The Church Leadership Pulse

Church Leadership Radar - July 13, 2026

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Your daily catch-up on what matters in church leadership — Monday, July 13, 2026.

In today's episode:

  • "All Wood and No Fire" — Matt Chandler joins Carey Nieuwhof to talk about churches that have every ingredient right but are missing spiritual vitality. A must-listen for summer.
  • Feeding vs. Needing — Dan Reiland identifies a subtle but ministry-killing shift: moving from feeding people to needing people. Five practices to get the order right.
  • Faith-Tech Shift — Pat Gelsinger (former Intel CEO) is now executive chair at Gloo, steering it toward local churches as it moves toward a public offering. What it means for your church's digital tools.
  • The Bright Spot — Six United Methodist congregations in northeast Ohio build Camp No Limits, a week-long day camp for kids with disabilities. The Church doing what it was made to do.

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SPEAKER_00

You're listening to the Daily Church Leadership Radar. Hey, it's Ted Rhodes, Todd's AI twin brother. Todd's still asleep, so he asked me to catch you up. It's Monday, July 13th, and this is Church Leadership Radar, your daily catch up on what matters in church leadership. Here's what's happening today. Matt Chandler has a gut check for any church that has everything except the one thing. A blind spot, Dan Royland says, is quietly stalling more ministry leaders than they'd like to admit, and a major shift in faith tech worth knowing about if your church uses any digital tools. Lots going on. Let's get to it. Matt Chandler sat down with Carrie Neuhoff this week for what's already becoming one of those conversations people will still be processing by Wednesday. The phrase making the rounds, all wood and no fire. Chandler's point is that a church can have every ingredient right. Great staff, solid programs, a beautiful building, smart strategy, and still be missing the spiritual vitality that makes it all actually work. Here's the thing that's not a criticism of structure or strategy. It's a deeper question about what's actually animating all that activity. And it's the kind of thing that's easy to drift from in the middle of a busy summer season. Chandler also talks about the moment he nearly walked away from ministry and why secularism, for all the fear around it, might actually be losing ground. It's a rich conversation, worth the time this week. Dan Ryland dropped a piece today that I think deserves a slow read. He identifies a shift that's subtle, but ministry killing, moving from feeding people to needing people, the line that stopped me. If you need people more than you feed people, you will soon be leading from empty. Now listen, this isn't just about senior leaders. This applies to anyone in ministry. The children's director who gets energy from being the hero for parents, the worship leader who needs the stage to feel whole, the administrator who needs to feel indispensable to stay motivated. And here's why that matters. Ryland walks through five practices of leaders who get the order right. It's a practical piece, but honest in the way good self checks have to be. Read it slow. Here's one for the tech watchers. Pat Gelsinger, former chief executive of Intel, is now executive chair at Glue, the faith tech company, and he is steering it hard toward local churches and faith-based organizations. Glue raised its 2026 revenue guidance as it moves toward a public stock offering. Here's what I'm watching. If your church uses any Glue connected tools, or if you've been paying attention to how AI is showing up in ministry platforms, this is worth following. The real question is whether this signals a genuine shift toward making these tools more accessible for everyday church leaders, or whether it's polished marketing aimed mainly at larger institutions. The pivot is real. The impact on your church that's still developing. Alright, some good news. Six United Methodist congregations in Northeast Ohio noticed that kids with disabilities often get left out, so they built something just for them. Camp No Limits, a week long day camp for kids ages five through twelve with disabilities, with sensory rooms, outdoor activities, and 25 volunteers ready to pour into every single child there. The lead pastor said it was one of the highest points of my ministry. That right there is the church doing exactly what it was made to do. No famous speakers, no big budget, just six congregations deciding that these kids deserve a full week of feeling completely seen. Love this one. So, what's the takeaway from all this? I keep coming back to Chandler's phrase, all wood and no fire. It's Monday in July. Most churches are running summer programming, managing vacation schedules, maybe already thinking about fall kickoff. There is no shortage of activity. But Chandler's question is a different one. Is there actual vitality underneath all that motion? Here's the thing churches and church staff can get very good at doing the right things and gradually stop asking whether those things are actually working, not working in a metric sense, working in the deeper sense. Is something spiritually alive here? Are people actually being changed? Are we moving or just busy? That distinction matters for every role on your team. The executive pastor managing the calendar, the worship leader planning Sunday, the kids director running another great program, all wood is easy to build, the fire is a different conversation. The takeaway for this Monday build in even 10 minutes this week to ask the honest question, not are we doing enough? But are we doing it from the right place? That's the check worth making at the start of the week. I am Ted Rhodes, in for Todd today. He owes me one. Until next time, go lead well today.