The Ministry Growth Show
by Reliant Creative
The Ministry Growth Show is a podcast dedicated to helping ministry executives and church leaders grow the reach and impact of their organizations for the Kingdom of God. Each episode features interviews with ministry executives, church leaders, storytellers and marketing experts as we discuss the strategies, struggles, challenges, and successes of developing successful Christian ministries and organizations.
Episodes
-
Janice Allen from International Cooperating Ministries (ICM) | When Ministry Growth Means Slowing Down
What makes a church healthy, and how should we measure ministry growth? Janice Allen of International Cooperating Ministries joins The Ministry Growth Show to share lessons from 40 years of global church planting, including the importance of empowering local leaders, equipping pastors, and...
-
Yvonne Carlson fromExploreGod | How AI, Digital Evangelism, and Human Relationships Are Shaping the Future of Discipleship
AI Won’t Make Disciples—People Will What ExploreGod Gets Right About Technology, Relationships, and the Future of Digital Ministryy Church leaders are asking the same question almost everywhere AI comes up. Can we embrace this technology without losing what makes ministry human? For some,...
-
Todd Hall from Relational Spirituality | The Difference Between Explicit and Implicit Knowledge, and How It Impacts Our Relationship with God, Ourselves, and Others
Why Knowing About God Isn’t the Same as Knowing Him Feeling distant from God is one of the most common experiences in the Christian life, and one of the least talked about. It happens to people who read their Bibles. It happens to pastors. It happens in the middle of fruitful ministry. The…
more -
Vick Green from Replicate Ministries | The Missing Piece in Church Discipleship (It’s Not Strategy)
Disciple-Making Is Formation That Bears Fruit A Synthesis for Leaders Caught Between Multiplication and Formation Disciple-making is one of the most contested phrases in the church right now. Different camps mean different things by it. Some hear it as the Great Commission’s call to multiply,...
-
David Sudarma from Sierra Marketing | Is SEO Dead? What AI Means for Church Visibility
AI search is changing how people ask spiritual questions online. This article explores why SEO still matters for churches, how ministries can answer real search queries, and how Narrative-Aligned SEO helps churches reach people seeking hope. The post David Sudarma from Sierra Marketing | Is SEO...
-
Trevor Goodling from Tomorrow Clubs International | The Quiet Work of Discipling Children
Many churches say they care about the next generation. But discipleship systems often tell a different story. When churches begin treating children as present disciples instead of future believers, the impact reshapes families, churches, and entire communities. The post Trevor Goodling from...
-
Chris Scotti from Three Sixteen Publishing | From Off-Limits to Open Hands: The Power of Scripture
Many ministry leaders believe their people need better apologetics, stronger programs, or more persuasive outreach strategies. But what if the real need is simpler? What if Scripture itself—faithfully read and faithfully shared—is still the most powerful evangelism tool in your church? The post...
-
Kristen Welch from Mercy House Global | Leading From Your Brokenness
Leading a ministry that serves vulnerable women comes with constant pressure, complex challenges, and real spiritual cost. Discover how intimacy with God, sustainable rhythms, and clear strategy help ministry leaders avoid burnout and lead with lasting impact. The post Kristen Welch from Mercy...
-
Michael Cooley from Equipping Farmers Intl. | When Farming Becomes Discipleship
How can the Church address food insecurity without creating dependency? This article explores how conservation agriculture is transforming communities through discipleship, restoring land, dignity, and long-term sustainability through the local church. The post Michael Cooley from Equipping…
more -
Jerry Gibson from Equipping Farmers Intl. | Finishing the Great Commission in a Polycentric Church
The global church is no longer centered in the West—and that changes everything. This article explores what polycentric mission really requires, why dependency silences local leadership, and how ministries can shift from measuring reach to cultivating rooted, locally led discipleship. The post...
-
Josh Spinks from I Am Second & E3 Partners | Beyond the White Chair: Josh Spinks on Obedience, Vulnerability, and Digital Discipleship
Ministry storytelling works because it connects before it convinces—but connection alone doesn’t form disciples. When stories stop at inspiration, people are moved emotionally yet unsure where to go next. This article explores why testimony must lead toward real relationships, clear next steps…
more -
Don Allsman from Completion Global | The Indigenous Church Behind Bars: Prison Ministry’s Hidden Revival
A quiet shift is happening inside America’s prisons. What was once seen as outreach has become something far deeper—a growing, indigenous church led from within. This changes how ministry leaders should think about discipleship, leadership, and mission. The post Don Allsman from Completion Global…
more -
Katie Davis Majors from Amazima | Discipleship through Education: The Amazima Model for Ministry
A child shows up to school without supplies. The easy fix would cost almost nothing. But what if solving it quickly teaches the wrong lesson? This story reveals a deeper approach to ministry—one that protects dignity, strengthens families, and reshapes how we think about helping. The post Katie...
