Category: podcast

Why do so many faithful Christians feel exhausted by their own faith?

Jessie Cruickshank, a Harvard-trained expert in the neuroscience of transformation, joins Jenni Wong Clayville (Nova Community Church) to unpack her new book, “Becoming Good News,” co-written with Julia Schmaltz.

Jessie explains why most discipleship models fail — because they’re built on the wrong memory system in the brain — and what actually creates lasting change.

She dives into the difference between “human doing” and “human being,” why identity (not behavior) is the real starting point for transformation, why community requires real eye contact and attunement (not just a group chat), and how her own story of trauma led her to put down the pen on authoring her own life and let God write the story instead.This is a rich, science-meets-Scripture conversation for anyone leading discipleship, small groups, or their own spiritual formation — and for anyone tired of trying to earn a love they already have.

📚Resources mentioned:

Becoming Good News by Jessie Cruickshank and Julia Schmaltz

⛪ Free church discipleship kit and resources: https://www.whoology.co/

📱Jessie Cruickshank – https://www.whoology.co/about

🌐 Jenni Wong Clayville – https://jenniclayville.com/

THE INNOVATIVE CHURCH LEADER PODCAST AND GIVEAWAYS:

We want to help pastors experience and bring renewal through Spirit-led innovation, reaching new people, and making disciples who make disciples.

Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter at innovativechurchleaders.org/join-us for a chance to win future book giveaways, retreats, cohorts, workshops, and assessments!

Subscribe, Rate, and Review The Innovative Church Leaders Podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or youtube.com/@InnovativeChurchLeaders.

Only one in three pastors finish well. And 78% say they have no close friends. Kevin Abbott, who leads pastoral health and resilience work for Texas Baptists, joins Eric Bryant to talk honestly about the isolation that quietly derails so many pastors — and what it actually takes to keep going the distance.

Drawing from 30 years in ministry, a season as a military chaplain, 13 years as a senior pastor, and now years spent walking hundreds of pastors through cohorts built on his doctoral research at Fuller Seminary, Kevin shares the habits that separate leaders who finish well from those who burn out. He gets real about his own dark nights of the soul, why “every leader has a limp,” and the power of having a Paul, a Barnabas, and a Timothy in your life.

This conversation is packed with practical wisdom and real stories — including pastors who found physical, emotional, and spiritual breakthrough through community, coaching, and the kind of friendship most pastors never let themselves have.

📚Resources mentioned:

“Strengthening the Soul of Your Leadership” by Ruth Haley Barton

“Sacred Rhythms” by Ruth Haley Barton

“The Making of a Leader” by J. Robert Clinton

THE INNOVATIVE CHURCH LEADER PODCAST AND GIVEAWAYS:

We want to help pastors experience and bring renewal through Spirit-led innovation, reaching new people, and making disciples who make disciples.

Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter at innovativechurchleaders.org/join-us for a chance to win future book giveaways, retreats, cohorts, workshops, and assessments!

Subscribe, Rate, and Review The Innovative Church Leaders Podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or youtube.com/@InnovativeChurchLeaders.

What does it look like to bring your full faith into a 30-year career at the top of London banking?

Filipe Santos, lead pastor at Echo Church in the Bay Area interviews Ken Costa — former Vice Chairman of UBS Investment Bank, Chairman of Alpha International, and advisor to the UK government on Saudi economic reform. They talk about the moment that changed everything for Ken as he realized his workstation was his worship station.

In this conversation, Ken unpacks why “work-life balance” is the wrong framework, how to steward time, energy, and money as one integrated life, why the local church matters more than ever in a digital, disconnected age, and what he sees coming in the massive wealth transfer happening right now between generations. He also shares a candid word on AI, spirituality, and why church leaders can connect more with high-octane people working in the marketplace.

Whether you’re pastoring a church, leading in business, or just trying to figure out what your work has to do with your faith, this conversation will challenge how you see both.

📚Resources mentioned:

God at Work, Know Your Why, Joseph of Arimathea, and The 100 Trillion Dollar Wealth Transfer — books by Ken Costa

📱 Learn more about the Glorify App

❓ Learn more about Alpha

THE INNOVATIVE CHURCH LEADER PODCAST AND GIVEAWAYS:

We want to help pastors experience and bring renewal through Spirit-led innovation, reaching new people, and making disciples who make disciples.

Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter at innovativechurchleaders.org/join-us for a chance to win future book giveaways, retreats, cohorts, workshops, and assessments!

Subscribe, Rate, and Review The Innovative Church Leaders Podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or youtube.com/@InnovativeChurchLeaders.

In this episode of the Innovative Church Leaders podcast, Dr. Eric Bryant interviews Dr. Nijay Gupta, a New Testament scholar, author, and professor at Northern Seminary. He invites us to rediscover the wonder of the Bible and the radical nature of early Christianity. He explores how the early church’s unity, generosity, and deep respect for human dignity can inspire modern Christians to live with greater intentionality, love, and purpose.

Nijay is the author of the following books:

• The Affections of Christ Jesus: Love at the Heart of Paul’s Theology
• Strange Religion: How the First Christians Were Weird, Dangerous, and Compelling
• Tell Her Story: How Women Led, Taught, and Ministered in the Early Church
• 15 New Testament Words of Life: A New Testament Theology for Real Life
• Paul and the Language of Faith

5 Key Takeaways:

1. The Bible should be approached with wonder and imagination.
2. Early Christians were radical in their faith and actions.
3. Unity among Christians is lacking and needs to be addressed.
4. The church must confront its failures and scandals honestly.
5. Returning to the foundational teachings of Jesus is essential for renewal.

THE INNOVATIVE CHURCH LEADER PODCAST AND GIVEAWAYS:

We want to help pastors experience and bring renewal through Spirit-led innovation, reaching new people, and making disciples who make disciples.

Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter at innovativechurchleaders.org/join-us for a chance to win future book giveaways, retreats, cohorts, workshops, and assessments!

Subscribe, Rate, and Review The Innovative Church Leaders Podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or youtube.com/@InnovativeChurchLeaders.

In this episode of the ⁠⁠Innovative Church Leaders podcast⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Dr. Eric Bryant⁠⁠ interviews Kelsey O’Connor as she ⁠shares her inspiring journey from being a Division I softball player to facing life-altering injuries that challenged her identity and faith.

Through her recovery, she found strength in her relationship with God and learned to redefine herself beyond her accomplishments.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Kelsey’s injury led to a profound identity crisis.
2. Faith played a crucial role in recovering and redefining her identity beyond athletics.
3. Kelsey emphasizes the importance of seeing people’s character.
4. Her viral speech inspired many to live a life beyond labels.
5. Describing people by their attributes fosters genuine connections.

THE INNOVATIVE CHURCH LEADER PODCAST AND GIVEAWAYS:

We want to help pastors experience and bring renewal through Spirit-led innovation, reaching new people, and making disciples who make disciples.

Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter at innovativechurchleaders.org/join-us for a chance to win future book giveaways, retreats, cohorts, workshops, and assessments!

Subscribe, Rate, and Review The Innovative Church Leaders Podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or youtube.com/@InnovativeChurchLeaders.

In this episode of the ⁠⁠Innovative Church Leaders podcast⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Dr. Eric Bryant⁠⁠ interviews ⁠Rob Kelly⁠, cofounder of the ⁠City Leaders Collective⁠ and co-author of ⁠Metanoia⁠ (with Alan Hirsch).

Rob unpacks the power of church unity, the role of networks in city transformation, and the mindset shift needed for true innovation in ministry. Drawing from his upcoming book The Four Greats, Rob challenges leaders to move beyond silos, partner for impact, and reimagine what it means to serve their cities for holistic flourishing.

5 Key Takeaways:

1. Unity among churches is essential for effective ministry.
2. The City Leaders Collective supports holistic city flourishing.
3. Metanoia represents a radical shift in mindset for leaders.
4. Church leaders should view other churches as teammates, not competitors.
5. Engaging with the community can revitalize church leadership.

THE INNOVATIVE CHURCH LEADER PODCAST AND GIVEAWAYS:

We want to help pastors experience and bring renewal through Spirit-led innovation, reaching new people, and making disciples who make disciples.

Be sure to sign up for our email newsletter at innovativechurchleaders.org/join-us for a chance to win future book giveaways, retreats, cohorts, workshops, and assessments!

Subscribe, Rate, and Review The Innovative Church Leaders Podcast at Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or youtube.com/@InnovativeChurchLeaders.