StrongTeams.com Podcast

Are you a leader struggling with chaos in your organization? In this insightful podcast episode, we interview Gary Harpst, New York Times bestselling author and former CEO, about overcoming organizational chaos through timeless biblical leadership principles.Gary unpacks the three types of chaos leaders face - external chaos from circumstances, social chaos from team dynamics, and internal chaos from personal struggles. He shares how the Bible depicts God creating order out of chaos, giving us a model for bringing order ourselves.You'll learn Gary's fascinating perspective that all believers are called to biblical leadership to steward their spheres of influence. He emphasizes the necessity of building relational capital by embracing team diversity and differences by design.Gary also outlines his powerful "three-layer pyramid" distinguishing between what we can humanly provide (meeting needs, caring for others) versus what only Jesus can ultimately do (give new identity and purpose). Throughout the conversation, Gary compellingly argues for integrating faith principles into the workplace domain to fully unleash the power of the gospel in people's lives.You can read my article compilation of Gary's insights here: Read the ArticleWhether you lead a business, ministry, family or just yourself, this episode will equip you with a biblical framework for overcoming chaos and creating order that brings glory to God.Subscribe for more interviews on integrating biblical truth and leadership!Keywords: Biblical Leadership, Overcoming Chaos, Organizational Leadership, Leadership Principles, Faith and Work Integration, Leading Teams, Christian Workplace, Creating OrderHost: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

In our digital age, the way people consume content has radically shifted. Yet many churches still deliver monologue-style sermons designed for a reality that no longer exists.I recently interviewed David Murrow, an online preaching coach, who argues: "Preaching stopped working 20 years ago." As audiences migrated to social media and bite-sized videos, the traditional sermon format has struggled to capture attention.Murrow's fascinating proposed solution? A "hybrid preaching" model that blends shareable video segments into live services, mirroring how Jesus communicated profound truths through 38-second parables and object lessons.While acknowledging concerns about online content undermining in-person community, Murrow provides thought-provoking perspectives on adapting the timeless gospel through new mediums and formats, just as the church has done throughout history.Whether you're a pastor, church leader, or Christian wondering how to most effectively share your faith today, you won't want to miss Murrow's insights.Read Executive Summary: https://bit.ly/3VruFcUHost: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

If you've ever struggled to connect your faith to your work or felt like your job was just a necessary evil, this episode is for you! Join me as I explore the powerful biblical truth that ALL work is sacred and eternally significant to God.I recently interviewed Jordan Raynor about his paradigm-shifting book "The Sacredness of Secular Work" and it completely transformed my perspective on faith and career. In this episode, I unpack some of the key ideas and share how our everyday work - no matter how mundane it may seem - is a vital way we worship God, love our neighbors, and participate in his redemptive mission.You'll discover:Why an "abridged gospel" that only focuses on personal salvation is hindering our witness in the workplaceHow pursuing excellence and integrity in our jobs is one of our greatest opportunities for evangelismWhat it looks like to steward our talents and cultivate the world in a way that reflects the image of our CreatorPractical ways to connect your faith to your work and find renewed purpose in your vocationWhether you're an entrepreneur, artist, corporate executive, or stay-at-home parent, this episode will bring you immense encouragement and inspiration to step into your calling with joy!Read my blog post here: https://bit.ly/3PegWCx#FaithAndWork #TheologyOfVocation #WorkAsWorship #ChristianPodcast #IntegratingFaithAndWorkHost: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

What enables some teams to achieve incredible results under intense pressure, while others flounder? Retired Navy SEAL leader Kyle Bucket and business leader Chris Mefford have seen extraordinary teams accomplish the near impossible across military, government, nonprofit, and corporate worlds.  In this episode, Chris and Kyle decode the key practices that set elite teams apart. Drawing from experience leading special operations and guiding thriving corporate cultures, they explain the flaws in most organizations’ assumptions about leadership, motivation, and culture – and why traditional management tactics often backfire.Instead, Chris and Kyle advocate for “self-led teams” built on peer leadership, radical transparency about weaknesses, and candid feedback. They outline six practical steps any leader or manager can start taking to unlock greater alignment, innovation, ownership and fulfillment from groups. You’ll learn:• Why investing in recognition, community and purpose pays exponentially higher dividends than incentivizing individual performance• How humility and “emotional capital” from senior leaders create psychological safety for teams to take ownership• Why elite military units and thriving business teams often defer to junior members rather than the highest-ranking officers  Gain unconventional yet evidence-based insights from Chris and Kyle on how to strengthen team cohesion, agility, and fulfillment in your organization. The results can be record-breaking.Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

