Intentional Churches Podcast Doug Parks & Erin Johnston

In this last episode of Season 3 Erin and Doug are joined by Mitch Harrison to discuss church leadership challenges, focusing on the critical issue of burnout. Mitch shares his personal journey of experiencing and overcoming burnout, and the need for intentional replenishment. The conversation highlights the importance of balancing stress with restorative practices and offers a framework involving rest, emotional release, renewed purpose, recreation, and meaningful relationships.
This episode encourages leaders to create a sustainable plan for personal replenishment and to foster a supportive culture within their organizations to prevent burnout and maintain effective ministry.
Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com        The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C      The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/ YouTube:www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches    Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/      Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches      X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches     
Mitch Harrison:Website: www.refillcoaching.com LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitch-harrison-3653b539
Chapters:00:23 Podcast Introduction01:28 Mitch Harrison's Background02:19 Question: Managing Ministry Demands03:03 Mitch's Personal Burnout Journey05:15 Doug Parks on Burnout in Ministry06:29 Defining Replenishment08:45 The Five R's Framework12:45 Doug Parks on Escapism vs. Replenishment16:04 Personal Application for Leaders17:04 Creating a Replenishment Plan19:10 Doug's Current Challenges with Replenishment21:04 Mitch on Church Staff Replenishment22:20 Generational Differences in Work Ethic24:29 Millennials' Perspective on Work and Burnout26:43 Organizational Replenishment Practices28:14 Applying the Framework Corporately

In this episode Erin and Doug discuss strategic alignment in church leadership with guest Allie Bryant. Allie, a Strategic Alignment Executive at Trader's Point Christian Church, explains her role in bridging the gap between strategy and execution. The conversation focuses on common challenges church leaders face, such as project prioritization, resource allocation, and maintaining clear communication of vision and strategy. Allie shares insights into effective project management, the importance of regular strategic planning, and the need for clarity and consistency in defining and communicating mission, vision, and strategy within church organizations.
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!
Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com         The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C       The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/        YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches          Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches         LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/        Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches       X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   
Chapters:00:20 Welcome and Introductions01:00 Allie Bryant's Background03:00 Defining Strategic Alignment04:27 Importance of Clarity in Vision and Strategy06:03 Challenges in Defining Strategy and Vision08:44 Translating Vision to Execution10:04 Coordinating Vision with Team Members13:09 Prioritization and Sequencing in Strategy17:06 Misalignment as a Major Challenge in Churches18:46 Evaluating Strategy Regularly19:43 Coordination of Day-to-Day Strategy21:08 Example of Misalignment from Mother's Day25:33 Developing Project Management Skills29:42 Training Next Generation of Leaders30:23 Practical Steps for Greater Strategic Alignment

Bishop Derrick McRae, Senior Pastor at The Experience Christian Center in Orlando, Florida sits down with Erin and Doug to share insights on how churches can better integrate with their communities and meet their needs. He touches on the importance of approaching community integration with a humble posture. Bishop McCrae also highlights the need for churches to develop relationships and partnerships with government officials and other organizations to effectively meet community needs. He encourages churches to have a clear vision and value proposition for their outreach efforts and to actively involve their congregation in outreach activities. Additionally, he stresses the importance of trusting in God rather than political outcomes.
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!
Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com        The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C      The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/       YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches       Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches        LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/       Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches      X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   
Bishop Derrick McRae:Website: https://www.eccorlando.com/our-pastor
Chapters:00:00 Introduction and the Church's Role in Communities02:13 Integrating with the Community: Approaching with Humility and Listening05:02 Developing Relationships and Partnerships for Effective Outreach08:24 Creating a Clear Vision and Value Proposition for Outreach22:43 Navigating Politics in the Church: Trusting in God

Erin and Doug talk through the topic of church growth and how to navigate it without losing sight of the church's vision and mission. They discuss the importance of not being afraid of growth and the need to innovate and focus on relational ministry. They caution against reverting to old strategies and highlight the need for personal mission statements aligned with the Great Commission. The epsiode is all about the challenges of growth, the importance of evaluation and pruning, and the need for an aligned true north for the church.
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!
Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com       The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C     The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/      YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches      Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches       LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/      Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches     X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches
Chapters:00:00 Introduction and Setting the Context01:42 Observations on Church Growth09:26 Avoiding Mission Drift14:42 Fighting the Inward Pull and Getting Back to Basics21:24 Inviting Others for Evaluation and Reflection24:01 Embracing the Dynamic Nature of God's Work25:56 Celebrating Growth and Listening to God's Direction

This week Erin & Doug are joined by their good friend Dano and they talk about the importance of collaboration and working well together across teams in church leadership. They discuss the challenges of silos within teams and the need to eliminate them for effective decision-making and creating breakthroughs. They also introduce the concept of co-creation, which is involving everyone in the organization and unlocking their contributions. Their conversation highlights the importance of cross-functionality and prioritization in achieving collaboration.
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!
Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com      The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C    The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/     YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches     Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches      LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/     Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches    X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   
Chapters:00:00 Introduction and the Importance of Collaboration02:13 Silos and the Need for Cross-Functionality07:07 Co-Creation: Inviting People to the Kitchen10:26 Prioritization and Sequencing in Collaboration13:46 True Collaboration vs Telling and Selling26:20 Conclusion and Encouragement 

In this episode, Erin and Doug talk through the challenges of being short-staffed in churches and how to navigate this issue. They discuss the importance of having a developmental mindset and raising up leaders from within the church. They also highlight the concept of agency, where individuals have the freedom and permission to act and contribute. They share examples from churches in Brazil that thrive with minimal staff and discuss the need to challenge assumptions about the necessity of staff positions. They also provide practical tactics for church leaders to address staffing shortages.
Thanks for listening to this episode of the Intentional Churches podcast!
Intentional Churches: Website: https://intentionalchurches.com     The Book: https://a.co/d/hFlz17C   The Blog: https://intentionalchurches.com/blog/    YouTube: www.youtube.com/@IntentionalChurches    Facebook: https://facebook.com/intentionalchurches    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/intentional-churches/mycompany/    Instagram: https://instagram.com/IntentionalChurches   X/Twitter: https://x.com/intentchurches   
Chapters:00:00 Navigating the Challenges of Being Short-Staffed06:24 Developing a Mindset of Raising Up Leaders11:04 The Importance of Agency in Creating a Culture of Engagement13:27 Learning from Thriving Churches in Brazil15:46 Challenging Assumptions about Staffing Needs