Episodes
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You’re ready for first-time guests. You’ve planned your sermon series. You’ve prepared your message. But how do you know if it’s working? How do you evaluate your weekend experience?
Throughout the “Weekend Quality Check” series, we’ve shared some practical ways you can increase the quality of your weekend planning, preparation and execution. Now, it’s time to evaluate it.
In this episode, Sean and Amy talk through some ways to evaluate our weekends. Plus, we have another great interview to share with you from a very strategic Millennial pastor whom we love dearly: Jimmy McCloud at First Christian in Canton, Ohio.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode371.
This Episode is Sponsored by PlainJoe Studios
Unleash the power of your church’s story with PlainJoe, a Storyland Studio!
Their creative, fun-loving team of designers, architects, and specialists will come alongside your church to help you excel in your storytelling—and reach the people who need you most.
PlainJoe has expertise in strategic, spatial, and digital storytelling, from brand development to architecture, website design, and beyond. Learn more at plainjoe.net.
Join the Conversation on Social MediaWe use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
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How do you teach in a way that engages insiders without alienating the outsiders? How do you develop teachings that are relevant, relatable and truly transformational?
Sean and Amy address these questions and more in Part 3 of the “Weekend Quality Check” series.
In this episode, we dig into the core tensions pastors face in developing transformational messages that engage both insiders and outsiders, sharing practical solutions to navigate that tension while preparing messages. We also host Pastor Carlos Ortiz from Gateway Church in Austin, Texas, who shares insights about how he develops teachings that transform.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode370.
This Episode is Sponsored by PlainJoe Studios
Unleash the power of your church’s story with PlainJoe, a Storyland Studio!
Their creative, fun-loving team of designers, architects, and specialists will come alongside your church to help you excel in your storytelling—and reach the people who need you most.
PlainJoe has expertise in strategic, spatial, and digital storytelling, from brand development to architecture, website design, and beyond. Learn more at plainjoe.net.
Join the Conversation on Social MediaWe use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
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Missing episodes?
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Weekend quality is about more than creative excellence. It’s about how well you leverage that time to engage both insiders and outsiders—for people who know Jesus and people who don’t.
The sermon is a core component of any weekend experience. In this episode, Sean and Amy break down strategies for planning a sermon series that really connects with both church-goers and newcomers. Joel Thomas from North Point Ministries also joins us to share some insights and tips to help make your sermons even more impactful.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode369.
This Episode is Sponsored by Horizons Stewardship
Did you know many capable households contribute more to their favorite charity than their local church? This trend is putting a significant financial strain on churches everywhere.
That’s why Horizons and The Unstuck Group have joined forces to create “The Financial Sustainability Crisis,” a guide designed to help you tackle these ongoing financial challenges.
In this invaluable resource, you’ll discover practical strategies to:
Effectively budget and manage your financial resources
Connect your giving to your discipleship journey
Identify ways to ensure your ministry plan is fully funded
Don’t let financial challenges hold you back from realizing your God-inspired vision.
Join the Conversation on Social Media
Download "The Financial Sustainability Crisis" today at horizons.net/fundministry.If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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Weekend Quality Check (Part 1) - We’re hearing it from churches across the country: More and more people are showing up on the weekend, and it’s really encouraging.
When you have that kind of momentum, it’s easy to start coasting. It’s easy to stop noticing what needs attention, which is why now is a really good time for a quality check. Weekend quality is about more than creative excellence, though; it’s about how well you leverage that time to engage both insiders and outsiders.
So, in this series, we are going to share some practical ways you can up the quality of your weekend planning, preparation and execution—to steward the momentum if you have it or to spark it if you don’t.
In the first episode, Amy and Sean talk about common issues we see with the way churches prepare (or don’t prepare) for guests and share some solutions. We also interview Pastor Mark Johnson from The Journey in Delaware, a church we’ve served for years that sets a high bar in how they prepare for first-time guests.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode368.
