Daniel Im
Avoiding Being a Leadership Chameleon
About The Episode
“Church growth isn’t what’s propelling us forward—it’s the Great Commission.” Meet Daniel Im, pastor, Bible teacher, writer, and podcast host with a passion for the local church. In this episode, Sean and Daniel explore the delicate balance between pastoral care and visionary leadership, emphasizing the importance of maintaining both to avoid becoming stagnant. Daniel shares his insights on the evolving dynamics of discipleship and evangelism, arguing for a reliance on the Holy Spirit’s work in sparking interest in the things of God.
Welcome to Episode 109 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.
Insights from Daniel
Balancing Vision and Care:
Leading effectively in ministry requires a balance between maintaining a forward-looking vision and providing pastoral care. Leaders must drive the mission forward while ensuring they care for their congregation.
Mission vs. Growth:
The primary motivation for church activities should be the Great Commission, not just church growth. Focusing solely on growth can lead to complacency and irrelevance.
Managing and Shepherding: Ministry involves both management and shepherding. Leaders must manage logistical aspects like events and schedules while also providing emotional and spiritual support to their members.
Seasons of Leadership:
Different seasons require different leadership approaches. For instance, during crises, a church may need more pastoral care, while in stable times, a more visionary approach may be needed.
Maintaining Margin:
Leaders must protect their personal and family time, even during demanding seasons. Without margin, leaders risk burnout and are less effective in their roles.
Holy Spirit’s Role in Generating Interest:
The Holy Spirit, not human effort, stirs interest in spirituality and God. Leaders should trust in the Holy Spirit’s work and focus on planting and watering seeds of faith.
Discipleship Metrics:
Effective discipleship involves more than just attendance metrics. Churches should focus on leading indicators like active engagement in gathering, growing, giving, and going. This holistic approach helps assess true discipleship and spiritual maturity.
Episode Links
sean@theascentleader.org
If you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition. Or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my brand new course in partnership with Carey
Who is Daniel Im?
Daniel Im is a pastor, Bible teacher, writer, and podcast host with a passion for the local church. He is the lead pastor of Beulah Alliance Church and the author of The Discipleship Opportunity, No Silver Bullets, Planting Missional Churches, and You Are What You Do: And Six Other Lies about Work, Life, and Love. He lives in Edmonton, Alberta with his wife Christina and their three children. For more information, visit danielim.com and connect with him on social media @danielsangi.
Sponsors
Thanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.
Listen to Recent Episodes
About the Host
Sean Morgan is a coach and speaker with a national reputation as a catalyst of fresh vision. His passion is to help ministries navigate obstacles and turn them into opportunities.
Throughout his career, Sean has pioneered initiatives impacting thousands of leaders across the country. He started out serving as Executive Pastor and CFO at New Life Church in northern California.
As host, Sean gives you access to amazing conversations, hard-won wisdom, and poignant insights from world-class leaders in intimate “living room” settings.
Your Host
Sean Morgan
Leaders in Living Rooms
Craft & Character
Subscribe now on your favorite podcast app
Take Your Leadership to New Heights
The Ascent equips you to lean into your God-given leadership potential.
Cohorts offer you the chance to go deeper with a small circle of peers and professional mentors so you can elevate your expertise and grow your confidence as a leader.
Learn more about upcoming cohorts by clicking below.