The Unstuck Church Podcast with Amy Anderson

Amy Anderson
  • 4.7 (150)
  • CHRISTIANITY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY
The Unstuck Church Podcast with Amy Anderson

With THE UNSTUCK CHURCH PODCAST, we invite you into the real-time conversations our team is having about church leadership every week. Hosted by Amy Anderson, this podcast explores common challenges in ministry and practical steps for tackling them. It’s like getting to be a fly on the wall of our staff meetings. Tune in weekly for: Insights, observations and trends for church leaders from the Unstuck team. Benchmarks in church growth and health from The Unstuck Group’s work serving hundreds churches across North America each year. Practical advice to help you lead your church towards sustained health. We think that after listening to The Unstuck Church Podcast, you’ll want to start these discussions with your own team at your next staff meeting. Add your thoughts to the conversation on social media using #unstuckchurch.

  1. 2D AGO

    Leveraging Your Biggest Front Door - Episode 387

    In this episode of The Unstuck Church Podcast, Amy and Sean dive into part two of our conversation on reach and retain strategies, focusing on how churches can leverage their weekend services as effective “front doors” for connecting with new people. From common misses like poor signage and untrained volunteers to practical solutions that create excellent guest experiences, Amy and Sean unpack what’s working (and what isn’t) in churches today. They share insights on creating a clear guest services presence, developing intentional follow-up processes and ensuring weekend experiences connect with both churched and unchurched people. Listen in to learn how your church can create more effective entry points through your weekend services and establish systems that help new people take their next steps toward Christ. Join us for a free webinar on March 13th where we'll dive deeper into proven strategies for reaching and retaining new people in your church. This Episode is Brought to You By The Church Lawyers: The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program was created for organizations just like yours. Their team of Christian legal professionals are personally called to empower and protect churches, ministries and their leaders to fulfill their mission by providing biblically informed and ministry-focused legal solutions. Whether governance, employment, litigation or other matters, let The Church Lawyers walk alongside you as you navigate legal issues facing your ministry.     Sign up for the The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program today at thechurchlaywers.com.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

    28 min

  2. MAR 5

    Equipping Your Church for the Mission Field - Episode 386

    Frustrated by the persistent tug between pleasing your core people and reaching new guests? In this episode, Sean and Amy explore why reaching new people requires focus and how lack of clarity about who you’re trying to reach leads to ineffective ministry. We’re discussing how churches get stuck trying to be everything to everyone, what Scripture teaches us about having a clear mission field and practical ways to lead your church toward greater effectiveness in reaching the unchurched in your community. If you’re sensing tension between maintaining what’s working for your core and making changes to reach new people, this conversation will give you practical next steps for leading your congregation forward. This Episode is Brought to You By The Church Lawyers: The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program was created for organizations just like yours. Their team of Christian legal professionals are personally called to empower and protect churches, ministries and their leaders to fulfill their mission by providing biblically informed and ministry-focused legal solutions. Whether governance, employment, litigation or other matters, let The Church Lawyers walk alongside you as you navigate legal issues facing your ministry.     Sign up for the The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program today at thechurchlaywers.com.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

    17 min

  3. FEB 26

    New Data - Q1 2025 Unstuck Church Report - Episode 385

    In this quarter’s edition of The Unstuck Church Report, Amy Anderson unpacks the latest trends showing both encouraging growth and engagement challenges in churches across America. While attendance numbers are increasing, the data reveals churches are grappling with engagement metrics that aren’t keeping pace. From small group participation to per capita giving, the numbers tell a story of churches needing to strengthen their connection systems. Join Sean and Amy as they break down the Q1 2025 data, examining multisite momentum, staffing ratios, financial health indicators and practical steps churches can take to build sustainable growth. Listen below for insights that will help you evaluate your church’s health and chart a course for greater impact. This quarter’s report was sponsored by StudioC: If discipleship is your church’s ultimate Why, engagement is your How. The problem is most churches struggle to extract meaningful insights from their database, leaving leadership teams without the clear picture they need. Most church communication is simply a flood of every message to every person across every channel, leaving your people frustrated and overwhelmed with information. With a deep understanding of ministry needs, StudioC brings the science of personalized engagement to the Church, enabling you to create personalized discipleship journeys at scale. Their two flagship software solutions – ChurchIQ and Member Engagement Solution – help your church unlock the full potential of combining rich data-driven analytics with highly targeted messaging. With StudioC’s software, you can: - Know the macro- and micro-level movements of your people - Match them to their relevant next steps - Tell them through your existing church app See for yourself at thestudioc.org Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

    28 min

  4. FEB 19

    The Perfect Staff Structure for Never - Episode 384

    We’re wrapping up our series on church staffing oxymorons by tackling perhaps the most challenging one yet: the perfect staff structure for never. Many churches find themselves caught in a structure that doesn’t work for today’s needs and definitely won’t support tomorrow’s vision. It’s that nagging feeling that something’s off—workloads are uneven, decision-making is unclear and leadership gaps are widening. In Part 3, Sean and Amy explore why churches get stuck in ineffective structures and, more importantly, how to build a staff model that works for the present and the future. Listen as they share practical metrics to assess your current situation and strategic steps to move toward a healthier organizational structure. This Episode is Brought to You By Planning Center: Planning Center is an all-in-one toolkit to organize and run your ministries. And what is a ministry without volunteers? Planning Center helps you build a sustainable and balanced volunteer schedule that aligns ministry needs with people’s availability. Then, you can connect with your team using chat, where you can coordinate ministry details, make announcements, and engage in fun conversations with your teammates. Get started for free at planningcenter.com. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

