Transforming Mission Leadercast With Tim Bias & Sara Thomas

Episode 335: The Sweet Spot of Hope In episode 335, The Sweet Spot of Hope, discover how the intersection of future aspirations and present actions creates a 'sweet spot of hope.' Learn how to balance your ability to shape the future with the understanding of your limits. Engage in a reflective experiment on recent accomplishments and future possibilities, understand the importance of agency, and learn to navigate feedback and naysayers. Explore the role of the church in fostering hope and examine concrete steps to engage your community effectively. Don't miss insightful discussions on entitlement, passivity, and actionable steps for cultivating hope and resilience. Transform your leadership and vision by finding and leveraging hope. Read show notes and find resources at https://transformingmission.org/335 TimeStamp for Episode 335: The Sweet Spot of Hope 00:13 Exploring the Sweet Spot of Hope 01:16 A Leadership Experiment 02:49 Overcoming Negative Thoughts 03:56 Hope Killers: Entitlement and Passivity 07:36

In episode 334, Is it Optimism or Hope?, the hosts discuss the critical differences between optimism and hope, emphasizing how Christian leaders can facilitate and empower hope among their followers. They highlight the distinct role of agency in hope, sharing personal anecdotes and the story of Admiral Stockdale to illustrate the concept. The conversation underscores the importance of self-awareness and compassionate leadership in navigating obstacles and fostering a hopeful and proactive community. The episode concludes by reinforcing that true hope requires action and that Jesus exemplifies the ultimate model of hope through love and compassion. Listen to Episode 334 and read more show notes at https://transformingmission.org/334  Episode 334 Time Stamp 00:13 Defining Optimism vs. Hope 00:56 The Role of Leaders in Facilitating Hope 03:26 Navigating Obstacles and Barriers 05:32 Personal Stories and Examples 16:16 The Stockdale Paradox 21:43 Characteristics of Hopeful People 23:56 Conclusion and Final Thought

In this episode, dive into why hope is a fundamental driver of life's most desired behaviors and outcomes. You'll learn how hope influences simple actions and outcomes like showing up, boosting productivity, enhancing well-being, and even improving health. Explore the fascinating correlation between hope and mortality, and envision how the church can be a beacon of hope in the community. Discover the power of setting goals and participating in communal activities like Holy Communion as ways to foster hope. Join this journey of understanding the significant impact of hope on our lives and leadership. Listen to Episode 333: Why Hope Matters at https://transformingmission.org/333 Episode 333 - Why Hope Matters Time Stamp 00:12 The Power of Hope in Daily Life 00:32 Behavior 1: The Importance of Showing Up 02:48 Behavior 2: Boosting Productivity Through Hope 04:01 Behavior 3: Enhancing Well-being with Hope 04:48 Behavior 4: Hope and Good Health 05:38 Behavior 5: Hope and Longevity 06:46 Hope in the Church and Comm

What is nexting? No that’s not a typo. The concept of 'nexting' is a practice of hope that involves anticipating and planning for the future. Explore how hopeful vision and emotional intelligence can guide church leaders in navigating their leadership. Whether you’re working on a new sermon series, seeking to engage your community, and/or creating supportive environments for discipleship, we have the ability to cultivate hope. Hope is a characteristic unique to us as humans. Quite literally, we are hardwired for hope. How can this mental faculty unify and energize communities? Listen to explore the practical applications of hope, its impact on overcoming challenges, and how thoughtful leadership and strategic pathways can cultivate an optimistic and proactive church culture. Listen to Episode 332: Nexting - The Practice of Hope at https://transformingmission.org/332 Time Stamp for Episode 332: Nexting - The Practice of Hope 00:57 The Concept of 'Nexting' 02:44 Hope and the Human Brain 04:17 Hope in Leadership

Welcome to a new series focused on hope. Join us as we discus how our beliefs shape our hope and introduce the traits of hopeful people. We’ll look at the difference between hope and wishful thinking, emphasizing hope as a confluence of reason, passion, and resilience. We’ll introduce you to the hope cycle (or remind you if you’ve been around a while). The Hope Cycle is made up of goals, agency, and pathways—a feedback loop for nurturing hope. Listen to examples from personal and church leadership experiences illustrating the cycle's application. Aimed at Jesus-centered leaders, the episode provides insights into fostering and sustaining hope while navigating obstacles. Listen to Episode 331 at https://transformingmission.org/331 Time Stamp for Episode 331 Cultivating Resilience Through Hope 00:34 The Nature of Hope 00:43 True and False Beliefs Quiz 01:14 Characteristics of Hope vs. Wishful Thinking 02:34 Starting a New Series on Hope 02:40 Defining Hope for Leaders 04:00 Vision for the Future 07:49 The Hope

