We often lead from a place of seeking confirmation in God’s “Yes”, but have we learned the voice of God’s “No”? In this episode, Pastor Ben Weiss shares how his ministry journey of highs of the miraculous AND the pain of the lowest lows have reinforced his resiliency in obedience to God’s leading. It also shaped his ministry strategy from pray and spray, to a more focused target.

We’re going big on real and practical in this one, so let’s get to it!

Resources Highlighted in this Interview:

• Connect further with Ben at https://gracecommunitychurch.com/

Guest Bio:

Pastor Ben Weiss married his high school sweetheart, Crystal Weiss, in 1996, and together they have been serving in ministry since Ben graduated from Christ For The Nations in 1997. Ben joined Grace Community Church as Youth Pastor in 2004 and later served as Family Pastor beginning in 2009 before becoming Senior Pastor in 2012. Over the years, Pastor Ben has also served as District Youth Director, NextGen Director, Family Camp Director, and currently serves as the Area Pastor for North Central Texas.

Ben and Crystal are passionate about seeing Grace Community Church fulfill its mission of Loving God, Loving People, and Building Strong Families. They believe community involvement is foundational to advancing the Gospel and actively minister throughout North Fort Worth and the surrounding communities. Pastor Ben and Crystal have four beautiful children, a wonderful daughter-in-law, and a granddaughter who is in charge of everything!

Episode Credits:

Audio Engineer & Editing by AJ Williams

Produced by Chad Garrison

Connect With Ministry w/o Hating It:
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Thanks for listening! If this podcast is a helpful resource to you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review and sharing it with others.

Like it or not, there’s no getting around impact communications and events can have in our ministry. In this episode, Pastor, Communications & Events Coordinator, Rachel VanProyen Pratt shares how she’s continually learning to stay spiritually grounded, pursue excellence and still embrace grace for yourself as you go. We also unpack communication as truth telling and value-giving, when to utilize or abstain from AI, never abdicating your creative spirit and how authenticity communicates on a greater level than you may realize.

It’s time to party, so everybody just have a good time…

Resources Highlighted in this Interview:

• Connect further with Rachel here
• Foursquare Central District Resources

Guest Bio:

Rachel VanProyen Pratt serves as Communications & Events Coordinator for the Central District of The Foursquare Church, leading district communications, managing events, and supporting a network of pastors, churches, and leaders across the region.

A pastor's kid from Washington State, Rachel grew up immersed in church and ministry life, getting her start at summer camps as a counselor, worship leader, and camp cook (yes, really). Those experiences shaped her calling and sparked her passion for creating spaces where people can grow, belong, and connect with Jesus.

Rachel is passionate about giving people and leaders practical tools to follow Jesus well in everyday life. She loves working at the intersection of strategy and execution, working building systems, shaping communication, and designing experiences that equip and move people forward. She believes the best communications and events don't just inform or impress; they help people connect to something bigger than themselves.

She previously served as an assisting pastor at Lifehouse Church in San Antonio, Texas, overseeing communications and administration. Rachel holds a Bachelor's in Biblical Studies from Life Pacific University, is an ordained minister with The Foursquare Church, and is currently pursuing an MA in Spiritual Formation from Northeastern Seminary. She lives in Ashburn, VA with her husband, Jesse, and their cat, Maggie.

Connect With Ministry w/o Hating It:
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Thanks for listening! If this podcast is a helpful resource to you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review and sharing it with others.

For most, to “honor” simply means to not talk bad about someone else. And by doing so we have utilized language and practices of honor to avoid hard conversations. In this Brave Conversations episode with BrianJames McMahon, we break down how the original translation of the Hebrew word found in scripture for “honor” brings an element of honesty to the way we truly honor others. Because without honesty, you may not actually be honoring at all, and ultimately prevent healing altogether.

It’ll get sideways on us fast, but join us, cause we’re going someplace good!

Resources Highlighted in this Interview:

• Free Brave Conversations Webinar Registration
• Church Well Co Website
• BrianJames Therapy Website
• Connect further with BrianJames at Instagram: @brianjamesmcmahon @church_well_co

Guest Bio:

BrianJames McMahon is a pastor, counselor, and founder of both Church Well Co, and BrianJames Therapy. He works with pastors, churches, and communities to develop safe(r) relational and emotional spaces for healing and connection.

BrianJames cares deeply that the Church of Jesus embodies the person of Jesus with beauty, bravery, and connection.Never one to shy away from messiness and pain, he has committed his life to helping leaders honestly face the pain present in their lives and callings and to walk into the fullness of the life Jesus has for them in honesty, openness, and bravery.

Episode Credits:

Audio Engineer & Editing by AJ Williams

Produced by Chad Garrison

Connect With Ministry w/o Hating It:
Our LinkTree | Support MWH @ Buy Me A Coffee
Thanks for listening! If this podcast is a helpful resource to you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review and sharing it with others.

