Watermark's Church Leadership Podcast

This week, John McGee broaches a topic that many church leaders grapple with but hesitate to speak about: feelings of discouragement and burnout in ministry. The weight of guiding a congregation, meeting expectations, and constantly pouring yourself out can sometimes be profoundly exhausting. If you've ever found yourself on the brink of giving up, you might need to be reminded of the truth we shared with thousands of church leaders at CLC 2023: "Don't quit - we're not home yet."  

Learn how to create a positive staff culture by fostering encouragement, prioritizing fun, acknowledging staff with roast-like award ceremonies, and organizing engaging activities like a bingo tournament.

God has clearly revealed his moral will to us in the Bible. But what about the “should I?” questions that leaders encounter every single day? How do we make decisions that aren’t morally black or white, but gray? Watermark Lead Pastor Blake Holmes spoke at CLC this year about a framework for godly decision-making. (Want more content like this? Don’t miss CLC 2024--early registration is open now.) Show Notes:Should I? PDF DownloadShould I? Sermon Series - Part 1Should I? Sermon Series - Part 2

Let’s be real: at times, ministry can leave us feeling stressed-out, overwhelmed, and out of control. Watermark teaching pastor Timothy Ateek has learned that when it's a struggle to shepherd others, it’s more important than ever to find our peace and identity in God’s identity as Shepherd.

On this episode of the Church Leader's Podcast, John McGee and Watermark's Senior Director of Community and Pastoral Care, David Dzina, sit down to discuss what it looks like to step into leadership on an underperforming team.

In this podcast, they discuss the power of teamwork and collaboration, the importance of recognizing and valuing diversity of thought, building and celebrating a successful team, and the joy and fulfillment that comes from working together as a team.

In our last Church Leadership Podcast, Watermark teaching pastors Timothy Ateek and John Elmore walked us through the ways they prepare messages. This week, we’re behind the curtain again to see how they continue to improve their actual sermon delivery. Understanding your audience, getting useful feedback, finding your own unique style—it's all here. 

In this episode of the Church Leader's Podcast, John McGee sits down with Watermark's teaching pastors Timothy "TA" Ateek and John Elmore to discuss their methods of planning when it comes to sermon preparation.

Before he led at Watermark’s Young Adult Ministry or preached at Harris Creek in Waco, Jonathan “JP” Pokluda was money-driven and success-obsessed. In this week’s Church Leadership Podcast, JP shares how he found himself in vocational ministry with no ladder to climb and had to rethink his whole approach to life.  

Last week, John McGee and Caitlin Van Wagoner shared some qualities that make people stand out on a team. Now they’re back with more habits of exceptional employees—like following through, challenging the status quo, and soliciting feedback—and how you can develop them. (You can find Part 1 here.)What Leaders Look For - Download