Podcast
The Unstuck Church Podcast with Amy Anderson
Hosted by Amy Anderson · EN
With THE UNSTUCK CHURCH PODCAST, we invite you into the real-time conversations our team is having about church leadership every week.
Hosted by Amy Anderson, this podcast explores common challenges in ministry and practical steps for tackling them. It’s like getting to be a fly on the wall of our staff meetings.
Tune in weekly for:
Insights, observations and trends for church leaders from the Unstuck team.
Benchmarks in church growth and health from The Unstuck Group’s work serving hundreds churches across North America each year.
Practical advice to help you lead your church towards sustained health.
We think that after listening to The Unstuck Church Podcast, you’ll want to start these discussions with your own team at your next staff meeting.
Add your thoughts to the conversation on social media using #unstuckchurch.
20episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
How to Train Your Managers - Episode 419
Oct 2200:26:57Tap to summarizeMany of us in ministry are responsible for leading other people. It’s hard to lead others well without good management skills. Management is something that, just like any other specialty, needs to be trained and developed. But, historically, churches have not been good developers of managers. Effective manager training is crucial to building a culture of health and high performance on a church staff. Without great managers, we won’t accomplish great things. In this episode, Amy and Sean discuss common mistakes churches can make when training managers, specific disciplines church leaders should implement in manager training and how to create sustainable systems for ongoing manager development. This Episode is Sponsored By ChurchCopy.AI There’s no shortage of things happening in your church—kids, students, groups, outreaches, special events, the list goes on. Keeping communication clear across it all can be exhausting. With ChurchCopy.ai, you can turn a simple event description into a complete communication package—emails, posts, texts, and more—working together to create awareness, build anticipation, drive engagement, and provide follow-up. All organized in one place, all in your church’s voice. Start free today at churchcopy.ai/unstuck. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
Transcribe →Numbers Are Not the Enemy - Episode 418
Oct 1500:23:41Tap to summarizeWhen it comes to numbers and metrics, churches sometimes say things like, “Our culture has never talked about numbers; we’re not a business,” and “Numbers are too impersonal.” This topic seems to create anxiety in church staff members. But what if numbers actually weren’t the enemy? What if you could use metrics and value people simultaneously? What if you could listen to the Holy Spirit and use data to support your vision and mission? Good managers bring clarity to what the wins are for their team and for their team members. And metrics are tools for clarity. In this episode, Amy and Sean discuss why there is pushback on using numbers and metrics, how to have a healthy approach to using measurement in ministry contexts and practical tips for introducing healthy practices to your team. This Episode is Sponsored By ChurchCopy.AI There’s no shortage of things happening in your church—kids, students, groups, outreaches, special events, the list goes on. Keeping communication clear across it all can be exhausting. With ChurchCopy.ai, you can turn a simple event description into a complete communication package—emails, posts, texts, and more—working together to create awareness, build anticipation, drive engagement, and provide follow-up. All organized in one place, all in your church’s voice. Start free today at churchcopy.ai/unstuck. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
Transcribe →Developing a Feedback Culture - Episode 417
Oct 800:28:24Tap to summarizeBeing a part of the Body of Christ means we each have different roles. If we’re going to be a healthy body, we need to talk to one another, communicate with one another, watch one another’s back and grow in our abilities to play the role He has placed us in. We ALL need honest feedback on what we are doing well and how we can get better. Teams that do this well are healthier and probably accomplish more, too. And that’s what we want: healthy and high-performing teams, accomplishing the mission God has given us. In this episode, Amy and Sean explore how creating a culture where feedback flows freely strengthens relationships, develops people and increases the effectiveness of our ministries. This Episode is Sponsored By ChurchCopy.AI There’s no shortage of things happening in your church—kids, students, groups, outreaches, special events, the list goes on. Keeping communication clear across it all can be exhausting. With ChurchCopy.ai, you can turn a simple event description into a complete communication package—emails, posts, texts, and more—working together to create awareness, build anticipation, drive engagement, and provide follow-up. All organized in one place, all in your church’s voice. Start free today at churchcopy.ai/unstuck. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
Transcribe →Management Versus Leadership - Episode 416
Oct 100:35:57Tap to summarizePeople-oriented people are often the ones who end up in ministry. And as people-oriented people, we’ll do anything to protect our relationships with our staff (or, rather, we’ll avoid anything that would disrupt them). And yet, we are called to lead each person God has placed in our care. And part of leadership is management. We’re starting a new series called “Management Is Not a Dirty Word,” where we’ll share practical tools every ministry needs to have in its tool belt to lead healthy, effective and winning teams. In this episode on leadership and management, Amy had the opportunity to sit down with Lance Witt, longtime friend of The Unstuck Group, founder of Replenish ministries and author of the book High-Impact Teams: Where Healthy Meets High Performance. This Episode is Sponsored By ChurchCopy.AI There’s no shortage of things happening in your church—kids, students, groups, outreaches, special events, the list goes on. Keeping communication clear across it all can be exhausting. With ChurchCopy.ai, you can turn a simple event description into a complete communication package—emails, posts, texts, and more—working together to create awareness, build anticipation, drive engagement, and provide follow-up. All organized in one place, all in your church’s voice. Start free today at churchcopy.ai/unstuck. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
Transcribe →Own Your Role: Breaking the MultiStuck Barrier - Episode 415
Sep 2400:23:44Tap to summarize"Where did all our momentum go?" We hear this question often from the multisite churches we serve. It is so common for a multisite church to get stuck at three locations. Having three locations is amazing and exciting, but if you are continuing to grow, it can suddenly feel very frustrating if your multisite model becomes the barrier to making room for new people. In this episode, Sean and Amy break down a growth barrier that isn’t discussed often: the “MultiStuck” barrier. They talk about the common tensions multisite churches feel when they get stuck at two or three campuses and start to lose momentum, and they provide solutions to break through the barrier to move toward sustained health. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center: Are you struggling to keep your church organized and connected? Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software that solves your administrative challenges. You can effortlessly track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules, and create easy ways for your congregation to get involved—all from a single platform. Whether you need a check-in system, event signups, or an online giving solution, Planning Center helps you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
