Podcast
Leading Conversations
Hosted by J.D. Pearring · EN
Conversations between J.D. Pearring, Director of Excel Leadership Network, and church planting leaders, innovators, and coaches from around the country.
17episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Conversation with Sami Moss
2w ago00:34:45Tap to summarizeA lot of leaders can name their gifts, but still feel stuck when it comes to where those gifts belong. JD sits down with Sammy Moss to trace a ministry story that does not depend on a dramatic “before and after,” but on steady faithfulness, wise preparation, and a willingness to obey the next step even when the long-term plan is unclear. From growing up in South Florida to choosing Cedarville University in Ohio, Sammy shares how God used ordinary discipleship rhythms to build a foundation for church leadership and teaching.The conversation turns practical as Sammy shares her move into a women’s ministry lead role at All Church in Cincinnati, her speaking and coaching work through Sammy Moss Ministries, and her slow, consistent process for writing a Gospel of Mark Bible study curriculum using an inductive Bible study approach. JD and Sammy close with leadership takeaways you can apply immediately: delegate with trust, find a great assistant, keep learning your team’s gifting, and embrace leadership that grows deep roots over time instead of chasing fast results. Subscribe, share this with a leader in your life, and leave a review so more church planters and ministry teams can find the show.Send us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL.
Transcribe →Conversation with Jim Jessup (Classic)
3w ago00:32:12Tap to summarizeHow do legacies shape the leaders we become? Join us as we sit down with the inspiring Jim Jessup from Jessup University, who shares intimate stories of his family's remarkable church planting and leadership history. From his grandfather's founding of San Jose Bible College in 1939 to Jim's journey of answering a call to ministry at 16, Jim opens up about the enduring impact of his family's devotion to faith. Listen as he reflects on balancing basketball and ministry, and how his education at Lincoln Christian Seminary broadened his denominational perspectives towards a more inclusive faith in Christ.Originally Posted February 3, 2025Send us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL.
Transcribe →Conversation with Chuck Perez
4w ago00:36:14Tap to summarizeA lot of leaders wait for a dramatic calling moment, then miss the quiet invitations God puts right in front of them. JD sits down with Chuck Perez, a longtime Christian musician and pastor, to talk about what happens when you stop waiting for perfect clarity and start moving in faithful obedience. Chuck shares his journey from growing up in a strict church environment to experiencing a real, personal faith at 18, and how that transformation reshaped everything from his message to his ministry mindset.We get into Chuck’s unexpected path through the Christian music industry, touring, record deals, and the simple leadership lesson that kept showing up: just say yes. But the conversation goes deeper than career stories. Chuck explains the difference between gift and call, why worship leading pulled him toward shepherding people, and what he learned from planting churches with too much zeal and not enough structure. If you’ve ever wrestled with ministry burnout, discouragement, or feeling like you’re “doing all the right things” but missing the point, you’ll hear yourself in this.Subscribe for more conversations on church planting, Christian leadership, and practical ministry, then share this with a leader who needs fresh courage and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.Songs by Chuck PerezYou Have A Problem With ThatYour Ways / I Love Your WaysSend us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL.
Transcribe →Conversation with Dave Bennett (Classic)
Jun 2200:27:51Tap to summarizeJoining the conversation today is no stranger to the Excel Network. Dave Bennet has raised more money for churches than most of us will earn in a lifetime. In today's podcast, Dave shares the life-altering moment when his doctor spoke two words, cancer and malignant. Initially feeling abandoned by God, Dave tells JD how he saw purpose through the challenge and how it has changed his life. Listen to his story today, and you will be encouraged.Originally Posted June 1, 2023Send us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL.