What separates a church that’s just getting by from one that’s thriving and making an impact in people’s lives? Strong leadership – and specifically, a strong senior leadership team. My guest on the StrongTeams.com podcast this week is Tony Morgan, founder of the Unstuck Group, an expert on team development and alignment. Tony consults with churches to help get them “unstuck” and move forward into their God-given potential and purpose. He’s worked with over 650 churches of all sizes. In this conversation, Tony and I discuss:Why singular leadership falls short and senior teams are essential, especially as a church growsCommon questions churches ask that lead them astray in building their team  The right criteria and questions to use in selecting senior team membersHow a high-functioning senior team should operate and empower those “downstream”Navigating transitions when a current team member may not be the right fit  Executive Summary: Download or Read HereThe UnStuck Group: https://theunstuckgroup.com/Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rodney Cox spoke with Dr. David “Fletch” Fletcher, founder of XPastor.org, about the vital yet often overlooked topic of strengthening integrity in church leadership. David, or Fletch as he is called by his friends, served as a pastor for 35 years in single and multisite churches ranging in size from 1,000-8,000 members. In 2003 he founded XPastor.org which has become a popular resource for leaders in today’s complex church world.You can find David Fletcher at www.xpastor.org.Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Our guest today is best-selling author and podcaster, Chris Bolinger. In addition to his duties as the co-host of the Throwing Mountains podcast, Chris is the author of the popular devotional titled, Daily Strength for Men -- which has sold over 300,000 copies. Chris’ latest devotional is, 52 Weeks of Strength for Men, which tackles topics like the one we will address today—avoiding pride.Find Chris' podcast at https://throwingmountains.com/Find Chris' books at https://52weeksofstrength.com/Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Podcast hosts Rodney Cox and Steve NeSmith discuss some of their favorite clips from the past year. Tune in to find out which clips made the list and what the hosts learned from those guest interviews.Guest clips:1. Ben Mandrell, Pres/CEO of Lifeway2. Trudy Cathy White, Chick-fil-A3. Tom Harper, CEO of BiblicalLeadership.com4.  Christina and Jim Angelakos, Co-founders of VolunteerU.org5. Mark Miller, VP Chick-fil-AHost: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rodney's podcast guest is Dr. Bob Whitesel.Bob is a sought after speaker, church health consultant and award-winning writer of 14 books on missional leadership, church change and church growth. Another area of expertise for Bob is in developing new leaders, which we will talk more about today.He has also earned two doctorates from Fuller Theological Seminary.Find Bob online at https://leadership.church/Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Our guest today is Robby Angle. Robby is the President and CEO of Trueface, a ministry based in Dawsonville, GA.  He specializes in helping churches develop leaders through relational ministry.Prior to Trueface, Robby served for seven years as the Director of Adult Ministry Environments and Men’s Groups for North Point Community Church in Atlanta, a church founded by Andy Stanley.Before North Point, he worked in professional counseling and aid work for Samaritan’s Purse, overseeing international disaster response teams. Robby has a Masters in Community Counseling from Appalachian State University and a Certificate in Biblical Studies from DallasTheological Seminary.Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Chick-fil-A executive Mark Miller makes a second appearance on this podcast. We recorded this episode with Mark at the Chick-fil-A headquarters in Atlanta.Listeners may recall that Mark's career at Chick-fil-A began 45 years ago as an hourly team member in one of the local restaurants. At the time of our interview, Mark was serving as Vice President of High-Performance Leadership at Chick-fil-A.During our interview, we learn about his latest book – a graphic novel titled, Heart of the Hero. It was interesting to hear how a graphic novel is developed, but more importantly, we learned about Chick-fil-A’s "Iceberg" leadership philosophy – something we had not talked about in our previous episode with Mark.Buy Heart of the Hero graphic novel  at https://leadeveryday.com/Find Mark at https://www.markmillerleadership.com/Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rodney's podcast guest is Chris Turner. Chris serves as Communications Director for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board. In addition to decades of work in corporate media relations and two masters degrees, he has worked in 37 countries as a magazine correspondent. Chris is also a former sportswriter. We interviewed Chris because he has done extensive research on internal communications as it relates to leadership. As a result, Chris also teaches organizational and cultural communication on the university level.Books Chris referenced:Case Studies in Courageous Organizational Communication by Alexander LyonExtreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy SEALs Lead and Win by Jocko Willink and Leif BabinForeign to Familiar by Sarah LanierIntroducing Intercultural Communication: Global Cultures and Contexts by Shuang Liu, Zala Volcic and Cindy Gallois.Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rodney's guest on this episode is Shawn Lemon, and in 2013 Shawn founded The Digital Organizer.  He shares with Rodney how organizing your assets can help ministry teams operate at a higher level.The Digital Organizer partners with businesses to create streamlined, effective, and easy-to-use digital organization systems. It's their mission to empower people with the tools they need to supercharge their productivity, so that they can get more of the right things done.Shawn has a unique ability to take complex technical concepts and make them understandable to anyone. Find Shawn at https://thedigitalorganizer.com/Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rodney's podcast guest is Dave Travis. Dave has advised large church pastors for over 30 years, facilitating focused conversations that drive change and action.Twenty-three of those years were spent with Leadership Network, where he retired as CEO in 2018.Since then, Dave has worked with dozens of churches and their leaders, helping guide them to solve sticky challenges through his role as Director of Strategic Counsel to Pastors and Church Boards at Generis. Dave has also published 11 books.Connect with Dave at https://generis.com/Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rodney's guest is Bob Hasson. Bob is an accomplished CEO, author, and podcaster.In addition to his entrepreneurial accomplishments, for decades Bob has been active as a consultant and board member for churches, ministries, nonprofits, and school boards.He has authored several books like, Business of Honor,  Wired to Hear and his most recent title, Shortcuts: The Proven Path to Purpose, Excellence and Calling.Finally, Bob co-hosts the Exploring the Marketplace Podcast, which ranks in the top 100 of all Christian podcasts weekly.You can buy his book, SHORTCUTS, at  https://bobhasson.com/Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

