
Pastoral leadership with prayer and practical teeth.
The gist
MFI Leaders Podcast gathers conference-style teaching for church leaders who need both spiritual conviction and operational clarity. Episodes move from prayer and presence to building projects, youth ministry, accountability, and pacing change well.
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About MFI Leaders Podcast
MFI Leaders Podcast presents pastoral leadership as both a spiritual charge and a practical craft. The show is drawn from teaching moments where speakers address people already carrying responsibility in churches. Its register is familiar and direct. There are jokes from the platform, room-response moments, references to pastors and ministry teams, and closing prayers that keep the episodes rooted in worship rather than management theory alone. The material often starts with a lived ministry problem. A church needs clearer language around its mission. A team needs higher standards and healthier accountability. A congregation is considering a remodel or new building. A youth ministry needs the right leader, not just the most charismatic one. From there, the teaching usually becomes concrete. Leaders are urged to repeat vision until people can say it back, secure funding details before a building project advances, assign a trusted liaison for construction communication, and pay attention to the pace at which teams can absorb change. The show also leaves room for more explicitly spiritual themes. Episodes emphasize personal encounters with God, presence-driven church culture, prayer, calling, character, and courage. That blend gives the series its shape. It is not merely a leadership lecture feed, and it is not only devotional encouragement. It lives in the overlap between spiritual language and staff-meeting realities. The speakers frequently honor parents, churches, spouses, and ministry families, which gives the show a strong fellowship feel. The result is especially useful for pastors and ministry leaders who want instruction that assumes church leadership is relational, spiritual, and operational at the same time. Its best episodes offer a clear challenge, then press it into ordinary ministry decisions. The tone can be intense, but it is rarely abstract. It keeps returning to people: volunteers who need clarity, teams who need sustainable effort, young leaders being formed through humble work, and congregations trying to become healthier communities.
Made for: For pastors, ministry leaders, youth leaders, and church teams who want spiritually grounded leadership teaching with real operational application. It especially fits leaders navigating growth, change, buildings, volunteers, and next-generation ministry.
What sets it apart: The show stands out by treating church leadership as both presence-driven and highly practical. It moves easily from prayer and calling to funding stages, team accountability, construction roles, and the pace of organizational change.
In their own words
Ministers Fellowship International exists to help leaders build healthy, strong, impacting churches and to do so in a way that makes for a healthy leader. We hope that you this teaching left you more encouraged and equipped today. If you would like to be a part of the MFI Family or learn more visit mfileader.org
As heard by us
Based on 4 episodes we listened to · September 2026
Practical church leadership teaching connects vision, team health and ministry decisions to prayer, calling and sustained spiritual formation.
MFI Leaders Podcast brings live pastoral teaching into the practical work of leading a church. Speakers address change, team clarity, accountability, youth ministry and a culture shaped by God's presence, often moving between personal experience, direct instruction and prayer.
Why you'd press play
Church leadership gets a marathoner's pace check before your team burns out at mile two.
Press play if you want
- a practical way to pace change without treating your people like fuel for the vision
- church-team guidance that pairs clear standards with communication your people can actually repeat
