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Church Leadership Podcast

Watermark's Church Leadership Podcast

Finish Your Race with Great Joy

Episode 188 - 12 Nov 2025

Ministry can feel a lot like running a marathon—long, demanding, and full of moments when you wonder if you can keep going. In this week’s Church Leadership Podcast, John McGee shares what the New York City Marathon taught him about the race of ministry. From finding a sustainable pace to staying faithful in each season, he unpacks how leaders can endure—and even enjoy—the miles ahead. John reminds us that finishing well is about crossing the finish line surrounded by people you love, at peace with your relationships, and full of joy. 

View Show Notes

Episodes

187 How to Lead Better by Saying No 29 Oct 2025
186 Crisis Communication for Churches 15 Oct 2025
185 5 Lessons from John Calvin 1 Oct 2025
184 How to Lead in This Cultural Moment 17 Sep 2025
183 How Church Leaders Should View Social Media 3 Sep 2025
182 Cultivating Zeal in Ministry 20 Aug 2025
181 Becoming a Sending Church 6 Aug 2025
180 How Godly Leaders Respond to Opportunity 23 Jul 2025
179 The Real Cost of Discipleship 9 Jul 2025
178 The State of Your Heart and Calling 25 Jun 2025
177 How to Invest in Young Leaders 11 Jun 2025
176 7 Ways to Develop Young Leaders 28 May 2025
175 How Athanasius and Nicaea Shape Your Leadership 14 May 2025
174 You Have Everything You Need to Glorify God 30 Apr 2025
173 Financial Wisdom for Church Leaders 16 Apr 2025
172 Working with Gen Z Leaders 2 Apr 2025
171 Are You Overcorrecting in Leadership? 19 Mar 2025
170 Leading Through Church Growth 5 Mar 2025
169 Combating Imposter Syndrome 19 Feb 2025
168 How Leadership Gifts Shape the Church 5 Feb 2025
167 Knowing When to Stay 22 Jan 2025
166 The Power of Urgency 8 Jan 2025
165 If No One Has Told You Yet...Thanks 18 Dec 2024
164 Knowing When to Leave 4 Dec 2024
163 The History of Re|engage 13 Nov 2024
162 The Power of a Master Calendar 30 Oct 2024
161 Prioritize Your Marriage 16 Oct 2024
160 Things We Say Around Watermark 2 Oct 2024
159 Leading Through Trials and Suffering 18 Sep 2024
158 Navigating Faith Deconstruction 4 Sep 2024
157 The 6 C's of Crafting Culture 21 Aug 2024
156 Leading Your Church in Economic Uncertainty 7 Aug 2024
155 How to Lead Creatives 24 Jul 2024
154 How Creativity Really Works 10 Jul 2024
153 How to Lead Yourself After the Fall of Another Leader 26 Jun 2024
152 Sowing Seeds of Ministry 12 Jun 2024
151 Cultivating Community 29 May 2024
150 The Priority of Prayer: A Course Correction 15 May 2024
149 Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Leading and Serving Your Family 17 Apr 2024
148 Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Personal Interactions 3 Apr 2024
147 Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Administration 20 Mar 2024
146 Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Leading Yourself 6 Mar 2024
145 Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Organizational Leadership 21 Feb 2024
144 Things I Didn't Learn in Seminary: The Art of Pastoring 7 Feb 2024
143 The One Thing You Must Do This Year 24 Jan 2024
142 How to Operate Under a Leadership that You Don't Respect 10 Jan 2024
141 Staff Value #4 - Having Fun 13 Dec 2023
