
Watermark's Church Leadership Podcast
A podcast designed to help church leaders. The conversation each month will focus on issues and topics relevant to church leaders across the country and around the world.
Latest episodes

Apr 3, 2024 • 42min
Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Personal Interactions
Ever heard the joke, “I love ministry—it's people I can’t stand”? It’s funny because interacting with people can be difficult, but people are our ministry, and the way we interact with them matters immensely. In this week’s episode of the Church Leadership Podcast, John McGee and Dave Bruskas talk about the nuances of interpersonal exchanges, drawing from years of real-life ministry experience.
The Young Leader Cohort is a ministry of Watermark Resources, created to equip the next generation of church leaders with biblical discipleship, practical training, and lasting relationships for a lifetime of faithful ministry. Learn more and apply at https://info.watermarkresources.com/lp/watermark-young-church-leader-cohort

Mar 20, 2024 • 52min
Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Administration
Incompetence isn’t always a moral issue, but it will hobble your ministry just as quickly. People are inherently skeptical of churches, and if you don’t keep the trains running on time, you’ll erode their trust. In the fourth installment of this series, John McGee and Dave Bruskas discuss how the X’s and O’s of ministry administration, from complying with government regulations to maintaining excellent facilities, can either support or detract from the message of the Gospel.

Mar 6, 2024 • 44min
Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Leading Yourself
Ministry has a definite and appropriate outward focus. But you can’t lead others well if you aren’t leading yourself first—spiritually, practically, and physically. In this week’s episode of the Church Leadership Podcast, Dave Bruskas and John McGee discuss how stewarding your own time and gifts, from your schedule to your personal spiritual walk, can hugely impact your ministry’s fruitfulness. "The Rule of Life" Reference

Feb 21, 2024 • 43min
Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Organizational Leadership
Exploring the keys to successful leadership, including vision-setting, team alignment, energizing plans, accountability, feedback, humility, and iterative learning. Emphasizing the challenges of leading a church organization with spiritual guidance and the value of understanding team dynamics, embracing progress, and seeking mentorship for growth.

Feb 7, 2024 • 49min
Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Pastoring
Explore valuable insights on pastoral ministry in a new podcast series. Learn how to navigate confessions with patience and grace. Discover the importance of vulnerability and forgiveness in leadership. Dive into handling personal conflicts and addressing spiritual matters. Gain wisdom on guiding others through doubts and faith struggles.

Jan 24, 2024 • 12min
The One Thing You Must Do This Year
In this podcast, they discuss the impact of goal-setting on mindset and share personal stories. They emphasize the importance of setting goals and maintaining a biblical perspective. The chapter also focuses on the power of faithfulness in seeking godliness and prioritizing it over achievements or goals.

Jan 10, 2024 • 27min
How to Operate Under a Leadership that You Don't Respect
At some point, most of us will end up working under someone we don't see eye-to-eye with. In this week’s Church Leadership Podcast, Watermark Resources Project Coordinator Ashley Lawrence breaks down how examining your motivation and mindset can empower you to take the right action steps. Actionable Steps:1. Be a champion, not a criticizer - Are you gossiping and complaining or praying for your leadership and bringing solutions? - Commit to put effort behind the decision that was made, even if it wasn't your first choice. 2. Receive and give feedback - We need to be able to receive feedback before we can give it. - It's important for leaders to have people in their corner who can tell them the hard truth. Be one of those people. - When you have feedback, always ask "Can I ask you a question" or "Are you open to feedback?" - It's not loving to withhold feedback from people you care about, if you love your leadership, help refine them.3. Assume the best about your leadership team - If you consistently negatively interpret their actions or motives, that's only going to make you more bitter4. Find people that are thriving - Who around you is highly motivated, loves what they do, and wants to encourage others? - Ask these people questions and learn from them! - If you don't have anyone like this around you, be the catalyst! It's contagious.5. Pray constantly - If you feel frustrated by your leadership team, pray for them - it's much harder to be bitter towards someone when you pray for them.
The Young Leader Cohort is a ministry of Watermark Resources, created to equip the next generation of church leaders with biblical discipleship, practical training, and lasting relationships for a lifetime of faithful ministry. Learn more and apply at https://info.watermarkresources.com/lp/watermark-young-church-leader-cohort

Dec 13, 2023 • 30min
Staff Value #4 - Having Fun
Explore the power of fun and gratitude in staff interaction, the value of fun in the workplace, and how to amplify fun and be a value add. Discover the importance of creating an enjoyable work environment and the positive impact it has on staff morale and camaraderie.

Nov 29, 2023 • 45min
Staff Value #3 - Team Unity
This podcast explores the importance of team unity within a church staff. They discuss the challenges of defining staff values and share how they implemented the DOOF of the Month award. The speakers emphasize the need for relational unity, love, and deep relationships among staff members. They also discuss conflict resolution, collaboration, and pursuing unity through intentional connections. The chapter highlights the impact of team unity on the overall health of the church and the role of leaders in defining and enforcing expectations.

Nov 8, 2023 • 40min
Staff Value #2 - Excellence in What We Do
The podcast discusses the importance of excellence in church staff and leadership. It includes personal stories, a humorous incident with BB guns, and examples of individuals striving for excellence. They explore the impact of excellence in service and leadership, including its contagious nature and the need to prioritize and invest in what truly matters.