Transforming Mission Leadercast With Tim Bias & Sara Thomas

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/117 Wonder with me for a moment... What do you think was running through the disciples' minds when Jesus said to them, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?​" I mean when I’m scared the last thing I want to hear is someone saying back to me, “Why are you afraid?”  Cause I am, Jesus! Help me!  (Hear the sarcasm in my voice, ok?)  Then again, if I change the tone Jesus speaks to the disciples from stern and condescending to caring and compassionate, everything changes, doesn’t it?  For some reason, I always read that passage as Jesus a bit irritated with the disciples. I mean, he was asleep. And if you wake me up because you're afraid, what's running through my mind is, "C’mon guys, aren’t you adults?"  Thank goodness I'm not Jesus! So you tell me, did Jesus empathize with the disciples or was it a Jesus size #EmpathyFail?  As you listen to episode 117, you’ll hear us share about how we’re rumbling with vulnerability and practici

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/116 Some storms build over time. You see it coming across the horizon, sensing both its movement and intensity.  Other storms come on suddenly, crashing in, changing everything in a moment's notice. Jesus and the disciples experienced both. So have you. You might be feeling like this pandemic is one massive storm that won’t let up.  You’d be right.  Matthew’s Gospel relates this account:  Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him. 24 Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat. But Jesus was sleeping. 25 The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!” 26 He replied, “You of little faith, why are you so afraid?” Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. - Matthew 8:23-27 As you listen to today’s episode, consider how Jesus and the disciples responded to a storm brewing in their midst.  The sea, in scripture, is o

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/115 Let's talk habits! Have your habits shifted during the stay at home orders for COVID-19? Or are you staying the course, continuing the habits before this season? Today, we're talking about the habits that are grounding us, why you should consider your current habits, as well as a few things that have shifted in this season.  As you live into the Easter season, maybe the best question comes from Tim at the end...are you being changed more by the pandemic or by the resurrection of Jesus? Head over to the blog to read more about that!  

Here's an unedited, live conversation we have about journeying through Holy Week during a pandemic. We talk specifically about the creativity we witnessed on Palm Sunday, and what we're looking forward to on Good Friday, Holy Saturday, and Easter Sunday. We used these three questions as a springboard for conversation: 1. How are you seeing grief expressed right now? 2. What SFD (Stormy First Draft) or confabulations (lies, honestly told) are happening? 3. What's the hope you're counting on?    

A few reflections from Sara on grief, Good Friday, and the COVID-19 pandemic

Find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/114 For five weeks, we shared a question each week, inviting you to consider the following: Who are the people entrusted to your care? What are the longings, losses people are experiencing? What big lie do people believe that prevents them from hearing the gospel? How do you make spiritual sense of the longings and losses? How do you express that spiritual meaning as a shared story of future hope? These questions are an invitation into a journey of following Jesus while reckoning with the reality of life around us. During this episode, Sara interviews Tim, inviting him to answer these questions in light of his role as a Christian leader. Then, we explore these questions through the lens of the experience of Holy Week, asking you to sit at the cross on Friday, experience the silence, chaos, and uncertainty of Saturday, and the wonder and joy of new life experienced on resurrection Sunday.  This episode brings to a close the series, "Step int

Find out more about this episode at https://transformingmission.org/blog What's the Stockdale Paradox? Why does it matter to Christian leaders right now? Where are we seeing it play out in faith communities as we walk through COVID-19 This bonus episode is unedited audio of a Facebook Live from April 3.

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/113 It's finally here! Hope. The series of questions you've been exploring the past five weeks brings us to a place of hope. In this episode, you'll hear stories, examples, and invitations to invite others into conversation to create a shared story of future hope. Using the examples of longings, losses, and the promise of God you explored in the last episode, today you'll look forward with hope. No, friend, this isn't wishful thinking. This is about remembering the God who walks with us in the wilderness promises to be with us and help us experience new life on the other side of our current circumstances. Hope reminds us that God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Hope tells us that God has a brave new ending for the current story you're experiencing.  Right now, navigating the COVID-19 pandemic is at the forefront of our lives. But, the examples of hope in the midst of ministry disruption, thinking we can go it alone, judgin

