Leaders in Living Rooms

In today’s episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Bob Goff for a candid and refreshing conversation about leadership, identity, and returning to your “first love.” Bob unpacks the subtle ways leaders can drift into isolation—viewing people as projects rather than relationships—and shares practical, courageous ways to reset. From quitting his own law firm to encouraging teams to submit annual “mass resignations,” Bob challenges leaders to reapply for the job that is truly them. The conversation also explores his newest project, A Journey with Jesus, filmed in the Holy Land, designed to create safe spaces for honest conversations about faith. With humor, depth, and humility, Bob reminds leaders that we’re not chasing efficiency—we’re pursuing faithfulness.Welcome to Episode 155 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.EPISODE LINKSA Journey with Jesus, by Bob Goffsean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS BOB GOFF?Bob Goff is the New York Times bestselling author of Love Does; Everybody, Always; Dream Big; Undistracted; Live in Grace, Walk in Love; and Love Does for Kids. He’s a lover of balloons, cake pops, and helping people pursue their big dreams. Bob’s greatest ambitions in life are to love others, do stuff, and most importantly, to hold hands with his wife, Sweet Maria, and spend time with their amazing family. For more, check out https://www.bobgoff.com/ and LoveDoes.org.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor, MOHI: Partnership with MOHI is built on long-term, meaningful relationships. Your church will serve a specific community, its local leaders, and its families. It’s a shared journey marked by prayer, presence, and ongoing connection rather than one-time projects. Many of our partner churches have been walking with the same community for years, even a decade or more, building stability, fostering trust and creating lasting impact.Learn more at mohiafrica.org/partner

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Nicky Gumbel to discuss the global acceleration of Alpha, leadership succession, church planting, and the essential role of spiritual leadership in the church today. As Alpha approaches its 50th anniversary and looks toward the 2033 vision—the 2,000-year anniversary of Jesus’ death and resurrection—Nicky shares how new, fully contextualized film series in Chinese, Arabic, Spanish, and African languages are expanding Alpha’s reach worldwide. He reflects on handing leadership to the next generation, the power of church planting to create healthy growth, and why pastors must resist being defined by business models rather than by spiritual leadership. Welcome to Episode 154 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSAlphasean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS NICKY GUMBEL?Nicky Gumbel is the pioneer of Alpha, an introduction to the Christian faith running in churches of all denominations in 146 countries. Over 37 million participants have done Alpha. Nicky has written several best-selling books including Why Jesus?, Questions of Life, and The Jesus Lifestyle. After working for six years as a barrister in London, Nicky went on to be Vicar of Holy Trinity Brompton – a large central London church – for 17 years. Since 1985, HTB has been partnering with dioceses across the nation to restore and revitalise Anglican churches – many of which faced imminent closure. There are now 194 churches in the HTB Network – vibrant, Spirit-filled, worshipping communities that are having a significant impact on their local communities. Nicky and his wife, Pippa, primarily spend their time these days working to support Alpha globally. They are also the authors of a daily Bible commentary, ‘The Bible with Nicky and Pippa Gumbel’, which has had over 9 million users on the App. Nicky was awarded a CBE in the 2024 New Year’s Honours for services to the Church of England.

What happens when a leader chooses obedience over comfort and creates space for the Holy Spirit to move? In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Jeff Brodie to unpack a remarkable season at Connexus Church that began with five years of quiet wrestling in prayer and culminated in a week of corporate repentance, renewal, and deep encounter with God. Without a playbook, branding strategy, or polished program, Jeff led his church into a posture of “shameless persistence” (Luke 11), creating space for confession, freedom, and the work of the Holy Spirit. Welcome to Episode 153 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSConnexus Church: Sacred Homecominghttps://connexuschurch.com/sacred-homecoming/The Prodigal God by Tim Kellerhttps://www.amazon.com/Prodigal-God-Recovering-Heart-Christian/dp/1594484023sean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orghttps://theascentleader.org/If you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS JEFF BRODIE?Jeff Brodie is the Lead Pastor of Connexus Church, a multi-location church based north of Toronto, Canada, where he provides vision, teaching, and strategic leadership to its campuses and growing network of partner churches. After beginning his career as a high school teacher, Jeff sensed an unexpected call to ministry and joined the Connexus team in 2008. For over two decades, he has served in a variety of leadership roles, including Student Ministry Director and Executive Director, before stepping into the role of Lead Pastor in 2015. Jeff is passionate about helping churches create accessible encounters with Jesus where people can invite their friends to explore faith and engage honest questions together. Jeff and his wife, Leslie, live in Barrie, Ontario, with their two sons. As a family, they enjoy sports, staying active, and cheering each other on in whatever season of life they’re in.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor, MOHI: Partnership with MOHI is built on long-term, meaningful relationships. Your church will serve a specific community, its local leaders, and its families. It’s a shared journey marked by prayer, presence, and ongoing connection rather than one-time projects. Many of our partner churches have been walking with the same community for years, even a decade or more, building stability, fostering trust and creating lasting impact.Learn more at mohiafrica.org/partnerhttp://mohiafrica.org/partner