Transcribe →Conversation with Adam and Karissa King
Jun 1500:36:25Tap to summarizeA single dollar on a honeymoon turned into a fight neither of them forgot and it revealed something most couples learn the hard way: marriage problems are rarely about the sombrero. We are joined by Adam and Carissa King from the Dear Young Married Couple podcast and upcoming book, and we get honest about what it looks like to love each other while still clashing over expectations, respect, and communication.We talk through their faith stories, including how early church life shaped them and how hard questions pushed Adam toward apologetics and a more grounded confidence in Jesus. That same posture of curiosity shows up in their marriage work today: you can be faithful and still need tools, coaching, and wise voices around you. They share why couples often avoid help because they fear looking weak, especially in ministry, and why breaking that stigma can change a family line.If you care about Christian marriage, marriage coaching, healthy leadership, and building a relationship that lasts, this conversation will give you language and next steps. Subscribe, share this with a couple who needs encouragement, and leave a review with the tool you want to try this week.Dear Young Married Couple WebsiteSend us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL.
Transcribe →Conversation with Stu Streeter (Classic)
Jun 800:26:56Tap to summarizeStu Streeter is a church planter, a pastor, and oversees church planting for the North American Baptist denomination. He shares with us his journey to know Christ and how that impacted his life. He also recently completed a sabbatical and talked about the importance of taking time to refresh and renew and what it looks like to return to active ministry.Document: Ambition The Driver of IsolationOriginally Posted April 16, 2021Send us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL.
Transcribe →Conversation with Robert Acker
Jun 100:33:33Tap to summarizeA lot of leaders talk about “finishing well” like it is a slogan. Rob Acker has lived it, from a youth group of eight kids to decades of pastoral leadership, church planting, and the slow work of staying healthy. JD and I start with a personal story of how our lives crossed, then Rob takes us back to the roots: simple discipleship, opening the Bible as a teenager, and the way the local church quietly forms a leader long before anyone gives you a title. Rob closes with a leadership framework that sticks: character, knowledge, and skills, plus the daily practices that protect the character piece. If this conversation helps you, subscribe, share it with a leader you respect, and leave a review so more church planters and pastors can find it.Send us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL.
Transcribe →Conversation with Geoff Wells (Classic)
May 2500:17:10Tap to summarizeIf you have ever been to an Excel Discovery Center, then you have probably met today's guest. From its beginnings, Geoff Wells and his wife Sharon have been a part of Excel Leadership Network. As a retired Army officer, he is often referred to as "The Colonel." Geoff's life story is worth listening to. For anyone that has been lucky enough to meet him, you walk away from that meeting knowing that he is passionate about supporting church planters and how Excel plays a role in expanding God's kingdom. Listen and be encouraged.This episode originally aired on March 1, 2022Send us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL.
Transcribe →Converstation with John Jackson (Classic)
May 1100:34:58Tap to summarizeIn this episode, JD has a conversation with Dr. John Jackson. He is currently serving as the President of William Jessup University. In his ministry life, he has been a church pastor, a church planter, and a mission leader of a denomination. He has a passion for the local church and a passion for leadership. His ministry experience has taught him valuable lessons about himself and what is essential when someone is in that role. Don't miss this conversation; you will be encouraged and gain valuable leadership lessons.This episode was originally published on July 3, 2023.Send us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL.
Transcribe →Conversation with Peyton Jones (2026)
May 400:42:37Tap to summarizeIf your church can draw a crowd but struggles to develop leaders, you’re not alone and you’re not stuck. We sit down with church planter and author Peyton Jones to get painfully practical about the missing link behind sustainable church planting and long-term mission: mobilising everyday people to reproduce disciple makers, not just attend services. Along the way Peyton shares what he’s learning right now in his Carlsbad church plant, from meeting at noon in a beach community to building Sundays around circles, food, and real conversation. Peyton unpacks the core idea behind his new book Disciplogy, “the art and science of making disciples,” and why he believes many churches aim for multiplication while skipping the deeper work of mobilisation. We dig into leadership development as the true bottleneck, how Paul’s ministry shows a learning curve, and why reproduction is a clearer, more honest word for what the Great Commission requires. Subscribe for more conversations with church planters and leaders, share this with a friend who’s building a disciple making culture, and leave a review so more leaders can find the show.Link to DiscipologySend us Fan MailWe want to help you find your next steps in ministry.Connect here with EXCEL.
Transcribe →