Spiritual Life and Leadership

Markus Watson
  • 5.0 (38)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Ministry leadership is about more than just growing your church or organization. It’s about participating in God’s mission in the world. But how can leaders know God’s mission or their unique place in it? Faithful ministry leadership is rooted in a life of deep and abiding faithfulness to Jesus. In “Spiritual Life and Leadership,” Markus Watson and his guests explore what it means to be faithful leaders whose ministry flows from their ever-deepening relationship with God.

  1. 294. How Jews for Jesus is Adapting to a New Generation, with Aaron Abramson, author of Mission Design

    6D AGO

    294. How Jews for Jesus is Adapting to a New Generation, with Aaron Abramson, author of Mission Design

    Jews for Jesus helps Jewish people come to know Jesus, the Jewish Messiah. What’s fascinating is how Jews for Jesus has not only remained committed to that mission of sharing the hope of the Jewish Messiah, but has also adapted as the world around it has changed. As ministry leaders, we face the tension between time-honored tradition and the need for fresh approaches—and the story of Jews for Jesus offers some compelling lessons in adaptive leadership. In this episode, Aaron Abramson, CEO of Jews for Jesus and author of Mission Design, shares how Jews for Jesus has reimagined its strategies for sharing the gospel, as well as how leaders can cultivate a posture of learning and flexibility without compromising core convictions.   THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Jews for Jesus began as a movement to share the gospel with Jewish people, focusing on presenting the message in accessible and relevant ways.Aaron Abramson clarifies that believing in Jesus as the Messiah does not require abandoning Jewish identity.The earliest followers of Jesus were Jewish, and the concept of Gentiles joining Jesus was initially controversial in the early church.Markus Watson asks Aaron Abramson to share his own journey of faith and what led him to believe in Jesus as the Messiah.Religious and cultural barriers often make it challenging for Jewish people to consider faith in Jesus.Jews for Jesus historically used bold street evangelism, including handing out creative broadsides and literature on college campuses.Aaron Abramson observes that the primary strategy for evangelism shifted as cultural contexts and modes of communication changed.The rise of digital communication made traditional street evangelism less effective for connecting with Jewish people.Aaron Abramson describes pivoting to a process of empathetic listening and learning from the communities he was trying to reach.Teams at Jews for Jesus began to adopt audience-centric communication, tailoring their approach for different Jewish communities and subgroups.Aaron Abramson explains the development of new outreach models, such as setting up coffee shops and arts ministries as relational spaces.Ministry teams use design thinking, prototyping, and iteration to refine new strategies and measure their impact.Changing methodologies and staying adaptive allow Jews for Jesus to remain effective in reaching diverse Jewish audiences.Markus Watson highlights the importance of continually learning and adapting, affirming that keeping a posture of learning leads to meaningful change. RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS: Jews for Jesus website“So Be It” Youtube channelBooks mentioned:Mission Design, by Aaron AbramasonCenter Church, by Tim KellerRelated episodes:187: Tackling Adaptive Challenges in Church Leadership, with Angie Ward264: Building a Future-Focused Church, with Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond ChSend me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking! Get Becoming Leaders of Shalom for free HERE. Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

    56 min
  2. 293. Why Does Mission Grow From Humble Listening? A Quick Conversation with Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson

    NOV 4

    293. Why Does Mission Grow From Humble Listening? A Quick Conversation with Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson

    Explore how real transformation in spiritual leadership begins with listening deeply to your community and letting curiosity—not certainty—shape your mission. Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson discuss this quote from Shannon Kiser in Ep. 280, Empowering Leaders for Creative Mission: “Fresh expressions always start with listening and being attentive to who God is putting on your heart.” THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Leaders cultivate fresh expressions of church by listening deeply to their communities.Adaptive leadership emerges when leaders prioritize curiosity about people over quick solutions.Experiments in ministry prompt learning rather than simply measuring success or failure.New missional creativity grows out of attentive relationships, not just innovative ideas.Leaders empower others by embracing humility and care before offering expertise or vision.Send me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking! Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