-
Frank Sindler from Equipping Farmers Intl. | How Regenerative Farming is Reviving the Church in the Global South
Most ministry leaders want whole-life discipleship. We preach it, plan for it, and mean it. But Monday keeps arriving — and for most of our people, the hours spent working, parenting, managing money, and staying human remain largely untouched by our disciple-making imagination. This conversation...
-
Matthew Rohrs from Sinapis | The Role of Business in Poverty Alleviation
What if the gospel was never meant to stop at salvation—but to reshape how we lead, build, and work? This episode challenges ministry leaders to recover a bigger vision of discipleship—one that includes business, leadership, and the long work of restoring communities. The post Matthew Rohrs from...
-
Brian Fisher from Soil and Roots | The Forgotten Kingdom: Reframing the Gospel Narrative
You can believe all the right things and still fall apart when life gets hard. That gap isn’t a lack of knowledge—it’s a lack of formation. This episode explores why deep discipleship requires more than information, and how the kingdom of God reshapes what it means to actually follow Jesus. The...
-
Rick Sessoms from Freedom to Lead | Redefining Leadership with Story-Centric Approaches
Most pastors don’t set out to lead with pressure—but it happens anyway. Beneath the surface, a hidden leadership model is shaping how we treat people, measure growth, and define success. This episode explores a better way—one rooted in cultivation, not control. The post Rick Sessoms from Freedom…
more -
Copper Nelms from For Church Agency | How Churches Can Foster Generosity and Trust
A generosity culture in your church isn’t built through pressure or urgent appeals. It grows through trust, discipleship, and pastoral care. This episode explores how churches can reframe giving as formation—and why that changes everything. The post Copper Nelms from For Church Agency | How...
-
Adam Ormord from LifePoint Resources | The Importance of Silence and Solitude in Ministry
You can do a lot for God and still feel disconnected from Him. That gap doesn’t start with failure—it starts with noise. This episode explores how silence, solitude, and honest storytelling reorder the inner life so ministry flows from presence, not pressure. The post Adam Ormord from LifePoint...
-
Ben Stapley from Ben Stapley Productions | Engaging Hearts and Minds: Storytelling and Creativity in Ministry
Ministry storytelling that actually changes culture Most ministry leaders agree that storytelling matters. Then Monday comes. The calendar fills. Sunday gets closer. And the work defaults back to what feels safest: Plans. Programs. Announcements. Metrics. A polished highlight reel. None of that…
more -
Kim Kargbo from Accessible Hope International | How Spiritual Formation Sustains Ministry Leaders
There’s a kind of exhaustion in ministry that sleep doesn’t fix. It’s not just physical—it’s soul fatigue. This episode explores how spiritual formation anchors leaders in the middle of unrelenting demands, so they can lead with endurance without losing themselves. The post Kim Kargbo from...
-
Craig Robertson and Bryan Sims from Spiritual Leadership Inc. | Creating Space: Cultivating Healthy Spiritual Leaders
Most churches don’t struggle with activity—they struggle with space. Calendars are full, but formation is thin. This episode explores how creating intentional space for presence, relationships, and mission leads to real discipleship. The post Craig Robertson and Bryan Sims from Spiritual…
more -
Stacey Womack from Abuse Recovery Services | Empowering Survivors of Abuse
Domestic abuse in the church is often hidden behind Sunday smiles. This guide helps pastors recognize abuse patterns, avoid harmful counsel, and create safer pathways for care. The post Stacey Womack from Abuse Recovery Services | Empowering Survivors of Abuse appeared first on Reliant Creative.
-
Dr. Curt Thompson from Being Known Podcast | Neuroscience and the Power of Story in Ministry
The problem isn’t that churches don’t share enough stories. It’s that they avoid the kind of stories that require honesty. When leaders default to control, communication gets safe—and people stay disconnected. This episode challenges that pattern. The post Dr. Curt Thompson from Being Known…
more -
Jason Moore, Author of AI and the Church | How the Church Redeem Ai
Most ministry leaders feel the tension already. AI promises speed and clarity—but at what cost? This episode explores how churches can use AI wisely without losing their voice, their discernment, or their responsibility to shepherd real people. The post Jason Moore, Author of AI and the Church |...
