Intentional Churches Podcast

Erin and Doug are back for this week’s episode of The Intentional Churches podcast, sitting down with executive pastor Rodney Elliot to talk radical alignment with The Great Commission. Rodney serves as the executive pastor of Pathway Church in Wichita, Kansas, and during his time in that role he’s worked to align the church’s elder board with the core mission of reaching the one far away from Jesus. On this second episode of season five, Erin and Doug invite Rodney to share his experience with church and leadership misalignment—the three diving into how Rodney worked to promote radical unity around The Great Commission, the growth Doug has witnessed as part of IC’s partnership with Pathway Church, and the fruit Rodney’s seen as the church and board became aligned toward one mission. As someone who grew up on a family farm, Rodney leaves listeners with some encouragement only a true farmer could give: if we tend to the soil well, 90% of the work of growth has been done already, the rest is in God’s hands. Don’t forget to snag your early-bird pricing discount for The Intentional Churches Conference 2025! Purchase tickets and learn more here: https://www.intentionalchurches.com/podcast. New to Intentional Churches? Start here: https://assessment.intentionalchurches.com/churchosWebsite: https://intentionalchurches.com            The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C         The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches         Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/         Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches          X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and Season Theme: Radical Alignment03:29 Misalignment in the Church: Resistance to the Great Commission06:19 Catalyst for Alignment: Reaching a Breaking Point08:01 Aligning the Elder Board: Personal Great Commission10:18 Alignment Down to Staff and Key Leaders18:19 Counterintuitive Approach: Back to Basics23:35 Farming Analogy: Preparing the Soil for Growth29:45 Practical Advice: Start with the Great Commission32:02 Conclusion and Invitation to Intentional Churches Conference

Welcome to season 5 of The Intentional Churches podcast! This season we’re talking all about how to radically align our churches and leaders around the promises of Scripture and the truths of The Great Commission. Luke Lezon is our featured guest today—a young lead pastor who’s faced his fair share of misalignment challenges while stepping into a lead pastor role after a major church split. On today’s episode Erin and Doug invite Luke to share his story, which he does with candor and honesty. Though Luke had to experience the battles of church misalignment firsthand, his experiences gave him the wisdom needed to take on his new leadership role and help shepherd his church into a steadier and more faith-filled future. Together Luke, Erin, and Doug discuss signs of church misalignment, how to turn the ship back toward scriptural alignment, and some practical ways to keep your team and people aligned and pulling in the same direction. Luke leaves listeners with some practical pieces of advice for anyone who’s facing misalignment in their church. This is going to be a powerful, practical, and relatable season of the show for so many of us in church leadership—don’t miss it! Follow Luke on Instagram at @lukaslezon and check out LifeBridge Orlando on their website: https://lifebridgeorlando.com/ Grab your discounted tickets for The Intentional Churches Conference in April of 2025 here: https://www.intentionalchurchesconference.com/ New to Intentional Churches? Start here: https://assessment.intentionalchurches.com/churchosWebsite: https://intentionalchurches.com            The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C         The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches         Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/         Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches          X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   CHAPTERS 00:00 Introduction and the Importance of Clarity03:16 Misalignment and the Challenges Faced by Church Leaders08:45 Alignment as an Ongoing Process21:24 Navigating Misalignment and Transition25:07 Asking Questions and Engaging in Healthy Discussions27:02 The Role of Leadership in Alignment29:08 Conclusion and Announcement of Intentional Churches Conference

To close up season 4 of The Intentional Churches podcast, we’re releasing another bonus episode from our Intentional Churches Conference 2024, this time featuring our opening session with lead pastor Clint Nolder. Clint leads Foundation Church in Newnan, GA, and during his time with our conference attendees Clint shared on the faithfulness of God in the midst of life’s many battles. A ministry leader and parent, Clint has encountered his own fair share of battles, but no matter what he’s faced God has remained faithful. Using the story of Elisha and the Armeneans from 2 Kings chapter 6 to show that God will never leave or forsake us, Clint encourages us with practical ways to walk through any battle—leaning on community, viewing our battles as testimony, and choosing vulnerability to declare victory in Christ every time. Don’t miss out on The Intentional Churches Conference 2025! Claim your discounted rate today: https://www.intentionalchurchesconference.com/ New to Intentional Churches? Start here: https://assessment.intentionalchurches.com/churchosWebsite: https://intentionalchurches.com            The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C         The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches         Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/         Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches          X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction: Facing Battles and Finding Strength20:32 Seeing Battles as Opportunities29:26 The Importance of Learning from Others32:40 Conclusion: Thankfulness and Praise

