The Unstuck Church Podcast with Amy Anderson

Systems are one of those things we can be reluctant to change.  Most churches outgrow their systems without even realizing it. What worked then suddenly doesn't work now. And churches get stuck using old systems that are beyond their usefulness, all while hoping for different results. When you're in seasons of growth, you have to get more intentional about scaling up the systems that have started to break down due to growth to make your ministry sustainable.  In this episode, Amy and Sean discuss why systems function poorly for so long, what to do when you recognize key systems are broken and how to redesign systems during growth.   This Episode is Sponsored By DonorBox:  This Christmas season could be your biggest fundraising opportunity: church attendance often doubles and generosity surges. Donorbox Live Kiosk ensures you won't miss a single gift. No cash? No problem. Your congregants can tap, swipe, or use their phone to donate instantly. Automatically capture contact information, send tax receipts, and even set up recurring gifts. Join 100,000 organizations raising billions with Donorbox. Try Live Kiosk free at donorbox.org/unstuckpodcast    Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

As churches grow, one of their biggest challenges is finding the right people to add to their team. On paper, it may look like they have enough staff, but they often find themselves with a shortage of strategic leaders on their team. We're continuing our series on "Growing Church Problems" with an important topic that impacts every expanding ministry: structure and finding the right staff. In this episode, Amy and Sean talk about the structural pain points of growing churches, the tensions around staffing and practical next steps to take to address these challenges. Plus, Amy got to sit down with Jonathan Smith, lead pastor of OneChurch.to in Toronto and one of the newest members of our consulting team. Drawing from years of experience, he shares some best practices for hiring and promoting from within the congregation. This Episode is Sponsored By DonorBox:  This Christmas season could be your biggest fundraising opportunity: church attendance often doubles and generosity surges. Donorbox Live Kiosk ensures you won't miss a single gift. No cash? No problem. Your congregants can tap, swipe, or use their phone to donate instantly. Automatically capture contact information, send tax receipts, and even set up recurring gifts. Join 100,000 organizations raising billions with Donorbox. Try Live Kiosk free at donorbox.org/unstuckpodcast    Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

Church growth is exciting…until it creates problems you've never had to solve before. This is the tension of leadership: growth always brings complexity. And yet, when you're prepared, growth doesn't have to lead to burnout or stuckness. With the right decisions about space, staff, systems and strategy, you can create a sustainable path forward. We're kicking off a new series called "Growing Church Problems." We're unpacking the real, practical challenges leaders are facing, starting with: How do you make wise decisions about service times and facilities before you're boxed in? In this episode, Sean and Amy discuss the common signs you're starting to outgrow your current space, how to evaluate new service times and practical next steps to take when you're ready to make changes to your space and service times.    This Episode is Sponsored By DonorBox:  This Christmas season could be your biggest fundraising opportunity: church attendance often doubles and generosity surges. Donorbox Live Kiosk ensures you won't miss a single gift. No cash? No problem. Your congregants can tap, swipe, or use their phone to donate instantly. Automatically capture contact information, send tax receipts, and even set up recurring gifts. Join 100,000 organizations raising billions with Donorbox. Try Live Kiosk free at donorbox.org/unstuckpodcast    Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

Gen Z's interest in church is rising. Most churches want to reach the next generation, but they often lack the practical tools and strategies to make it happen. Russ Ewell from Bay Area Christian Church is helping young men and women step into leadership and faith, and he has a valuable perspective to share.   In this bonus episode, Amy had the chance to connect with Russ about Gen Z's interest in church, what's actually working to reach and develop Gen Z leaders, and how his church is engaging them to become future leaders and managers in ministry.   This Episode is Sponsored By ChurchCopy.AI There's no shortage of things happening in your church—kids, students, groups, outreaches, special events, the list goes on. Keeping communication clear across it all can be exhausting. With ChurchCopy.ai, you can turn a simple event description into a complete communication package—emails, posts, texts, and more—working together to create awareness, build anticipation, drive engagement, and provide follow-up. All organized in one place, all in your church's voice. Start free today at churchcopy.ai/unstuck.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

