Behind the Seal
ECFA's blue seal has been a symbol of trust and accountability for over four decades, but what does that mean? Is it the seal alone that inspires confidence, or is it the nonprofits and churches behind the seal? Tune in to conversations between ECFA's President and CEO, Michael Martin, and prominent leaders. Together, we'll share stories from behind the scenes of various Christ-centered ministries and churches, highlighting how trust serves as the foundation of it all.
Episodes
What if your pastor is one conversation away from burnout—and no one knows it?
In ministry, the warning signs don’t always look like collapse. Sometimes, they look like silence, fatigue, or a slow drift from intimacy with God.
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Jeramy and Jerusha Clark of Standing Stone Ministry to talk about the emotional and spiritual toll leadership can take—and what it looks like to care for pastors b...
What if the key to leading others well starts with healing your own heart?
In this powerful conversation, Gabe Lyons—author, speaker, and founder of THINQ Media—joins us to talk about leadership, marriage, emotional health, and why being grounded in your identity as a child of God is more important than your title or metrics. From cultivating honest spaces for leaders to wrestle with hard questions, to sharing the d...
What does it take to build—and rebuild—trust in leadership? In this powerful episode, Dr. Henry Cloud, bestselling author of books like Boundaries and Trust, reveals why trust is the foundation of every healthy relationship, team, and organization—and what leaders can do when it’s been broken. From identifying the key elements of trust to recognizing barriers like defensiveness, fear, and narcissism, Dr. Cloud offers pract...
As leaders in a digitally driven world, how do we balance productivity with presence?
How do we create space for silence, reflection, and meaningful connection in an always-on world?
What role do faith communities play in shaping healthier digital habits?
Felicia Wu Song, cultural sociologist and author of Restless Devices, joins host Michael Martin to explore these pressing questions.
Felicia unpacks the profound...
Leadership doesn’t have to come at the cost of your soul. In this compelling episode, ECFA President Michael Martin sits down with Mindy Caliguire, founder of Soul Care and author of Ignite Your Soul, for a candid conversation on the growing crisis of burnout—and what we can do about it.
Together, they unpack ECFA’s new Standard for Leader Care, explore the warning signs of soul neglect, and share practical rhythms for spi...
This season, we explore what makes leaders last, from humility to impact and the care that carries them there.
What if leadership wasn’t just about performance but about wholeness? This season, we’re having the real conversations every leader needs—about burnout, trust, soul care, relationships, and leading with integrity. Featuring insightful voices like Mindy Caliguire, Dr. Henry Cloud, Lysa TerKeurst, and more, we’re exploring the unseen challenges leaders face and the wisdom needed to overcome them. Whether you’re navigating di...
A thriving culture drives a staff and organization to new heights. Kim Williams shares how to cultivate such a culture that can spread like wildfire in a workplace. Specifically, she explores ECFA’s own intentional pursuit of three key organizational values: Humble, Hardworking, and Healthy.
📻 Listen and subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.ecfa.org/Content/Podcast
Harold Moore's story of hard work and striving is all too familiar. After a marketing and pastoring career, the Lord led him uniquely to ECFA as the Executive Administrator to the President. Harold exudes joyous serving while also exhorting ECFA staff towards healthy leadership. Michael and Harold talk candidly about their professional, personal, and spiritual dynamic as humility, honor, and legacy overlap.
Find out more ab...
Michael Martin, ECFA's President, takes us back to 2021 when ECFA's Board started digging into how a leader's health affects financial integrity and trust. In the past two years, ECFA has surveyed and researched this connection. The ECFA board has applied these findings to better support the health of its own leadership and staff. With each conversation, ECFA was encouraged by ministry and church leaders to continue this r...
We’re blessed to speak with Bishop Derek Grier of Grace Church. He’s the top leader at Grace and a Board Member here at ECFA. He dives into why supporting pastors is so vital right now and how the board can prioritize relationship building with top leaders! His leadership in the National Unity Weekend has spurred Christ-Centered conversations and action on race and diversity nationwide. Finally, he's been involved in E...
Rob Hoskins and David Branker of One Hope Ministries have developed a reputation as a ministry with excellence in board and leader relationships, staff culture, and Christ-centered vision. Intentionality underscores all parts of their culture as leadership seeks intergenerational accountability. To live for Christ in your personal life and your public life, if they all look the same, is the most authentic you can be!
One Ho...
Women Doing Well's purpose is to activate women towards purposeful generosity. 95% of women will, at some point in their life, be the primary financial decision maker for their family, yet a larger percentage do not feel confident and equipped to to handle what God has given to them.
https://womendoingwell.org/
What do job interviews reveal about the current character of a candidate? William Vanderbloemen and his search firm have a unique knowledge of the staff at many Christian organizations and churches because they interviewed and recruited many of them! What do they look for when talking to a potential church or ministry leader? Ownership, transparency, excuses. No one is perfect, and how we approach our past failures defines...
Mark Yarbrough was a student, professor, and now President of Dallas Theological Seminary. For 100 years, DTS has held the word of God high in training young men and women to go into ministry and shepherd flocks worldwide.
What's next for Pastors? How do cultural influences challenge private seminaries? How does a seminary take on the challenge of teaching integrity to future leaders?
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts...
Raised as a Pastor's kid, then going in the ministry himself for over 35 years, Sam Chand has seen the changes in the church firsthand. His book, Leadership Pains, dials into the challenges that have resulted in failure among pastors. He's come alongside leaders as a first responder after a fall.
Subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: https://www.ecfa.org/podcast
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Best Christian Workplaces Co-Founder and Board Chair Al Lopus has seen it all. Anonymous surveys reveal the heart of health in organizations. He shares telling signs of unhealth and examples of leaders who took it head on, even as they were the problem.
Check out the Flourishing Culture Leadership Podcast here: https://workplaces.org/podcast
Ministry Lead Brian Kreeger worked hard. He was doing the Lord's work at all costs. Listen to his reflections from The Courageous Ask, a book considering how a leader finds support from his board, friends, and fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Connect with Brian
https://www.briankreeger.com/
ECFA's Lessons from the Boardroom
https://www.ecfa.org/lessonsnonprofitboardroom/Default.aspx
Gary Hoag sees and hears about the global church every day. As CEO of Global Trust Partners, birthed from the heartbeat of ECFA, Gary witnesses how ministry work is done worldwide and how different cultures and governments perceive financial integrity, good governance, and leadership. Biblically, Gary has spent time as a New Testament scholar considering the Jerusalem council and its leadership structure.
The three books G...
Jacob Bland answered the call. As a young leader in a storied ministry, his wisdom in humbly leading and balancing a young family is relatable for so many of us. The relationship between Youth For Christ's Board of Directors and senior leadership is thoughtful, caring, and saturated in prayer. The God-honoring succession transition Jacob stepped into is one we all hope can be repeated in our own churches and ministries.
Che...
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