Intentional Churches Podcast

In this episode Erin and Doug discuss strategic alignment in church leadership with guest Allie Bryant. Allie, a Strategic Alignment Executive at Trader's Point Christian Church, explains her role in bridging the gap between strategy and execution. The conversation focuses on common challenges church leaders face, such as project prioritization, resource allocation, and maintaining clear communication of vision and strategy. Allie shares insights into effective project management, the importance of regular strategic planning, and the need for clarity and consistency in defining and communicating mission, vision, and strategy within church organizations.Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!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:00:20 Welcome and Introductions01:00 Allie Bryant's Background03:00 Defining Strategic Alignment04:27 Importance of Clarity in Vision and Strategy06:03 Challenges in Defining Strategy and Vision08:44 Translating Vision to Execution10:04 Coordinating Vision with Team Members13:09 Prioritization and Sequencing in Strategy17:06 Misalignment as a Major Challenge in Churches18:46 Evaluating Strategy Regularly19:43 Coordination of Day-to-Day Strategy21:08 Example of Misalignment from Mother's Day25:33 Developing Project Management Skills29:42 Training Next Generation of Leaders30:23 Practical Steps for Greater Strategic Alignment

Bishop Derrick McRae, Senior Pastor at The Experience Christian Center in Orlando, Florida sits down with Erin and Doug to share insights on how churches can better integrate with their communities and meet their needs. He touches on the importance of approaching community integration with a humble posture. Bishop McCrae also highlights the need for churches to develop relationships and partnerships with government officials and other organizations to effectively meet community needs. He encourages churches to have a clear vision and value proposition for their outreach efforts and to actively involve their congregation in outreach activities. Additionally, he stresses the importance of trusting in God rather than political outcomes.Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!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   Bishop Derrick McRae:Website: https://www.eccorlando.com/our-pastor Chapters:00:00 Introduction and the Church's Role in Communities02:13 Integrating with the Community: Approaching with Humility and Listening05:02 Developing Relationships and Partnerships for Effective Outreach08:24 Creating a Clear Vision and Value Proposition for Outreach22:43 Navigating Politics in the Church: Trusting in God

Erin and Doug talk through the topic of church growth and how to navigate it without losing sight of the church's vision and mission. They discuss the importance of not being afraid of growth and the need to innovate and focus on relational ministry. They caution against reverting to old strategies and highlight the need for personal mission statements aligned with the Great Commission. The epsiode is all about the challenges of growth, the importance of evaluation and pruning, and the need for an aligned true north for the church.Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!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/intentchurchesChapters:00:00 Introduction and Setting the Context01:42 Observations on Church Growth09:26 Avoiding Mission Drift14:42 Fighting the Inward Pull and Getting Back to Basics21:24 Inviting Others for Evaluation and Reflection24:01 Embracing the Dynamic Nature of God's Work25:56 Celebrating Growth and Listening to God's Direction

This week Erin & Doug are joined by their good friend Dano and they talk about the importance of collaboration and working well together across teams in church leadership. They discuss the challenges of silos within teams and the need to eliminate them for effective decision-making and creating breakthroughs. They also introduce the concept of co-creation, which is involving everyone in the organization and unlocking their contributions. Their conversation highlights the importance of cross-functionality and prioritization in achieving collaboration. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!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 the Importance of Collaboration02:13 Silos and the Need for Cross-Functionality07:07 Co-Creation: Inviting People to the Kitchen10:26 Prioritization and Sequencing in Collaboration13:46 True Collaboration vs Telling and Selling26:20 Conclusion and Encouragement 

In this episode, Erin and Doug talk through the challenges of being short-staffed in churches and how to navigate this issue. They discuss the importance of having a developmental mindset and raising up leaders from within the church. They also highlight the concept of agency, where individuals have the freedom and permission to act and contribute. They share examples from churches in Brazil that thrive with minimal staff and discuss the need to challenge assumptions about the necessity of staff positions. They also provide practical tactics for church leaders to address staffing shortages.Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!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 Navigating the Challenges of Being Short-Staffed06:24 Developing a Mindset of Raising Up Leaders11:04 The Importance of Agency in Creating a Culture of Engagement13:27 Learning from Thriving Churches in Brazil15:46 Challenging Assumptions about Staffing Needs

