Brentwood Baptist Leadership Podcast: Equipping the Whole Church Staff for Gospel Impact

Brentwood Baptist Church
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Are you ready to take your ministry to the next level? Follow the Brentwood Baptist Leadership Podcast, as we share how this new resource will equip and encourage church leaders at every stage. Whether you’re a seasoned pastor or a growing team member, this podcast is designed to help you sharpen your vision, strengthen your staff, and deepen your Gospel impact. Hosted by ministers from Brentwood Baptist Church, this podcast brings you honest conversations, practical tools, and insights from leaders who understand the joys and challenges of ministry.

  1. 2d ago

    How to Build a Student Missions Program That Lasts

    Student missions can start to feel like an event on the calendar instead of a way of life. In this episode of the Road to Elevate, Evan Kunz sits down with Billy Mahaffey, our student minister for groups and leadership, to talk about what it actually takes to build a student missions strategy from the ground up, from budgeting and choosing the right partners to helping students carry what they learn on a trip back into their everyday life. This is a preview of their full breakout session at the Elevate Church Conference on September 21 and 22, 2026.In this episode, you’ll learn: Why starting with the "why" matters more than starting with logistics, and how to help students see missions as part of following Jesus rather than a separate activityHow the post-COVID years reset a lot of the missions culture in student ministry, and what it takes to rebuild itWhy Gen Z and Gen Alpha students often think of "sharing the gospel" as street apologetics, and why that definition needs to be reset earlyWhat to look for in a long-term mission partner, and why the same site for years can matter more than a new destination every summerHow to bring parents into the process, not just for safety and logistics, but for their own spiritual investment in their student's tripWhy taking students outside their own city can actually help them live on mission inside itWhat it really looks like behind the scenes, budget surprises, lodging problems, and all, when a mission strategy is still being builtMeet the GuestsEvan Kunz serves as student minister at Brentwood Baptist, where he has spent several years working alongside Billy to build missions into every part of the student ministry's discipleship strategy.Billy Mahaffey serves as student minister for groups and leadership at Brentwood Baptist, where he has led mission teams to Greece, England, and, most recently, Zimbabwe.Register for the Elevate ConferenceThis episode is part of our March focus on worship ministry, leading up to Elevate Church Conference on September 21–22, 2026. Learn more and register at elevatechurchconference.com.

  2. Aug 12

    Giving To vs. Giving From: Cultivating a Culture of Generosity

    Our Road to Elevate series continues with a conversation every pastor, stewardship leader, and ministry director needs to hear. Darrel Girardier sits down with Ken Schafer, Brentwood Baptist's stewardship minister, to discuss what it takes to build a culture of generosity, previewing one of the breakout sessions at the Elevate Church Conference on September 21 and 22, 2026. Ken starts by separating two words most of us use interchangeably: giving and generosity. From there, he and Darrel work through why money conversations create friction in churches, why a met budget can still hide an unhealthy congregation, and the specific numbers Ken tells every church leader to go find in their own giving data. They close by rethinking a familiar narrative about generational giving and unpacking the difference between giving to a church and giving from worship. In this episode, you'll learn: - The key difference between giving and generosity, and why treating them as interchangeable holds churches back: giving is a transaction, and generosity is a condition of the heart - Why healthy churches treat generosity as part of holistic spiritual development, right alongside Bible study, worship, and prayer, instead of putting it in a lane by itself - Why "our budget is being met" almost never means a church has a healthy culture of generosity - The difference between average giving and median giving, and why median is the more honest, and often more sobering, number for a church to know - The difference between giving to a church and giving from worship, and why that shift changes how a church should talk about money altogether - And more... Meet the Guests Ken Schafer is the Stewardship Minister at Brentwood Baptist, where he helps individuals and the congregation grow into a biblical view of generosity as an act of worship, not just a line in the budget. Darrel Girardier is the Executive Director of Ministry Resources at Brentwood Baptist, where he oversees the team and resources that help equip pastors and ministry leaders across the church.