Transcribe →Own Your Role: Breaking the 2000 Barrier - Episode 414
Sep 1700:21:23Tap to summarizeCrossing the 2000 barrier isn’t just about adding more seats on Sunday. This barrier represents a significant shift in how a church needs to operate. At this size, it’s common to see ministry silos develop and a realization that your leadership structure needs to evolve. As the leaders of the church, you have to make some changes to your mindset and to how you lead. In this episode, Amy and Sean dig into what makes the 2000 barrier so challenging and why so many leaders feel the weight of it. They focus on helping you own your role by unpacking the mindset shifts that senior pastors, executive pastors and boards must make to lead effectively at this stage. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center: Are you struggling to keep your church organized and connected? Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software that solves your administrative challenges. You can effortlessly track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules, and create easy ways for your congregation to get involved—all from a single platform. Whether you need a check-in system, event signups, or an online giving solution, Planning Center helps you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
Transcribe →Own Your Role: Breaking the 1000 Barrier - Episode 413
Sep 1000:23:48Tap to summarize"I've never led a church this size before..." If you are a senior pastor, executive pastor or board member, you’re not alone in thinking this. We hear church leaders say it all the time, as they wonder how they’re going to break through the next growth barrier. We’re continuing our series on breaking common growth barriers, specifically helping church leaders in key seats to own their roles in getting the church over that next hurdle. In this episode, Amy and Sean talk about one of the hardest barriers to break through: the 1000 barrier. If you feel stuck around the 700 or 800 attendance mark and are ready for healthy, sustained growth, this episode is for you. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center: Are you struggling to keep your church organized and connected? Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software that solves your administrative challenges. You can effortlessly track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules, and create easy ways for your congregation to get involved—all from a single platform. Whether you need a check-in system, event signups, or an online giving solution, Planning Center helps you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
Transcribe →Own Your Role: Breaking the 200 and 500 Barriers - Episode 412
Sep 300:34:22Tap to summarizeYou know the story: the numbers rise then stall. Two steps forward, one step back. Maybe your church has a history of hovering around a number—a familiar attendance line you just can’t seem to cross. Or maybe a rapid growth season occurs, but eventually, something—people, systems, culture—plateaus the momentum and drifts you right back to where you started. Sound familiar? In this new series, we tackle the real reasons churches stall out and what it takes to lead past them. We’ll help you push past the barrier you’re facing now, and the one after that, by equipping the senior leaders of your church (lead pastor, executive pastor and board members) to own their unique roles. In this episode, the focus is on the 200 and 500 attendance barriers. Amy and Sean are joined by Chad Hunt, who has been on our consulting team since 2015 and has helped hundreds of churches navigate these barriers, to discuss how each senior leader can be equipped to break through. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center: Are you struggling to keep your church organized and connected? Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software that solves your administrative challenges. You can effortlessly track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules, and create easy ways for your congregation to get involved—all from a single platform. Whether you need a check-in system, event signups, or an online giving solution, Planning Center helps you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
Transcribe →Brand New Data on Church Trends: Q3 2025 Unstuck Church Report - Episode 411
Aug 2700:41:07Tap to summarizeThe newest edition of The Unstuck Church Report is here! Over the past few years, our Unstuck Church Reports have told a pretty encouraging story. On average, churches are seeing double-digit growth. In fact, if you look back at the last 13 quarters, attendance growth has landed somewhere between 13% and 30%. Incredible! But let’s be honest: not every church is experiencing that kind of momentum. Some are still stuck or even losing ground. In this episode, Sean and Amy explore what sets healthy, growing churches apart by breaking down each section of the report: reach, connection, staffing & structure, and finances. This Episode is Sponsored by MortarStone MortarStone equips churches with actionable giving insights that drive real ministry impact. Generosity is more than numbers—it’s discipleship, spiritual formation, and lasting Kingdom work. MortarStone combines powerful analytics, custom dashboards and real-time reporting to help you understand and grow your church’s giving. Confidently build budgets, forecast with accuracy and make informed decisions with tools designed for ministry. Plus, you’ll partner with a dedicated coach to create a tailored, data-informed strategy that supports your unique mission and goals. Learn more and get started at mortarstone.com. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
Transcribe →3 Communication Challenges for Churches (Part 3): Better Communication With Outsiders - Episode 410
Aug 2000:34:59Tap to summarizeAs followers of Jesus, we're called to reach people outside of the faith. But doing so requires a strategy—both in the church and in your personal life. We're wrapping up our series on communication challenges for churches with a conversation about communicating with outsiders—people outside the church and outside the faith. In this episode, Sean and Amy share some reality checks about outreach strategies. Plus, Amy catches up with Phil Taylor at PlainJoe about best practices in storytelling and branding through the lens of what connects with people outside the church. This Episode is Sponsored by Planning Center Do the visitors at your church know exactly where to go and what to do when they visit for the first time? If you’re struggling to keep your church organized and connected, you need to check out Planning Center. Planning Center is the all-in-one church management software to help you solve your church’s administrative challenges. You can easily do things like track first-time guests, manage volunteer schedules and create ways for your congregation to get involved—all using a single platform. If you need a check-in system, event signups or an online giving solution, Planning Center can help you nurture your community and keep people connected. Visit planningcenter.com to get started for free. Join the Conversation on Social Media We use hashtag #unstuckchurch on X and on Instagram.
Transcribe →