Many of us in ministry are responsible for leading other people. It's hard to lead others well without good management skills. Management is something that, just like any other specialty, needs to be trained and developed. But, historically, churches have not been good developers of managers. Effective manager training is crucial to building a culture of health and high performance on a church staff. Without great managers, we won't accomplish great things. In this episode, Amy and Sean discuss common mistakes churches can make when training managers, specific disciplines church leaders should implement in manager training and how to create sustainable systems for ongoing manager development.    This Episode is Sponsored By ChurchCopy.AI There's no shortage of things happening in your church—kids, students, groups, outreaches, special events, the list goes on. Keeping communication clear across it all can be exhausting. With ChurchCopy.ai, you can turn a simple event description into a complete communication package—emails, posts, texts, and more—working together to create awareness, build anticipation, drive engagement, and provide follow-up. All organized in one place, all in your church's voice. Start free today at churchcopy.ai/unstuck.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.   

When it comes to numbers and metrics, churches sometimes say things like, "Our culture has never talked about numbers; we're not a business," and "Numbers are too impersonal." This topic seems to create anxiety in church staff members. But what if numbers actually weren't the enemy? What if you could use metrics and value people simultaneously? What if you could listen to the Holy Spirit and use data to support your vision and mission? Good managers bring clarity to what the wins are for their team and for their team members. And metrics are tools for clarity.  In this episode, Amy and Sean discuss why there is pushback on using numbers and metrics, how to have a healthy approach to using measurement in ministry contexts and practical tips for introducing healthy practices to your team.   This Episode is Sponsored By ChurchCopy.AI There's no shortage of things happening in your church—kids, students, groups, outreaches, special events, the list goes on. Keeping communication clear across it all can be exhausting. With ChurchCopy.ai, you can turn a simple event description into a complete communication package—emails, posts, texts, and more—working together to create awareness, build anticipation, drive engagement, and provide follow-up. All organized in one place, all in your church's voice. Start free today at churchcopy.ai/unstuck.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.     

Being a part of the Body of Christ means we each have different roles.  If we're going to be a healthy body, we need to talk to one another, communicate with one another, watch one another's back and grow in our abilities to play the role He has placed us in. We ALL need honest feedback on what we are doing well and how we can get better. Teams that do this well are healthier and probably accomplish more, too. And that's what we want: healthy and high-performing teams, accomplishing the mission God has given us.  In this episode, Amy and Sean explore how creating a culture where feedback flows freely strengthens relationships, develops people and increases the effectiveness of our ministries.   This Episode is Sponsored By ChurchCopy.AI There's no shortage of things happening in your church—kids, students, groups, outreaches, special events, the list goes on. Keeping communication clear across it all can be exhausting. With ChurchCopy.ai, you can turn a simple event description into a complete communication package—emails, posts, texts, and more—working together to create awareness, build anticipation, drive engagement, and provide follow-up. All organized in one place, all in your church's voice. Start free today at churchcopy.ai/unstuck.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

People-oriented people are often the ones who end up in ministry. And as people-oriented people, we'll do anything to protect our relationships with our staff (or, rather, we'll avoid anything that would disrupt them). And yet, we are called to lead each person God has placed in our care. And part of leadership is management. We're starting a new series called "Management Is Not a Dirty Word," where we'll share practical tools every ministry needs to have in its tool belt to lead healthy, effective and winning teams. In this episode on leadership and management, Amy had the opportunity to sit down with Lance Witt, longtime friend of The Unstuck Group, founder of Replenish ministries and author of the book High-Impact Teams: Where Healthy Meets High Performance.   This Episode is Sponsored By ChurchCopy.AI There's no shortage of things happening in your church—kids, students, groups, outreaches, special events, the list goes on. Keeping communication clear across it all can be exhausting. With ChurchCopy.ai, you can turn a simple event description into a complete communication package—emails, posts, texts, and more—working together to create awareness, build anticipation, drive engagement, and provide follow-up. All organized in one place, all in your church's voice. Start free today at churchcopy.ai/unstuck.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