-
Russ Ewell from Bay Area Christian Church | Building Relational Churches in a Digital World
People in your city are open to spiritual conversations—but distant from church. The problem isn’t interest. It’s trust. This episode explores how relational discipleship, not more content, is the bridge between digital attention and real transformation. The post Russ Ewell from Bay Area…
more -
Christopher Beth from The Bucket Ministry | Turning Clean Water into Living Water: The Bucket Ministry Story
Ministry leaders are asked to do more with less—but more activity doesn’t lead to lasting impact. Without a clear follow-up strategy, even meaningful moments fade. This article explores how simple, repeatable systems turn short-term response into long-term discipleship. The post Christopher Beth...
-
Jeff Rutt from HOPE International | Building Dreams: How Jeff Rutt Merged Home Building with Global Impact
Ministry leaders rarely set out to create dependency—but it happens. What starts as generosity can quietly undermine dignity, stall local leadership, and shift the church from discipleship to distribution. This episode explores a better path—one that builds agency, trust, and lasting impact. The...
-
Elizabeth Ha from Five Talents | Sustainable Economic Empowerment
Many poverty ministries mean well but unintentionally deepen dependence and shame. There is a better way that restores dignity and agency through community. The post Elizabeth Ha from Five Talents | Sustainable Economic Empowerment appeared first on Reliant Creative.
-
Mitch Forman from Chosen People Ministries | Combating Anti-Semitism in College Campuses
Many churches want to share the gospel with their Jewish neighbors but feel unsure how. In a digital age filled with barriers and misinformation, equipping your congregation requires clarity, humility, and strategy. Here’s how to build a ministry approach that is faithful, relational, and ready....
-
Steve Cleary from Revelation Media & iBible | Revolutionizing Christian Media: The Vision Behind iBible
Bible engagement is declining, but the hunger for God hasn’t disappeared. The problem is often the format—we keep offering Scripture in ways that assume a literacy-first culture, while the next generation is being shaped by visual, story-driven platforms. What if the church learned to meet people...
-
Hal Donaldson from Convoy of Hope | Feeding Millions: Inside Convoy of Hope with Hal Donaldson
Ministry leaders rarely burn out because they don’t care — they burn out because they care deeply. Discover how obedience, healthy rhythms, and ethical storytelling can help leaders serve faithfully without sacrificing their souls. The post Hal Donaldson from Convoy of Hope | Feeding Millions:...
-
Wahid and Laila Wahba from 4G3 | Discipleship and Transformation in the Middle East with 4G3
In parts of the world where faith can cost you your livelihood—or your life—discipleship can’t be a class you take and move on from. It has to be life-on-life formation: people learning Jesus together in basements, under trees, and in borrowed time after long workdays. This is what it looks like...
-
Mark Matlock Author of Faith for the Curious | Engaging the Spiritually Curious
Many ministry leaders feel stuck between a culture hungry for spiritual meaning and a church culture that feels allergic to questions. This guide shows how to build a curiosity-friendly discipleship environment, start respectful spiritual conversations, and use story to help spiritually open…
more -
Douglas Cupery from Crossroads Prison Ministries | Discipleship in Prison: Insights from Crossroads Prison Ministries
Prison ministry isn’t a “specialty outreach” for a few brave volunteers—it’s a discipleship opportunity hiding in plain sight. When the Church remembers those behind bars (Hebrews 13:3), Scripture comes alive, labels fall away, and real transformation begins—for incarcerated men and women and for...
-
Nathan DeWard from Reach the Forgotten Jail Ministry | A Look Inside Jail Ministry
Jail ministry sits at the intersection of crisis, transition, and spiritual openness. People inside are asking urgent questions about their future, identity, and hope. This article explores how trauma-informed discipleship, storytelling, partnerships, and clear communication can strengthen jail...
-
Pierre Rashad Houssney from Horizons International | Empowering Mission: Horizons International’s Work in the Muslim World
Many churches want to reach Muslim neighbors, but they’re unsure where to start—or how to stay faithful without being naïve. This guide offers a practical, biblically grounded approach: proclaim clearly, disciple relationally, equip the local church, and use digital storytelling as a bridge—not a...
-
Ryan Brown from Open Doors International | Support for Christian Persecution and the Role of Technology in Supporting and Complicating the Work of Open Doors
Across the world, believers are choosing faithfulness to Jesus at a cost most of us have never faced. But the persecuted church isn’t asking to be rescued out of hardship—they’re asking to be strengthened through it. Here’s how ministry leaders can pray, communicate responsibly, and steward...
