Dallas Willard liked to say that busyness is a matter of calendar. Hurry, on the other hand, is a matter of soul.
All leaders are busy; they have a lot to do. No leader--especially Christian leaders--should be hurried, however. The question, then, is how to unhurry our leadership. How do we make sure that we who lead Christian congregations integrate spiritual formation and leadership?
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, George P. Wood talks with Alan Fadling about that important question.
Alan is author of An Unhurried Leader: The Lasting Fruit of Daily Influence (IVP Books, 2017), as well as founder and president of Unhurried Living. The mission of Unhurried Living is to help people rest deeper, live fuller, and lead better. He lives in Mission Viejo, California with his wife, Gem, and their three sons.
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There are over 400,000 kids in foster care in the U.S. Of those, 100,000 are ready for adoption and 20,000 age out of the system every year.
“The good news is,” says Eric Porter, “there are 348,000 churches in the U.S. We believe it’s a problem solvable. If every church gets one family to go after one kid, we kind of joke, we’ll go find some other world crisis to conquer.”
In today’s Influence Podcast, Eric Porter talks with Influence magazine senior editor about the many ways churches can minister to orphans, foster kids, and other at-risk kids. Porter is an Assemblies of God U.S. missionary and president of The Keep, a ministry that prepares “the Church to stand ready for orphans.”
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According to LifeWay Research, the average tenure of a church’s senior pastor is 3.6 years. The number may be a bit higher, or lower—researchers disagree. Regardless, all agree that ministers change jobs at some point in the course of their careers.
When ministers change jobs, it is stressful, for ministers, for their families and for their congregations. Change is difficult, after all. But the stresses of job-change can be mitigated by entering a new season of ministry with eyes open to the challenges and opportunities that lay ahead.
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, George P. Wood talks to Mike McCrary about how to navigate transitions in ministry jobs. Mike is Director of Funding for the Church Multiplication Network, a role he began in May 2017 after nearly two decades of ministry in local churches. His recent experience gives him a unique perspective on what happens when ministers change jobs.
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Today's Influence Podcast is our 100th episode. Joining Influence magazine's executive editor, George P. Wood, to celebrate are Chris Railey and John Davidson. Chris is director of Leadership and Church Development Ministries for the Assemblies of God, as well as director of Influence Resources, which includes Influence. John works with Chris as director of Discovery and Development and serves as senior editor of the magazine.
After sharing their favorite moments from the past two years of podcasting, the conversation turns to contemporary challenges facing Christian leaders, as well as books leaders should prioritize reading. The podcast ends with an invitation for listeners to attend the Influence Conference on August 7-8 in Anaheim, California.
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Tomorrow is July the Fourth, the 241st anniversary of America’s independence. In celebration of Independence Day, Influence magazine’s executive editor, George P. Wood, talked with Thomas S. Kidd about faith and the Founding Fathers.
Kidd is Distinguished Professor of History at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, as well as associate director of Baylor’s Institute for Studies of Religion. A noted historian of early American history, he is author of recently published Benjamin Franklin: The Religious Life of a Founding Father, as well as biographies of Patrick Henry and George Whitefield. He has also written God of Liberty: A Religious History of the American.
If you’re looking for an informative discussion about the role religion played in the lives of America’s Founders and the Founding Era, this podcast is a good place to start!
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Can a church really be part of a community, or can it only host community outreach events?
That’s the question Influence magazine’s senior editor, John Davidson, asks Rachel Triska in this episode of the Influence Podcast. Rachel is co-pastor and co-executive director of Life in Deep Ellum, an innovative church in the Deep Ellum arts district of Dallas, Texas. LIDE measures success with a simple question: If we were gone, would our neighbors miss us?
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John Lindell recently reached an important ministry milestone. Lindell is lead pastor of James River Church, a multisite congregation in and around Springfield, Missouri. He has led the congregation since 1991. On Sunday, June 25, he preached a sermon from the final verses in the Gospel of Mark, and in doing so, completed sermons on every book of the New Testament.
To mark this milestone, Influence magazine's executive editor George P. Wood sat down with Lindell for a conversation about expository preaching—that is, preaching through Scripture in a systematic, sequential fashion. In addition to making a case for why preachers should preach expository sermons, Lindell gives practical advice about how to do so more effectively.
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This week, Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson talks to Kyle Dana about the top three mistakes pastors make when preparing for their retirement, as well as how they should prepare. Kyle is senior vice president of Retirement and Investments for AG Financial Solutions.
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People in America are increasingly divided ideologically and politically, and our public discourse reflects those divisions. Too often, however, our rhetoric becomes toxic, leading many to worry whether hateful words will result in violent deeds.