  3. Aug 5

    What Is Elevate? The Conference Built for Your Whole Team

    August kicks off our Road to Elevate series, a month of conversations previewing what you'll actually experience at the Elevate Church Conference on September 21 and 22, 2026. To start things off, Darrel Girardier sits down with Madi Wuebben to answer the most basic question first: what is Elevate?Madi walks through what makes Elevate different from the conferences most church leaders have already tried: breakout content built for every seat on a team, speakers who are still leading in the trenches every week, and a schedule designed so leaders can actually be filled up, not just informed. She and Darrel also talk through this year's new two-day format, cherry-pick a few breakout sessions they're personally excited about, and get honest about what they hope every single attendee walks away with, both in the room and long after the conference ends.In this episode, you’ll learn: What actually makes Elevate different: breakout content built for every role on a team, so a pastor can bring paid staff, volunteers, deacons, and Sunday school teachers, not just come aloneWhy every Elevate speaker, keynote and breakout alike, is currently leading in ministry day to day, at churches ranging from about 100 people to several thousandWhy local, regional connection is baked into the conference, even as it draws partners from as far away as Germany, Brazil, and UtahThe two things Madi hopes every attendee walks away with: genuinely feeling filled up, and getting specific answers for their specific ministry laneWhy 2026 adds a second day, with an extended two-hour workshop on day one and a keynote, more breakouts, and extended Q&A on day twoA few breakout sessions and speakers Madi and Darrel are personally most excited about, from a session on hard conversations to a workshop on planning group ministryThe difference between the one-day and two-day ticket options, and how to think about which one fitsThe bigger vision behind Elevate: not just content for a weekend, but long-term partnerships, like residency programs and seminary connections, between Brentwood Baptist and the churches that attendMeet the GuestsMadi Wuebben is the Promotions Director at Brentwood Baptist, where she leads how Elevate and other Leadership Resources initiatives get in front of the church leaders they're built for.Darrel Girardier is the Executive Director of Ministry Resources at Brentwood Baptist, where he oversees the team and resources that help equip pastors and ministry leaders across the church.

  4. Jul 29

    More Prayed Up, Not More Researched: Sermon Prep in the Age of AI

    We're wrapping up our month-long series on preaching with a conversation every pastor and Bible teacher needs to hear. Brandon Hayes sits down with Hunter Melton, campus and teaching pastor of The Church at Woodbine, to talk about sermon research: how to use commentaries, AI, and other study tools well, without letting them replace dependence on the Holy Spirit.Hunter walks through his weekly rhythm, the tools he actually uses, and where he draws a hard line with AI in sermon preparation. It's a conversation about being resourced without losing sight of the text, and about pursuing faithfulness over polish.In this episode, you’ll learn: Why being "more resourced than ever" can lead to analysis paralysis, and how to guard against itHunter's weekly rhythm for sermon prep (Monday and Tuesday with the text and the Holy Spirit, Wednesday and Thursday with commentaries and tools)Why he calls commentaries and old sermons his "dead friends," and which resources he trusts (ESV Study Bible, CSB Study Bible, Crossway's Exegetical series, Baker Academic)How to know when "enough is enough" in research, and why languages and research should support a sermon without being seenWhat to do when a Wednesday commentary read reveals you got the text wrongWhere AI can genuinely help (finding illustrations, checking timing), and where it becomes a slippery slope for a preacherWhy Hunter believes AI reshaping a sermon's content or tone crosses a real line, and what's at stake if pastors export their calling to a toolOne concrete step for pastors who love people but struggle to sit down and studyMeet the GuestsBrandon Hays is the campus and teaching pastor of The Church at Harpeth Heights. He's hosting the Brentwood Baptist Leadership Podcast this month, where he talks with pastors and ministry leaders from across Brentwood Baptist about how they lead, teach, and shepherd their people well.Hunter Melton is the campus and teaching pastor of The Church at Woodbine. Known among his fellow campus pastors as one of the most quotable voices at Brentwood Baptist, Hunter brings both conviction and humor to how he studies, prays, and prepares to preach each week.

