Episodes

The topic of soul care is often surrounded by confusion or suspicion by hard-driving leaders. Ben Cachairis helps us see this from a senior leader’s eyes, with the hope of integration and flourishing ministry. GUEST: Ben Cachiaris, Lead Pastor of Mountain Christian Church HOST: Mindy Caliguire, Director of Healthy Leaders NEXT

If you’re passionate about the intersection of faith, community, and generational shifts, this episode is your compass for navigating these uncharted waters. Join Aaron Barnett & Hannah Gronowski Barnett as […]

Older paradigms of student ministry were focused on centralized expressions that required the next generation to be good inviters. Gen Z believers are hungry for more. They recognize they’re living in a fully post-Christian world and longing for equipping that will empower them to be effective disciplemakers in their schools and within their friend groups. Zero Hour Ministries is discovering and leaning into this in Kansas City. With a vision to see all 88 metro high schools saturated with the g...

How is you church stepping into the gap? The gap between your church and your community won’t just close itself. It requires a change in mindset. In this podcast, Gabe […]

In this episode, we will discuss the importance of parents and their role within the Next Generation and the church. As Next Gen leaders, it’s vitally important to have a strategy within the church for parents to integrate themselves with the lives of their children. Sam McDowell shares the importance of the parental role within the Next Generation and what the church can do to equip parents with the tools and resources to come along side of every young person within the church’s community. Gue...

All In Ministries International wants to mobilize an army of women to make disciples and impact communities around the world. In this episode, Susan Freese, Founder and President, shares her heart for training disciplemakers in developing and under-resourced parts of the world… and the reason one African leader commented, “You have awakened a sleeping giant.” By mobilizing women around the world, Susan is truly seeing lives and communities changed for Christ. Join us for this fascinating interv...

We listened. We learned. The second finding from our “Listening Tour,” the Future is About Integration, is explored further with Cheyanne Skeldon, a leading voice in Next Gen ministry, technology […]

Hugh Halter and his family have been involved in forming and leading microchurch networks for the last three decades. They’ve wrestled with every question you can imagine. The one question that matters the most is, “What about our kids?” Not surprisingly, most people who have explored the microchurch paradigm are asking the same question. Hugh shares a bit of the Halter family story and briefly shares the four rhythms that have led their family. Guest: Hugh Halter, Co-Founder of Brave Cities Ho...

Many pastors know that their church should be impacting the marketplace – they just don’t know how to do it. In this podcast, Dave Rhodes interviews Kingdom Dreams Initiative Founder […]

We have been given the wildly important responsibility of walking alongside young people as they make this transition from childhood to adulthood; a transition we know often results in young people abandoning their faith – or at least their commitment to a spiritual community. In this episode, we welcome Willow Creek Online Campus and Next Gen Leader Faith Schiller onto the podcast to share the unique strategy she is helping her church and churches across the country utilize to effectively disci...

What are some of the most innovative ideas for the future church? In this episode, Jon Wiest, Director of Innovation NEXT, shares the rationale and importance of innovation for the future church and how Leadership Network is investing in the type of ministries and projects that historians will one day conclude were critical to the success of the post-COVID church in the U.S. Also included in this episode is a behind the scenes look at the Church Innovation Trade Show as well as three great reso...

We listened. We learned. The first finding from our “Listening Tour,” the Inflection Point, is explored further with Stephan Tchividjian, who leads National Christian Foundation in South Florida and is […]

Join Leadership Network’s Microchurch Next directors Rob Wegner and Brian Johnson, with guest Doug Paul from Catapult, for Part 2 of “State of the Microchurch in the West.” Over the course of three gatherings in 2022 hosted by Leadership Network, microchurch networks from across the US gathered to explore three questions, “How did we get here? Where are we currently? Where are we headed?” In Part 2 of this 2-part series, Rob, Brian, and Doug will address the barriers to success and sustainabilit...