-
Dr. James Davis from Global Church Network | Pastoral Training and the Accomplishment of The Great Commission
Many pastors feel the pressure to “get better” while the need around them keeps growing. This article offers a practical, gospel-shaped approach to pastoral training that strengthens preaching, builds shared leadership, and mobilizes the whole church for faithful witness locally and globally. The...
-
Candace Pickett from Avant Ministries | Longevity Care for Missionaries
Mission work and ministry leadership both carry a hidden cost: when care becomes reactive, people burn out quietly. This guide shows how to build a missionary care program that is proactive, relational, and sustainable, including rhythms of rest, trauma-aware debriefing, and a culture where…
more -
Steven Loots from Harvesters Ministries | Church Planting through Evangelism, Discipleship and Pastoral Training
Many churches feel stuck between two tensions: the urgency to reach people who do not know Jesus and the slow, faithful work of forming disciples who obey him. This article offers a practical framework for holding evangelism and discipleship together, training local leaders, and building churches...
-
Brian Kleager from Cadence International | The Power of Storytelling in Trauma Healing
Trauma shows up in more ministries than we like to admit. Not just in war zones, but in foster care, addiction recovery, prison ministry, global missions, and everyday pastoral care. This guide offers a practical, Scripture-shaped approach to trauma-informed ministry, using storytelling and…
more -
Geoff Peters from Jesus Film Project | The Story of Jesus, Animated
Many ministries are trying to reach people shaped by screens, short attention spans, and deep spiritual hunger. The good news is that visual storytelling can still serve the Church without turning the gospel into entertainment. This guide shows ministry leaders how to use gospel films and…
more -
Matt Davis from Ministry Transitions | How to Navigate Ministry Leadership Change with Grace
A pastoral transition leaves a mark on the whole community, especially when it's sudden or poorly communicated. Building a ministry transition plan that holds truth and care together is not just an HR task. It's a discipleship issue. The post Matt Davis from Ministry Transitions | How to Navigate...
-
Peter Greer and Dan Williams from HOPE International | Lead with Prayer
Many Christian leaders don’t stop praying altogether. They just quietly shift from dependence to competence. Over time, the calendar fills, the responsibilities grow, and prayer becomes a support activity instead of the work itself. This article explores why that drift happens, how it shapes...
-
Dustin Manis from Reaching Souls Intl. | Measuring Impact and Results in Evangelism
Many ministry leaders wrestle with how to measure evangelism impact without reducing discipleship to numbers. This guide offers a biblical and practical framework for tracking ministry outcomes while keeping formation, faithfulness, and the Great Commission at the center. Ministry leaders feel…
more -
Steve Woodworth from Masterworks and Author of Lost in Transition | Lessons from the most Disastrous and most Successful Ministry Successions
Most ministry leaders don't fear retirement. They fear what succession might do to the people they love and the trust they've spent decades building. Church succession planning is how healthy organizations prepare before urgency forces the conversation. The post Steve Woodworth from Masterworks…
more -
Dr. Joseph Pecoraro from Hearts Afire | The 4 Pillars of Ministry
Sustainable missions do not grow from bigger trips. They grow from deeper partnership, clearer boundaries, and local ownership. This guide shows ministry leaders how to move from short-term help to long-term fruit, without creating dependency, losing focus, or confusing supporters about what you...
-
Brent Dusing from TruPlay | Christian Gaming and the Content Crisis
Ministry leaders are facing a quiet crisis: the discipleship “hours” of the week are no longer happening primarily in church buildings. Most children spend far more time on screens than they do in formal faith environments. That doesn’t mean the Church should surrender the space. It means we need...
-
Hollen Frazier from All God’s Children International | Storytelling and Trauma Informed Care
Many ministries care deeply about vulnerable children and families, but feel unsure how to lead well when trauma shows up. This guide offers a clear, gospel-shaped approach to trauma informed ministry: build trust, shape safer systems, and tell stories that heal rather than harm. The post Hollen...
About this show
The Ministry Growth Show is a podcast dedicated to helping ministry executives and church leaders grow the reach and impact of their organizations for the Kingdom of God. Each episode features interviews with ministry executives, church leaders, storytellers and marketing experts as we discuss the strategies, struggles, challenges, and successes of developing successful Christian ministries and organizations.
Hosted by
Reliant Creative
Categories