Given what our world has experienced over the last year and a half, we sensed now might be a good time to check in and see how teams are doing. So we surveyed over 1,100 church staff members from churches across the US, Canada, and even the United Kingdom.
This week, Tony and Amy discuss their key findings from the data released in this quarter's special edition of The Unstuck Church Report. You can subscribe to the quarterly report for free, or, if you're subscribed to the podcast show notes, we send it out to you for free, as well.
For the full episode transcript, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode209.
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A healthy culture can help turbocharge your vision and make progress toward the calling that God has for your church. On the other hand, an unhealthy team culture will actually erode your vision and derail your strategy.
This week, listen in on a conversation between Tony Morgan and Lance Witt on building a healthy organizational culture, taken from our recent "Healthy & High-Performing Teams" masterclass.
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/episode208.
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The best teams are balanced teams. They aren't strong in one area and weak in another. They have an appropriate focus on both health and high-performance.
This week, Tony and Amy explain an imbalance many teams experience related to their natural strengths, why it matters, and how to fix 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/episode207.
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"On a scale of 0-10, how likely is it that you would recommend a friend or colleague to work on your church team?" You might be surprised by how the people on your staff team would answer that question.
This week, Tony and Amy are diving into what a Net Promoter Score is and how you can use it to improve the health and performance of your team.
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/episode206.
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A lot of stuck churches have stuck teams. But healthy churches need leadership teams that are both healthy and high-performing. In this new podcast series, we’ll be working through three of the signs that your team is stuck.
This week, Tony and Amy are breaking down a recurring theme in team assessment results called the Fundamental Attribution Error, and explaining the effect it has on team health, team performance, and more.
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/episode205.
Upcoming Subscriber Event
Are you a dedicated listener of our podcast? We'd love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Then Tweet, DM, or email us (jordan@theunstuckgroup.com) a screenshot of your review. We'll grab your email address and invite you to our exclusive Podcast Coffee Hour event on August 13.
We recently hosted a virtual roundtable event called RE-ENGAGE: Carrying the Mission Forward in the New Normal where pastors from across North America got together to share the successes and challenges their churches are experiencing as they begin to reopen and re-engage.
In this episode, you'll hear the replay of that roundtable conversation and gain insights in the areas of attendance, giving, serving, political division, soul care, and more.
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/episode204.
Upcoming Subscriber Event
Are you a dedicated listener of our podcast? We'd love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Then Tweet, DM, or email us (jordan@theunstuckgroup.com) a screenshot of your review. We'll grab your email address and invite you to our exclusive Podcast Coffee Hour event on August 13.
Oftentimes in the busyness of our roles, our days get filled with the things that are urgent. We spend a lot of our time trying to do all the work of ministry by ourselves. But in the end, this only serves to stunt the potential growth and impact of our church.
This week, Tony and Amy were joined by Andrea Lathrop, Executive Pastor of Leadership Development at Oaks Church, to discuss the core shifts we need to make to develop and empower our leaders to do the ministry of the church.
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/episode203.
Upcoming Subscriber Event
Are you a dedicated listener of our podcast? We'd love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Then Tweet, DM, or email us (jordan@theunstuckgroup.com) a screenshot of your review. We'll grab your email address and invite you to our exclusive Podcast Coffee Hour event on August 13.
Most churches start with the same mission: reach new people for Jesus. But over time, this mission shifts from reaching the people on the outside to appeasing the people on the inside. Once this shift occurs, the church is headed toward decline.
This week, Tony sat down with Michael Moore, the Executive Pastor at Faith Chapel and consultant at The Unstuck Group, to discuss the ways his church has fought to overcome this internal-focus tendency, and how other church leaders can do the same.
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/episode202.
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Out of the 15,000+ churches that have taken our Unstuck Church Assessment, about 85% self-assessed as being on the declining side of the lifecycle. So if you find yourself in one of these phases, you’re not alone.
This week, in the final part of our Ask This, Not That series, Tony and Amy are discussing the declining side of the lifecycle: maintenance, preservation, and life support. We’ll break down the characteristics of each of these phases, explain why churches often find themselves here, and give next steps for getting back to health.
