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. 15h ago

    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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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.

  4. 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.

  5. Jun 17

    From Pew to Purpose: Cultivating Gifts in the Body

    What does it really look like to help someone move from sitting in the pew to serving the body? In this episode, Stephanie Prince sits down with Michelle Dyer to talk about identifying gifts and helping people use them well in the life of the church. Michelle makes the case that calling is terrain we have to tread, and that church leaders owe their people more than a vague encouragement to "get out there and serve." They dig into the practical tools, assessments, and coaching relationships that turn good intentions into real engagement, and they share stories of what happens when a leader takes the time to see a gift in someone and call it out.This conversation is part of our month on connections, helping churches build pathways for people to belong, serve, and grow. It's all leading up to the Elevate Church Conference on September 21 and 22, 2026.In this episode, you’ll learn: Why helping people find their gifts changes the culture, passion, and mission of the whole church, not just one volunteer slotWhat happens to a church's vibrancy when people never discover where they're meant to contributeHow to pair the concept of calling (Ephesians 4) with practical tools so people aren't left high and unclearThe four lenses Brentwood Baptist uses to help people explore who they are in Christ: spiritual gifts, personality, passion, and skillsWhy the Discover coach relationship, led by lay leaders rather than staff, is a key piece of the membership processHow clear on-ramps, defined roles, and diligent follow-up move people from interested to involvedWhy training lay leaders to see behind the curtain deepens their own sense of belonging and discipleshipHow intentional leaders spot a gift in someone and shepherd it, and the fifteen-year volunteer story that started with picking up trashWhat an empowered culture looks like when every member is a ministerMeet the GuestsStephanie Prince is the Connections Minister at The Church at Station Hill, where she helps people find their place to belong, serve, and grow. Michele Dyer is the Connections Minister at Brentwood Baptist, where she's spent years developing tools, assessments, and coaching pathways to help members discover how God has wired them to serve.

  6. Jun 10

    More Than a Card: How Membership Becomes Belonging

    Membership has a branding problem. For a lot of people, the word sounds like a gym contract or a warehouse club card, something transactional you sign up for and forget. In this episode of the Brentwood Baptist Leadership Podcast, Stephanie Prince sits down with Michelle Dyer to reclaim what church membership was always meant to be: a family you belong to, a mission you commit to, and a body you contribute to.Michelle walks through how Brentwood Baptist has refined its membership process over 20 years, why systems and processes actually communicate a church's values, and how a clear pathway helps people move from simply attending to fully belonging. She also shares where to start if your church has no membership process. Her advice is refreshingly practical: make it simple, make it scalable, and start with the bare bones.Whether you are reworking a membership process you have had for decades or building one for the first time, this conversation will help you connect people to their gifts, their calling, and their church family.In this episode, you’ll learn: Why church membership is countercultural, and why that's exactly why it mattersHow "people rise to the level of expectation" should shape the way you talk about membershipWhat a healthy membership process communicates spiritually and practicallyHow to build a process that's relational instead of transactional, so it never feels like institutional hoops to jump throughThe simplest place to start if your church has no membership process yetHow connecting people to their gifts and passions transforms volunteers into ministersWhat the Five G's (gospel conversations, groups, going, giving, and gathering) look like as markers of a growing discipleThe warning signs that it's time to reevaluate or rebuild your membership processMeet the GuestsStephanie Prince serves as the Connections Minister at The Church at Station Hill. She brings a practitioner's perspective to every conversation, asking the questions church leaders are actually wrestling with.Michelle Dyer serves at Brentwood Baptist as the Connections Minister, helping people discover their gifts and find their place in the life of the church. She's passionate about helping believers move from simply attending to fully belonging.

  7. Jun 3

    From Guest to Family: Building Clear Pathways to Connection

    On this episode of the Brentwood Baptist Leadership Podcast, Stephanie Prince sits down with Shannon Moore to discuss one of the most important challenges churches face: helping people move from being first-time guests to fully engaged members of the church family.While many churches focus heavily on first impressions, Shannon explains why hospitality is only the beginning. Healthy churches create intentional pathways that help people find community, discover their purpose, and take meaningful next steps toward discipleship.Whether you're leading guest services, groups, membership, or simply want to create a more welcoming culture in your church, this conversation offers practical ideas for helping people belong, grow, and engage in God's mission.In this episode, you’ll learn: Why hospitality is only the first step of discipleshipThe biggest barriers keeping guests from becoming engaged membersHow biblical community helps people move from attending to belongingWhy clear next steps matter more than complicated processesPractical ways to improve guest follow-up and engagementHow Discover coaching creates meaningful relationships and accountabilityThe role serving plays in helping people find ownership in the churchWhy healthy churches create cultures where everyone welcomes guestsHow to build systems that help people without losing the relational elementThe difference between a friendly church and a truly welcoming churchMeet the GuestsStephanie PrinceStephanie serves at The Church at Station Hill and helps churches think strategically about connections, discipleship pathways, and helping people take meaningful next steps in their faith journey.Shannon MooreShannon Moore serves at The Church at Avenue South, helping people connect to biblical community through groups, membership, and discipleship. With decades of ministry experience, Shannon is passionate about creating environments where people are seen, known, and engaged in the life of the church.

  8. May 27

    Creating a Church People Want to Come Back To

    On this episode of the Brentwood Baptist Leadership Podcast, Stephanie Prince is joined by Kiefer Johnson to talk about first impressions, hospitality, and what it really means to create a welcoming church environment.From parking lots and signage to remembering someone’s name, this conversation explores the small details that often make the biggest impact. Together, they unpack how intentional hospitality helps people feel seen, known, and invited into genuine Gospel-centered community.Whether your church is large or small, this episode offers practical ways to help guests move from feeling nervous and overwhelmed to feeling connected and cared for.In this episode, you’ll learn: Why first impressions begin long before someone enters the worship center The difference between being friendly and being truly welcoming How signage, volunteers, and environments reduce anxiety for guests Practical ways to create a culture of invitation and hospitality Why remembering someone’s name can deeply impact their sense of identity How consistency builds trust and long-term community The spiritual importance of hospitality and connection ministry Simple steps churches can take this Sunday to improve first impressionsMeet the GuestsStephanie PrinceStephanie serves in connections ministry at Brentwood Baptist and is passionate about helping churches create environments where people feel seen, known, and welcomed into community.Kiefer JohnsonKefir Johnson serves in connections ministry and guest services at Brentwood Baptist Church, helping cultivate welcoming environments that make it easier for people to take their next step into the life of the 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.

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