Thanks for tuning in for the unSeminary podcast. This week Drew Karschner is joining us. He’s the Lead Pastor at Northridge Church in Rochester, New York – one of the fastest-growing churches in the country. While church growth is a blessing, it often comes with hardships that must be navigated carefully. Whether your church is wrestling with racial tensions, political division, or simply difficult life events, your leadership skills and resilience will be tested. Tune in as Drew shares how to foster an environment where all voices are heard, lead with empathy and understanding, and build the resilience of your staff. * Acknowledge the hard times. // Church leaders often find themselves in a position where they must balance optimism with realism. You may be trying to cast situations in a hopeful light when people aren’t ready to see it. Acknowledge when things are hard and be honest with your staff and congregation about the challenges they face. Make space for lament and empathize with your congregation’s struggles, but also cast a vision for the future and where God is leading you to go. * Be open and honest. // People want their leaders to be real; they know when you aren’t being authentic in your leadership. Drew believes that being real and honest with your congregation helps to bridge the gap between different perspectives within the church. * Be a “church in the middle.” // If churches want to grow and reach their communities, by definition they have to get used to a wide variety of people. Rather than taking a polarized stance, Northridge Church seeks to empathize with all the people they shepherd in order to lead them all to Jesus. Listening to different perspectives and engaging in conversations that may be uncomfortable are necessary for growth. This approach has allowed the church to grow in unity and diversity as they strive to represent the entire community. * Navigate through the pain. // Leadership can take a toll on you personally, particularly when navigating pain and conflict. Your capacity is often determined by the amount of pain you can endure. Yet Drew expresses that it is a joy to navigate through the pain and see how God uses it on the journey. Similarly, it’s important to maintain relationships and trust even when faced with challenges. Resist the urge to become isolated and stay open to connection and support from others. * Create open conversations. // It’s critical to build a resilient team so that you can stand strong together when facing difficult times. Hold open conversations with the church staff so people can talk about their feelings surrounding complex issues. Create a safe space for expression and dialogue to help people heal. Drew also maintains an open-door policy, letting his staff know that he’s available to them. * Let staff know how valuable they are. // Staff members want to know they’re valuable. They want to be paid well, but churches don’t always have the budget to give their staff the money they wish they could. However, you can come up with creative ways to let your team know they are appreciated. Northridge Church demonstrates this in a variety of ways, from monthly catered lunches and family retreats, to honoring staff members with sabbaticals for their service, gift cards and more. You can learn more about Northridge Church at www.northridgerochester.com. Thank You for Tuning In! There are a lot of podcasts you could be tuning into today, but you chose unSeminary, and I’m grateful for that. If you enjoyed today’s show,