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/episode201.
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Today, we're celebrating, because our podcast is officially 200 episodes old. They grow up so fast!
To celebrate this special occasion, Amy and I decided to take a quick pause from our current series and "pull back the curtain" of the podcast. You'll get to meet the full team of Unstuck rockstars that help us record, edit, publish, and share this podcast every single week. We'll also share our insights and takeaways for leaders who may be exploring all things digital ministry and content creation.
Upcoming Subscriber Event
Are you a dedicated listener of our podcast? We'd love for you to leave us a review on Apple Podcasts. Then Tweet, DM, or email us (jordan@theunstuckgroup.com) a screenshot of your review. We'll grab your email address and invite you to our exclusive Podcast Coffee Hour event on August 13.
For the full episode transcript, visit this episode's Show Notes at theunstuckgroup.com/episode200.
If we're winning, why would we change? Churches in sustained health are often wondering how they can preserve what's working, when they should be asking what they need to change.
In this week's episode, Tony and Amy discuss why healthy churches still need to embrace change, explain the three multiplication strategies every healthy church needs, and offer a reflection exercise for your team.
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/episode199.
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Most organizations start, grow, thrive, lose momentum, decline… and eventually end. The same is true for most churches.
In our new series, “Ask This, Not That,” we're exploring the seven phases of the church lifecycle: launch, momentum growth, strategic growth, sustained health, maintenance, preservation, and life support. This week, we'll unpack the first three phases and discuss the questions many church leaders are asking in these seasons versus the questions they should be asking.
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/episode198.
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When it comes to giving and stewardship, you need to remind people what you want for them rather than what you want from them.
In the final part of our re-engagement series, Tony sat down with Bronson Crawford, the Stewardship Director at Athens Church in Athens, Georgia. Even before Covid, they were thinking intentionally and getting creative when it comes to engaging their congregation with the topic of stewardship.
Bronson shared five strategies that he believes set their church up for sustained financial health before, during, and after the pandemic. There are two solid action steps and one key takeaway for churches that you won't want to miss.
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/episode197.
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When Covid hit, everything shifted online. Suddenly kids wired for participation and activity were stuck in front of screens Monday through Friday, then again on Sunday morning. Digital fatigue set in and every family was stretched thin. Some gave up altogether.
Now as we look toward reopening and re-engaging our churches, we're all wondering: what's the winning formula for getting kids back to church? The answer will likely require some big priority shifts. In this episode, Tony and Amy are joined by Reggie Joiner and Kristen Ivy from Orange to discuss what made kids ministry during Covid so uniquely difficult and what we can learn from it now.
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/episode196.
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The days of us turning on the “We’re open” light and waiting for people to show up for church are behind us.
Reopening and re-engaging your congregation has likely already been more challenging than expected. We need to engage our mission field and compel them to come (see Luke 14:23).
There are no real experts in this season, but churches in some parts of the country are a month or two ahead of the learning curve. In Part 2, we share Crossroads Church’s story and a few practical takeaways to help you re-engage people in weekend services.
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/episode195.
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On the other side... You’ve been waiting for this day for months. Instead of talking about how ministry strategy needs to shift because of the pandemic, you’re starting to talk about what ministry will look like on the other side of it.
But if you’re like most of the pastors we’re talking to, reopening and re-engaging your congregation has already been more challenging than expected.
There are no real experts in this season, but churches in some parts of the country are a month or two ahead of the learning curve.
So, in this NEW 4-PART SERIES, we’re sharing interviews with pastors who are leading the way in navigating the reopening challenges ahead of us all.
In Part 1, we share Quest Church’s story and a few practical takeaways to help you re-engage people in serving 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/episode194.
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Giving and attendance—If you were used to measuring church health only by tracking giving and attendance, then the last year has been very confusing.
It's not an overstatement to say most pastors have been struggling to get a pulse on the health of their ministries. But truth be told, even before the pandemic most churches didn't know what to track beyond giving and attendance.
With the Vital Signs Assessment, we track data on all the metrics we encourage church leaders to track, and then with The Unstuck Church Report, we open up that data to pastors and share the trends and insights we are noticing.
