Blog

LILR 158 | Ben Cachiaras on the Currency of Trust in Leadership

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Ben Cachiaras, Lead Pastor of Mountain Christian Church, to explore the evolving landscape of church leadership, multi-site strategy, and disciple-making in today’s cultural context. Ben shares insights from nearly 30 years of ministry, including lessons learned from launching multiple campuses and cultivating both church planting and multi-site expressions of ministry. Together, they discuss the growing need for leadership development pipelines, the critical role of trust in healthy organizations, and the importance of clarity around mission and identity in a politically polarized culture. Ben also highlights Mountain Christian Church’s innovative community center model, demonstrating how holistic ministry can build trust within neighborhoods and create meaningful pathways for gospel impact.

Dave Ferguson on Staying Healthy to Lead a Multiplying Movement

In this episode, David Hibiske sits down with Dave Ferguson to explore the heart behind multiplication and movement leadership. Dave shares insights from his journey planting Community Christian Church, transitioning leadership to an apprentice, and helping catalyze church planting movements through Exponential. Drawing from themes in his book Multiply, the conversation challenges leaders to invest deeply in others, prioritize multiplication, and remain focused on reaching communities with the message of Jesus. This episode offers practical encouragement for church planters seeking to go further, faster in their calling.

LILR 157 | Mike Foster on Navigating Away from Comfort in Leadership

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan welcomes back Mike Foster for a candid conversation about clarity, friction, leadership growth, and unlocking high performance. Mike unpacks why awareness alone isn’t enough, how leaders unintentionally create comfort zones that stall momentum, and why friction is essential for turning potential energy into kinetic energy. From navigating difficult conversations and team misalignment to understanding core motivation through The Seven Primal Questions, this conversation challenges leaders to embrace truth, sharpen communication, and build cultures where people thrive.

LILR 156 | HTB’s Sarah Jackson on Developing UK Leaders for 1,000 Church Plants

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Sarah Jackson of Holy Trinity Brompton (HTB) to explore church revitalization inside the Church of England, raising diverse leadership pipelines, and what many are calling a “silent revival” among young people in the UK. Sarah shares her personal story of coming to faith at 13 through Alpha, the bold vision behind HTB’s Church Revitalisation Trust, and the urgent mission to reverse church decline by planting and revitalizing 1,000 churches. From developing “Peter” and “Caleb” leadership streams to stories of university students encountering Jesus through dreams and social media, this conversation is both strategic and deeply spiritual, reminding leaders that while systems matter, revival ultimately belongs to the Holy Spirit.

Brad Lomenick on Trends Shaping Your Church, Staff, and Teams

In this episode of The Unfair Advantage, David Hibiske sits down with Brad Lomenick for a wide-ranging conversation on calling, assignment, generational leadership trends, and the competitive edge church planters already possess. Brad unpacks the critical difference between calling (the directional current of your life) and assignment (the season you’re stewarding right now), challenges leaders to build multi-generational teams, and offers practical insight on navigating today’s “short-term free agent” workforce mindset.

LILR 155 | Bob Goff on Leadership from New Perspectives

In today’s episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Bob Goff for a candid and refreshing conversation about leadership, identity, and returning to your “first love.” Bob unpacks the subtle ways leaders can drift into isolation—viewing people as projects rather than relationships—and shares practical, courageous ways to reset. From quitting his own law firm to encouraging teams to submit annual “mass resignations,” Bob challenges leaders to reapply for the job that is truly them. The conversation also explores his newest project, A Journey with Jesus, filmed in the Holy Land, designed to create safe spaces for honest conversations about faith. With humor, depth, and humility, Bob reminds leaders that we’re not chasing efficiency—we’re pursuing faithfulness.

LILR 154 | Nicky Gumbel on Developing Leaders and Church Health

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Nicky Gumbel to discuss the global acceleration of Alpha, leadership succession, church planting, and the essential role of spiritual leadership in the church today. As Alpha approaches its 50th anniversary and looks toward the 2033 vision—the 2,000-year anniversary of Jesus’ death and resurrection—Nicky shares how new, fully contextualized film series in Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, and African languages are expanding Alpha’s reach worldwide. He reflects on handing leadership to the next generation, the power of church planting to create healthy growth, and why pastors must resist being defined by business models rather than by spiritual leadership.

