5 Leadership Questions Podcast on Church Leadership with Todd Adkins and Dan Iten

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Drew Dyck, editor at Moody Publishers and author of Your Future Self Will Thank You. During their conversation, they discuss the importance of spiritual disciplines at the start of your day and the challenges of working from home with small children also at home. BEST QUOTES "I see people in ministry as the ones on the front lines.""Test your ideas out on readers first in a short format and then try to graduate to writing a book-length project.""If I start my day with Scripture and a short time of prayer, that makes such a huge difference in the rest of my day when it comes to how I interact with people and my productivity at work.""There are certain seasons, I believe, you just have to get through with your sanity and your morality intact and consider that a win.""It's so easy to neglect those core spiritual disciplines when you are in a busy season.""The best thing about working from home is you can work anytime you want. The worst thing about working from home is you can work anytime you want.""Being disciplined when it comes to stopping working is hard, but essential.""Pay more attention to your character than to your credentials.""Your character is ultimately what is going to safeguard your ministry and your life from destruction." "All the advice in the book is useless if you don't do one thing: get enough sleep.""Sometimes the most spiritual thing you can do is get enough sleep." RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network CTPastors.com Your Future Self Will Thank You by Drew Dyck Christian Hospitality and Muslim Immigration in an Age of Fear by Matthew Keemingk The Gospel-Driven Church by Jared Wilson Godric by Frederick Beuchner The Holy Post Podcast The Dream Podcast The Dropout Podcast

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Michael Kelley, Lifeway director of Discipleship. During their conversation, they discuss the following questions: What have you learned from producing Bible studies for the last 13 years?What have you found are the most popular Bible study topics and why?What are some of the bug shifts happening in the church right now as it relates to discipleship?What are your thoughts on churches doing Growth Track?Discuss the 10 years of longitudinal research on discipleship. BEST QUOTES "There is a version of a child that you are progressively becoming like as you move further and further along in your relationship with Jesus.""Clarity is king. When you write there's a temptation to be clever at any cost.""Outlines are a helpful tool if you really want people to grasp and internalize the message.""As a publisher, we don't just have an a la carte approach to the way we publish.""People really do find value in studying the Bible.""Even a non-Christian values common grace kind of wisdom.""Discipleship has become a nebulous term that means different things to different people.""All we are really doing in discipleship is trying to help someone else follow Jesus.""So much Christianity is a learn-by-doing model." "My discipleship is not only the effect of my growth, it is the means of my growth.""If you do just one thing, I guarantee your life will change. Just read the Bible." RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network Growing Down by Michael Kelley The Shape of Faith to Come by Brad Waggoner Transformational Discipleship by Eric Geiger, Michael Kelley, and Philip Nation No Silver Bullets by Daniel Im Discipleship Pathway Assessment Daily Discipleship Guide The One Thing Podcast This Episode's Sponsor: Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Dave Schroeder, marketing leader for B&H Books and cohost of the Table of (Mal)Contents Podcast. During their conversation, they discuss the following questions: Why are leadership biographies important for church leaders?Which leadership biographies are your favorites?Which biographies should leaders stay away from?What do you say to those who don't read biographies?What can we learn from history books in general? BEST QUOTES "Most church leaders seem to be reading one category of book.""Pick someone you are interested in. Get recommendations. Do your research.""If the author can't tell a good enough story to keep you captivated to read on, then what's the point?""There is so much value from leaders of the past because they have life lessons that are a gift to the reader.""Even if it's not a history book, you need to be studying people.""Start in a place that brings you joy and entertainment and you will get life lessons out of it.""Wouldn't you rather learn from the mistakes of others than make them all yourself?""There is so much to be learned from reading history books and through the people and the stories that they go through.""The leaders of the past have done the hard work for us, let's learn from that." RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network Table of (Mal)Contents Podcast John Adams by Dave McCullough 1776 by David McCullough Alexander Hamilton by Ron Chernow Undaunted Courage by Stephen Ambrose Grant by Ron Chernow Churchill by Paul Johnson Churchill by Roy Jenkins Hero of the Empire by Candice Millard The Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant Endurance: Shackleton's Incredible Voyage by Alfred Lansing Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand Sherman by B.H. Lidell Hart Shoe Dog by Phil Knight Empire State of Mind by Zach O'Malley Greenburg Business Wars Podcast The Memory Palace Podcast Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson Leaders: Myth and Reality by General Stanley McChrystal Team of Teams by General Stanley McChrystal Hardcore History Podcast Band of Brothers by Stephen Ambrose On Desperate Ground by Hampton Sides How the Mighty Fall by Jim Collins Good to Great by Jim Collins The Pastor by Eugene Peterson The Lion's Gate by Steven Pressfield The One Thing Podcast This Episode's Sponsor: Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Shaunti Feldhahn, author of For Women Only, For Men Only, and The Kindness Challenge. During their conversation, they discuss how finances impact marriage and how traveling for work affects leadership in the home. BEST QUOTES "We've been studying why in our marriages we fight about money.""What we found