This worry came up again last week when Rep. Steve Scalise (R_LA 1st District) and several congressional staffers were shot by a man who didn’t like their politics. Few political disputes result in violence, but this incident is a good reminder to watch how we speak about others in the public square.
This week, Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood talks to Joy Qualls about how to have a constructive debate about hot-button social issues. In an increasingly pluralistic and polarized culture, this skillset is an absolute must-have for Christian leaders. Qualls is chair of the Communications Department and professor of Communication Studies at Biola University in La Mirada, California.
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In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson talks to Gerad Strong about how to do effective multisite church ministry in rural communities. Gerad is lead pastor of Bethel Assembly in Rapid City and Edgemont, South Dakota.
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In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson talks to Chris Mavity about how pastors and churches can recruit volunteers effectively. Heath is director of Ministry Development for Church Community Builder, which is an Influence Partner.
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In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood talks to Heath Adamson about three crucial outcomes for youth ministry: gospel-centered, Spirit-empowered, and personally responsible. Heath is direction of the Assemblies of God's National Youth Ministries and author of Until Al Know, which explains these outcomes in greater depth.
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Sunday, June 4, is Pentecost Sunday. According to Acts 2, this is the day Jesus Christ baptized the early church in the Holy Spirit, empowering them to become witnesses to Him throughout the world (Acts 1:8).
In this episode of the Influence Podcast, Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood talks to Jeff Leake about why every believer needs to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. Leake is pastor of Allison Park Church, a multisite church near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and author of the new book, Power for Life (Gospel Publishing House).
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. As the month draws to a close, Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood interviews Dr. Peter Scazzero about emotionally healthy relationships for this episode of the Influence Podcast.
Scazzero is founder and teaching pastor at New Life Fellowship Church in Queens, New York City as well as founder of the ministry, Emotionally Healthy Spirituality. He is author of numerous books, including the forthcoming 40-day devotional, Emotionally Healthy Relationships Day by Day.
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Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson talks to Nick Wiersma about how churches can respond to disasters in today's Influence Podcast. Nick Wiersma is senior director of Disaster Engagement at Convoy of Hope, which is a "a faith-based, nonprofit organization with a driving passion to feed the world through children’s feeding initiatives, community outreaches and disaster response."
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Today’s Influence podcast features a conversation about how your church can more effectively train volunteers and leaders. Your host is John Davidson, senior editor of Influence magazine. His guest is Daniel Im, founder and director of Church Multiplication for NewChurches.com, as well as teaching pastor at The Fellowship, a multisite church in Nashville, Tennessee.
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Today’s Influence podcast features a conversation about how your church can respond well when your community experiences a crisis. Your host is John Davidson, senior editor of Influence magazine. His guest is Walter Harvey, pastor of Parklawn Assembly of God in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and vice president of the National Black Fellowship of the Assemblies of God.
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Today’s Influence Podcast features a conversation about worship ministry pet peeves between Influence magazine’s executive editor George P. Wood and Kristi Northup, a singer-songwriter and the worship leader at Saints Community Church in New Orleans, Louisiana.
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Today’s Influence podcast features a conversation about how to maximize your church’s space between Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson and Randall Coy of Visioneering Studios, Inc., which is an Influence Partner.
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Today’s Influence podcast features a conversation about how to maximize Christian influence in a post-Christian world. Influence magazine’s executive editor George P. Wood interviews Prof. Tim Muehlhoff of Biola University about his new book, Winsome Persuasion, coauthored with Richard C. Langer and forthcoming from IVP Academic.
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Today’s Influence podcast features a conversation about how to make your church safe between Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson and Bruce Stayments, associate professor of criminal justice at Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie, Texas.
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May is Mental Health Awareness Month. In today’s podcast, Influence magazine executive editor George P. Wood talks with Dr. George O. Wood — his father — about mental health and ministry. Dr. Wood is general superintendent of the Assemblies of God and chair of the World Assemblies of God Fellowship.
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Today, Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson continues his conversation about church multiplication with Patrick Grach, focusing on discovering and developing the church planters of the future. Patrick is pastor of Lifehouse Church, a multisite church in Hagerstown, Maryland.
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Today, Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson talks to Patrick Grach about how established churches can become multiplying churches. Patrick is pastor of Lifehouse Church, a multisite church in Hagerstown, Maryland.
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Today, Influence magazine senior editor John Davidson talks to Charlie Dawes about his forthcoming book, Simple Prayer (IVP Books). Charlie is associate vice president of Student Development at Southeastern University in Lakeland, Florida.
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