The Unstuck Church Podcast with Amy Anderson

A personality might draw a weekend crowd, but it takes a team to create the healthy systems that foster sustained growth—that's the role of the Senior Leadership Team. Without it, you're depending on heroism at the top. If the SLT is structured well, you can take the lid off your church and create space for sustained health. If it's not, you'll keep funneling everything back to the top. In this episode, Sean and Amy talk about the Senior Leadership Team—the team of people who sit at the top of your org chart. They'll help you see: What the SLT should actually look like How the roles of each member are defined Why getting the SLT right is so important This Episode is Sponsored by PlainJoe Studios: Unlock the power of story in your worship space. The creative, passionate team at PlainJoe, a Storyland Studio, works with churches to create beautiful, engaging spaces that connect with your community. They're a team of architectural, design, and branding experts who transform worship spaces into attractive, engaging hubs for the community. Reach out to their team at plainjoestudios.com and dream up the bright future of your church. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

Pastoral burnout is one of the most critical issues facing church leaders today. And it's not just about overwork or lack of boundaries: Your structure might be the very thing that's creating the conditions for burnout—for both you and your staff. We're seeing this pattern play out in churches everywhere. Lead pastors are drowning under impossible spans of care, unclear role definitions and organizational structures that create silos. Meanwhile, growth is creating momentum that feels exciting but leaves no time to build the systems that would actually sustain health. In this series, we're going beyond the symptoms to address the structural realities that either fuel burnout or create space for sustained health. This week Sean and Amy discuss the structure moves that lead to burnout and provide a set of structural questions to ask to help relieve it. This Episode is Sponsored by PlainJoe Studios: Unlock the power of story in your worship space. The creative, passionate team at PlainJoe, a Storyland Studio, works with churches to create beautiful, engaging spaces that connect with your community. They're a team of architectural, design, and branding experts who transform worship spaces into attractive, engaging hubs for the community. Reach out to their team at plainjoestudios.com and dream up the bright future of your church. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

Ever wonder how your church's metrics, wins and challenges compare to other like-minded churches? This quarter's Unstuck Church Report shows what the "Big C Church" is looking like in 2026 so far. The data covers the biggest barriers churches are facing when it comes to growth, gives perspectives on finances, informs how well churches are helping people engage in their churches, and many other interesting, helpful learnings. Sean and Amy dive into all the data of the Q1 2026 Unstuck Church Report in this episode: Growth Is Happening… But It's Slowing Are People Actually Connecting or Just Attending? WHAT'S BLOCKING GROWTH: The #1 Barrier Will Surprise You Exclusive insights from The Church Lawyers This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers When ministry meets legal complexity, The Church Lawyers are in your corner. Exclusively dedicated to serving churches, ministries, and nonprofit organizations, the firm brings specialized legal expertise that general practice firms simply can't match. From church formation and governance to employment law, property matters, IRS compliance, crisis management, and more — our comprehensive counsel covers every dimension of ministry life. No legal concern is too big or too small. With affordable services and a membership program offering discounted legal rates, quality legal protection is accessible to ministries of every size. Visit TheChurchLawyers.com for free resources and everything you need to get started. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

You can start multisite for all the right reasons: healthy momentum, strong mission and a genuine desire to reach more people. But then a few years in, you find yourself looking around thinking, "Wait… is this actually producing what we hoped it would?" Alignment feels harder. Decision-making feels heavier. Outcomes aren't quite matching the vision you had in mind when you started. And that's where a lot of churches begin asking a really honest question: Did we choose a model that's leading us to different results than we were hoping for? In this episode, Sean and Amy shift from problems to solutions—they share multisite model best practices you can actually benchmark against as you're evaluating where your multisite church might feel stuck. This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers Every church needs trusted legal counsel, but finding attorneys who truly understand ministry can be challenging. The Church Lawyers specialize in church and nonprofit law, serving thousands of organizations nationwide. From by-laws and governance, to IRS compliance and employment matters, The Church Lawyers provide the expertise you need with sound legal advice giving you peace of mind. Discover practical free resources and affordable membership options at thechurchlawyers.com. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

No one goes into multisite thinking, "This model isn't going to work." Everyone starts for the right reasons: more people reached and more communities engaged. But over time, tensions begin to show up. But it's not just normal complexity; it's the kind that starts to impact clarity and limit effectiveness if you don't pay attention to it. Last week, Sean and Amy interviewed three leaders about their experience with multisite. All three pastors made the case that how you start multisite doesn't have to be your model forever. In this episode, Sean and Amy reflect on the takeaways from those stories and start pulling out some of the common challenges we see churches facing in multisite. This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers Every church needs trusted legal counsel, but finding attorneys who truly understand ministry can be challenging. The Church Lawyers specialize in church and nonprofit law, serving thousands of organizations nationwide. From by-laws and governance, to IRS compliance and employment matters, The Church Lawyers provide the expertise you need with sound legal advice giving you peace of mind. Discover practical free resources and affordable membership options at thechurchlawyers.com. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