This week we were live at the Intentional Churches Conference in Orlando! Erin and Doug gathered with Allie Bryant, Bishop McCrae, and Mike Hickerson at the Intentional Churches Conference. They discuss critical topics for church leaders, focusing on aligning team members with church culture, addressing misalignment, and effectively handling team members who may hinder progress. The conversation explores practical strategies for fostering a cohesive team spirit and aligning individual actions with broader church missions. Through dynamic discussions and sharing of personal experiences, the panel provides insightful guidance on nurturing a productive and harmonious church environment.Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!Sign up for next year's conference here: https://www.intentionalchurchesconference.com/iccon-25 Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C 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 Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/ Allie Bryant is the Strategic Alignment Executive at Traders Point Christian Church in Indianapolis, IN. https://tpcc.org/ Bishop Derrick L. McRae is the Senior Pastor of The Experience Christian Center in Orlando, FL.https://www.eccorlando.com/our-pastor Mike Hickerson is the Lead Pastor of Mission Church in Ventura, CA.https://www.missionventura.com/ Chapters:00:00 Podcast Introduction00:13 Panelist Introductions01:03 Overview of Season Three Focus03:06 Discussion on Building Culture10:11 Utilizing Digital Honor Boards11:16 Sharing Practical Examples and Experiences17:05 Defining and Developing Outreach Strategies25:34 Integrating Outreach into Church Strategy29:18 Shift from Institutional to Relational Approach Post-COVID38:33 Final Reflections and Questions

Chris VandeLinde, pastor of Cornerstone Christian Church, shares his church's journey leading up to Easter and the strategies they implemented to engage and activate new attendees. They focused on personal relational evangelism, providing tools and resources for their members to reach out to their 'ones' (people they are praying for). They also emphasized the importance of early entrance opportunities to serve and avoiding cul-de-sacs by keeping new attendees spiritually moving. The conversation concludes with practical next steps for church leaders, including thinking like a church planter and starting small with a core group of members to invest in relationships.Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C 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 Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/ Cornerstone Christian Church:Website: https://onecornerstone.org/ YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/OneCornerstoneOnline Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/onecornerstone Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/onecornerstone/ Blog: https://onecornerstone.org/blog Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Overview of Church Goals00:37 Chris Vandelinde's Background and Church Experience01:09 Current Challenges and Approaches in Church Leadership02:31 The Role of Big Events in Church Engagement07:04 Strategies for Post-Event / Easter Engagement13:21 The Importance of Relational Evangelism19:09 Integrating Newcomers Post-Easter / Events24:08 Concluding Thoughts and Practical Steps for Church Leaders

Erin & Doug talk with Jeff Bennett from Stadia about developing future church leaders. They emphasize the importance of looking within the church for potential leaders and investing in their development. They discuss the need for a shift in mindset from hiring specialists to becoming people developers. Their conversation also touches on the current shortage of church leaders and the importance of creating a culture of discipleship and development. Practical advice is given, such as asking questions about who you are developing and investing time in raising up the next generation of leaders.Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/ Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurchesX/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurchesStadia:Website: https://stadia.org/ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stadiachurchplanting Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stadiachurchplanting/ X/Twitter: https://twitter.com/stadia TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@stadiachurchplanting YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@StadiaChurchPlanting LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/stadiachurchplanting Chapters:(00:00) Finding Future Church Leaders Within Your Church(07:51) Shifting from Hiring Specialists to Becoming People Developers(13:45) Investing in the Development of Future Leaders for Church Multiplication(27:31) Practical Steps for Developing Future Church Leaders

Kristin Miller, Director of Resident Development at Leadership Pathway, discusses developing the next generation of church leaders. Topics include what young leaders seek, soft skills, and mentorship. Churches should focus on intentional investment, reevaluating youth ministry, and starting with one person for development.

Matthew Robinson, Executive Pastor at First Orlando, joins Erin and Doug to explore the importance of personal alignment to the Great Commission and how it impacts church leadership teams, staff, and volunteers. The guests share their personal journeys and realizations about the need for personal commitment to the Great Commission. They discuss practical steps for church leaders to align themselves personally and create space for alignment in their teams. The conversation emphasizes the importance of lowering the pressure and focusing on planting seeds rather than closing deals. The episode concludes with a reminder that personal alignment starts with church leaders and flows into the congregation. Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast! Learn more at: https://intentionalchurches.com Chapters: (00:00) Introduction and Background (01:40) The Importance of Personal Alignment to the Great Commission (03:32) Recognizing Personal Responsibility for the Great Commission (04:30) The Shift from Institutional to Personal Alignment (06:19) Personal Realizations and Renewed Commitment (09:00) The Journey of Personal Alignment (11:57) Helping Staff and Leaders Align Personally (13:23) Creating Space for Personal Alignment (19:29) Churches Getting Aligned Personally (21:42) Making Space for Alignment in Leadership Teams (23:11) Practical Steps for Personal Alignment (26:31) Practical Steps for Church Leaders (30:17) Summary and Conclusion