In this podcast Dave Rhodes and Shane Stacey interview David Loveless. Together they talk through issues of vision and relational disciplemaking and how these can cause even pastors and leaders with the best of intentions to inadvertantly sabotage their ministries right in the middle of its greatest growth. Guest: David Loveless, Executive Director of Campuses & Leadership Development at First Baptist Church Orlando Host: Dave Rhodes, Director of Church NEXT

Wherever community exists, there are churches. Some of the largest churches on the planet are in Korea. Some of the smallest are in India. Whether big or small, we see God moving in these unique expressions globally. But what of digital communities? Are digital communities worthy of a church? Let’s ask Mark Lutz, church planter and lead pastor of LUX Digital Church and learn how churches can operate inside these digital communities. Guest: Mark Lutz, Church Planter, Lux Digital Church Host: Jef...

The next generation is searching for a place to belong. Our culture is offering them communities, networks, clubs, and more, but the Church offers the best answer. What if we as Church leaders created spaces for the next generation to feel seen, valued, and cared for? On this episode, Generation NEXT Directors Aaron and Hannah Barnett share their hearts to see the Next Generation find belonging in the Church and cast vision for Leadership Network’s brand new resource for young leaders: The Belon...

We have all been commissioned by God to make disciples. Many others have been called to plant new churches. But what would it look like to see an entire city transformed? In this episode, Hugh Halter, founder of Brave Cities, shares how to build kingdom ecosystems and a new way of being the Church. A kingdom ecosystem describes an interconnected and interdependent network of missionary disciples who band together to incubate good works in a specific local context. These good works include new bu...

Are you a jet-fuel-drinker or a candle-lighter? Either way, there’s inspiration and help for you as Soul Care’s first ever podcast launches at LN with a series on what we are hearing from leaders about the current state of soul care in their own lives and in their organizations. You’ll get our Top 4 Learnings from our Listening Tour—and our roadmap for hearing from real-life leaders like you in the rest of the series. Please join the conversation and let us know: what does soul care look like f...

Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ve recently seen Artificial Intelligence take the world by storm. Bing’s ChatGPT, and Google’s Bard, are bringing artificial intelligence to the forefront publicly. But, what is the church supposed to do with this technology. Is AI to be trusted? Are there ulterior motives? We’re bringing Kenny Jahng from aiforchurchleaders.com into this conversation as we explore the philosophical and the practical surrounding artificial intelligence and its relations...

Join Leadership Network’s Microchurch Next directors Rob Wegner and Brian Johnson, with guest Doug Paul from Catapult, for Part 1 of “State of the Microchurch in the West.” Over the course of three gatherings in 2022 hosted by Leadership Network, microchurch networks from across the US gathered to explore three questions, “How did we get here? Where are we currently? Where are we headed?” In Part 1 of this 2-part series, Rob, Brian, and Doug will primarily explore the answers discovered to the f...

It’s easy as a leader to be swayed by silver-bullet promises as you think through what’s next for your church. In this podcast Dave Rhodes and Shane Stacey talk through the problem behind the problem many of us are trying to solve. Instead of offering a silver-bullet solution, Dave and Shane will prompt you into a different way of thinking about where your church is and what might come next. Guest: Shane Stacey, Co-Founder of Clarity House Host: Dave Rhodes, Director of Church NEXT

Pastor, respect your physical church service enough to not broadcast it live. But that doesn’t mean your church should abandon digital. Instead, there are many, many other strategies that your church should be doing digitally. Take Tyler Sansom, lead pastor of Church Anywhere/First Capital Christian. Their medium-sized church has an incredible, well-developed digital strategy that’s reaching people both locally and globally. Maybe the best part: it’s utilizing volunteers. Check out this podcast ...

AltspaceVR is dead. Well, not quite yet, but as of March 10, 2023, Microsoft will be sunsetting their social VR platform AltspaceVR. Of all social VR platforms, AltVR had the most churches. Where are these churches going? And how is Microsoft closing actually a good thing for the Church in the social VR space? We’re talking to three virtual reality pastors who are homeless now thanks to Microsoft! Where are they going? What’s next? Jump on this Leadership Network podcast and let’s find out. Gue...

Are you struggling with keeping young adults in your programs? Are you feeling tired from trying new methods to reach young leaders today? This show is packed with great insight and wisdom on how to reach and engage the next generation by empowering their voice. The next generation, besides being “builders,” loves investing their voice where it matters most. Kels Johnson will talk about how to engage, pastor, and equip the next generation for the Kingdom by positioning them for maximum impact a...