"Are we doing multisite right?" The truth is that many churches launch multisite with great intentions but eventually find themselves stuck—operationally overwhelmed, financially strained or culturally fragmented across locations. In this series, we're pulling back the curtain on what it really takes to build a healthy, sustainable multisite strategy. We're starting with something a little different—we're letting some church leaders we've served tell their multisite stories in their own words. In this episode, you'll hear from three pastors who have had very different experiences with multisite: Nick Cleveland from Grace Church in Wooster, OH; Christy Gibas from The Table Church in Pittsburgh; and Mike Reinsel from Stonecreek Church in Georgia. This Episode is Sponsored by The Church Lawyers Every church needs trusted legal counsel, but finding attorneys who truly understand ministry can be challenging. The Church Lawyers specialize in church and nonprofit law, serving thousands of organizations nationwide. From by-laws and governance, to IRS compliance and employment matters, The Church Lawyers provide the expertise you need with sound legal advice giving you peace of mind. Discover practical free resources and affordable membership options at thechurchlawyers.com. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

We're trying something different on The Unstuck Church Podcast. It's our first ever "Ask Anything" episode! The idea for this came from our free webinars, where we typically save time at the end for live Q&A. Some of the best takeaways from those events often happen in that live conversation, and we wanted to bring that fun and magic to the podcast. In this episode, Sean and Amy respond to questions YOU, the listeners, submitted by leaving a voicemail on our Ask Anything phone line at (615) 398-9171 or by messaging us on social media or through our free live webinars. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center Planning Center is software designed to help churches help people. With multiple tools in one connected platform, you can stay organized, communicate with your team, and create meaningful ways to connect with your congregation. Start for free at planningcenter.com—pay only for what you need, and cancel anytime. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

​​Two common issues in churches tend to show up together, even though at first glance they don't feel related at all: first engagement steps and physical capacity. On the surface, they sound like two completely different problems. But, in reality, they're way more connected than most leaders realize. You can't grow sustainably if you're not engaging people well, and you can't engage people well if you don't have the space to serve them. These are two of the most common barriers we see; however, the good news is that these have proven solutions. We're wrapping up our series on Five Common Core Issues in Churches by talking about revitalizing your playbook for first engagement steps, getting ahead of your capacity limits and thinking strategically to support health and growth in these areas. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center Planning Center is software designed to help churches help people. With multiple tools in one connected platform, you can stay organized, communicate with your team, and create meaningful ways to connect with your congregation. Start for free at planningcenter.com—pay only for what you need, and cancel anytime. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

Churches everywhere, no matter the size, are struggling with this: the lack of a deep leadership bench. One of the most common pain points we see in churches is not having enough leaders in the pipeline. This puts them in a constant reactive mode, often filling positions out of desperation rather than developing leaders intentionally. New leaders don't identify themselves; you won't drift into success here. You have to be intentional to take the time to work on your leadership bench. We'll show you how. In part two of our series, "Five Common Core Issues in Churches," Sean and Amy talk about the symptoms of a shallow leadership bench, how to build out a leadership development framework and what to start (and stop) doing if this issue sounds familiar to you. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center Planning Center is software designed to help churches help people. With multiple tools in one connected platform, you can stay organized, communicate with your team, and create meaningful ways to connect with your congregation. Start for free at planningcenter.com—pay only for what you need, and cancel anytime. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

After serving more than 750 churches, we've noticed a clear pattern: No matter the size, style, or model, many churches wrestle with a similar set of challenges. They show up in different ways, but the root issues are surprisingly common across the board. That's good news for pastors and ministry leaders—because if the challenges are common, the solutions can be too. You're not alone. And you're not the first church to navigate these obstacles. In this series, we're taking a closer look at five of the most common challenges that consistently show up in our work with churches, starting with the strategy issues. In this episode, Amy and Sean talk about strategies to reach your mission field and strategies for financial health. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center Planning Center is software designed to help churches help people. With multiple tools in one connected platform, you can stay organized, communicate with your team, and create meaningful ways to connect with your congregation. Start for free at planningcenter.com—pay only for what you need, and cancel anytime. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