This Episode is Sponsored by Horizons Stewardship
Did you know many capable households contribute more to their favorite charity than their local church? This trend is putting a significant financial strain on churches everywhere.
That’s why Horizons and The Unstuck Group have joined forces to create “The Financial Sustainability Crisis,” a guide designed to help you tackle these ongoing financial challenges.
In this invaluable resource, you’ll discover practical strategies to:
Effectively budget and manage your financial resources
Connect your giving to your discipleship journey
Identify ways to ensure your ministry plan is fully funded
Don’t let financial challenges hold you back from realizing your God-inspired vision.
Join the Conversation on Social Media
Download "The Financial Sustainability Crisis" today at horizons.net/fundministry.If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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Is the leader of your family ministry included at the leadership table?
In the final episode of our series on "What It Really Takes To Reach Young Families," we had a conversation with Christie Penner Worden. Christie is a strategic leader, speaker, preacher and writer who is passionate about discipling children and equipping churches to raise this next generation with courageous faith.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode367.
This Episode is Sponsored by Horizons Stewardship
Did you know many capable households contribute more to their favorite charity than their local church? This trend is putting a significant financial strain on churches everywhere.
That’s why Horizons and The Unstuck Group have joined forces to create “The Financial Sustainability Crisis,” a guide designed to help you tackle these ongoing financial challenges.
In this invaluable resource, you’ll discover practical strategies to:
Effectively budget and manage your financial resources
Connect your giving to your discipleship journey
Identify ways to ensure your ministry plan is fully funded
Don’t let financial challenges hold you back from realizing your God-inspired vision.
Join the Conversation on Social Media
Download "The Financial Sustainability Crisis" today at horizons.net/fundministry.If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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One thing is often overlooked when it comes to engaging kids and families—the environment. Creating compelling ministry spaces is crucial for reaching the next generation.
Justyn Smith from PlainJoe Studios has 22 years of experience in kids’ ministry. He works with some of the most innovative and creative churches in the country to develop compelling ministry spaces for children. In this episode, we invited Justyn to share what he’s learned about reaching the next generation through dynamic environments.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode366.
This Episode is Sponsored by Horizons Stewardship
Horizons Stewardship utilizes a collaborative and integrated ministry framework designed to fit each organization’s unique culture and support church and faith-based nonprofit leaders in their mission to grow disciples and fund ministry through coaching, planning, technology, and analytics.
Horizons has over three decades of experience and has developed a spiritually focused approach that consistently yields more funding for ministry and more effective disciple-making strategies. With the support of seasoned ministry strategists, proven generosity guides, and ICF-trained coaches, ministries that partner with Horizons experience, on average, a double-digit increase in giving within the first year.
Join the Conversation on Social Media
Interested in learning more? Click here.If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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Who is responsible? When kids’ attendance numbers are down, senior leaders can tend to blame the kids’ pastor.
But the truth is that the children’s pastor has very little control over creating the necessary environment for reaching young families. The church’s leadership and vision are big factors.
Before Tony Morgan’s tragic passing in early September 2024, we had recorded the remaining podcast episodes in this series on “What It Really Takes To Reach Young Families.” Tony was passionate about this topic and had so much practical wisdom to offer. We’ve decided to release the remaining episodes of this series over the next few weeks.
For Part 2, Tony and Amy had a conversation specifically about the aspects of ministry vision and leadership that are essential to the success or failure of kids’ pastors in their roles.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode365.
This Episode is Sponsored by Horizons Stewardship
Horizons Stewardship utilizes a collaborative and integrated ministry framework designed to fit each organization’s unique culture and support church and faith-based nonprofit leaders in their mission to grow disciples and fund ministry through coaching, planning, technology, and analytics.