  5. Jul 22

    How to Use Sermon Illustrations Without Losing Your Message

    A great sermon illustration does more than entertain. It helps people see the truth of Scripture clearly enough to carry it out the door. This conversation between two campus and teaching pastors covers what separates an illustration that serves the text from one that just serves the moment, what one guest calls a boneless chicken trying to walk: fun to watch, but it isn't moving anyone anywhere.The episode breaks down a simple, repeatable framework for building illustrations that land: aim at the point being made, focus the story on that point, and take the picture by tying it back to the truth. It also covers when an illustration is actually needed, weighing the pace of a sermon, the people in the room, and the point being made, plus how personal stories can build trust with a congregation without turning the sermon into a memoir.The conversation closes with habits any preacher can borrow: journaling ordinary moments before they're forgotten, keeping a searchable database of stories and Scripture, and using the natural plot arc, rising action, conflict, and resolution, to spot a sermon illustration hiding in an average Tuesday.In this episode, you’ll learn: The three-step framework for building an illustration that clarifies instead of distracts: aim, focus, and take the picture.How to tell when a sermon actually needs an illustration, based on pace, people, and the point you're making.Why personal stories build trust with a congregation, and how to keep them from becoming self-serving.A simple test for whether a personal illustration has crossed a line: does it elevate you, or does it elevate the truth you're preaching?How to build a habit of noticing illustrations in daily life, through journaling, photos, and a simple database.Why bookending a sermon, opening and closing with the same illustration, can bring a whole message home, as long as you don't force it.Where to find illustrations you can trust, from personal experience to historical events to AI-assisted research, and how to verify each one before you preach it.Meet the GuestsBrandon Abbott serves as campus and teaching pastor at The Church at West End. He has spent years studying the craft of storytelling, from competitive public speaking in high school to a running database that tracks every illustration he has ever preached, tagged by tone, text, and last use.

  6. Jul 15

    Application That Sticks: A Guide to Preaching That Transforms, Not Just Informs

    In this episode, Brandon Hays continues his monthly conversation on preaching with Jay Strother, senior pastor of Brentwood Baptist, this time zeroing in on application: the moment a sermon has to leave the worship center and start showing up in someone's Monday morning. Jay walks through the "hook, book, look, took" outline he's used since seminary, and the head, heart, and hands framework he writes out before he ever starts a sermon, to make sure a message doesn't just inform people but moves them to respond. The conversation also gets honest about where application goes wrong. Jay talks through the temptation to turn a text into a moralistic checklist, using the David and Goliath story as an example of application that misses the gospel underneath it, and shares Charles Spurgeon's image of every village road eventually leading to London to explain why every passage should lead somewhere near the cross. Jay and Brandon also swap real stories, from a whole church setting phone alarms for 1:14 as a daily prayer reminder, to a Revelation 4 sermon that ended not with a to-do list but with a room full of grieving people standing to worship because God is still on his throne. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why preaching information without transformation leaves people with knowledge but not wisdomThe hook, book, look, took outline, and how "took" is where most sermons run out of timeHow the head, heart, and hands framework shapes application before a sermon is even writtenWhy application built on moralism instead of the gospel eventually falls apart, using David and Goliath as an exampleHow to write application for a whole spectrum of listeners, from the person new to church to the retired pastor in the back rowPractical ways to make application memorable, including a citywide prompt built around one verse and a phone alarmSimple habits, like a running story file and a nightly journal, that help a pastor build a stockpile of application over timeMeet the Guests Brandon Hays is the Campus and Teaching Pastor at Harpeth Heights, one of Brentwood Baptist's nine campuses. Jay Strother is senior pastor of Brentwood Baptist, where he's served for 24 years across churches of every size before leading the congregation's nine campuses today.