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/112 What do you long for? What loss are you experiencing right now? What big lie are you telling yourself? Before you click play answer those three simple questions.  In this episode, Tim and Sara explore three big lies, longings, and losses that are common in ministry. You'll hear us focus on trying to making spiritual sense of knowing our worth, calling people out on sin, and doing ministry like we did decades ago.  When we seek to make spiritual sense of our longings, losses, and big lies, we listen for the promise of God. While this episode was recorded before COVID-19 brought our home state of Ohio to a "Stay-at-home" order from the Governor, we're certain you'll find help for navigating this time as well as the season beyond.  Longings, loss, and big lies are a part of our human nature. You desire to make sense of the world around you. As a result, big lies emerge. Sometimes these are lies honestly told (confabulations). At othe

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/111 Special Note This episode was recorded before any of the recent events around the coronavirus. However, beginning about 9:30, (SCRATCH THAT, with the new intro it's 11:30 ;) Tim and Sara move into a discussion about offloading hurt. In the midst of the disruptions we're facing with COVID-19 (coronavirus), understanding how emotions get offloaded will be helpful for you, your family, and the people you lead. Recognizing how you tend to offload hurt (we all do it) can help you keep your relationships healthy. We hope you'll listen and learn so you and lead and love well during this season - and beyond. Big Lies No, we're not talking about fake news. We're talking about the things we say to ourselves that form a barrier to hearing the gospel. Big lies come in many forms. What are the lies that people tell themselves? Here's a partial list. I'm not good enough I'm not qualified I'm not worthy to be loved Some lives are worth more tha

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/110 What keeps you up at night? No, that's not our question for this week, but, it's close.  When you consider that question, it's likely you're thinking about the people you love and your current reality. The people that are important to you are often at the center of what keeps you up at night. And, if thoughts of them are not literally keeping you up at night, it just might be what's occupying your thoughts throughout the day. Whether it's family dynamics, work, or the world issues in general, our human longings and losses are what gets our attention.  During Episode 110, consider how the people entrusted to your care experience the longings and losses of life. Perhaps you've never thought about it in that way. In this episode, you'll not only experience why considering our longings and losses is important. You'll also experience examples of how others navigate these questions, too. You'll encounter stories, a psalm, and questions

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/109 Do you rent or own your home? If you’re thinking, “Wait, this isn’t a real estate podcast,” you’re right.  But, consider for a minute why you rent or own your home. What is the reason you choose to mortgage a house or rent your house?.  It’s a question of stewardship and ownership. There is a difference. In a similar way, notice the difference between a calling centered on being a co-worker with God and a calling focused on a task.   Who Has God Entrusted to Your Care? The question, “Who has God entrusted to your care?” is a question everyone needs to answer. Whether you’re a stay at home parent, serving in full-time ministry, paid a salary or paid by the hour, the question applies to you.  Answering that question will do a couple of things. First, you'll gain clarity about who is the focus of your life. But, more importantly, it will remind you that you are a co-worker with God. In the end, remember to be a steward, not an owner.

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/108 What are you doing for Lent? Will you give something up? Will you take up a new habit? Is there a new Bible Study starting at the church where you worship? Or, is your Lenten discipline to "do nothing." Whatever your plans might include, we want to enhance what you're already doing. Over the course of the next six episodes, including this one, we want to invite you to "Step Into the Arena." For too long too many people have opted out of participating in following Jesus every day. Sometimes it's being selective about activities at the church while ignoring the vital role relationships play in the health of a vibrant community. Sometimes we opt out by not showing up. But, often we opt out of stepping into the arena by refusing to name current reality and forgetting to look to the future with hope. If you’re asking, “How can you name current reality and look to the future with hope?” That's what we'll cover over the course of the ne

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/107 God is a missionary God.  You may not think about God in that way.  Today, you’re invited not only to think about God as a missionary God but to follow Jesus into the mission field...where you live, work, and play. The mission of God sets the foundation for everything you’ll hear in today’s episode. Stated simply, the missio Dei, or mission of God, reminds us that God is a missionary God. God is the initiator of mission. Think of it this way. God the Father sends his Son, Jesus into the world. Then, God the Father and Jesus, the Son sending the Spirit into the world. And, finally,  Father, Son, and Holy Spirit send the church, the body of Christ, into the world. Sending is a part of who God is and what God does. Guess what that makes you? A missionary. Before you say, “What?! I’m not a missionary.” Stick with us, we’ll guide you through five ways you need to be a missionary today.  Here’s another way to think about God’s mission:

