Watermark's Church Leadership Podcast

Church leaders are the first to extol the importance of biblical fellowship, but we aren’t always the best at practicing it. This special message from Harris Creek Baptist Church pastor Jonathan “J.P.” Pokluda, first given at CLC 2024, calls leaders to drop any pretenses and embrace the God-given gift of Christian accountability. This isn’t a race you can run well alone.  If your church is looking for proven ways to care for marriages and individuals in crisis, don’t miss the upcoming Re|engage and Re:generation Training Conferences happening in Dallas, TX. These events will equip you to launch or sharpen existing care ministries your church.March 4–5: Re|engage (marriage enrichment)March 23-24 Re:generation (care and recovery)Learn more and register today at watermarkresources.com/conferences

If you weren’t able to join us at the Church Leaders Conference this year, check out pastor Timothy Ateek’s opening mainstage message on prayer as a spiritual checkpoint. Without attentive care, it’s easy to let your spiritual priority drift from enjoying God’s presence through prayer. We kicked off our time together by taking a hard look at ourselves and discussing how we can get back on-course if we’ve drifted.  If your church is looking for proven ways to care for marriages and individuals in crisis, don’t miss the upcoming Re|engage and Re:generation Training Conferences happening in Dallas, TX. These events will equip you to launch or sharpen existing care ministries your church.March 4–5: Re|engage (marriage enrichment)March 23-24 Re:generation (care and recovery)Learn more and register today at watermarkresources.com/conferences

We wrapped up the “Things I Didn’t Learn in Seminary” podcast series this week with an episode on how to lead and serve in your first and most important ministry: your family. Shepherding your family well--listed in 1 Timothy as a leadership qualification--can be challenging. Whether you have a spouse and kids or hope to someday, it’s worth preparing to face these occupational hazards with eyes wide open.    If your church is looking for proven ways to care for marriages and individuals in crisis, don’t miss the upcoming Re|engage and Re:generation Training Conferences happening in Dallas, TX. These events will equip you to launch or sharpen existing care ministries your church.March 4–5: Re|engage (marriage enrichment)March 23-24 Re:generation (care and recovery)Learn more and register today at watermarkresources.com/conferences

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. If your church is looking for proven ways to care for marriages and individuals in crisis, don’t miss the upcoming Re|engage and Re:generation Training Conferences happening in Dallas, TX. These events will equip you to launch or sharpen existing care ministries your church.March 4–5: Re|engage (marriage enrichment)March 23-24 Re:generation (care and recovery)Learn more and register today at watermarkresources.com/conferences

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.  

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

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.

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.

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.

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. If your church is looking for proven ways to care for marriages and individuals in crisis, don’t miss the upcoming Re|engage and Re:generation Training Conferences happening in Dallas, TX. These events will equip you to launch or sharpen existing care ministries your church.March 4–5: Re|engage (marriage enrichment)March 23-24 Re:generation (care and recovery)Learn more and register today at watermarkresources.com/conferences