Living Our Mission: The Role and Impact of the Church Today Gain insights into the unique aspects of the church, the importance of staying connected to the mission, and how to function as the body of Christ in today's world. Learn about essential church functions, the impact of church size on living into the mission, and practical ways to engage and transform your community through personal faith growth. This episode empowers you to understand and live out your spiritual calling, both within church walls and beyond. Listen to Living our Mission: The Role and Impact of the Church Today at https://transformingmission.org/330 Timestamp for Episode 330 Living Our Mission: The Role and Impact of the Church Today 00:19 Personal Journey to the Methodist Church 02:59 Understanding the Church as the Body of Christ 03:45 Living the Mission: We Are the Church 07:00 Impact of Church Size on Mission 13:56 HOPE: A Pathway for Disciple-Making 16:19 Challenges and Opportunities in Modern Church 19:49 Connecting with the Comm

In episode 329, the conversation continues from episode 328, transitioning from discussing worship to the art and significance of preaching. Tim shares about the use of the lectionary in preaching, the importance of cultivating relationships with Jesus and people, and effective sermon preparation techniques. He includes his thoughts on various aspects like incorporating stories, different types of scripture writing, and the context and form in sermons. You’ll hear reminders from Tim emphasizing the essence of a preacher's relationship with God and the congregation, and how it shapes their message and delivery. The episode concludes with broader reflections on worship and preaching, alongside practical advice for preachers as well as congregants. Listen to Episode 329 at https://transformingmission.org/329 Time Stamp for Episode 329 00:33 Transition from Worship to Preaching 00:46 The Role of the Lectionary in Preaching 03:08 Advice for New Preachers 04:31 Listening to a Sermon 07:27 Major Themes in the Gospel

This week our discussion centers around worship, exploring the purpose of worship, key elements of worship planning, and the impact of preferences on worship services. As a reminder, worship is centered on connecting with God and living out God's love in everyday situations. Important aspects like music, liturgy, and the need for a collaborative approach to worship planning are discussed, along with tips for avoiding common pitfalls like disruptive announcements. Special Sundays and the importance of following the liturgical calendar to tell the story of God's love are also addressed. Listen to Episode 328 at https://transformingmission.org/328  TimeStamp for Worship: Crafting Authentic Experiences 00:31 Understanding the Purpose of Worship 03:14 Planning Worship Services 05:24 Addressing Worship Wars and Preferences  07:51 Elements of Worship: Music and Liturgy 10:17 Team-Based Worship Planning 14:57 Special Sundays and Liturgical Calendar 21:57 Avoiding Distractions in Worship 27:01 Conclusion and Sending F

As we continue the Ministry Masterclass series, this week we’re focusing on leadership. We’ll look at an exploration of leadership influences and how their teachings have shaped our leadership. We’ll look at the habits and experiences that fuel effective leadership, emphasizing the importance of authenticity, generosity, and daily reflection. Then we turn our attention to identifying and developing emerging leaders, highlighting qualities like humility, lifelong learning, and genuine care for others. Leadership is based in relationships. Explore the four needs of followers (trust, stability, compassion, and hope) and how leaders can meet these needs to lead effectively. The episode concludes with wisdom on maintaining spiritual and mental health for leaders and a benediction encouraging listeners to share the love and encouragement they've received. Listen to Episode 327 at https://transformingmission.org/327 TimeStamp for Cultivating Christ-Centered Leaders 00:27 Influences on Leadership 02:37 Habits and Exp

Creating and Implementing a Discipleship Pathway: Insights and Practical Tips In Episode 326, we dive deep into the crucial subject of discipleship. This week's episode focused on faith formation. You might call it discipleship or disciple-making. Whatever language you use, we’re focusing on what it means to help people become and deepen their relationship with Jesus by being a followers of Jesus. If you’ve been with us for any length of time, you know we’ll highlight the congregational disciple-making pathway called HOPE, which stands for Hospitality, Offering Christ, Practicing the Faith, and Engagement. Tim and Sara discuss the importance of having a defined pathway for making disciples, addressing both the necessity of the pathway and how it can be embodied within a church setting. They emphasize the significance of relational and faith-oriented approaches to disciple-making over mere programmatic efforts. Through several questions and examples, we’ll share how reflection and storytelling play pivotal rol