You can subscribe to that quarterly report for free, or, if you're subscribed to the podcast show notes, we send it out to you for free, as well.
Each quarter, Tony and Amy dedicate one podcast episode to unpacking a few of the standout trends from the new report. Listen now for new insights from the last 12 months of data.
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/episode193.
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No one TRIES to lead ineffective meetings, but any leader can get a bit lazy. The 9 key practices we share in this episode aren't rocket science, but they are things we see many church leaders just letting slip.
When a team is clear on direction and wins, and puts these principles into practice in their meetings, people actually like meetings. They help us clarify our work and move things forward. They turn into a worthy investment of our time rather than an energy drain.
In this episode, Tony and Amy wrap-up this series by sharing how you can corral one of the biggest time-wasters on any team.
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/episode192.
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What drives leaders completely crazy?
Lack of follow-through.
It's honestly one of the most common frustrations we hear from church leaders. They invest time, prayer, dreaming, talking, and planning around what God has next for their ministry, but then nothing happens. There’s no follow-through. A distraction, or a crisis—something that feels more urgent—consistently derails the leader and the team from executing on the real priorities.
Sound familiar?
In Part 3 of this series on Creating Alignment, Tony and Amy discuss seven hacks leaders can use to align the team around executing on the ministry priorities.
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/episode191.
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Are you leading too many direct reports? A senior leader's span of care can significantly impact a team’s ability to clarify roles and maintain alignment.
Part of span of care is giving direction related to the mission, strategy, and priorities of your church, but the other piece of it is the discipleship of the people on your team.
Many leaders think that by directly trying to lead as many people as possible, more people will be directly connected to the mission. But when your span of care gets stretched too wide, you naturally have less time to invest with each person on your team.
So, what is the RIGHT number of people for you to personally lead?
In Part 2 of this series on Creating Alignment, Tony and Amy give you some really practical ways to think about getting your span of care to its healthiest place—for both you and for the ministry.
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/episode190.
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How do you define reality for your team and why is it important?
In 2019, 85% of churches that took the Unstuck Church Assessment self-identified as being in the “declining” stage of the life cycle. Now, having survived 2020, more churches than ever are feeling stuck. So we’re kicking off a four-part series on how to create alignment in your ministry strategy and among your staff and volunteers.
Join Tony Morgan and Amy Anderson on this week's podcast episode for practical examples and strategies for defining reality on your team.
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/episode189.
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"Do we have to embrace digital ministry?" "Do churches need to mimic the business world when it comes to online options?" "Do we really have to hire new roles for our staff team?"
We've been getting a lot of questions about digital ministry strategy now that we're a year into the changes that COVID accelerated. The initial changes churches were forced to make are being reevaluated as many places open back up and in-person gathering is an option again.
In this week's episode, Tony Morgan and Amy Anderson sit down to talk through ten questions on the digital ministry you're probably asking but wish you weren't.
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/episode188.
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How important is data? What role should data play in your ministry strategy? What should you measure?
In this week's episode of The Unstuck Church Podcast, we sit down again with the Sun Valley Church team to dig into the practical ways they use data to inform their ministry strategies and how churches can leverage data to help reach more people with the message of Jesus.
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/episode187.
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Where do you find the right person to lead your digital ministry? What should your digital ministry focus on? How do you reach new people online?
For months, we’ve been coaching churches to find a leader for their digital ministry strategies and in this week’s episode we’re sitting down with a church that has done exactly that.
Paul Alexander serves as the Executive Pastor at Sun Valley Community Church, a multisite church in Phoenix and Mika Casey serves as their Digital Strategies Lead Director.
In this week’s episode, we look at some practical examples of what digital ministry strategy looks like.
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/episode186.
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How can you maximize your ministry impact? Your team plays a big role.
We've heard from a lot of churches that have questions about how to structure their team. They're re-evaluating what roles they need to have on their staff team and looking for clarity on how to structure their leadership team moving forward. If you're wondering how to structure your team to be healthy and high performing, you're in the right place.
In this week's episode, Tony Morgan is joined by Amy Anderson and Michael Moore for a practical conversation around how church leaders can strategically structure their team for health and growth.
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/episode185.
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