Shows
LEAD Pods130 | One Global Family: Inside the Mennonite World Conference and Anabaptist 500This year marks two significant milestones worth our attention and our celebration. While we've already spent time reflecting on the 500th anniversary of the Anabaptist movement, 2025 also marks the 100th anniversary of the Mennonite World Conference (MWC). Recently, leaders from around the globe gathered in Germany and Switzerland to commemorate both anniversaries, and this week, we get the inside scoop from two of our USMB representatives: Gertrud Geddert and Sebastian Mireles.In this episode, Gertrud and Sebastian help us reflect on where we’ve come from, how the global Church is growing, and what it looks like to...2025-06-2651 minLEAD Pods118 | Behind the Scenes of the Christian Leader Magazine (Connie Faber & Janae Shafer)This week, we sit down with Connie Faber and Janae Shafer, the dynamic duo behind the Christian Leader magazine. They share how each issue comes together, from planning themes to collaborating with writers across the USMB family. With a mission to connect churches, celebrate stories, and inspire action, the magazine plays a vital role in reflecting the heart of the Mennonite Brethren community.Connie and Janae also discuss the challenges of balancing print and digital formats in today’s fast-paced world and their vision for highlighting the rich diversity within the MB family. Whether you’re a regu...2024-12-1253 minLEAD Pods117 | Generosity in Leadership (Aaron Box)This week, we’re joined by USMB National Director Aaron Box to explore the role of generosity in leadership. As we dive into the history of Giving Tuesday and its impact, Aaron shares practical ways we can live out generosity—not just in giving, but in how we lead others. From creating a culture of service in our churches to fostering servant leadership in every sphere, Aaron highlights the importance of putting others first and leading with open hands.We also discuss how generosity can transform leadership in any context, even in roles where it feels countercultural. Whet...2024-11-2841 minLEAD Pods115 | Igniting Your Leadership Fuel (Jordan Ringhofer & Kyle Goings)Leadership development is one of USMB's core commitments, and finding new ways to grow, stretch yourself, or gain new skills is a crucial part of leadership. In our busy world where we all feel short on time, how can we continue to grow, find new resources, and discover meaningful new ideas?Earlier this year USMB launched Leadership Fuel, a website devoted to sharing curated leadership resources for pastors and church leaders. On this episode, Jordan Ringhofer (Pacific District Conference district minister) and Kyle Goings (USMB NextGen chair) explain how Leadership Fuel came to be and how you...2024-10-3145 minLEAD Pods111 | What Makes a "Mennonite," and Celebrating 500 Years of Anabaptism (César García & Dr. Tim Geddert)Next year marks a significant anniversary for our MB history and heritage, so we're preparing for a big party! The roots of our MB tradition can be traced to 1525 and the birth of the Anabaptist movement beginning in Zurich. For those of us involved with USMB, it's helpful for us to remember that our heritage and our roots go way beyond our U.S. history, and this event is a meaningful chance to learn, remember, and reconnect with our Mennonite and Anabaptist brothers and sisters around the world.This week our guests are César García, th...2024-09-0548 minLEAD Pods108 | Decades of Dedication & Passing the Torch (Donna Sullivan and Lori Taylor)This week we speak with Donna Sullivan and Lori Taylor, two long-serving staff members of USMB who are retiring and concluding their careers this week. Over their decades of experience, their roles have changed significantly over time, and today they discuss some of their favorite experiences and reflections on their careers in church administration and ministry. Behind-the-scenes heroes like Lori and Donna often go unnoticed and under-appreciated, but their impact and their influence on our churches can't be overstated. Their day-to-day work truly was a ministry, and we've been blessed by the fruit of their labor. 2024-07-2540 minLEAD Pods105 | A New Leader for a New Season (Aaron Box)In light of the upcoming retirement of Don Morris, Aaron Box was recently announced as the new USMB national director (effective July 1). Aaron has been an MB pastor for many years and was active on the USMB Leadership Board, but many of you likely don't know Aaron yet. As he prepares to transition into this new role, we wanted to take some time for you to get to know Aaron's history and hear his heart for ministry.Aaron has more than 20 years of ministry experience, including the past 13 years as senior pastor of North Park Community Church...2024-06-0649 min