Horizons has over three decades of experience and has developed a spiritually focused approach that consistently yields more funding for ministry and more effective disciple-making strategies. With the support of seasoned ministry strategists, proven generosity guides, and ICF-trained coaches, ministries that partner with Horizons experience, on average, a double-digit increase in giving within the first year.
Join the Conversation on Social Media
Interested in learning more? Click here.If you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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Many of you have already heard of Tony Morgan's passing on the morning of Wednesday, September 4, 2024, after suffering a heart attack two days before and battling with all his strength.
But we wanted you to hear it from our voices.
This is a tribute to the best boss we ever had, the leader who practiced what he preached, and the man who loved Jesus and His church. In this short episode, Sean, Tiffany, and Amy share the statement released by The Unstuck Group, along with some updates on the future of the podcast.
It's been an unspeakably difficult week. Thank you for all your kind words and prayers. Please continue to lift up Emily and all of Tony's kids in prayer, and the Unstuck team too.
The Morgan family has published Tony's obituary and asked us to share it with you.
We will be celebrating the life and the legacy that Tony lived on September 19th at 11:00 am Eastern at his church, North Point Community Church.
If you choose to attend, please wear anything but black clothes, because this is a celebration—celebration of the life he lived and the impact that we will continue to carry throughout our lives.If you plan to attend the service, please bring a handwritten or typed note with a memory of Tony or a description of the impact he had on your life. Notes will be displayed on a memory board at the reception following the service, and treasured forever by the family.
In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that you make a donation in support of a cause close to Tony’s heart: developing the next generation to lead unstuck churches. You can donate here to a fund established to provide scholarships for young pastors to participate in leadership training through The Unstuck Group. -
If a church is engaging young families, it’s pretty easy to see. What’s less obvious to the outside observer is all the decisions they have made to become a church that parents and kids want to attend—what it really takes.
There’s much more to it than curriculum, facilities or finding the right staff, and through this series, we are going to unpack all of what goes into it.
In this first episode, we explore why reaching young families needs to be a priority and the tensions we know pastors are feeling around it.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode364.
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center:
An all-in-one software to help you organize your ministries and care for your church.
With an easy-to-use platform of products, you can bring people together with event signups, room and resource reservations, automatic volunteer scheduling, and much more.
Start using it for free now at planningcenter.com.
Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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Every quarter, The Unstuck Group compiles all the data we’ve collected to monitor trends in churches in the United States.
In this episode, Amy and I discuss findings from the Q3 2024 Unstuck Church Report and take a targeted look at key differences between growing churches and churches that are plateauing or declining.
You can subscribe to receive the quarterly report for free, or if you're subscribed to the podcast show notes, we'll send it out to you for free, as well.
This Episode is Sponsored by Horizons Stewardship
Horizons Stewardship utilizes a collaborative and integrated ministry framework designed to fit each organization’s unique culture and support church and faith-based nonprofit leaders in their mission to grow disciples and fund ministry through coaching, planning, technology, and analytics.
Horizons has over three decades of experience and has developed a spiritually focused approach that consistently yields more funding for ministry and more effective disciple-making strategies. With the support of seasoned ministry strategists, proven generosity guides, and ICF-trained coaches, ministries that partner with Horizons experience, on average, a double-digit increase in giving within the first year.
Interested in learning more? Click here.For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode363.
Join the Live Conversation on Social Media
If you're listening on Wednesday, when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on Twitter/X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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Organizational health impacts the overall health of churches.
When there are gaps in strengths, trust and accountability in staff teams, stuckness soon follows.
Here at The Unstuck Group, we've found an effective way for our team to identify their strengths and close gaps in their leadership through Working Genius by The Table Group.
In this BONUS episode, Tony Morgan interviews Beau Johnson from The Table Group about the importance of organizational health in churches and how Working Genius offers solutions.
This episode is brought to you by The Six Types of Working Genius:
Working Genius is the fastest way to increase productivity, improve morale, and decrease turnover on your team. It takes ten minutes to discover the work that gives you joy and energy, and the work that is leading to staff burnout.