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/106 Your talents are the natural way you think, feel, and behave. Understanding our talents helps us recognize how we go about doing things, not what we do.  If you just read between the lines, you already know the answer to the title of this episode. (Hint: no!) Keep listening! You’ll learn why we asked this question. It might be a mistake you’ve already made.  Your talents help you understand how you can make your greatest contribution. But, they do not tell you what you should be doing. A common mistake made with the CliftonStrengths assessment is to take a theme as a label and extrapolate that label into a role. For example, someone with the Communication talent should write the weekly newsletter or make announcements in worship. Maybe. Maybe not. The communication talent theme is all about ease with words. So while a person with the Communication talent theme may have ease with words, they might not like to write. Or, they might

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/105 Just for a moment, think about the first person who invested in you as a leader. How old were you?  Was it in the context of the church, school, sports, scouts or something else?   Were you surprised they invited you to lead? Often, our first leadership experiences shape us. Now that you are a leader of leaders, there are other questions you need to consider.  During this podcast, we'll explore three questions to help you consider who you are is how you lead.  Who are you developing as a leader? As a leader, your primary purpose is the multiplication of disciples. In order for that to happen, you need to invest in leaders. But, as you already know, it's not just about investing in leaders. It's about living out your purpose. Your purpose drives everything you say and do. It also drives your emotions. Take the "Seasons of Following Jesus Quiz" Listen to Episode 104  

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/104 If you say you follow Jesus, you're a disciple. But, are you a wholehearted disciple?  Do you integrate your thinking, feeling, and actions as a follower of Jesus in ways that embody courage, compassion, and connection?  If that sounds like a tall order, join us for episode 104 and explore how courage, compassion, and connection set wholehearted disciples apart and identify YOUR next step to grow as a wholehearted disciple. During this episode, you'll learn why we're exploring wholeheartedness as it relates to disciple-making. It boils down to this: we live in a world that is increasingly disconnected, hurtful (and sometimes hateful), and discouraged. As followers of Jesus, you are empowered to share Christ's love with people in your congregation and the local community. But, that requires integration. It also requires moving beyond the mentality that being a Christian is only about attending worship for one hour a week. Wholehear

Find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/103 Have you ever been given fuzzy directions for a task or project? Of course!  It happens between individuals and groups of people more often than any of us want to admit.  In today's episode, you'll discover three ways clarity drives connection and animates your mission. You'll hear how you can live out your mission in unique ways too.  We might even bring up dog groomers. No, we haven't changed our focus. It's all to make a point about the clarity of purpose. As you consider your purpose, you'll hear us examine one of the places we're communicating that could be clearer. Yes, you read that correctly, we're using ourselves as an example. We all can improve and sometimes it begins with looking at your own communication.  Finally, as you consider the mission, "making disciples of Jesus Christ for the transformation of the world" you'll hear four aspects of disciple-making and examples of how individual talents can bring a mission to life in

You can find show notes for this episode at https://transformingmission.org/102 Who has God created you to be? That may feel like a big question. It is. But our talents and strengths offer us a window to claim who God created us to be. We'll look through that window and offer three reasons to claim who God created you to be. Using scripture and the natural way you think, feel, and behave, this episode creates a space for you to reflect on who God has created you to be. So perhaps right now, you're thinking, "Who has God created me to be?" While we can't answer that question for you, it's likely if we were sitting across from you, you'd have a story to share to highlight your answer to that question. You might tell us about your purpose. You might tell us about your skills. It's possible you would share who helped you recognize who God created you to be.  Or, maybe when asked the question, "Who has God created me to be?" You can only think of titles or roles. And maybe you're among the people who get really qu

You can find this episode at https://tranformingmission.org/podcast You can let us know what episode or topic was most helpful by messaging us at connect@transformingmission.org You can find the quiz we talked about at https://transformingmission.org/quiz