Chrissy Chang

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Cheryl Buchanan

“It was me that needing saving from my prejudice, judgments, and ignorance. It was me that needed to grow.” – Cheryl Buchanan

Cheryl Buchanan is the co-founder of New Story Community (NewStoryCommunity.net), a ministry designed to promote the flourishing of indigenous women in safety, beauty, and community.  Meeting in a retreat center in British Columbia, Canada, this new ministry is a safe haven for women who are seeking to be freed of addictions that have held them captive for years. Cheryl’s love for these women began nearly 20 years ago when she volunteered her services to come alongside indigenous families through their local church. God birthed and matured Cheryl’s discerning life story in listening prayer, spiritual direction, and hospitality. 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Debby Mills

“Debby, you are a peacemaker, but you are deeply troubled.” – Debby Mills

Growing up, Debby Mills became disillusioned with the church but never gave up on God. And he never gave up on her. In her professional career and her family life, Debby naturally serves from a belief that every life matters to God and should therefore matter to us. As an adult, she was baptized and confirmed in her local church, which led her into a deeper exploration of faith. Her involvement with LTI’s Emmaus program was personally restorative, which led she and her husband into leading soul hospitality groups in their home. The Mills’ are volunteers with Hospitality Homes, an agency that provides free space for family members of those who are hospitalized. Additionally, the ministry of racial reconciliation has been birthed in Debby’s heart and has led her into service opportunities designed to bring justice and wholeness to all.

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Sara Singleton

“In my painful disappointments, I learned how to be content, and I learned of God’s love and sufficiency.” – Sara Singleton

Sara Singleton shares her story about the obvious and mysterious ways that she has been discerning the hand and heart of God for several decades. She begins with how she and her husband Jim met during college, and fell in love thanks to the grace of God. Jim was for her “the safest person on earth” and their marriage has been a testimony of God’s love ever since. She recounts her story of failed pregnancies and the challenge of raising an adopted child from Guatemala. Her years of ministry, most recently in Newburyport, MA, led her into her doctoral work and an incredible ministry of racial justice and reconciliation. Go to Whitfield2020.org for additional information. She ends the episode sharing two stories of God’s amazing provision!

 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Gordon MacDonald

“Expect to reorganize your interior life every 7-10 years.” –Gordon MacDonald

Gordon MacDonald’s “View From Eighty” continues in this episode with the following issues and ideas:

8. Live modestly, stay free of debt, be generous, develop a financial plan, and be wary of those who try to buy your favor;
9. Expect to reorganize your interior life every 7-10 years;
10. Receive complements, criticism and counsel with humility and appreciation, avoid whining, complaining, self-pity and making excuses;
11. Stay alert for the evils and confusions imbedded in organizational life;
12. Be quick to say (with sincerity and put into writing too) thank you, well done, I’m sorry, I forgive you, and how can I help?;
13. When you prepare a sermon or teaching, always ask yourself, “What difference will this presentation make to those who will hear you?”;
14. Be alert for the sensual “triggers” that sometimes follow intense spiritual ministry; and
15. Return to the cross regularly: express your gratitude, name your sins and resentments, pray for the world, and listen for God’s calls to do mighty things.

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Gordon MacDonald

“Your number one priority in the Lord’s work is your family.” –Gordon MacDonald

“The View from Eighty” is a synopsis of Gordon MacDonald’s discernment today. What are the 15 things I’ve observed in myself and others, that make you either a success or failure in life and ministry, fulfilling all that God invites?  In this episode we cover the first 7 items:

1. Prioritize the most significant people in your world;
2. Never (ever!) stop growing; stay responsive to fresh ways and ideas that sustain your physical and mental health; ask great questions; enrich your wisdom and spiritual life;
3. Be more a priest and less a preacher; bless people and don’t bully them;
4. The time will come when you will have to relinquish titles and privileges and slip into obscurity;
5. Anticipate those occasions when you may suffer, fail, doubt, face conflict, and experience loss;
6. Be trustworthy and reliable, a person who keeps his/her word; don’t make promises you can’t keep; and
7. Be a spiritual father/mother to teachable people who may someday inherit your responsibilities.

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: John Pearson

“Once you taste spiritual discernment, you won’t want to go back to the old way of decision-making.” –John Pearson

John Pearson is a leadership and management consultant, who formerly served as CEO of the Willow Creek Association, Christian Camp and Conference Association, and Christian Leadership Alliance. His “Weekly Staff Meeting” email reviews at least one book per week, including The Discerning Life (sign up at www.managementbuckets.com). He shares with us heart-warming stories about how his life has been transformed by spiritual discernment. He reminds us of the importance of having people on our leadership teams who understand discernment and want to respond to God’s desires and hear God’s voice, urging us to focus on depth instead of #’s.

Board Prayer: You can download the Board Prayer John mentions in this episode here. 

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Nate Foster

“The Jesus way is clear: hang out with 12 nobodies and then give them the keys.” –Nathan Foster

Nate Foster is the son of Richard Foster, renowned spiritual formation leader and founder of Renovare, where Nate serves as director of Community Life. He shares how his awareness of God’s engagement in his life grew from a lot of quiet reflection. It’s here that he notices God filling the gaps, often most apparent long after the fact and in quiet discernment. He sees the spiritual practices as what we do in the ordinary parts of life, serving our family or reaching out to a neighbor in need. He has quit viewing spiritual practices as only for the super spiritual, and has found renewed joy in wonderful, ordinary places filled with grace. So countercultural.

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Eric Peterson

“God is in everything, in all the details of life, and not just the pleasant ones.” –Eric Peterson

Eric Peterson is the son of Eugene Peterson, author of The Message translation of the Bible, who found his way to faith and pastoral ministry with reluctance. As he reflects on his discerning life, he describes his journey as along a luminous trail, a metaphor based on mountain climbing. Slugging his way up the mountain, he looks back and down and sees headlamps shining on the pathway he and his friends had created. The lights are references to his own discerning life story, always being led by the light, but not always along a straight line. Eric is a man who’s been richly blessed and continues to discern ways to be a blessing to others.

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Matt Scott

“Formation, discernment, and renewal are threads woven into everything we do at Leadership Transformations.” – Matt Scott

Season 18 will focus on life stories shaped around spiritual discernment as a lifestyle, beginning with the Leadership Transformations story, nearly 19 years in the making. Spiritual formation, discernment, and renewal are embedded into everything we are and do as a ministry. And, it all began in the summer of 2002. Steve recounts the dream God awakened within his soul, in the midst of a challenging season of his family, ministry, and personal life. After months of team-based discernment, the ministry of LTI was born. Since our inception on July 1, 2003 God has built a strong foundation and solid ministry to leaders and teams, and we give God be the glory!

Join the conversation about spiritual discernment as a way of life at www.LeadershipTransformations.org and consider participation in our online and in-person program offerings. Additional LTI spiritual formation resources can be found at www.SpiritualFormationStore.com and www.ruleoflife.com and www.healthychurch.net.