The Discerning Leader podcast is for Christian leaders who are interested in discovering the joy of “practicing a preference for God” in all aspects of their personal lives and relationships, their leadership and service to others.

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Boundaries for the Soul | Discerning God Emotionally and Relationally Episode 02

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Alison Cook

In my own personal story, I found it easy to love God, but very challenging to know and love myself.” – Alison Cook

In her ground-breaking book Boundaries for Your Soul, Alison Cook is seeking to help us turn our overwhelming thoughts and feelings into our strongest allies. Using the internal family systems model, she illumines our pathway forward by addressing the true struggles we face in life and relationships. She describes how a Christ-centered way to self-awareness will lead to internal freedom and joy, and much healthier relationships with others.  Her “U-turn” approach to emotional wholeness includes five key phases: focus, befriend, invite, unburden, and integrate. 

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

 

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Steve Macchia

Steve Macchia (Podcast Host)
Founder and President of Leadership Transformations
Steve is the author of Becoming a Healthy ChurchBecoming a Healthy DiscipleBroken and WholeCrafting a Rule of Life and several other titles. Steve has over 40 years in ministry and two postgraduate degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Adele Calhoun (Season Fourteen, Episode 1 Guest)
Author, Pastor, Speaker, and Selah Guest Faculty
Adele is the co-pastor of Spiritual Formation with her husband Doug at Highrock Covenant Church in Atlington, MA. She has pastoral and missionary experience stateside and overseas. Adele taught as adjunct faculty at Wheaton College and Northern Baptist Theological Seminary. She has served on a variety of boards and currently serves on the board of New Wine and Pax Center for Christian Spiritual Formation. Adele has authored seven books including The Spiritual Disciplines Handbook (IVP), Invitations from God (IVP), and Spiritual Rhythms for the Enneagram (IVP). 

Alison Cook, PhD (Season Fourteen, Episode 2 Guest)
Psychologist, Speaker, and Author
Alison Cook, PhD is a psychologist, speaker, and the co-author of Boundaries for Your Soul. For over 15 years, Alison has helped women, ministry leaders, couples, and families learn how to heal painful emotions, develop confidence from the inside out, forge healthy relationships, and fully live out their God-given potential. Please visit www.alisoncookphd.com to download your free Boundaries Kickstart guide plus a guided prayer reflection.

Gary Thomas
Gary Thomas (Season Fourteen, Episodes 3 & 5 Guest)
Author, Speaker, and Writer-in-Residence at Second Baptist Church – Houston, TX
Gary Thomas’ writing and speaking focuses on bringing people closer to Christ and closer to others. He is the author of 20 books and serves on the teaching team at Second Baptist Church, Houston, and has served as an adjunct faculty member at Western Seminary in Portland, Oregon and Houston Theological Seminary in Houston Texas.  Gary enjoys running in his spare time and has completed 14 marathons, including the Boston Marathon three times. He and his wife Lisa have been married for 35 years and they have three adult children and one granddaughter.

Amy Murgatroyd (Season Fourteen, Episode 4 Guest)
Photographer and Filmmaker
By grace, Amy is an award-winning Boston-based photographer and filmmaker with a heart for creating a context for families to deeply connect. She’s wife to an enduring man and a mama to two girls who fill her world with wonder. In her free time, she enjoys writing, gardening, travel, and long heartfelt conversations. Her family attends Park Street Church.

Alice Fryling (Season Fourteen, Episode 6 Guest)
Spiritual Director and Author
Alice Fryling is a spiritual director and author. She and her husband worked with InterVarsity Christian Fellowship for over fifty years. Alice has also been actively involved in church ministry and teaching workshops on the Enneagram and Myers Briggs Temperament Inventory. Her books on relationships, spiritual formation, and spiritual direction have sold over half a million copies and are published in over ten languages. She and her husband, Bob, are parents of two daughters and grandparents of two grandsons and two granddaughters. They live in Monument, Colorado. Learn more about Alice Fryling at www.alicefryling.com.

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Steve Macchia

Founder & President

Steve is a graduate of Northwestern College (IA) and Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary (M.Div. and D.Min.). His prior ministry includes serving on the pastoral staff at Grace Chapel (Lexington, MA) and as president of Vision New England. Since July 1, 2003 Steve has served as founder and president of Leadership Transformations, director of the Pierce Center for Disciple-Building, and adjunct faculty in the Doctor of Ministry department at Gordon-Conwell. He is the author of sixteen books, including The Discerning Life (Zondervan Reflective),  Baker bestseller Becoming a Healthy Church, and Crafting a Rule of Life (IVP). He lives in the Boston area with his wife Ruth and is the proud father of two grown children, Rebekah and Nathan, daughter in-love Ashley, and papa to his beloved granddaughter, Brenna Lynn and twin grandsons, Aiden Joseph and Carson Stephen. “My soul comes alive singing the great hymns of the church and enjoying the beauty of God’s creation. I’m in awe of God for fulfilling the dream for LTI that he birthed in my heart, for the team he has assembled, and the transformational impact experienced in the leaders and teams we serve.

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