Take the assessment. Discuss your results. Engage the geniuses of the people around you.Get started today: Use code UNSTUCKWG for 20% off at workinggenius.com.
Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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Our data consistently contradicts the broader trends of declining religious affiliation and church engagement in our country.
In fact, we personally know many churches that are experiencing major momentum right now—in terms of attendance, engagement, professions of faith, giving and all kinds of metrics of church health.
Clearly, there’s something different about the churches that are part of our tribe. So, in the final episode of the series, we’re going to share a few other things that make a church unstuck—more things those churches have in common.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode362.
This episode is brought to you by The Six Types of Working Genius:
Working Genius is the fastest way to increase productivity, improve morale, and decrease turnover on your team. It takes ten minutes to discover the work that gives you joy and energy, and the work that is leading to staff burnout.
Take the assessment. Discuss your results. Engage the geniuses of the people around you.Get started today: Use code UNSTUCKWG for 20% off at workinggenius.com.
Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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People are often surprised when they read our reports for the first time.
Our data shows contradictory trends to much of what we read in general research.
For example, in our most recent edition of The Unstuck Church Report, the average year-over-year attendance increase was 17%. There’s clearly something different about the churches engaging with our surveys. Despite the headlines, we know 100s of churches that are NOT in decline.
So, are U.S. churches stuck or unstuck? Over the next two episodes, we’re going to try to explain what’s so different about unstuck churches—based on real-life examples—and give you some practical ways to make sense of the things contributing to church growth or decline.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode361.
This episode is brought to you by The Six Types of Working Genius:
Working Genius is the fastest way to increase productivity, improve morale, and decrease turnover on your team. It takes ten minutes to discover the work that gives you joy and energy, and the work that is leading to staff burnout.
Take the assessment. Discuss your results. Engage the geniuses of the people around you.Get started today: Use code UNSTUCKWG for 20% off at workinggenius.com.
Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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New data, same headlines. The surveys and studies always seem to repeat the same refrain: Church attendance is in decline. Religious participation is phasing out of American life.
Except…our data shows the opposite. In our most recent edition of The Unstuck Church Report, the average year-over-year attendance increase was 17% across churches of all sizes. There’s clearly something different about the churches engaging with our surveys.In this series, we’re going to try to explain what’s so different about unstuck churches and give you some practical ways to make sense of the things contributing to church growth or decline.
We have our own data and observations from the work we do that we will share in the next two episodes, but we wanted to start out with an exploration of recent data and trends from an authority on religion in American life. So, we invited Alan Cooperman from Pew Research Center to join us for a conversation about the broader trends happening in the U.S.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode360.
This episode is brought to you by The Six Types of Working Genius:
Working Genius is the fastest way to increase productivity, improve morale, and decrease turnover on your team. It takes ten minutes to discover the work that gives you joy and energy, and the work that is leading to staff burnout.
Take the assessment. Discuss your results. Engage the geniuses of the people around you.Get started today: Use code UNSTUCKWG for 20% off at workinggenius.com.
Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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When people discover their gifts, they begin to feel more connected and fulfilled. But few churches know how to help people discover the unique wiring God has given them—and fewer still have a plan to help people leverage those gifts once discovered.
We wrap up this series on "Serving as Spiritual Formation" with an interview with Pastor Chris Hodges from Church of the Highlands to unpack the success they've had with "Growth Track," which has inspired thousands of churches across the country, and the overall importance of helping people serve with their gifts as part of their spiritual formation journey.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode359.
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center:
An all-in-one software to help you organize your ministries and care for your church.
With an easy-to-use platform of products, you can bring people together with event signups, room and resource reservations, automatic volunteer scheduling, and much more.
Start using for free now at planningcenter.com.
Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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It is possible to integrate serving into your spiritual formation strategy in a practical and effective way. We’re seeing churches all across the country do it.