We’re wrapping up season 4 of the Intentional Churches podcast with a few bonus episodes from the 2024 Intentional Churches Conference! This first bonus episode comes from the One Aware panel we did interviewing non-Christians on their thoughts on Jesus, the church, and how they’d ideally want to be approached by Christians. It’s an eye-opening, and convicting, conversation. A word of caution: this type of conversation is not a casual, one-off conversation to be replicated in any type of context, instead our team conducted this panel as a way to inspire and train the 99 in relational evangelism. We always want to be intentional about what kind of ambassadors for Christ we are in the world, and this was the perfect setting to do just that. We’re offering a special, early bird rate for the Intentional Churches Conference 2025! Here's the link:https://www.intentionalchurchesconference.com/New to Intentional Churches? Start here: https://assessment.intentionalchurches.com/churchosWebsite: https://intentionalchurches.com            The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C         The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches         Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/         Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches          X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and Caution01:35 Setting the Stage for Spiritual Conversations03:30 Exploring Non-Christians' Beliefs06:05 Panelists' Introductions and Backgrounds13:13 Opinions on the Bible15:05 Perspectives on Jesus Christ19:15 Beliefs about the Resurrection23:16 Thoughts on Life After Death27:08 Confidence in Beliefs and Openness to Spiritual Conversations31:22 Past Experiences Attending Church Services31:51 Childhood Church Experiences and Sense of Community35:02 Desire for Understanding and Respect in Spiritual Conversations37:50 Building Trust and Friendship Before Discussing Spirituality40:41 Questions for God about Purpose and Impact55:05 Continuing Conversations in a Casual and Accepting Environment

On this week’s episode of Intentional Churches Doug and Erin are joined by Jill Gillie, executive director of campus ops and projects at Eastside Christian Church in Orange County, California. Jill is an expert when it comes to recruiting, sustaining, and building a volunteer culture, and that’s exactly the expertise she shares during today’s conversation. A lot changed for churches after COVID-19, including the approach to volunteers. Jill breaks down how her team looks at building that core volunteer base, post-COVID, and what she learned about consistency throughout that time. The three then launch into a discussion on how to recruit volunteers of different generations, creating a true volunteer culture at your church, and Jill’s practical tips for training your volunteer team. Members willing to serve are essential for the success of any church, no matter its size, and this conversation will leave you with practical ways to build a consistent volunteer culture that will continue to grow beyond your annual volunteering push from the pulpit. CHAPTERS00:00 The Importance of Volunteers in Church03:15 Adapting Volunteer Recruitment and Care During COVID-1911:24 Generational Differences in Volunteering18:34 Creating a Volunteer Culture26:43 Practical Tips for Recruiting and Training VolunteersNew to Intentional Churches? Start here: https://assessment.intentionalchurches.com/churchosWebsite: https://intentionalchurches.com            The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C         The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches         Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/         Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches          X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   

Welcome back to this week’s episode of The Intentional Churches podcast! We’re continuing our discussion on preparing for the push come November that is the 2024 election season. Today Erin and Doug welcome Archbishop Alan Wiggins to the show to talk about navigating politics in our own neighborhoods, which translates into how we lead people well in our churches. Archbishop Wiggins serves as the senior pastor of Hope Church Orlando, and he’s also the presiding bishop of the International Bishops Conference. Given his passion for pastoring not just the spiritual side of the individual, but the whole person, Archbishop Wiggins rebranded a 50 year-old urban youth center into Frontline Innovation Studios—a place where youth can gather to learn about technology and hone their skills for future jobs. This passion for community serves as a jumping off point for today’s conversation on navigating politics in our neighborhoods.Together, Erin and Doug talk with Archbishop Wiggins about what he and his church learned from the 2020 election cycle, how church leaders can lead their people well as we head into the fall of 2024, and the role of the church in the community when it comes to politics. Archbishop Wiggins concludes the episode by encouraging listeners to truly be the Church in this political moment—living out The Great Commission in everything we do. New to Intentional Churches? Start here: https://assessment.intentionalchurches.com/churchosWebsite: https://intentionalchurches.com            The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C         The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches         Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/         Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches          X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and Setting the Context02:36 Navigating the Political Landscape in America09:24 The African-American Church and Politics12:29 Reflections on Navigating Politics in 202015:25 Leading Through the Political Climate of 202420:24 The Role of the Church in the Political Climate24:20 Practical Advice for Church Leaders27:18 Returning to the Basics of Scripture29:16 Living with Urgency and Conviction31:09 Final Thoughts and Conclusion

With election season ramping up and all the political turmoil we’ve experienced as a country in the last few weeks, it’s no wonder church leaders are talking about how to navigate politics from the pulpit. First Orlando’s senior associate pastor, Danny de Armas, joins Erin and Doug for this week’s timely conversation on all things politics and how to engage with what’s going on without becoming addicted to the noise. Politics is everyone’s favorite talking point, especially those in church leadership where your every potential misstep is recorded and live-streamed on a Sunday. But this is a subject we need to address. Together, Erin and Doug start off by asking Danny what he and his church learned through the turmoil of the 2020 election cycle and what, if anything, he’d do differently this time around. The three then discuss practical ways to keep Jesus at the center of all political discussions, how to mobilize our people to pray in this political season, and encourage church leaders to root themselves in the Gospel before tuning into any news cycle. Given all that’s happened on the national stage in the last few weeks—and all that will happen this fall—this is a can’t-miss episode on leading our people well from now until November and beyond. New to Intentional Churches? Start here: https://assessment.intentionalchurches.com/churchosWebsite: https://intentionalchurches.com            The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C         The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches         Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/         Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches          X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   CHAPTERS00:00 Introduction and Guest Introduction03:42 Navigating Politics from the Pulpit05:37 Lessons Learned from the Political Unrest of 202009:54 Challenges of Navigating Politics in a Diverse Church14:12 Being Intentional and Careful in Addressing Political Issues19:27 The Power of Prayer and Scripture in Navigating Politics25:09 Advancing the Kingdom of God: The Ultimate Goal