out is that when we are sideways with each other about money, it's not about the money.""So many of our marriages are really living separate financial lives.""We talked about that we as women don't always understand what's in the heart of our husband.""The average awesome loving husband has no idea that his wife still questions if she is lovable.""If the average man has that self doubt running under the surface and it is a raw nerve, then the average pastor man that nerve is probably that much more acute.""It was a step of obedience, and now I can't imagine how I got throughout things without this.""Because we travel so much we don't have the ability to do what most people think of as a date night.""It's amazing the difference that it makes when I allow Jeff to be the leader that he is, rather than take charge and tell him what to do.""I've really had to learn the difference between bossiness and leadership.""Usually leadership is not a matter of being a director, it's usually a matter of coming alongside someone and helping steer them." RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network For Women Only by Shaunti Feldhahn For Men Only by Shaunti and Jeff Feldhahn The Kindness Challenge by Shaunti Feldhahn Questions Every Wife is Asking Podcast The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages by Shaunti Feldhahn Group Answers Podcast This Episode's Sponsor: Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Karen Swallow Prior, professor of English at Liberty University and author of On Reading Well. During their conversation, they discuss the following questions: Why did you write a book on reading and what have you learned from reading widely?What does it mean to read well?What benefit does reading literature have to leading?You encourage individuals to read slowly, why and how do we do that?Explain the virtues you discuss in the book. BEST QUOTES “The art and the skill of reading literature suffers with the digitization of the material we take in.""Literature is an art. It's indirect and doesn't tell you what the moral is.""Reading well in the literal way is reading to comprehend the text, but beyond that is interpreting and applying that meaning to our lives.""When we read well we are practicing being human.""By it's very nature, written words require us to think abstractly and in a more linear fashion than images supported by dramatic music in the background.""There is so much research to show how reading literary fiction actually cultivates empathy.""You aren't reading just to get the information, you are reading to engage in the art of language and human experience.""According to Aristotle, every virtue is a mean or moderation between two vices - an excess and a deficiency.""Oftentimes prudence is recognizing all the variables in a situation and doing what is wise in that situation." RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network On Reading Well by Karen Swallow Prior Booked: Literature in the Soul of Me by Karen Swallow Prior Fierce Convictions by Karen Swallow Prior Group Answers Podcast This Episode's Sponsor: Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins, Daniel Im, and Earl Roberson breakdown the leadership book Leadership and the One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard. In their conversation they discuss the following questions: What's the book and why does it matter?Overview of the bookHow applicable is the book to leadership in my church?What are things churches should ignore from the book?What can you do this week in light of the book? BEST QUOTES “This book is a reminder that leaders are to adjust their leadership styles to the needs and the uniqueness of the people they give leadership to.""We all have books on our shelves and we treat them like encyclopedias and we go back to them based on the different phases in life we go through, and Leadership and the One Minute Manager is one of those for me.""Leadership style is how you behave when you are trying to influence someone's well-being or their performance.""Sometimes leadership is micro-management.""If you have to be super directional with someone actually that means you are providing them with clarity, and all leaders want clarity.""If you treat everyone the same you are going to get varying results for those that you manage.""Situational leadership is coaching.""The best leaders I've ever been around regardless of their IQ and experience, ask for internal and external voices to speak into their work.""The best leaders are collaborative leaders that don't sit in silos.""Some people confuse competence and ability.""In each situation think about, am I doing this with someone or to someone?" RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network Leadership and the One Minute Manager by Ken Blanchard The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni Talent Is Overrated by Geoff Colvin 90 Second Leadership: Transitional vs. Developmental Coaching The First 90 Days by Michael Watkins ChurchCares.com Text "churchcares" to 888111 for more information This Episode's Sponsor: Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Brad Hambrick, pastor of counseling at Summit Church. During their conversation, they discuss the following questions: How is the church's response to abuse ultimately rooted in the gospel? Why are both preventative training and response planning necessary for churches when it comes to abuse? What are some of the best examples of practical ways you've seen churches minister to those who have become victims of abuse? How do you provide pastoral care to an abuser in your congregation? How can church leaders develop relationships with local law enforcement and biblical counselors to best serve abuse victims? BEST QUOTES "The gospel is both God's message for sin, and how He ultimately brings comfort for suffering in a broken world." "If we are going to effectively bring a message of hope from Christ for what people in the world around us are going through, we are going to have to be able to talk about the implications of the gospel for suffering." "If we do nothing, then what happens in darkness advances and the most vulnerable are those who pay the price." "We must engage the uncomfortable conversation." "Every church needs to have a clearly designed plan for how they would respond if an instance of abuse were