You might have a good team, but is it the right team? In this episode, we sit down with Pastor Jay Haugh to discuss his journey of stepping into the role as a first-time senior pastor in a brand new city, and the practical insight he’s gained through the seasons of assessing and building ministry teams, identifying leadership gaps and ultimately prioritizing character over charisma.

Brenton & Jay also bond over their workout routines, so let’s get to it!

Resources Highlighted in this Interview:

• Connect further with Jay here
• Ekkology: Pastoral Leadership Assessment

Guest Bio:

Jay has been married to Jen for almost 23 years. Ministry has taken them on a journey to multiple locations (TX, Mexico, CA, MN, WA, and IA). They have two teenagers, Ben (18) and Abi (16). They seem to like us, the Church, and Jesus, which is a blessing we don't take for granted (especially their heart for Jesus).

Jay enjoys helping others engage the Bible and take next steps toward God. He loves leading and serving alongside the NCBC staff and volunteers and being a part of God’s mission to help others find and follow Jesus.

To keep himself close to Jesus, Jay works at memorizing Scripture, a practice that has changed his mindset and given him hope when life is hard. He regularly remains active through CrossFit, basketball, golf, and walks with his wife, Jen. He also enjoys an action or mystery book, shoot em' up movie, and a donut or pastry.

Education

• BA in Philosophy at Saint Cloud State University (2003)
• M.Div at Fuller Theological Seminary (2011)
• D.Min at Talbot Seminary (2024)

Episode Credits:

Audio Engineer & Editing by AJ Williams

Produced by Chad Garrison

Connect With Ministry w/o Hating It:
Our LinkTree | Support MWH @ Buy Me A Coffee
Thanks for listening! If this podcast is a helpful resource to you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review and sharing it with others.

What started as a throwaway, icebreaker question, has officially become an entire episode. For this roundtable conversation, we brought in NextGen Pastor and Spice Girls Super Fan, Salina Gordon, along with MWH’s very own AJ Williams, to answer a question that’s deeper than you might think.

Asking, “Were the Spice Girls a good team,” actually opens up an entire discussion around team dynamics, individual personalities, balanced vs. specialized roles, running lanes, team goals, sustainability and what actually defines a “good team”. Like we said, it’s deeper than you think. Join us, it’s time to “Spice Up” this podcast!

Resources Highlighted in this Interview:

• Connect further with Salina at Illuminatemuncie.com
• Connect further with AJ at churchoftheopendoor.snappages.site

Guest Bio:

Salina Gordon has served as the NextGen Pastor at Illuminate Muncie (Muncie, IN) for the last three years, bringing plenty of “Spice Up Your Life” energy to every team and ministry she leads. Through children’s ministry, camp directing, and D.IV.E. team leadership, she’s learned that if you “Wannabe” a strong leader, you have to build people up, encourage collaboration, and know when to “Stop” playing it safe. She believes in taking “risks” on leaders, because friendship never really ends when a team is growing together with purpose. Whether helping volunteers find their voice or guiding students through leadership development, Salina works to make every ministry space a little more “Viva Forever” — full of growth, confidence, and passion for the next generation.

AJ Williams is the Associate Pastor at Church of the Open Door in Clinton, Iowa, and serves as the Iowa NextGen Regional Mobilizer for the Foursquare Central District. Alongside his beautiful wife, Taylor Rel-Williams, and their daughter, Billie Rae-Ann Williams, AJ is passionate about helping people encounter Jesus in a way they feel seen, heard, and so loved that they are also sharing who Jesus is to those around them.

Having served in NextGen ministry across Iowa since 2018, AJ eventually returned to his hometown to continue serving the community that helped shape him. His heart for ministry is centered on helping people discover that they are seen, loved, and created with purpose by God.

Episode Credits:

Audio Engineer & Editing by AJ Williams

Produced by Chad Garrison

Connect With Ministry w/o Hating It:
Our LinkTree | Support MWH @ Buy Me A Coffee
Thanks for listening! If this podcast is a helpful resource to you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review and sharing it with others.

We want to be safe people. We might think that we are safe people, and oftentimes we do become very safe for people. But pastoring is not a safe experience. In this episode we kick off our first Brave Conversations Episode in collaboration with Church Well Co, and BrianJames McMahon. Together we unpack the truth that just because we say “this is a safe space” within relationship, it does not necessarily mean others automatically feel safe. Let's discover what the journey to “Becoming Safe(r)” really means in our life and leadership.

Resources Highlighted in this Interview:

• Church Well Co Website
• BrianJames Therapy Website
• https://churchwell.co/articles/safe-communities
• Connect further with BrianJames at Instagram: @brianjamesmcmahon @church_well_co

Guest Bio:

BrianJames McMahon is a pastor, counselor, and founder of both Church Well Co, and BrianJames Therapy. He works with pastors, churches, and communities to develop safe(r) relational and emotional spaces for healing and connection.

BrianJames cares deeply that the Church of Jesus embodies the person of Jesus with beauty, bravery, and connection.Never one to shy away from messiness and pain, he has committed his life to helping leaders honestly face the pain present in their lives and callings and to walk into the fullness of the life Jesus has for them in honesty, openness, and bravery.

