Leading Second Podcast

What could a reset look like in your life? It’s easy to get into management mode where we are just surviving and no longer thriving in church leadership. Rest and rhythms of renewal are essential if you want to go the distance in ministry. This episode is your reminder to take a second and ask yourself a few questions. We also have a great second chair testimony from Chris Loukos who serves at Elevation Church.

Second chair leadership can look different in every season of life and ministry, so how do we lead second in every season? My conversation today is with Dave Simiele. Dave is on the Senior Management Team at Christ Fellowship Church in Palm Beach, FL, where he also serves as a Campus Pastor. So listen in as he gives us a masterclass on Leading Second. And be sure not to skip past Joseph Kelley, giving us five keys to overcoming a critical spirit.

If you’ve been in ministry for some time, you’ve probably felt like quitting. Or at least have asked yourself what the heck you are doing. So, where do you go when moments get tough? Today, I’m excited to bring a new friend to the Leading Second tribe. Jim Wideman is currently the Executive Operations Pastor at The Belonging Co in Nashville, Tennessee. Incredible in its own right, but even more impressive, Jim has a lifetime thriving in the second chair. He’s been in ministry for over 45 years, covering just about any role you can think of. You don’t want to miss the wisdom shared in this episode.

What makes a great team? We all want our teams to be healthy and thriving, so I thought I’d sit down with a few leaders from 7 Hills Church in Cincinnati, Ohio. Under the leadership of Marcus Mecum, this is an incredible team that I’ve grown to respect more and more. So let’s explore the DNA that creates a great team.

Our pastors hold a weight we may never even see and won’t ever know unless we sit in that chair. So, how can we help carry that? Here is a conversation with some practical insight and wisdom, regardless of your role or proximity to your pastors. Nick and Liz Dekold from Lakeshore Church in Rockwall, Texas, have been serving on their team for almost 20 years, so they have plenty of experience leading on behalf of their pastors.

Do you ever find yourself tying your identity to the affirmation of those around you? If we're honest, we all can from time to time. Joining us today is my friend Clayton Baird who is on staff at Celebration Church in Jacksonville, Florida. We talk about health in your church leadership and make sure that we find our identity in Jesus. We also have Jesse Rodriguez offer us five ways to give good feedback.

What can you learn about ministry and leadership from NASCAR? Our guest today is Dillon Ritchie. An executive pastor at CoastLife Church in Venice, Florida, he gives us a great lesson about racing and talks about being faithful in serving. We also have Jason and Liz Klammor, who share their story about leading in the middle.

As church leaders in the second chair of your ministry, can you handle a no from your pastor? There is tension at times between ambition and submission, and in this episode, I have a conversation with Temi Pope from Union Church where we talk about being faithful in the second chair. We also had a great listener question come in from Mary Jones, asking how to lead individuals who have higher skills than your own.

The big idea in our conversation today is remaining faithful under pressure. When it seems that there’s pressure coming at us from all sides, I wanted to have a conversation about how we remain faithful through it. But first, Jesse Rodriguez joins us with another Top 5 that you do not want to miss. He gives us 5 Ways to Increase Your Capacity as a Leader (1:27). Then I sit down with Tanisha Stromberg, Jen Tribble, and Tim Tribble, all campus pastors from Parallel Church in Alberta, Canada (6:33). As a church in Canada, they face unique circumstances and challenges on top of the changes in their own church. They’ve had a wild ride these past couple of years, and I’m so encouraged by how strong their church has come out of it.

We’re in a moment where I believe that leaders could use some wisdom on how to walk through something. It seems that there’s a new report or event surrounding a leader falling or making a mistake at a pretty consistent rate now. So I wanted to turn to the person who has helped me walk through so many challenging moments and tough conversations in my life. I asked my pastor, Kevin Gerald, to talk about how we are to respond when leaders fall, what our mentality should be, and what we can anchor to in these times.