to come up in their church." "Abusing a child is a predatory action. It is something that forethought goes into that the opportunity is sought out." "Background checks are a first step, they are not an adequate step." "The vast majority of abuse is going to happen when there is a transition from being in a public setting to having a degree of private access to the children." "I think the most practical and powerful thing that a church can do is listen." "The most loving thing that can be done toward an abuser is remove any opportunity for future abuse." "Ask questions from a posture of humility." RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network ChurchCares.com Text "churchcares" to 888111 for more information EST Podcast This Episode's Sponsor: Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Scott McConnell, Executive Director of Lifeway Research. During their conversation, they discuss the following questions: Why this research? What are the common beliefs and misconceptions about sexual misconduct in the church? What surprised you the most about the research? What's the biggest take away for church leaders? What can churches do now in light of this? BEST QUOTES "Lifeway funded this study and we surveyed 1800 protestant churchgoers to really understand their perspective on this topic." "9 out of 10 church attendees believe the church would be a place for them to heal from sexual assault." "Three-fourths of church attendees believe that if somebody brought allegations within the church that they had been assaulted that they would be believed in that context." "We talk about the church being a place for healing, but only about 1 out of 6 people say they know someone in the church that has experienced assault." "94% agree that women are valued in the church." "17% say that some hugs at church seem like more than just a greeting." "Almost 1 out of 5 churches rarely talk about sex." "8 out of 10 church attendees don't remember their pastor discussing sexual assault in a sermon." "We need to be looking at everyone as a creation of God and cannot be crossing those lines." "4% of churchgoers knew someone who had crossed the line as an assailant and it had not come to light yet." "32% of churchgoers believe that many more pastors will be found to have abused children or teens than have come to light so far." "It is important for churches to be proactive in trying to protect children and adults from sexual misconduct." "The best thing you can do for newcomers is to help them see the safety that there is in dropping their kids off." RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network 5LQ Episode 278: Scott McConnell on VBS Research 5LQ Episode 294: Scott McConnell on Bible Research 5LQ Episode 299: Research on the Unchurched 5LQ Episode 305: The State of Theology Text "research" to 888111 to receive a link to download this research Lifeway Research Study Results Ministry Grid Abuse Prevention and Response Training Church Cares Making Disciples Podcast This Episode's Sponsor: Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Michael Kelsey, campus pastor at McLean Bible Church. During their conversation, they discuss taking time alone to be a better decision maker and working under different pastoral leadership styles. BEST QUOTES "God's been good and teaching me to be me and to be humble and realize I'm not David Platt." "I think the thing that has shaped me between the two of them is just an urgency to make sure that the gospel is clear." "He came in wanting to collaborate with the people who had deep roots and a lot of leadership influence in the church." "We have historically been a church that has offered this menu of services tailor-made to every demographic and need, but I think long-term that catches up to you." "I have to have quiet time every day - just stopping and having enough time alone to get clarity for leadership decisions." "Sometimes we short-circuit the process because it's hard." "I'm much sharper, concise, and pointed in my effectiveness if I actually take a moment to think." "Every morning I pray based on Ephesians 5, 'Holy Spirit I give you control today.'" "I've been trying to redirect my discretionary time and energy to blessing my wife." "The most important thing about me is my intimacy with God and my character before Him." RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network McLean Bible Church New Churches Essential Campus Pastoring Course Procrastinate on Purpose by Rory Vaden Truth's Table Podcast Just Gospel Conference Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast 5LQ Episode 330: Personality Assessments for Leaders with Steve Cockram Day One Journaling App Making Disciples Podcast This Episode's Sponsor: Feeling unequipped for marriage ministry? Woo Marriage is here to help. Backed by research and designed with your church in mind, Woo Marriage provides Christ-centered marriage coaching for your entire church. Get your first month free with offer code LEADERSHIP at WooMarriage.com/FreeTrial.

In this episode of the 5 Leadership Questions podcast, Todd Adkins and Daniel Im are joined by Bonny Andrews, founder of LiveJam. During their conversation, they discuss how LiveJam is reaching youth in India and how to make time for conversations with high level leaders. BEST QUOTES "We want to make sure that they have the gospel in their world in the way that they like to consume it." "We believe that the local church is the hero and we exist to resource the local church." "You have to be open to conversations from all different directions." "One of the things you hear in leadership circles is that it's lonely at the top. That's not the case for me." "I'm constantly pushing our team to take risks. It's OK to make mistakes." "We come from a shame-based culture. We wanted to kill the stigma around depression." "The greatest hope we can tell people is about the love of Jesus." "I'm constantly trying to talk to people. I have at least an hour a day talking to a person who is a high-level leader." "We are talking about our big dreams with our kids on a daily basis." "The hardest thing for me is to pray before I do something." "I would invest more in the people outside of my staff." RECOMMENDED RESOURCES Lifeway Leadership Podcast Network Bonny Andrews LiveJam Transform Cities Ask Me Anything Podcast with J.D. Greeer