unSeminary Podcast - podcast cover

unSeminary Podcast

Rich Birchunseminary.com
stuff you wish they taught in seminary.

Episodes

Reaching Gen Z Starts with Rethinking Church with Russ Ewell

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re joined by Russ Ewell, Executive Minister at Bay Area Christian Church (BACC) in California and founder of Deep Spirituality. How can churches meaningfully engage and empower the next generation of leaders? With campuses across Silicon Valley and a deep commitment to developing future leaders, […]

Jun 26, 202533 min

From Living Room to 5,000: Leading a Fast-Growing Church with Jason Hanash

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re joined by Jason Hanash, the founding and lead pastor of Discovery Church in California—one of the fastest growing churches in the country. How do you restructure your staff leadership to keep pace with rapid church growth? Tune in as Jason shares how Discovery evolved from a living […]

Jun 19, 202536 min

Leading Change Without Losing Your Team with Craig Smith

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast! Today we’re talking with Craig Smith, Lead Pastor of Mission Hills Church in Colorado—an 80+ year-old multisite church and one of the fastest-growing in the country. Is your church growing faster than your systems can handle? Do you ever feel like your team is working hard but not aligned? […]

Jun 12, 202534 min

Cultivating a Staff Culture that Drives Church Growth with Shayla McCormick

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re joined by Shayla McCormick, Executive Pastor at Coastal Community Church, a thriving multisite church in South Florida known for its authentic culture and rapid growth. How do you build and protect a thriving staff culture as your church grows? Tune in as Shayla offers practical, actionable insight […]

Jun 05, 202532 min

Burnout, Breakthrough, and the Road to a Healthier Ministry with Bob Riedy

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re joined by Bob Riedy, Senior Pastor of Church of the Open Door in Pennsylvania. After leading one of the fastest-growing churches in the country, Bob found himself facing a personal and professional breakdown. In this deeply transparent episode, he shares his journey through burnout, […]

May 29, 202547 min

Cracking the Outreach Code in Your City with Quovadis Marshall

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today, we’re talking with Quovadis Marshall (Pastor Q), Lead Pastor at Hope City Church in Waterloo, Iowa. Caught up in a life of gangs and violence, he became incarcerated at nineteen years old. However, Pastor Q experienced a life-transforming encounter with Christ through the Prison Fellowship Academy Program. Now […]

May 22, 202536 min

Cut Prep Time, Boost Engagement: The Future of Preaching with Eric Smith

Thanks for joining us at the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Eric Smith, founder and lead pastor of Hope City Church in Florida and co-creator of SermonDone. Are you a pastor who’s feeling the pressure of sermon prep each week? Wondering how you can save time on research and content creation without compromising the quality […]

May 08, 202534 min

The #1 Question Growing Churches Should Be Asking Now with Aaron Stanski

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re joined today by Aaron Stanski, founder and CEO of Risepointe, a church design and project management firm that helps growing ministries align their physical spaces with their mission. With a background in engineering and church leadership, Aaron brings unique insights into how churches can strategically […]

May 01, 202534 min

LCBC: 19 Campuses in the Rust Belt with 25,000 Attendees? Keys to Multisite at Scale

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast during our All About Multisite month. Today we’re talking with David Ashcraft, CEO and President of the Global Leadership Network (GLN), and former Senior Pastor of LCBC Church in Pennsylvania. Are you wrestling with growing pains as your church multiplies? How does an expanding multisite church keep its vision […]

Apr 24, 202540 min

The Money Question: How to Fund, Sustain, and Grow a Thriving Multisite Church

Let’s face it: talking finances can be uncomfortable, but it’s a critical conversation, especially in multisite ministry. Today, I’m tackling one of the toughest—and most essential—questions in multisite: How do we fund, sustain, and scale financially healthy campuses? Throughout our All About Multisite series, I’m providing practical answers every Wednesday and hosting insightful interviews with […]

Apr 23, 202520 min

Christ Fellowship Miami: Homegrown Leaders, Global Impact in a Thriving Multisite Model

Thanks for joining us at the unSeminary podcast. In this All About Multisite month podcast episode we’re talking with Omar Giritli, Lead Pastor, and Carlos Cardenas, Executive Pastor at Christ Fellowship. With campuses spread across Miami, the Caribbean and South America, Christ Fellowship has truly become a model of how to lead a diverse, multi-generational […]

Apr 17, 202537 min

Multisite Myths Busted: How to Overcome the Biggest Multisite Growing Pains

The multisite journey isn’t always smooth—even thriving churches experience growing pains. Today, I’m busting some of the biggest myths and offering practical insights to overcome common struggles within multisite churches. Every week during All About Multisite month, I’m diving deep into practical solutions on Wednesdays and hosting behind-the-scenes conversations with multisite leaders on Thursdays. Today’s […]

Apr 16, 202521 min

One Church: Preaching, Prayer & Presence—A Fresh Take on The Multisite Model

Welcome back to another special All About Multisite episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re joined today by Bo Chancey (Senior Pastor) and Jeremy Peterson (Executive Pastor) from One Church, a growing multisite church based in New Hampshire. With four physical “outposts” and a thriving online presence, One Church is reaching communities across rural and suburban […]

Apr 10, 202539 min

Many Locations, One Church: How to Keep Your DNA While Adapting to Local Campuses

