Watermark Resources

Church Leadership Podcast

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.

Watermark Resources Church Leadership Podcast logo
The 6 C's of Crafting Culture image
Episode: 154Aug 21, 2024
The 6 C's of Crafting Culture

Creating a strong culture is crucial for any organization, including churches. In this week’s episode of the Church Leadership Podcast, John McGee and Dave Bruskas explore how leaders must clearly define and communicate the desired culture, recognize and correct behaviors that align or conflict with it, and consistently reinforce it over time.

Church Leadership

Staff & Teams

How to Lead Creatives image
Episode: 152Jul 24, 2024
How to Lead Creatives

People who see the world in unique ways and have original problem-solving approaches are a huge asset to any team. But if you want to help your creatives reach their full potential, you need to understand how to best engage with them. John McGee, Caitlin Van Wagoner (Senior Communications Director), and David Penuel (Creative Director) discuss maximizing creative gifting in the church on this week’s episode of the Church Leadership Podcast. Downloads: CLC Breakout Slides - The Creative Process

Church Leadership

Staff & Teams

Staff Value #4 - Having Fun image
Episode: 138Dec 13, 2023
Staff Value #4 - Having Fun

The joy of the Lord is our strength, and lighthearted fun strengthens a team. In this week’s episode of the Church Leadership Podcast, Braun Brown and Sean Hill share the importance of not taking yourself too seriously and how church leaders can harness the power of fun to bring people together for effective Gospel work. The last of Watermark’s four staff values, having fun is one of our defining traits—and one we think any church can adopt. Watermark's Staff Values

Church Leadership

Staff & Teams

Church Culture

Staff Value #3 - Team Unity image
Episode: 137Nov 29, 2023
Staff Value #3 - Team Unity

Just like a finger won’t survive long if it’s severed from the hand, our spiritual health depends on connection to the rest of Christ’s body. We’re meant to function together, and without unity as one of our core values, our mission will fall apart. Caitlin Van Wagoner and David Penuel join this week’s Church Leadership Podcast to talk about how church staff can not only avoid gossip and division, but also pursue each other relationally and prioritize collaboration. Watermark Staff Values - Download "Resolving Staff Conflict" - David and Caitlin's Talk from CLC Conflict Roadmap - Download

Church Leadership

Staff & Teams

Church Culture

Staff Value #2 - Excellence in What We Do image
Episode: 136Nov 8, 2023
Staff Value #2 - Excellence in What We Do

Churches that do not encourage their staff to excel are missing an opportunity to honor God and inspire others. On the other hand, churches that pursue excellence for the wrong reasons have made an idol out of something that should be an offering. On this week’s Church Leadership Podcast, Watermark teaching pastor John Elmore joins John McGee to talk about faithfully executing our work to the best of our abilities without losing sight of our mission. Watermark Staff Values - Download

Church Leadership

Staff & Teams

Church Culture

Staff Value #1 - Dependence on God image
Episode: 135Oct 25, 2023
Staff Value #1 - Dependence on God

Too often, we assume that we don’t need to tell church staff to rely on God. But Christians routinely affirm spiritual dependency as a concept without living it out practically, valuing strategy over sensitivity to the Spirit. This week’s podcast covers why dependence on God is at the top of Watermark’s core values for its staff and what this looks like practically. Watermark's Staff Values - Download

Spiritual Formation

Church Leadership

Staff & Teams

Church Culture

Resolving Staff Conflict image
Episode: 134Oct 11, 2023
Resolving Staff Conflict

Even in full-time ministry, when imperfect human beings work closely together, conflict is bound to arise. As leaders, we have the opportunity to reflect Christ in a uniquely tangible and powerful way through how we resolve conflict. In this talk, first given at CLC 2023, two of our veteran staff members walk through a conflict they personally experienced and how they were able to restore peace biblically. Conflict Roadmap PDF Video Download

Church Leadership

Staff & Teams

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Cultivating Staff Culture image
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

How to Turn Around Underperforming Teams image
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

Building Effective Teams image
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

How to Onboard New Staff and Volunteers image
Episode: 120Mar 8, 2023
How to Onboard New Staff and Volunteers

In many ways, the way you bring an employee or volunteer on board sets the tone for their experience going forward. It goes beyond just setting them up with a key card or a lanyard with a name tag; it’s a chance to introduce them to the culture they’re joining and communicate how valuable they are to the team. Special guests Josiah Jones and Lanie Eberhard joined this week’s Church Leadership Podcast to share their best practices for starting things on the right foot. Onboarding Documents from Watermark's HR Department: Onboarding Document - Hosts and Guests Onboarding Document - Events and Ministries Onboarding Document - Contacting Facilites, IT and Production Onboarding Document - Writing Your Website Bio Recommended Podcast Episodes for New Team Members: 1. Views from the Porch “How to Work at Work” 2. Views from the Porch “Becoming Unoffendable” 3. Views from the Porch “Leading Up Part 1” 4. Views from the Porch “Leading Up Part 2” 5. Church Leaders Podcast “Giving and Receiving Feedback” 6. Church Leaders Podcast “Responding to Criticism” 7. Church Leaders Podcast “What Older Leaders Want You to Know” 8. Church Leaders Podcast “A Leaders First 90 Days”

Church Leadership

Staff & Teams

Quiet Quitting? image
Episode: 109Sep 21, 2022
Quiet Quitting?

The cultural attitude toward work has shifted—and no, that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Join John McGee and Adam Tarnow for a look at how church leaders can help next-generation leaders navigate this season and continue to strive for and inspire excellence (all without compromising their values or selling their souls). Adam's new book "The Edge"

Church Leadership

Staff & Teams