John Mark Redwine on Reminders and Rhythms to Persevere & Not Quit

In this episode of The Unfair Advantage, John Mark Redwine shares an honest, decade-long look at the realities of church planting—marked by calling, perseverance, heartbreak, and healing. From planting in the spiritually resistant city of Asheville to navigating postpartum depression, family illness, leadership conflict, COVID, and even a devastating hurricane, John Mark reflects on what it takes to stay faithful when quitting feels easier. Through personal stories, spiritual practices, and hard-earned wisdom, he offers hope-filled encouragement for leaders who feel weary, reminding them that calling, healing, and sustainable rhythms are essential for longevity in ministry.

LILR 153 | Jeff Brodie on a Move of the Spirit at Connexus

What happens when a leader chooses obedience over comfort and creates space for the Holy Spirit to move? In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Jeff Brodie to unpack a remarkable season at Connexus Church that began with five years of quiet wrestling in prayer and culminated in a week of corporate repentance, renewal, and deep encounter with God. Without a playbook, branding strategy, or polished program, Jeff led his church into a posture of “shameless persistence” (Luke 11), creating space for confession, freedom, and the work of the Holy Spirit.

LILR 152 | Carey Nieuwhof on Developing Leaders

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Carey Nieuwhof to unpack one of the most significant moments facing the Church today: a rising Gen Z openness to faith paired with a looming leadership and succession crisis. Drawing from recent data, lived experience, and decades of leadership development, Carey challenges older generations to release authority sooner, create real opportunities for younger leaders, and rethink how leadership is developed—not just trained. The conversation also tackles under-discussed trends, including the quiet disengagement of women from church life, the creator economy’s impact on ministry, and what it truly means to build organizations that grow beyond their founders.

Chris Goulard on Navigating Personal Finances as a Pastor

In this episode of The Unfair Advantage, David Hibiske sits down with Chris Goulard to tackle a topic many pastors and church planters quietly struggle with: personal finances. Drawing from decades of experience in both Wall Street and church ministry, Chris shares why financial stewardship is not just a practical necessity but a pastoral responsibility. Together, they explore the unique financial realities pastors face, from housing allowance and Social Security decisions to retirement planning and budgeting, while emphasizing the importance of theological clarity, discipline, and long-term vision. This conversation offers pastors practical wisdom to care for their families well today while preparing responsibly for the future.

LILR 151 | Randy Frazee and Jonathan Hansen on the Westside Church Succession

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, host Sean Morgan sits down with Randy Frazee and Jonathan Hansen for an honest, in-the-middle conversation about church leadership succession. Drawing from their shared experience at Westside Family Church, Randy and Jonathan reflect on what makes succession healthy, why intentional overlap and trust matter, and how culture, governance, humility, and love shape long-term success. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the real tensions, decisions, and relational work required when leadership changes hands and why succession is not the end of leadership, but its fulfillment.

LILR 150 | Warren Bird and Jim Tomberlin on Why Multisite is Back and Booming

As the church enters a new season of ministry in 2026, this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms invites leaders to re-examine what they think they know about multisite ministry. Sean Morgan is joined by Warren Bird and Jim Tomberlin to explore how the multisite movement has quietly shifted from simple replication into a multiplying, movement-driven model focused on discipleship, innovation, and the Great Commission. Together, they unpack common critiques of multisite churches, highlight emerging “pacesetter” churches shaping the future, and preview an ambitious national research project designed to equip churches navigating growth, complexity, and mission at scale.