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Carey Nieuwhof to unpack one of the most significant moments facing the Church today: a rising Gen Z openness to faith paired with a looming leadership and succession crisis. Drawing from recent data, lived experience, and decades of leadership development, Carey challenges older generations to release authority sooner, create real opportunities for younger leaders, and rethink how leadership is developed—not just trained. The conversation also tackles under-discussed trends, including the quiet disengagement of women from church life, the creator economy’s impact on ministry, and what it truly means to build organizations that grow beyond their founders.Welcome to Episode 152 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSThe Art of Leadership Academyhttp://theartofleadershipacademy.comsean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS CAREY NIEUWHOF?Carey Nieuwhof is a best-selling author, speaker, pastor, former attorney, and podcaster whose work has equipped millions of leaders worldwide. He hosts The Carey Nieuwhof Leadership Podcast, with over 38 million downloads, and is the founder of The Art of Leadership Academy, where thousands of leaders grow every month. Across platforms, Carey’s content reaches more than 3 million leaders monthly, and his books, including At Your Best and Didn’t See It Coming, offer practical strategies for growth and resilience.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor, MOHI: Partnership with MOHI is built on long-term, meaningful relationships. Your church will serve a specific community, its local leaders, and its families. It’s a shared journey marked by prayer, presence, and ongoing connection rather than one-time projects. Many of our partner churches have been walking with the same community for years, even a decade or more, building stability, fostering trust and creating lasting impact.Learn more at mohiafrica.org/partnerhttp://mohiafrica.org/partner

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, host Sean Morgan sits down with Randy Frazee and Jonathan Hansen for an honest, in-the-middle conversation about church leadership succession. Drawing from their shared experience at Westside Family Church, Randy and Jonathan reflect on what makes succession healthy, why intentional overlap and trust matter, and how culture, governance, humility, and love shape long-term success. This conversation pulls back the curtain on the real tensions, decisions, and relational work required when leadership changes hands and why succession is not the end of leadership, but its fulfillment.Welcome to Episode 151 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSThe Succession Gatheringhttps://theascentleader.org/the-succession-gathering/Generishttps://generis.com/get-startedClergy Advantagehttps://www.clergysupport.com/sean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orghttp://theascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS RANDY FRAZEE?Randy Frazee is Pastor Emeritus at Westside Family Church in Kansas City. He is a leader and innovator in Bible engagement, spiritual formation, and biblical community spaces. Randy is the architect of The Story and BELIEVE church engagement campaigns as well as the author of The Joy Challenge; His Mighty Strength; Think, Act, Be Like Jesus; What Happens After You Die; and the coauthor of Real Simplicity with his wife, Rozanne. The Frazees have four children and five grandchildren who are the lights of their lives. To learn more about his work and ministry, go to randyfrazee.com.WHO IS JONATHAN HANSEN?Jonathan Hansen serves as the Lead Teaching Pastor at Westside Family Church, a multi-site church in the Kansas City area. He is passionate about equipping the local church through strong biblical teaching, cultural engagement, and a steadfast focus on the person and work of Jesus Christ.Jonathan completed his Master of Divinity at Asbury Theological Seminary while beginning his ministry journey as a youth pastor. In 2013, he joined Passion City Church in Atlanta as the Family Pastor under Louie Giglio, also serving on the teaching team for four years. In 2017, Jonathan became the Lead Pastor of Hills Church in Sacramento, California, where he faithfully served for eight years before being called to Westside Family Church.Jonathan is deeply committed to teaching God’s Word, shaping culture with the truth of the Gospel, and building thriving, multiplying churches. He and his wife, Lindsey, love investing in their two amazing kids, Lily-Hope and Sawyer, and enjoying life together as a family.

