jeff has an MA in theology from Wheaton College Graduate School with a focus in evangelism & spiritual formation and a BA from Wheaton College. He lives in Batavia, IL with his wife, Erin, and has three young adult children: Noah, Hannah, and Benjamin.Who is Brian Coffey?Dr. Brian Coffey (D.Min) has been a pastor at Chapelstreet for 35 years and is currently the Pastor of Leadership & Development. In Brian's dreams, he won the 1978 Southern Conference Tournament Championship for the Davidson College Wildcats with a winning shot at the buzzer instead of sitting on the bench on the last place team. Brian has been married to his brilliant wife Lorene for 36 years and is the father of four adult sons, and one adorable granddaughter. Brian is the author of four books, helped edit two study Bibles, and enjoys helping mentor the younger generation as they become leaders in the church. Brian also enjoys travel, reading, all the major sports, and avoiding eating tomatoes and Brussels sprouts. 

About the EpisodeWe close out our 3-part series on Unity with Carey Nieuwhof bringing some deep thought to the conversation. Carey openly talks about how we get our identity wrapped up in things that can easily divide us, how we need to remain humble with our opinions and conclusions, and how when we move to cancel someone or something it is actually more of a statement on our own lack of ability to deal with adversity.Who is Carey Nieuwhof?Carey Nieuwhof is a former lawyer and founding pastor of Connexus Church. Carey’s passion for helping people thrive in life and leadership is evident in his latest book, At Your Best: How To Get Time, Energy And Priorities Working In Your Favor. Pastor Niewhof is also a gifted speaker and the best-selling author of, Didn’t See It Coming: Overcoming the Seven Greatest Challenges That No One Expects But Everyone Experiences.While attending law school, Carey Nieuwhof felt a strong call to ministry. After completing law school and seminary in 1995, he began his ministry as a student pastor among three little mainline churches an hour north of Toronto. When he started, one of the churches had an average attendance of 6. That church has changed everything in the last two decades...the music, the buildings, the governance, the mission, and the vision. They are now a multisite church with three locations reaching over 1500 people each weekend. Along the way, Carey developed a passion for helping other leaders lead like never before. 

About the Episode We continue our dive into unity with Glenn Packiam giving insights on the historicity of unity in the early church and four keys to unity: Humility, Hospitality, Solidarity, Mutuality. Who is Glen Packiam? Glenn Packiam is an Associate Senior Pastor at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, and the lead pastor of New Life Downtown, one of the seven congregations of New Life Church. He is the author of Worship and the World to Come (IVP Academic, 2020), and Blessed Broken Given: How Your Story Becomes Sacred in the Hands of Jesus (Multnomah, 2019). Glenn earned a Doctorate in Theology and Ministry from Durham University in the UK. He also holds BA in Theological/Historical Studies and Masters in Management from Oral Roberts University, and a Graduate Certificate in Theology from Fuller Theological Seminary. He is a Visiting Fellow at St. John’s College at Durham University, and an adjunct professor at Denver Seminary. He is also an ordained priest with the Anglican Church of North America (ACNA). Glenn is a regular speaker at conferences for pastors and church leaders, and was one of the founding leaders and songwriters for the Desperation Band and has been featured on several Desperation Band and NewLifeWorship recordings. He has also released three solo projects with Integrity Music, "The Mystery of Faith", "The Kingdom Comes", and "Rumors and Revelations". As a signed songwriter with Integrity Music, he has had the honor of writing and co-writing over 65 worship songs, including several well-loved songs, like "Your Name" and "My Savior Lives." Glenn, his wife, Holly, their four children are enjoying life in the shadow of the mighty Rocky Mountains.  

About the Episode Sean unpacks why our culture is so self-centered, why leaders are losing respect, and how that leads to a lack of unity in the church.  The process of rebuilding the foundation of the unity we need is discussed using the Three Essentials for Church Unity: Commitment, Humility, and Sacrifice. Who is Sean Morgan? Sean Morgan joined CDF Capital in 2014 to launch the Leadership Capital Team – focused on elevating local church leaders and their kingdom impact. A nationally known coach and speaker, Sean finds great joy in navigating ministries from obstacles to opportunities. He has developed a national reputation for connecting ministry leaders and being a catalyst of fresh vision; he founded and curates theascentleader.org. Sean served as Executive Pastor and CFO at New Life Church in Northern California. He’s husband to his amazing bride Stacy and a father to two incredible teenagers, Kaylee and Ayden. In his spare time he serves our country as a KC-10 pilot in the Air Force Reserve.

About the Episode Our 2nd of 2 episodes on the topic of preparing the church for the decisions of a new leader - particularly when it comes to making changes to your org chart, structure, and even transitioning staff off. Jud and Jeff give us great insight. Who is Jud Wilhite? Jud Wilhite is an author, speaker and senior pastor of Central Church, a church founded in Las Vegas with over twelve locations nationally and internationally. Central is recognized as one of the largest and fastest growing churches in America. He is a bestselling author of several books, including Uncaged, The God of Yes, Pursued, and a study Bible for new believers, The Uncensored Truth Bible for New Beginnings. His teaching segments are heard nationally on K-LOVE radio. He and his wife, Lori, have two kids and live in the Las Vegas area. Who is Jeff Brodie? Jeff Brodie is the Lead Pastor of Connexus Church, one of Canada’s most influential churches located north of Toronto. He brings vision and leadership to Connexus’ multiple campuses and partnership network. Jeff has led in the multi-site church context for 20 years. He has a passion for investing in next-generation leaders and helping churches develop strategies and leverage tools to scale for greater impact.  

About the Episode Every church needs healthy change. But many times church culture resists change of all kinds. How do leaders prepare the church for change and make those changes in the healthiest ways possible? In this episode we bring in multiple leaders’ insight and expertise. Who is Dave Stone?Dave Stone served at Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, KY for the past 30 years. The last 14 he served as the senior Pastor and led them into the world of multi-site campuses. Since his "retirement" he's stayed busy as an interim pastor, serving on the Board of Spire, helping churches through transitions and being a mentor in The Ascent program. Who is Ricky Jenkins?From his beginnings in Pearl, Mississippi, to Oakland, California, to Memphis, Tennessee, and Chicago, Illinois, Ricky has been preaching the gospel for over 20 years. Fueled by Acts 20:28, Ricky is called to pursue God passionately and pursue God’s people compassionately for the glory and honor of Jesus Christ. Ricky Jenkins is the Senior Pastor of Southwest Church in Indian Wells, CA. Who is John Fanous? John Fanous serves as Lead Pastor of University Covenant Church in Davis, California. Before this, he served as a consultant, helping churches and businesses develop healthy teams. In addition, he has been a university campus minister in San Francisco and a church planter in Pittsburg, California. His passions are leadership development, building healthy staff teams, and multi-ethnic ministry. John studied Sociology at the University of California, Berkeley, and later received a Master's Degree in Leadership from Fuller Theological Seminary.

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.