
The Unstuck Church Podcast with Amy Anderson
With THE UNSTUCK CHURCH PODCAST, we invite you into the real-time conversations our team is having about church leadership every week.
Hosted by Amy Anderson, this podcast explores common challenges in ministry and practical steps for tackling them. It’s like getting to be a fly on the wall of our staff meetings.
Tune in weekly for:
Insights, observations and trends for church leaders from the Unstuck team.
Benchmarks in church growth and health from The Unstuck Group’s work serving hundreds churches across North America each year.
Practical advice to help you lead your church towards sustained health.
We think that after listening to The Unstuck Church Podcast, you’ll want to start these discussions with your own team at your next staff meeting.
Add your thoughts to the conversation on social media using #unstuckchurch.
Latest episodes

Jul 3, 2024 • 24min
Strategy for Volunteer Engagement - Episode 355
Exploring the challenges of volunteer engagement post-pandemic, the podcast delves into the decline in volunteering and the importance of integrating serving into spiritual formation. Strategies include one-on-one invites, sermon messages on serving, and quality volunteer environments. The discussion also focuses on assessing mistakes in volunteer engagement, prioritizing challenges, and casting vision to effectively engage volunteers in church ministry.

Jun 27, 2024 • 6min
How to Find Great People for Your Church Staff Team - Interview with Tim Foot (Bonus Episode)
We know from our research and conversations with clients that finding great people for the ministry staff team is very challenging right now. As an addedumn to our series on "Staffing Wisdom for Church Leaders," we bring you this bonus interview with Tim Foot of Slingshot Group for some timely insights into church staffing in 2024. In this conversation, Tony and Tim discuss topics like: The positions churches are having the hardest time filling Insights into how churches find great people for their staff teams on this side of the pandemic Distinctives about churches who are attracting and retaining younger people on their teams Best practices for raising up leaders from within Learn more about Slingshot Group Connect with Tim Foot Planning a Restructure? People-problems are uniquely challenging on a ministry staff team. Leading your people through them is hard. Through our Staffing & Structure process, you can go from feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the people-problems to feeling confident in your ability to structure and lead your team for health and high performance. Learn more at theunstuckgroup.com. Join the 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 X. Or you can join in on Facebook.

Jun 26, 2024 • 28min
Handling Misfits - Episode 354
Leaders know it's true: Not having the right people on the team hinders the impact of your church. So what do you do when it's clear you need to remove someone from the team—when it's clear they are not a fit? In the last episode of our series on "Staffing Wisdom for Church Leaders," Tony and Amy discuss the very real reasons why letting someone go is so hard for ministry leaders, the ways you need to be effectively evaluating performance as an organization (and specifically, managing people who are underperforming), and how you can approach it all with wisdom and grace. Planning a Restructure? People-problems are uniquely challenging on a ministry staff team. Leading your people through them is hard. Through our Staffing & Structure process, you can go from feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the people-problems to feeling confident in your ability to structure and lead your team for health and high performance. Learn more at theunstuckgroup.com. This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program was created for organizations just like yours. Their team of Christian legal professionals are personally called to empower and protect churches, ministries, and their leaders to fulfill their mission by providing biblically informed and ministry-focused legal solutions. Whether governance, employment, litigation, or other matters, let The Church Lawyers walk alongside you as you navigate legal issues facing your ministry. Sign up for the The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program today at thechurchlawyers.com. 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/episode354. Join the 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 X. Or you can join in on Facebook.

Jun 19, 2024 • 28min
Right People, Right Roles - Episode 353
In this podcast, the hosts discuss the importance of placing the right people in the right roles within a church team. They highlight the challenges pastors face in making necessary changes and emphasize the significance of aligning roles with individuals' strengths. The episode also covers evaluating character traits, optimizing team roles for success, and navigating sensitive team restructuring in churches.

Jun 12, 2024 • 25min
Stack the Leadership Team - Episode 352
The podcast discusses the importance of stacking your leadership team with qualified individuals. It explores challenges in building effective teams, assessing and developing leadership capacity, and strategically evaluating team capacities. The episode also highlights the significance of strategic planning for ministry teams and staff alignment.

Jun 5, 2024 • 25min
Structure to the Strategy - Episode 351
Exploring the complexities church leaders face when restructuring teams, emphasizing strategic role definition and alignment with the church's mission. Discussing the significance of aligning strategy with structure and people, advocating for organizational clarity and direction in staffing decisions. Delving into senior leadership's role in setting ministry goals and strategies, emphasizing alignment with overarching objectives. Highlighting the importance of strategic alignment and structural planning in ministry work, emphasizing clarity, defined roles, and visualizing the future. Delving into the significance of organizational restructuring for effective ministry outcomes, offering practical advice on assessing staffing levels, budget allocation, and strategic decision-making.

May 29, 2024 • 28min
New Church Staffing Trends: Q2 2024 Unstuck Church Report - Episode 350
Discover the latest church staffing trends and attendance patterns, including the positive growth of 'unstuck' churches amidst a decline in overall church attendance. Learn about the challenges faced by churches post-pandemic and the importance of aligning organizational strategies. Dive into insights on staffing turnover rates, staff allocation based on church sizes, and the significance of aligning staffing with new visions and ministry strategies.

May 22, 2024 • 24min
Simple But Not Easy - Episode 349
Discover practical ways to overcome challenges in executing growth initiatives in churches. Learn from lead pastors about strategies that work in large churches. Explore the importance of balancing task-oriented and people-oriented leaders for successful implementation. Embrace different team roles and staffing strategies for ministry success.

May 15, 2024 • 26min
The Rhythm of Planning - Episode 348
The podcast discusses the significance of strategic planning in churches for healthy growth and optimal results. It emphasizes the importance of involving key leaders in planning meetings and creating a culture of regular planning. Practical advice for pastors on implementing strategic planning effectively and a teaser for an upcoming webinar on successful strategies for growth in large churches.

May 8, 2024 • 26min
The First Step Toward Healthy Growth – Episode 347
Exploring healthy church growth, the podcast discusses the importance of objective assessment and data-driven analysis. It highlights the need for customized strategies, celebrating successes, and engaging with consulting services for church leadership growth.
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