For years, the narrative in Canada was slow decline, polite disengagement and post-Christian skepticism. But that's not the story they're living right now. There are people from every background actually exploring faith and showing up at church. What's going on in Canada? We're doing something a little different in this episode of the podcast. Sean and Amy invited our Canadian consultants, Jonathan Smith and Drake Farmer, to introduce themselves and talk about what they're seeing in the "big C" church in Canada. In this episode, we have a conversation about the real spiritual hunger emerging across Canada, how a strong invitational culture and posture of hospitality are becoming the new front door and what to be ready with when your growth is outpacing your resources. This Episode is Sponsored by Tyndale: As ministry leaders, you are walking with people through anxiety, grief, conflict, and big questions every week. The HelpFinder Bible is a simple, practical tool to help you point them to Scripture. Its unique HelpFinder Index includes more than 100 life topics—so whether someone is struggling with stress, relationships, or doubt, you can turn straight to relevant verses that speak to their situation. Find God's answers to life's questions—check out HelpFinderBible.com. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

So far in this series, we've talked about how to clarify vision and how to build strong strategies. But even when leaders feel really good about those pieces, there's still a sticking point: getting the whole team aligned and moving together. This is where you might hit a wall. There's a gap between defining your vision and actually making it happen. So it's time to move. In the final episode of our series "How to Not Waste January," Amy and Sean talk about typical signs that show a church is lacking alignment and the three critical steps you can take to realign with your vision. This Episode is Sponsored by Tyndale: What if your Bible could do more than just be read? Experience the innovative, awe-inspiring Filament Bible app! When you pair your Filament-enabled Bible with the FREE Filament app, you'll unlock thousands of study notes, hundreds of videos, interactive maps, devotionals, audio Bibles, and more—all designed to deepen your understanding of and enrich your time in God's Word. Discover more ways to interact with God's Word. Learn more at FilamentBibles.com. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

In January, you have permission to slow down enough to be intentional about the rest of your year. The goal isn't perfection; it's progress. And progress starts with planning. In the next part of our series, "How to Not Waste January," we're moving from reflection to talking about what's next. It's time to refocus by creating plans and establishing rhythms for the new year. In this episode, Amy and Sean talk about how to plan when things are going well at your church, the key questions to ask when planning and how to calendar tangible planning rhythms. This episode is sponsored by PlainJoe Studios. Is your church building a throwback to the wood-paneled world of the 1980s? Does it feel more like going to worship or taking a big step back in time? PlainJoe's fun-loving, passionate team of designers, architects and specialists will transform your dated space, imagining and creating a worship environment that communicates your church's unique story and appeals to people of all ages. Learn more at plainjoe.net. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

January can feel like a throwaway month. If you didn't get strategic planning scheduled early, it can feel like a few weeks of just drifting. Despite all the "New Year, New You" energy our culture puts out, hibernating is often more appealing. But you're leading a church, and you still have a live event every week. You might be leading your church through a season of fasting and prayer or getting small groups up and running again. It's not exactly a slow month. If leveraged well, January can result in a fruitful year. But if you let it slip by, you'll be stuck playing catch-up month after month. So we put our heads together: What practices, initiatives and conversations do we WISH every church leader would set aside time for in January? In the first episode of our new series, "How to Not Waste January," Sean and Amy talk about the importance of taking time to reflect and practical ways to do so. This episode is sponsored by PlainJoe Studios. Is your church building a throwback to the wood-paneled world of the 1980s? Does it feel more like going to worship or taking a big step back in time? PlainJoe's fun-loving, passionate team of designers, architects and specialists will transform your dated space, imagining and creating a worship environment that communicates your church's unique story and appeals to people of all ages. Learn more at plainjoe.net. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.

What's really going on with Gen Z? Gen Z is the most engaged generation right now: Research shows that they are going to church more than anyone else. However, their questions, their expectations and how they explore belief are unlike any other generation, leaving church leaders feeling puzzled. What's resonating with Gen Z? What's falling flat? How should church leaders respond with wisdom, humility and hope? In this episode, Amy interviews Chris Allen, Executive Pastor of CenterPoint Church in Orem, Utah, about the misconceptions of reaching Gen Z, how CenterPoint is approaching Gen Z's interest in church and some best practices for connecting with Gen Z. This episode is sponsored by Donorbox: Still relying on cash and checks for offerings? Half of churchgoers already prefer to give electronically. Donorbox Live Kiosk helps churches like yours boost giving by 35%. Imagine thousands more dollars each month to fortify your ministry. All you need is a tablet, card reader and Donorbox's app. Donorbox lets congregants make tithes, offerings and donations instantly with cards or digital wallets, like Apple Pay and Google Pay. Get two months free at donorbox.org/unstuckpodcast. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.