  7. Jul 8

    From Vision to Sunday: How to Plan a Year of Preaching

    In this episode, Brandon Hays sits down with Jay Strother, senior pastor of Brentwood Baptist, to talk about something every preacher wrestles with: how far ahead to plan a sermon calendar. Jay walks through why Brentwood Baptist plans its preaching 12 to 14 months out, starting with Easter as the anchor point, and how a team of pastors gathers for a planning retreat that includes prayer, an honest look back at the past year, and a Shark Tank-style pitch session before anyone puts a series on the calendar. The conversation also gets practical about what happens when life doesn't cooperate with a plan. Jay shares stories of calling an audible during a season of grief, letting a preaching calendar simmer for months before locking it in, and aligning kids ministry, students, and worship around the same sermon series so families hear one message instead of several disconnected ones. For pastors who have never planned more than a few weeks ahead, Jay's encouragement is simple: start small, and let the process build from there. In this episode, you’ll learn: Why stepping back to plan a year of preaching creates more room to follow the Holy Spirit, not lessHow Brentwood Baptist plans preaching 12 to 14 months out, and why Easter is the anchor point for the whole calendarWhat actually happens at a preaching-team retreat: prayer, a look back at the past year, a Shark Tank-style pitch session, and a voteHow to build in accountability for calling an audible on a planned series without preaching on impulseHow aligning kids ministry, students, groups, and worship around the same sermon series deepens discipleship in the homeWhere to start if you've never planned more than a few weeks aheadMeet the Guests Brandon Hays is the Campus and Teaching Pastor at Harpeth Heights, one of Brentwood Baptist's nine campuses. Jay Strother is senior pastor of Brentwood Baptist, where he's served for 24 years across churches of every size before leading the congregation's nine campuses today.

  8. Jul 1

    Finding Your Voice in the Pulpit

    Every preacher starts by sounding like someone else. The slow, winding work of ministry is learning to sound like yourself.In this episode, Brandon Hayes sits down with David Hannah to talk about finding your voice in the pulpit and why that work is about far more than communication style. David brings an unusual path to preaching, from preacher's kid to attorney to Bible teacher to pastor, and he's honest about what it has taught him: your voice is shaped by the people you actually know, your confidence rests in who God made you to be, and authenticity is no longer optional for a generation that can see through a facade in seconds. They get practical, too, on outlines versus manuscripts, understanding your sermon rather than memorizing it, watching game film, and receiving feedback without losing your nerve.In this episode, you’ll learn: Why finding your voice starts with confidence in who God made you to be, not in copying a communicator you admireHow your context and your congregation, the people you actually do life with, shape the way you preachThe difference between memorizing your sermon and understanding it, and why that's where natural delivery comes fromHow to grow as a communicator without getting trapped in comparisonWhy authenticity and a willingness to say "I don't know" matter more for this generation than any before itWhat appropriate vulnerability looks like in the pulpit, and who to run it by firstHow to receive hard feedback with humility instead of defensivenessThe two things David tells every newer preacher: trust the voice God gave you, and watch the game filmMeet the GuestsDavid Hannah is Campus and Teaching Pastor at The Church at Lockeland Springs, an East Nashville congregation where, in his words, it's "impossible to not know and be known," and his road to the pulpit ran through law school and years in litigation before ministry.Brandon Hayes is Campus and Teaching Pastor at The Church at Harpeth Heights, a preacher honest enough to admit he still goes back and forth on whether to use notes, whose advice to anyone nervous about preaching without them is simple: leave the iPad on the pew and just go do it.

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Are you ready to take your ministry to the next level? Follow the Brentwood Baptist Leadership Podcast, as we share how this new resource will equip and encourage church leaders at every stage. Whether you’re a seasoned pastor or a growing team member, this podcast is designed to help you sharpen your vision, strengthen your staff, and deepen your Gospel impact. Hosted by ministers from Brentwood Baptist Church, this podcast brings you honest conversations, practical tools, and insights from leaders who understand the joys and challenges of ministry.

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