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The LeadingSmart Podcast
Honest conversations. Practical insights. Smarter leadership.
Hosted by Tim Stevens and Holly Tate, The LeadingSmart Podcast exists to equip church leaders who care deeply about leading with integrity, clarity, and wisdom—even when it’s hard.
We are officially on Season 3! This season is about staying sharp in today’s rapidly changing environment. We’ll dive into the practical issues leaders are facing right now—from running effective executive team meetings to navigating crucial conversations to leading in moments when the playbook doesn’t exist yet.
Holly and Tim are moving out of the studio into our offices, and they will be recording and posting in real time, responding to current events as they happen, sharing fresh insights from our work with leaders across North America.
Be sure to email us at tim@leadingsmart.com if there are specific topics you want us to cover!
Enjoy!
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The LeadingSmart Podcast
[S2EP2] Balancing Identity and Longevity in Church Leadership │ 40 Lessons In 40 Years
Welcome back to The LeadingSmart Podcast! 🎙️
In this episode, Tim Stevens and Holly Tate dive deep into one of the most crucial aspects of ministry leadership: longevity and playing the long game.
After 40 years in ministry (with 20 of those at one church!), Tim shares hard-won wisdom about what it really means to build for lasting impact rather than burning out trying to "win the quarter."
What This Episode Covers
✅ The beautiful benefits of long-term ministry relationships
✅ How to recognize when longevity becomes unhealthy codependency
✅ Tim's honest story about the "detox" process after leaving a 20-year ministry role
✅ Practical wisdom on building sustainable rhythms that won't flame you out
✅ Why thinking "long game" is essential for lasting kingdom impact
PLUS - We're launching a new segment: "Hard to Believe Church Memories" where Tim and Holly share some pretty wild stories from their church kid days. Let's just say... half-wolf attacks and Tammy Wynette's house are involved. 😅
Whether you're in your first year of ministry or your fortieth, this conversation will help you think differently about sustainability, identity, and building the kind of impact that lasts decades.
Next Episode: Holly interviews Tim AND his amazing wife Faith Stevens. You won't want to miss it!
Got your own crazy church memories? Email us at tim@leadingsmart.com - we'd love to hear them!
Resources Mentioned:
🤝 Learn more about our partners at Generosity OS https://www.leadingsmart.com/partners
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