"Where did all our momentum go?" We hear this question often from the multisite churches we serve. It is so common for a multisite church to get stuck at three locations. Having three locations is amazing and exciting, but if you are continuing to grow, it can suddenly feel very frustrating if your multisite model becomes the barrier to making room for new people. In this episode, Sean and Amy break down a growth barrier that isn't discussed often: the "MultiStuck" barrier. They talk about the common tensions multisite churches feel when they get stuck at two or three campuses and start to lose momentum, and they provide solutions to break through the barrier to move toward sustained health.    This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center: Are you struggling to keep your church organized and connected? Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software that solves your administrative challenges. You can effortlessly track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules, and create easy ways for your congregation to get involved—all from a single platform. Whether you need a check-in system, event signups, or an online giving solution, Planning Center helps you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.   

Crossing the 2000 barrier isn't just about adding more seats on Sunday. This barrier represents a significant shift in how a church needs to operate. At this size, it's common to see ministry silos develop and a realization that your leadership structure needs to evolve. As the leaders of the church, you have to make some changes to your mindset and to how you lead. In this episode, Amy and Sean dig into what makes the 2000 barrier so challenging and why so many leaders feel the weight of it. They focus on helping you own your role by unpacking the mindset shifts that senior pastors, executive pastors and boards must make to lead effectively at this stage.   This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center: Are you struggling to keep your church organized and connected? Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software that solves your administrative challenges. You can effortlessly track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules, and create easy ways for your congregation to get involved—all from a single platform. Whether you need a check-in system, event signups, or an online giving solution, Planning Center helps you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.     

"I've never led a church this size before..." If you are a senior pastor, executive pastor or board member, you're not alone in thinking this. We hear church leaders say it all the time, as they wonder how they're going to break through the next growth barrier. We're continuing our series on breaking common growth barriers, specifically helping church leaders in key seats to own their roles in getting the church over that next hurdle. In this episode, Amy and Sean talk about one of the hardest barriers to break through: the 1000 barrier. If you feel stuck around the 700 or 800 attendance mark and are ready for healthy, sustained growth, this episode is for you.   This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center: Are you struggling to keep your church organized and connected? Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software that solves your administrative challenges. You can effortlessly track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules, and create easy ways for your congregation to get involved—all from a single platform. Whether you need a check-in system, event signups, or an online giving solution, Planning Center helps you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

You know the story: the numbers rise then stall. Two steps forward, one step back. Maybe your church has a history of hovering around a number—a familiar attendance line you just can't seem to cross. Or maybe a rapid growth season occurs, but eventually, something—people, systems, culture—plateaus the momentum and drifts you right back to where you started. Sound familiar? In this new series, we tackle the real reasons churches stall out and what it takes to lead past them. We'll help you push past the barrier you're facing now, and the one after that, by equipping the senior leaders of your church (lead pastor, executive pastor and board members) to own their unique roles.  In this episode, the focus is on the 200 and 500 attendance barriers. Amy and Sean are joined by Chad Hunt, who has been on our consulting team since 2015 and has helped hundreds of churches navigate these barriers, to discuss how each senior leader can be equipped to break through.   This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center: Are you struggling to keep your church organized and connected? Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software that solves your administrative challenges. You can effortlessly track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules, and create easy ways for your congregation to get involved—all from a single platform. Whether you need a check-in system, event signups, or an online giving solution, Planning Center helps you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