    26 min

  5. FEB 12

    The Team with The Right Wrong People - Episode 383

    In Part 2 of our church staffing series, Sean and Amy tackle another challenging oxymoron: having the right wrong people on your team. In this episode, we unpack: How to assess your current staff leaders beyond basic performance metrics Understanding the four levels of leadership capacity (10s, 50s, 100s, 1000s) The importance of evaluating roles separately from the people in them Tools and assessments for understanding staff wiring and capacity Plus, we discuss the value of outside perspective when making tough staffing decisions, share practical next steps for leaders and explain how to avoid creating the same challenges in future hiring. We also address the personal growth needed from senior leaders to build and maintain healthy staff structures. This Episode is Brought to You By Planning Center: Planning Center is an all-in-one toolkit to organize and run your ministries. And what is a ministry without volunteers? Planning Center helps you build a sustainable and balanced volunteer schedule that aligns ministry needs with people’s availability. Then, you can connect with your team using chat, where you can coordinate ministry details, make announcements, and engage in fun conversations with your teammates. Get started for free at planningcenter.com.

    26 min

  6. FEB 5

    The Understaffed Team with Too Many People - Episode 382

    In Part 1 of a new series we're calling "Church Staffing Oxymorons," Sean and Amy explore a common staffing oxymoron that all too many churches face: teams that are simultaneously understaffed and overstaffed. In this episode we unpack: Why churches often end up with misaligned staffing What this tension feels like for different ministry areas Common but ineffective solutions churches try How to properly assess your starting point The importance of having true leaders in leadership roles Practical next steps for evaluating and addressing staffing imbalances Plus, we share real church examples, discuss assessment tools that can provide objective data about your staffing reality and provide guidance for leaders who want to build healthy, sustainable team structures that support effective ministry. This Episode is Brought to You By Planning Center: Planning Center is an all-in-one toolkit to organize and run your ministries. And what is a ministry without volunteers?   Planning Center helps you build a sustainable and balanced volunteer schedule that aligns ministry needs with people’s availability. Then, you can connect with your team using chat, where you can coordinate ministry details, make announcements, and engage in fun conversations with your teammates.   Get started for free at planningcenter.com.

    18 min

  7. JAN 29

    The 90's Called... They Want Their 3-Ring Binder Back - Episode 381

    The '90s called again, and they want their 3-ring binder back. In Part 4 of our series, Sean and Amy explore: Why documenting a strategy isn't the same as creating aligned action How churches sometimes use planning to avoid significant change The difference between treating symptoms vs. solving root problems What true organizational alignment looks like and why it matters Practical steps for moving from documentation to implementation Plus, they discuss how to assess whether your teams are truly aligned, share real examples of effective and ineffective alignment and provide guidance for leaders who want to create living, active ministry plans that drive results instead of static documents that collect dust.   This Episode is Brought to You By Planning Center: Planning Center is an all-in-one toolkit to organize and run your ministries. And what is a ministry without volunteers? Planning Center helps you build a sustainable and balanced volunteer schedule that aligns ministry needs with people’s availability. Then, you can connect with your team using chat, where you can coordinate ministry details, make announcements, and engage in fun conversations with your teammates. Get started for free at planningcenter.com.

    18 min

  8. JAN 22

    The 90's Called... They Want Their Core Values Back - Episode 380

    The '90s called, and they want their core values back. In Part 3 of our series, Sean and Amy discuss how churches can move beyond generic “permission to play” values to define authentic, culture-shaping behaviors that drive real organizational change. They cover: Why traditional church core values often end up as meaningless wall art The difference between “permission to play” values and true culture-shaping behaviors How to identify and define values that reflect who you actually are (not who you wish to be) Practical steps for embedding these behaviors into hiring, firing and performance management Why senior leaders must model the behaviors they want to see in their culture Plus, they explain why values should be tangible and observable, share real examples of effective culture-shaping behaviors and provide guidance for leaders who want to intentionally shape their organizational culture through clear behavioral expectations. This Episode Is Brought to You by PlainJoe: Unleash the power of your church’s story with PlainJoe, a Storyland Studio! Their creative, fun-loving team of designers, architects, and specialists will come alongside your church to help you excel in your storytelling—and reach the people who need you most. PlainJoe has expertise in strategic, spatial, and digital storytelling, from brand development to architecture, website design, and beyond. Learn more at plainjoe.net. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

    24 min
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4.7
out of 5
150 Ratings

About

With THE UNSTUCK CHURCH PODCAST, we invite you into the real-time conversations our team is having about church leadership every week. Hosted by Amy Anderson, this podcast explores common challenges in ministry and practical steps for tackling them. It’s like getting to be a fly on the wall of our staff meetings. Tune in weekly for: Insights, observations and trends for church leaders from the Unstuck team. Benchmarks in church growth and health from The Unstuck Group’s work serving hundreds churches across North America each year. Practical advice to help you lead your church towards sustained health. We think that after listening to The Unstuck Church Podcast, you’ll want to start these discussions with your own team at your next staff meeting. Add your thoughts to the conversation on social media using #unstuckchurch.

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