What do we as ministry leaders do when our facilities begin to run out of space? Should we immediately begin a building campaign, or are there other creative ways to still serve our people in our current spaces? Too many people in too small a space is a good problem to have, but it can be a hard one to solve. Executive pastor Jeremy Thiessen joins Erin and Doug for this week’s episode of The Intentional Churches podcast to talk how to prepare for physical expansion without losing sight of your church’s vision for developing disciples. Jeremy has served as the executive pastor for Shelter Cove in Modesto, California for five years, and from 2022 to 2024, saw their weekend attendance double in size. That fast growth prompted Jeremy and his team to start thinking about expansion, and the challenges and opportunities that come with that conversation. Throughout the episode Erin and Doug also share their own insights when it comes to building, creative solutions if a building campaign isn’t possible or isn’t the right way to serve your people, and how to always keep the Great Commission front of mind, rather than getting caught up in a building project. Whether your church is running out of physical space, or you’re simply needing a word on how to continue discipling your people well—this episode is for you! New to Intentional Churches? Start here: https://assessment.intentionalchurches.com/churchosWebsite: https://intentionalchurches.com            The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C          The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches         Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/         Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches          X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Personal Background03:11 Preparing for the Next Season of Ministry04:07 The Journey of Shelter Cove Community Church06:01 Transition to an Attractional Model07:23 Engaging with Intentional Churches08:47 Experiencing Significant Growth09:46 National Trends in Church Growth and Space Challenges14:24 Space Challenges at Shelter Cove Community Church16:20 Considering Capital Campaign and Building Plans20:46 Creative Solutions for Space Challenges23:17 Cautionary Thoughts on Building Projects25:44 Aligning Vision and Addressing Space Needs28:55 Practical Advice for Planning and Space Management32:57 Conclusion and Final Thoughts

On this week’s episode of The Intentional Churches podcast, we’re continuing to talk about how we prepare well for that next big “push” in ministry—specifically how to prioritize our own mental, spiritual, and emotional health as leaders. Licensed professional counselor and Gallup Strengths Coach, Stefanie Rowe, joins Erin and Doug, outlining the crisis many pastors and church leaders are facing when it comes to the state of their mental health. Throughout their conversation, Stefanie shares stats that might surprise you, including: 1 in 5 pastors are struggling with addiction, 50% struggle with depression, 1 in 3 with burnout, and 60% feel lonely. Additionally, only 1 out of 6 pastors are getting the help they need. So, what can those of us in ministry do to make sure we’re prioritizing our own mental health? Stefanie draws on her years of experience and background as a teaching pastor to outline some best practices for pastors (or anyone!) struggling. Erin and Doug add their own insights, talking about taking intentional time off during slower seasons of ministry, putting relationships first, refusing to neglect your own time with God, and being off social media. Whatever season of life or ministry you find yourself in, this conversation is full of practical tips to help us all practice what we preach and work to prioritize our own mental health! Learn more about Stefanie and her work on her website:https://www.stefanierowe.com/ Two helpful resources Stefanie recommends for pastors and church leaders struggling in any of the areas mentioned in this episode include The State of Pastors volumes 1 and 2:https://shop.barna.com/products/the-state-of-pastors-vol-2 The Resilient Pastor:https://a.co/d/08YrszjG Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com            The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C         The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches         Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/         Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches          X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches        Chapters: 00:00 | Introduction and Overview03:10 | The State of Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Health of Church Leaders12:22 | Prioritizing Self-Care: Practicing What You Preach22:46 | Taking Breaks from Social Media: Reducing Stress and Improving Well-Being25:31 | Taking Inventory: Reflecting on What Went Well and What Didn't26:59 | Setting Boundaries: Prioritizing Self-Care for Long-Term Health

In this episode, Erin and Doug welcome Holly Gillespie to discuss the importance of designing church systems and processes with the one in mind. They spotlight the need to shift from a buffet-style approach to a more intentional and targeted strategy that focuses on those who are far from God. They talk through the importance of mindset shifts, such as considering what it's like on the other side of the church experience and overcoming the fear of neglecting the 99. They also discuss the need for prayer, team conversations, and small steps to begin implementing these changes.Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com             The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C         The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog   YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches         Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches          LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany       Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches         X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   Chapters:00:00 Designing Church Systems and Processes with the One in Mind06:33 The Evolution and Transition in Church10:43 Shifting from a Buffet-Style Approach to Intentional Targeting14:07 Mindset Shifts and Overcoming Fear