Author name: Emily Heaton

Ray Johnston

“The smartest leaders get the most help.” Meet Ray Johnston, Senior Pastor of Bayside Church. In today’s episode, Johnston explains the surprising secret to building momentum-and it all begins with encouragement. When we understand the types of support needed, the gaps between our “challenge level” and our “support level,” and the most effective way to share vision, we’re on our way to momentum in the church.

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Mike Hickerson & David Hibiske

Prayer—it’s not just some spiritual tool you whip out when you need it. Today, Mike Hickerson and David Hibiske talk about how skipping prayer might actually be holding you back more than you think. Starting with pastors’ own private prayer time, Mike and David break down how investing your time and even some cash into prayer can transform the heart of your church. Listen in for practical tips on bringing prayer into your community, making it accessible and meaningful for everyone.

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Joel Muddamalle

Dr. Joel Muddamalle, Director of Theology and Research at Proverbs 31 Ministries, joins us on today’s episode of the Leaders in Living Rooms podcast. Addressing the topics of pride and humility, Dr. Joel urges a theological shift in our view of success. He outlines three fundamental steps for cultivating the necessary humility as a leader: recognition, reflection, and community. Listen to today’s episode for practical advice on honest accountability and transparency in your leadership.

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Rick Burge

“If you can’t understand who you are, you’re probably misdiagnosing who other people are.” Meet Rick Burge, a dynamic leader and coach with a passion for identifying, developing, and mentoring high-capacity leaders. Rick walks through a detailed list of key characteristics for church planters wanting to build up healthy partnerships. From basic leadership competencies to tips for handling the pressure of planting, Rick guides us thoughtfully through this conversation of healthy church planting.

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Sam Chand

“You will grow only to the threshold of your pain.” Meet Sam Chand, author and leadership consultant who serves leaders worldwide as they seek personal and organizational growth. Sam expands on the topic of leadership pain in today’s episode. He asks pastors two key questions when discerning their leadership health. And while there is no such thing as “balance” in ministry, listen to Sam’s wisdom in navigating health amid “ministry spurts.”

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Ernest Smith

In 2012, my wife and I were trying to figure out where God was calling us to plant a church. Through a dinner at one of our favorite restaurants, we landed on a few things we were looking for in a city that we would move to, plant roots in and raise our family. We had this mentality that if we were going to love the people of our city, then we had to love our city. Meaning, if we hated things about our city, like the traffic, the growth, the lack of good restaurants, etc, then that would come out in our interaction with people. It would be very difficult to love the people of a city, if we hated the city.

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Guest Host, Josh Surratt

“Trust comes from relationships.” Today, you’ll be hearing a familiar voice from the podcast. We’re flipping the script on episode 100, and Sean Morgan is interviewed today by Josh Surratt, Lead Pastor at Seacoast Church. How can we learn intentional leadership development from the military? What makes it easier to follow a lead pastor and make space for high-level leaders on your team? Listen in for Sean’s perspective and wisdom for these questions.

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Mike Hickerson

“Jesus has already given us the mission, and He already tells us what heaven celebrates.” Today, Mike Hickerson leads the discussion about trends in church planting, plus key reminders to keep planters in a healthy place of leadership. Find out what planters should be obsessing over, why data is your friend, and why the “rise of ‘nones’” brings hopeful opportunity.

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Chris Fletcher

“Sometimes, you have the grace to receive a vision but not the grace to communicate it.” Meet Chris Fletcher, Lead Pastor of Manna Church in Fayetteville/Ft. Liberty. Today, we get to hear Chris’ insights on leadership transition. We’ll learn about the wisdom of ambiguity in the beginning, what changes with money and leaders as you transition, and the necessity of peer mentorship.

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Mike Hickerson & David Hibiske

“We overestimate how much energy we need to make an awesome church, and we underestimate how important it is to have a healthy marriage.” Today, we’re joined by hosts Mike Hickerson and David Hibiske in a church-planting conversation centered around the family side of a pastor. Often, in the hustle of church planting, pastors can fall into the trap of prioritizing work over family. This only ends up negatively affecting both the church and your family! Listen in for key takeaways and best practices to maintain strength in your family as you pursue ministry alongside them.

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Sean Morgan

“There are more people open to the Gospel than ever before.” Meet Sean Morgan, host of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast and Founder of The Ascent Leader. Today’s episode offers eight church trends all pastors should be aware of as we enter 2024. Sean’s insight not only points to these specific trends but also to what they mean for your church and your leadership. How do we lead with courage as we see fertile soil trend upward?

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Andy Wood & Mike Hickerson

“The thing I’m after is an exemplary life.” Meet Andy Wood, Senior Pastor of Saddleback Church. In an open and honest interview, Andy encourages and challenges church planters to lead with humility and courage in the various seasons of church planting. With insights into leading alongside a spouse, filling big shoes, and the general identity challenges of pastoring, lean in today for wisdom in your church-planting leadership.

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Brady Boyd

“Our enemy hates that we’re taking days of rest.” Meet Brady Boyd, Senior Pastor of New Life Church. Today’s episode is a reminder of the crucial ways Sabbath rest refuels a pastor’s soul. On a weekly basis, pastors carry an emotional and often traumatic weight as they shepherd their congregations. Today, Pastor Brady encourages all leaders to incorporate healthy rhythms that will make space for pastors to be able to sustain a ministry for the long haul.

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