    6 min
  3. 292. Why Do Effective Leaders Prioritize Asking Over Answering? With J.R. Briggs, author of The Art of Asking Better Questions

    OCT 28

    292. Why Do Effective Leaders Prioritize Asking Over Answering? With J.R. Briggs, author of The Art of Asking Better Questions

    What if the best leadership isn’t about having the answers, but about asking the questions that draw out wisdom, connection, and creativity from those around us? What if the most transformational moments in ministry happen not when we speak—but when we invite others to share, reflect, and dream with us? In this episode, J.R. Briggs, author of The Art of Asking Better Questions discusses how asking great questions can open new possibilities for ministry leaders and lead to healthier, more effective leadership—for ourselves and our churches. THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: JR Briggs describes how questions neurologically "hijack" our brains, engaging us much more deeply than simple information does.Questions foster both clarity and engagement, enabling deeper connection and creativity between people.JR Briggs identifies several cultural obstacles to asking questions, including conversational narcissism, a lack of curiosity, and the fear of awkwardness.Healthy questions play a crucial role in building connection and trust, especially in an age marked by loneliness.JR Briggs attributes his passion for asking questions to observing his father's genuine curiosity and care for others.The quality of your life depends on the quality of questions you ask yourself, God, and others.Deliberate practice, such as collecting good questions and “gaming” conversations, strengthens one’s ability to ask better questions.JR Briggs outlines four levels of questions: information, interaction, understanding, and transformation, each deepening relational impact.JR Briggs encourages leaders to move beyond transactional questions and pursue transformational conversations grounded in trust.Curiosity, wisdom, humility, and courage are essential virtues for asking effective questions.Markus Watson notes that leading with questions, rather than only answers, builds stronger relationships and trust as a pastor.Great leaders amplify others and cultivate deep curiosity, according to JR Briggs’s research and coaching experience.Questions create space for spiritual direction, hospitality, and genuine pastoral care within ministries.Slowing down and asking questions in tense moments, instead of having knee-jerk reactions, can lead to greater understanding and connection.Jesus used questions extensively—over 300 in the New Testament—to provoke thought, deepen engagement, and transform lives. RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS: Kairos PartnershipsBooks mentioned:The Art of Asking Better Questions, by J.R. BriggsCanoeing the Mountains, by Tod BolsingerRelated episodes:Episode 240: Leading with Wisdom from Above, with Uli ChiEpisode 270: Evangelism as Consolation, with Andrew RootEpisode 278: Preaching in Today’s Post-Christian World, with Mark GlanvilleSend me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking! Get Becoming Leaders of Shalom for free HERE. Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

    1h 1m
  4. 291. The Complex Truth About Modern Churchgoers, a Quick conversation with Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson

    OCT 21

    291. The Complex Truth About Modern Churchgoers, a Quick conversation with Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson

    Discover why leading in today’s church means listening deeply to people’s questions, griefs, and dreams—before ever stepping into the pulpit. Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson discuss this quote from Mark Glanville in Ep. 278, Preaching in Today's Post-Christian World: "People are walking to church now, not with the Bible under their arm, but with complex and genuine questions, with hopes, with dreams, with griefs on their heart, sometimes with a complex relationship with the Bible itself.” THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Church leaders face the complexity of guiding people who bring diverse backgrounds, questions, hopes, dreams, and griefs.Pastoral leaders prioritize listening to the congregation before offering teaching or guidance.Leaders shape sermons and leadership approaches by engaging deeply with people’s real-life experiences and struggles.Adaptive leadership requires creating community among people who differ in their spiritual journeys and relationships with scripture.Effective preaching and leadership begin with meaningful relationships and conversations, not just expertise or information delivery.Send me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking! Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

    6 min
  5. 290. Don't Assume Trust Guarantees Success in Leadership, with Tod Bolsinger