In recent years, churches we serve have been telling us they love The Rooted Experience.
So, in part four of this series on Serving as Spiritual Formation, Tony interviews Pastor John Thomas from Mariners Church in California about The Rooted Experience. John shares how Rooted is helping people connect to faith and the church, why it is so effective and how Mariners Church encourages people to engage in serving opportunities as part of their spiritual formation.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode358.
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center:An all-in-one software to help you organize your ministries and care for your church.
With an easy-to-use platform of products, you can bring people together with event signups, room and resource reservations, automatic volunteer scheduling, and much more.
Start using for free now at planningcenter.com.
Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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Spiritual formation is less about what we ask people to do and more about who we’re equipping people to become.
In this episode, Tony interviews Pastor Daniel Im, author of The Discipleship Opportunity: Leading a Great-Commission Church in a Post-Everything World, about the role serving has in helping people grow closer to Jesus.
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center:
An all-in-one software to help you organize your ministries and care for your church.
With an easy-to-use platform of products, you can bring people together with event signups, room and resource reservations, automatic volunteer scheduling, and much more.
Start using for free now at planningcenter.com.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode357. Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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Before the pandemic, we typically saw 45% to 50% of all adults and students serving on a volunteer team at least monthly. Our most recent data shows churches reporting only 35% are serving today.
In the first episode of this series on "Serving as Spiritual Formation," we talked about some of the most common mistakes churches make with their volunteer engagement strategy that are contributing to that shortage of volunteers. But in this second episode, we’re going to look at the structural mistakes churches make that lead to low volunteer engagement.
Tony and Amy talk about the structure of churches that engage the most volunteers in serving roles, and specifically, how this needs to be considered a spiritual formation issue.
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center:
An all-in-one software to help you organize your ministries and care for your church.
With an easy-to-use platform of products, you can bring people together with event signups, room and resource reservations, automatic volunteer scheduling, and much more.
Start using for free now at planningcenter.com.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode356. Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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Most churches say they need more volunteers. But answer this honestly: What is your theology of serving? How well is your church discipling people to offer their spiritual gifts as part of the Great Commission?
Many churches have gotten further away from viewing serving as an integral part of spiritual formation than they’d likely admit.
In this series, Tony and Amy and special guests will share best practices on the strategy side of engaging people in serving, as well as critical elements of team-building and structure to engage more people using their gifts in the mission of your church.
In the first episode, they unpack the strategy mistakes churches are often making that inhibit a strong volunteer engagement culture.
This episode is brought to you by Planning Center:
An all-in-one software to help you organize your ministries and care for your church.
With an easy-to-use platform of products, you can bring people together with event signups, room and resource reservations, automatic volunteer scheduling, and much more.
Start using for free now at planningcenter.com.
For the full episode transcript, links mentioned during the show, and to download the Leader Conversation Guide, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode355. Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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We know from our research and conversations with clients that finding great people for the ministry staff team is very challenging right now.
As an addedumn to our series on "Staffing Wisdom for Church Leaders," we bring you this bonus interview with Tim Foot of Slingshot Group for some timely insights into church staffing in 2024.
In this conversation, Tony and Tim discuss topics like:
The positions churches are having the hardest time filling Insights into how churches find great people for their staff teams on this side of the pandemic Distinctives about churches who are attracting and retaining younger people on their teams Best practices for raising up leaders from withinLearn more about Slingshot Group
Connect with Tim Foot
Planning a Restructure?
People-problems are uniquely challenging on a ministry staff team. Leading your people through them is hard. Through our Staffing & Structure process, you can go from feeling overwhelmed by the weight of the people-problems to feeling confident in your ability to structure and lead your team for health and high performance. Learn more at theunstuckgroup.com.
Join the Conversation on Social MediaIf you're listening on Wednesday when the episode first releases, join the live conversation The Unstuck Group's team will be having on social media about this week's topic. We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X. Or you can join in on Facebook.
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