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Episodes
- 1
These Are The Good Ole Days - Raydeane Owens
·37m - 2
Choosing and Becoming the Right Leader for Youth - Bob & Landon Grimm
·45m - 3
Completing The Great Commission - Daniel Hanafi
·42m - 4
Eldership Governance, Doctrine & Practice - Derrill Corbin
·1h 8m - 5
The Importance of Prophetic Ministry in Fulfilling The Great Commission - Doug Sherman
·1h 4m - 6
The Advantage Of The 2nd Chair - Eric Crawford
·1h 2m - 7
Church Multiplication in Small Towns - Greg & Jessica Hurlbut
·1h - 8
Pacing the Future - How Leaders Guide Change with Clarity - Gareth Gilpin
·52m - 9
Church Marketing That Works - Jacob Schmelzer
·49m - 10
Five Things Churches Need to Stop Doing - Jakob Haymond
·47m - 11
Building a Sustainable Hero Making Children's Ministry - Jason & Ellie Hubbard
·1h 1m - 12
Stretched Thin - Juggling Motherhood & Ministry - Jessica Hurlbut
·1h 1m - 13
Wait... Why Aren't Your Guests Coming Back - Johnny Pease
·1h 3m - 14
Spiritual Dynamics of Leadership - Jonathan Stells
·1h 1m - 15
Presence-Driven Worship in 25 Minutes - Joseph & Tosha Zwanziger
·55m - 16
Reclaiming Beauty - The Work of the Creative - Kyle Lacheny
·58m - 17
Engage Now - AI, Digital And The Future of Reaching People - Marc Estes
·57m - 18
How to Build a Building, When You Don't Know How - Matt Molt
·57m - 19
The Heart Behind Production - Setting Up for Success - Nathan Rathbun
·1h 1m - 20
Helping Families Find Freedom - Norman Chandler
·53m - 21
The Blueprint for a Sustainable Leadership Pipeline - Philip Engle
·53m - 22
Bitcoin, AI, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution - Pradeepan Jeeva
·1h 3m - 23
Spirit-Lead Services - Roger Yadon
·35m - 24
Co-Vocational Ministry is the New Norm - Simon Mould
·57m - 25
From Message to Manuscript - Writing the Book God Put on Your Heart - Tracy Wilde-Pace
·58m - 26
Spirit Baptism in Spiritual Formation - Neglected but Essential. - Travis Arnold
·1h 7m - 27
5x7 Session - Amreitha Jeeva
·7m - 28
5x7 Session - Austin Molt
·8m - 29
5x7 Session - Chip Kawalsingh
·7m - 30
5x7 Session - Erika Wilkins
·7m - 31
5x7 Session - Seth Owens
·7m - 32
Foundations Panel - Bill Scheidler, Roxy Iverson, Steve Schmelzer, Ken Wilde & Jess Strickland
·48m - 33
Anointed For The Now And The Next - Jon Jon Wilkins
·53m - 34
Thy Kingdom Come - Bob MacGregor
·1h 7m - 35
Vision Carriers For The Long Haul - Dave Patterson
·50m - 36
Leaders Who Suffer Well - Andrew Damazio
·44m - 37
Building Presence Driven Culture - Aaron Richner
·54m - 38
Teach Me How To Stand - Tyrone D. Jones
·38m - 39
The Power To Pastor - Earl McClellan
·52m - 40
Breakthrough to Amazing Fruitfulness - Dr. Mark Strong
·34m - 41
Answering the Call of God On Your Life - Derrill Corbin
·31m - 42
An Update From Heaven - Patrick Kiteley
·48m - 43
Marketplace Ministry - Mike Rovner & Jude Fouquier
·33m - 44
Ask Us Anything - Andrew Damazio & Nathan Finochio
·1h 2m - 45
Pipelines & Pathways for Building a Healthy Worship Team - Angie Prosser
·46m - 46
Campus Clubs Culture - David Wilkins
·53m - 47
Youth & Culture - Landon Grimm
·42m - 48
Courage Under Fire - Chip Kawalsingh
·48m - 49
A Neglected Strategy: Mastering the Art of the Altar Call - Andrew Cromwell
·38m - 50
How to Build a Vertical Church - Chuck Ramsey
·48m - 51
The Art of Thinking Differently in Babylon - Simon Mould
·50m - 52
Developing a Missions Culture in Your Church - Jason Prosser
·47m - 53
Spirit-Led Security Programs - Caleb Gilbert
·57m - 54
The Spirit of Prophecy - Mark Francey
·1h - 55
Recognizing and Avoiding Burnout - Mike Hennigan
·50m - 56
The Door to Destiny - Bishop Marc House
·45m - 57
Marching Toward Miracles - Mariah Corbin
·49m - 58
Church Planting - Marc Bigby
·54m - 59
Kingdom Partnerships - Barbara Johnson
·48m - 60
Healthy Transitions in Difficult Seasons - John Reeve
·39m - 61
Creative Outreach - Lisa Alkire
·50m - 62
Building a Healthy Dynamic Team - Nate Swanson
·1h 14m - 63
Paradigm Shift - Tyrone Jones
·24m - 64
The Miracle of Emptiness - Charlotte Gambill
·44m - 65
Make America Muddy Again - Nathan Finochio
·40m - 66
The Posture of Familiarity - Charlotte Gambill
·55m - 67