The newest edition of The Unstuck Church Report is here! Over the past few years, our Unstuck Church Reports have told a pretty encouraging story. On average, churches are seeing double-digit growth. In fact, if you look back at the last 13 quarters, attendance growth has landed somewhere between 13% and 30%. Incredible! But let's be honest: not every church is experiencing that kind of momentum. Some are still stuck or even losing ground. In this episode, Sean and Amy explore what sets healthy, growing churches apart by breaking  down each section of the report: reach, connection, staffing & structure, and finances.   This Episode is Sponsored by MortarStone MortarStone equips churches with actionable giving insights that drive real ministry impact. Generosity is more than numbers—it's discipleship, spiritual formation, and lasting Kingdom work. MortarStone combines powerful analytics, custom dashboards and real-time reporting to help you understand and grow your church's giving. Confidently build budgets, forecast with accuracy and make informed decisions with tools designed for ministry. Plus, you'll partner with a dedicated coach to create a tailored, data-informed strategy that supports your unique mission and goals. Learn more and get started at mortarstone.com.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.   

As followers of Jesus, we're called to reach people outside of the faith. But doing so requires a strategy—both in the church and in your personal life.  We're wrapping up our series on communication challenges for churches with a conversation about communicating with outsiders—people outside the church and outside the faith.  In this episode, Sean and Amy share some reality checks about outreach strategies. Plus, Amy catches up with Phil Taylor at PlainJoe about best practices in storytelling and branding through the lens of what connects with people outside the church.    This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center Do the visitors at your church know exactly where to go and what to do when they visit for the first time? If you're struggling to keep your church organized and connected, you need to check out Planning Center. Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software to  help you solve your church's administrative challenges. You can easily do things like track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules and create ways for your congregation to get involved—all using a single platform. If you need a check-in system, event signups or an online giving solution, Planning Center can help you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

We're getting into that busy back-to-school and ministry ramp-up season. If you have communication issues as a ministry, they will start showing up big time this time of year.  When it comes to church communication, most leaders just try to reach everyone. But the truth is, you actually have two distinct audiences: insiders and outsiders.  This week, we're talking about your communication with your insiders—your congregation.  In this episode, Amy caught up with Blue Van Dyke at Studio C. They talked about the need for churches to get better at communicating with insiders (especially at large churches where it can go so wrong) and shared practical ways it can get better.    This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center Do the visitors at your church know exactly where to go and what to do when they visit for the first time? If you're struggling to keep your church organized and connected, you need to check out Planning Center. Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software to  help you solve your church's administrative challenges. You can easily do things like track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules and create ways for your congregation to get involved—all using a single platform. If you need a check-in system, event signups or an online giving solution, Planning Center can help you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

When you think August, you think busy. For most churches, the ministry season ramps up as people return to church after the summer. It's back-to-school for families, and people are getting overloaded by communication—from the schools, teachers, doctors, teams and YOU. In this series, we're tackling three areas where we believe churches could take it up a notch and be the best-in-class organization when it comes to how you communicate with both insiders and outsiders. We're kicking off this series by talking about internal communication. If staff/team communication is a mess, it's nearly impossible to become excellent at communicating with the congregation, volunteers or people in the community. In this episode, Amy and Sean share areas where churches could improve communication with their staff.    This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center Do the visitors at your church know exactly where to go and what to do when they visit for the first time? If you're struggling to keep your church organized and connected, you need to check out Planning Center. Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software to  help you solve your church's administrative challenges. You can easily do things like track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules and create ways for your congregation to get involved—all using a single platform. If you need a check-in system, event signups or an online giving solution, Planning Center can help you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free.   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.   

