Avsnitt
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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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Saknas det avsnitt?
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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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Leaders know it's true: Not having the right people on the team hinders the impact of your church. So what do you do when it's clear you need to remove someone from the team—when it's clear they are not a fit?
In the last episode of our series on "Staffing Wisdom for Church Leaders," Tony and Amy discuss the very real reasons why letting someone go is so hard for ministry leaders, the ways you need to be effectively evaluating performance as an organization (and specifically, managing people who are underperforming), and how you can approach it all with wisdom and grace.
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.
This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers
The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program was created for organizations just like yours. Their team of Christian legal professionals are personally called to empower and protect churches, ministries, and their leaders to fulfill their mission by providing biblically informed and ministry-focused legal solutions. Whether governance, employment, litigation, or other matters, let The Church Lawyers walk alongside you as you navigate legal issues facing your ministry.
Sign up for the The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program today at thechurchlawyers.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/episode354. 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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This part makes a leader's stomach drop. We've laid the groundwork, and we've taught you the wisest order for processing restructure decisions. But now, we’re going to dive into wisdom that has more to do with how you make decisions about specific people.
In the third episode of our series on "Staffing Wisdom for Church Leaders," Tony and Amy focus on people who really are the right people for the team, but they are not in the right roles—and they share how to approach things when you can’t ignore the issue any longer.
FREE WEBINAR: How to Restructure Wisely
TOMORROW: In this free webinar on June 20 at 1pm EST, Tony and Amy share how you can lead through through an organizational restructure with confidence, and how your church can come out stronger on the other side. Register now.
This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers
The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program was created for organizations just like yours. Their team of Christian legal professionals are personally called to empower and protect churches, ministries, and their leaders to fulfill their mission by providing biblically informed and ministry-focused legal solutions. Whether governance, employment, litigation, or other matters, let The Church Lawyers walk alongside you as you navigate legal issues facing your ministry.
Sign up for the The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program today at thechurchlawyers.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/episode353. 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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Do you believe your current senior leadership team offers you your best chance to achieve the vision and mission God designed for your church to accomplish right now?
Before you start restructuring departments of your ministry, you need to clarify the role of the SLT and get the right people leading on it. In the second episode of our series on "Staffing Wisdom for Church Leaders," Tony and Amy talk about stacking your leadership team with gifted and qualified people.
FREE WEBINAR: How to Restructure Wisely
In this webinar on June 20 at 1pm EST, Tony and Amy share how you can lead through through an organizational restructure with confidence, and how your church can come out stronger on the other side. Register now.
This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers
The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program was created for organizations just like yours. Their team of Christian legal professionals are personally called to empower and protect churches, ministries, and their leaders to fulfill their mission by providing biblically informed and ministry-focused legal solutions. Whether governance, employment, litigation, or other matters, let The Church Lawyers walk alongside you as you navigate legal issues facing your ministry.
Sign up for the The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program today at thechurchlawyers.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/episode352. 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 help teams solve complicated staffing challenges with wisdom and grace all the time. We’ve helped more than 650 churches do it. So, we’re going to share some of that wisdom related to structure, leadership, getting the right people in the right roles, and handling “misfits” in this new series we're calling "Staffing Wisdom for Church Leaders."
In the first episode, Tony and Amy unpack the core tension pastors feel when it becomes evident an organizational restructure is needed, and some of the most critical factors to take into account before you start making any decisions about specific people.
FREE WEBINAR: How to Restructure Wisely
In this webinar on June 20 at 1pm EST, Tony and Amy share how you can lead through through an organizational restructure with confidence, and how your church can come out stronger on the other side. Register now.
This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers
The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program was created for organizations just like yours. Their team of Christian legal professionals are personally called to empower and protect churches, ministries, and their leaders to fulfill their mission by providing biblically informed and ministry-focused legal solutions. Whether governance, employment, litigation, or other matters, let The Church Lawyers walk alongside you as you navigate legal issues facing your ministry.
Sign up for the The Church Lawyers’ Client Member program today at thechurchlawyers.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/episode351. 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 releases The Unstuck Church Report to help church leaders monitor trends and benchmarks in key ministry areas.
In this episode, Tony and Amy discuss key findings from the Q2 2024 special edition of the report focused on staffing and structure trends.
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/episode350.
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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Constant crises, lack of training, inadequate systems for project management—there's a long list of reasons why the process of "assess, plan, and execute" may be simple but not easy.
In the final episode of our series on "How Healthy Churches Grow," Tony and Amy share some practical, proven ways to carve out time to follow through on the priority initiatives you've identified to grow the church in health and numbers.
FREE WEBINAR: What's Working in Large Churches Now
In this webinar, Tony Morgan is sitting down with lead pastors J.D. Greear, Eric Geiger and Adam Starling to discuss what’s actually working in their large churches now to reach new people and engage people in the life of the church. Register now.
This Episode is Sponsored by PATH
Is your staff spending too much time pulling reports and creating dashboards to gain clarity, define reality and understand how engaged your people are? It's time to stop chasing reports and start focusing on people with PATH. Transform the data you already have into discipleship with PATH's clear, actionable reports. To learn more and to get your first free resource, visit pathengagement.com/unstuck today.
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/episode349. 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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You can make better decisions today regarding people, money, current priorities, etc. when you have clarity on what the future looks like.
In this episode of our series on "How Healthy Churches Grow," Tony and Amy focus on the importance of making it part of your culture to have a regular rhythm of planning that involves the right voices.
FREE WEBINAR: What's Working in Large Churches Now
In this webinar, Tony Morgan is sitting down with lead pastors J.D. Greear, Eric Geiger and Adam Starling to discuss what’s actually working in their large churches now to reach new people and engage people in the life of the church. Register now.
This Episode is Sponsored by PATH
Is your staff spending too much time pulling reports and creating dashboards to gain clarity, define reality and understand how engaged your people are? It's time to stop chasing reports and start focusing on people with PATH. Transform the data you already have into discipleship with PATH's clear, actionable reports. To learn more and to get your first free resource, visit pathengagement.com/unstuck today.
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/episode348. 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.
- Visa fler