    OCT 14

    290. Don't Assume Trust Guarantees Success in Leadership, with Tod Bolsinger

    As ministry leaders, we often imagine that building trust is the ultimate goal—once we have it, the road to transformation should be clear. But what happens when trust alone isn’t enough? The truth is, trust is only the starting point. Moving beyond it requires us to invest our trust in ways that actually make change possible, even when it means taking risks and facing loss together. In this episode, Tod Bolsinger, author of Invest in Transformation: Quit Relying on Trust, shares why trust is essential but insufficient for transformative leadership, how we can begin to discern our congregation’s unique calling, and what it takes to wisely invest trust as we guide people through the challenges of adaptive change. THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Tod Bolsinger asserts that there is no transformation without trust.Leadership requires energizing a community toward its own transformation for the sake of a shared mission.People will not trust a leader to guide them through difficult change if they don’t trust them with current, familiar responsibilities.Leaders build trust through both trustworthy character and technical competence.Relational congruence means consistently showing up as the same person in all relationships, reinforcing trust.Even leaders of good character need to be experienced by others as trustworthy in daily interactions.Technical competence in areas such as scripture, soul care, and organizational skills is non-negotiable for pastoral leaders.Trust is the bank account that leaders must invest (and spend) when leading adaptive or transformational change.When transformation is pursued, trust levels may decrease as change creates uncertainty and resistance.Tod Bolsinger notes that maintaining trust means not squandering it on trivial matters, but instead strategically investing it in real transformation.The process of transformation begins with clarifying a congregation’s unique charism—its distinctive gift to the broader community.Charism emerges from actual values and stories, not from aspirational wish lists or debates about what a church “should” be.Discerning a congregation’s charism requires telling stories about the times they were most proud of the church.Identifying a congregation’s charism is followed by asking how it can address the pain points of the community, thus connecting internal giftedness with external needs.Transformation always involves loss, and truly adaptive change means some may leave, but new vibrancy and alignment with mission can develop as a result. RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS: Church Leadership InstituteBooks mentioned:Invest in Transformation: Quit Relying on Trust, by Tod BolsingerRelated episodes:230. The Power of an 8-word Mission Statement, with Tod Bolsinger264. Building a Future-Focused Church, with Kara Powell, Jake Mulder, and Raymond Chang272. Beyond Church Revitalization, with Josh HaydenSend me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking! Get Becoming Leaders of Shalom for free HERE. Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

    40 min
  6. 289. Exegeting Neighborhoods and Churches, a Quick Conversation with Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson

    OCT 7

    289. Exegeting Neighborhoods and Churches, a Quick Conversation with Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson

    Learn how transformational leaders can unlock real change by listening deeply to their neighborhoods—before making big plans for the future. Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson discuss this quote from Josh Hayden in Ep. 272, Beyond Church Revitalization. "Remissioning leaders have to do the steady work of exegeting the neighborhood, and doing the exegesis work of the church before they make big plans about what success or flourishing looks like for our church or our neighbors." THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Remissioning leaders exegete both their neighborhoods and their churches before making big plans for success or flourishing.Leaders develop a deep understanding of their community by listening, observing, and engaging with the local context.Churches resist imposing ideas by prioritizing understanding over assumptions when entering a neighborhood.Teams uncover the unique strengths and pain points of their neighborhoods by spending devoted time within them.Faith communities help neighborhoods flourish when they build connections and respond to local needs in the name of Jesus.Send me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking! Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

    8 min
  7. 288. Leadership That Smells Like the Gospel, with Jason Jensen, author of Formed to Lead