From Something Less to Something More - Dr. Frank Damazio
·1h 20m - 68
Church Planting - Sean Arisco
·46m - 69
Engaging the Culture through Outreach - Beau Norman
·50m - 70
Financing Your Future - Greg Brooks
·43m - 71
Growing Great Leaders in Small Churches - Mike Hennigan
·43m - 72
Releasing the Miracles in Your Ministry - James Monaghan
·1h 25m - 73
Spot On! Keys to Effective Prophetic Ministry - Marc Cargill
·1h 1m - 74
The Holy Spirit & World Missions - Dennis Balcombe
·38m - 75
Making Nobodies into Somebodies - Bob MacGregor
·53m - 76
Building a Healthy Eldership Team Culture - Jeff Ecklund
·39m - 77
The Action Gap: In-Depth Children's Ministry - Kristi Krauss
·45m - 78
The Future of Youth Ministry - David Wilkins
·47m - 79
The Hands that Build Hearts - Jess Strickland
·47m - 80
The Role of the Ekklesia in Transforming Culture - Ken Wilde
·59m - 81
Worship Team Panel - Jessica Hieronymus, Philip Iloff, Charity Mozafari
·51m - 82
Managing Vision, a Healthy Staff, and Getting the Important Stuff Done - Candace Cortez
·56m - 83
Navigating Leadership Succession - Craig Lotze & Trevor Seaman
·56m - 84
Persistent Passion - Aaron Richner
·35m - 85
Priestly Priorities: Pastors and Their Prayer Closets in 2023 - Lyle Philips
·47m - 86
Prophetic Vision for the Next Season - Julian Lowe
·48m - 87
Stewarding a Unified Worship Community - Ruth Erickson
·59m - 88
Strengthening Your Marriage for Optimum Ministry Impact - Jonathan & Raydeane Owens
·48m - 89
Successful Succession - Andrew Cromwell
·46m - 90
Building a Leader’s Intercessors Group - Mark Jones
·48m - 91
Drought to Downpour Leading the Church into All Things New - Michael Hurley
·46m - 92
Effective and Sustainable Youth Ministry - Tyrone D Jones
·50m - 93
From 'I Have To' to 'I Can’t Wait To!' - Kids and Church - Dan & Mckenzie Sherrell
·44m - 94
From Crowd To Core: Church Growth Through Relational Discipleship - Jake Schmelzer
·50m - 95
God's University - Steve Williams
·31m - 96
How to Save Young People From Deconstructing Their Faith- Austin Molt
·47m - 97
Leading After Letdown - Daniel Villarreal
·40m - 98
Building a Healthy Worship Community - Joseph & Tosha Zwanziger
·48m - 99
Leaders Who Take Ground - Dave Patterson
·53m - 100
Builders Who Never Settle - Luciano Subira
·43m - 101
The Heart Behind Production - Setting Up for Success - Nathan Rathbun
Nov 6, 2025·1h 1m - 102
Eldership Governance, Doctrine & Practice - Derrill Corbin
Nov 6, 2025·1h 8m - 103
The Importance of Prophetic Ministry in Fulfilling The Great Commission - Doug Sherman
Nov 6, 2025·1h 4m - 104
The Advantage Of The 2nd Chair - Eric Crawford
Nov 6, 2025·1h 2m - 105
Church Multiplication in Small Towns - Greg & Jessica Hurlbut
Nov 6, 2025·1h - 106
Five Things Churches Need to Stop Doing - Jakob Haymond
Nov 6, 2025·47m - 107
Building a Sustainable Hero Making Children's Ministry - Jason & Ellie Hubbard
Nov 6, 2025·1h 1m - 108
Stretched Thin - Juggling Motherhood & Ministry - Jessica Hurlbut
Nov 6, 2025·1h 1m - 109
Wait... Why Aren't Your Guests Coming Back - Johnny Pease
Nov 6, 2025·1h 3m - 110
Presence-Driven Worship in 25 Minutes - Joseph & Tosha Zwanziger
Nov 6, 2025·55m - 111
Reclaiming Beauty - The Work of the Creative - Kyle Lacheny
Nov 6, 2025·58m - 112
Engage Now - AI, Digital And The Future of Reaching People - Marc Estes
Nov 6, 2025·57m - 113
Completing The Great Commission - Daniel Hanafi
Nov 6, 2025·42m - 114
Helping Families Find Freedom - Norman Chandler
Nov 6, 2025·53m - 115
The Blueprint for a Sustainable Leadership Pipeline - Philip Engle
Nov 6, 2025·53m - 116
Bitcoin, AI, and the Fourth Industrial Revolution - Pradeepan Jeeva
Nov 6, 2025·1h 3m - 117
Spirit-Lead Services - Roger Yadon
Nov 6, 2025·35m - 118
Co-Vocational Ministry is the New Norm - Simon Mould
Nov 6, 2025·57m - 119
From Message to Manuscript - Writing the Book God Put on Your Heart - Tracy Wilde-Pace
Nov 6, 2025·58m - 120
Spirit Baptism in Spiritual Formation - Neglected but Essential. - Travis Arnold
Nov 6, 2025·1h 7m - 121
Building Presence Driven Culture - Aaron Richner
Hidden gemAaron Richner says churches can become "so seeker-friendly that we become spirit-unfriendly."
