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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The Discerning Leader Podcast

Eric Peterson | Summer 2025: Rewind, Episode 7

Host: Steve Macchia, Guest: Eric Peterson 

This episode originally aired on April 7, 2022 as Episode 2 of Season 18 

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

In this REWIND episode, Eric Peterson joins Steve Macchia to reflect upon the luminous trail of spiritual discernment. Using the metaphors of mountain climbing and hiking, Eric and Steve explore how spiritual friendships are like headlamps that shine on the pathway of life. Tune into this rich conversation between Eric and Steve as they offer insights around how each of us can live a life of illumination and spiritual discernment. 

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.

Steve Macchia (Podcast Host)
Founder and President of Leadership Transformations
Steve is the author of  Praying the Parables of Jesus, The Discerning Life, Crafting a Rule of Life, and several other titles. Steve has over 40 years in ministry and two postgraduate degrees from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary.

Eric Peterson (Guest)
Eric Peterson has a Bachelor of Arts in Theology from Whitworth University, Master of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a Doctorate of Ministry from Portland Seminary at George Fox University. He served for seven years as an Associate Pastor at Marine View Presbyterian Church in Tacoma before founding Colbert Presbyterian Church in 1997. He also has written three books: Wade In The Water, Letters to a Young Pastor (with Eugene H. Peterson), and Letters to a Young Congregation. Outside of CPC, Eric serves as an advisor for doctoral students at Portland Seminary, and as a trustee at Whitworth University. Eric is married to Elizabeth, who is a Spiritual Director and Yoga Instructor. They have six children and three grandchildren. 

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Steve Macchia

Founder & President

The Rev. Dr. Stephen A. Macchia is founder and president of Leadership Transformations, Inc. (LTI), a ministry serving the spiritual formation, discernment, and renewal of leaders and learners since 2003. For more than 20 years he was the Director of the Pierce Center for Disciple-Building at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, where he continues to serve as an adjunct faculty member in the Doctor of Ministry Program. From 1989-2003 he was the president of Vision New England, the largest regional church renewal association in the country. Earlier in his ministry life, Steve was a member of the pastoral staff of Grace Chapel in Lexington, Massachusetts for 11 years. He is the author or co-author of 17 books,  including Praying the Parables of Jesus (NavPress/Tyndale), The Discerning Life (Zondervan Reflective), and Crafting a Rule of Life, Becoming A Healthy Church (LTI), and Broken and Whole (IVP).  He and his wife Ruth live in the Boston (MA) area and are the proud parents of two married children and grandparents to three adorable grandchildren. Steve’s personal website is www.SteveMacchia.com.

“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.”

Detailed Biography
Articles by Stephen Macchia
Author Website
Schedule a one-on-one with Steve

Mitzi Mak

Selah-West Faculty & Emmaus Faculty

Mitzi started her professional life as a high school social studies teacher. She and her husband Jerry then served cross-culturally for ten+ years, living abroad first in India and then Kurdistan, N. Iraq. In addition to being a Spiritual Director, she now serves as a Formation and Care pastor in her local church in Houston, TX. She has graduated from LTI’s Selah Spiritual Direction training as well as LTI’s Emmaus Formational Leadership Program.

Mitzi enjoys engaging conversation, reading fiction, doing jigsaw/crossword puzzles, ocean gazing and exploring the world with Jerry through food and travel.

God has two main callings in Mitzi’s life: to care for those who care for others and to be a guide in helping others have a healthy relationship with the Trinity – recognizing God’s loving presence and activity in their lives and how to faithfully respond.

“Selah was a transformative experience for me – allowing the contemplative within to emerge and to beautifully co-exist with my extraverted personality.“