Multisite ministry sounds great—one church, many locations—but practically speaking, balancing centralized consistency with local campus adaptations is a real challenge. In today’s episode of the All About Multisite series, I want to help you manage this important balance effectively. Throughout this series, I’m sharing practical wisdom every Wednesday and insightful interviews with successful multisite churches […]

Apr 09, 202522 min

The Summit Church: Clarity, Culture & Core—Keys to Leading 13 Campuses

Thanks for joining us for this special episode of the unSeminary podcast as we kick off All About Multisite month. In this conversation, we’re joined by Rick Langston and Daniel Simmons from The Summit Church in North Carolina. Rick serves as the Executive Pastor of Strategic Initiatives, and Daniel is the Executive Pastor of Campuses […]

Apr 03, 202547 min

Is Your Church Ready for Multisite? Avoiding Costly Mistakes Before You Launch

Multisite churches have dramatically increased—from just a few hundred in the early 2000s to over 5,000 today. I’ve had the honor of being at the core this movement for nearly 2.5 decades, having led 13 multisite launches and coached many more. My goal in this solo episode is to share insights from my own experience […]

Apr 02, 202520 min

Future-Focused Churches: Why Relational Discipleship Matters with Kara Powell

Thanks for joining us at the unSeminary podcast. In this episode we’re talking with Kara Powell, the Executive Director of the Fuller Youth Institute and Chief of Leadership Formation at Fuller Theological Seminary. How is your church engaging with the next generation? Building connection and trust with young people can be difficult in today’s world. […]

Mar 27, 202531 min

Right People, Right Seats: Rethinking Church Staffing for Growth with Amy Anderson

Welcome back to another episode of the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Amy Anderson, the managing director at The Unstuck Group. Unstuck helps pastors grow healthy churches by guiding them through experiences that align vision, strategy, team, and action. Is your church feeling stuck or overwhelmed by its growth? Wondering if you have the right […]

Mar 13, 202542 min

Seven Days, Not Just Sundays: Using Technology to Engage Your Church All Week Long with Tyler Vance

Welcome to the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Tyler Vance, the COO of Apollos, a digital platform designed to help churches thrive by using technologies for personal growth. Despite being more digitally connected than ever, people lack deep, meaningful relationships. Gen Z has often been called the loneliest generation in history. However, churches are uniquely […]

Mar 06, 202536 min

Healthy Things Grow: Building a Unified and Thriving Staff Team with Chad Bickley

Welcome to the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re talking with Chad Bickley, the executive pastor at Skyline Church in California. Is your church experiencing growth, but you’re struggling with how to maintain a healthy team culture? Wondering how to create a culture that drives growth while ensuring your staff remains aligned and healthy? In this episode […]

Feb 20, 202533 min

Big Dreams, Healthy Rhythms: Avoiding Burnout in Growing Churches with Danny Anderson

Thanks for tuning in to the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Danny Anderson, the Lead Pastor at Emmanuel Church in Indianapolis, Indiana. Is your church growing quickly, but you’re feeling the pressure? Wondering how to balance church growth with spiritual health for yourself and your staff team? Danny shares his journey of leading a fast-growing […]

Feb 13, 202534 min

Great Leaders Over Great Content: Secret Sauce to Thriving Groups with Adam Ader

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. Today we’re talking with Adam Ader, the Groups Director at Parkview Christian Church in Illinois. Is your church looking to improve how you connect people into life-changing groups? Wondering how to lead a growing group ministry that truly impacts people’s lives? Tune in as Adam shares valuable insights on […]

Feb 06, 202536 min

Breaking Free: Addressing Sexual Brokenness in the Church with Nick Stumbo

Welcome back to the unSeminary podcast. We’re talking with Nick Stumbo, the Executive Director of Pure Desire Ministries. According to a Barna study, 75% of Christian men and 40% of Christian women view pornography at least occasionally, with 67% of pastors having a personal history of porn use. How can churches effectively address pervasive issues […]

Jan 30, 202540 min

The Art of Preaching: Balancing Depth and Accessibility in a Secular World with Mark Clark

Welcome to the unSeminary podcast. This month we’re focusing on key “Unpredictions”—timeless truths that church leaders need to be focusing on in 2025 and beyond. In this episode, we’re learning from Mark Clark, the founder of Village Church, a multi-site church with locations in multiple cities across Canada and online around the world. He is […]

Jan 23, 202541 min

Repurpose, Reach, Renew: Unleashing AI for Your Church’s Mission with Kenny Jahng

Welcome to the unSeminary podcast. This month we’re focusing on key “Unpredictions”—timeless truths that church leaders need to be focusing on in 2025 and beyond. In this episode, we’re learning from Kenny Jahng, founder of Big Click Syndicate and AI for Church Leaders, and Editor in Chief of Church Tech Today. We’re talking about how […]

Jan 22, 202535 min

700 Million and Counting: Your Church’s Role in the Fight Against Extreme Poverty with Mike Mantel & Jonathan Wiles

Welcome to the unSeminary podcast. This month we’re focusing on key “Unpredictions”—timeless truths that church leaders need to be focusing on in 2025 and beyond. In this episode, we’re hearing from Mike Mantel, the President and CEO, and Jonathan Wiles, the Chief Operating Officer, of Living Water International (LWI), a faith-based global humanitarian organization. Together […]

Jan 16, 202534 min
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