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#164: Learning to Let Go in Ministry: Beyond Church Growth Pressure

Dr. Andrew Root and Rev. Kara Root share what they learned about letting go.

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Many church leaders feel crushing church growth pressure—the anxiety that if you don’t reverse decline or manage outcomes perfectly, you’ve failed. But what if that pressure is actually destroying the connections you’re trying to create?

In this episode of the Pivot Podcast, Dr. Andrew Root (Luther Seminary) and Rev. Kara Root (Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church) share what they learned about letting go of control during a 63-mile pilgrimage through Scotland with their two teenagers. They discuss why fear-based leadership strategies are toxic, what it means to create “semi-controlled experiences” in worship, and how a 300-year gap in church leadership at an ancient monastery gave them unexpected hope.

If you’re exhausted from trying to manufacture spiritual encounters or feeling the weight of church growth pressure, this conversation offers a different way forward.

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Featuring

Kara K. Root
Kara K. Root

Rev. Kara K. Root is the author of The Deepest Belonging (2021), Receiving This Life: (2023), and A Pilgrimage Into Letting Go (2025, with husband, Andy).

​Pastor of Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, MN, a Christian community that shapes its life around worship, hospitality and Sabbath rest, she is a trained Spiritual Director and Certified Educator in the PCUSA.  Being mom to two intriguing teenagers (and a sweet dog), and wife and proofreader to a wily theologian, spices up her vocational calling and keeps her fully immersed in life.  

Andrew Root
Professor and Carrie Olson Baalson Chair of Youth and Family Ministry, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MInnesota

After receiving his Ph.D. at Princeton Theological Seminary, Andrew Root joined Luther Seminary in 2005. He is considered one of the leading scholars of youth ministry and practical theology in the world. Root has published 16 books, many of which have been found on lists for Book of the Year. His latest project is a three-volume series with Baker Academic. Root is known as a leading thinker on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and is a sought-after speaker at conferences, colleges, and churches. He has lectured and presented all over the world, including South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.

Hosts

Faith+Lead Headshot of The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, VP of Innovation, Luther Seminary.
Dwight Zscheile
Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

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).

Faith+Lead Headshot of Dr. Alicia Granholm, Senior Director of Faith+Lead.
Alicia Granholm
Senior Director, Faith+Lead, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

Dr. Alicia Granholm is senior director of Faith+Lead at Luther Seminary and a leadership and church consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She helps pastors and leaders engage culture to make a lasting impact. For nearly two decades, she has trained, equipped, and empowered followers of Jesus to engage their local communities by contextualizing the Gospel and its application. Alicia compassionately crosses cultural boundaries having lived, studied, traveled, and served in 25 countries on six continents. Alicia has a Doctor of Strategic Leadership, Global Consulting (Regent University), M.Div. (Bethel Seminary), and M.A. in Teaching (University of St. Thomas).

About Pivot Podcast

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.

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Featuring

Kara K. Root
Kara K. Root

Rev. Kara K. Root is the author of The Deepest Belonging (2021), Receiving This Life: (2023), and A Pilgrimage Into Letting Go (2025, with husband, Andy).

​Pastor of Lake Nokomis Presbyterian Church in Minneapolis, MN, a Christian community that shapes its life around worship, hospitality and Sabbath rest, she is a trained Spiritual Director and Certified Educator in the PCUSA.  Being mom to two intriguing teenagers (and a sweet dog), and wife and proofreader to a wily theologian, spices up her vocational calling and keeps her fully immersed in life.  

Andrew Root
Professor and Carrie Olson Baalson Chair of Youth and Family Ministry, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, MInnesota

After receiving his Ph.D. at Princeton Theological Seminary, Andrew Root joined Luther Seminary in 2005. He is considered one of the leading scholars of youth ministry and practical theology in the world. Root has published 16 books, many of which have been found on lists for Book of the Year. His latest project is a three-volume series with Baker Academic. Root is known as a leading thinker on Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and is a sought-after speaker at conferences, colleges, and churches. He has lectured and presented all over the world, including South Africa, New Zealand, Australia, and Europe.

Hosts

Faith+Lead Headshot of The Rev. Dr. Dwight Zscheile, VP of Innovation, Luther Seminary.
Dwight Zscheile
Professor of Congregational Mission and Leadership, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

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).

Faith+Lead Headshot of Dr. Alicia Granholm, Senior Director of Faith+Lead.
Alicia Granholm
Senior Director, Faith+Lead, Luther Seminary, St. Paul, Minnesota

Dr. Alicia Granholm is senior director of Faith+Lead at Luther Seminary and a leadership and church consultant based in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She helps pastors and leaders engage culture to make a lasting impact. For nearly two decades, she has trained, equipped, and empowered followers of Jesus to engage their local communities by contextualizing the Gospel and its application. Alicia compassionately crosses cultural boundaries having lived, studied, traveled, and served in 25 countries on six continents. Alicia has a Doctor of Strategic Leadership, Global Consulting (Regent University), M.Div. (Bethel Seminary), and M.A. in Teaching (University of St. Thomas).