Nov 6, 2025·54m·2 clips - 122
Pacing the Future - How Leaders Guide Change with Clarity - Gareth Gilpin
Hidden gem["Gareth Gilpin opens with a standing arm-fold exercise and uses the room's discomfort to show how change feels before it becomes normal.", "He says he became lead pastor about four years ago after inheriting a multi-site church that had passed through a moral failure, a three-year pastor, a year without a pastor, $10 million in debt, and a $400,000 operating deficit.", "His central claim is that leadership is change, progress is not guaranteed, and leaders have to match pace and effort to the people they are asking to move.", "He builds that case with Mark 10:42-45, marathon pacing, and William Bridges' transition framework, then argues that clarity, restraint, and grief are part of healthy change."]
Nov 6, 2025·52m·5 clips - 123
Spiritual Dynamics of Leadership - Jonathan Stells
Hidden gemJonathan Stells teaches at MFI Leaders Podcast around the theme of leading by the Spirit of God, after honoring Daryl, Manna House, John John, Pastor Mike, and Pastor Elizabeth.
Nov 6, 2025·1h 1m·4 clips - 124
Church Marketing That Works - Jacob Schmelzer
Hidden gemJacob Schmelzer of Joy Church in Eugene describes growing a church planted in a living room in 2016 to more than 2,000 people by Easter.
Nov 6, 2025·49m·3 clips - 125
How to Build a Building, When You Don't Know How - Matt Molt
A pastor shares four practical steps for building or remodeling a church facility, emphasizing spiritual guidance and practical planning.
Nov 6, 2025·57m - 126
Choosing and Becoming the Right Leader for Youth - Bob & Landon Grimm
Hidden gemBob Grimm argues in MFI Leaders Podcast that youth ministry matters because "our God thinks generationally," citing Malachi 4 and "the hearts of the fathers" turning to "the children." Landon Grimm says the church's future health depends on whether leaders treat youth ministry as a call, not "a career" or "a stepping stone." They describe a generational turn that starts with older leaders, then shows up in sacrifice, trust, and shared ministry across ages.
Nov 6, 2025·45m·2 clips - 127
Anointed For The Now And The Next - Jon Jon Wilkins
Nov 5, 2025·53m - 128
Thy Kingdom Come - Bob MacGregor
Nov 5, 2025·1h 7m - 129
Vision Carriers For The Long Haul - Dave Patterson
Nov 5, 2025·50m - 130
Leaders Who Suffer Well - Andrew Damazio
Nov 5, 2025·44m - 131
These Are The Good Ole Days - Raydeane Owens
Nov 5, 2025·37m - 132
Teach Me How To Stand - Tyrone D. Jones
A pastor delivers an encouraging sermon at a Ministers Fellowship International event, expressing gratitude and honoring family.
Nov 5, 2025·38m - 133
5x7 Session - Amreitha Jeeva
Nov 5, 2025·7m - 134
5x7 Session - Austin Molt
Nov 5, 2025·8m - 135
5x7 Session - Chip Kawalsingh
Nov 5, 2025·7m - 136
5x7 Session - Erika Wilkins
Nov 5, 2025·7m - 137
5x7 Session - Seth Owens
Nov 5, 2025·7m - 138
Foundations Panel - Bill Scheidler, Roxy Iverson, Steve Schmelzer, Ken Wilde & Jess Strickland
Nov 5, 2025·48m - 139
The Power To Pastor - Earl McClellan
Oct 23, 2025·52m - 140
Youth & Culture - Landon Grimm
Nov 25, 2024·42m - 141
Courage Under Fire - Chip Kawalsingh
Nov 25, 2024·48m - 142
A Neglected Strategy: Mastering the Art of the Altar Call - Andrew Cromwell
Nov 25, 2024·38m - 143
How to Build a Vertical Church - Chuck Ramsey
A pastor shares his story of discovering MFI and discusses church leadership principles.
Nov 25, 2024·48m - 144
Breakthrough to Amazing Fruitfulness - Dr. Mark Strong
Nov 25, 2024·34m - 145
Answering the Call of God On Your Life - Derrill Corbin
Nov 25, 2024·31m - 146
An Update From Heaven - Patrick Kiteley
Nov 25, 2024·48m - 147
Marketplace Ministry - Mike Rovner & Jude Fouquier
Nov 25, 2024·33m - 148
Ask Us Anything - Andrew Damazio & Nathan Finochio
Nov 25, 2024·1h 2m - 149
Campus Clubs Culture - David Wilkins
Nov 25, 2024·53m - 150
Pipelines & Pathways for Building a Healthy Worship Team - Angie Prosser
Nov 25, 2024·46m