The Unstuck Church Podcast with Amy Anderson

What is the FRONT DOOR of the church now? The COVID-19 pandemic moved churches online—but that shift wasn’t really our choice. And what has been revealed through all of this is a huge gap that churches have around their ministry strategies to reach people who are outside the faith and outside the church. While some churches are already returning to pre-pandemic attendance levels, most mid-size and larger churches are realizing that’s still many months away. And reaching new people? How do you reach new guests when most people are staying home most of the time? The need for a digital strategy isn’t going away anytime soon. In this episode, Tony and Amy share three critical strategies churches need to engage to open up the new front door of their churches. For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode161. Join the Live Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday, when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on Twitter. Or you can join in on Facebook. Ask your questions and add your comments about the topic. If you're catching this episode later, you can still join in! Just tag us @unstuckgroup or use #unstuckchurch, and include [episode 161] in your post for reference.

We’re hearing uncertainty on the lips of church leaders at organizations of all sizes. They’re asking this question: “Am I the right leader for our church going forward?” In most cases, yes, you are. God gave you the role you have for a time like this. But that questioning you feel might be a sign you need someone walking beside you. Every good player has a coach. Even the best of the best have a trusted advisor who can pull back the curtain, encourage them, say the hard things and ultimately make them better. Too often ministry leaders find themselves without that kind of support in their corner. In this episode, Tony and Amy discuss why coaching is vital to helping you be the best leader you can be, and how it will help you lead a healthier church into the future. For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode160. Join the Live Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday, when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on Twitter. Or you can join in on Facebook. Ask your questions and add your comments about the topic. If you're catching this episode later, you can still join in! Just tag us @unstuckgroup or use #unstuckchurch, and include [episode 160] in your post for reference.

It's the catchphrase of stuck organizations... "If it ain't broke, don't fix it." But healthy, thriving churches and organizations tend to initiate changes before they need to. And the leaders in those organizations are willing to step out in front and lead significant shifts other people may not be feeling the need to make. Almost every organization has had to pivot in some way in recent months. From shifting to more digital/less analog, to redeploying team members with new measures for success, significant change has affected nearly all of us. So what should we learn from those changes that will make us better in the future? In this episode, Tony and Amy discuss the organizational pivots pastors are asking about, pivots they have been leading at The Unstuck Group, and insights from what we’ve learned along the way. For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode159. Join the Live Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday, when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on Twitter. Or you can join in on Facebook. Ask your questions and add your comments about the topic. If you're catching this episode later, you can still join in! Just tag us @unstuckgroup or use #unstuckchurch, and include [episode 159] in your post for reference.

Exploring the challenges of leading churches in the 'life support' phase, with 85% of churches in decline pre-crisis. Warning signs and options for churches at this critical stage highlighted. Strategies for revitalizing churches include passing leadership, hiring new pastors, or merging for impact. Emphasis on adapting to change for healthy church growth and connecting with individuals in evolving cultural context.

Churches in the preservation phase struggle with declining finances and focus on past glory instead of reaching new people. Leaders often blame external factors and get stuck in decision-making processes. The podcast explores the necessary changes and actions for churches in this phase to move towards sustained health.

Explore the accelerating changes in churches amid societal shifts like the pandemic, with a focus on declining attendance and adapting to evolving landscapes. Learn about renewing vision for church growth, building personal evangelism strategies, and navigating changes in ministry strategies and staffing for church health.

Following the leader. A merger is always more successful when each church is clear on who leads and who follows. But for the church in the following role, deciding to merge with another ministry raises difficult questions related to governance, what happens to staff leaders and specific ministries, who has decision rights, and more. In this episode, Tony wraps up a two-part series by interviewing Warren Bird, co-author of the book Better-Together: Making Church Mergers Work, to discuss how your church can successfully take the following church role in a healthy merger process—and see greater kingdom impact. For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode155. Join the Live Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday, when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on Twitter. Or you can join in on Facebook. Ask your questions and add your comments about the topic. If you're catching this episode later, you can still join in! Just tag us @unstuckgroup or use #unstuckchurch, and include [episode 155] in your post for reference.

Better together? Over the past decade, we've seen a trend in churches merging together for many different reasons... and it seems likely that this trend will only increase in a post-pandemic world. On the positive side—healthy, mission-focused churches are benefitting: Multisite: Ten years ago 30% of multisite campuses came by way of a merger; today it’s more than 40%. Church Planting: In a recent survey we discovered that 20% of church planters found a permanent facility through a merger. Pastor Succession:We are also seeing mergers as a pastor-succession and a pastor-search strategy. Denominations and Networks: They're proactively encouraging church mergers as a growth strategy for their healthy churches and as a revitalization strategy for their struggling churches. Racial Diversity: A small but growing number of church leaders are seeing mergers as a way of becoming more racially diverse. In this episode, Tony Morgan interviews Jim Tomberlin, co-author of the book Better-Together: Making Church Mergers Work, for the beginning of a two part conversation on the emerging trend of healthy, mission-driven church mergers as an alternative to the old, failure-prone mergers of two declining churches.  For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode154. Join the Live Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday, when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on Twitter. Or you can join in on Facebook. Ask your questions and add your comments about the topic. If you're catching this episode later, you can still join in! Just tag us @unstuckgroup or use #unstuckchurch, and include [episode 154] in your post for reference.

Exploring the emotional struggles pastors face during rapid changes, from doubt to hidden reenergization. Discussing the six stages of change and the importance of empathy in leadership. Strategies for managing transitions in church leadership and adapting to uncertainty.

The hard truth for outward-focused churches? New people are probably not going to come to our physical locations to try out church—not for a long time. In the last few months, the majority of churches shifted to holding services online, and recently, a lot of energy shifted to re-opening in-person services. But even if we take all the precautions and follow the federal and local guidelines... it's going to be a big challenge to get new people to check out our churches in-person going forward. So, how will churches reach new people in a digital world?  In this episode, Tony and Amy share a simple way to rethink your digital strategy so that it includes a focus on reaching NEW people. For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode152. Join the Live Conversation on Social Media If you're listening on Wednesday, when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on Twitter. Or you can join in on Facebook. Ask your questions and add your comments about the topic. If you're catching this episode later, you can still join in! Just tag us @unstuckgroup or use #unstuckchurch, and include [episode 152] in your post for reference.