Pivot Podcast

Faith+Lead
  • 4.8 (23)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Over the past few years, church leaders have been forced to respond to several global crises in the blink of an eye. In a moment with little information and lots of uncertainty, churches reinvented nearly every aspect of church. Season 5 of the Pivot podcast explores the changing landscape of the church. Our co-hosts will dig into difficult questions that faith leaders are asking now, and provide an understanding of the deeper cultural shifts that account for the unraveling of inherited models of church. What are the four key pivots that today's church must make? New episodes post weekly on Thursdays.

  1. 6D AGO

    When Mental Health Ministry Becomes Everyone's Work

    Our congregations are filled with people wrestling with anxiety, depression, and struggles they don't always name out loud. Many church leaders feel the weight of wanting to help people through their mental health challenges, but what does a shared approach to pastoral care look like in a church setting? And how can leaders companion people through these struggles without burning out? In this episode, Dr. Cody Sanders—Associate Professor of Congregational and Community Care Leadership at Luther Seminary and author of Spiritual Care First Aid—shares how churches can become communities of healing and hope. He offers practical examples of collaborative approaches to care, from worship planning to equipping lay caregivers, that honor both the humanity of those who are struggling and the limitations of those who care. You'll discover why companioning beats fixing every time, how to create trauma-informed care practices without clinical training, and practical ways to combat loneliness in your congregation. Cody shares stories of churches doing this well—from pastors passing out donuts at the high school to congregations equipping lay care teams that become self-sustaining. Whether you're a pastor feeling overwhelmed by caregiving responsibilities or a lay leader wanting to support your community better, this conversation offers a sustainable path forward that invites your entire church to share in the ministry of care.

    43 min

  2. OCT 23

    A Regional Church System Cultivates Faithful Innovation

    What does it take to become a missional church in today's changing landscape? Bishop Scott Johnson and Deacon Timothy Siburg of the Nebraska Synod ELCA are helping 217 congregations discover the answer—and it starts with listening rather than fixing. In this episode, they share how churches across Nebraska are shifting from asking "How do we get people back?" to "What is God already doing in our community?" Through their Vitality Initiative and Mission Field Nebraska, they're creating permission-giving cultures where congregations experiment boldly, learn from unexpected partners, and discover that faithfulness means joining what God is doing in the present. Scott and Timothy offer practical wisdom for any church leader navigating change, whether in rural or urban contexts. You'll learn how to move from church-centered to God-centered questions, why giving permission is more powerful than providing programs, and how cross-cultural partnerships can transform traditional congregations into vibrant missional churches. They don't sugarcoat the challenges ahead—drawing on Romans 8's image of labor pains, they acknowledge the hard work required. But they also remind us that we're not alone in this work, and that the primary leader of the church is God, not us. If you're feeling overwhelmed by the pressure to innovate while managing traditional ministry demands, this conversation offers hope and a clearer path forward.

    39 min

  3. OCT 16

    The Gap Between Sunday Sermons and Monday Struggles

    Integrating faith and work is one of the biggest gaps in church ministry today. Most Christians spend the majority of their waking hours at work, navigating ethical dilemmas, difficult relationships, and daily decisions that test their faith. Yet what gets talked about in church on Sunday rarely connects with what people are wrestling with Monday through Saturday. Many business leaders feel like church either puts them on a pedestal as "job creators" or critiques them for participating in capitalism—and neither approach helps them figure out how to follow Jesus in the workplace. In this episode, Dr. Michael Binder—a Luther Seminary professor and co-owner of a five-generation HVAC business—shares what he's learned from living in both worlds. Michael helps us imagine what it would look like for churches to create space where people can talk about their real work struggles, what preaching sounds like when it equips people for the six days they're not in church, and why helping members integrate faith and work into their daily callings might be some of the most important ministry we do. If your members spend most of their lives outside the church building, this conversation will challenge you to think differently about faith and work integration.

    35 min

  4. OCT 9

    The Sacred Listening Revolution in Youth Ministry

    Gen Z and Gen Alpha have grown up in a world where institutional trust has deeply eroded—and that changes everything about youth ministry. In this episode, sociologist Dr. Josh Packard explains why the ministry strategies that worked for previous generations are falling flat with today's young people. It's not that Gen Z and Gen Alpha hate the church or are rebelling against it. Most simply grew up without any connection to religious institutions at all. Josh shares why the shift from high-trust to low-trust culture means churches must lead with relationships rather than programs, buildings, or pastoral credentials. Josh, author of "Faithful Futures: Sacred Tools for Engaging Younger Generations," introduces the concept of "sacred listening"—a three-part framework that helps youth workers build authentic connections at scale. You'll learn practical tools for managing dozens or even hundreds of relationships, why teenagers' "thin faith" expressions aren't the real concern, what COVID did to young people's social development, and why the critical years between 18-30 determine whether youthful faith deepens or disappears. This conversation offers hope and practical guidance for anyone working with Gen Z and Gen Alpha.