140 Staff Value #3 - Team Unity 29 Nov 2023
139 Staff Value #2 - Excellence in What We Do 8 Nov 2023
138 Staff Value #1 - Dependence on God 25 Oct 2023
137 Resolving Staff Conflict 11 Oct 2023
136 5 Biggest Ministry Regrets 27 Sep 2023
135 7 Things I'm Glad We Did Early On 13 Sep 2023
134 Don't Quit - We're Not Home Yet 30 Aug 2023
133 Cultivating Staff Culture 16 Aug 2023
132 Do This, Not That 2 Aug 2023
131 Every Shepherd Needs a Shepherd 19 Jul 2023
130 How to Turn Around Underperforming Teams 6 Jul 2023
129 Building Effective Teams 21 Jun 2023
128 How to Deliver a Sermon 8 Jun 2023
127 How to Prepare a Sermon 17 May 2023
126 Trading Ambition for Faithfulness 1 May 2023
125 What Leaders Look For - Part 2 5 Apr 2023
124 What Leaders Look For - Part 1 22 Mar 2023
123 How to Onboard New Staff and Volunteers 8 Mar 2023
122 What to Do After a Win 22 Feb 2023
121 Leading From the Inside Out 8 Feb 2023
120 10 Ways to Be Your Own Chief Development Officer 25 Jan 2023
119 Physical Health and the Church Leader 11 Jan 2023
118 Strategy Made Simple 14 Dec 2022
117 Managing Your Emotions as a Leader 30 Nov 2022
116 The Value of Setting Strategic Priorities 16 Nov 2022
115 How to Leave a Job Well 2 Nov 2022
114 The Leader's Most Important Job 19 Oct 2022
113 Finding Your Voice as a Leader 5 Oct 2022
112 Quiet Quitting? 21 Sep 2022
111 Why Your Plan May Not Be Working 7 Sep 2022
110 The 8 Habits of Highly Successful Managers 24 Aug 2022
109 Productivity and Time Management Tactics 4 Aug 2022
108 7 Ways to Fight Church Leadership Fatigue 27 Jul 2022
107 How to Change Your Church Culture 12 Jul 2022
106 Dealing with Discouragement and Distance 1 Jun 2022
105 How You Should Measure Success 18 May 2022
104 The Art of Saying No 19 Apr 2022
103 Why Membership Matters 5 Apr 2022
102 10 Questions to Help You Problem Solve When You Are Stuck 14 Mar 2022
101 How to Stand Out by Showing You’re All In (For Emerging Leaders and Those Who Lead Them) 16 Feb 2022
100 Adaptive Leadership with Tod Bolsinger 25 Jan 2022
99 Things You Would Miss If You Didn’t Lead 11 Jan 2022
98 The Power of Empathy 15 Dec 2021
97 How to Spot, Squash, and Prevent Silos 24 Nov 2021
96 Finding Freedom from Anxiety 10 Nov 2021
95 Training the Next Generation of Leaders 27 Oct 2021
94 Should You Take A Sabbatical? 22 Sep 2021
93 Obscurity is not an Obstacle 1 Sep 2021
92 Team Leadership 11 Aug 2021
91 Rethinking the Multi-site Model 28 Jul 2021
90 Feedback: What To Do When It Goes Wrong? 2 Jul 2021
89 Feedback: How to Give It, How to Receive It, and Why It Matters 30 Jun 2021
88 The Importance of Optimism 16 Jun 2021
87 What Older Leaders Want You To Know 2 Jun 2021
86 What Young Leaders Want You To Know 19 May 2021
85 Letting People Go 14 Apr 2021
84 A Leader's Online Presence 31 Mar 2021
83 A Leader and Their Marriage (feat. Pam McGee) 17 Mar 2021
82 Gospel-Informed Leadership (ft. Paul David Tripp) 24 Feb 2021
81 A Leader's Prayer Life 10 Feb 2021
80 Five Temptations Leaders Are Facing 27 Jan 2021
79 3 Approaches to Goal Setting 11 Jan 2021
78 Saying Thanks 28 Dec 2020
77 Reinventing Yourself 21 Dec 2020
76 How We Think About Women in Leadership 9 Nov 2020
75 Visionaries and Integrators 28 Sep 2020
74 The Weight of a Leader's Words 31 Aug 2020
73 Great Questions Leaders Ask 11 Aug 2020
