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Many organizations undergo seasons where staff realignment is necessary for growth. A church is no different. This need often stems from clear stagnation or a sudden vacancy on staff.

I’ve had a deep passion for serving the church from a relatively young age and was fortunate enough to have great leaders invest in me early on. Perhaps the most beneficial experience at the very beginning of my ministerial journey was a pastoral internship I received in college.

I am a loud and proud introvert (okay, not really loud per se). Recently I read the book Quiet: The Power of Introverts in a World That Can’t Stop Talking by Susan Cain, and if I were actually loud, I would shout about this book from the rooftops.

In my opinion, everyone should read this book, introverts and extroverts alike. It goes through many studies and theories examining and discussing introversion at its core, laying out ideas on how to tell from an early age whether a child is an introvert or extrovert, as well as the way culture can shape this trait.

The Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast brings you interviews from leaders across the theological spectrum of the global Church. Our goal is to bring you thought-provoking interviews that encourage you, challenge you, and help you build, run, and keep great teams.

In today's episode of the Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast, William talks with David Whiting, Executive Search Consultant at Vanderbloemen Search Group. 

There is probably nothing more exciting to a job seeker than getting “the call.” You know the call I’m talking about: the call from the company you've been tirelessly applying to, interviewing for, and obsessing over for the last several weeks, and maybe even months. This is the long-awaited call where you’re offered a job!

It's easy to get caught up in the excitement of a new offer, especially if the job has been in your sights for a while. Before you accept it, ensure this is the right next step for you by doing your research and spending time in reflection. Consider these four things (if you haven’t already).

Even in a vocation like ministry (which is more of a calling than mere employment), the job search can be frustrating, confusing, and exhausting. I’ve not only personally experienced how soul-draining it can be to send out hundreds of resumes, seemingly into the void, but I’ve also encountered many pastors going through the same, sometimes-defeating process. Along the way, I’ve learned a few things that would have made my own job search much easier.

Here are 4 tips to keep you motivated and encouraged in your job search:

Over the past decade, we have seen several significant changes to the way we do ministry due to the advancement of technology. Among all these technological advancements, perhaps the changes that have best helped pastors be more efficient is email and text. Our communication is almost instantaneous. Some of us can still remember when we had to sit down to hand write a letter, only to wait two or three days before it would reach the other person. 

The Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast brings you interviews from leaders across the theological spectrum of the global Church. Our goal is to bring you thought-provoking interviews that encourage you, challenge you, and help you build, run, and keep great teams.

In today's episode of the Vanderbloemen Leadership Podcast, Holly talks with Pastor Mark Wiltshire and Vlad Ciolan of Bromley Christian Church in Bromley, London.

Student pastors have one of the highest turnover rates in churches. Some people consider the role to be an “entry level” point for individuals who are called to full-time ministry, so many candidates are not committed to a long-term position in student ministry. More often though, turnover stems from simply having the wrong person in the role.

We should expect it. There will be a season where our staff, congregation, and world will experience suffering. We all have our own seasons of hardship, but there will be a time where our church (big C or little c) experiences something that could potentially cause devastation among the church. Whether it is a moral failure, natural disaster, debt, or loss of a loved one, the church needs to understand how to stay standing during difficult circumstances. The question is not how to avoid suffering, but how do we suffer well as the church?