Homepage / Pivot Podcast /#58: How to Help Your Church Change Through Design Thinking
We know things need to change in our church, but where do we start?
Dwight Zscheile addresses the common struggle church leaders face in navigating change with guest Dr. Ramon Pastrano, a specialist in transformational leadership. Together they explore the challenges of making changes in churches, highlighting pitfalls and proposing a better approach, emphasizing the significance of the design thinking process.
Dr. Ramon Pastrano is founder and board member of Twin Cities-based ImpactLives, Inc. and founder of Third Sphere LLC, a center for transformational leadership in cultural competence, social innovation, and entrepreneurship. Pastrano is fluent in human-centered design, design thinking, system thinking, service learning, social responsibility, social innovation, transformational leadership, and entrepreneurial leadership.
Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary. His latest books are The Starter’s Way (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) and Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue).
Join us on Pivot Podcast, where we journey beyond church-as-usual to discover how God is reshaping ministry for today’s world.
Each week, we dive into conversations with innovative leaders and practitioners who are navigating four game-changing pivots: shifting from quick fixes to deep listening, from membership to discipleship, from rigid models to creative ministry ecosystems, and from clergy-centered leadership to unleashing everyone’s gifts.
Whether you’re a member of the clergy seeking fresh inspiration or a volunteer stepping into new leadership territory, Pivot Podcast equips you with the insights and practical wisdom to follow Jesus into a faithful future.
Through their work with diverse cohorts of preachers, they’ve discovered that the most compelling sermons aren’t necessarily the most polished – they’re the ones where preachers have learned to listen deeply to both God and their congregations. Learn practical tools for gathering meaningful feedback, understand why vulnerability matters more than ever in preaching, and discover how shifting from evaluation to understanding can deepen your sermon’s impact. Plus, hear why reimagining God’s agency in preaching might be the key to unlocking more powerful proclamation.
Dr. Ramon Pastrano is founder and board member of Twin Cities-based ImpactLives, Inc. and founder of Third Sphere LLC, a center for transformational leadership in cultural competence, social innovation, and entrepreneurship. Pastrano is fluent in human-centered design, design thinking, system thinking, service learning, social responsibility, social innovation, transformational leadership, and entrepreneurial leadership.
Dwight Zscheile is professor of congregational mission and leadership at Luther Seminary. His latest books are The Starter’s Way (with Ed Olsworth-Peter) and Embracing the Mixed Ecology (with Blair Pogue).