72 How to Care for People in Crisis 20 Jul 2020
71 Getting Out of a Slump 15 Jun 2020
70 Leading Through Uncertainty 1 Jun 2020
69 Managing Stress During COVID-19 18 May 2020
68 Community Groups in COVID-19 3 Apr 2020
67 Q&A with Todd Wagner 27 Mar 2020
66 Leading Yourself Well 25 Mar 2020
65 Responding to COVID-19 24 Mar 2020
64 When a Leader Fails 16 Mar 2020
63 How We Think About Church Budgeting 2 Mar 2020
62 Communicating with Clarity 17 Feb 2020
61 Contrarian Leadership 3 Feb 2020
60 Responding to Criticism 20 Jan 2020
59 The Leadership X-Factor 6 Jan 2020
58 Our Favorite Things in 2019 23 Dec 2019
57 Leading Teenagers 9 Dec 2019
56 A Leader's First 90 Days 25 Nov 2019
55 Leadership Best Practices We Are Currently Trying 11 Nov 2019
54 The Key to Focusing on the Right Things 28 Oct 2019
53 How to Be All In 14 Oct 2019
52 Church Discipline 30 Sep 2019
51 Five More Bad Habits of Leaders 16 Sep 2019
50 Speaking With Candor 3 Sep 2019
49 The Importance of Your 20s and 30s 19 Aug 2019
48 CLP Unscripted: Vulnerability, Culture, and Anger 5 Aug 2019
47 5 Reasons Nobody Is Listening To You 22 Jul 2019
46 Staying Motivated 8 Jul 2019
45 Longevity in Ministry 17 Jun 2019
44 How We Grow 3 Jun 2019
43 What We Are Learning About Communications 20 May 2019
42 From First Timer to Fully Deployed 6 May 2019
41 CLP Unscripted: 3 Thoughts on Leadership 22 Apr 2019
40 Helping Others Determine Their Next Step 8 Apr 2019
39 Leading Through Change 25 Mar 2019
38 Encouraging Others 11 Mar 2019
37 Decision Making Questions for Leaders 18 Feb 2019
36 Decision Making 11 Feb 2019
35 5 Marriage Trends and How They Affect Your Church 22 Jan 2019
34 How We Think About Strategic Planning 7 Jan 2019
33 Five Bad Habits of Leaders 18 Dec 2018
32 Hiring the Best 3 Dec 2018
31 Leading with a Limp 19 Nov 2018
30 A Leader and Their Family 5 Nov 2018
29 Giving and Receiving Feedback 23 Oct 2018
28 Casting Vision 9 Oct 2018
27 Productivity and Getting Stuff Done 24 Sep 2018
26 Mobilizing the Church 4 Sep 2018
25 Leading Through Crisis 21 Aug 2018
24 What We Are Learning About Community 6 Aug 2018
23 Dealing with Team Conflict 24 Jul 2018
22 Can You Lead Yourself? 10 Jul 2018
21 Celebrity Pastors 21 Jun 2018
20 Building Teams 6 Jun 2018
19 Recruiting Volunteers 22 May 2018
18 Mistakes Young Leaders Make 8 May 2018
17 Dealing with Discouragement 20 Apr 2018
16 BONUS: Get Ready for CLC 2018 16 Apr 2018
15 A Conversation with Watermark's Elders - Part 2 3 Apr 2018
14 A Conversation with Watermark's Elders - Part 1 21 Mar 2018
13 Faithfully Playing Your Role 7 Mar 2018
12 The Value of Trust 22 Feb 2018
11 How to Build Culture 6 Feb 2018
10 How to Improve Your Meetings 15 Jan 2018
9 Leading Yourself Spiritually 3 Jan 2018
8 Navigating Staff Transitions 8 Nov 2017
7 Leading Up 25 Oct 2017
6 Ideas To Help You Lead Your Staff - Part 4 1 Aug 2017
5 Ideas to Help You Lead Your Staff - Part 3 17 Jul 2017
4 Ideas to Help You Lead Your Staff - Part 2 13 Jun 2017
3 Ideas to Help You Lead Your Staff - Part 1 31 May 2017
2 Ministering to Millennials 15 May 2017
1 A Leader's Inner Circle 1 May 2017

A conversation with church leaders, for church leaders. Produced by Watermark Community Church in Dallas, TX and hosted by John McGee, Senior Director of Watermark Resources.