As the church enters a new season of ministry in 2026, this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms invites leaders to re-examine what they think they know about multisite ministry. Sean Morgan is joined by Warren Bird and Jim Tomberlin to explore how the multisite movement has quietly shifted from simple replication into a multiplying, movement-driven model focused on discipleship, innovation, and the Great Commission. Together, they unpack common critiques of multisite churches, highlight emerging “pacesetter” churches shaping the future, and preview an ambitious national research project designed to equip churches navigating growth, complexity, and mission at scale.Welcome to Episode 150 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan.EPISODE LINKSWarrenBird.comJim TomberlinThe Multi-site Church Revolution, by Geoff Surratt, Greg Ligon, Warren Bird10 of Today's Most Innovative Churches, by Elmer L. Towns How to Break Growth Barriers, by Carl F George, Warren Bird125 Tips for MultiSite Churches, by Jim TomberlinBetter Together: Making Church Mergers Work, by Jim Tomberlin and Warren Birdsean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS WARREN BIRD?Warren Bird, Ph.D. Dr. Warren Bird is one of America's leading researchers and writers on areas related to healthy, growing churches. He is the author or co-author of several dozen major research projects and also 35 books for church leaders including Better Together, coauthored with Jim Tomberlin on healthy mergers; Hero Maker coauthored with Dave Ferguson on leadership development; and his latest book, Becoming a Future-Ready Church, coauthored with Daniel Yang and Adelle Banks, on church trends. He has previously served as church planter and church staff member, seminary professor, senior VP of research for ECFA and a similar role before that with Leadership Network. He is now a full-time church researcher and writer, with his major research project for 2026 in partnership with The Ascent Leader.WHO IS JIM TOMBERLIN?Over four decades of diverse ministry, Jim has pastored a church in Germany, grown a megachurch in Colorado, pioneered the multisite strategy for Willow Creek Community Church in Chicago and served as the Chief of Staff at Christ Fellowship in Miami. In 2005, Jim founded MultiSite Solutions, a church consulting company that has assisted hundreds of churches in multiplying their impact through intensive multisite, church merger and succession consultation. From 2019-2024, Jim partnered with Tony Morgan and The Unstuck Group to expand their capacity to assist more churches. As the @MultiSiteGuy, Jim continues to track multisite developments and has become the nationally recognized expert on multisite church. In addition, he has become the @MergerGuru, having co-authored the leading book on church mergers and assisting numerous churches through the church merger process. Jim is the author of 125 Tips for MultiSite Churches, Better Together: Making Church Mergers Work—Expanded and Updated and Church Locality: New Rules for Church Buildings in a Multisite, Church Planting, and Giga-Church World. Jim resides in Colorado Springs, CO and holds a B.A. in Anthropology from Georgia State University in Atlanta and a Masters of Theology (Th.M) from Dallas Theological Seminary. Jim and his wife, Deryl, have three grown children and eleven grandchildren.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor, MOHI: Partnership with MOHI is built on long-term, meaningful relationships. Your church will serve a specific community, its local leaders, and its families. It’s a shared journey marked by prayer, presence, and ongoing connection rather than one-time projects. Many of our partner churches have been walking with the same community for years, even a decade or more, building stability, fostering trust and creating lasting impact.Learn more at mohiafrica.org/partner

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with Jonathan Moynihan, Lead Pastor of Mosaic Christian Church in Baltimore, to explore a leadership journey shaped more by formation than ambition. Jonathan shares how what he once assumed was a call to church planting unexpectedly became a rapid succession into the lead pastor role—after years of hidden preparation, inner work, and confronting unhealthy ambition. Together, Sean and Jonathan unpack themes of calling versus opportunity, the dangers of tying worth to performance, and how silence, solitude, and failure became essential tools God used to form Jonathan into a healthier, more grounded leader. This honest conversation offers a rare look at the interior life of leadership, reminding pastors that God’s primary work is often deeper than visible success.Welcome to Episode 149 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSJonathan Moynihan on Instagram: @jonathan.moynihanMosaic Christian ChurchThe White Flag podcastThe Last 5% podcastToo Busy Not to Pray by Bill Hybels sean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS JONATHAN MOYNIHAN?Jonathan Moynihan is the Lead Pastor of Mosaic Christian Church in Elkridge, MD. He's passionate about reaching unchurched people and empowering believers to cultivate a hidden life with Christ. He and his wife Stephanie live in Maryland with their 3 kids: Evie, Isla, and Indy.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.

