Hosted by John McGee, Senior Director of Watermark Resources, the Church Leadership Podcast discusses relevant topics for church leaders to encourage and equip them for ministry at their own churches.
Episode: 132Sep 13, 2023
7 Things I'm Glad We Did Early On
The seeds you plant when your church is still young can grow into a life-giving, God-honoring community in the years to come. On this week’s episode, John McGee recalls the ideas that shaped the early days of Watermark Community Church, the fruit that’s come from them, and how you can identify the values that are most important to focus on in your church body.
Church Leadership
Evangelism & Missions
Episode: 131Aug 30, 2023
Don't Quit - We're Not Home Yet
This week, John McGee broaches a topic that many church leaders grapple with but hesitate to speak about: feelings of discouragement and burnout in ministry. The weight of guiding a congregation, meeting expectations, and constantly pouring yourself out can sometimes be profoundly exhausting. If you've ever found yourself on the brink of giving up, you might need to be reminded of the truth we shared with thousands of church leaders at CLC 2023: "Don't quit - we're not home yet."
Spiritual Formation
Church Leadership
Episode: 130Aug 16, 2023
Cultivating Staff Culture
Your team can be a place of gratitude, where people feel seen and celebrated--or a place of discouragement and drudgery. It largely comes down to what you cultivate. On this week’s Church Leadership Podcast, veteran Watermark leaders Braun Brown and Joey Tisdale discuss how to craft a vision for your staff’s culture and then nurture it into being.
Church Leadership
Staff & Teams
Episode: 129Aug 2, 2023
Do This, Not That
God has clearly revealed his moral will to us in the Bible. But what about the “should I?” questions that leaders encounter every single day? How do we make decisions that aren’t morally black or white, but gray? Watermark Lead Pastor Blake Holmes spoke at CLC this year about a framework for godly decision-making. (Want more content like this? Don’t miss CLC 2024--early registration is open now.) Show Notes: Should I? PDF Download Should I? Sermon Series - Part 1 Should I? Sermon Series - Part 2
Church Leadership
Church Operations
Episode: 128Jul 19, 2023
Every Shepherd Needs a Shepherd
Let’s be real: at times, ministry can leave us feeling stressed-out, overwhelmed, and out of control. Watermark teaching pastor Timothy Ateek has learned that when it's a struggle to shepherd others, it’s more important than ever to find our peace and identity in God’s identity as Shepherd.
Discipleship
Church Leadership
Episode: 127Jul 6, 2023
How to Turn Around Underperforming Teams
On this episode of the Church Leader's Podcast, John McGee and former Watermark Senior Director of Community and Pastoral Care, David Dzina, sit down to discuss what it looks like to step into leadership on an underperforming team.
Church Leadership
Staff & Teams
Episode: 126Jun 21, 2023
Building Effective Teams
About this Episode Could you be wasting your most valuable resource? On this week’s episode of the Church Leadership Podcast, special guest Jonathan “JP” Pokluda of Harris Creek Baptist Church shares how to maximize your ministry’s potential by building a healthy team.
Church Leadership
Staff & Teams
Episode: 125Jun 8, 2023
How to Deliver a Sermon
In our last Church Leadership Podcast, Watermark teaching pastors Timothy Ateek and John Elmore walked us through the ways they prepare messages. This week, we’re behind the curtain again to see how they continue to improve their actual sermon delivery. Understanding your audience, getting useful feedback, finding your own unique style—it's all here.
Church Leadership
Teaching & Theology
Episode: 124May 17, 2023
How to Prepare a Sermon
About this episode In this episode of the Church Leadership Podcast, John McGee sits down with Watermark's teaching pastors Timothy "TA" Ateek and John Elmore to discuss their methods of planning when it comes to sermon preparation.
Church Leadership
Teaching & Theology
Episode: 123May 1, 2023
Trading Ambition for Faithfulness
Before he led at Watermark’s Young Adult Ministry or preached at Harris Creek in Waco, Jonathan “JP” Pokluda was money-driven and success-obsessed. In this week’s Church Leadership Podcast, JP shares how he found himself in vocational ministry with no ladder to climb and had to rethink his whole approach to life.
Spiritual Formation
Church Leadership
Episode: 122Apr 5, 2023
What Leaders Look For - Part 2
Last week, John McGee and Caitlin Van Wagoner shared some qualities that make people stand out on a team. Now they’re back with more habits of exceptional employees—like following through, challenging the status quo, and soliciting feedback—and how you can develop them. (You can find Part 1 here.) What Leaders Look For - Download
Church Leadership
Episode: 121Mar 22, 2023
What Leaders Look For - Part 1
Certain people stand out as exemplary teammates, and it can be hard to put your finger on why. In this week's Church Leadership Podcast, John McGee and Caitlin Van Wagoner examine the qualities that make these people so exceptional, how to use them to distinguish yourself on a team, and how leaders can cultivate them in an organization.
Church Leadership