This summer, we're changing things up. You're on vacation; we're on vacation. We all know how this goes. You probably have road trips, plane trips, maybe a sabbatical or some conferences to attend this month. But ministry and leadership are still happening! So this month, we are replaying the "hits" from the last six months: the best episodes. We'll be back with fresh content next week, and we know you'll be gearing up for back-to-school busyness. See you on the other side! We hope you enjoy these favorites from the first half of the year. In this episode from our "Reach & Retain Strategies" series, Noah Herrin, lead pastor of Way Church in Nashville, shares insights from the remarkable journey of growing a church plant that primarily reaches Gen Z and Millennials. Noah shares how Way Church is addressing the crisis of meaning and purpose among younger generations through intentional community building and helping people discover their unique contributions to the church's mission.   This Episode is Sponsored By: PlainJoe Do the visitors at your church know exactly where to go and what to do when they visit for the first time? If you don't already have clear, beautifully designed wayfinding graphics and signage in your building, now is the time. The creative and talented team at PlainJoe, a Storyland Studio, are experts at creating placemaking signs and wayfinding markers that will tell your church's unique story and point your people in the right direction – from the moment they arrive at your campus. Learn more at plainjoestudios.com   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram. 

This summer, we're changing things up. You're on vacation; we're on vacation. We all know how this goes. You probably have road trips, plane trips, maybe a sabbatical or some conferences to attend this month. But ministry and leadership are still happening! So this month, we are replaying the "hits" from the last six months: the best episodes. We'll be back with fresh content in August, and we know you'll be gearing up for back-to-school busyness. See you on the other side! We hope you enjoy these favorites from the first half of the year. In this episode, Amy and Sean explore a common staffing oxymoron that all too many churches face: teams that are simultaneously understaffed and overstaffed. They unpack why churches often end up with misaligned staffing, what this tension feels like for different ministry areas and practical next steps for evaluating and addressing staffing imbalances.   This Episode is Sponsored By: PlainJoe Do the visitors at your church know exactly where to go and what to do when they visit for the first time? If you don't already have clear, beautifully designed wayfinding graphics and signage in your building, now is the time. The creative and talented team at PlainJoe, a Storyland Studio, are experts at creating placemaking signs and wayfinding markers that will tell your church's unique story and point your people in the right direction – from the moment they arrive at your campus. Learn more at plainjoestudios.com   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.   

This summer, we're changing things up. You're on vacation; we're on vacation. We all know how this goes. You probably have road trips, plane trips, maybe a sabbatical or some conferences to attend this month. But ministry and leadership are still happening! So this month, we are replaying the "hits" from the last six months: the best episodes. We'll be back with fresh content in August, and we know you'll be gearing up for back-to-school busyness. See you on the other side! We hope you enjoy these favorites from the first half of the year. In this episode, Sean and Amy dive into how churches can leverage their weekend services as effective "front doors" for connecting with new people. They share insights on creating a clear guest services presence, developing intentional follow-up processes and ensuring weekend experiences connect with both churched and unchurched people.   This Episode is Sponsored By: PlainJoe Do the visitors at your church know exactly where to go and what to do when they visit for the first time? If you don't already have clear, beautifully designed wayfinding graphics and signage in your building, now is the time. The creative and talented team at PlainJoe, a Storyland Studio, are experts at creating placemaking signs and wayfinding markers that will tell your church's unique story and point your people in the right direction – from the moment they arrive at your campus. Learn more at plainjoestudios.com   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.   

This summer, we're changing things up. You're on vacation; we're on vacation. We all know how this goes. You probably have road trips, plane trips, maybe a sabbatical or some conferences to attend this month. But ministry and leadership are still happening! So this month, we are replaying the "hits" from the last six months: the best episodes. We'll be back with fresh content in August, and we know you'll be gearing up for back-to-school busyness. See you on the other side! We hope you enjoy these favorites from the first half of the year. In this episode, Sean and Amy talk about predictable people problems to be prepared for, how to get out in front of those problems, wearing both your leadership hat and your pastoral hat and resources to get people engaged.   This Episode is Sponsored By: PlainJoe Do the visitors at your church know exactly where to go and what to do when they visit for the first time? If you don't already have clear, beautifully designed wayfinding graphics and signage in your building, now is the time. The creative and talented team at PlainJoe, a Storyland Studio, are experts at creating placemaking signs and wayfinding markers that will tell your church's unique story and point your people in the right direction – from the moment they arrive at your campus. Learn more at plainjoestudios.com   Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.