In this episode of Leaders in Living Rooms, Sean Morgan sits down with longtime pastor and Oikos Movement founder Tom Mercer to unpack nearly four decades of ministry leadership at High Desert Church and the relational principles that shaped a church of 8,000 in rural Southern California. Tom shares candid stories about longevity, accountability, team chemistry, leadership development, and how the Oikos principle, reaching the world through the natural relationships God has already placed around us, became the backbone of High Desert Church’s growth. From navigating criticism and facility challenges to building a healthy staff culture grounded in prayer and friendship, Tom offers practical, grounded wisdom for leaders pursuing disciple-making and sustainable ministry.Welcome to Episode 148 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSOikos MovementNot My Church, by Tom Mercer8 to 15: The World is Smaller Than You Think, by Tom Mercersean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS TOM MERCER?Tom has been in pastoral ministry for almost 50 years. For 38 of those years, he served as the Senior Pastor and primary teacher at the High Desert Church in Southern California. During that time, the church grew from 125 to over 14,000 regular attenders, from one campus to four. Tom has also been an ambassador for the oikos principle around the world, frequently speaking at conferences, churches, university classrooms, and denominational gatherings. He currently serves as the President of The Oikos Movement, a non-profit organization committed to helping church leaders become more effective through simplification. Tom received his formal education at Biola University and Talbot Seminary. He is the author of three books, 8 to 15—The World is Smaller Than You Think, Not My Church, and Diary of a World Changer. Tom and his wife Sheryl have been married for 45 years. They have three married children and 11 grandchildren.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.

In this episode, Sean sits down with Justin Kendrick, planter and pastor of Vox Church in New England, to explore the heart behind multi-site ministry, leadership development, and the surprising move of God happening across one of the least-churched regions in the U.S. Justin shares his journey from musician to church planter, the early chaos of scaling locations without systems, and the intentional shift toward forming leaders through habits of the heart rather than skills alone. He unpacks Vox’s leader-development process, the power of life-on-life discipleship, and the humbling lessons learned along the way. Their conversation offers a rare and honest look at building a movement while staying grounded in accountability, character, and focus.Welcome to Episode 147 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSThe Quiet Revival, by Bible SocietyThe Inner Ring, by C.S. Lewissean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/WHO IS JUSTIN KENDRICK?Justin Kendrick is the Lead Pastor of Vox Church, which he and his wife, Chrisy, founded in 2011 with a group of friends on the doorstep of Yale University. Since then, the church has grown to multiple locations across New England with the dream of seeing the least-churched region of the U.S. become the most spiritually vibrant place on earth. Justin was ordained for ministry in 2009 and holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and a master’s in theology. He’s the author of the USA Today bestseller How to Quiet a Hurricane (2024), as well as Bury Your Ordinary (2021) and The Sacred Us (2022). He is the host of Justin Kendrick: The Devoted Life Podcast and continues to create sermon material, small group studies, and video content weekly through Vox Church. Justin and Chrisy live with their four children in the New Haven area.

In this episode, Sean sits down with veteran executive pastor Dan Reiland, who served alongside John Maxwell and Kevin Myers for over four decades. Dan shares stories from his journey, from "breaking" John Maxwell’s internship to helping lead one of the largest churches in the U.S., and offers wisdom for both lead and executive pastors navigating partnership, trust, and longevity in ministry. Sean and Dan unpack the key traits of great executive pastors, the difference between equipping and developing, and the vital role prayer plays in church leadership.Welcome to Episode 146 of the Leaders in Living Rooms Podcast with Sean Morgan. EPISODE LINKSdanreiland.comdanreiland.com/blogsean@theascentleader.orgtheascentleader.orgIf you’re a leader approaching a succession or transition, or maybe you’re a few years in and beginning to see how complex transitions leadership is… go to The Art of Pastoral Succession and check out my course in partnership with Carey Nieuwhof. Are you in Transition or have one on the horizon? Check out our cohorts and get connected with us at: https://theascentleader.org/cohorts/ WHO IS DAN REILAND?Dan Reiland is a leadership coach and church strategist who brings decades of local church experience to his current ministry focus of helping leaders excel. Dan partnered with Kevin Myers as XP at 12Stone Church for 24 years and previously partnered with John Maxwell as XP at Skyline Church for 20 years. Dan has written several books and regularly blogs at DanReiland.com.SPONSORS & PARTNERSThanks to our sponsor: OneHope: OneHope’s mission is to reach every child and youth in the world with God’s Word through the global church. In 35 years of ministry OneHope has reached more than 2 billion young people with the Gospel. Learn how you and your church can get involved by visiting onehope.net/learnmore/.