Episode Credits:

Audio Engineer & Editing by AJ Williams

Produced by Chad Garrison

Connect With Ministry w/o Hating It:
Our LinkTree | Support MWH @ Buy Me A Coffee
Thanks for listening! If this podcast is a helpful resource to you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review and sharing it with others.

How do you lead when you are ultimately not the one in charge? In this episode we sit down with Starla Smith, who serves as an Executive Pastor, to break down what leadership from the 2nd chair looks like. Starla shares stories from her ministry journey of unexpectedly finding herself in roles of authority, what she’s learned from seasons of transition and her intentionality to keep touch points with people just as important as the tasks of the role.

Get your thinking emoji loaded up for this one, because the 2nd chair matters!

Resources Highlighted in this Interview:

• Connect further with Starla here

Guest Bio:

Executive Pastor · Author · Overcomer, Starla Smith is a wife, mother of two, and proud grandma — or "Lala," as her four grandkids call her. But beyond the roles she treasures most, she's also a pastor with a story few would have predicted.

An unlikely minister by her own admission, Starla's journey in faith began simply — serving in youth groups at the very church where she now leads as executive pastor. She didn't chase a title; she was faithful to each open door, and those doors led her further than she ever imagined.

A writer, adventurer, teacher, and lover of deep conversation, Starla brings her whole self to every room she enters. Her heart beats for one thing above all: encouraging others to live fearlessly — no matter what they're facing.

"To live my life as an example of one who overcomes — sharing my story to encourage others to live fearlessly in the face of every struggle, that I might be faithful in all He asks, moving forward through trusting in His love."

Episode Credits:

Audio Engineer & Editing by AJ Williams

Produced by Chad Garrison

Connect With Ministry w/o Hating It:
Our LinkTree | Support MWH @ Buy Me A Coffee
Thanks for listening! If this podcast is a helpful resource to you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review and sharing it with others.

As a ministry leader, if you were asked “Who are you discipling,” how would you answer? What if we said preaching and leading classes don’t count? Starts getting real, real fast! In this episode, Timmy Hensel & Melissa Brotherton return for a round table discussion about why this question can be uncomfortable, yet so necessary to keep at the forefront of our ministry. We’ll get practical in implementing discipleship practices, what gets in the way of actually doing it, creating a discipleship culture in our church, shifting away from the shame of asking the question, and ultimately measuring fruitfulness in the process.

Whether we stay on script, or not, this Shop Talk is for you–er, I mean, your friend!

Resources Highlighted in this Interview:

• DiscipleShift: Five Steps That Help Your Church to Make Disciples Who Make Disciples by Jim Putman & Bobby Harrington with Robert Coleman
• Ordinary Discipleship: How God Wires Us for the Adventure of Transformation by Jessie Cruickshank
• After Doubt: How to Question Your Faith Without Losing It by A.J. Swoboda

Guest Bio:

Timmy Hensel and his wife 'Tisha are the co-pastors of River Church Family in Kansas City, Missouri. They’re high school sweethearts that have been happily married for 25 years and have three children: Kai, Asher and Brynnlie. Together with their church family they own and operate a community swimming pool and helped to launch a local nonprofit transitional housing program, River of Refuge. Timmy serves as the Central Southeast Regional Pastor overseeing Foursquare churches in Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Mississippi and parts of Kansas and Illinois. Timmy graduated from Life Pacific College in 2002 with a BA in Biblical Studies and in 2017 with a MA in Strategic Leadership. He was ordained in the Foursquare Church in 2005.

Timmy is humbled and honored to serve, develop, and celebrate other pastors and leaders throughout our Foursquare family. Timmy loves his city and spends time connecting through various social communities, raising awareness for causes that benefit their neighbors, and involvement in local opportunities to support individuals who have special needs, like his daughter Brynnlie. Timmy loves the sound of frogs and thinks it's God's special way of saying He loves him.

Melissa Brotherton is the lead pastor of Hope Boulder Foursquare church in Boulder, CO, the Foursquare Central District Women’s Mobilizer and a chaplain for the Boulder Fire Department.

She was born and raised in the shadow of Mount Rainier in the Pacific Northwest. She now calls the shadow of the Rocky Mountains (in Colorado) home, where she lives with her husband and four children. She’s a voracious reader, a lackadaisical knitter, an avid Seahawks fan, and deeply devoted to Jesus and her family.

Melissa has a masters in Strategic Leadership from Life Pacific University and is passionate about seeing people step into their true identity as image-bearers of Christ and what that means for how they live their lives.

Episode Credits:

Audio Engineer & Editing by AJ Williams

Produced by Chad Garrison

Connect With Ministry w/o Hating It:
Our LinkTree | Support MWH @ Buy Me A Coffee
Thanks for listening! If this podcast is a helpful resource to you, please consider subscribing, leaving a review and sharing it with others.