Pivot Podcast

Faith+Lead
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Pivot Podcast

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. 5D AGO

    Why This Church Traded Their Biggest Event for a Coffee Shop (And What Happened Next)

    What if the solution to declining church participation isn't better programs, but joining neighbors where they already are? Pastor Shannon Kiser, Senior Director of Fresh Expressions North America, shares how her congregation at Riverside Presbyterian transformed from hosting 2,000 kids once a year at their "Slop Fest" mud Olympics to creating ongoing relationships through fresh expressions of church. Their bold move - selling donated land and opening a seven-day-a-week coffee shop with indoor playground - turned their half of an office building into the community's favorite gathering place for families. Shannon reveals the "who before what" principle driving fresh expressions across denominations, from dinner churches to workplace ministries. She offers practical first steps any inherited church can take to connect authentically with neighbors, including how to see your community with "the eyes of Jesus" and why one church's simple question to their local high school - "Who's the most underserved group here?" - changed everything. Perfect for church leaders feeling stuck between maintaining existing programs and wondering what God might be calling them toward in an era of rapid cultural change. Mentioned in this episode: Stepping Up to Supervision

    35 min

  2. JUL 2

    How Fresh Expressions Saved This Pastor's Ministry (And Her Sanity)

    Many church leaders find themselves exhausted by traditional programming that no longer connects with their changing neighborhoods. In this episode, discover how fresh expressions can move you beyond fixing declining programs to creating vibrant new forms of faith community. Host Dwight Zscheile speaks with Shannon Kiser, Senior Director of Fresh Expressions North America, about her transformation from VBS burnout to pioneering fresh expressions that bring diverse families together through shared activities like soccer and art. Shannon shares the "loving first journey" - a listening-first approach to developing fresh expressions that begins with discerning where God is already at work in your community rather than planning in committee rooms. Learn how to identify and release pioneers, supporters, and permission givers for fresh expressions in your congregation, and discover why fresh expressions actually energize inherited churches rather than competing with them. Whether you're struggling with volunteer recruitment, seeking to connect with your neighborhood's diversity, or wondering how to move from membership-focused to discipleship-centered ministry, this conversation offers practical insights into fresh expressions that create space for authentic community engagement and spiritual formation. Mentioned in this episode: Stepping Up to Supervision

    37 min

  3. JUN 26

    Has Religion Become Obsolete? with Christian Smith (Part 2)

    Has Religion Become Obsolete in American Culture? In this second part of our conversation with sociologist Dr. Christian Smith, we explore his groundbreaking research on why traditional religion has lost its cultural relevance for post-Boomer generations. Dr. Smith unpacks what he calls the "Millennial Zeitgeist" - a complex cultural worldview shaped by digital technology, individualism, and anti-institutional sentiment that has fundamentally changed how younger Americans approach faith, truth, and spiritual meaning. Rather than offering quick fixes for declining church attendance, Dr. Smith challenges religious leaders to understand the deeper cultural forces at play and engage in profound soul-searching about authentic Christian identity. He reveals how the re-enchantment movement is drawing people to mysticism and alternative spiritualities - resources that churches once provided but abandoned in pursuit of secular respectability. This conversation offers essential insights for church leaders wrestling with whether religion has become obsolete and how faith communities can respond faithfully to massive cultural transformation. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:"Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America" by Dr. Christian Smith SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review! Mentioned in this episode: Stepping Up to Supervision

    24 min

  4. JUN 18

    Has Religion Become Obsolete? A Conversation with Christian Smith

    What's Really Behind America's Religious Decline?If you're watching church attendance declining at your congregation and wondering what you're doing wrong, this conversation will transform how you understand the challenges facing American religion. Dr. Christian Smith, sociologist at the University of Notre Dame and author of "Why Religion Went Obsolete," reveals that the struggles you're experiencing aren't primarily about your leadership, programs, or preaching. Instead, we're dealing with "perfect storm" conditions—massive cultural, technological, and social forces that have been building for decades, creating what Smith calls a "cultural mismatch" between traditional religion and today's zeitgeist. Smith's research identifies specific factors since 1991 that have reshaped the religious landscape, from the deinstitutionalization of the American family to the rise of anti-institutional sentiment and popular postmodernism. Rather than trying to fix church attendance declining through traditional methods, church leaders need to understand these macro-level forces and redirect their energy toward discerning where God is already at work. This liberating perspective helps leaders move beyond self-blame to focus on faithful response to genuinely unprecedented cultural conditions. Join hosts Dwight Zscheile and Terri Elton as they explore why traditional religion has become "obsolete" in American culture and what this means for the future of faith communities. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:"Why Religion Went Obsolete: The Demise of Traditional Faith in America" by Dr. Christian Smith SUBSCRIBE & REVIEW:If you loved this episode, please take a moment to subscribe and leave a review! Mentioned in this episode: Stepping Up to Supervision