    SEP 30

    288. Leadership That Smells Like the Gospel, with Jason Jensen, author of Formed to Lead

    Why is it that so many ministry leaders—people called to reflect Christ’s love—so often end up burned out, disillusioned, or driven by power and platform instead of humility and service? It’s heartbreaking when church leadership doesn’t “smell like the gospel,” and instead resembles the very systems of profit and self-promotion it should prophetically resist. In this episode, Jason Jensen, Vice President of Spiritual Foundations for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship and author of Formed to Lead, unpacks what true spiritual formation for leaders looks like, how to hold humility and faith in tension, and how suffering and the wilderness can become gifts in our ministry. THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Jason Jensen observes that much leadership in the church fails to reflect the gospel and often focuses on power, platform, or profit.Large numbers of Christian leaders experience burnout or moral, character, or spiritual failure, leading to disillusionment among younger generations.Jason Jensen asserts that the Gospel of Luke presents a radically different, subversive vision of leadership, centering the vulnerable and overlooked.Leadership in God’s kingdom includes all people, from parents to presidents, and turns conventional power dynamics upside down.Christian leadership requires holding together the paradox of tender humility and bold faith.Jason Jensen describes the spiritual formation of a leader as a lifelong, iterative process marked by failure, repentance, and receiving the love of God.Embracing wilderness seasons—times of pain, failure, or dryness—is essential for spiritual growth and character development.Markus Watson invites Jason Jensen to share from personal experience how suffering shaped his faith and leadership, prompting stories of transformation after injury and failure.Experiencing grief, loss, and mistakes can be some of the most formative experiences for a leader’s development and empathy.Depth and authenticity in leadership are formed by embracing—not bypassing—suffering and wilderness experiences.Jason Jensen highlights Steve Hayner’s example of leadership, specifically his ability to listen well, include others, and help others feel loved and safe.Steve Hayner practiced “expansive discourse” and adaptive leadership, carrying pain with others and facilitating mutual learning rather than judgment.Sustainable organizational change requires time, patience, and leaders who bring everyone to the table and foster shared purpose.Offering one’s life—and even one’s death—as a gift to God and others represents the culmination of a spiritual journey, embodying humility, sacrifice, and openness. RELEVANT RESOURCES AND LINKS: Jason Jensen:formedtolead.comInstagramXFacebookBooks mentioned:Formed to Lead, by Jason JensenRelated episodes:244. Finding Strength in Desperation, with Mandy SmithSend me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking! Get Becoming Leaders of Shalom for free HERE. Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

    41 min
  8. 287. Leadership and Lament, a Quick Conversation with Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson

    SEP 23

    287. Leadership and Lament, a Quick Conversation with Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson

    Discover why real transformation happens when leaders have the courage to journey with people into their sorrow and bring the hope of Christ to the places of deepest pain. Tod Bolsinger and Markus Watson discuss this quote from Andrew Root in Ep. 270, Evangelism as Consolation: "What we really need, what people yearn for, is someone who will journey with them into their sorrow and to proclaim and witness to a Jesus Christ who is present in sorrow." THIS EPISODE'S HIGHLIGHTS INCLUDE: Leaders embody the gospel by journeying with people into their pain and sorrow.Churches bring transformation by listening to and addressing the pain of their neighbors.Faithful leadership means grieving alongside others while holding on to hope.Evangelism becomes good news when we accompany others in their sorrow, not just share inspiring visions.Congregations foster trust and transformation by walking with people through loss and change.Send me a text! I’d love to know what you're thinking! Click HERE to get my FREE online course, BECOMING LEADERS OF SHALOM.

    7 min
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5
out of 5
38 Ratings

About

Ministry leadership is about more than just growing your church or organization. It’s about participating in God’s mission in the world. But how can leaders know God’s mission or their unique place in it? Faithful ministry leadership is rooted in a life of deep and abiding faithfulness to Jesus. In “Spiritual Life and Leadership,” Markus Watson and his guests explore what it means to be faithful leaders whose ministry flows from their ever-deepening relationship with God.

Information

  • Creator
    Markus Watson
  • Years Active
    2018 - 2025
  • Episodes
    294
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2025 Spiritual Life and Leadership
  • Show Website
    Spiritual Life and Leadership

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