Aaron Brockett on Burnout, Growth, and Mission

In this episode, David Hibiske sits down with Aaron Brockett, Lead Pastor of Traders Point Christian Church. Aaron shares his leadership journey from parachute-drop church planting to long-term pastoral ministry through succession. Aaron reflects honestly on the challenges of early church planting, burnout, and the refining work God does through pain, humility, and endurance. He discusses discovering his leadership and preaching voice over time, the importance of self-awareness and team leadership, and how longevity in one place shapes both credibility and calling. The conversation also highlights Traders Point’s deep partnership with Missions of Hope International and offers encouragement to church planters navigating resistance, revival, and faithfulness in today’s ministry landscape.

LILR 149 | Jonathan Moynihan on Wrestling Personal Ambition

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Jonathan Moynihan, Lead Pastor of Mosaic Christian Church in Baltimore, to explore a leadership journey shaped more by formation than ambition. Jonathan shares how what he once assumed was a call to church planting unexpectedly became a rapid succession into the lead pastor role—after years of hidden preparation, inner work, and confronting unhealthy ambition. Together, Sean and Jonathan unpack themes of calling versus opportunity, the dangers of tying worth to performance, and how silence, solitude, and failure became essential tools God used to form Jonathan into a healthier, more grounded leader. This honest conversation offers a rare look at the interior life of leadership, reminding pastors that God’s primary work is often deeper than visible success.

LILR 148 | Tom Mercer on Leading from 100 to 8,000 Through Personal Evangelism

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with longtime pastor and Oikos Movement founder Tom Mercer to unpack nearly four decades of ministry leadership at High Desert Church and the relational principles that shaped a church of 8,000 in rural Southern California. Tom shares candid stories about longevity, accountability, team chemistry, leadership development, and how the Oikos principle, reaching the world through the natural relationships God has already placed around us, became the backbone of High Desert Church’s growth. From navigating criticism and facility challenges to building a healthy staff culture grounded in prayer and friendship, Tom offers practical, grounded wisdom for leaders pursuing disciple-making and sustainable ministry.

Frank Bealer on Developing a Culture of Generosity in Your Church

In this episode, David Hibiske sits down with Frank Bealer, CEO of Generis and former Elevation Church leader, to talk about the discipleship-driven approach to generosity every church planter needs. Frank unpacks why pastors must stop “being weird about money,” how to build a healthy, biblical culture of giving from day one, and the practical rhythms that shape generosity year-round. From teaching frameworks to meeting with top givers, Frank offers clear, actionable guidance to help church planters lead confidently in one of the most essential (and often uncomfortable) areas of ministry.

LILR 147 | Justin Kendrick, Vox Multisite Church, and Leading with Humility

In this episode, Sean sits down with Justin Kendrick, planter and pastor of Vox Church in New England, to explore the heart behind multi-site ministry, leadership development, and the surprising move of God happening across one of the least-churched regions in the U.S. Justin shares his journey from musician to church planter, the early chaos of scaling locations without systems, and the intentional shift toward forming leaders through habits of the heart rather than skills alone. He unpacks Vox’s leader-development process, the power of life-on-life discipleship, and the humbling lessons learned along the way. Their conversation offers a rare and honest look at building a movement while staying grounded in accountability, character, and focus.

LILR 146 | Dan Reiland on the Lead Pastor & Executive Pastor Relationship

In this episode, Sean sits down with veteran executive pastor Dan Reiland, who served alongside John Maxwell and Kevin Myers for over four decades. Dan shares stories from his journey, from "breaking" John Maxwell’s internship to helping lead one of the largest churches in the U.S., and offers wisdom for both lead and executive pastors navigating partnership, trust, and longevity in ministry. Sean and Dan unpack the key traits of great executive pastors, the difference between equipping and developing, and the vital role prayer plays in church leadership.

Jeff Bennett on Finding & Developing Leaders

Today, David Hibiske sits down with Jeff Bennett, Executive Director of Multiply Project and Ascent Leader Church Planter Cohort coach, to unpack lessons learned from years of church planting and leader development. Jeff shares his personal journey from planting LifeBridge Church to transitioning into coaching and equipping planters nationwide. He offers wisdom on focusing less on “the what” and more on “the who,” developing leaders from within, and shifting from readiness to potential when identifying future church planters. This is a rich conversation on self-awareness, humility, and creating multiplying churches through intentional leader development.