This episode will be invaluable for for pastors and ministry leaders. Rodney Cox interviews two experts on how to build and develop strong volunteer teams.  Jim and Christina Angelakos are a father-daughter team passionate about leadership and team building. In 2017, they co-founded Volunteer U, an online education platform to help organizations take their volunteer teams from good to great. They are the authors of several books, the newest of which is titled, VOL U 101: INTRODUCTION TO VOLUNTEERING. They also hosts the LeadershipU Podcast.Find them online at https://volunteeru.org/Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Our podcast guest is pastor, author and leadership coach, Ron Edmondson. For over 35 years, Ron has served in senior ministry leadership roles, AND for over 20 years, as a consultant & coach, he's helped thousands of leaders and organizations.  Ron served as CEO of the Leadership Network, and currently serves as lead pastor – for a second time – at the historic Immanuel Baptist Church in Lexington, KY. Finally, the Ron Edmondson Leadership Blog was ranked in the #6 Top Leadership Blogs for 2021.Find Ron online at https://ronedmondson.comHost: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Ken Harrison serves as the volunteer Chairman & CEO of Promise Keepers. He is also the CEO of WaterStone, which helps Christian donors give away $2 million weekly for God’s Kingdom. A sought after speaker and author, his latest book is titled, A Daring Faith in a Cowardly World: Live a Life Without Waste, Regret, or Anything Unfinished, which the Christian Leadership Alliance recently named as its 'Book of the Year.'Find Ken online at https://kenrharrison.com/Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rodney's guest today is Tom Harper. Tom is the publisher of BiblicalLeadership.com and Chairman of Networld Media Group. He has written multiple books, including Through Colored Glasses: How Great Leaders Reveal Reality, Leading from the Lions' Den: Leadership Principles from Every Book of the Bible, and his most recent work entitled,  Servant Leader Strong: Uniting Biblical Wisdom and High-Performance Leadership.Find Tom online at BiblicalLeadership.comHost: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.

Rodney's guest today is author, speaker and podcaster, Miranda Carls.Miranda is also a certified people and organizational development coach/consultant. While Miranda serves a wide variety of clients and organizations, she especially enjoys writing and teaching on topics related to the integration of faith and work. Her first book, The Word at Work (2022) unpacks ten biblical principles for Christian professionals. Her writing has been featured through The Gospel Coalition, Biblical Leadership, and others. On her weekly podcast, she interviews Christian business leaders and thought leaders within the faith and work movement. Find Miranda online at https://www.mirandacarls.com/Host: Rodney CoxEmail us at information@ministryinsights.comTweet us at @Insights_IntlFollow us on LinkedInFollow us on FacebookThe podcast is a production of Ministry Insights. Visit us at ministryinsights.com.© 2023 Ministry Insights International, Inc. All rights reserved.