Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership with Ruth Haley Barton

Ruth Haley Barton
  • 4.9 (420)
  • CHRISTIANITY
Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership with Ruth Haley Barton

Welcome to Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast with Ruth Haley Barton. In each 30-minute episode you will discover how forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God in the midst of leading is the best thing you bring to leadership! Visit www.transformingcenter.org for additional resources for pastors, Christian leaders, and the congregations and organizations they serve.

  1. 1 DAY AGO

    S25 Ep 4 | Advent Week 4: An Invitation to Find God in Unexpected Places

    In this final episode of the season, we are joined by none other than the author of ’Silence and Other Surprising Invitations of Advent’ herself, Enuma Okoro!! Enuma joins Charity, Colleen, and Jeff to share the inspirations behind her book, personal insights on faith, the significance of untold stories in the Bible, and the challenges of maintaining faith. Continuing with our Advent story of Zechariah and Elizabeth, they discuss the challenges and blessings of waiting on God’s “inconvenient timing.” The four also reflect on God’s presence in everyday life and the importance of recognizing divine manifestations in people and situations we least expect.

    38 min

  2. DEC 13

    S25 Ep 3 | Advent Week 3: An Invitation to the Wilderness

    Charity, Jeff, and Colleen are joined this week by the Transforming Center’s ambassador and resident theologian, David Hughes. David brings a depth of wisdom and experience to this conversation. The four continue to explore the story of Elizabeth and Zechariah, exploring the importance of finding safe spiritual companionship, the interplay between wilderness and community in spiritual growth, and the promises of hope and joy during Advent. They emphasize the need for vulnerability, acceptance, and spiritual community, whether within or beyond traditional church settings, to navigate transformative experiences.

    55 min

  3. DEC 6

    S25 Ep 2 | Advent Week 2: An Invitation to Transformation in Seasons of Barrenness

    Charity, Jeff, and Colleen are joined for the second week of Advent by the OG of the OGs, as far as the Transforming Center is concerned, Dalene Strieff! The episode explores the themes of waiting, barrenness, and spiritual practices, particularly silence. The conversation touches on personal experiences of loss, grief, community, and spiritual growth, reflecting on the story of Zachariah and Elizabeth. The four discuss the importance of spiritual practices, like silence, in cultivating a deeper connection with God and community during challenging times. They reflect on how these practices can help in navigating personal and communal seasons of barrenness and division.

    48 min

  4. NOV 29

    S25 Ep 1 | Advent Week 1: An Invitation to a New Season in Advent

    In this first episode of the Advent season, Charity and Jeff are joined by podcast producer Colleen Powell to delve into the themes of grief, longing, and waiting during the Advent season. They explore insights from Enuma Okoro’s book ’Silence and Other Surprising Invitations of Advent,’ spotlighting Elizabeth and Zachariah’s deep desires and unanswered prayers. The group also discusses the importance of maintaining faith amid turmoil, communal lament, and the transformative power of silence and spiritual practices.

    51 min

  5. OCT 23

    S24 Ep 8 | Wrestling with the Cross: What does the Atonement Really Mean?

    In today’s episode, Ruth and guests Rev. Dr. Prince Rivers and Rev. Dr. David Hughes navigate the depths of the future of Christian spirituality through the lenses of the atonement. The discussion confronts traditional interpretations of the cross and atonement, addressing challenges posed by modern perspectives. Ruth, Prince, and David explore theories from historical and contemporary theologians, such as penal substitution, while highlighting how these interpretations impact real-life contexts, especially among marginalized communities and the oppressed. The conversation concludes with reflections on faith, suffering, and power, emphasizing transformation through love over wrath, with a heartfelt prayer for divine guidance and liberation.

    1h 1m

  6. OCT 16

    S24 Ep 7 | The Work of Justice: Restoring what has Been Lost, Repairing What has been Broken

    In this episode, Ruth delves into the future of Christian spirituality as it pertains to the role of justice. Joined by her long-time friend and expert in reconciliation studies, Dr. Brenda Salter McNeil, the discussion centers on the growing movement of the Holy Spirit towards deeper justice work, specifically racial justice. Dr. McNeil discusses her new book ’Empowered to Repair’, which explores the biblical figure Nehemiah as a model for reparative actions that go beyond the warm fuzziness of relational reconciliation to concrete outcomes that reflect true justice. The conversation also addresses resistance within Christian communities towards reparations and repair, exploring how faith and a scarcity mentality influence these defenses. Ruth and Brenda call for activating all believers as ministers of reconciliation, underscoring the importance of integrating justice work with spirituality for the church to remain relevant, especially among younger generations.

    46 min

  7. OCT 9

    S24 Ep 6 | Making Room: Welcoming the One Who is Strange to You

    What does it mean to be welcoming and inclusive from a rooted depth, and how do we see the Holy Spirit nudging us towards this concept? Ruth is joined by a special guest, Transforming Center’s very own cultivator of community and connection, Tina Harris, today to discuss the many ways we are called to practice hospitality in the name of Christ. Tina shares her own transformative experiences practicing radical hospitality, what it has felt like to not be welcomed, and practical and concrete ways churches can begin to become more welcoming and inclusive of all types of people. They also discuss why they think there is a resistance to this invitation and lament the ways that beautiful words and ideas like diversity, equity, and inclusion have become politicized, hot button issues.

    58 min

  8. OCT 4 · BONUS

    BONUS: Connecting the State of Our Politics and the State of Our Souls

    We cannot ignore the current state of our politics and the toll it has taken on the American public. As we approach another election season we wanted to provide you with encouragement and guidance on how we connect our spirituality and our politics. Guest Michael Wear joins Ruth to discuss why he believes the state of our politics is indicative to the state of our souls. Ruth and Michael also discuss how important it is to bring our own formation to our politics,  how politics can be an essential form in which to love our neighbors and why we need to avoid the false bifurcation of our spiritual lives and our political lives.

    57 min
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About

Welcome to Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership podcast with Ruth Haley Barton. In each 30-minute episode you will discover how forging and maintaining a life-giving connection with God in the midst of leading is the best thing you bring to leadership! Visit www.transformingcenter.org for additional resources for pastors, Christian leaders, and the congregations and organizations they serve.

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