Welcome to a new series, entitled 'Ministry Masterclass.' This month we’re celebrating Tim’s 50+ years of leadership as a pastor in the United Methodist Church. Sara’s inviting Tim to share his wisdom about five key topics for ministry: mission, discipleship, leadership, worship and preaching and the church. We’ll cover each topic in a separate episode. This episode features an in-depth interview with Tim, exploring the core mission of the church and how to lead ministries effectively. The conversation covers the importance of a Christ-centered mission, aligning church activities with God’s work, and the critical role of spiritual health in leadership. Tim shares personal stories and insights on fostering a mission-focused culture within congregations and discusses strategies for pacing change and maintaining focus amidst challenges.  Next week, we’ll explore the topic of discipleship. Listen to this episode at https://transformingmission.org/325 TimeStamp for Mission - A Ministry Masterclass 00:40 Introducin

Weeds and Seeds of Ministry: Breaking Free from Status Quo Episode 324 shares the seventh weed and seed of ministry. You’re invited to get beyond the weeds - the hurdles like overwhelm, fear, and isolation, we’ve termed as 'weeds.' Instead, let’s focus on solutions called 'seeds.' The seeds promote growth and effective leadership. This week’s 'weed' is the 'status quo shamrock', while the 'seed' is 'Celebration Cypress,' emphasizing the importance of recognizing and celebrating God's presence. Join us as we look at real stories, practical tips, and reflections to help leaders move beyond the status quo and lead dynamic faith communities. Listen to episode 324 at https://transformingmission.org/324 TimeStamp for Status Quo Shamrock and Celebration Cypress 00:17 Understanding Weeds and Seeds 01:01 This Week's Weed: Status Quo Shamrock 02:09 Challenges of the Status Quo 03:51 Real-Life Example of Status Quo 09:18 Introducing the Seed: Celebration Cypress 11:06 Implementing Celebration Cypress 14:33 Real-Life Exa

The 'weeds' and 'seeds' in leadership and ministry. Weeds symbolize the obstacles that hinder effective leadership, while seeds represent the positive approaches and practices that promote growth and effective leadership. The episode focuses on the weed 'Know It All Narcissus' which represents individuals with a fixed mindset, unwilling to learn or listen, and contrasts this with the seed 'Lifelong Learner Lily', symbolizing leaders who recognize their continuous need for learning and growth. Through this metaphor, the podcast provides insights into overcoming leadership challenges by embracing a growth mindset, listening, and learning from others to effectively serve communities and foster a movement of Jesus followers. Listen to Episode 323 at https://transformingmission.org/323 TimeStamp 00:29 The Basics of Weeds and Seeds 01:09 Diving into This Week's Weed: Know It All Narcissus 03:14 Exploring the Fixed Mindset of Know It All Narcissus 07:12 Introducing Lifelong Learner Lily: The Antidote to Know It All

Anything Goes Anemone and Pathway of Palms We’re on the fifth episode of examining the challenges (weeds) and positive practices (seeds) in ministry leadership. You can find previous episodes on the show notes page. 'Weeds' are obstacles like fear, time constraints, and isolation. These are things that can hamper growth and effectiveness in leadership. This week the focus is on 'Anything Goes Anemone.' This particular weed highlights the issues with unfocused busyness and lack of connection to mission within church activities. Conversely, 'seeds' are empowering practices that foster successful leadership and growth. 'The Pathway of Palms' is the seed for this episode. This seed represents a discipleship pathway aimed at guiding individuals in their faith journey more fruitfully and intentionally. Throughout the episode, practical advice is offered on moving away from the 'Anything Goes' mentality by aligning activities with mission-focused questions and fostering focused discipleship through engagement, servi

The 'Center of Attention Snapdragon' and 'Mission Myrtle' are the weeds and seeds we explore in this episode. The episode discusses the concept of 'weeds' in ministry, which are obstacles like overwhelm, fear, isolation, and becoming too self-focused, that hinder leaders from fulfilling their divine purpose. These weeds can choke out effectiveness and need to be identified and replaced with 'seeds,' which are practices or mindsets that promote healthy ministry and leadership. The center of attention snapdragon is self-centered. The invitation is to shift from self-centric leadership to mission-centric, through self-awareness, humility, and intentionality in keeping Jesus at the center of ministry. By asking probing questions to keep the focus on the mission of spreading Jesus’ love and teachings. Join us this week and be reminded that Jesus is the center of all we do. Listen to episode 321 at https://transformingmission.org/321 TimeStamp for Center of Attention Snapdragon and Mission Myrtle 00:25 Understandin