    37 min

  5. JUN 12

    Reframing Evangelism: Following Jesus into Sorrow with Andy Root Part 2

    The New Evangelism Message That's Changing Everything. What if reframing evangelism isn't about getting more people in church, but about learning to meet Jesus in the midst of sorrow? In part two of our conversation with Luther Seminary professor Andy Root we explore a radically different approach to sharing faith that moves beyond happiness-hunting strategies to embrace God's presence in brokenness. Andy Root, author of "Evangelism in an Age of Despair," challenges churches to stop chasing evangelism success like gamblers at a table and instead learn what it means to journey with people into their deepest sorrows. Drawing insights from Blaise Pascal's spiritual journey, this conversation reveals how reframing evangelism around sorrow and loss can actually lead to more authentic faith sharing. ABOUT ANDY ROOT:Andrew Root, PhD (Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary. He is most recently the author of Evangelism in an Age of Despair and the six volume Ministry in a Secular Age series. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Book: Evangelism in an Age of Despair: Hope Beyond the Failed Promise of Happiness" by Andy RootPivot Podcast episode: Reframing Evangelism: Following Jesus into Sorrow with Andy Root (Part 1) Mentioned in this episode: Stepping Up to Supervision

    23 min

  6. JUN 5

    Reframing Evangelism: Following Jesus into Sorrow with Andy Root (Part 1)

    Many church leaders feel caught between uncomfortable extremes when it comes to how to evangelize - either instrumental strategies that feel manipulative or avoiding evangelism altogether out of fear it will drive people away. In this episode, Luther Seminary professor Andy Root offers a third way through his new book "Evangelism in an Age of Despair." Andy shows how to evangelize through what he calls "a theology of consolation" - recognizing that the caring relationships churches naturally build actually constitute authentic evangelism when grounded in the conviction that Jesus Christ is present in our shared sorrows. Rather than learning new programs or strategies, Andy helps church leaders recognize the evangelism they're already doing. When congregations sit with people going through cancer treatment, help neighbors clean out a deceased parent's home, or simply take walks with those who are grieving, they're practicing presence-based evangelism. This conversation will transform how you think about how to evangelize by moving from strategy-based approaches to authentic ministry that flows naturally from Christian care and consolation. ABOUT ANDY ROOT: Andrew Root, PhD (Princeton Theological Seminary) is the Carrie Olson Baalson Professor of Youth and Family Ministry at Luther Seminary. He is most recently the author of Evangelism in an Age of Despair and the six volume Ministry in a Secular Age series. RESOURCES MENTIONED IN THIS EPISODE:Book: Evangelism in an Age of Despair (Andy Root, 2025):Book: The Promise of Despair (Andy Root, 2010)Book: The Gospel of Wellness (Rina Raphael, 2022)Book: The Ethics of Authenticity (Charles Taylor, 2018)Book: Cosmopolis (Stephen Toulmin, 1992) Mentioned in this episode: Stepping Up to Supervision

    34 min

  7. MAY 29

    Being Church During Community Crisis

    When devastating wildfires swept through Pasadena in early 2025, La Fuente Ministries faced a test of what it means to be church in community crisis. Pastor Marcos Canales and Nina Lau Branson join us to share how their bilingual, intergenerational congregation discovered that being church in community crisis isn't about having perfect emergency plans—it's about cultivating spiritual practices and community connections that help people encounter God even in the midst of catastrophe. From grief stations during the pandemic to emotional vocabulary work and neighborhood-based "casitas" groups, their intentional approach to formation created a foundation that served them well when members lost homes and their entire community faced displacement and trauma. This conversation reveals what authentic church in community crisis looks like beyond typical disaster response protocols. Marcos and Nina demonstrate how embracing the full spectrum of human emotions, creating liturgies that externalize trauma, and fostering distributed leadership can transform crisis from something that destroys community into a pathway for deeper discipleship. Whether your congregation is currently navigating challenges or you want to understand how to be church in community crisis when difficulties arise, their witness offers hope and concrete tools for any church leader committed to shepherding with authenticity and care. Mentioned in this episode: Stepping Up to Supervision

    43 min

  8. MAY 22

    One Vine, Many Branches: Why Your Church Needs Multiple Models to Thrive

    In this thought-provoking episode of the Pivot Podcast, we dive deep into the concept of "one church multiple models" with returning guest Dwight Zscheile. Dwight unpacks the idea of a "mixed ecology" - where traditional congregations and new forms of ministry can flourish together as one church with multiple expressions. He explains how cultural shifts are making traditional church structures increasingly obsolete for younger generations, while presenting practical ways to develop multiple models that don't add to leaders' already full plates. Explore how clergy can shift from "performing" ministry to equipping others, discover practical first steps toward nurturing both inherited and new expressions of church, and learn the biblical foundations for diverse ministry models using the vine and branches metaphor. Whether you're struggling with declining attendance, volunteer burnout, or connecting with your changing community, embracing one church multiple models offers a hopeful path forward that honors tradition while embracing creative new approaches. Dwight's insights from his forthcoming book, co-authored with Blair Pogue, provide a timely roadmap for church leaders navigating today's challenging ministry landscape. Mentioned in this episode: Stepping Up to Supervision

    37 min
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4.8
out of 5
20 Ratings

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
    138
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Faith+Lead
  • Show Website
    Pivot Podcast

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