    38 min

  5. OCT 2

    What Happens When Church Leaders Stop Trying to Be Perfect

    Are you exhausted from trying to be the perfect church leader who has all the answers? Nicole Massie Martin, COO of Christianity Today and author of "Nailing It: Why Successful Leadership Demands Suffering and Surrender," introduces us to cruciform leadership—a revolutionary approach that places the cross at the center of how we lead. Drawing from her journey from corporate consultant to ministry executive, Nicole reveals how most leadership models ignore the very heart of Christian faith and why pastors are burning out trying to lead like the world instead of following Jesus. In this powerful conversation, Nicole shows us what it means to replace perfectionism with perfect union with Christ, how to let God set the pace instead of competing with other churches, and why authentic vulnerability is what congregations are actually hungry for. Through cruciform leadership, church leaders can move from trying to be their congregation's savior to pointing people toward the real Savior, discovering the abundant life that comes through embracing the way of the cross rather than chasing worldly success.

    41 min

  6. SEP 25

    Why You Were Never Meant to Lead Alone

    Many church leaders today feel trapped in unsustainable patterns of solo ministry, carrying everything from sermon prep to pastoral care to vision casting on their own shoulders. Dr. Eun Strawser, a physician, author, and church planter in Hawaii, discovered that these church leadership best practices aren't actually biblical at all. In this episode, she shares how moving from exhausted solo leadership to shared community leadership transformed her ministry from one community to 12 missional communities serving over 650 people, all while maintaining her medical practice and raising three children. Eun reveals the "four H's" of biblical leadership (humility, honor, hospitality, and hope) that create better leaders than secular markers of control, crowd, and contribution. Through compelling stories from her Hawaii context, including leaders like Kelsey who serves 500 seniors and Melissa whose community provides school supplies for 1,000 families, listeners will discover practical church leadership best practices for identifying, developing, and empowering leaders throughout their congregations. Whether you're feeling isolated in ministry or looking to multiply your impact, this conversation offers a roadmap for sustainable, Kingdom-focused leadership that actually works.

    36 min

  7. SEP 18

    Why Smaller Churches Have a Secret Advantage Right Now

    The 90% of American congregations with fewer than 200 weekly attendees are gifted communities of faith. They are strategically positioned ministries with unique small church advantages for this time. In this episode, Brandon O'Brien, author of the newly revised "The Strategically Small Church" and director of global thought leadership for Redeemer City to City, challenges the narrative that bigger automatically means better in church ministry. Drawing from nearly two decades of serving pastors worldwide, Brandon reveals how small churches possess distinct small church advantages including radical particularity, authentic community, and the agility to contextualize ministry for specific populations that larger congregations simply cannot replicate. Brandon shares practical insights about leveraging small church advantages through asset-based thinking, focusing on worship, formation, and mission as a minimally viable ecclesiology, and embracing authenticity as a powerful evangelistic tool in our current cultural moment. Whether you're pastoring a rural congregation of 15 or an urban church of 150, this conversation will help you notice your assets and strategic strengths for ministry and mission in this time. God loves congregations of all sizes. Smaller membership congregations are strategic powerhouses positioned for meaningful mission and ministry in your particular community. Discover why the future of faithful church leadership may well depend on understanding and maximizing these essential small church advantages.

    34 min

  8. SEP 11

    Why 70% of Church Change Efforts Fail (And How to Beat Those Odds)

    In part two of our conversation with Dr. Kara Powell, Dr. Jake Mulder, and Ray Chang from Fuller Seminary, we dive deep into the practical aspects of transforming church organizational culture. Harvard Business Review reports that 70% of change efforts fail, but these researchers have discovered why some churches successfully navigate transformation while others struggle. The key lies not in solo leadership or quick fixes, but in building diverse transformation teams that can effectively guide change through four essential zones: here, there, who, and how. Our guests share compelling stories of churches that shifted from spectator-based ministry to empowering communities of co-creators, demonstrating how effective church organizational culture change happens when the right people stay at the table long enough to discern God's direction together. Whether you're a pastor carrying the weight of change alone or a church leader seeking practical strategies for engaging your congregation in transformation, this episode offers hope and concrete tools for developing a future-focused approach. Learn why starting with "who" is more important than starting with "why," discover practical exercises for imagining your church's future through Scripture and community discernment, and explore how Jesus modeled the most effective change leadership principles. From building transformation teams with the right mix of authority and responsibility to creating church organizational culture that naturally develops disciples who live out their faith in daily life, this conversation provides a roadmap for sustainable church transformation rooted in theological conviction and practical wisdom.

    29 min
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4.8
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About

Over the past few years, church leaders have been forced to respond to several global crises in the blink of an eye. In a moment with little information and lots of uncertainty, churches reinvented nearly every aspect of church. Season 5 of the Pivot podcast explores the changing landscape of the church. Our co-hosts will dig into difficult questions that faith leaders are asking now, and provide an understanding of the deeper cultural shifts that account for the unraveling of inherited models of church. What are the four key pivots that today's church must make? New episodes post weekly on Thursdays.

Information

  • Creator
    Faith+Lead
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2025
  • Episodes
    154
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Faith+Lead
  • Show Website
    Pivot Podcast

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