In episode 320, 'The Weeds and Seeds of Ministry: Micromanaging Millet and Trusting Thyme,' hosts Sara and Tim explore the concept of 'weeds' that hinder leadership effectiveness, such as micromanagement, and 'seeds' that promote growth, like building trust. They discuss how micromanaging, often rooted in insecurity or a lack of self-awareness, can disempower teams and hamper ministry. Conversely, they highlight 'trusting thyme' as a leadership approach centered on authenticity, vulnerability, and patience, which nurtures trusting relationships and empowers teams. The episode is filled with practical insights and stories to help leaders reflect on their practices, overcome the 'weed' of micromanagement, and cultivate the 'seed' of trust for effective ministry leadership. Listen to Episode 320 at https://transformingmission.org/320 Time Stamp 00:23 Understanding Weeds and Seeds in Ministry 02:00 Diving into the Weeds: Micromanaging Millet 02:22 Characteristics and Consequences of Micromanaging 04:33 Personal E

In Episode 319 of the Transforming Mission podcast titled 'Weeds and Seeds of Ministry, Part Two,' the hosts dive into the concept of 'weeds' that can hinder ministry effectiveness, such as overwhelm, fear, and isolation, and how 'seeds' can serve as solutions to these issues. The episode emphasizes the importance of identifying and managing these challenges through equipping others, building trust, and adopting practices that fuel effective ministry. Specificall, this week, Tim and Sara look at the 'Orchard of Overwhelm.' It is introduced as a metaphor for the busy and demanding aspects of ministry life, alongside strategies for moving towards the 'Equipping Olive Grove,' where leaders can foster an environment of empowerment and growth. The discussion includes practical advice on self-awareness, delegating responsibilities, and leveraging one's strengths in ministry. The podcast aims to equip leaders to lead a movement of Jesus followers by navigating the balance between the challenges ('weeds') and opportu

Episode 318 starts a new series on the podcast, 'The Weeds and Seeds of Ministry.' Join us to look at things that get in the way of ministry effectiveness and things that fuel missional impact. This episode draws from biblical parables regarding seeds. Using the analogy of weeds and seeds, let’s explore the challenges (weeds) and solutions/responses (seeds) ministry leaders face. Join us as we explore the necessity of recognizing and addressing obstacles such as overwhelm, fear, and isolation (weeds), and advocates for adaptive leadership and trust-building (seeds) to foster growth and effectiveness in ministry leadership. We’ll look at the first weed and seed by comparing and contrasting Cookie Cutter Crocus with Leadership Lavendar. Yes, we’re having a little fun with these names. The overarching goal of the series is to aid leaders in identifying and overcoming challenges ('weeds') while nurturing positive, growth-oriented practices ('seeds'). Listen at https://transformingmission.org/podcast https://trans

Episode 317, 'Resurrection Choices', explores the theme of resurrection as a metaphor for leadership and personal growth. In this Easter season episode, the hosts discuss how the concept of resurrection symbolizes the possibility of new life and hope emerging from failure and setbacks. They introduce a three-step process inspired by Brene Brown's work on resilience, consisting of the reckoning, the rumble, and the revolution, to help individuals learn from failures and reinvent themselves. This process involves acknowledging emotions, challenging assumptions, and writing a brave new ending to our stories. Through this discussion, the episode emphasizes the power of self-awareness, the importance of emotional honesty, and the transformative potential of the resurrection in both leadership and everyday life. Listen to Episode 317 at https://transformingmission.org/317 Time Stamp for Resurrection Choices 00:00 Introduction to Resurrection Choices 00:48 The Essence of Resurrection: New Life and Hope 02:24 Embraci

 Episode 316 of Transforming Mission’s podcast, titled 'A Week of Choices,' guides listeners through a scriptural journey for each day of Holy Week. Starting with Monday before Easter and culminating on Easter Sunday, the episode features daily scripture readings from the Gospel of John, accompanied by thoughtful prayers. These readings and prayers reflect significant events from Jesus's arrival in Bethany to his resurrection, aiming to provide insights and comfort. The episode encourages listeners to reflect on the themes of service, betrayal, sacrifice, and resurrection, promoting a deeper understanding and connection with the story of Holy Week. Listen, read, reflect, and respond to the scripture and prayer shared in this episode at https://transformingmission.org/316  TimeStamp for Episode 316: A Week of Choices 00:32 Monday: The Beginning of Holy Week John 12:1-11 03:38 Tuesday: The Greeks Seek Jesus John 12:20 - 36 06:27 Wednesday: The Betrayal Foretold John 13:21-32 08:46 Thursday: The Last Supper and